PRE-GAME REPORT: Oilers at Lightning

The Edmonton Oilers play the first on a five-game road trip on Wednesday night at Amalie Arena against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning.
You can watch the game live on Sportsnet West or listen live on the Oilers Radio Network, including 630 CHED, starting at 5:30 PM MT.
Video: OILERS TODAY | Pre-Game at TBL 02.23.22

YOUR GAME-DAY ESSENTIALS
GAME DAY VIDEO
OILERS TODAY | Pre-Game at TBL
PRE-GAME RAW | Coach Woodcroft
PRE-GAME RAW | Nugent-Hopkins
PRE-GAME RAW | McLeod
RECENT VIDEOS
OILERS TODAY | Finding Niches
PRACTICE | Coach Woodcroft
PRACTICE | Tyler Benson
Spectacular NWT Play of the Week
BY THE NUMBERS
Oilers Statistics
Lightning Statistics
Head-to-Head
Game Notes
RECENT BLOGS & ARTICLES
BLOG: Benson buries first NHL goal
BLOG: Tuesday's practice in Tampa
GENE'S BLOG: Family Day
VIEWING INFORMATION
You can watch Wednesday's game on Sportsnet West at 5:30 PM MT.
News and notes from Oilers practice at Amalie Arena on Tuesday, including Tyler Benson talking about scoring his first NHL goal on Sunday against the Minnesota Wild.
**>> READ MORE IN THE INSIDE THE OILERS BLOG**
TAMPA, FL - Call it the "Beasts in the Southeast" trip.
The Oilers will open their five-game voyage tonight in Tampa against the two-time defending champion Lightning, followed by games against the other two top teams in the Eastern Conference, the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes, back to back on Saturday and Sunday.
The Lightning, Panthers and Hurricanes have combined to win 102 games this season and outscore their opponents 557-411. The Oilers are well aware of how tough a test this week's trio of matchups will be, but it's one they feel they've studied plenty for, prepared accordingly and given themselves a chance to pass.
"We've spent the last two days preparing for the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions," Head Coach Jay Woodcroft said following morning skate at Amelie Arena. "We know where they're at in their evolution as a team. They do a lot of things very well, and we've prepared for it. They're a very good hockey team, but we're a good hockey team too."
Video: PRE-RAW | Jay Woodcroft 02.23.22
"We're a good team, we have confidence in ourselves," Oilers alternate captain Ryan Nugent-Hopkins echoed. "Tonight is just as important that we work on our game. We try to out-work the other team every night and tonight we have to bring that attitude."
The Oilers, who are 5-1-0 under Woodcroft and 10-3-1 since Jan. 22, have not faced the Lightning since Feb. 13, 2020. Since then, all Tampa has done is raise banners and hoist trophies as the last two League champions.
"We haven't played them in two years, so everyone's really excited," said Oilers forward Ryan McLeod. "They've won back-to-back Cups, so they're a really good team. It's going to be a good test for us."
With three big-time opponents on the schedule this week, it would be easy for the team to get carried away thinking about the daunting task at hand, but Coach Woodcroft and his staff are doing their best to keep everyone focused exclusively on today's matchup.
"We know we've got these three coming up here, but we've got to focus on Tampa," he said. "Back-to-back defending champs, so they're going to make us work for everything we get tonight. We know that. They play with high intensity, high speed all over the rink."
MILESTONE NIGHT FOR NUGE
Nugent-Hopkins, selected first overall at the 2011 NHL Draft, is the longest-tenured member of the Oilers roster and will be playing in his 700th-career game tonight against the Lightning.
In addition to being a consistent offensive contributor, with 515 points in his 699 regular season games to date, the 28-year-old Burnaby, B.C. native has become one of the most versatile players on the team and a bonafide leader in the locker room.
Video: PRE-RAW | Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 02.23.22
"I would describe RNH as someone who is team-first; that's the first thing that comes to mind," Woodcroft said. "He's someone who's taking charge and driving his own line right now, which I think makes us a better team. He plays in every situation, he's a fantastic teammate, and he's driven to win, so I'm thankful he's on our team."
"He's a great guy, great teammate, one of the best," McLeod added. "It's been a lot of fun playing with him the last year. Congrats to him and hopefully he can get a bunch more under his belt."
True to Woodcroft's "team-first" assessment, Nugent-Hopkins said tonight's game is more about earning an important two points than his achievement, though he admitted the milestone has prompted him to take a few moments to look back on his 11 and a half seasons in the League.
"People bring it to your attention, so you think about it a little bit and reflect on the 700 games that I've played," he said. "It's pretty crazy to be here, but the focus is on getting a win tonight because at the end of the day it's just another game."
MCLEOD MORE CONFIDENT
Tonight's game in Tampa will see McLeod make the jump to the top forward line alongside Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman, while Evander Kane and Kailer Yamamoto will flank Leon Draisaitl.
The 22-year-old has set new career highs in ice time the last two games, logging 16:11 Saturday in Winnipeg and 17:01 Sunday vs. Minnesota, and he also has three points in his last three outings.
"Confidence is a huge thing in this league and he's playing a little bit more, getting more confident in his game," Nugent-Hopkins said of his fellow Ryan. "He's a very talented player, brings a lot of upside. I think he's done a good job lately of focusing defensively too and rounding out his game. I'm happy to see him continue to take steps."
Video: PRE-RAW | Ryan McLeod 02.23.22
McLeod, who now has five goals and seven assists in 49 career NHL games, credits much of his recent success to his rapport with Woodcroft, since he suited up for the new bench boss in his 91 career AHL games with the Bakersfield Condors.
"There's comfortability with the new coach having played for him for a year and a half," said the Mississauga, Ont. native. "He knows when I'm at my best and how to play me to my strengths, so it's been a lot of fun. I feel a lot more comfortable and a lot more confident."
-- Ryan Frankson, EdmontonOilers.com
OILERS at LIGHTNING
STREAM: 5:30 p.m. MT; televised on Sportsnet West
Oilers Team Scope
After falling 7-3 to the Minnesota Wild on Sunday, the Oilers travel to Florida to begin a five-game road trip against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena on Wednesday night.
Edmonton's first three opponents of the 5-game, 11-day trip will feature the Eastern Conference's top-three teams in the Lightning, the Florida Panthers, and the Carolina Hurricanes.
On Tuesday, Head Coach Jay Woodcroft held only his second full practice as Oilers bench boss after his first 10 days in the role included six games -- five of them victories.
"It was nice to be able to put into practice things you're talking about, the ability to walk through something, to feel it, to work through some of the kinks," he said. "We got what we needed out of our group today."
Ryan McLeod and Kailer Yamamoto swapped spots in the Oilers top six at Tuesday's practice, with McLeod at left wing on the top line with Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman. Yamamoto was reunited with Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane on the second line after the unit clicked before Jesse Puljujarvi's injury against the Ducks last week forced a shuffle.
"We liked what we saw in bits and pieces towards the end of the game," Woodcroft said of Sunday's loss. "I think it's a good way to start [Wednesday] night."
Lightning Team Scope
The Lightning will end a seven-day layoff from action on Wednesday and play their first home game in 22 days at Amalie Arena against an Oilers side coming off playing five games in seven days.
Since the Bolts last suited up for a 4-3 victory in the second of a back-to-back against the Arizona Coyotes on Feb. 15, the Oilers have played three times.
"We know Edmonton's been playing a lot of hockey while we've been sitting around," Pat Maroon, the former Oiler who signed a new two-year contract with Tampa Bay earlier in February, admitted. "These two (practice) days will help us, and we've just got to prepare and be ready."
The Lightning came out of another extended break of eight games in the first leg of the back-to-back against the Colorado Avalanche with one of their toughest first periods of the season where they were outscored 2-0 and outshot 24-10 in an eventual 3-2 defeat that marked the defending Cup champions' only loss so far in February.
"We all know it was a pretty slow start in Colorado. We know what happened," Maroon added. "I just think we've got to prepare ourselves starting today... We know they're going to be coming out of the gate. They're a desperate hockey team, new coach. They're playing with a lot of energy."
By The Numbers
Wednesday's meeting is the first of two games in 18 days between the Oilers and Lightning, with their next meeting coming at Rogers Place on Mar. 12... Tampa Bay has won four in a row over Edmonton, outscoring the Oilers 17-7... The Lightning (3.41) and Oilers (3.30) are eighth and ninth in the NHL for average goals per game, respectively... The Oilers are 5-1-0 under Head Coach Jay Woodcroft... Tampa Bay brings a five-game home point streak into tonight's contest (4-0-1)...
Tampa Bay has the 19th-ranked powerplay (19.2 per cent) and 14th-ranked penalty kill (80.9 per cent)... The Lightning are 16-4-4 with a plus-37 goal differential on home ice... Steven Stamkos leads Tampa Bay with 23 goals and 55 points in 48 games... Pat Maroon has scored in three-straight games against the Oilers... Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl's 35 points on the road this season lead the NHL... McDavid (71) and Draisaitl (70) sit second and third in NHL scoring, respectively...
Injury Report
OILERS - Jesse Puljujarvi (lower body) is on IR; Kyle Turris (undisclosed) is on IR; Duncan Keith (concussion) is on IR; Zack Kassian (fractured jaw) is on IR; Kris Russell (undisclosed) is on IR.
LIGHTNING - Zach Bogosian (lower body) is on IR.
-- Jamie Umbach, EdmontonOilers.com