Oilers, Ducks square off in key division matchup (Mar 22, 2017)
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Anaheim Ducks and the Edmonton Oilers will try to sabotage each other's quest for the best playoff position possible when they meet Wednesday night at the Honda Center.
Both teams have 87 points and share second place in the Pacific Division -- and fourth place in the Western Conference -- with 10 games remaining. Both teams also need to repel the hard-charging Calgary Flames, who trail by one point, while trying to overtake the division-leading San Jose Sharks, who are in front by four points.
"Our whole division is winning," Oilers center Connor McDavid told the Edmonton Journal. "It makes the games fun. It makes every play matter."
The Oilers will take a four-game winning streak into Wednesday night's matchup, with McDavid bringing NHL highs of 82 points and 57 assists.
"We have to treat it like a playoff game," Anaheim left winger Rickard Rakell told NHL.com. "Most of the games we have left are divisional games, and we not only want to make our team ready for the next step, but we also want to make a statement to the other teams we're playing."
That statement will involve goaltending, as two of the NHL's hottest goalies face each other. Anaheim's Jonathan Bernier, who will play his 11th consecutive game for the injured John Gibson, has compiled a 7-2-1 record with a 1.78 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage in that span.
Bernier's performance has been pivotal to a team ranked 20th in total goals and 21st in goals per game.
"The way hockey is being played now, sometimes one goal is all you need," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle told the Orange County Register. "I expect all the games to be like that down the stretch."
Edmonton will counter with Cam Talbot, who posted his 37th win and his seventh shutout Tuesday night. The former backup to the New York Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist needs one more shutout and three more victories to tie the Oilers' season records in both categories.
Talbot also will make his 11th successive start, as well as his 23rd appearance in the past 24 games and his league-leading 66th this season.
"He's in tremendous shape and he's an efficient goaltender," Edmonton coach Todd McLellan told the Journal. "He's not all over the place. Between whistles, he's not having a seance. He's resting and relaxed and he's trained for it."
Most important, Talbot earned his teammates' profound respect.
"This group plays for 'Talbs,' not with him," McLellan told the Journal, "and that's a huge thing for goaltending."
Talbot's success provides the professional foundation he was seeking when the Rangers traded him to Edmonton in June 2015.
"You want to be confident in yourself," Talbot told the Journal. "But I still had something to prove to myself and to this organization when I got traded here. I think I've done a pretty good job of that."
Ducks left winger Andrew Cogliano could take over fourth place on the NHL's list of consecutive games played if he makes an appearance Wednesday night. Cogliano and Craig Ramsey each played 776 successive games. Doug Jarvis holds the record with 964.
