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.
