Pre-Game: Game #33 Oilers vs. Red Wings

The Oilers stumble into Game #33 and almost into the Xmas break, dropping their latest game on Saturday night, 3-2 to the Sharks. One really feels that air really letting out of the Oilers season now and the search for 2012 top draft picks starts to become more frequent as the Oilers plummet down the standings. Everyone starts to throw their hands up in the air wondering what the answers are. I have covered it all here and the answers were unearthed in October when the Oilers started off hot. If they ever went back to that style, perhaps the Oilers would find some wins again. But instead, it seems that getting premium return for players such as Ales Hemsky and Sam Gagner are more important than winning games. So, onward the Oilers trek, facing another stiff test in the battle laden crew of the Detroit Red Wings. Detroit comes into this game winners of 4 of 5, beating the LA Kings 8-2 on Saturday night.

Forwards Red Wings
- The Oilers lack a Johan Franzen and about 10 years of playing experience.
Datsyuk and Zetterberg are pretty good too.
Defense Red Wings
- Niklas Lidstrom. That is all.
Goaltending Red Wings
- As hot as Khabibulin was to start the year, Jimmy Howard owns the 3rd best GAA in the NHL.
Special Teams Oilers
- The Red Wings PK is ranked 20th, perhaps the Oilers can make some inroads here.
Coaching Red Wings
- Mike Babcock runs a tight ship. The Oilers staff and management are in disarray.
Intangibles Red Wings
- If the Red Wings score early, the boo birds could be all over the Oilers. Deservedly so.

Oilers:
Hall-NugentHopkins-Eberle
Smyth-Gagner-Hemsky
Belanger-Horcoff-Jones
Eager-Lander-Hordichuk

Smid-Gilbert
Whitney-Petry
Peckham-Potter

Khabibulin
Dubnyk

Red Wings:
Franzen-Datsyuk-Bertuzzi
Filppula-Zetterberg-Hudler
Cleary-Helm-Miller
Emmerton-Abdelkader-Holmstrom

Lidstrom-White
Kronwall-Stuart
Ericsson-Kindl

Howard
Conklin

Game Time: 7:30 PM MT @ Rexall Place on Sportsnet West.