The Edmonton Oilers will put their franchise-best 13-game winning streak on the line when they play host to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.
Edmonton defeated the provincial rival Calgary Flames 3-1 on Saturday night to record the longest winning streak by a Canadian team in NHL history, surpassing the 1967-68 Montreal Canadiens’ 12-game winning streak.
“When you’re in the moment, you just go out there and play, but I’m sure it’ll be something cool to look back on (how) we now hold this streak for a Canadian team,” Oilers forward Zach Hyman said. “We want to keep winning, so we’ll see where it goes.”
Tuesday marks the beginning of a three-game, pre-All-Star break homestand for the Oilers. Edmonton, third in the Pacific Division, is 13-6-1 on home ice this season.
Oilers captain Connor McDavid has a team-leading 43 assists and 59 points in 40 games this season. Hyman leads Edmonton with 28 goals in 41 games and has three tallies over his past five contests. Forward Leon Draisaitl has four assists and three goals in his past five games.
Goaltender Stuart Skinner, who has won 10 straight games to tie Grant Fuhr for the longest winning streak in franchise history, has allowed two goals or fewer in nine consecutive starts. Skinner is 21-9-1 with a 2.53 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage this season.
On Monday, the Oilers signed veteran free-agent forward Corey Perry to a one-year, $775,000 contract.
Perry was placed on unconditional waivers on Nov. 28, and the Blackhawks terminated his contract. Chicago said in a statement that an internal investigation revealed Perry violated the team’s policies.
The 38-year-old had four goals and five assists in 16 games with the Blackhawks before being released.
Columbus opens a five-game road trip in Edmonton on Tuesday. The Blue Jackets are 5-9-5 on the road this season and sit eighth in the Metropolitan Division.
The Blue Jackets are 3-4-3 over their past 10 games and have just one win — a 4-3 shootout victory over the Vancouver Canucks — in their past five outings.
Columbus has not played since Friday, when it dropped a 4-1 decision to the New Jersey Devils. The Blue Jackets led 1-0 after 20 minutes but surrendered four second-period goals in the loss.
Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner returned to the lineup after missing 15 games with a fractured jaw.
“It’s good to get back. I thought I was a little rusty,” Jenner said. “I want to bring a little bit more personally to my game. Good to build off it. It felt good to be back out there.”
Forward Johnny Gaudreau leads all Blue Jackets with 29 points in 45 games this season and has four helpers over his past three games. Right winger Kirill Marchenko has a team-leading 14 goals in 43 games.
Center Cole Sillinger has four goals in his past five outings. Sillinger has scored seven of his eight goals this season in the past 13 games.
Goaltender Elvis Merzlikins is 8-9-6 with a 3.26 GAA and a .905 save percentage this season.
On Sunday, the Blue Jackets recalled defenseman David Jiricek from the American Hockey League’s Cleveland Monsters. The 20-year-old has one goal and eight assists in 36 games with the Blue Jackets this season.
Tuesday marks the first of two meetings between the clubs. Edmonton visits Columbus on March 7 to conclude the season series.
–Field Level Media
