The Pacific tilt between the Edmonton Oilers and the Anaheim Ducks will involve a tale of two teams leading up to puck drop. The contrast between these two clubs are about the same as that of the weather between the two cities that these teams are from. The Ducks are the hottest team in hockey, winning 11 of their last 12 games. The Oilers on the other hand are among the coldest, losing 9 of their last 11. Clearly, strange things happen in games. At the end of the day, these athletes are all paid professionals who are capable of playing on elite levels with the right mindset, but let's break down this game. Perhaps the most important thing said in last night's post game interview was by Head Coach Dallas Eakins. His final words stressed that the team needs to shift the focus from skill to defense, and that is the only way that they are going to be successful. After letting in 12 goals in their last three games combined, the message should be loud and clear. Last night, Edmonton allowed the San Jose Sharks to skate all over them in the first period and get into scoring positions with ease. As a result they got blown out 5-1. A loss like that has to have that "last straw" type of vibe to it, and fortunately for them, they have a chance to redeem themselves just twenty four hours later. The adjective "sloppy" would be an understatement of the team's recent performance from the backend, so expect them to come out with a lot more care and focus on defense tonight. With the coach's message and the understanding that they are about to face the hottest team in the league, there should be no reason for Edmonton not to take this one seriously and play properly tonight.Anaheim has been in an incredible groove, and has established themselves as an elite team that knows how to score just enough goals to consistently win games. They play a very simple game to keep opposing forwards at bay. The Ducks also have offensive personnel that work very well within their dump and chase system, and this is why they are effective in scoring the clutch goals. The keyword is "Clutch". Therefore, do not expect the team to abandon their rigid style at the expense of risky offensive schemes, even against one of the worst teams in hockey. The good news for Edmonton is that Ilya Bryzgalov, who is by far their more established and reliable goaltender, will be in goal tonight. Bryzgalov's last start took place on New Year's Eve in Arizona, as the Phoenix Coyotes rallied in the dying seconds of both the third period and overtime, to defeat the Oilers 4-3. It was clear that Bryzgalov was extremely frustrated, and was even reported to have called out teammates on their poor defense after his 40 save performance. Expect the team to come out strong for him tonight.The bottom line: Edmonton could not possibly be worse defensively than they have been in their last few games, and being professionals, should find a way to at least stop the bleeding. They may not win this game, but they should bring a more solid performance tonight against a top team. Anaheim likewise will be responsible, only because it is a philosophy that has been grilled into them under the Bruce Boudreau regime. The last six meetings between these two (and 9 of the last 10) have stayed under. Although there have been personnel and coaching changes over the past three years, there seems to be a general defensive approach when these two meet.
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