The Edmonton Oilers will look to avoid a third straight loss when they host the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday night to open a brief two-game homestand.
Edmonton (44-28-5, 93 points) entered Tuesday third in the Pacific Division, four points back of the second-place Los Angeles Kings and six points up on the Calgary Flames.
The Oilers return home after picking up just four of a possible eight points on their four-game road trip.
Edmonton dropped a 3-2 decision to the host Anaheim Ducks on Monday night.
“If we’re 3-1 after a road trip like that, we’re very happy. 2-2 after starting 2-0, we’re disappointed,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. “(Monday’s) game, I feel like it was one that we probably should have won.”
Adam Henrique had a goal and an assist, and Jeff Skinner also scored for the Oilers, who are 5-4-1 over their last 10.
Goaltender Olivier Rodrigue, who made his first career start, stopped 18 shots in the loss.
The Oilers were again without top scorers Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid because of lower-body injuries. They were forced to play with 11 forwards and six defensemen because of salary-cap constraints.
Without Draisaitl and McDavid, Zach Hyman is the active goals leader with 27 tallies in 71 games. Defenseman Evan Bouchard has 62 points in 77 contests — third in team scoring — behind McDavid and Draisaitl.
On Tuesday, Edmonton recalled forward Noah Philp from the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors on an emergency basis. Philp has appeared in 12 games with the Oilers this season, recording two assists.
The transaction could mean Corey Perry or Vasily Podkolzin, who missed portions of Monday’s loss in Anaheim due to ailments, could be unavailable Wednesday.
The Oilers will look to sweep the season series with the Blues and hand St. Louis a second consecutive loss after their record 12-game win streak ended Monday in Winnipeg.
St. Louis, which owned the NHL’s longest win streak this season, fell 3-1 to Winnipeg.
The Blues (43-29-7, 93 points) entered Tuesday holding the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference, two points up on the Minnesota Wild, and were five points back of the third-seed Colorado Avalanche in the Central Division.
Pavel Buchnevich scored St. Louis’ lone goal, and Joel Hofer made 23 saves in Monday’s loss.
“They took it to us in the first period, definitely,” Blues captain Brayden Schenn said. “Took time and space away from us, had extended O-zone time, and we just weren’t able to get to a forecheck. Whether that was us maybe forcing a few plays and not putting it to the goal line, and obviously them defending well.
“So like I said, we feel like we didn’t have our best tonight, but at the end of the day they’re a good hockey team and we’re right there till the end.”
Forward Jordan Kyrou paces the Blues with 33 goals and 65 points in 79 games this season. Forward Robert Thomas leads the team in assists (55) and points (76) in 67 games.
Wednesday is the third meeting between the clubs this season. Edmonton doubled up visiting St. Louis 4-2 on Dec. 7 and edged the host Blues 3-2 in overtime on Feb. 4.
–Field Level Media
