AT THE MORNING SKATE

With two notable absences, the Oilers took to the ice at 10am for morning skate at Rexall Place.

Captain Shawn Horcoff did not participate in the skate, but associate coach Ralph Krueger expects him to play tonight.

"I would say 97% sure he will play. It's just a precautionary measure. There's a little bit of a cold going around on the team right now but he'll be fine," he said.

Krueger provided the Oilers' official coaching perspective today because head coach Tom Renney was also absent. Following the passing of his father last week, Renney has returned home to B.C. for the funeral. He will miss tonight's and Saturday's games.

"The responsibility filling in here for Tom is large but we're doing it together," Krueger said. "I've been doing a lot of the pre-scouting or introducing opposition here in the last few months, and we're all staying in our roles. [Assistant coach Steve Smith  is] doing his PK meeting with me together in a little while, [and assistant coach Kelly Buchberger] was doing the PP so he's comfortable.

"Tom has set this team up that way, that we all have responsibilities. The only difference is I'm bringing it together. I'll be running the bench today, but otherwise my personal message and the way I communicate with the players has remained exactly the same here in the last day."

BEATING THE BLACKHAWKS

Krueger will hope to guide his troops to their second consecutive win tonight. Monday night, the Oilers fed on the Predators, resulting in a 4-0 win and Devan Dubnyk's first career shutout. The 24-year-old has earned another start tonight.

"It was a good game, I'm excited about it and felt great in the game, but I felt pretty comfortable and confident all year. I prepared the same way for that game as I have every other game, so I'm going to do the same thing tonight and just go out and battle. If we play together the way we did for most of the game in Nashville, we should be okay," Dubnyk said.

The netminder added that staying level-headed is equally important after a strong performance as it is after a disappointing loss.

"You can't get so high off a big win that there's a let-down the next game, and you can't get too low if you don't play very well that you're not ready to go the next game," Dubnyk explained. "At the same time, anytime you can take any sort of confidence or carry it on the next game, if you can do that, for sure. I'll certainly try to do that tonight."

Edmonton's forwards will also try to bring Monday's momentum into tonight's contest.

"Obviously, a 4-0 win on the road is huge for us," Taylor Hall said. "We played very well and we felt that we were playing well prior to that. If we can keep that up and try to set ourselves up for a good homestand here, it should be good."

The rookie is under no delusion about the team's current playoff chances but is eager to make the most of the remaining 29 regular season games.

"That's the role that we're kind of trying to play is spoiler," he said. "I think guys know that these last games are pretty huge for us individually as players, and really set ourselves up for a good season next year."

-- Jen Sharpe, edmontonoilers.com

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NHL.COM PREVIEW

Last 10: Chicago 5-4-1; Edmonton 2-7-1.

Season Series: The Oilers have taken two of three from Chicago this season, but the Blackhawks took the most recent meeting 5-0 on Nov. 17, 2010 at Rexall Place.

Big Story: It might be a sign of how inconsistent the defending champs have been this season that as the Hawks play their finale against last-place Edmonton they're looking to salvage a tie in the season series. While Edmonton's concern revolve entirely around developing its talented young core, Wednesday's showdown in Alberta could prove crucial as Chicago battles to stay relevant in the clogged West playoff race.

Team Scope:

Blackhawks: Chicago coach Joel Quenneville has warned of the complacency Chicago's fanbase might have with last year's Stanley Cup title in its back pocket, but as the season wears on a recent stretch in which the Hawks have lost four of five is putting a serious question mark on their chances of defending their title. Chicago has fallen to three points behind eighth-place Calgary in the West after losing two straight games, including a 3-1 defeat to the Flames Monday night.

If there is a silver lining it's that the Hawks have two games in hand on those Flames, but the clock is running out on how long Chicago can comfortably feel as though a third consecutive playoff berth is inevitable. Several teams are tightly packed together at the bottom of the West's top eight and with at least one quality team certain to spend the spring at home anxiety and intensity have been notched up just about everywhere.

Halfway through their six-game road trip, the offense has struggled in the last two games and Wednesday's starter Corey Crawford has lost three straight outings. After an impressive first half of the season, Crawford, and the Blackhawks, need to start winning again, and soon.

Oilers: With a stellar group of young players that includes Jordan Eberle, Sam Gagner and 2010 No. 1 overall pick Taylor Hall, some day Edmonton will be among the most talented teams in the League. But that day is not Wednesday.

As the baby Oilers endure the lessons and severe learning curves of the world's top hockey league, there have been some flashes of greatness, most notably Eberle's highlight goal the first night of the season and Hall's impressive rookie campaing. But the gaps in experience that are all-too-evident with the young roster has left Edmonton last in the League, and the only team in the West that appears to be completely out of the playoff race.

That said, Tom Renney's crew knows 2010-11 will be a learning process, and with an impressive 4-0 win Monday night in Nashville, the Oilers appear to be absorbing the lesson plan. That win did come after a four-game losing streak, but the Oil has shown an ability to perform impressively on any given night, something that could give the struggling Blackhawks trouble Wednesday.

Another win against a squad expected to make the postseason field will help build confidence for the young team as it looks to the future, and with Wednesday the first of six straight games in front of a friendly home crowd, the Oilers could patch together a few wins before they leave town again.

Who's Hot: Eberle and Andrew Cogliano have been leading the charge for the Oilers, combinging or eight points in the last three games. ... Despite his team's struggles, Chicago captain Jonathan Toews has tallied eight points in the last four games.

Injury Report: Winger John Scott (flu-like symptoms) and center Ryan Johnson (lower-body injury) are both considered question for Chicago Wednesday. Edmonton recently lost Gilbert Brule to IR with a bruised abdomen and an ankle injury.

Stat Pack: If there is a place for Chicago to stem the negative tide and get a hot streak started for the season's home stretch, it just might be Edmonton. The Blackhawks have won five straight at Rexall Place.

Puck Drop: The Oilers seem likely to give the Hawks a stiff challenge Wednesday with a confidence-building win in their back pockets and relatively little pressure given the expectations of growth rather than success. Those factors make them a dangerous opponent for any team that has its season up in the air. Chicago is certainly that, but a strong end to the current road trip, starting Wednesday in Edmonton, could put the Hawks back on solid ground.

-- David Kalan - NHL.com Staff Writer