Two teams fighting a playoff spot meet Monday night at Rogers Place when the Edmonton Oilers host the Buffalo Sabres.
The Oilers are 3-9 in their last 12 and are two points out of a playoff spot in the West. Buffalo is 6-10-1 in its last 17 games and is one point out in the East.
“If we allow them to play on the move, they’re going to hurt us big time,” said Oilers head coach Ken Hitchcock.
“Our game is more of a deeper game. We have to control the game in the offensive game. If we allow them to get on the move, they’re very dynamic.”
Defenceman Brandon Manning will return to the Oilers lineup after being scratched for the last four games.
“It’s kind of something I’ve dealt with my whole career. Even in Philly, I was in and out. Things didn’t work out quite the way I wanted in Chicago,” said Manning, who has played three games for Edmonton since being acquired from Chicago.
“Less is more. His game is straight ahead, simple, positionally strong,” Hitchcock said of Manning.
Watch below: The Edmonton Oilers host the Buffalo Sabres at Rogers Place Monday night. After a great stretch, the Oilers are now stumbling. Quinn Phillips has a preview.
The Oilers expected lineup is:
Draisaitl – McDavid – Rattie
Lucic – Nugent-Hopkins – Chiasson
Rieder – Khaira – Kassian
Spooner – Brodziak – Puljujarvi
Nurse – Russell
Jones – Larsson
Manning – Benning
Koskinen
Catch the Oilers and Sabres on 630 CHED with the Face-off Show at 5:30 p.m. The game starts at 7 p.m.