PRE-GAME REPORT: Oilers at Predators

The Edmonton Oilers finish up a brief two-game road trip in Nashville on Thursday night at Bridgestone Arena.
You can watch the game on Sportsnet West or listen live on the Oilers Radio Network, including 630 CHED.
Video: OILERS TODAY | Pre-Game at NSH 04.14.22

YOUR GAME-DAY ESSENTIALS
GAME DAY VIDEO
OILERS TODAY | Pre-Game vs. NSH
PRE-GAME RAW | Coach Woodcroft
PRE-GAME RAW | McDavid
RECENT VIDEOS
PRACTICE: Even Keeled
RAW | Head Coach Jay Woodcroft
RAW | Duncan Keith
RAW | Derek Ryan
BY THE NUMBERS
Oilers Statistics
Predators Statistics
Stats Comparison
Game Notes
RECENT BLOGS & ARTICLES
BLOG: Wednesday's practice at Centennial Sportsplex
GAME RECAP: MIN 5, EDM 1
GENE'S BLOG: Hart to Hart conversation
VIEWING INFORMATION
You can watch Thursday's game on Sportsnet West at 6:00 PM MT.
News and notes from Oilers practice at Centennial Sportsplex in Nashville on Wednesday, where players talked about flushing Tuesday's result and putting their full focus on tonight's game against the Predators.
**>> READ MORE IN THE INSIDE THE OILERS BLOG**
NASHVILLE, TN - Edmonton looks to get back to their winning ways on Thursday in another major Western Conference matchup against the Predators in the Music City.
"It's not the first time we've lost a game," Connor McDavid said about Tuesday's contest in Minnesota. "It was an ugly loss, but we've bounced back before and obviously we're looking to do that tonight."
The Oilers have excelled at bouncing back as of late, having not lost back-to-back games in regulation in over a month. Under Head Coach Jay Woodcroft, the Blue & Orange has used setbacks as learning opportunities.
"Anytime you're in those situations you're trying to get better or use the moments in those games as growth moments," Woodcroft said. "Certainly, we talk about them as a team. Individually to certain players, but collectively as a team."
The Oilers have seen a run of success against Nashville, winning their last five games against the Preds, and the team is hoping that momentum will carry under Woodcroft.
There may be no better player to tailor a swift response than Leon Draisaitl. The German has scored almost half of the Oilers goals against Nashville since 2018-2019, potting 14 of the team's 29 tallies. Draisaitl has been so prolific that no other Oiler has more than three in the same time frame.
The Oilers will need everyone on their game tonight, with only a single point separating the two teams in the Western Conference standings.
PLAYING FOR MAY
Ever since Jay Woodcroft was appointed Head Coach back on Feb. 10, he has really only known that playoff-style of hockey as the Oilers have scratched and clawed their way back into post-season contention under his leadership.
"I've felt like that since Dave Manson and I came up from Bakersfield," said Woodcroft. "It's what we know."
Recent tight-checking affairs against the Avalanche and Wild have served as a reminder of what it takes to play the top teams in this league on a nightly basis.
"As we move forward, we should expect this kind of hockey. It's conditioning for the kind of hockey that's played in the month of May," said Woodcroft.
Video: PRE-RAW | Jay Woodcroft 04.14.22
The Oilers are 19-8-3 under coach Woodcroft which has allowed the club to keep pace in a tightly-contested Western Conference. Connor McDavid believes that the high-stakes hockey served up to the Oilers over the last two months will help the team in the long run.
"It's a tight race. Lots of different teams are in it. The benefit is come playoff time, you're already playing playoff hockey," McDavid said. "We've been playing playoff hockey for a long time and every game matters, this one is no different."
FUELLING UP THE OFFENCE
While the Oilers have averaged the fourth-most goals in the NHL since Mar. 9 at 4.12 per game, lately the tank has run dry with only seven goals in the last four contests.
As the playoffs approach, the tight-checking style isn't going away any time soon. Coach Woodcroft knows the Oilers will have to adjust to match the raised temperatures around them.
"As the league narrows, the playoff teams play a little tighter. You have to understand the type of hockey that is being played," Woodcroft said. "There are some things that we can do better offensively. There are some individuals that can convert the chances they are getting. There are some things we can do as a team to be a bit harder on offence and a bit more physical on offence."
One player who has felt the goal crunch of late has been Jesse Puljujarvi. The Finnish forward has been doing all the right things but has only scored three goals in his last 33 games. During that time, he has piled 74 shots on opposing goaltenders but has not seen the puck luck go his way. The Oilers captain knows it's a matter of time before the tide starts to turn for the 23-year-old winger.
"You just got to keep firing away. There's no real thing you're going to tell him that's going to make the difference. You just got to see one drop," McDavid said. "I know he's been a bit snake-bitten, but he's getting good looks."
"He's hard on the forecheck and he's playing the right way and helping other guys out. Obviously, we'd like to see him score a few but he's doing a lot of other good things."
Video: PRE-RAW | Connor McDavid 04.14.22
As a team, the Oilers are working on generating more sustained offensive looks. Once the playoffs come around, a run-and-gun style typically doesn't translate to post-season success. Coach Woodcroft would like to see a stronger effort in the offensive zone.
"Getting to harder areas so that you're not one-and-done in the offensive zone, you're creating second and third chances," Woodcroft said. "That's the time of year we're in. In order to get second and third chances, you need second and third efforts."
SMITTY IS IN
The Oilers will be turning back to 40-year-old Mike Smith between the pipes on Thursday. The veteran netminder has been stellar as of late, with a 2.24 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage so far this month.
"I think he's a goaltender that inspires confidence in his team especially when he's feeling at his best and is on his game," Woodcroft said. "I think his puck handling is a real factor and it forces the other team to adjust some things. He's put a lot of work in recently to feel good at the right time of year."
"As a person off the ice, what people don't get to see is his leadership ability. He's a presence in any room he walks in and he's not afraid to share his opinion. I think that comes from personal confidence he has and he's earned that confidence based on his career in the National Hockey League."
OILERS vs. PREDATORS
STREAM: 6:00 p.m. MT; televised on Sportsnet West
Oilers Team Scope
The Edmonton Oilers are looking to move past a difficult night in Minnesota and there may not be a better place to go than Nashville.
Edmonton has won its last five meetings with the Nashville Predators, outscoring the Music City club by a 22-11 margin. The last meeting between the two teams at Bridgestone Arena ended in an 8-3 romp by the Blue & Orange back on Mar. 2, 2020.
In that game, the dynamic duo of Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid came up big, with Leon potting four goals behind Nashville starter Pekka Rinne and adding an assist in the process. McDavid was not to be outdone, adding a goal and four assists of his own.
Edmonton is coming off of a tough evening against a Minnesota team that has had their number as of late. The Wild were able to capitalize and every Oilers error on way to a 5-1 victory on Tuesday at Xcel Energy Center.
Kevin Fiala continued his strong play this year against the Oilers with his second two-goal game of the year, and Ryan Hartman also added a pair of goals in the loss.
"Every single night, every single game it's a huge task and a huge battle," Derek Ryan said on the loss. "We're doing everything we can to be at our best and sometimes you're not at your best. You have to learn from that."
One positive note coming out of Minnesota was Leon Draisaitl scoring his 21st power-play goal and his 51st goal of the season. The 21 PPGs represented a new Oilers single-season record.
Predators Team Scope
Nashville enters the second game of a five-game homestand after defeating the San Jose Sharks 1-0 in overtime on Tuesday.
Ryan Johansen scored the lone goal for the Preds -- his 23rd of the season -- 3:18 into the overtime on Nashville's 42nd shot of the game. Jussi Saros turned aside 25 shots for his fourth shutout of the season. The win brought the Predators to within a single point of the Oilers in the Western Conference standings.
The Preds are currently 0-2 this season against the Oilers, getting outscored by a 7-4 margin. The last contest between the two teams was a 3-2 shootout win by the Oil back on Jan. 27. Evan Bouchard was named the first star of the game, scoring a goal and logging over 23 minutes of ice time on the evening.
Nashville has been led by a resurgent Roman Josi, who has been back to his Norris Trophy form this season. The Preds rearguard leads all NHL defencemen this season with 87 points in 71 games. Without scoring another point this year, Josi's total would be the best mark by a defenceman since Ray Bourque scored 91 points with the Boston Bruins during the 1993-94 season.
By The Numbers
The Oilers are 6-0-1 against the Predators in their last seven matchups... In their last five games against Nashville, Edmonton is averaging 4.40 goals per game... Edmonton's 42 wins is good for seventh-most in franchise history through 75 games... Edmonton is looking to avoid losing back-to-back games in regulation for the first time in over a month (Mar. 5 & 7)... The Oilers have scored the second-most even-strength goals in the NHL since Mar. 9 with 53... Edmonton has trailed the third-most games after the first period in the NHL this season, but is the only team in the bottom five to have a winning record in those games with a .608 winning percentage... Connor McDavid has been held pointless in the last two games after having his 15-game point streak snapped on Saturday... Edmonton is 2-13-1 in games where McDavid does not register a point... Leon Draisaitl leads the NHL in road goals this season with 29...
Nashville defenceman Roman Josi has only scored 37 of his 87 points at Bridgestone Arena this season... Since the 2018-19 season, Leon Draisaitl has scored the most goals against the Predators with 14 goals in just eight games... The rest of the Oilers roster has scored 15 goals against Nashville in the same time frame... the Predators currently have 42 wins on the season and have made the playoffs every year they have recorded at least 41 victories... Nashville has the second-most victories in the NHL when being outshot with 24... The Preds have recorded a league-high 931 penalty minutes on the season, which is 150 more than the second-place Tampa Bay Lightning...
Injury Report
OILERS - Oscar Klefbom (shoulder) is on IR; Kyle Turris (back) is on IR.
PREDATORS - Michael McCarron (upper-body) day-to-day
-- Michael Arcuri, EdmontonOilers.com