Detroit Red Wings ready to crush another opponent at home ice as Edmonton Oilers visit – NHL Preview
The National Hockey League (NHL) is going to witness a matchup between two teams of the contradictory reputation in the league’s competitive Western Conference as the feeble Edmonton Oilers travels to play Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday, February 8, 2012,
at Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan.
Detroit is currently leading the conference with 72 points after 54 games.
Surprisingly, it is on a two-game losing streak.
On its road trip, Detroit first lost against Edmonton Oilers (5-4 in shootout) and then to Phoenix Coyotes (3-1).
"It's been a long road trip for the guys and I think as the game went on, we got our wheels underneath us," said Joey MacDonald after the end of five-game road trip in which Detroit only won two games.
However, despite these failures, Detroit cannot be underrated in front of Oilers.
On home ice, Detroit is as exploding and dangerous as it can be. The proof of that is the team’s 17-game winning streak on home ice.
Detroit’s forward, Johan Franzen, thinks that his team is more comfortable at home ice. He said:
“We're comfortable at home, that's for sure. We like to play in front of our own fans. Hopefully, we can keep that good trend going and have a good run here."
Besides, Edmonton does not hold the reputation of a competitive team. It is ranked at 14th spot in the conference with 47 points after 53 games.
After beating the Red Wings, Oilers lost against Toronto Maple Leafs, 6-3.
Against Toronto, Oilers played well until the first period at the end of which the score was tied 2-2.
However, Toronto scored three goals in the second period and one in the final to stun the Oilers.
Edmonton has defeated the Red Wings, but the team is on a seven-game losing streak on road. And if the streak extends to eight, no one would be surprised.
After the last defeat, Oilers’ Sam Gagner said that:
“I felt like our line, for spurts, was good all night – and it's important that we play a full 60 minutes. It's something we can learn from and hopefully get better as we go on here."
The Oilers should really come up with something extraordinary to defeat the Red Wings on their home ice.
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