Two playoff-bound teams will meet in Pittsburgh on Tuesday night with the Penguins set to host the Edmonton Oilers as both teams look to improve their postseason positioning.  Pittsburgh was last in action on Sunday, dropping a 4-1 decision to cross-state rival Philadelphia.  The Oilers were also in action on Sunday, falling 5-2 to Columbus.

The Penguins are -150 favourites to win on the NHL odds, with a total of 6.5.

Oilers vs. Penguins NHL Betting Odds

Edmonton came away with a 5-2 home victory in the only other meeting between these teams this season.  Zach Hyman led the way for the Oilers with two first period goals.  Pittsburgh has had the most success over the last few years, however, winning seven of the last nine head-to-head matchups.

Edmonton’s loss on Sunday was a rare blip on the radar as the team has won 10 of their last 13 games.  They’re 38-41 against the spread for the season, including 19-21 ATS on the road.  The total has gone Under in six of the last nine Oilers’ games overall and four of their last five on the road.

Pittsburgh is also having a strong end to the regular season, picking up wins in seven of their last 10 home games.  They’re 39-41 ATS, covering in 16 of 39 home dates.  The total has gone Under in five of the Penguins’ last seven games against Western Conference opponents.

Edmonton Oilers

Despite already having a playoff spot locked down, there is still something for the Oilers to play for as they have a chance to clinch second place in the Pacific Division and home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.  Edmonton had a disastrous end to the game on Sunday, giving up four goals in the third period to snap a four-game win streak.  Evander Kane and Leon Draisaitl scored for the Oilers, while Connor McDavid picked up two helpers.

McDavid continues to lead the NHL in points and is well on his way to a fourth career Art Ross Trophy, with his 118 points (43G, 75A) three more than Florida’s Jonathan Huberdeau, who is second.  Draisaitl is fourth in NHL scoring with 108 points and his 55 goals is second only to Toronto’s Auston Matthews, who sits at 58.  Kane has been a big pickup for Edmonton this year, scoring 21 goals in 40 games.  He also has five goals and three assists across a five-game point streak.

The biggest area of concern for the Oilers is the goaltending situation.  Mikko Koskinen allowed four goals on 30 shots against Columbus and has generally struggled this season, although with a back-to-back to close the season on Thursday and Friday, he’ll likely pick up at least one more start.  Mike Smith has been the better goalie, but at 40-years-old, it’s tough to say if he can handle a long playoff run.  Smith has a 15-9-2 record this season with a 2.88 goals-against average and .913 save percentage.  Koskinen is 25-21-4 with a 3.12 GAA and .901 SV.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh desperately wants two points in this game as they are in a tight race with Washington for third place in the Metropolitan Division, which would keep them out of a wild card spot.  The way the standings sit now, the Pens would play the Rangers if they stay third in the Metro, while they would be forced to play the league-leading Panthers if they drop to a wild card spot.  Sidney Crosby scored the lone goal for the Pens on Sunday, while Louis Domingue made 39 saves.  Crosby is having a low-key big season for Pittsburgh.  The longtime captain leads the team with 84 points (31G, 53A) in 67 games, his highest point total since 2018-19.

The Penguins are another team concerned about their goalie situation.  Starter Tristan Jarry has been out since sustaining a foot injury on April 14 and is listed as week-to-week.  Casey DeSmith has assumed the starter’s role in Jarry’s absence, with Domingue mostly backing him up.  Sunday’s loss was just Domingue’s second start of the season, so it should be DeSmith on Tuesday.  DeSmith was last in action on Saturday, making 23 saves in a 7-2 win over Detroit.  The veteran backup is 10-5-5 this year, with a 2.72 GAA and .915 SV.

NHL Prediction: Who Will Win Oilers vs. Penguins?

• Regular Season
• Playoffs

Oilers Team Leaders

EDM

Points	Connor McDavid 123
+ / -	Connor McDavid 28
Shots	Connor McDavid 314
Penalty Mins	Zack Kassian 63
Wins	Mikko Koskinen 27
GAA	Stuart Skinner 2.62

PIT

Points	Jake Guentzel 84
+ / -	Brian Dumoulin 24
Shots	Jake Guentzel 264
Penalty Mins	Kris Letang 49
Wins	Tristan Jarry 34
GAA	Louis Domingue 2.02

EDM

Points	Connor McDavid 33
+ / -	Connor McDavid 15
Shots	Zach Hyman 67
Penalty Mins	Evander Kane 37
Wins	Mike Smith 8
GAA	Mike Smith 3.37

PIT

Points	Jake Guentzel 10
+ / -	Kasperi Kapanen 4
Shots	Jake Guentzel 39
Penalty Mins	Mike Matheson 6
Wins	Louis Domingue 3
GAA	Casey DeSmith 2.02

• Regular Season
• Playoffs

Penguins Team Leaders

EDM

Points	Connor McDavid 123
+ / -	Connor McDavid 28
Shots	Connor McDavid 314
Penalty Mins	Zack Kassian 63
Wins	Mikko Koskinen 27
GAA	Stuart Skinner 2.62

PIT

Points	Jake Guentzel 84
+ / -	Brian Dumoulin 24
Shots	Jake Guentzel 264
Penalty Mins	Kris Letang 49
Wins	Tristan Jarry 34
GAA	Louis Domingue 2.02

EDM

Points	Connor McDavid 33
+ / -	Connor McDavid 15
Shots	Zach Hyman 67
Penalty Mins	Evander Kane 37
Wins	Mike Smith 8
GAA	Mike Smith 3.37

PIT

Points	Jake Guentzel 10
+ / -	Kasperi Kapanen 4
Shots	Jake Guentzel 39
Penalty Mins	Mike Matheson 6
Wins	Louis Domingue 3
GAA	Casey DeSmith 2.02

Injuries

Edmonton

Jesse Puljujarvi (RW)

Ques Wed Undisclosed - 06 / 06 / 22

Evander Kane (LW)

Elig Wed Suspension - 05 / 06 / 22

Kailer Yamamoto (RW)

Ques Wed Upper Body - 02 / 06 / 22

Evander Kane (LW)

Prob Thurs Personal - 25 / 05 / 22

Tyson Barrie (D)

Prob Fri Illness - 20 / 05 / 22

Kyle Turris (C)

Out indefinitely Upper Body - 18 / 05 / 22

Darnell Nurse (D)

Elig Sat Suspension - 11 / 05 / 22

Derek Ryan (C)

Ques Tues Undisclosed - 09 / 05 / 22

Darnell Nurse (D)

Prob Mon Lower Body - 23 / 04 / 22

Jesse Puljujarvi (RW)

Prob Thurs Illness - 22 / 04 / 22

Pittsburgh

Brian Boyle (C)

Out indefinitely Leg - 13 / 05 / 22

Sidney Crosby (C)

Ques Sun Head - 11 / 05 / 22

Brian Dumoulin (D)

day-to-day Lower Body - 05 / 05 / 22

Casey DeSmith (G)

out for season Abdominal - 04 / 05 / 22

Rickard Rakell (RW)

Ques Sun Head - 03 / 05 / 22

Jason Zucker (LW)

Ques Sat Lower Body - 26 / 04 / 22

Jason Zucker (LW)

Ques Sat Illness - 22 / 04 / 22

Jeff Carter (C)

Prob Sat Lower Body - 21 / 04 / 22

Evan Rodrigues (C)

Ques Thurs Illness - 13 / 04 / 22

Bryan Rust (RW)

Ques Thurs Illness - 13 / 04 / 22

Injuries

Edmonton

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Jesse Puljujarvi (RW)	Ques Wed	Undisclosed - 06 / 06 / 22	0-1	0-1	+ -
Puljujarvi is dealing with and injury to an unlisted location, and it is undetermined if he will face the Avalanche in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals.
Evander Kane (LW)	Elig Wed	Suspension - 05 / 06 / 22	0-1	0-1	+ -
Kane is serving a one-game suspension for boarding an opponent, and he is eligible to return against the Avalanche in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals.
Kailer Yamamoto (RW)	Ques Wed	Upper Body - 02 / 06 / 22	0-3	1-2	+ -
Yamamoto is nursing an upper-body injury, and it remains to be seen if he will play in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals against the Avalanche.
Evander Kane (LW)	Prob Thurs	Personal - 25 / 05 / 22	3-3	3-3	+ -
Kane is tending to a personal matter, but it is likely that he will suit up for Game 5 of the Western Conference second round versus the Flames.
Tyson Barrie (D)	Prob Fri	Illness - 20 / 05 / 22	4-4	5-3	+ -
Barrie is ailing from an illness, but it is expected that he will take on the Flames in Game 2 of the Western Conference second round.
Kyle Turris (C)	Out indefinitely	Upper Body - 18 / 05 / 22	5-4	5-4	+ -
Turris is on the injured reserve list with an upper-body injury, and it is unclear when he will be activated.
Darnell Nurse (D)	Elig Sat	Suspension - 11 / 05 / 22	6-6	6-6	+ -
Nurse is serving a one-game suspension for headbutting, and he is eligible to return against the Kings in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference first round.
Derek Ryan (C)	Ques Tues	Undisclosed - 09 / 05 / 22	7-6	7-6	+ -
Ryan is managing an unknown injury, and it has yet to be established if he will be available for Game 5 of the Western Conference first round versus the Kings.
Darnell Nurse (D)	Prob Mon	Lower Body - 23 / 04 / 22	11-10	12-9	+ -
Nurse is hampered by a lower-body injury, but it is anticipated that he will suit up for Game 1 of the Western Conference first round against the Kings.
Jesse Puljujarvi (RW)	Prob Thurs	Illness - 22 / 04 / 22	11-10	12-9	+ -
Puljujarvi has sat out the last three games with a non-COVID-19 illness, but it is likely that he will he will suit up against the Sharks on Thursday.

Pittsburgh

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Brian Boyle (C)	Out indefinitely	Leg - 13 / 05 / 22	0-2	2-0	+ -
Boyle is sidelined by a leg injury, and he will miss an undetermined length of time.
Sidney Crosby (C)	Ques Sun	Head - 11 / 05 / 22	1-2	3-0	+ -
Crosby is managing a head injury, and it is up in the air if he will face the Rangers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference first round.
Brian Dumoulin (D)	day-to-day	Lower Body - 05 / 05 / 22	3-3	6-0	+ -
Dumoulin has a lower-body injury, and it is unknown if he will be active for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference second round versus the Hurricanes.
Casey DeSmith (G)	out for season	Abdominal - 04 / 05 / 22	3-3	6-0	+ -
DeSmith will sit out the remainder of the 2021-22 season after undergoing core muscle surgery.
Rickard Rakell (RW)	Ques Sun	Head - 03 / 05 / 22	4-3	7-0	+ -
Rakell is managing a head injury, and it has yet to be established if he will be available for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference first round versus the Rangers.
Jason Zucker (LW)	Ques Sat	Lower Body - 26 / 04 / 22	4-5	7-2	+ -
Zucker is dealing with a lower-body injury, and it is unknown if he will suit up against the Rangers for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference first round.
Jason Zucker (LW)	Ques Sat	Illness - 22 / 04 / 22	6-5	8-3	+ -
Zucker is dealing with a non-COVID-19 illness, and it is undecided if he will be active for Saturday's tilt against the Red Wings.
Jeff Carter (C)	Prob Sat	Lower Body - 21 / 04 / 22	7-5	8-4	+ -
Carter exited the last contest due to a lower-body injury, but it is projected that he will suit up against the Red Wings on Saturday.
Evan Rodrigues (C)	Ques Thurs	Illness - 13 / 04 / 22	8-6	10-4	+ -
Rodrigues exited the previous matchup due to an illness, and it has yet to be established if he will be active for Thursday's tilt against the Islanders.
Bryan Rust (RW)	Ques Thurs	Illness - 13 / 04 / 22	8-6	10-4	+ -
Rust was removed from the last game due to an illness, and it is unclear if he will be in Thursday's lineup against the Islanders.