This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
Around the League
In the only game on Thanksgiving Day, the Oilers peppered Pekka Rinne with 37 shots but scored on none of them, losing 1-0 in overtime to extend their losing streak to eight games. With the win, the Predators now sit atop the Central Division with a two-point lead over the Blues while the Oilers, even with the point, continue to lag behind the rest of the Western Conference and sit six points behind the next team. Somewhere, Sabres GM Tim Murray is seething as the Oilers join in on the race for Connor McDavid.
If you haven't noticed already, the Oilers are already pressing the panic button. No, wait; they're MASHING the panic button. In an era in which coaches are easier to change than players, just a few days earlier the Oilers let goaltending coach Frederic Chabot go, but let's be honest, unless Vladislav Tretiak gives either Viktor Fasth or Ben Scrivens a blood transfusion neither of the Oilers' options at the moment are NHL-caliber starters.
Then come the rumors that David Perron, who had one of his best seasons last year with 28 goals, is being dangled for a center, and of course, only the Oilers are crazy enough to think that they can land a No. 1 center for a winger with a history of concussions. Then came rumors that the player being talked about for a swap was Artem Anisimov, a 26-year-old center who's scored more than 40 points just once in his five-year NHL career. That potential trade was quickly shot down, however, but probably because everyone started to snicker about how much that move didn't make sense for either team. For the Oilers, Anisimov isn't the answer, and the team needed a major shakeup, not a minor swap of second-line players. For the BJ's, a team already decimated by injury and thin down the middle, they just couldn't afford to give away a center.
The Oilers also scratched prized prospect Justin Schultz against the Preds, probably furthering destroying what little confidence he already had. It's been said so many times, but do you think Schultz really regrets signing with the Oilers? He was promised lots of ice time, and he certainly got it, but both he and the team underestimated how tough it was to play defense at the NHL level. They've got a special player in Oscar Klefbom, but if they think Darnell Nurse – as good as he is – can step in and be a huge difference maker next year, they're in for yet another rough ride.
So how do you fix the Oilers? Well, I have a few ideas, but I doubt Kevin Lowe or Craig MacTavish would really listen because I'm pretty sure they still like their jobs. What's going on with the once-proud franchise has become more than just a comedy of errors. It's an absolute train wreck. There's nothing wrong with the players they've selected – it's how these players have been developed and then signed to big contracts before they've proven anything. It's like the Oilers are handing their kids the keys to the prized Ferrari before they even learn how to drive stick.
On the bright side, Connor McDavid is a legitimate No. 1 center, so there's always that to look forward to. Somewhere, Sabres GM Tim Murray is seething as another team joins the race.
A big slate of games on Friday, so here's the quick and dirty:
Projected Goalie Starters (all times Eastern)
For updates on the projected goalies later in the day, check our Projected Goalies Grid
New York Rangers (Cam Talbot*) at Philadelphia Flyers (Steve Mason), 1:00 PM
Chicago Blackhawks (Corey Crawford) at Anaheim Ducks (Frederik Andersen), 4:00 PM
New York Islanders (Jaroslav Halak) at Washington Capitals (Braden Holtby), 5:00 PM
Winnipeg Jets (Ondrej Pavelec) at Boston Bruins (Tuukka Rask), 7:00 PM
Montreal Canadiens (Carey Price*) at Buffalo Sabres (Jhonas Enroth), 7:00 PM
Detroit Red Wings (Jimmy Howard) at New Jersey Devils (Cory Schneider), 7:00 PM
Carolina Hurricanes (Cam Ward) at Pittsburgh Penguins (Marc-Andre Fleury), 7:00 PM
Vancouver Canucks (Ryan Miller) at Columbus Blue Jackets (Sergei Bobrovsky), 7:00 PM
Ottawa Senators (Craig Anderson*) at Florida Panthers (Al Montoya*), 7:30 PM
Edmonton Oilers (Ben Scrivens) at St. Louis Blues (Jake Allen), 8:00 PM
Minnesota Wild (Darcy Kuemper) at Dallas Stars (Kari Lehtonen), 8:30 PM
Injury News For Teams Playing Friday
New York Rangers
Ryan McDonagh, D (shoulder) – game-time decision; probable.
Philadelphia Flyers
Chris VandeVelde, C (lower body) – will not play.
Kimmo Timonen, D (blood clots) – likely out for the season.
Ryan White, RW (chest) – out 1-2 months.
Chicago Blackhawks
Patrick Sharp, LW (leg) – expected to return Dec. 3.
Trevor van Riemsdyk, D (kneecap) – no timetable for return.
Anaheim Ducks
Mark Fistric, D (back) – no return date set.
Ben Lovejoy, D (finger) – out 6-8 weeks.
John Gibson, G (groin) – no timetable for return.
Stefan Noesen, RW (Achilles) – out four months.
Sheldon Souray, D (wrist) – out for the season.
Francois Beauchemin, D (upper body) – game-time decision; questionable.
Dany Heatley, LW (groin) – no return date set.
New York Islanders
Eric Boulton, LW (lower body) – no timetable for return.
Matt Carkner, D (back) – out for the season.
Michael Grabner, RW (hernia) – no return date set.
Washington Capitals
Dmitry Orlov, D (wrist) – no return date set.
Aaron Volpatti, LW (neck) – no return date set.
Brooks Laich, C (shoulder) – did not play Wednesday; doubtful.
Mike Green, D (upper body) – did not play Wednesday; questionable.
John Erskine, D (neck) – no timetable for return.
Winnipeg Jets
Adam Lowry, LW (suspension) – will not play.
Tobias Enstrom, D (lower body) – did not play Wednesday; doubtful.
Mathieu Perreault, C (upper body) – game-time decision; questionable.
Boston Bruins
David Warsofsky, D (groin) – skated Thursday; questionable.
Zdeno Chara, D (knee) – out 2-3 weeks.
Chris Kelly, C (undisclosed) – skated Wednesday; questionable.
David Krejci, C (groin) – will not play.
Adam McQuaid, D (thumb) – no timetable for return.
Montreal Canadiens
Michael Bournival, C (shoulder) – game-time decision; doubtful.
Buffalo Sabres
Cody McCormick, C (concussion) – game-time decision; questionable.
Josh Gorges, D (knee) – game-time decision; questionable.
Michal Neuvirth, G (lower body) – expected to dress but not start.
Tyler Myers, D (undisclosed) – doubtful.
Detroit Red Wings
Brendan Smith, D (hand) – no return date set.
Jonas Gustavsson, G (shoulder) – out two months.
New Jersey Devils
Jon Merrill, D (arm) – no return date set.
Bryce Salvador, D (lower body) – no timetable for return.
Ryane Clowe, LW (concussion) – no timetable for return.
Carolina Hurricanes
Jordan Staal, C (leg) – no return date set.
Brett Bellemore, D (lower body) – will not play.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Beau Bennett, RW (knee) – out two weeks.
Pascal Dupuis, RW (blood clot) – out six months.
Vancouver Canucks
Tom Sestito, LW (lower body) – no return date set; doubtful.
Zack Kassian, RW (finger) – out 2-3 weeks.
Dan Hamhuis, D (lower body) – no timetable for return.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Nathan Horton, RW (back) – likely out for the season.
Fedor Tyutin, D (left knee sprain) – out four weeks.
Brandon Dubinsky, C (abdominal) – will not play this weekend.
Mark Letestu, C (groin) – no return date set.
Ryan Murray, D (knee) – no timetable for return.
Cody Goloubef, D (leg) – skated Thursday; questionable.
Ottawa Senators
Chris Phillips, D (undisclosed) – not expected to play.
Marc Methot, D (back) – no timetable for return.
Florida Panthers
Roberto Luongo, G (upper body) – will not start.
Scottie Upshall, RW (leg) – no timetable for return.
Dave Bolland, C (groin) – skated Thursday; questionable.
Edmonton Oilers
Benoit Pouliot, LW (foot) – no timetable for return.
St. Louis Blues
Brian Elliott, G (knee) – no timetable for return.
Jay Bouwmeester, D (lower body) – did not play Tuesday; questionable.
Minnesota Wild
Jonas Brodin, D (illness) – skated Wednesday; questionable.
Gustav Olofsson, D (shoulder) – out four months.
Matt Cooke, LW (hip) – no return date set.
Dallas Stars
Rich Peverley, C (heart) – no timetable for return.
Patrik Nemeth, D (arm) – out for the season.
Ryan Garbutt, LW (suspension) – will not play.
Valeri Nichushkin, RW (hip) – no timetable for return.
Hot
Jaroslav Halak, G, NY Islanders – Sure, John Tavares and the players can take a lot of the credit, but after a shaky start Halak has now rattled off eight straight wins, including wins over Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay. If you haven't noticed already, the Isles are for real this year, and some of the credit has to go to Halak. He's a mercurial goaltender that can be prone to bad games, but when he's on fire he's a steel wall behind a brick wall. He's also got three shutouts in that span and is a must-play every night. Even if he lets a few past him, the Isles' offense should be able to bail him out most nights.
Justin Williams, RW, Los Angeles – It's really feast or famine for the clutch winger, but like Geno he's putting together a six-game point streak of his own. With another goal against Minnesota on Wednesday, Williams now has seven points in his past six games. He had a slow start to the season but he's firing the puck a lot more. Much of his production depends on who his linemates are, and that can be difficult to gauge since Darryl Sutter likes to mix-and-match sometimes. Still, Williams has got the hot hand and available in most leagues.
Cold
Sergei Bobrovsky, G, Columbus – Bob is clearly still getting used to things after returning from a finger injury. He's winless in his past four starts and allowed 15 goals in that span – highly uncharacteristic for the Vezina-winning goalie. Give him some time and he should improve on his 2.95 goals-against average and .911 save percentage, but the BJ's need to pick it up in a hurry if they want to make the playoffs. That has to start with Bob.
Anze Kopitar, C, Los Angeles – Kopitar has been frustrating fantasy owners all season and just when you thought he was picking it up, he has not entered yet another pointless drought, this one lasting four games and counting. It's fine because the Kings are winning, but with just 10 points on the season Kopitar isn't helping any fantasy teams win. The Kings don't have to score much to win and they do it by committee more so than any other elite team (except maybe St. Louis), but you wish he'd just get involved a little more offensively.
Recommended Pickup
Ryan Strome, RW, NY Islanders – I've said this many times this year: pick up all the Islanders. The fifth overall pick from the 2011 draft, Strome picked up two assists against Washington on Wednesday to give him 17 points in 22 games on the season. Like any young player he goes through hot and cold spells, but he's a supremely talented playmaker with passing ability that seems to run in the genes – younger brother Dylan is tearing up the OHL with the Erie Otters as well. Jack Capuano still tinkers with the lines, but the magic really starts when Strome and John Tavares are working together.
