Streaking Oilers look for fourth win in row
Five storylines as the Edmonton Oilers look to make it four wins in a row when they host the Montreal Canadiens Saturday at Rogers Place (5 p.m. MT, TV: Sportsnet, radio: 630 CHED).
1. Price hasn’t been right Carey Price is probably the world’s best goalie, but the Canadiens star got the hook after giving up four goals in 14 shots last month against the Oilers and doesn’t play well against them. Fact is, muchmaligned backup Antti Niemi has much better numbers vs. Edmonton than Price. In his career, Niemi has faced the Oilers 19 times and sports a 12-2-3 record.
2. Centre of attention The Oilers are a lot deeper offensively in the middle with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins than the Habs’ first three of Jonathan Drouin, a converted winger, Phillip Danault and Tomas Plekanec, two hard-working checkers. Going into Friday’s game with Calgary, the trio had 16 goals and 54 total points among them. McDavid has 13 goals and 41 points by himself.
3. No Weber to worry about Without Shea Weber’s big shot from the point on the power play — best in the league — the Habs are nowhere near as dangerous, although over the season, they still have a more productive power play than the Oilers. Weber is out for the second time this season with a foot problem. No Weber is good news for the Oilers’ penalty kill, of course, which is still south of a 60 per cent success rate at Rogers Place.
4. What’s with the power play? The Oilers are a mystifying 4-for-40 on their power play in the last month. They have not scored a goal with the man advantage at home since Nov. 16 in a 4-1 loss to St. Louis. The four power-play goals they’ve managed have been on the road — two in Montreal, two in Columbus on the last road trip. Against the Blues on Thursday, they had a four-minute power play with Scottie Upshall off for a high-stick late in the first period and managed one shot, and Patrik Berglund had a short-handed breakaway.
5. Watch that speeding Carr Local product Daniel Carr — son of former University of Alberta Golden Bears centre Jim Carr, who passed away in October — has been on a tear for the Canadiens since his call-up from their farm team in Laval. Carr, who was leading Laval in points, went into Friday’s game against Calgary with nine points in eight games for the Habs, playing right-wing on the fourth line with some power-play time in there. The former AJHL forward has perhaps convinced the Habs he’s a full-time NHLer.
THE BIG MATCHUP
Carey Price vs. Cam Talbot
If Price gets the call for a 13th straight game in a back-to-back Calgary-Edmonton scenario, he knows he’s had virtually no happy nights against the Oilers. His career record in 10 games is 2-7-1 with an .859 save percentage and a 3.73 average. His stats against the Oilers are the worst of any NHL team he’s played against. Talbot has a .935 save percentage and 1.73 average in six games against the Habs.
SICK BAY
Oilers: Oscar Klefbom (shoulder). Canadiens: Shea Weber (foot). Ales Hemsky (concussion), Al Montoya (concussion)