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G24 Oilers @ Kings - Guaranteeing A Win

November 21, 2019, 1:31 PM ET [90 Comments]
Sean Maloughney
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT

Jinxes aren't real. If there are 5 minutes left in a game and Koskinen is on his way to a 30 save shutout, me posting something about that shutout prematurely has no effect on the remainder of the game. As much as fans want to believe that watching the game on a specific chair, drinking a certain beer, or not washing a jersey for far too long of a time will help their team to victory.... it doesn't.

That's why I don't feel bad about saying that Edmonton will win this game tonight.

The 5th best team right now in the standings, with the 5th best goal differential against the 30th place team with a goal differential that is 29th. There shouldn't be any doubt on who is going to win this game.

A few players described the most recent 5-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks as one that felt like a playoff game. Both teams fought to gain momentum and though there were many times that Edmonton was pressured in their own end, they did not break and were able to produce plenty of their own chances.

The players need to remember that feeling and implement it into every game from now until the end of the regular season and hopefully beyond. Edmonton should dominate the Kings tonight because quite simply they are a far superior team.

---

LARSSON RETURNS

Time is a funny thing. After the first game of the season, it was announced that Adam Larsson would be out for 6-8 weeks with a fractured fibula. The reaction from Oilers fans was typical, that the team could hopefully survive the next month and a half and not be too far out of the hunt when Larsson returned. Now those same fans are firing out trade proposals for Larsson because Edmonton has been 1st in the division since his injury.

The big reason? Ethan Bear. Holy cow has he continued to look brilliant. He is by far the best passing defenseman on the Oilers roster and while there have been some rookie mistakes, he has been one of the most consistent Oilers on the backend. He likely won't get any Calder love this summer... but he should.

Larsson might not be a puck moving defenseman, but when he is on his game he is a great shutdown player and a calm presence in his own zone. The Oilers are better when he is in the lineup.

LINEUPS

EDMONTON


Draisaitl-McDavid-Kassian
Neal-RNH-Khaira
Nygard-Haas-Chiasson
Granlund-Sheahan-Archibald

Nurse-Bear
Klefbom-Jones
Russell-Larsson

Smith

- At this time there is no official word on the lineup but Benning left the Sharks game early with an injury, Regardless of how serious that could be, putting Larsson on the third pairing to get his legs back under him makes the most sense.

KINGS

Iafallo-Kopitar-Brown
Carter-Amadio-Toffoli
Kempe-Lizotte-Wagner
Clifford-Prohorkin-Luff

Walker-Doughty
Hutton-Martinez
Roy-Macdermid

Quick

OILERS PLAYER PROFILE - ADAM LARSSON

It's been a tough 2019 for Adam Larsson. He struggled mightily for Edmonton through the 2018/2019 season and spoke often about knowing what he needed to do this season to be successful. Then in opening night he is injured and misses all the fun the team has had being 1st in the division. Larsson needs to find a way tonight to make his presence known early, while avoiding putting himself out of position.

KINGS PLAYER PROFILE - MIKE AMADIO

The 23 year old Amadio will play in his 100th NHL game tonight. The right shooting centre, according to Daily Faceoff is centring Carter and Toffoli. Through 19 games this season Amadio has 3 goals and 5 points and has been held off the scoresheet for the past 7 games; not the production you hope to see in your top 6. It is one more piece of info which highlights what a truly bad organization the LA Kings are right now.

3 KEYS TO VICTORY

1.) More Of That Please? - Against the Sharks Edmonton had 5 different goal scorers. Granlund....yes Granlund, Kassian, Khaira, Neal, and McDavid all found the back of the net (or other side of the line in Kassian's case). One good game does not turn around the narrative of poor secondary scoring for the Oilers but it is a start in the right direction. If the bottom 6 guys can get going against any team... it should be LA.

2.) L50N - We are still a few games from discussing Leon Draisaitl hitting 50 goals, but not as far about discussing Leon hitting 50 points. Draisaitl still leads the lead with 44 points in 23 games as well as currently on the best point streak in the the league of 13 games. Look for Leon not push that to 14 games tonight and take a couple steps closer to 50 points.

3.) Not The Worst At Home - While there is no doubt Edmonton will win tonight, the Kings haven't been a bad team recently at home. They have won their last 4 home games and had won 3 in a row before falling to the Coyotes on the road. Most of those goals came in the first period so Edmonton should probably ensure they are winning after the first to be safe.

FILM OF THE DAY

Jinxes and curses aren't real but sometimes there are situations that can make a person wonder. Production of The Crow (1994) was plagued by such things, most notably the death of lead actor Brandon Lee after he was killed after being shot by a defective prop gun. Aside from his tragic death, issues ranging from freak hurricanes, electrocutions, fires, and other accidents delayed production and haunted many who worked on the movie for years to come.

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