NHL Thanksgiving Day Schedule, Stream & Predictions: Edmonton Oilers at Nashville Predators
It's Thanksgiving Day in the United States of America, and hockey fans have a cross-country game ahead of them as the Edmonton Oilers and Nashville Predators are scheduled to play each other on Thursday night.
The Oilers and Predators don't have a long rivalry with one another, but both teams are fighting to make the playoffs in the Western Conference.
Let's see who has the edge in this game:
Nashville Predators (14-5-2)
After not making the playoffs the last two seasons, the Nashville Predators currently stand on top of the Central Division in the Western Conference. With a 14-5-2 record, the Predators have 30 points, the second most in the conference. Only the Vancouver Canucks and Anaheim Ducks have a better record in the West so far.
The Predators have won seven of their last 10 games, and have the best home record in the league this season. Coincidentally, the Memphis Grizzlies have the best home record in the NBA this season. Sports fans in Tennessee are certainly getting their money's worth.
Filip Forsberg has been great this season with nine goals, 13 assists and 22 points. The young Swedish left winger has a great future ahead of him. Offseason addition James Neal has been great, as well, with nine goals, two of which are game-winning goals.
Pekka Rinne has emerged as one of the most underrated goaltenders in the NHL. Rinne has a terrific 1.97 goals against average in his 18 starts, and his save percentage is .927. When the Predators defense folds, Rinne has been terrific between the pipes.
Former Stanley Cup Champion Peter Laviolette may get the Coach of the Year Award this season.
Edmonton Oilers (6-14-2)
It's been a rough stretch for Edmonton Oilers fans, who are some of the most dedicated hockey fans in the world. Memories of Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Jari Kurri and Grant Fuhr winning Stanley Cups in the 1980s seem like so long ago.
The Oilers have the worst record in the Eastern Conference, with just six victories and 14 points. Scoring hasn't been a huge issue, but keeping the puck out of the net has been a problem. This Oilers squad has allowed the most goals in the National Hockey League this season so far, 77. Both Ben Scrivens and Viktor Fasth are allowing more than 3.3 goals per game, and have a save percentage below .900.
Left winger Taylor Hall leads the Oilers in goals this season with eight, and 24-year-old Jordan Eberle leads the Predators with 15 points.
The Oilers are currently riding a seven-game losing streak.
Schedule, Where to Watch
The Edmonton Oilers and Nashville Predators are scheduled to play each other on Thursday, Nov. 27 at 8 p.m. EST on the RSN Network. The game will be played at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. You can view a live game stream here.
Predictions
Playing in Nashville, and facing the one of the best defensive teams in the league doesn't set up well for the Oilers. The Oilers have just one road win, while the Predators have been almost unbeatable at home this season. Don't count on Edmonton to stop the oil skid just yet.
Predators win 3-1
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