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The Edmonton Oilers finish off the regular season on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks at Rogers Place with the chance to finish first in the Pacific Division.
You can watch the game on Sportsnet West or listen live on the Oilers Radio Network, including 630 CHED.
Subscribe to Oilers+ to unlock the Pre-Game Show that will begin at 6:30 p.m. MT, along with more exclusive live and behind-the-scenes content.

YOUR GAME-DAY ESSENTIALS

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INSIDE THE OILERS

News and notes from the Oilers perfect four-game road trip, including their 2-1 overtime win over the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night.
>> READ MORE IN THE INSIDE THE OILERS BLOG

PRE-GAME REPORT

EDMONTON, AB- Before Game 83 arrives at Rogers Place, there's still plenty to settle in both the Pacific Division and Western Conference playoff pictures.
The Edmonton Oilers close out their regular-season schedule on home ice Thursday night against the San Jose Sharks with the chance to secure their 50th victory of the season and extend their win streak to nine games heading into next week's start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
"Honestly, didn't even know that until you just said so," defenceman Darnell Nurse said of the Oilers opportunity to win their 50th game. "It's kind of where our heads are in here."
The Blue & Orange have reached 50 wins in a season only three times in their history and could reach the half-century for victories for the first time since the 1986-87 season with a victory tonight against the lowly Sharks, who've lost five straight games (seven to Edmonton) and will miss the playoffs for the fourth straight year.
"It's been a good year for us," Nurse continued. "I think there's been highs and lows, and I think the foreign part was when our group got into that December-January mark, the outside doubt started to creep in. But our group was confident in each other and just played, worrying about what we could take care of in here."
Edmonton has already solidified home-ice advantage in the first round and will host either the Los Angeles Kings, Seattle Kraken or Winnipeg Jets for Game 1 of the First Round at Rogers Place early next week after winning 28 of their last 39 games -- their most wins in a 40-game span of a single season since 1983-84 (31-6-3) when the Oilers won a franchise-record 57 games.
"We've been really bullish on our team, specifically since post-Christmas," Woodcroft said. "We like where our game is heading. We've been saying that up here for a while now. We're getting some results.
We have the chance to win our division and win the conference tonight, which is nice, but in the end we want our game in the right spot so that it can find ways at the toughest time of year, and that's going to be next week."

PRE-RAW | Darnell Nurse 04.13.23

With a win over San Jose, the Oilers can put pressure on the Golden Knights to beat Seattle later tonight to keep hold of first place in the Pacific Division. In the event of a tie in the standings from a regulation loss by the Golden Knights and an Oilers win, Edmonton would finish first in both the division and the Western Conference with the tiebreaker over Vegas on regulation wins.
"That part I did know," Nurse joked about the potential to take over first place. "I think at this point of the year going into this game, there's a lot for us to play for not just making sure that our game is in order going into the playoffs. But there's also the chance that maybe you could even move up in the standings, so it's a big game for us."
The Oilers all-around game has been getting hot at the right time, averaging 4.25 goals for per game and 1.50 goals against over their eight-game win streak as they prepare to put in one final strong regular-season performance and carry it into the postseason.
"I think we're gearing up for what we hope to be is a lot more hockey," Nurse said. "The approach of taking one game, one shift at a time kind of got us to this point in the season, so it's cool to hear for sure."
"I think our team has worked really hard over the last stretch to continue to put wins together, but these are two important points on the line."

FEELING SPECIAL

The Oilers penalty kill and power play are two areas of Edmonton's game that are hitting their stride at the right time.
As two of Edmonton's strong numbers over their eight-game win streak, the Oilers penalty kill is operating at 95.7 percent -- including killing off 19 straight infractions over their last seven games -- and has played a big role in Edmonton's late-season surge posting a 14-game point (13-0-1).
"I think it's a big part of why the record is at where it's at," forward Zach Hyman said. "I think our penalty kill this year, save for two meltdown games, has been pretty solid. We made some structural changes early in the year after one of those games, and specifically down the stretch here, it's been aggressive."
The penalty kill has also contributed a league-best 17 shorthanded goals.

PRE-RAW | Jay Woodcroft 04.13.23

"I think when you look at the amount of special teams goals scored, when you add them up and then you subtract the special teams goals against, we're in a pretty decent spot," Hyman added. "I think we lead the league in shorthanded goals, so while we haven't been perfect on the kill this year, it's going in the right direction.
"Leading the league in shorthanded goals is a positive sign and we like where it's at heading into Game 83."
The power play is a casual 40.9 percent over the 8-0-0 stretch for the Oilers and needs to avoid going 0-for-5 tonight against the Sharks to secure its place in NHL history as the best single-season power-play percentage. The Montreal Canadiens have held that record since the 1977-78 season at 31.9 percent, while the current Oilers man advantage currently sits at 32.4 percent (88-for-272).

FIVE HUNDRED FOR HYMAN & RYAN

Hyman sported a fresh cut during his morning media availability from Tuesday's win over the Colorado Avalanche, needing two stitches on both the inside and outside of his lower lip.
It's just one of the many war wounds the 30-year-old has received on his way to playing his 500th career NHL game against San Jose.
"It's not so much the games, but the pregame meals, the naps and the preparation that goes into it," he said. "So it's definitely a special milestone."
Hyman will celebrate his 500th NHL game alongside Derek Ryan, who'll share the milestone after playing his first NHL with the Carolina Hurricanes game back in 2015-16 at the tender age of 29 years old.

PRE-RAW | Zach Hyman 04.13.23

"You remember the first game, and then I don't remember the 100, 200, 300 or 400. They just kind of come along, but 500 is pretty cool. It means you've been around for a while.
"It's cool to share it with Derek Ryan. We're both full 500 tonight, so it's pretty cool."
To Woodcroft, the pair of forwards are the epitome of class and exemplify the different ways in which players can achieve the milestone after taking different paths to 500 NHL games.
"I got to speak to both those guys this morning and congratulate them on this," Woodcroft said. "Two heart and soul, two foxhole-type players, two men that get everything out of what God gave them. They're just phenomenal teammates, and it seems to me despite their advanced ages, they keep getting better."
Hyman is in the midst of a career year for goals (36), assists (47) and points (83), while Ryan has been a key contributor in the Oilers bottom six this season with 13 goals.
-- Jamie Umbach, EdmontonOilers.com

PREVIEW

OILERS vs. SHARKS
STREAM: 7:00 p.m. MT; televised on Sportsnet West
Oilers Team Scope
The Oilers are looking to finish off their regular season about as hot as you can before the start of the playoffs. Edmonton enters Thursday night's matchup winners of eight in a row and have not lost in regulation in their last 14 games (13-0-1).
The San Jose Sharks will be the Oilers final opponent prior to the playoffs, a team that Edmonton has already defeated three times earlier this season. A win could propel the Oilers into first place in the Western Conference -- pending the results of Thursday night's matchup between the Seattle Kraken and Vegas Golden Knights.
The Oilers found themselves two points away from the Conference lead courtesy of a 2-1 overtime win over the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.
The contest featured an early exchange of goals between Colorado's Ben Meyers and Edmonton's Mattias Ekholm, with both tallies coming within 36 seconds of each other and inside the first 5:28 of the game.
Meyers' goal came off a scramble defensive effort by Nick Bjugstad, who dove and swung his stick at a puck, inadvertently knocking it into his own net. The Oilers massive trade deadline acquisition in Ekholm answered with a big time blast from the top of the circle for his fourth goal since joining the Blue & Orange.
The quick counter was the extent of the offence for the remainder of regulation in a high octane affair between the two powerhouses. In the extra frame, the Oilers received a power play opportunity after Bowen Byram hooked Connor McDavid on a partial breakaway. It was Evan Bouchard who called game, faking the pass before ripping a shot by Alexandar Georgiev for his seventh goal of the season and the game winner.
Stuart Skinner tied Grant Fuhr's Oilers rookie record with his 28th victory of the season, turning away 28 of 29 Avalanche opportunities on the night.
"I think it's a good time for us to kind of get rolling here; a good time for us to definitely feel good about your game and feel confident," Skinner said after the victory. "I think everyone in here has kind of been feeling that way and it's important to feel that kind of feeling; it's kind of an unspoken feeling, but it's important to have that going into the first round."
Sharks Team Scope
The Sharks will be playing in their second game of a back-to-back after a 3-1 loss against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday.
Beaumont, AB native Noah Gregor opened the scoring for the Sharks, notching his ninth goal of the season on his own rebound to beat Dustin Wolf, who was making his first NHL start. Nikita Zadorov tied the game at the 13:36 mark of the second period, finishing off a quick passing play by Mikael Backlund and Andrew Mangiapane for his 12th goal of the season. The big Russian defenceman wasn't done on the night, scoring his 13th 4:01 into the third period for the game winner. Zadorov completed the hat trick with an empty-net goal with 1:00 remaining in the contest to hand San Jose their 43rd regulation loss of the season.
Kaapo Kahkonen received the start for the Sharks, turning aside 46 of 48 Flames shots on the night in the loss. The goaltender had allowed four goals or more in eight of his last nine starts heading into the game, but turned in a solid performance in Southern Alberta. The start make sit likely the Oilers will see James Reimer once again on Thursday. Edmonton scored six times on 35 shots on Reimer in their 6-1 victory back on April 8.
By The Numbers
The Oilers have won seven straight games over the Sharks, outscoring them 33-13 over that stretch... If the Oilers win on Thursday, it will be only the fourth time the team has won 50-or-more games in a season and first time since 1986-97... A victory would also tie the Oiler longest win streak in franchise history at nine games... If the Oilers go better than 0-for-5 on the power play on Thursday, they will set the NHL record for PP%... Edmonton also has the NHL's second-best penalty kill since Mar. 16 at 91.2 per cent...
The Sharks enter Wednesday night with the fourth-worst record in their franchise's history, with a .375 points percentage... San Jose has led and lost in 34 games this year, the most in a season by a team since at least 1979-80... The Sharks are second to the Calgary Flames in one-goal losses this season, with 23 prior to Wednesday's matchup... San Jose also has the fourth-most losses by three or more goals this year with 25... The Sharks have the NHL's worst team save percentage since Feb. 23 at .867 per cent... Edmonton is averaging a league-high 4.43 goals per game in that same time period...
At 32 years and 314 days, Erik Karlsson became the fourth-oldest player in NHL history to record his first 100-point season... He became the first defenceman since Brian Leetch back in 1991-92 to hit the century mark... Karlsson's 74 even-strength points is second to only Connor McDavid this year... The former Norris Trophy winner has 59 points in Sharks losses this season, the third most by a player in defeats in NHL history... Logan Couture recorded his 700th career point in San Jose's 6-2 loss to Winnipeg on Monday...
Injury Report
OILERS - Oscar Klefbom (shoulder) is on IR; Mike Smith (undisclosed) is on IR;
Ryan Murray
(undisclosed) is on IR;
SHARKS - Luke Kunin (ACL) is on IR; Markus Nutivaara (undisclosed) is on IR; Alexander Barabanov (lower body) is day-to-day; Nikita Okhotiuk undisclosed) is day-to-day; Oskar Lindblom (undisclosed) is day-to-day
-- Michael Arcuri, EdmontonOilers.com