PRE-GAME REPORT: Oilers vs. Stars

The Edmonton Oilers continue a three-game homestand at Rogers Place when they try for their third straight win on Wednesday night against the Dallas Stars.
You can watch the game on Sportnet West & 360 or listen on the Oilers Radio Network, including 630 CHED.
Video: OILERS TODAY | Pre-Game vs DAL 04.20.22

YOUR GAME-DAY ESSENTIALS
GAME DAY VIDEO
OILERS TODAY | Pre-Game vs. DAL
PRE-GAME RAW | Coach Woodcroft
PRE-GAME RAW | Barrie
PRE-GAME RAW | Yamamoto
RECENT VIDEOS
PRACTICE | Team Photo
RAW | Coach Woodcroft 04.19.22
RAW | Zach Hyman 04.19.22
THE PANEL | Down The Stretch
BY THE NUMBERS
Oilers Statistics
Stars Statistics
Stats Comparison
Game Notes
RECENT BLOGS & ARTICLES
BLOG: Tuesday's practice at Rogers Place
BLOG: Stingy down the stretch
RELEASE: EOCF donates $2 million to KidSport
VIEWING INFORMATION
You can watch Wednesday's game on Sportsnet West & 360 at 6:30 PM MT.
News and notes from Oilers practice at Rogers Place on Tuesday, where the team talked about honing in on the defensive details heading into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
**>> READ MORE IN THE INSIDE THE OILERS BLOG**
EDMONTON, AB - It's not time to take the foot off the gas, but the Oilers play of late has given them room to breathe in the West.
The Oilers have been playoff hardened over the course of the last few months and it has helped take the pressure off these final moments before the regular season ends. Edmonton is sitting pretty in the Western Conference at 94 points on the season and can clinch a playoff spot with the combination of a win against Dallas, plus a Vegas and Vancouver loss over the next few days.
"I think the last month we've been playing in that mindset where there's no nights off," defenceman Tyson Barrie said. "The only reason we're not in that situation is how well we've played lately and the importance we've put on every game. We've put ourselves in a position where we're playing meaningful games against good teams, and we have to take care of business, but we're not dealing with what Vegas and Vancouver or dealing with."
The breathing room is great, but the Oilers locker room knows they can't afford to turn comfort into complacency.
"I think we feel comfortable, but every game we take the same," Kailer Yamamoto said. "We want to win every game and put that desperation into our game. You don't want to get lackadaisical right before playoffs and let that creep into our game. I think we're taking our game very seriously and we're going to do that until the end of the year."
Dallas currently sits three points behind the Oilers in the Western Conference standings and is looking to lock down one of the two wildcard spots in the National Hockey League Playoffs.
NO HARD FEELINGS
When on the receiving end of a Bouch-bomb, you're entitled to a day off. Yamamoto missed a few shifts last game against the Vegas Golden Knights after being plunked with an Evan Bouchard clapper. The 5-foot-8 forward was given a maintenance day on Monday but will be in the lineup tonight to take on the Stars.
"I'm not going to say (Bouchard and I are) on good terms right now. No, I'm joking," Yamamoto said. "It's a tough play. It sucks to hit me, but he's trying to shoot and trying to score, so I can't get mad at him for that. It's a little sore, but nothing you can't play through."
Video: PRE-RAW | Kailer Yamamoto 04.20.22
Yamamoto has been a spark plug for the Orange & Blue this season, and the diminutive forward's bang-and-crash style has been a bigger pain for opponents than a Bouchard slapshot.
"I think he wants to establish his ice. He frustrates opponents with his work ethic. It's one of his competitive advantages as a player it's why he's in the NHL," Woodcroft said about Yamamoto's style. "For a guy who is not the tallest player in the world, he understands leverage and playing inside people. There is competitiveness to him that I think shows up in 50/50 puck battles."
Yamamoto, who has chipped in 18 goals and 35 points on the season, relishes his role as a skilled agitator. The Spokane, Washington products game thrives when his opponents are off of theirs.
I (enjoy it) honestly," Yamamoto said. "Being able to get under someone's skin, it just shows that maybe their off their game a little bit and maybe they're not thinking about the game as much and maybe they won't see as many plays, so I enjoy that part of the game."
AGELESS JOE PAVELSKI
At 37-years-old, the Stars greatest weapon is also their most experienced. Pavelski currently paces the stars with 75 points in 76 games - the oldest player to currently lead his team in scoring this year -- as the former seventh-round pick continues to defy the odds in his NHL career.
Part of the "shooting club" in San Jose, Jay Woodcroft has watched the work ethic that has driven the player to be one of the top-scoring Americans in NHL history -- currently five points behind Neal Broten for 13th all-time among US-born players.
Video: PRE-RAW | Jay Woodcroft 04.20.22
"He's just somebody that continuously worked at his craft. Another player who wasn't the biggest player in the world, wasn't the fastest player in the world, but was really sharp between the ears and willing to put the work in to be successful," Woodcroft said. "He has unbelievable hand-eye coordination. Obviously, he's one of the best American goal scorers that has played in the National Hockey League, and his career speaks for itself."
Over the course of his career, Pavelski has seen his fair share of success against the Oilers, with his 56 points in 59 games his second-highest total against all NHL opponents.
SMITTY LIKES TO MOVE IT
The red-hot Mike Smith will be back between the pipes tonight, with a shutout streak of precisely 133 minutes on the line. Over his last six starts, the Oilers goalie is sporting a 1.49 goals-against average, a .955 save percentage, along with six victories.
If he were to repeat his feat from the last two games, Smith would break the Oilers franchise-record shutout streak of 192:53, currently held by Tommy Salo. While the 40-year-olds presence in the crease has been a stabilizing factor for the Oilers, his ability to move the puck can destabilize the Oilers competition.
"I think it takes the pressure off our d-core with the way he can play the puck," Woodcroft said. "It forces teams to adjust or alter their puck placement patterns, which affects, in turn, the way teams might forecheck us."
Video: PRE-RAW | Tyson Barrie 04.20.22
"He's such a good skater too," added Oilers defenceman Tyson Barrie. "That's probably underappreciated, how well he moves. The first thing if he's going to get to those pucks he's got to be able to skate."
"We just kind of peel to the corners and if we're wide open he usually finds us, but if there's a heavy forecheck, he usually keeps it going or hits a winger, or sometimes he'll hold it and hit the low centreman which is pretty crazy. Smitty is a world-class puck handler no doubt."
-- Michael Arcuri, EdmontonOilers.com
OILERS vs. STARS
STREAM: 6:30 p.m. MT; televised on Sportsnet West & 360
Oilers Team Scope
The Edmonton Oilers are winners of two straight by way of the shutout in consecutive 4-0 victories over the Nashville Predators and Vegas Golden Knights.
Mike Smith is unbeaten in his last six starts and made 69 saves across both recent shutout victories, while owning a personal shutout streak of 133:00 dating back to the third period of a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings on April 7.
The Oilers continue their quest to secure a playoff spot, currently two points up on the Kings and seven on the Golden Knights for second in the Pacific Division with 94 points and a 44-26-6 overall record. An Oilers win over the Dallas Stars on Wednesday, coupled with a Vegas loss later that evening to the Washington Capitals, would reduce Edmonton's magic number for securing a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs down to one point.
These last six games of the regular season will allow the Oilers to ready themselves for the rigours of playoff hockey, including nailing down their details on the defensive side of the puck.
"I think everything at this time of year," forward Leon Draisaitl said of the late-season adjustments. "We obviously want to be confident in our game in all areas and I think away from the puck we're really dialing it in there, especially the last two games. It's a good time to get those little details all settled in, and I think we've done a good job."
In their last 19 games, the Oilers have performed with an impressive 14-3-2 record.
Stars Team Scope
In a contest between two clubs fighting for their playoff lives, the Dallas Stars were defeated 6-2 by the Vancouver Canucks on Monday night to add some extra intrigue to the race for the final playoff spots in the Western Conference.
"Puck management was terrible at both bluelines," Stars Head Coach Rick Bowness said. "You saw it, guys couldn't handle the puck. Bad plays, bad decisions. We kept turning the puck over at the wrong time and in the wrong places and it cost us."
A victory in Vancouver could've added some space in the playoff picture between themselves and the Golden Knights, who trail the Stars by four points with a game in hand, but a tough night for Jake Oettinger in goal after giving up four goals on 19 shots helped lead to Vancouver gaining ground on Dallas. The Canucks added another point to their total with a shootout loss on Tuesday to Ottawa.
Dallas owns a 43-28-5 record for a total of 91 points and still controls its own playoff destiny heading into two tough games in Edmonton (Wednesday) and Calgary (Thursday) to end their three-game road trip before closing out the regular season at home for the final four games.
"They're huge, and you don't win at this time of year with half your team playing and the other half not playing well," Bowness said. "So, the guys who didn't show up and didn't play well better find their game by Wednesday night."
By The Numbers
The Oilers have lost both meetings vs. the Stars this season, getting outscored 9-4, and seven of their last 10 meetings... On home ice, the Oilers have earned a point in six straight games vs. Dallas (4-0-2)... Dallas is 15-6-1 in their last 22 road games... The Stars are 10-4-2 in their last 16 games overall and currently occupy the second Wildcard spot in the Western Conference with 91 points...
Edmonton's 14-3-2 record since March 9, 2022 is the fourth-best in the NHL... The Oilers are 14-for-14 on the penalty kill in their last five games and 32-for-34 on the penalty kill in their last 12 games (94.1 per cent)... The Stars are averaging 2.86 goals per game (20th in the NHL) and 2.96 goals against per game this season (15th in the NHL)... The Stars are winning 54.5 per cent of their faceoffs this season, second-best in the NHL...
Connor McDavid has two points (2 A) in his last four games since having his 15-game point streak end... his 110 points are the most in the NHL & his 68 assists tied for third-most... McDavid is one of five players this season with at least 300 shots on goal (302)... Leon Draisaitl has 50 points (22G, 28A) in 37 home games this season... The German is currently on a nine-game point streak against the Stars, totaling 11 points (5G, 6A)... Mike Smith is 13-9-2 with a 2.91 goals-against average, .911 save percentage & two shutouts in 25 games (24 starts) this season... The 40-year-old has lost nine straight starts vs. the Stars, having not earned a win against his former club since March 9, 2013...
Joe Pavelski has 75 points (27G, 48A) in 76 games this season and is three assists shy of 500 for his career... Pavelski's 56 points (25G, 31A) in 59 career games vs. the Oilers is the second-most in his career against any opponent... Jason Robertson has eight multi-goal games this season and has scored in both games vs. Edmonton this season... Jamie Benn needs two goals for his 10th season with at least 20 goals and three goals to tie Dino Ciccarelli for third all-time in franchise history... Jake Oettinger is 27-14-1 with a 2.56 goals-against average, .913 save percentage & one shutout in 44 games (42 starts) this season...
Injury Report
OILERS - Oscar Klefbom (shoulder) is on IR.
STARS - Vladislav Namestnikov (lower body) is day-to-day; Braden Holtby (lower body) is on IR.
-- Jamie Umbach, EdmontonOilers.com