Pre-Game: Game #10 Oilers vs. Avalanche

First place in the division is on the line tonight. Both teams sitting at 12 points in 9 games. It will be a tough road game for the Oilers, as they played last night here in Edmonton, then had to make the long flight to Colorado, probably won't get much sleep tonight. I'm guessing that Dubnyk will get the start tonight as Khabibulin, while he has been stellar, is still 38 years old and is going to need games off especially in back to backs. This has been the game Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has been waiting for. Game #10, the game that declares him as an Oiler for the rest of the year with no chance of going back to Red Deer. I'm sure this story has been inevitable for awhile, but he is a game breaker already and I'm looking for him to continue to do so. Colorado is coming off a 4-2 loss in Calgary on Wednesday night so it will be tough to say how they will come out in this game. Much like the Oilers, the Avalanche have some young players that they rely on for offense. Should be an interesting battle with some youthful puck skill on display.

Forwards Oilers
- The Oilers kid line is running hot and checking line is checking everyone into the ice.
Defense Oilers
- The Oilers defense has done wonders blocking shots. Corey Potter has been a godsend on the powerplay.
Goalies Oilers
- Both teams have had a good streak of good goaltending. It's coin flip but the Oilers have slightly better numbers.
Special Teams Avalanche
- The Avalanche come into this game with the best power play in the league. The Oilers PK has also been very good, should be a good battle.
Coaching Oilers
- The Oilers seem to have settled into roles really well. The Avalanche have Duchene all over the lineup, should be interesting to see how they play him tomorrow.
Intangibles Avalanche
- Tough back to back for Oilers. This is where the team structure will really be tested by the young legs of the Avalanche.

Oilers:
Hall-NugentHopkins-Eberle
Paajarvi-Belanger-Gagner
Smyth-Horcoff-Jones
Eager-Lander-Petrell

Smid-Gilbert
Peckham-Potter
Sutton-Barker

Dubnyk
Khabibulin

Avalanche:
Landeskog-Stastny-Hejduk
Jones-O'Reilly-Winnik
Mueller-Duchene-Kobasew
Lindstrom-McClement-Galiardi

Johnson-Hejda
Quincey-O'Brien
Wilson-O'Byrne

Varlamov
Giguere

Game Time: 7 PM MT @ Colorado on Sportsnet Oilers.