OILERS (13-6-2) vs STARS (10-8-2)
TV: 2:08 p.m. MT; Televised on Sportsnet West
Head-to-Head:
This is the first of three games between the Oilers and Stars in the 2019-20 campaign.
Last year, Edmonton went 1-1-1 against Dallas, with the lone victory coming in a 1-0 overtime decision. The winning goal was courtesy of Oscar Klefbom.
Draisaitl led the Oilers with one goal and three assists in three matches against the Stars, while Koskinen backstopped the club in all three, posting a 1.61 goals-against average and .932 save percentage.
For Dallas, Alexander Radulov, Jason Dickinson, Brett Ritchie, Mattias Janmark and Roope Hintz all had two points.
Oilers team scope:
Thursday night's affair versus Colorado was yet another spectacle from the Oilers Dynamic Duo of McDavid and Draisaitl, who established career regular-season game-highs in points with six and five, respectively.
Not to be forgotten were the performances of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - who notched two goals - and Kassian, who scored once and played physically fierce with a crushing hit on Avs star Nathan MacKinnon.
With the 6-2 victory, the Oilers returned to the win column and improved their record to 13-6-2. The squad is first in the Pacific Division with 28 points, four up on the Arizona Coyotes, who have 24.
Stars team scope:
The Stars began the '19-20 campaign with a poor 1-7-1 start but have since gone 9-1-1, with their most recent accomplishment being a 4-2 double up over the Vancouver Canucks.
It's been a complete turnaround for the club in their past 11 games, allowing just 17 goals against over that span.
Hintz leads the team in goals with nine, while Seguin is the leader in assists and points with nine and 13, respectively.
By the Numbers:
The Oilers are 13-6-2 in their first 21 games of the season. Last year, the club was 10-10-1 in their opening 21 outings. ... The club went 4-for-6 on the man advantage in their 6-2 win over Colorado and are 20-for-63 on the year, good for a 31.7 conversion rate and second-place rank in the League. ... The team is 9-3-0 when they score a power-play goal this year. ... Edmonton is 9-19-3 in their last 31 games against Dallas.
Over their first nine games in which they went 1-7-1, the Stars were averaging 1.89 goals per game and 3.22 goals against but in the last 11, they have scored an average of 3.00 goals a game and allowed 1.64 against. ... Dallas has tallied 50 goals on 594 shots, possessing an 8.4 shooting percentage, which is fifth-lowest in the League.
Injury Report:
OILERS - Adam Larsson (fractured right fibula) is on IR; Brandon Manning (hand) is on IR.
STARS - Andrew Cogliano (lower body) is day-to-day; Mattias Janmark (lower body) is day-to-day; John Klingberg (lower body) is on IR; Roope Hintz (lower body) is on IR; Stephen Johns (head) is on IR; Martin Hanzal (back) is on IR.
-- Paul Gazzola, EdmontonOilers.com