Oilers/Canucks Game Preview; Schroeder Returns

(Getty Images via National Hockey League)

The Canucks are seeking their second straight victory tonight against the Edmonton Oilers.  Vancouver has had great success against the Edmonton this season with a 3-0 record against their Alberta rivals and hope to continue their undefeated streak against the Oilers.  This is the fourth meeting between the two clubs this season, with the fifth and final meeting coming on April 12.

Both teams are coming off wins last night.  The Canucks defeated the Coyotes 5-4 in an overtime thriller.  The Oilers defeated the Predators soundly with a 5-1 victory.  

The Canucks and Oilers are playing for two different things right now.  For the Canucks, they are battling in the tough Western Conference and are trying to catch up to Pacific rivals Los Angeles and San Jose.  For the Oilers, their season has pretty much concluded and they are fighting to spoil the Canucks playoff chances.

Vancouver Canucks: 53 GP: 27-17-9; 63 pts
Edmonton Oilers: 54 GP: 16-32-6; 38 pts

Vancouver is ranked fourth in the Pacific Division and seventh in the Western Conference.  Edmonton is ranked seventh in the Pacific Division and last in the Western Conference.  The Canucks have been mediocre in their last ten games posting a 4-4-2 record, while the Oilers have posted a 3-6-1 record.

Jordan Schroeder Returns

The Canucks will get a much needed boost with the return of centremen Jordan Schroeder.  The 2009 1st Round pick of the Canucks has struggled to find his groove with the team due to injury problems.  With Captain Henrik Sedin still on the shelf with injured ribs, Schroeder should see some top six action to showcase some of his speed and skills.  Schroeder has been out of NHL action since October 19 against Pittsburgh.  He is coming off a two game conditioning stint with Utica where he managed to pick up an assist over the weekend while playing against Abbotsford.

This game can be viewed on Sportsnet Pacific or Sportsnet West at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT.

Here are the projected lineups:

Oilers (the bad guys)

Forwards:
Taylor Hall - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Jordan Eberle
Nail Yakupov - Sam Gagner - David Perron
Matt Hendricks - Boyd Gordan - Ryan Jones
Jesse Joensuu - Ryan Smyth - Luke Gazdic

Defensemen:
Jeff Petry - Justin Schultz
Nick Schultz - Martin Marincin
Corey Potter - Anton Belov

Goaltenders:
Ilya Bryzgalov (starter)
Ben Scrivens

Canucks (the good guys)

Forwards:
Daniel Sedin - Zac Dalpe - Alex Burrows
Chris Higgins - Ryan Kesler - Jannik Hansen
Jordan Schroeder - Brad Richardson - Zack Kassian
Tom Sestito - Kellan Lain - Yannick Weber

Defensemen:
Alex Edler - Kevin Bieksa
Dan Hamhuis - Chris Tanev
Jason Garrison - Ryan Stanton

Goaltenders:
Roberto Luongo (starter)
Eddie Lack

Things to watch for - Oilers:

Taylor Hall - he is hot right now.  Hall has racked up 11 points in his last 10 games.  The Oilers #1 overall pick from 2010 has 50 points in 47 games this season.  The Calgary native is a handful and arguably the Oilers best pure shooter.

Ryan Smyth - the veteran on the young Oilers team.  Drafted by the Oilers in 1994, he is still getting it done at the young age of 37.  Smyth has always been a thorn in the Canucks side with his grittiness around the net.

Things to watch for - Canucks:

Jordan Schroeder - is he as advertised?  Can he become a top six forward at the NHL level?  He is small in physical size, but has a huge heart and drive toward the net.  Canucks fans can only hope he regains his form at the top level and becomes a much needed scorer and contributor.

Kevin Bieksa - the hero from last night's contest against Phoenix.  He had two goals on the evening and was rewarded the Haida Hat for his efforts.  The Canucks anchor on the blueline has been as steady as they come and is not hesitant to try to create some "O" from the "D".

Prediction:
3-1 Canucks (Schroeder GWG)

Until next time, stay classy! -George