Pre-Game: Game #37 Oilers vs. Islanders

Rare morning game. I don't mind them but by the time I get revved up for the game, the game is usually over by then. I'm sure the players feel the same way. The Oilers face the Islanders today, a game that much like game against Minnesota on Thursday night, is a very winnable game. This game features two teams that have very young but very skilled forwards. Should be like watching a mirror image of each other. The Oilers have done a good job lately of keeping scores close, but without results, close really doesn't count for much. Andy Sutton returns to the lineup today after serving an 8 game suspension. His return likely means Teubert will be out of the lineup. Sutton adds another crazy bullet to chamber that has been missing since he left the lineup. His experience will help this young D corps as well. Theo Peckham seems to play better when Andy Sutton is in the lineup. The Islanders come into this game losers of 3 out of their last 4 but did beat Calgary 3-1 on Thursday night. The Islanders much like the Oilers seem to be sailing adrift while trying to figure out what to do with their roster. Both teams are going to have to make some ballsy cuts to their teams in order for it to move forwards. Tough days for both of these teams.

Forwards Oilers
- I still like the combo of Hall, RNH and Eberle over Tavares et al.
Defense Oilers
- Contraire to belief, Andy Sutton's presence helps this defense.
Goaltending Oilers
- The Oilers will likely play Dubnyk today, but he is still better than anything the Islanders put out there.
Special Teams Oilers
- Still top 10 in both PK and PP.
Coaching Oilers
- I'll take Tom Renney over Jack Capuano. Both coaches are hooped with personnel problems...aka shabby GMing.
Intangibles Islanders
- The Oilers could be sleepy in this one.

Oilers: (my version)
Hall-NugentHopkins-Eberle
Gagner-Lander-Hemsky
Smyth-Horcoff-Jones
Eager-Belanger-Hordichuk

Smid-Gilbert
Peckham-Potter
Sutton-Petry

Dubnyk
Khabibulin

Islanders:
Moulson-Tavares-Okposo
Grabner-Bailey-Niederreiter
Rolston-Nielsen-Parenteau
Martin-Reasoner-Wallace

Streit-Jurcina
MacDonald-Hamonic
Eaton-Mottau

Nabokov
Nilsson

Game Time - 11 AM MT @ Long Island on Sprtsnet West.