mcdavid_atvgk

The Oilers end a three-game Pacific Division road trip against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday.
You can watch the game on Sportsnet West or listen on the Oilers Radio Network, including 630 CHED.
Read the Preview then check back following Wednesday's avails for the Pre-Game Report.

INSIDE THE OILERS

News and notes from the locker room, including the excitement of Andreas Athanasiou's fresh start and Tyler Ennis living a lifelong dream of becoming an Edmonton Oiler.
>> READ MORE IN THE INSIDE THE OILERS BLOG

PRE-GAME REPORT

LAS VEGAS, NV - Fans of any team in the NHL's Pacific Division surely must have assumed a few weeks ago that, for better or worse, they'd be looking at some separation in the playoff hunt come the end of February, but with two days left in the month, no dice.
Just four points currently separate the top four squads in the Pacific and not one team has showed signs of folding their hand.
So after starting their three-game trip with a win and an overtime loss, the chips will be down on Wednesday night in Vegas as the Oilers head into T-Mobile Arena with a shot at a share of top spot in the Pacific Division before heading home.
The Vegas Golden Knights currently sit two points ahead of both the Canucks and Oilers who maintain the Pacific's second and third spots, respectively, with 74 points each. And with the Canucks idle, it will be Wednesday night's victor on The Strip that will find themselves atop the division when the sun rises on Thursday.
SHOT-FOR-SHOT
While the Oilers boast a superb 13-5-4 record since December 31 to give them the third-best points percentage in that span behind only the Bruins and Lightning, they'll be in tough against their divisional rivals in Nevada who have been on a heater of their own as winners of their last six and a run of 7-2-1 in the previous 10.
Two hot teams, two big points and ownership of first place in the division- so, as they often are anyway, the stakes will be high in Vegas.
"We're a hungry group. We know what's at stake," defenceman Adam Larsson said pre-game from the team's hotel. "It's a division game that's really big for both teams. This is the time of the year that it's most fun to play. I think it's one of those games that can really set the bar for the rest of the way."
NEW BLOOD
While the group as a whole didn't shy from the fact they didn't play their best hockey during Tuesday's loss in Anaheim, they were quick to note that the strong debuts of newly-acquired forwards in Andreas Athanasiou and Tyler Ennis were essential in the group salvaging a very important single point nonetheless.

PRE-GAME RAW | Archibald 02.26.20

"They came out strong last night," Oilers forward Josh Archibald said. "We were looking forward to it and they showed us what they've got. Hopefully we can see some more of that tonight."
Larsson echoed that sentiment.
"We're really glad to have those guys. They're really good players," the Swede said. "(Mike) Green has been in the League a long time and has been successful. I think those guys were exactly what we needed."

PRE-GAME RAW | Larsson 02.26.20

Both Ennis and Athanasiou picked up a goal and assist playing alongside Connor McDavid, with Athanasiou's goal-line tap-in late in the third forcing overtime to secure at least one point to start the back-to-back. That late surge from the group and meshing of the new guys was a positive takeaway for Head Coach Dave Tippett as the group prepares to close out the road trip.
"The good sign was that, (despite) starting poorly, we got better as the game went on. Our new guys came in and contributed which is good to see but we've got to keep pounding away. There is still lots of improvement needed in our game and this will be a good challenge for us," Tippett said pre-game.
Of note for the Oilers is their solid 18-12-3 road record and rather unprecedented 6-0-0 mark in the second of back-to-backs this season- two numbers they'll be betting on come Wednesday night.
"It's a good question. I don't know," Larsson said with a smile when asked about just why this group seems to rally in their second game in as many nights. "It's a short turnaround and it's a chance to get four points in two nights… We got a point out of (last night) and now we have a chance to get five out of six. That could be a pretty good trip."

PRE-GAME RAW | Tippett 02.26.20

LINEUP NOTES
When asked about any changes to the lineup, Coach Tippett noted that, save for Koskinen replacing Smith between the pipes, the Oilers will roll out the same lineup in Vegas as they did the previous night with the intent of letting the new-look group have a chance to get comfortable.
"You're just trying to find a rhythm in your lineup," Tippett said. "Last night, when you're going into it and you have so many question marks with two new guys up front and one new guy in the back, and then you're missing Yamamoto and missing some other people, you know you've got to get into a rhythm but you don't know how it's going to go at the start. So as you get into it, you get a feel for it and find where the sweet spot is, hopefully."

PREVIEW

OILERS (33-22-8) at GOLDEN KNIGHTS (34-22-8)
TV: 8:30 p.m. MT; Televised on Sportsnet West
Head-to-Head:
This is the second of four meetings between the Oilers and Golden Knights this season.
Markus Granlund scored the game-winning goal and Mike Smith was the winning netminder in a 4-2 Oilers victory over Vegas on Nov. 23.
Leon Draisaitl registered three assists and Connor McDavid netted a pair of goals in the win.
Oilers team scope:
The Oilers fought back by erasing two separate deficits to force overtime against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday, but the debuts of Tyler Ennis, Andreas Athanasiou and Mike Green ended on a losing note as the club was edged by a 4-3 OT loss.
Despite the outcome, instant chemistry struck between Ennis, McDavid and Athanasiou, as the trio combined for seven points on the night.
With a power-play goal, Draisaitl increased his point total to 99 on the season as he continues to lead the NHL.
The Orange & Blue remain in a tight Pacific Division playoff race, sitting third behind the Golden Knights (76 points) and Vancouver Canucks (74 points) with 74 points themselves.
Golden Knights team scope:
The Golden Knights bested the Ducks by a 6-5 overtime score on Sunday, bringing their winning streak to six games.
Vegas is one of the hottest teams in the League at the moment, going 7-2-1 in their last 10 games in addition to being 19-10-4 at T-Mobile Arena.
Mark Stone leads the Golden knights in assists and points with 42 and 63, respectively. Max Pacioretty tops the club in goals with 29.
The Golden Knights hold the top spot in the Pacific Division with a 34-22-8 record and 76 points.
By the Numbers:
The Oilers are 18-12-3 on the road this season. ... Edmonton ranks first in the League on the power play (29 percent) and second on the penalty kill (84 percent). ... Draisaitl and McDavid are 1st and 2nd in power-play points with 40 and 39, respectively. ... Draisaitl is the NHL leader in game-winning goals with 10.
Vegas is 23rd on the penalty kill with a 77.7 percent average. ... The Golden Knights average the most amount of shots per game with 34.5.
Injury Report:
OILERS - Kailer Yamamoto (ankle) is week to week; Oscar Klefbom (shoulder) is on IR; James Neal (ankle) is on IR; Joakim Nygard (hand) is on IR; Kris Russell (concussion) is on LTIR.
GOLDEN KNIGHTS - Alex Tuch (leg) is on IR.
-- Paul Gazzola, EdmontonOilers.com