Oilers Need To Find Secondary Scoring To Beat Predators

Halloween may be today, but this whole week has been scary for the Oilers.

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Their last game was a disaster, a 6-1 thrashing at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday. Worse yet, they got the news that they'd be without their captain, Connor McDavid, for the next few weeks. Sitting in 7th place in the Pacific Division at the end of the season's first month, this team needs a win.

Luckily, they're entering an arena that's been like a second home to them in recent years in Nashville's Bridgestone Arena. They own a 12-1-2 record in their last fifteen matchups with the Nashville Predators, including a 6-0-2 record on the road in that time.

With McDavid on the shelf, the Oilers will be asking a lot of Leon Draisaitl as he shifts up to the first line. Of course, he's also quite comfortable against the Predators. He has 19 goals and 34 points in 13 games against Nashville since 2019-20, which is simply so ridiculous I don't even know what else to say about it.

This will be the second time the Oilers visit Nashville this season. They came away with a 4-2 win in Music City on October 17th, thanks to a two-goal game from Brett Kulak and a 25-save performance from Calvin Pickard.

Nashville has since rebounded, going 3-1-1 after that loss to the Oilers. Edmonton, meanwhile, is 2-2-1 since then, still searching for the secondary scoring that has eluded them to start the season.

Jeff Skinner hasn't scored since that game in Nashville, while Zach Hyman, Viktor Arvidsson, and Vasily Podkolzin are all looking for their first goals and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is still sitting on one. Without Connor McDavid to rely on, the Oilers aren't going to get anywhere without more production from those five.

Tonight's game could mark a turning point in the Oilers' season. If their secondary scorers can step up in McDavid's absence and pick up some wins in the next couple of weeks, they'll be ready to go on a tear when a fully rested McDavid makes his return to the lineup. If they flounder without their captain, their season could crash and burn before it ever gets off the ground.

The puck drops at Bridgestone Arena at 6:00 PM, Mountain Time.

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