Oilersnation Pre Game Podcast with Tyler Yaremchuk

Is tonight the end? Well, I certainly hope it isn't but the Oilers are right up against it. It is officially do-or-die time for the Oily boys and while hope will never die, I must admit, it's hard to feel optimistic right now. These three losses have been about as crushing as any that I can remember. They've all been close, the Oilers have had a chance in every single one, and that makes it sting even more. Coming back from a 3-0 deficit rarely happens and really, you can't look at this situation as having to win four straight games. It's cliche, but you truly have to take it one game at a time. That starts tonight for the Oilers.

Well, tonight isn't technically a must-win game for the Edmonton Oilers, but it's as close as you can get. After dropping game two in heartbreaking fashion, Connor McDavid and company must rebound in a hurry if they want to stay in this best-of-seven. They haven't played poorly in either of the first two games against the Jets, you could actually make a pretty sound argument that they were actually the better team in each of the games, but they haven't been getting the bounces and they haven't done a good enough job finishing off their chances in the offensive zone.  As bad as the first two games have felt, the Oilers could tie this series up within 48 hours. That should have you feeling at least a little optimistic.

The pressure is officially on for the Edmonton Oilers as they head into game two of their opening-round series against the Winnipeg Jets, down 1-0. The result in game one is disappointing, but don't let the 4-1 score fool you, the Oilers played well enough to win that hockey game. They need to make some adjustments in game two but there is no reason to be discouraged if you're an Oilers fan. This is still a good team and they rarely lost two games in a row down the stretch. With the first game jitters officially out of the way, there are no more excuses for the Oilers tonight. They need to bring their 'A' game if they want to even up this series. What does the team need to do differently? I went through that and more today on the Playoff Pre Game Podcast.

IT'S TIME FOR THE PLAYOFFS! The Oilers will finally begin their best-of-seven series against the Winnipeg Jets tonight! It's been tough having to watch almost every other series in the league get going while we sat on the sidelines but now, things get real. The Oilers, and specifically Connor McDavid, dominated the Jets in the season series but that doesn't really matter now. The playoffs are a totally different beast. The Oilers will still need to bring their 'A' game if they want to move past the Jets and getting off to a good start in game one of the series will be massive. How can they do that? I gave my keys to victory in today's Pre-Game Podcast!

The Oilers will wrap up their regular season this afternoon with a mean-nothing game against the Vancouver Canucks. It'll be the final chapter of an incredible regular season for the orange and blue. That's the approach I took to today's Pre Game Podcast. There really isn't much to talk about when it comes to today's game so I went through some impressive numbers from the teams season, talked about some individual players that had really strong campaigns, and discussed some lineup notes and how they might impact the starting group for game one against the Jets. The goal today for Dave Tippett's team is just to stay sharp and not get injured. It's really as simple as that.

The games are really just getting more and more meaningless for the Edmonton Oilers. Since their overtime win on Monday against Montreal, the team has been locked into a playoff matchup against the Winnipeg Jets and no matter what happens in the final two games of their season, that can't change. So I guess the goals in the final two games are just to make sure that they keep up their strong play, enter the playoffs on a high note and make sure everyone is 100% healthy. That's really it. A win tonight would also bring the Oilers' record against the Canadiens this season up to 4-4-1. For me, the regular season can't end fast enough. The playoffs are so close that we know the likely start date for the series and I just want to watch some meaningful games. Until then, I guess tonight's game against the Habs will have to do.

The Oilers have locked up second place in the division and Connor McDavid has hit 100 points on the season. If you were to sit there and say that there isn't a lot for this team to play for, I wouldn't blame you. The team is saying all the right things and talking about how they can't take their foot off the gas ahead of the playoffs but let's be honest, the biggest priority this week is making sure nobody gets hurt. If the Oilers lose all three of these games but have their lineup at 100% come next week, then I won't complain. Of course, they want to keep up their strong play and make sure they're a confident group heading into the playoffs. Let's call this week the quest for healthy and confidence. It all starts tonight with the first of two games against the Montreal Canadiens.

The Oilers will be looking to avoid a second straight loss tonight as they wrap up a set of four-game straight games against the Vancouver Canucks. Really, the stakes for this game are the same as the last. With a win or an overtime loss, the Oilers will officially have home-ice advantage in round one of the playoffs (although if Winnipeg doesn't win their game today, that will also do the trick) and Connor McDavid will look to grab his 100th point of the season. He currently sits just four points away and he's already got nine in his last three games against Vancouver and has averaged 2.13 points against the Canucks this season. That's really all to watch for tonight as the Oilers hit the ice with the chance to win their 33rd game of the season.

The Oilers will be gunning for their fourth straight win tonight as they continue their series against the Vancouver Canucks. They will be back on home ice tonight for this one as well, where they have a record 15-10-0. The Canucks are struggling right now. Not only have they lost the first two games of this four-game set against Edmonton, but they've now lost six consecutive games. With a win tonight, the Oilers will also clinch second place in the North Division and home-ice advantage in round one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Also, Connor McDavid will be looking to take another towards a 100-point season. He currently sits just seven points away from the McCentury mark.

After officially clinching a playoff spot last night, the Oilers are right back in action tonight as they look for their second straight against the Vancouver Canucks. Last night was a fun game for a handful of reasons. Clinching a playoff spot was fun and watching Connor McDavid rack up another four points was amazing as usual. Now, their focus shifts to clinching home-ice advantage, which they are very close to doing after how last night unfolded. That's really the last hurdle for the Oilers this season as they close out what has been an incredibly successful regular season. Tonight, they'll look to continue to crush the spirits of a Canucks team that is basically just crawling to the finish line.

The Oilers begin a four-game set against the Vancouver Canucks tonight as they head down the stretch and look to finish their regular season on a high note. The Oilers have been the best team in the North over the last ten games, with seven wins, while the Canucks have been the exact opposite, winning just three of their last ten. Tonight could also very well be "clinch-mas" for the Oilers. If they just bring the game to overtime, they will officially lock up a playoff spot for just the third time in the last decade. Of course, the 100 point mark is still very much in reach for Connor McDavid and the Oilers are looking to grab home-ice advantage in round one of the playoffs on top of that. There is still plenty for the Oilers to play for in their final seven regular-season games.

The Oilers will be looking to bounce back tonight as they battle it out with the Flames for the final time this season. The Oilers came out on top in five of the first nine meetings but the Flames have won the last two games and in each of them, Edmonton did not have their 'A' game. So it's safe to say that Connor McDavid and company will be looking to have a bit of a bounceback performance tonight as they try to move a little bit closer to officially securing a playoff spot. It's the final Battle of Alberta of the season and hopefully, these two rivals saved the best for last.

The Oilers are back on home ice and looking to win their third game in a row tonight as they welcome the Calgary Flames to Rogers Place. This is the ninth Battle of Alberta of the season and the Oilers have come out on top in five of them so far. The series has lacked the fireworks and intensity that fans were hoping for but that may be a result of the Oilers comfortably sitting in a playoff spot while the Flames have struggled to stay in contention. Still, it's easy to get excited for a matchup between these two teams and for the Oilers, tonight they have a chance to keep pad their cushion on second place in the North Division. The Flames still have pride to play for so maybe tonight will end up being more heated than any of the other nine BOA's have been, but I'm not necessarily expecting it.

The wins just keep on coming for the Edmonton Oilers and tonight they'll be looking to give themselves a little bit of breathing room in the race for second place in the NHL's North Division. With the win on Monday night, the Oilers put themselves one point ahead of the Jets and they also have two games in hand. It's easy to see why a win tonight, which would be the Oiler's seventh over the Jets, would be huge. Edmonton has dominated the season series and that is in large part due to some incredible performances from Connor McDavid and Mike Smith. Monday's game was no exception. Smith made some huge saves early and McDavid was just on another planet. The Jets are banged up right now and struggling while everything seems to be going right for the Oilers. They'll look to keep things rolling in that direction tonight.

After four days off, the Oilers hit the ice tonight to start a two-game set against the Winnipeg Jets. With just 11 games to go in the season, the Oilers are still playing for home-ice advantage in round one of the playoffs and these final two head-to-head games against the Jets will go a long way in deciding that. The Oilers are catching a bit of a break for this one as the Jets will be without Nik Ehlers, who has been their most consistent and productive forward this season. The Jets will be dealing with a big loss while the Oilers will be making a pair of additions to their lineup with both Dmitry Kulikov and Ryan McLeod expected to draw in.

After a thrilling victory on Monday, the Oilers will be looking to finish up their two-game set against the Montreal Canadiens with a victory. The last meeting between these two teams had a little bit of everything. There was no shortage of physical play, some wild moments, and a beautiful goal from Connor McDavid. From an entertainment perspective, it had everything you could want. Tonight's game also gives the Oilers a chance to inch closer to the top spot in the division, which suddenly doesn't feel out of reach at all. There is still plenty for these teams to play for, even if the four playoff spots are essentially locked up.

Coming off one of their most complete performances of the season on the weekend, the Oilers will look to keep the ball rolling tonight as they host the Montreal Canadiens for the first of two games. Tonight also marks the Oilers' first home game in 17 days. The Oilers should be feeling good heading into this hockey game while the Habs might not be the most confident group right now considering they have just two wins in their last seven games. At the same time, the Canadiens have absolutely had the Oilers number so far this season. They've won four of the five matchups in the season series and have held Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to just two points each in those games. The Oilers will look to break through tonight as they begin a two-game set against Montreal.

After a full week off, the Oilers are back in action tonight to take on the Winnipeg Jets. With only 14 games left in the season and a playoff spot essentially wrapped up, there aren't too many more important games on the Oilers' schedule. Tonight is certainly one of those games. The Oilers are currently five points back of the Jets in the North Division standings but do have two games in hand of them. A win tonight will go a long way in helping them catch Winnipeg and hopefully, secure home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. We should see a rested Oilers group, although rest hasn't always helped them this season, but there really aren't any excuses for the club tonight. They should put their best foot forward in this one. They'll need to show well tonight because their opponent has been red-hot as of late.

The Oilers will be eyeing up their sixth win of the season over the Calgary Flames tonight, something they haven't done since 1985-86. The Flames are pretty much out of the playoff race but you know they'll still be fired up for the chance to beat their provincial rivals. The Battle of Alberta hasn't been as spicy as it was last season, but there have been some heated moments and I'm sure the Flames haven't forgotten how Mike Smith celebrated the last victory by yelling right at Matt Tkachuk. There are no free spaces on the bingo card in this division and if the Oilers want to grab two points and stay in second place in the North Division, they'll need to bring their 'A' game.

After winning their eighth straight game over the Ottawa Senators last night, the Oilers will look to complete the season sweep tonight with their second straight game in the nation's capital. It's been a dominant stretch for Edmonton but last night's win was closer than any of the others this season. They needed a really strong game from both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl as well as some huge saves from Mikko Koskinen down the stretch. The Oilers have been very good in the second half of back-to-backs this season and the Sens just can't buy a break against Edmonton but can a ninth straight game really go the Oiler's way? At some point the law of averages has to come into play, RIGHT?

After blowing a third-period lead in Montreal to kick off their road trip, the Oilers will move on to play back-to-back games against the Ottawa Senators. The Oilers have been winning their fair share of games recently but they haven't exactly been playing their best hockey and Monday's game was a prime example of that. Yes, they got a point, but, there were far more negatives to pull from that game than positives. The next two games will be a great chance for the Oilers and their star players to bounce back. Not only have the Oilers beaten the Senators in each of their seven meetings this season but they've outscored them by 19 goals. It's basically been dominant win after dominant win. McDavid and Draisaitl, who didn't score against Montreal, have combined for 33 points in the seven games against the Sens.

After a very short stint at home, the Oilers are back on the road once again this week. They start a three-game road trip tonight in Montreal against a Habs team that has played them very well so far this season. The Canadiens are now 3-1-0 against the Oilers and a big reason why they've had so much success is that they've been able to shut down both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl better than any other team in this division. The Oiler's big guns will look to get rolling tonight as the team looks for their second straight victory. Thanks to a win on Saturday over the Flames, the Oilers are basically locked into a playoff spot but if they want home-ice advantage in round one, winning games against Montreal will go a long way.

After getting thoroughly dominated by the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night, the Oilers are back in action tonight for another Battle of Alberta. Edmonton has done well in these matchups so far this season, winning four out of the six, and now with Calgary ten points back of them in the standings, they can really put them away with a strong finish to the season series. The Flames have lost four of their last five while the Oilers have a record of 3-1-1 in their last five. Considering how the last game went for Edmonton though, they should be very motivated to bring their 'A' game here tonight against their provincial rivals.

The Oilers will take on the Montreal Canadiens tonight as they wrap up their eastern road trip. It's been a bit of a weird trip considering their first three games were wiped out because the Habs had to enter COVID protocol. Still, they can end the trip on a high note with a win tonight and considering the fact that the Habs haven't played a game in 10 days, I like the Oilers' chances of getting off to a good start tonight and walking away with two points. This is a very winnable game. Dave Tippett will roll with the same lineup as last game, with Mikko Koskinen starting between the pipes.

The Oilers will be looking to avoid a sixth straight loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight as they play each other for the final time this season. Edmonton was really close to grabbing two points on Saturday night, they were eight minutes away to be exact, but they got a little unlucky and couldn't close out the game, which is uncharacteristic for this Oilers team. A bounceback tonight is important if they want to keep pace with both the Leafs and Jets in the North Division standings. This is also the start of back-to-back games for the Oilers, who will have a game tomorrow against Montreal after the NHL announced changes to the team's schedule. The next 48 hours will go a long way in determining if the Oilers will be fighting for home-ice advantage in round one of the playoffs.

Well, after a long week off, the Oilers finally return to the ice tonight to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs. This will be the first time that the Oilers have faced the Leafs since Toronto swept them in a three-game set almost a month ago. Since then though, these two teams have basically been polar opposites. The Oilers are 7-2-0 since those three losses to the Leafs while Toronto has just three wins in their last nine games. Like the Oilers, the Leafs have also had some time off recently. Tonight will be just their second game in the last seven days. Was the time off a good thing for Edmonton? What do they need to do to beat the Leafs tonight? I go through all of that today in the Pre Game Podcast (brought to you by YEG Burger & Nation Beer)!

Are the Oilers playing their best hockey of the season right now? They just might be. They've won three in a row and are coming off an incredibly impressive third-period comeback over the Winnipeg Jets. The Oilers will be looking to keep their hot streak going as they begin a five-game road trip tonight with a matchup against the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs have just two regulation losses in their last ten games but have just four wins in that span. The Habs will also be without Tyler Toffoli, who is top five in the NHL goal-scoring race, for this entire three-game set against the Oilers. A big run over this road trip would be huge for the Oilers, who can jump into first place in the North Division with a win tonight.

After grinding out a win on Thursday night, the Oilers will look to finish off their two-game set against the Winnipeg Jets by grabbing another two points. In game one, it was really the Connor McDavid show. Neither team seemed to have much in the tank. The pace wasn't overly quick and there weren't flurries of offensive chances but McDavid was able to produce offence when the rest of his team couldn't. Tonight, Dave Tippett will be looking for a more complete effort from his group as a regulation win would put them four points up on Winnipeg in the North Division standings. The Jets will have Connor Hellebuyck between the pipes tonight but their number one goalie has struggled lately, allowing at least three goals against in seven straight appearances. The door is open for an Oilers win.

The Oilers hit the ice for a second straight night and will be looking for a second straight win as they welcome the Winnipeg Jets to Rogers Place. The Oilers are returning home from a three-game road trip that saw them pick up just two points. Those points came last night though in a 7-3 thrashing of the Calgary Flames, who they now sit seven points up on in the North Division standings. Tonight, Edmonton will shift their focus on catching up to the Winnipeg Jets who are also coming off a win last night and while they have the same amount of points as the Oilers, they do have three games in hand. If Edmonton wants home-ice advantage in round one of the playoffs, winning these head-to-head matchups against the Jets will go a long way.

The Oilers will be looking to avoid a third straight loss tonight as they wrap up a two-game set against the Calgary Flames at the Saddledome. Edmonton lost their second straight one-goal game on Monday night and for the second straight time, they were really just a bounce away from forcing the game to overtime. Still, there were some glaring mistakes made by the team and there are things they'll need to clean up rather quickly if they want to avoid a costly losing streak. The team didn't just lose the game on Monday either, they also lost the services of Tyson Barrie and Jujhar Khaira. How could the lineup look without those? I go through that, my keys to the game, and more in today's Pre Game Podcast!

The Oilers kick off a two-game set against the Calgary Flames tonight in the fifth Battle of Alberta of the season. The Oilers have won the last three meetings between these two teams but with six more head-to-head matchups this season, they'll need to continue to beat up on their provincial rivals if they want to hold onto a playoff spot. These games are going to be huge and winning games in regulation will go a long way in the playoff race. The Flames will have their new Head Coach Daryll Sutter behind the bench tonight. It'll be just his third game behind the bench since being re-hired by the Flames. The team has won both of the first two games and only allowed two goals against. Look for them to play a hard, defensive game tonight as they look to stop McDavid and Draisaitl.

The Oilers completed the sweep of the Ottawa Senators last night with another convincing victory and now, they'll hit the road and head out to the coast for a matchup against the Vancouver Canucks. It's the start of a three-game road trip that will see them head to Calgary for a pair of games next week before returning home. In total, the Oilers will play five games in the next eight days. It all starts tonight though as they take on a Canucks team that has won just four of their last ten games. The Oilers have also been a very good road team this season with a record of 8-3-0 away from Rogers Place. The Oilers have also been very good in the second half of back-to-backs over the past few years. There are definitley plenty of reasons to feel optimistic heading into this one.

The Oilers will be gunning for their fourth straight win tonight as they wrap up a three-game series against the Ottawa Senators. To say the Oilers have had Ottawa's number this season would be a little bit of an understatement. In six games against the Sens, the Oilers are 6-0-0 and have outscored them 28-13 in the process. Of course, Wednesday's 7-1 beatdown certainly did a lot to boost their stats. For the Oilers, they'll be looking to keep the pedal to the floor and keep on racking up the points against the last-place team in the North Division, something that surprisingly not a lot of teams have been able to be.

We are officially at the halfway point of the NHL's 56-game schedule and to say this season has been a rollercoaster for the Edmonton Oilers would almost feel like an understatement. They got off to a bad start in January but quickly turned things around with some strong play in February before losing three straight games to the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, the Oilers have recovered nicely from those two losses to Toronto and tonight, they'll be looking for their third straight win overall and sixth straight victory over the Ottawa Senators.

The Oilers will be looking for the second win in a row tonight as they kick off a three-game set against the Ottawa Senators from Rogers Place. The Oilers got a big win on Saturday night over the Calgary Flames and now, with the basement-dwelling Senators in town, they have a great chance to build up another winning streak here. With that being said, this Senators team has come a long way since the Oilers last faced them. The Oilers beat the Senators four times earlier this season but since that fourth win, the Senators have a record of 7-6-0. They're playing good hockey right now and this will not be an easy two points for the Oilers to grab.

The Oilers will be looking to turn the page on a rough stretch of hockey that saw them get swept by the Toronto Maple Leafs over the last seven days. Luckily for them, they can make that string of losses feel like a bit of a distant memory with a convincing win over their provincial rivals, who are looking to get themselves back into the playoff picture. The Flames have had an eventful week as well. They fired Head Coach Geoff Ward after a 7-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night and replaced him with Daryll Sutter, who is back for his second stint as the Flames bench boss. He won't be behind the bench tonight since he is going through the NHL"s COVID Protocols but his arrival is expected to spark a struggling group in Calgary. The Oilers have a chance to really bury a vulnerable opponent tonight.

The Oilers will be looking to avoid the sweep tonight at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs as they finish off their three-game set. Not only have the Oilers failed to get a win in the first two games, but they haven't even gotten a goal. Not that you needed me to remind you of that. Considering the injuries that the Leafs were dealing with, this series has been a huge missed opportunity for the Oilers. However, they can save things a bit with a win tonight. A third straight flat performance from the Oilers would certainly be a concern.

The Oilers will be looking to avoid a second straight loss against Toronto as they host the Leafs for the second of three straight games at Rogers Place. The opening night of this set was not great for the Oilers. To put it simply: they just looked kind of flat. They didn't create very many high-danger chances and for the most part, they made life pretty easy for Jack Campbell, who made 30 saves in the shutout victory. Edmonton played some great hockey pretty much for the entire month of February but the final game of the month was not their best. Now, we get to see how well they can bounce back from a bump in the road.

The red-hot Oilers will look to continue their streak tonight as they begin a massive three-game set against the Toronto Maple Leafs. With a regulation win tonight, the Oilers will be just two-points back of the Leafs for the top spot in the North Division. The Oilers are feeling good and playing their best hockey of the year, there's no arguing against that. The Leafs, on the other hand, are 7-2-1 in their last ten games but are currently dealing with a pile of injuries to key players. There are a lot of reasons to be confident in the Oilers' chances heading into tonight's game and I went through them on today's podcast! One big piece of injury news ahead of this one: Auston Matthews will miss this game with a wrist injury. The Leafs are also still without their number one goalie Frederick Andersen. That could bode well for the Oilers as they look to win their sixth straight game.

The Oilers will be gunning for their fifth straight win tonight as they wrap up a two-game set in Vancouver. Connor McDavid and company should be feeling very good about where their game is at right now. They've won ten of their last twelve and just proved that even if they spot the opposition three goals off the start, they can come back and win the game. For the Canucks, it's hard to imagine they have much confidence at all. Tonight, I really think that if the Oilers can get off to a good start, the Canucks won't have much fight in them. The first period tonight will be huge.

 The Oilers will be looking to win their fourth game in a row tonight as they head to Vancouver to begin a two-game set against the Canucks. The Oilers haven't face the Canucks since they split a pair of games against them to open up the season. Since that point, these two teams have really been polar opposites. The Oilers have won nine of their last eleven games while Vancouver sits second-last in the North despite playing the most games in the division. They also have just two wins in their last ten games. The Oilers have a great chance to extend their winning streak and keep their confidence level high after sweeping the Battle of Alberta last weekend.

The Oilers will be looking to complete the Battle of Alberta weekend sweep tonight as they return home tonight to face the Calgary Flames. Last night, the Oilers just squeaked out a win, taking down the Flames 2-1 at the Saddledome. Tonight, they'll be in tough as Calgary is going back to their number one goaltender Jacob Markstrom. One thing that should give Oilers fans some confidence heading into this one is the team's history of playing very well on the second night of back-to-backs. The Oilers secured at least the split with the victory last night but there's no doubt that grabbing another win tonight and completing the 'eight-point swing' would go a long way in the North Division playoff race. I go through some potential lineup changes, talk about the starting goaltenders, and give my game day betting preview today on the podcast!

The second installment of the Battle of Alberta goes tonight down in Calgary and the Oilersnation Pre Game Podcast is here to get your set for the game! There is not a lot separating the Oilers and Flames in the North Division standings heading into their weekend back-to-back set, which of course just puts even more emphasis on the points that are up for grabs. For Edmonton, they have a chance to pull off the rare 'eight-point swing' with a pair of wins over their provincial rivals. Who will start in net? How will the team's lineup? What are the keys to an Oilers victory? I went over all of that today on the pod! I also took a quick look back at the Oilers' win over the Jets, which was there seventh win in their last ten games, and took a closer look at the Flames, who have lost two of their last three.

The Oilers will be looking to avoid the sweep as they wrap up their two-game set against the Winnipeg Jets tonight at Rogers Place. Edmonton has played seven two-game sets this year and has only been swept once. They're currently one point back of the Jets in the North Division so stealing a pair of points off them tonight will go a long way. Of course, every game this year is huge considering they all have the potential to be four-point swings but coming off a loss, I would say tonight's game is a little bit more important.

After having the weekend off, the Oilers return to the ice tonight and will be looking to extend their winning streak to four games as they host the Winnipeg Jets. The Oilers are riding a three-game winning streak and are playing their best hockey of the year right now. The Jets on the other hand are not exactly flying high right now. They're coming off a tough loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday when they allowed a late goal in the third period. In total, they've lost two of their last three. They're be looking to turn things around against an Oilers team that they split the first two games of the year against.

After walking out of Ottawa with all four points, the Oilers wrap up their road trip with a stop at the Bell Centre to take on the Montreal Canadiens. The Oilers are coming into this game with five wins in their last six games, however, four of those wins have come against the measly Senators. This game tonight is a good chance for the Oilers to prove that their recent wins are a product of their strong play, not just a weak opponent.

The Oilers will be looking for a fourth straight win over the Ottawa Senators tonight in their second straight game against the Sens. Last night, the Oilers got solid goaltending and some offense from their bottom-six, which are two things they haven't been getting for most of the season. They'll be looking to keep that momentum rolling tonight. There were a handful of standout performers in last night's win and I talked about that to kick off today's podcast. I also went through some lineup changes for both sides of tonight's matchup.

The Oilers will be looking to rebound from a disappointing performance on Saturday as they roll into Ottawa to take on the Senators. For Edmonton, this weekend's Battle of Alberta presented an opportunity to extend their winning streak to four games and set the tone for the season series against their provincial rivals. Instead, Oilers fans are left questioning their goaltending and wondering if the team's defensive issues will ever get solved.

After three days off, the Oilers return to the ice tonight and will be looking to extend their season-long three-game winning streak. Yes, two of those wins came against the lowly Ottawa Senators but I think you can make the case that the Oilers are playing their best hockey of the year right now, and considering who their opponent is tonight, this is the perfect time to be playing good hockey. Tonight is the first regular-season Battle of Alberta in over 365 days and considering how the most recent games between these two teams went, it's easy to see why both fan bases are eager for puck drop tonight. Will the game tonight be as heated as the games last season? I wouldn't bet on it but this rivalry is as strong as it's been this century so anything is possible. Rivalry aside, this is a huge game in the North Division standings as well. The Oilers are three points up on the Flames but Calgary has played two fewer games. These two teams will play a total of ten times this year and honestly, they could very well be battling for the final playoff spot in the division right up until the end of the regular season. This game is huge.

The Oilers are officially on their first winning streak of the year! Their 8-5 win over the Senators on Sunday night was their second win in a row and tonight, they get a chance to beat that same Senators team with another matchup from Rogers Place. The Oilers powerplay carried them to victory in the first meeting of the season with three first-period goals and while they got out-shot at 5v5, it's tough to complain about anything when it comes to that game on Sunday. Still, there's no doubt that Dave Tippett will be looking for his group to clean things up a little bit tonight. The two points are there for the taking and this season, it's imperative to not let points slip away against Ottawa. Mikko Koskinen will be back between the pipes for the Oilers and he should be fully rested. Tippett also made a few tweaks to the lineup that have fans excited. I go through those changes and more in today's Oilersnation Pre Game Pod (brought to you by YEG Burger & Nation Beer). It's also worth noting that my bet of the game is on a three-game heater!

Tonight's game features two teams that are really on the opposite ends of the confidence spectrum. The Oilers are coming off an exhilarating, electric win over the Toronto Maple Leafs that featured the potential goal of the year from Connor McDavid, some great saves from Mikko Koskinen, and a beautiful pass in overtime by Leon Draisaitl. As for the Senators, they're currently on a seven-game losing streak and they haven't just been losing, they've been getting smoked for the most part. They've lost each of their last five games by at least three goals. The Oilers really don't have much of an excuse to not get two points tonight. We don't know very much about the Oilers lineup heading into this one, but I shared my thoughts on what I think might happen for tonight's game in today's episode of the Pre Game Pod (brought to you by YEG Burger & Nation Beer). Considering the fact that the Oilers played last night, it's safe to assume that there will be changes though. I also gave my betting preview and ran through some numbers for this matchup as well!