The Edmonton Oilers head to Seattle for an important Pacific Division matchup against the Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena.
You can watch the game on Sportsnet West or listen live on the Oilers Radio Network, including 630 CHED.
Subscribe to Oilers+ to unlock the Pre-Game Show that will begin at 1:30 p.m. MT, along with more exclusive live and behind-the-scenes content.

YOUR GAME-DAY ESSENTIALS

GAME DAY VIDEO
OILERS TODAY | Pre-Game vs. MIN
COMING SOON: PRE-GAME RAW | Coach Woodcroft
RECENT VIDEOS
RAW | Coach Jay Woodcroft
RAW | Vincent Desharnais
RAW | Zach Hyman
RAW | Devin Shore
BY THE NUMBERS
Oilers Statistics
Kraken Statistics
Stats Comparison
Game Notes
RECENT BLOGS & ARTICLES
GAME RECAP: Oilers 4, Stars 1
BLOG: Recharge for the Stars
BLOG: Leon's legend grows
VIEWING INFORMATION
You can watch Saturday's game on Sportsnet West at 2:00 p.m. MT.

INSIDE THE OILERS

News and notes from Oilers practice at Rogers Place on Friday.
>> READ MORE IN THE INSIDE THE OILERS BLOG

PRE-GAME REPORT

SEATTLE, WA - The Oilers and their closest rivals in the Western Conference standings will do battle when Edmonton heads to Seattle for a midday matchup against the Kraken.
The two Pacific Division powerhouses sit third and fourth respectively, with a single point separating the Oilers and Kraken. The two highest-scoring teams in the Conference (by goals per game) have already gone head-to-head three times this season, with the Oilers leading the season series by a 2-1 margin. It's hard not to expect a high-scoring affair, with the winner in every matchup scoring at least five goals.
Although Seattle is only in their second season of existence, they've accumulated a nice collection of talent that has allowed them to surprise in the Western Conference playoff race.
"I think they have balance up front, so four lines that can score, similar to our team. I think their back end has been pretty much the same the entire season, so there's a chemistry between their partners in the way they're put together," Head coach Jay Woodcroft said while assessing his competition on Friday's media conference. "I think their record is not a fluke. It's the result of, I think, a real cohesion in the way they want to play the game. I think they can score, and they're going to be a tough opponent for us tomorrow afternoon."
The Oilers are in a race to Game 83, with only 13 more games left on their schedule to firm up their position in the Western Conference Playoff picture. They currently are tied for the lead in the West with Los Angeles and Seattle with 38 regulation or overtime wins (ROW) and are far-and-away the best team in the conference in regulation wins (36 to second-place Vegas's 31).
Despite the Oilers supremacy for winning in regulation, their 2-8 record after 60 minutes has them keeping an eye on the standings to see how much ground there is to gain before the playoffs begin.
"We're all looking at seeing what other teams are doing, but that never overtakes what we're focused on doing in here," Devin Shore said about scoreboard watching. "That stuff is out of our control. It's good to peek and just kind of see what's going on, kind of like a golf leaderboard you want to kind of see what everyone else is doing, but the real focus is right here and what we have to do."

DEPTH CHARGES

With all the talk centred around the Oilers league leading scorers in Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Zach Hyman; the Oilers so called 'role' players have been stepping up all season for the Blue & Orange.
The Oilers have nine different forwards with at least double-digit goals this season, with Mattias Janmark and Kailer Yamamoto flirting with the mark at just two away each. For the Oilers head coach, the goals are nice, but they don't show the full picture of how the team's depth has been contributing.
"I think it comes down to the work to keep plays alive. They win a lot of loose puck races. They also try and play towards a structure on offence that we try and preach. Not one on the outside where you're kind of circling around the periphery, but a mindset to shoot to break other teams down and then win the rebound race," Woodcroft said. "It's not always about the goal that goes in, sometimes it's about creating momentum for your team. Sometimes it's about making another team defend."
The Oilers depth has grown throughout the season, partially due to some shrewd roster moves like the additions of Klim Kostin and Mattias Janmark, but also the continued growth of Ryan McLeod. Woodcroft only has 12, and on a lot of nights only 11, forward slots up for grabs, so the competition to get in the lineup is a vigorous one. The rising tide has veterans in Warren Foegele and Derek Ryan just a handful of goals away from their career highs, while McLeod and Kostin have already surpassed their previous bests on offence.
"I think it's a combination of all that, and in the end we're fortunate because we have a lot of double-digit scorers and that makes us a tough opponent," Woodcroft said about competition building depth. "Sure, you might want to key on just a few people, but we have other people that can take care of the offensive side of things as well."
In the case of Devin Shore, who has six points (1G, 5A) in his last 12 contests, he has embraced his selfless role on a team with goals of grander designs. The 28-year-old realizes he isn't expected to be the back-to-back 30-point player he was in Dallas, but his game still fits what Coach Woodcroft needs for the Oilers to continue to have success.
"I think even if you're a role player, everyone's really unique in their own game. If I'm a role player, and he's a role player, it doesn't mean we're all like guys buzzing around, trying to hit everything. Some guys are role players who can score. Some guys are role players who kill penalties, or some guys are role players who don't get scored on. It doesn't change the fact that you still are an individual player," Shore said. "You just have to keep doing what got you here. People label you as a role player, but you're here for a reason."

The Oilers depth isn't just present in the forward department. Rookie defender Vincent Desharnais has earned enough trust of his coaching staff, that the team felt comfortable dealing fellow right-shot defender Tyson Barrie in the deal that brought the left sided Mattias Ekholm to Edmonton.
The towering blue liner plays a no-frills style of game. He keeps plays simple and defends well in his own end, sporting a plus-9 rating in his first 24 games in the NHL. His size and his game are able to translate across all levels, which has helped hastened the process of becoming another valuable depth piece on a loaded Oilers roster.
"I don't think I've changed anything in my routine or the way I see games. I think they see it the same way, but obviously I think I feel more and more comfortable on the ice," Desharnais said about his adjustment. "I think I have a little bit more poise with the puck. I like to make better plays, more plays, rather than just throw it everywhere."
"I see a lot of the same characteristics I saw in Bakersfield," Woodcroft said when asked about his rookie defender. "I see someone who's confident. He's not a 20-year-old rookie, he's been a pro for a while. He's gotten better each step along the way. Where I see growth in him and is just his comfort level of being in the NHL, of handling the rigours of such a tough schedule. He's acquitted himself very nicely, but I've seen that at different levels as well."
-- Michael Arcuri, EdmontonOilers.com

PREVIEW

OILERS vs. KRAKEN
STREAM: 2:00 p.m. MT; televised on Sportsnet West
Oilers Team Scope
Edmonton heads to Seattle fresh off a successful two-game home stand where they picked up decisive victories over the Ottawa Senators and the Dallas Stars.
Their most recent outing at Rogers Place saw them pick up a 4-1 win on Thursday night over the Stars.
Edmonton was led to victory by a strong team effort, with Mattias Janmark's two-goal performance against his former team being the difference in the evening. The 30-year-old can almost be pencilled for a goal any time he is playing one of his previous clubs, with six of his eight goals coming against teams whose sweater he used to wear.

Connor McDavid continued to pile on the points in a historic season, scoring a goal and adding an assist on Janmark's first goal of the game to give the Captain 131 points on the year. McDavid's phenomenal campaign is the most points ever in the salary cap era and the first time a player has eclipsed the 130-point plateau since Mario Lemieux in 1995-96.
Warren Foegele scored the Oilers other goal on the night, opening the scoring in the first period with a quick knee-drop finish at the right of Jake Oettinger for his 12th goal of the season.
Stuart Skinner picked up his 21st victory of the season in his fifth consecutive start for the Oilers. The 24-year-old turned away 25 Stars shots in the game, to push his save percentage to .912 on the year. Skinner is likely to get the nod again on Saturday for Edmonton after patrolling the starters crease in practice on Friday.
"I mean, everyone loves to get as many starts as they can. Obviously being able to get into a rhythm I think is massive, just kind of feeling the flow of the game," Skinner said after defeating the Stars. "You're always kind of ready every single game you go into. You have a good routine, you get into a rhythm, and that's a good spot to be at."
Kraken Team Scope
Seattle are fresh off a 2-1 overtime win over the San Jose Sharks on Thursday that helped them maintain pace with the surging Edmonton Oilers.
The game was locked in a scoreless draw until the third period where Sharks forward William Eklund opened the scoring with his second goal of the season. The visitors from San Jose's lead would be short lived however, with William Bjorkstrand burying his 15th goal of the season less than six minutes later.
Both squads ended up netting a point in the contest after the first 60-minutes required overtime. The red hot Vince Dunn clinched the contest for Seattle, crossing the blueline in the 3-on-3 seassion and firing a wrister between the wickets of James Reimer for the winner. The goal was Dunn's 13th of the season and extended his point streak to 11 games -- which is the longest active point streak in the NHL.
Philip Grubauer picked up the start for the Kraken, turning away 31 of 32 shots for his 13th victory of the season.
"We knew it was going to be that kind of game that we'd have to push it through 60 minutes," Kraken Head Coach Dave Hakstol said. "We did wobble a little bit when we gave up the first goal, but the next 6-7 minutes 'Grubi' was really good for us. He just stabilized us, took care of things, and settled things down until we were able to get the equalizer."

By The Numbers
The Oilers have the highest percentage of goals scored in the second period, with 40.3 per cent of their tallies coming in the middle frame… Seattle is fifth in the same category, with 38.6 per cent of their goals coming in the second stanza… Edmonton and Seattle are number one and two in the NHL when it comes to shooting percent at 11.7 and 11. 5 per cent respectively… The Kraken have been a monster at 5-on-5, leading the entire league in even-strength goals with 193…
In the Oilers last 27 games, they lead the NHL in goals per game with 4.48… Edmonton also has the best power-play percentage at 32.5 percent and is second in goal differential at plus-36 over that time… McDavid and Draisaitl are creeping closer to 300 career goals, with Connor needing four to reach that milestone and Leon only needing two more tallies… Draisaitl's next power-play goal will set the salary cap era record for most in a season, eclipsing the 27 PPGs that Ilya Kovalchuk scored for the Atlanta Thrashers in 2005-06…. McDavid's 60 power-play points in one point behind Sidney Crosby's salary cap record of 61 in a season, set back in 2006-07…
McDavid and Draisaitl are currently on pace to become only the 13th set of teammates to record 120 points in the same season… Mattias Ekholm has a goals for percentage of 85.71 per cent at 5-on-5 since joining the Oilers… The feisty Swede also leads the NHL in that category since joining the Blue & Orange, with defence partner Evan Bouchard sitting fifth over the same stretch at 73.33 per cent 5-on-5 goals for… Stuart Skinner is seven wins away from breaking Grant Fuhr's record for wins by an Oilers rookie goaltender… The Kraken lead the NHL in double-digit goal scorers with 13 on the year…
Injury Report
OILERS - Oscar Klefbom (shoulder) is on IR; Mike Smith (undisclosed) is on IR;
Ryan Murray 
(undisclosed) is on IR; Ryan McLeod (undisclosed) is day-to-day; Zach Hyman (undisclosed) is day-to-day.
KRAKEN - Joonas Donskoi (upper body) is on IR.
-- Michael Arcuri, EdmontonOilers.com