Keep the foot on the gas: Lightning at Oilers game preview

Game Sixty-Eight: Tampa Bay Lightning (42-21-4) at Edmonton Oilers (34-27-4)

Time: 10:00 PM EST

Location: Rogers Place, Where Roman Hamrlik was traded to save money

TV/Stream/Radio: The Spot, CBC, SN, TVAS2, CITY, ESPN+, 102.5 FM, Lightning App

Odds: Lightning -142

Know the Opponents: Oilers Nation

Sometimes it’s not who you play, but when you play them. If there was ever a time to take on a team that features the best player in hockey, it’s now. The Edmonton Oilers are not only bruised and battered, they are in the ambulance on the way to the ER. On the heels of Leon Draisaitl’s injury that will keep him out of the rest of the season, there is news that depth forward Trent Frederic is out indefinitely.

There will be some new names in the line-up since the last time these two teams met, but, as of right now, it doesn’t look like a familiar one will be playing as Isaac Howard was still tearing things up for Bakersfield as recently as last night. It does look like Connor Ingram will be in net as the former Lightning prospect has been anointed the number-one goaltender for the Oilers. Over the years, he’s been solid against Tampa Bay, sporting a 2-1-0 record with a .938 SV% and 2.27 GAA in three career games.

The Tristan Jarry experience isn’t going well, but Ingram, acquired at the beginning of the season for future considerations, has helped keep them afloat. In his last ten games he’s 5-3-1 with a 2.91 GAA, a 0.36 GSAx, and an .886 SV%. It’s not spectacular goaltending, but it’s also not horrendous, which the Oilers will take at the moment.

Edmonton has been able to keep the scoring going after the Olympic break as they are averaging 3.04 GF/60 at 5v5 in their 12 games (the Lightning are at 3.65), but they’ve been leaking goals at 3.64 GA/60 rate. They’ve been doing a decent chance of limiting dangerous chances as they’re allowing 9.52 HDCA/60, but the goaltending, especially Jarry, has been letting them down.

In their first meeting, all the way back in November, the Lightning did a really good job of taking McDavid out of the game. He had a team-high eight shot attempts, but only three made it on net, and he had zero points. With Edmonton having the last change, look for Kris Knoblauch to try and get his best player some more favorable match-ups.

For the other fortyish minutes of the game, the Lightning should have an advantage as their roster is a lot deeper than Edmonton’s at the moment. If the Yanni Gourde line can generate some goals tonight, it will be a tremendous advantage for the Bolts. The Brandon Hagel, Nikita Kucherov, Anthony Cirelli line has been carrying the team so far on the road trip, but expect the Oilers to focus on shutting them down.

The Bolts have had a good start to the road trip, a win tonight will make it a successful one. They have to keep building on the effort they’ve displayed recently. The Eastern Conference isn’t going to start losing all of a sudden, so the Lightning have to keep finding ways to win.

Scoreboard watching:

Buffalo Sabres at Los Angeles Kings (can the Kings stop the run Buffalo is on?)

New York Islanders at Montreal Canadiens (Montreal is four points back)

Toronto Maple Leafs at Ottawa Senators (Senators are still hanging on)

Boston Bruins at Detroit Red Wings (the no three-point game of the day)

Potential Lines

Tampa Bay Lightning

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Edmonton Oilers

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