The Oilers and Ducks will face off for the third time this season after both sides each won one of their previous meetings on home ice. The Oilers were beaten 5-3 at the Honda Center on Dec. 29 before facing them again five days later on Jan. 3 at Rogers Place and rersponding with a 3-2 win.
Darnell Nurse had a goal and two assists, and the Oilers will be hoping their defenceman will be alright to play on Tuesday after he missed the final two games of Edmonton's road trip with an undisclosed injury.
"Darnell looked really good," Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said after Monday's practice. "I haven't checked in with our medical staff, but I think there's a very good likelihood that he will [play]."
Brett Kulak missed Monday's practice because of an illness but isn't expected to miss time, while players who were part of the 4 Nations Face-Off in Mattias Ekholm, Viktor Arvidsson and Connor McDavid were given the option to skate, but McDavid was quick to take the chance to get on the ice.
"Connor just he wants to be part of the team. He always wants to contribute. He doesn't ever want any exceptional treatment. He doesn't want to be singled out," Knoblauch added. "All the players are there and he felt that he was able to play and wants to participate and he wants to help the team."
The Ducks are one of the NHL's most-improved teams from last year (.360 to .500 win percentage) and are still chasing the Calgary Flames for the final Wildcard spot in the Western Conference, trailing by six points with a 26-26-7 record.
Defenceman Jackson LaCombe is currently on a five-game point streak (2G, 4A) and has 11 goals and 30 points in 52 games this season.