(Sports Network) - The Edmonton Oilers' recent road trip didn't end with the bang it began with. The team aims to get its offense back on track tonight, when it hosts the Central Division-champion Detroit Red Wings at Rexall Place.
It's a game you can catch as the second-half of a great NHL on TSN doubleheader starting at 7pm et/4pm pt with the Maple Leafs hosting the Capitals, followed immediately with the Oilers and Wings. Both games are also available on TSNHD.
Edmonton began a stretch of five road games in six contests March 19 in Colorado. The Oilers kicked off a three-game trip with a big 8-1 victory and then followed that up with a 5-4 shootout win in Chicago.
The club's offense fizzled out on Sunday, though, as the Oilers were blanked in Minnesota, 3-0. Dwayne Roloson gave up all three goals on 36 shots for Edmonton, which had its three-game win streak snapped.
With 10 games to play, the Oilers sit seventh overall in the Western Conference, two up on Nashville and three behind sixth-seeded Columbus.
Edmonton is 16-12-6 as the host this year and hits the road for two straight beginning Thursday in Phoenix following tonight's matchup.
The Oilers will probably have trouble getting their offense going tonight. They have lost all three of their meetings with the Red Wings this year in regulation, getting outscored 16-6 in that span.
Overall, Detroit has won five of its last seven versus Edmonton and in two of its last three trips to Rexall Place. That includes a 4-3 win there on November 20.
The Red Wings end a three-game road trip of their own tonight and have scored at least three goals in nine of 10 games since getting shut out 8-0 by Nashville on February 28. That run includes six straight road games with at least three goals, but that wasn't enough in Monday's 5-3 loss in Calgary.
Detroit's Johan Franzen scored in a fourth straight game and added an assist to give him 10 points over his last five games. Pavel Datsyuk also scored to extend his point streak to eight games (5 goals, 7 assists), while Jiri Hudler also lit the lamp for the Wings.
Henrik Zetterberg did have a seven-game point streak halted in the loss.
Chris Osgood started the game in net, but was pulled after giving up three goals on 14 shots. Ty Conklin finished the game between the pipes and was charged with one goal on 12 shots.
Detroit, which is 22-11-5 on the road this year, trails San Jose by one point for the best record in both the West and the NHL. The Sharks have played one fewer game than the Red Wings and are off tonight, meaning Detroit can jump past the club with a win over the Oilers.