Detroit still has a game to play before this one. The Red Wings were at Calgary on Saturday, October 24, and that result, plus whoever started in net and how much the top line played, carries straight into a Monday night in Edmonton. Going into Calgary, Detroit was 4-3-3, had won 3 of its previous 4 (2-1 over Philadelphia, a 4-3 shootout win over San Jose, 5-2 over Vancouver), and had beaten the Flames 8 straight times dating back to 2022-23. Whatever happened at the Saddledome, this is the second leg of an Alberta swing with a day off in between.
On offense, Detroit runs through Alex DeBrincat, who led the team with 6 goals and 12 points heading into the Calgary game. That is exactly the kind of shooter an Oilers team rotating defensemen and starting a .873 goalie should worry about. The Red Wings' 3 overtime or shootout results in their first 10 games say they keep games close, and Edmonton has shown it can either outscore a problem or get buried by one.
Edmonton's run before the Toronto loss looks shakier than the record does. The Oilers beat Minnesota 4-3 and Carolina 6-5 at home, so even the wins were shootouts in everything but name. Before that they split 2 with Utah, losing 4-2 at home and winning 6-2 on the road. McDavid and Draisaitl were held to 1 goal per period against Toronto, but the Oilers still put up 6 twice in the 5 games shown. They can score. The question is whether they can stop anyone with this group in front of the crease.
Puck drop is 7:30 PM MT. The board is not open yet, and it should not be while Detroit still has Calgary to play. Watch for 3 things: who Detroit starts in Edmonton after the Saturday game, whether Jarry gets the net again, and whether Babcock's patched blue line can handle DeBrincat's line.