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The Edmonton Oilers play back-to-back games against the Minnesota Wild starting at 7:00 p.m. on Friday at Rogers Place.
You can watch the game on Sportsnet One or listen live on the Oilers Radio Network, including 630 CHED.
Subscribe to Oilers+ to unlock the Pre-Game Show that will begin at 6:30pm MT, along with more exclusive live and behind-the-scenes content.

YOUR GAME-DAY ESSENTIALS

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INSIDE THE OILERS

News and notes from Oilers practice at Downtown Community Arena on Thursday, including Klim Kostin settling into his new Oilers surroundings.
>> READ MORE IN THE INSIDE THE OILERS BLOG

PRE-GAME REPORT

EDMONTON, AB - After last week's meeting and some historic numbers over the past few years that sway heavily in favour of the Minnesota Wild, the Edmonton Oilers feel due for a result.
"We definitely owe them a good game," captain Connor McDavid said.
A 5-3 defeat in the second game of a challenging back-to-back last week on the road for Edmonton saw the Blue & Orange lose steam around the midway mark of the middle frame before succumbing to the offence of a Wild team on four days rest, leading the Oilers dropping their seventh-consecutive loss to Minnesota.
"I thought we played a competitive game under some different circumstances in Minnesota. I thought 35 minutes into the game, I looked up at the shot clock and we'd given up 13 shots against in that situation. They're a good team. They're going to test us and challenge us, and we're going to be ready for them tonight.
The Oilers dropped all three of their meetings with the Wild last season and were outscored 16-5 across their season series. Edmonton has been defeated by Minnesota in 17 of their last 20 meetings in Oil Country (3-14-3).
"I wish I had answer for you there. We understand that it's been like that," McDavid said of his side's struggles against the Wild. "I mean, obviously last year I think we played them three times and they beat us bad all three times. And obviously, we're down one to them already this year, so I have to find a way to get a win against them."
The Oilers and Wild meet three times over the course of three weeks to wrap up their regular-season series in the month of December in quick order.
After tonight's clash, the two sides will next meet back in St. Paul at the Xcel Energy Center on Monday night in a game that could decide the season series if Edmonton can come out with a win tonight.
"They've played some since our last game, we've played some since our last game, but it's almost like a small playoff series," Head Coach Jay Woodcroft said. "It's about finding ways to adjust, finding ways you were able to have some success or areas of the game that you liked, while making some adjustments and tightening up some of the areas you didn't like."
SCORING FOR CONFIDENCE
Amongst the eight goals the Oilers recorded in Wednesday's 8-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes were plenty of contributions from players not named McDavid, Draisaitl, Hyman or Nugent-Hopkins.
"It's massive," McDavid said. "I mean, secondary scoring is big for any team. Obviously our guys played well last game and look for them to feel good about themselves and carry that over.
Forwards Klim Kostin, Derek Ryan, Kailer Yamamoto and defenceman Tyson Barrie each had multi-point nights to go along with four other players getting on the scoresheet to combine for 12 points (3G, 9A) in the win, delivering a strong boost to Edmonton's depth scoring and the confidence of some players outside of the big four.

PRE-RAW | Connor McDavid 12.09.22

"Anytime you put up eight, I guess guys feel good about themselves," McDavid said. "Obviously, a big test tonight. Like I said, Minnesota's had a number and we definitely owe them a good game here and need to carry that over."
The Oilers will need some of that finishing at 5-on-5 against the Wild, where the scoring chances have been 28-11 in favour of tonight's visitors. But Coach Woodcroft leans on expected goals for and what hasn't been going in for his team -- a stat that sees the Oilers near the top of the NHL.
"I think if you went to expected goals for in the league, you'd see us right kind of at the top," Woodcroft said.
"Our shooting percentage hasn't been where we've wanted it to be, which comes down to finishing ability or finishing, that type of thing. So I think where I see improvement, I see improvement there."
THE NUGE IMPROVES
The puck has been flying in for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins with incredible efficiency this season.
After scoring twice against Arizona, Nugent-Hopkins surpassed his 2021-22 goalscoring tally of 11 that he amassed over 63 games last season with his 12th and 13th goals in just 27 games this campaign, putting him on pace for the first 30-goal and 70-point season of his career.
"I'm not sure what it is," McDavid said. "I think Nuge, ever since I've been here, he's just been kind of 'Mr. Consistent'. Sometimes it doesn't go in for him all the time, but that's the way it goes. He's making great plays, and when he's getting those chances, he's burying them.
"The two shots the other night were great shots and all-world shots, so he's playing well and it's good."
It's the latest evolution for the Burnaby, BC product who never sells anything short in an Oilers sweater -- even in his 12th season with the club where he's been asked to play a lot more wing than his traditional centre position.

PRE-RAW | Jay Woodcroft 12.09.22

"He's a great guy and someone that is really well-respected in the room is a great leader for us and has been for a really long time," McDavid said. "The longest serving Oiler and so loyal to the city and to the team and the organization, and you want to see guys like that do well."
With the Dynamic Duo of McDavid and Draisaitl together, RNH has been anchoring the second line while keeping his spot on the power play beside them.
"I don't think you can do that unless Ryan's playing at the level that he's played at. Almost similar to we started the year with the spine theory of Connor, Leon and Nuge playing on different lines, but Ryan McLeod played pretty well right off the bat. That allowed us to move Nuge to the wing and all that kind of stuff."
"I think when you have a bunch of good players, it allows you to have some flexibility to your lineup and certainly playing Connor and Leon together, we do that because Nuge is playing at the level that he's playing at."
-- Jamie Umbach, EdmontonOilers.com

PREVIEW

OILERS vs. WILD
STREAM: 7:00 p.m. MT; televised on Sportsnet One
Oilers Team Scope
The Oilers wrap up their four-game homestand on Friday with the first of back-to-back games against the Minnesota Wild.
Edmonton is coming off their best performance of the season, picking up the 8-2 victory at Rogers Place on Wednesday over the Arizona Coyotes.
The Oilers commitment to team defence held the Coyotes to only 18 shots on the evening, while Connor McDavid recorded his second four-point affair in three games. The captain currently leads the NHL with 52 points in 27 games, the shortest span of his career to top the half-century mark.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins added three points of his own, while Klim Kostin recorded a Gordie Howe hat trick with his goal, assist, and fight against former Oilers tough guy Zack Kassian.
Stuart Skinner stopped 16 of 18 Coyotes shots on the night to pick up his eight victory of the season.

PRE-RAW | Connor McDavid 12.09.22

Wild Team Scope
The Wild head to Edmonton much like the Oilers last three opponents, following a matchup against the Calgary Flames.
Minnesota jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the Southern Alberta Squad, but Calgary would pick up five of the next six goals to come away with the 5-3 win. Marc-Andre Fleury made 22 of 26 stops in the loss, while Wild star Kirill Kaprizov would notch his team leading 17th goal of the season.
Minnesota is currently 1-0 against the Oilers this season, having caught the Blue & Orange in the second game of a back-to-back on December 1, picking up the 5-3 win. Edmonton was able to go up 2-1 on the hometown Wild, courtesy of goals by Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, but they ran out of steam in the latter half of the contest. The Wild rallied off the next four goals and held Edmonton to a single goal in the last four seconds of the game by Kostin to pick up the victory.
Jack Campbell stopped 25 of 30 shots on the evening, while Marc-Andre Fleury only needed to make 18 saves in the win.

RAW | Dylan Holloway 12.08.22

By The Numbers
Out of McDavid's league leading 52 points, only six have came in the first period of a game... McDavid has already recorded six games of four-or-more points this season... The Oilers captain enters Friday night's contest with a six-game goal scoring streak... The last player to score 50 points as quickly as Connor McDavid has this season (27 games) was Mario Lemieux back in 2002-03... Edmonton is 8-1 in their last nine games when scoring at least three goals...
Minnesota has won the last seven meetings between the two clubs, averaging 5.0 goals per game over that stretch... The Oilers have only won three of their last 20 home games against the Wild... Kirill Kaprizov has scored in each of his last seven games... The Russian winger also comes to Rogers Place with a 13-game point streak... Marc-Andre Fleury is 15-2-1 in his last 18 starts against the Oilers with a .927 save percentage and two shutouts...
Injury Report
OILERS - Oscar Klefbom (shoulder) is on IR; Mike Smith (undisclosed) is on IR; Evander Kane (wrist) is on IR; Ryan McLeod (undisclosed) is on IR; Warren Foegele (undisclosed) is on IR
WILD - Pavel Novak (illness) is on IR; Ryan Hartman (upper-body) is on IR; Brandon Duhaime (upper-body) is on IR; Jonas Brodin (undisclosed) is day-to-day
-- Michael Arcuri, EdmontonOilers.com