Team Canada Leaders Battle in Penguins vs. Oilers

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Edmonton Oilers face-off for a meeting of two of the NHL's very best.

Mar 3, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby (87) and Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) follow the play during the third period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images / Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Edmonton Oilers are in very different places as organizations, but they share one thing in common. They both have generational Canadian superstars captaining their rosters. The NHL's savior of the Salary Cap era, Sidney Crosby, and the game's unequivocal best player today, Connor McDavid, are set to face-off in a Friday night showdown at Rogers Arena in Edmonton.

The Penguins travel to Edmonton to take on the Oilers hoping to right the ship early on. The Pens are 3-4-1, struggling to cling to relevancy in a dogfight for the Metropolitan Division. Crosby is off to his usual productive self, but doesn't appear 100% right. He has one goal and seven points in eight games despite not looking his best. Thankfully his partner in crime Evgeni Malkin is drinking from the fountain of youth in 2024, with 11 points in his first eight games.

Meanwhile the Oilers, at 2-4-1, are a Stanley Cup contender stumbling out of the gate. their defensive play and goaltending have been poor and inconsistent, and it's a huge reason why they have just two wins over their first seven games. McDavid has been stellar as usual, with eight points over seven games, but the team is still figuring out the best combination for their forward group and that lack of chemistry is visible on the ice. Some may feel it's time to panic for them, but they have plenty of time to get things going.

While the attention pre-game will be on the two stars, who are set to be teammates for Team Canada at the upcoming Four Nations Face-Off, for both teams this is a chance to move in the right direction after some poor beginnings. Each team needs a win in what will hopefully be an entertaining and competitive contest between the Penguins and Oilers.

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