EDMONTON, AB - The Oilers will get a boost from the return of defenceman Oscar Klefbom to the lineup tonight when the Chicago Blackhawks visit Rogers Place to serve as opposition for a brief one-game home stand for the home side.
The Swedish defenceman slots right back in on the top pairing alongside his countryman Adam Larsson after missing 21 games due to a hand injury sustained back on December 11.
"Obviously it's been a painful couple of months here," Klefbom said to the media Tuesday morning. "Sitting in the press box isn't something you want to do, so I'm just very excited to play tonight and come back. Just being in the locker room with the guys, talking with them, and being a part of the team is something that I've been missing a lot."
The 25-year-old returns to the fold for the Oilers with the club on a five-game losing streak after dropping two games in overtime on the weekend in back-to-back afternoon games against the Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens.
"Go out there, play my game, help the guys out and hopefully contribute something on the ice that I brought when I was playing," Klefbom said of his role tonight. "It's many points to play for, and I want to come back and play for them and give a good playoff push."
Chicago is riding high with four-straight wins, sitting two points back of the Oilers who are three points out of the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.
"It's a very big game," centre Kyle Brodziak said. "I think everyone in this room has the feeling now that every game from now until the end of the year will be massive. It's a fun time of the year to play, and I think guys are excited for it."
It's a battle of the Cam's tonight in goal with Oilers netminder Cam Talbot set to duel Cam Ward in the crease at the opposite end for the Blackhawks.
Drake Caggiula returns to Edmonton for the first time as a member the Blackhawks playing on a line with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, who's the NHL's most in-form player at the moment with 26 points (9G, 17A) as part of an 11-game points streak.
"It just depends where you are on the ice with [Kane] and where you are in your shift because he's one of the best players in the league for a reason," defenceman Darnell Nurse said. "He's a guy that comes out every night and is a difference-maker, so it's a big challenge on the ice for all six guys. You have to be aware of where he is all the time."