Vegas Golden Knights vs Edmonton Oilers: Line combinations, key battles, and more

The tight race for Western Conference supremacy continues tonight with a key matchup between the Edmonton Oilers and the Vegas Golden Knights.

With each team having less than ten games remaining, a victory tonight could go a long way towards not only securing a playoff spot but the Pacific Division crown.

The Vegas Golden Knights are currently the top team in the Western Conference with a 46-21-6 record. Even with a conference-leading 98 points, Vegas is only two points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings and five ahead of the Edmonton Oilers. This brings us to tonight's showdown in Edmonton.

“These Golden Knights are collectively among the best the franchise has ever iced.” @garylawless dives into VGK’s winning ways" - Vegas Golden Knights

A win for the Oilers would cut into the gap between them and the leading Golden Knights, so they will need to bring their best game.

Over the next four games, the Oilers will play the Vegas Golden Knights, the Anaheim Ducks, and the Los Angeles Kings twice. This stretch will certainly determine the outcome of the Oilers' final standings in the Western Conference.

"Scoring is contagious if you play for the @EdmontonOilers. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins joined Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl as the third Oilers skater to hit the 90-point mark this season – a feat not seen in Edmonton in more than 30 years. #NHLStats:" - NHL Public Relations

Predicted lineup for the Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers will likely continue to run with the same lineup they have in recent games, with Connor McDavid anchoring the top line and Leon Draisaitl centering second. Edmonton has seen a run of success by separating their two superstars while surrounding them with talented wingers such as Zach Hyman and Evander Kane.

Left Wing	Center	Right Wing
Evander Kane	Connor McDavid	Kailer Yamamoto
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins	Leon Draisaitl	Zach Hyman
Warren Foegele	Nick Bjugstad	Mattias Janmark
Klim Kostin	Devin Shore	Derek Ryan

On defense, the Oilers will also keep their normal pairings together, with newly acquired Mattias Ekholm on the second unit with Evan Bouchard. They will be tasked with shutting down Golden Knights stars Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault.

Darnell Nurse	Cody Ceci
Mattias Ekholm	Evan Bouchard
Brett Kulak	Vincent Desharnais

"Mattias Ekholm as an @EdmontonOilers 3-6-9/10GP/+15. Has helped Evan Bouchard take a big step forward. Oilers are 8-2-0 with Ekholm in the lineup" - Bob Stauffer

Predicted lineup for the Vegas Golden Knights

Heading into the matchup with the Edmonton Oilers, the Golden Knights will have the near-impossible task of slowing down the most potent offense in the NHL. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are currently one and two in the league for points scored. Here is a look at their projected lineup tonight.

Left Wing	Center	Right Wing
Ivan Barbashev	Jack Eichel	Jonathan Marchessault
Mike Amadio	William Karlsson	Pavel Dorofeyev
Chandler Stephenson	Nicolas Roy	Phil Kessel
Brett Howden	Teddy Blueger	Keegan Kolesar

Here is the defensive unit tasked with slowing down the Edmonton Oilers' offense. It's worth noting that Alec Martinez will be a game-time decision, but his appearance at Monday's practice was an encouraging sign.

Alec Martinez	Alex Pietrangelo
Brayden McNabb	Shea Theodore
Nicolas Hague	Zach Whitecloud

It looks to be a fantastic showdown when these sides meet.