The Edmonton Oilers will be trying to snap a long drought when they host the Anaheim Ducks Thursday night at Rogers Place.
READ MORE: Edmonton Oilers try to fix abysmal penalty kill in a season gone awry
The Oilers have been shut out two games in a row and have gone 121:45 without scoring.
Edmonton lost 5-0 to Winnipeg on New Year’s Eve and then 5-0 again to L.A. on Tuesday.
READ MORE: Winnipeg Jets crush Edmonton Oilers on New Year’s Eve
“We had a bunch of chances last game. Obviously, the Winnipeg game was a bit of a wash,” captain Connor McDavid said.
“We just have to bear down, ultimately. We’re playing a good Anaheim team that plays solid defensively.”
READ MORE: Edmonton Oilers still trying to bring penalty kill to life
The game against the Ducks marks the halfway point of the Oilers season.
Despite having a lot of games still to come, their playoff hopes are on life support. They’re win-less in four and trail Anaheim by nine points for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
READ MORE: Peter Chiarelli sees Edmonton Oilers early season struggles as ‘death by a thousand cuts’
“Every night you’re hoping that’s the game that turns it around,” centre Leon Draisaitl said.
It’s the first meeting between the Oilers and Ducks since their second-round playoff series last season. The Ducks won in seven games.
READ MORE: Edmonton Oilers force Game 7 after devastating the Ducks in 7-1 win
With Patrick Maroon suspended for two games, Anton Slepyshev will come into the lineup. On defence, it’s expected that Matthew Benning will replace Brandon Davidson.
Catch the Oilers and Ducks on 630 CHED with the Face-off Show at 5:30 p.m. The game starts at 7 p.m.
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