Game 73 Preview: Oilers @ Avalanche

When the Avalanche and Oilers met back in November, next to no one would have predicted where these two teams would be as the season now draws to a close. While the young Oilers had a strong start to the season, there were questions as to if they would be able to maintain through the gauntlet of an 82-game season. The Avalanche were below .500, but that 6-3 come-from-behind victory for the Oilers would begin the Avs' true downfall to depravity.

Now, with ten games remaining in the season, the Oilers are pushing not only to make the playoffs in over ten years, but to fight for a division title, while the Avalanche face a last place finish and the title of worse team of the salary cap era.

LINES

Rantanen-MacKinnon-Andrighetto

Landeskog-Duchene-Bourque

Grigorenko-Compher-Nieto

Mitchell-Soderberg-Comeau

Barberio-Johnson

Tyutin-Barrie

Beauchemin-Lindholm

Pickard

Smith

NOTES

- With and Avalanche loss Tuesday and a Coyote win, the Avalanche have officially clinched the 30th seed of the NHL and the highest odds in the draft lottery.

- This will be the first time since they moved to Denver that the Avalanche have missed the playoffs in a season that the Oilers did.

- The next entry for Avs goal song is an old Oilers goal song...

GAME INFO

Game time: 7pm MT

TV: ALT