The Edmonton Oilers will host the Pittsburgh Penguins at 9 p.m. ET on Friday, October 25. Ahead of the Oilers game tonight, here's what their projected lines are expected to look like.
Predicted Oilers lineup vs. Hurricanes
Forwards
- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Connor McDavid - Zach Hyman
- Vasily Podkolzin - Leon Draisaitl - Viktor Arvidsson
- Jeff Skinner - Adam Henrique - Connor Brown
- Mattias Janmark - Derek Ryan - Corey Perry
The Oilers are coming off a 3-2 OT loss to Carolina, despite Edmonton leading 2-0 going into the third period.
"Any time you fall short when you're winning, it's frustrating," Coach Kris Knoblauch said about the loss, via NHL.com. "But it's the NHL. You need to have a short memory. You can't hold onto something for too long, whether it's a really good game or a really bad game. We've got to be able to put it behind us and be ready for the next one."
Defensemen
- Mattias Ekholm - Evan Bouchard
- Darnell Nurse - Troy Stecher
- Brett Kulak - Ty Emberson
The Oilers' blue line has been an issue all season, but they are starting to find chemistry with one another.
Goalies
- Stuart Skinner
- Calvin Pickard
Skinner is expected to start after coming off a stellar game against the Hurricanes.
"I think he played unbelievable," Mattias Ekholm said about Skinner. "And I told him after game that if he can play close to that, we're going to have a lot of wins coming our way. But I really enjoyed the way he played tonight. He looked calm and composed and he made the saves that we needed."
This season, Skinner is 1-3-1 with a 3.74 GAA and a .876 SV%.
Oilers vs Penguins preview
Edmonton is a -218 favorite, while the over/under is set at 6.5 goals.
Skinner's play has helped the Oilers improve after a slow start to the season. Meanwhile, the Penguins have failed to keep pucks out of their net, and Edmonton is in a great spot to win big at home.
Prediction: Oilers 5, Penguins 2.