Edmonton @ St. Louis preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 21, 2017 ) St. Louis 2, Edmonton 3

After being rebuffed in their bid for a season-high fourth consecutive victory, the Edmonton Oilers will wrap up a brief two-game road trip with a visit to the slumping St. Louis Blues on Wednesday night. A change behind the bench has led to improved play for the Oilers, but St. Louis is still looking for consistency since dismissing Mike Yeo two weeks ago.

Edmonton has a reason to put an asterisk next to Monday's 4-1 loss at Dallas as captain Connor McDavid and forward Ryan Spooner sat out the game due to illness. Both players are expected back in the lineup Wednesday for the Oilers, who had surrendered a total of three goals while winning their previous three games. The Blues followed an impressive 3-2 road win in Colorado on Friday by getting flattened in Arizona 24 hours later and also lost four players to injury in the two games. "Obviously key players being out, but at the same time, we're not using this as an excuse," St. Louis center Brayden Schenn said. "It's an opportunity for myself and other guys to step up and try and win hockey games."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, Sportsnet, TVAS (Edmonton)

ABOUT THE OILERS (13-12-2): McDavid had appeared in 222 consecutive games but he was back at practice Tuesday and said he felt much better after sitting out against Dallas. McDavid won't be the only key player making a return -- goaltender Cam Talbot, relegated to a backup role behind Mikko Koskinen, will be making his first start since Nov. 25 and will attempt to snap a six-game losing streak during which he has been lit up for 23 goals. "I've been feeling good in practice, working on a few things every day and just trying to work out those bugs to be ready for a game whenever I get it," Talbot said.

ABOUT THE BLUES (9-13-3): Captain Alex Pietrangelo was among three players placed on injured reserve Monday due to an upper-body injury that will keep him out at least until Christmas and likely will require surgery, according to general manager Doug Armstrong. "He brings a lot to us," fellow blue-liner Colton Parayko said. "He'll play all situations on the ice. Obviously our leader back there." Yet another defenseman, Carl Gunnarsson (upper body), and forward Robby Fabbri (separated shoulder) also went on injured reserve while forward Alexander Steen is day-to-day due to a concussion.

OVERTIME

1. McDavid has two goals and eight points in nine games versus St. Louis.

2. Blues F Vladimir Tarasenko has scored in three of his last four games and has nine goals in 17 contests versus the Oilers.

3. Edmonton has scored 14 goals in seven games (4-2-1) under Ken Hitchcock, who coached the Blues from November 2011 to February 2017.

PREDICTION: Oilers 4, Blues 3