PRE-GAME REPORT: Oilers at Avalanche

The Edmonton Oilers are in Denver to begin a back-to-back road trip on Monday night at Ball Arena against the Colorado Avalanche.
You can watch the game on Sportsnet One or listen live on the Oilers Radio Network, including 630 CHED.
Video: OILERS TODAY | Pre-Game at COL 03.21.22

YOUR GAME-DAY ESSENTIALS
GAME DAY VIDEO
OILERS TODAY | Pre-Game vs. COL
PRE-GAME RAW | Coach Woodcroft
PRE-GAME RAW | Barrie
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AROUND THE RINK | Soldier On
OILERS TODAY | Post-Game vs. NJD
HIGHLIGHTS | EDM 6, NJD 3
BY THE NUMBERS
Oilers Statistics
Avalanche Statistics
Stats Comparison
Game Notes
RECENT BLOGS & ARTICLES
GAME RECAP: Oilers 6, Devils 3
VIEWING INFORMATION
You can watch Monday's game on Sportsnet One at 7:30 PM MT.
DENVER, CO - With all eyes on the NHL Trade Deadline, the players and coaches in the Edmonton Oilers locker room have their focus fully set on contesting Monday night's game against the league's best in the Colorado Avalanche.
A torrent of transactions around the league haven't detracted from the task at hand for the Oilers, who know the attention to detail they showed in their unbeaten homestand this past week will need to go further in order to take two points off the pacesetters of the NHL.
"I think most of our players are experienced professionals," Head Coach Jay Woodcroft said pre-game. "I think they walked into the arena this morning with a mindset of being prepared for the top team in the National Hockey League. That Colorado Avalanche team does have our attention, and that's where our focus was this morning."
The Oilers went a perfect 5-0-0 on their last homestand at Rogers Place and hit the road for back-to-back road games beginning with an Avalanche team that's won 44 of their 62 games this season, including a 23-3-3 record at Ball Arena.
"I think tonight's game will have everybody's attention in our locker room, and we'll be put to the test," Woodcroft said. "There aren't too many weak spots on that team, and it's going to be incumbent on us to make sure we're ready to play right off the bat and assert our game plan on the other team."
An undefeated homestand hasn't satisfied the cravings in the locker room for more wins, but it served as an appetizer for how the Oilers want to finish out their final 20 games of the season and continue playing a well-connected team game under Woodcroft that's returned a 12-5-1 record in the 18 games under the new bench boss.
Video: PRE-RAW | Jay Woodcroft 03.21.22
"I think our group understands there's a difference between being hungry or being full," Woodcroft said. "We're walking into an arena tonight versus the top team in the National Hockey League. I don't think anybody has a misunderstanding about what we're up against.
"We're up against a quality opponent, and in order for us to achieve the day's business, we're going to need 20 people for a full 60 minutes and maybe more."
Defenceman Tyson Barrie, who was drafted in the third round by the Avalanche back in 2009 and spent eight seasons in the Mile High City, sees Monday's matchup as a great opportunity for the Oilers to put their improved game against the league's leading power in Colorado and build on a solid stretch of games.
"I think it's a good position to be in," Barrie said. "You're playing and you're just trying to continue to improve every night and continue that consistency. We're hitting that point of the year where this is the time where you want to be playing well and playing consistently bringing it every night.
"We've certainly had our ups and downs this year, and hopefully that's behind us and we can continue to string together 60-minute games together."
A BARRIE GOOD RUN
Barrie has already played the Avalanche as opposition twice as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, but coming back to the city he called home for eight seasons is always special.
"It's great to be back," Barrie said following this morning's skate. "It was a good spot to play and I really enjoyed all my time here. It's a great city, and I still have a lot of friends over here, so it's always fun."
The 30-year-old had dinner with Nathan MacKinnon and a few other former teammates on Sunday night before arriving at Ball Arena early on Monday to take in Avalanche practice and throw some more smiles through the glass to some other familiar faces.
"I was grateful for the opportunity I got here to break into the league have some good years, so a lot of good memories," he said.
Barrie has brought plenty of solid play to the Oilers back end over his two seasons in Oil Country, with plenty of offence from the stick of the Victoria, BC product coming on display during the '20-21 season when he led all NHL defencemen in points with 48 points in 56 games.
Video: PRE-RAW | Tyson Barrie 03.21.22
Over his last four games since missing one contest due to injury, Barrie has put in arguably one of his best stretches of production for the club with seven points (2G, 5A) and multi-point outings in his last two games.
"I don't think it matters where you are in your career," he said. "The confidence, it's a tough game to play without it. It's nice to get some stuff rolling offensively and make a few plays, but I think the big thing though is our team's playing a lot better and we're playing a really well-connected game. I think it's showing in the results."
While the offence has been coming for Barrie, Woodcroft sees his production far beyond putting up points. There's a sense of reliability in Barrie to Woodcroft when it comes to utilizing the right-shot defenceman in all situations, including the other side of the special teams in killing penalties.
"I think there's a real dependability to his game," Woodcroft said. "We've introduced the penalty kill to his game. He's moving pucks quickly, he's playing simple, and when the time presents itself offensively, he's striking.
"I've been very comfortable with Tyson from the minute we walked in. I've had experience coaching him in the past at the World Championships, and he and I have a good relationship and he's building a really good relationship with Dave Manson."
LINEUP NOTES
Facing a back-to-back set of road games, the Oilers coaching staff will elect to give Mike Smith the start in Denver after the 39-year-old last posted 27 saves in his return from illness in a 6-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Mar. 17.
To Woodcroft, who identified the difference between being an assistant and head coach in the league as being the one who makes the final call, it's a collaborative club effort that goes into making these decisions.
"We sit down and we map things out not only with Dustin Schwartz our goaltending coach, but the entire coaching staff and our management group just trying to see the week going forward and the month going forward," he said. "But like we've preached from day one, our focus is on tonight's game and we're confident in Mike Smith starting tonight that he gives us a good chance to win the game."
Woodcroft continued: "I think with our coaching staff, we have a collaborative and collegial atmosphere. I like to take in everyone's opinion before making that final decision, and ultimately, the final decision lies with me. But I like gathering as much information as I can before I make that decision, and everybody has a voice in our coaches' room."
Brad Malone, who was recalled from the Bakersfield Condors, will fill the fourth-line left-wing position with Ryan McLeod and Zack Kassian.
Oilers Projected Lineup vs. Colorado
-- Jamie Umbach, EdmontonOilers.com
OILERS vs. AVALANCHE
STREAM: 7:30 p.m. MT; televised on Sportsnet One
Oilers Team Scope
The Edmonton Oilers begin a back-to-back road set on Monday against the Colorado Avalanche after securing the sweep of their five-game homestand at Rogers Place on Saturday afternoon with a 6-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils.
Despite falling behind early in the third period from two quick strikes by the Devils, the Oilers showed resiliency and scored the next four goals to win all five games of a homestand at Rogers Place for the first time in franchise history.
"I think it's just believing. We can score goals, we know that," Evander Kane, who scored twice in the win, said post-game. "I think it's just about playing a certain way, having the right attitude, and staying with that attitude no matter how bounces go in a game.
"You look at the third period, and we come out and they get a couple of bounces and take the lead. We stick with our game plan, we get pucks to the net, we turn up the heat a little bit and stay with it. We were able to respond."
After claiming all 10 of the possible points in the homestand, the Oilers try to keep the momentum going into a road back-to-back that begins with the NHL's best team in the Avalanche.
"It was a big stretch for us, right? Important games, some good teams in here, so this was a really good stretch for us," Leon Draisaitl said. "But that being said, we're focused on next game. We've got two hard opponents here on a back-to-back, so we've got to make sure we're ready for that."
Avalanche Team Scope
The Avalanche swept their two-game California road trip with a 5-3 victory at SAP Center over the San Jose Sharks that stretched their own win streak to three games.
Earlier in the week on Tuesday, Colorado became the first team in the NHL this season to surpass the 90-point plateau when they shut out the Los Angeles Kings 3-0 at Crypto.com Arena.
Despite pacing the League with a 44-13-5 record and +68 goal differential following a slow 4-5-1 start, the Avalanche added to their already star-studded roster that includes dynamic defenceman Cale Makar and forward Nathan MacKinnon by trading for defenceman Josh Manson from the Anaheim Ducks and forward Nico Sturm from the Minnesota Wild.
The acquisitions will help offset injuries to forward Gabriel Landeskog, who is out indefinitely following knee surgery, and defenceman Samuel Girard, who'll miss four weeks with a lower-body issue. Blueliner Bowen Byram is practicing in a non-contact jersey and remains out after last suiting up against the Seattle Kraken on Jan. 10.
By The Numbers
The Oilers have lost two straight road games against Colorado by a combined 10-3 score... Colorado's 24-3-3 record at home this season is the best in the NHL.. The Oilers had a +14 goal differential over their recent 5-0-0 homestand... The Oilers are averaging 3.37 goals per game this season which ranks seventh in the NHL... The Oilers remain the only undefeated team in the NHL this season when scoring first (21-0-0)... The Avalanche are 26-1-0 this season when leading after the first period...
Connor McDavid leads the NHL with 90 points (35G, 55A) and has registered five straight multi-point games (6G, 5A)... His 43 road points (19G, 24A) are tied for the most in the NHL... McDavid has scored a goal in five straight games, tying his career-high... Leon Draisaitl leads all NHL forwards in average time on ice this season with 22:57... Draisaitl has 21 points (5G, 16A) in 14 career games vs. Colorado... Darnell Nurse has seven points (1G, 6A) in nine games during the month of March...
Injury Report
OILERS - Kyle Turris (undisclosed) is on IR; Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (upper body) is on IR.
AVALANCHE - Gabriel Landeskog (knee) is on IR; Samuel Girard (lower body) is on IR; Bowen Byram (personal reasons) is out.
-- Jamie Umbach, EdmontonOilers.com