Saint Paul, MN - In some ways it seems like it's a case of deja vu for the Edmonton Oilers as they take on the Minnesota Wild tonight at the Xcel Energy Center.

This is game 36 for the Oilers but it's also game six against the Minnesota Wild, meaning they've faced off against their divisional rivals one out of every six games this season.

"You feel like you're back to the original six when you played the same teams all the time," Eric Belanger chuckled.

Tonight, they play the Wild during the holiday season, much like their last encounter in Saint Paul the day after Thanksgiving. Also similar to the last meeting, the Oilers face the Wild following a Minnesota game against the Nashville Predators - the Wild lost 2-1 in a shootout to the Preds in Nashville last night.

"They're a good team. They play us well and I think we play them well. Outcomes may suggestion otherwise, but certainly we've played them well," said Oilers head coach Tom Renney.

One major difference from the last meeting in Minnesota is that the WIld are reeling. The team is injury-plagued, though getting healthier with Mikko Koivu now back in the lineup, and have lost eight in a row.

"It's always good to play a team that is this good but also trying to find itself again because you know that they're going to bring the intensity that we need to see," said Renney. 

WINNING VS. THE WILD

The Oilers have struggled against the Wild over the last number of years, finally ending their 17-game drought here a month ago.

Quietly, this season they've had a measure of success, however, having picked up at least a point in each of the five previous meetings.

"Because you know there's no easy opponents in this league at any time, whether you play them six times or 16 times it just doesn't matter. I think they're a well-coached team, I think they're well-organized. I think they have a style of play that they really embrace and play well to," Renney began. 

"That being said, it's really about our game. I think we really haven't had traction for awhile in our own game. It's so important to do that and identify with what we want to be and how we want to play and what we look like and hope that the opponent has to adjust to us."

Renney was also quick to point out the importance of the road trip as a whole - a trip which includes opponents from five of the NHL's six divisions.

"I think the most important thing for us is just to pay attention that we're in the front of a very important road trip here and it happens to be starting with Minnesota. The bottom line is that their circumstances are what they are, ours are what they are and we're the only ones that can do anything about it, either."

Incredibly, the Oilers and Wild are very similar stats-wise -- Minnesota with 89 goals for, 88 against and Edmonton with 96 for and against -- despite the fact the Wild are 13 points ahead in the standings. That was a fact not lost on Eric Belanger.

"We have to make sure we play well defensively. We know we have the skills in front to take chacnes and score goals. When we're playing well, we're taking care of our own zone and everything else will take care of itself," said the Oilers pivot. 

LINEUP CHANGES HEMSKY DEPENDENT

Whether or not the Oilers make any lineup changes aside from the obvious of inserting the recently-called-up Colten Teubert in place of the recently-injured Alex Plante is completely dependent on whether or not Ales Hemsky makes his return.

Out since December 22 with a sinus infection, Hemsky will be a gametime decision.

"I think he felt good. He'll have a nap this afternoon and we'll see how he's doing when we get to the rink. I'll listen to him and see what he's thinking," said Renney. 

"He's skated the last three days and again this morning. He's really feeling like it's settling down. Whether or not it's at the point where he can play tonight, we'll find out this afternoon."

If Hemsky draws in, Renney hinted that either Ben Eager or Darcy Hordichuk could potentially be sitting out.

"(Whether both Eager and Hordichuk play) hinges on Ales and how he feels when he comes back this afternoon. I think both guys give us size, strength that we need in our lineup. They're not afraid of too many people in this league so that's always a good thing."

Nikolai Khabibulin gets the start in goal for Edmonton while Nik Backstrom starts for the Wild.

-- Marc Ciampa, edmontonoilers.com

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