Oil spill: Game Preview 3-11-10

Hmmm... today marks the first game that the Habs play against another Canadian team since the Olympics. This would probably be more interesting if they hadn't already kicked it with half of Team Canada over in San Jose. But anyway, here we are, facing the Oilers, aka the team whose name is a tongue-twister for anyone whose first language isn't English.

omgsocute!

The Edmonton Oilers occupy the basement of the NHL, otherwise known as the perfect recipe for disaster if the Habs stick to their usual route of taking teams like them too lightly. Aside from the Canada connection, they're probably the first not-too-threatening team that Montreal has met since the Olympic break, so hopefully the Habs will keep their game faces on. One thing that worries me is that the Oilers have won their last two games against the Habs, even though, um... you know.

It's a slippery slope when someone named Rookie has to write about the Oilers:

• Their head coach is Pat Quinn, a fact that I have known for longer than three minutes. I wonder if he'll get any attention from Habs fans.
• The Oilers are down a few good men, which might give the rest of the team a chance to shine (like Montreal's better games a few months back) or it might be as detrimental as expected (like Montreal's not-better games a few months back). Sheldon Souray is still broken as a result of what would have been an awesome fight, the Bulin Wall needs reinforcements, and those are just two of the guys they've lost for the season.
• Ethan Moreau (not a doctor) probably won't play, and the unlucky Patrick O'Sullivan is also doubtful, but they might be back by the end of Edmonton's four-game road trip.
• Mike Comrie recently got engaged. I guess planning a wedding will help Hilary Duff pass the time.
• Wait, they also have a Pouliot? Is that going to be confusing? I hope not.
• One guy that I would have recognized on their roster, of all people, is prospect Ryan O'Marra, who played three games in November but got sent back down to the minors and hasn't been in an Oilers game since. Sucks to be me.
• As far as prospects go, this will be Chris Minard's first game as an Oiler. He was just called up from the Springfield Falcons. Insert Simpsons joke here.
• Tonight's goalie, Devan Dubnyk, has played 8 NHL games this season. One of them was a tie.

They probably wish they had cloned this guy

On the Habs side of things, the same skaters will be on the ice, no change in lineup, and Jaro's our boy tonight.