Where: Rexall Place, Edmonton, Alberta | When: 9 PM EST
Radio: 970 AM WFLA | Television: FS Florida Sun | Twitter: Live Stream
Opponent Coverage: The Copper & Blue, Oilers Nation
Tonight is game #41 of the Tampa Bay Lightning season. The club is half-way to conclusion and stands 2 points outside wild card status in the Eastern Conference and 3 points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the last of the top-3 playoff sports in the Atlantic Division. Roster drama holds more of a narrative edge with the club at the moment than the tight-tight race throughout the NHL; the only teams that seem outright out of it are the Columbus Blue Jackets (33 points in 41 games played) and the Buffalo Sabres (34 points in 41 games).
That should tell you something about the state of the Pacific Division and tonight’s opponent, the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers are at 37 points on the season (17-21-3) but stand only 4 points out of a playoff spot in the division. Not wild-card status, a solid playoff berth – which tomorrow’s opponent, the Vancouver Canucks, currently hold with 41 points on the season in 41 games.
While the lightning has been known to be underwhelming offensively this season, the under-n new-management Oilers are a sieve, with a goal differential of minus-20 (102 goals for, 122 against). It is on defense where the club is hurting and rumors about them lusting to revamp the blue line have been playing out. Those 102 goals-for with the Oilers is a single goal more than the Lightning have scored this season (101) with only 1 more game played. The difference being Tampa Bay has given up 24 fewer goals than the Oilers up to this point too (98 goals-allowed for Tampa Bay, 122 for Edmonton).
Those stats – being close, being sound defensively and in the crease – are all nice to see but also painful to think about from the Bolts end of things. The club’s inconsistency this season has been shown in the last few weeks by dropping games to the Canucks and the Flames; two teams having so-so seasons in a weak division. The goal differential be damned, victory is not assured unless a sound and motivated effort to win is there.
Potency is on display with the Oilers output – Taylor Hall is on a point-per-game pace (16 goals, 25 assists), Leon Draisaitl is next on the club with 32 points (9 goals, 32 assists) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 3rd (8 goals, 20 assists). It’s a really potent show compared to what you’re getting from the Lightning. Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov are tied for the team lead in points with 30. Besides those two, no one has broken the 20 point threshold this season yet, and the third and fourth top scorers on the squad are assist-heavy defensemen Anton Stralman and Victor Hedman who are also tied for points (18).
Other Coverage
- Projected Lines: Lightning / Oilers
- Tickets: Check Availability
- Tampa Bay Lightning official team preview
- Full Coverage on SB Nation
How often do you check opposing team websites on game day?
| Always | 13 |
| Regularly | 14 |
| Sometimes | 30 |
| Rarely | 24 |
| Never | 29 |
