“Thank you to the fans for everything they have done for us,” Doan said.
Forward Aku Räty will make his NHL debut tonight, and is in just his first year of North American hockey. The 22-year-old recorded 14 goals and 29 assists in 54 games with the Tucson Roadrunners this season.
“Obviously I am super excited,” Räty said. “I was just getting ready for the Tucson playoffs and the last games of the regular season … I was excited to hear the news.”
Connor Ingram is expected to get the start tonight, and the 27-year-old is 22-21-3 with six shutouts, which is tied for the league lead. He’s 0-2-1 in his career against Edmonton.
ABOUT THE OILERS
Edmonton has solidified its spot in the postseason, posting a 49-25-6 record through 81 games to earn second place in the Pacific Division. They most recently defeated the San Jose Sharks 9-2 on Monday, a game in which superstar Connor McDavid became just the fourth player in NHL history to record 100 assists in a single season.
The 27-year-old ranks third in the league with 132 points.
The Oilers feature one of the most prolific offenses in the game, and rank fourth in the league with 3.61 goals-for per game. McDavid leads the way in scoring, followed by Leon Draisaitl (106 points), Evan Bouchard (81), Zach Hyman (77), and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (67).
“We have an elite opponent,” head coach André Tourigny said. “We played a hell of a game in Edmonton, and I think they will remember that. I expect them to know we will have emotion, so it will be a difficult game, but I know we will empty the tank.”
Stuart Skinner has done the lion’s share of work in net this season, and his 36 wins are tied for second-most in the NHL. Backup Calvin Pickard is 12-6-1 with a 2.41 goals-against average and .912 save percentage.
Pickard is expected to get the start on Wednesday.
Edmonton allows the ninth-fewest goals per game (2.86), and its power play ranks third (26.61 percent) while its penalty kill is 15th (79.35 percent).
