PREVIEW: Oilers vs. Penguins

The Oilers will host Sidney Crosby and the Penguins at Rogers Place on Hall of Fame Night, with Craig MacTavish and Randy Gregg to be honoured as the 2024 class of the Oilers Hall of Fame.

You can watch the game on Sportsnet at 7:00 pm MT or listen live on the Oilers Radio Network, including 880CHED. MacTavish & Gregg will have their names enshrined in the Ring of Honour during a post-game ceremony that will be broadcast live on Sportsnet ONE following the game.

Subscribe to Oilers+ to unlock the Pre-Game & Post-Game Shows, along with more exclusive live and behind-the-scenes content, including The Drop documentary series.

Limited tickets for tonight's matchup are still available at EdmontonOilers.com/tickets.

PREVIEW: Oilers vs. Penguins

EDMONTON, AB – Sidney Crosby is still the same Sidney Crosby, says Connor McDavid, along with his admiration for the Pittsburgh Penguins’ captain he grew up idolizing before he himself became a leader in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers.

“He hasn't seemed to change at all,” McDavid said. “He just has great year after great year. It's so impressive to see from someone that I obviously grew up admiring and still do to this day.”

As Rogers Place prepares to enshrine the names of Craig MacTavish & Randy Gregg in the Ring of Honour on Hall of Fame Night, it’s only right that the matchup should fit the occasion as McDavid & Crosby get set to face off for the 14th time in their careers.

“It doesn't seem like he's showing any signs of slowing down, but it's always special to go up against Sid, Malkin, Letang and all the guys over there that have been part of so many great teams.”

The Oilers hold a record of 7-3-3 in those 13 previous meetings and have outscored the Penguins 51-35 – including six straight wins and back-to-back victories last season with a 6-1 win on home ice on March 3 and a 4-0 shutout out at the PPG Paints Arena on March 10.

McDavid has 27 points (9G, 18A) in 13 head-to-head meetings with Crosby, while Sid has picked up seven (3G, 4A), which included an OT winner on Oct. 23, 2018 at Rogers Place.

The Oilers captain is 10 points away from the 1,000-career mark entering his 653rd game, and if he can do it in three games – a point difference he's covered 13 times in his career – he'd become the third-fastest player in NHL history to reach the mark ahead of Mike Bossy (656 GP), trailing only Wayne Gretzky (424 GP) and Mario Lemieux (513 GP).

Crosby is coming off his 13^th season with 80-plus points after recording 42 goals and 94 points in 2023-24 at 37 years old, showing that age is just a number like the Pittsburgh captain’s famous No. 97 on his sweater. The Cole Harbour, NS product sits 10th all-time in points with 1,603 (trails Joe Sakic for ninth by 38 points), and his 1,603 points are the sixth most by a player with one franchise.

McDavid & his No. 97 reached 100 points for the fourth straight season and seventh overall, reaching the 100-assist threshold (32G, 100A) for only the fourth time in NHL history while captaining the Oilers to a Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The two have combined to win seven Art Ross Trophies, five Hart Memorial Trophies, three Maurice Richard Trophies and three Conn Smythe Trophies, but what they’ve yet to ever be is teammates on the international stage – something that will change this February at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

“I'm really looking forward to it,” McDavid said. “Obviously to play with Sid, but to play with so many of the guys – Nate [MacKinnon], Makar, the list goes on and on. Great Canadian players and I’m really looking forward to that event. All four teams will be really good teams, and it’ll be highly competitive, and it's anyone's tournament to win.”

As for who should wear the ‘C’ for Canada, that’s a no-brainer, McDavid adds.

“Should be Sid,” he said. “Should be Sid, for sure.”

Before that happens, however, there are three-and-a-half months of NHL hockey to play, and both captains will be leading their teams out in search of two points on Friday night's Hall of Fame Night at Rogers Place.

“I don't think it’ll be any different. We still want to win,” McDavid said. “He still wants to win tomorrow and that competitive fire will be there. But come February, we'll be teammates and that'll be a great time too.”

Based on Thursday's practice, Head Coach Kris Knoblauch is looking to give Vasily Podkolzin a chance in the top six by swapping the Russian with Jeff Skinner at left wing on the second and third lines, leaving him next to Leon Draisaitl and Viktor Arvidsson.

"I think one thing he adds to that line is a little more physicality, but also, he's a guy that can go to the net," Knoblauch said. "Skinner moving down to Rico's line just adds a little more offence and scoring. Maybe that helps us in the long run with line matchups, but we're just trying to find a little chemistry between everybody and we'll see what Podkolzin can do. He hasn't had many opportunities, but like I said, he's played well.""

Thursday was the end of a long run of practice days for the Oilers, where they worked on fine-tuning some areas of their game they felt have been lacking after Wednesday was focused primarily on the power play, including trying out a few different combinations.

After Hall of Fame Night on Friday, where they hope to sink the Penguins for the seventh straight meeting and improve on their 2-4-1 record, the Oilers will travel on Saturday to Detroit to begin a three-game road trip with the first of back-to-back games against the Red Wings and Blue Jackets.

"We had three [practices] this week, and then after today, we won't have many practices after just because we play three-of-four and head out on the road, so we're trying to make the most out of it," Knoblauch said. "Obviously, we did the power play the other day and today a little but more defensive zone coverage. We're just trying to tighten up all facets of our game, so whether it's breakouts or something else, everything can be a little bit better."