Game #73 Preview
Mike Sciarpelletti ♦
Predator and Prey
There haven’t been too many positives to draw on in the recent Oiler outings, including the most recent which saw them fall to what was supposed to be an inept Colorado Avalanche team.
Even with the injuries working against them, the Oil need to come out to win and have not been able to do so even against teams languishing with them in the Western Conference basement.
Nashville, meanwhile, had every excuse to give up after their season veered off of the tracks and out of playoff contention. Barry Trotz deserves high praise for once again getting the most he can out of his team. He is certainly a perennial Jack Adams candidate and is easily the most underrated coach in the National Hockey League.
The Preds have had a schedule that has seen them play against most of their competition for the final playoff spots, and they have been incredibly successful. They seem to have lost their primary scoring but with rookies like fourth-generation NHLer Blake Gefforion picking up the slack the Preds have found a way.
Meanwhile the Oilers have only won once since Taylor Hall went down and are seemingly stringing out the remainder of the season. If anything, these young prospects that are up from OKC should be taking notes on what it takes to win from the Preds.
There really isn’t much else to say, the Oilers seem doomed to fail in this one, but as always I must predict an Oil victory. I am obliged.
Oilverse Prediction
It would take stellar goaltending to make it happen, and the tune of 2-1 is the only way it could go in their favour.
