Lets talk a bit about Gagner. The Oiler center was the epicenter of all Oiler trade rumours right up until the Olympic break because of the sad state the team and his disappointing season. The Oilers were unable to make a deal but there is plenty of reason to believe that the 24 year old C can bounce back from this difficult year and contribute in positive ways to the team.
After having a career year in the 48 game season he was set to pick up where he left off but a wild stick from NHL Superstar and the World's most beloved Canuck Kassian meant Gagner's story needed rewriting. He came back too early and played an ineffective brand of Hockey.
By now many readers are thinking "Excuses, excuses, excuses", and I understand the sentiment. However, there is reason to believe that 89 is turning a corner. From October through December Sam put up points at a pace that would have seen him net 37 points in 82 games. That's bad. But as the face-shield came off and he became more comfortable the offense has started to come back. From January to now Gagner has put up points at a pace that would have seen him net 59 points in 82 games.
For all the belly aching the Oilers have done about Gagner it seems easy to overlook the fact that he has climbed up the depth charts to the point where he is now centering the top line and playing like a ~60 point pivot. If he doesnt get traded at the Draft and remains an Oiler next year there's good reason to be excited about what he can bring to the table...barring another catastrophic injury.
LINEUPS
It sounds like Joensuu will be sitting this one out today so Lander will continue to get playing time in the NHL. He is a point per game player in the AHL but just cant seem to translate that into the big leagues. If things go as expected Gagner will go back to his slot and Lander will move down to the 3rd line. It's closer to the role most expect he will have next year with the Oilers so we can get a preview of things to come.
Hall Gagner Perron Yakupov RNH Eberle Hendricks Gordon Lander Gazdic Smyth Jones
Larsen Schultz Marincin Petry Klefbom Ference
Scrivens
OILERS KEYS TO THE GAME
1) Play With An Edge. We've started to see some emotion creep into a few Oilers' games, most notably Hall. I, for one, love it. That aspect of their games has been missing. Frankly, I want to see Jordan Eberle boil over and punch someone in the face. It isnt about losing composure, it's about being emotionally present.
2) Play The Odds. This ties into playing with an edge. The Hurricanes are horrendous on Power Play, running at just 12.7% this year. Edmonton isnt great this year either, but Carolina is 29th on the PP and that should qualify as an invitation to cross the line. If they wont make you pay for it then why not take advantage?
3) Defense First Priority. The Oil need to build off of that performance in Detroit. Yes, the game was vanilla but they werent outplayed and outshot. In terms of making steps in the right direction, it would be important to the team to maintain the strong defensive play that limited the Red Wings' chances.
Puck drops at 1:08PM Mountain Time on Sportsnet. Game On!
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