Sharks 1 - 2 Oilers
Final
  for this game

Oilers battle Sharks hoping to avoid matching record home skid

Dec 7, 2014 - 3:48 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Edmonton Oilers are getting close to matching some franchise-record losing streaks, so a home-and-home set with the San Jose Sharks figures to be ill-timed.

The Oilers, losers of 11 straight, hope to avoid matching their longest home losing streak in team history as they host the Sharks on Sunday night.

Edmonton is 0-7-1 at home since its last victory at Rexall Place on Oct. 27. Their eight-game slide as the host is one shy of a club-worst nine-game skid set from Oct. 16-Nov. 24, 1993.

The Oilers fell to 0-7-4 in their last 11 games with Wednesday's 3-2 overtime road setback to the Winnipeg Jets, who got the winner on a redirection just 17 seconds into the extra frame.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Teddy Purcell lit the lamp for the Oilers, who fell to 0-12-4 versus the Western Conference this season. Ben Scrivens stopped 23 shots as Edmonton lost by one goal for the eighth time on its skid.

"I thought we played a textbook road game. We settled into a building that is extremely loud and volatile. I thought we played a mature road game," Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins said. "I thought we showed some growth from how we have played as of late. I believe if we can bring that game every night we're going to win a lot of hockey games."

Edmonton has not won since consecutive road victories over Buffalo and the New York Rangers from Nov. 9-11 and is just two defeats shy of a club-record 13- game skid endured from Dec. 31, 2009-Jan. 30, 2010.

Two straight meetings with the Sharks probably won't help. The Oilers have lost eight of nine and nine of their last 12 in this series and seven of the past nine played at home.

Edmonton will visit San Jose on Tuesday.

The Sharks also come in having won a season-high four in a row. That winning streak comes on the heels of an 0-2-2 slide and was extended with Saturday's 3-2 win over the Calgary Flames.

Patrick Marleau scored the winning goal in the third period, while Logan Couture and Justin Braun had a goal and an assist each. Tommy Wingels added two helpers and Antti Niemi made 33 saves.

"We're finding a way to win and that's great to see," said Marleau.

Backup Alex Stalock may get the start tonight for the Sharks. He recently returned from a knee injury and has not played since Nov. 8.

Stalock beat the Oilers the only time he faced them, stopping 30-of-31 shots.






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