OilersNation has reported:

The Edmonton Oilers visit the San Jose Sharks on Saturday afternoon for a 2 p.m. Mountain Time game, their first meeting with Darnell Nurse and San Jose this season. Edmonton has won three straight and earned seven of a possible eight points, while the Sharks are 3-1-0. The matchup will test whether the Oilers can maintain a tighter game against a young team that has opened the season with confidence and scoring ability.

Edmonton enters the game after Wednesday’s 5-2 win over Anaheim. The Oilers fell behind 2-0 before scoring five unanswered goals, producing an entertaining second period but also relying on a comeback after a poor start. They have scored 22 goals through four games, an average of 5.50 per game, and have already recorded their best start to a season in years. Their next step is to play with more consistency and less looseness over a full 60 minutes.

The Oilers have allowed goals at a rate that remains a concern, even though Devon Levi gave up only three goals across his last two games. Levi started three consecutive games and won each one. Tristan Jarry is expected to start in San Jose, his first appearance since opening night, when he allowed six goals against Vancouver. The game offers him a chance to respond after a difficult first outing, but it is still early in the season and not a make-or-break start.

Jarry’s position has become more pressured as Levi has taken advantage of his run in goal. Edmonton supporters are already watching Jarry closely, and another poor performance could intensify scrutiny. He will need to give his teammates a solid foundation if he hopes to earn more frequent starts. The Oilers’ game-day preview said the team still believes Jarry can perform better than he did against Vancouver or last season, but he must show it on the ice.

San Jose has scored three goals per game through its first four contests and has enough skill to punish Edmonton if it plays carelessly. Macklin Celebrini was a game-time decision before Thursday’s win over St. Louis and did not take part in the Sharks’ practice the following day. His status for Saturday remains uncertain. The Sharks’ lineup would present a different challenge with Celebrini available, and Edmonton will have to account for him if he plays.

The Sharks are allowing 3.50 goals per game, but their 3-1-0 start shows they have been able to outscore some of their defensive problems. Their penalty kill is operating at 78.6 per cent. Edmonton’s power play has converted at 25.0 per cent, setting up a potential advantage for the visitors if they can earn and use opportunities with the man advantage.

Edmonton’s penalty kill, at 64.3 per cent, is a more urgent concern. The Oilers gave Anaheim seven power-play opportunities on Wednesday, and the club’s game-day preview pointed to limiting penalties as the simplest way to reduce the burden on a struggling penalty kill. Keeping players out of the penalty box has been a recurring issue for the team, and San Jose’s scoring ability could make shorthanded situations costly.

Jason Dickinson returned to the Oilers’ lineup against Anaheim after missing a significant part of training camp and all of the pre-season. His playing time suggested the coaching staff is easing him back into action. Edmonton will need patience as he regains his conditioning, but his return adds an established NHL forward to a group that has dealt with injuries early in the season. The preview also identified Dickinson as a potential help for the penalty kill as he settles back in.

The Oilers are also looking for more offence from beyond their most productive players. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard have started strongly, but the team would benefit from contributions across the lineup. Isaac Howard, Trent Frederic and Max Jones were among the players singled out as candidates to add more. The preview did not call for major scoring nights from the depth players, but said broader scoring would make Edmonton harder to defend.

Edmonton’s listed forward lines have Vasily Podkolzin, McDavid and Draisaitl together; William Hallander, Dickinson and Kasperi Kapanen; Ostapchuk? No. The published Oilers combinations list included Podkolzin, McDavid, Draisaitl, Hallander, Dickinson, Kapanen, Formenton, Michaels, Joseph, Frederic, Samanski and Howard. On defence, the pairs were Mattias Ekholm with Bouchard, Shea with Murphy, and Jake Walman with Emberson. Jarry was listed as the starting goaltender.

San Jose’s listed forward combinations were Marchment with Smith and Chernyshov; Stenberg with Wennberg and Sherwood; Graf with Misa and Toffoli; and Goodrow with Ostapchuk and Dellandrea. The defensive pairs were Nurse with Kesselring, Dickinson with Trouba, and Orlov with Cagnoni. Askarov was listed in goal. The preview said attention would be on the Sharks’ pre-game skate for an indication of whether Celebrini would be able to play.

The game-day outlook called for Edmonton to have another shaky start but recover for a 4-3 overtime win. It also predicted that the Oilers’ penalty kill would concede another goal, and forecast a two-goal game from Howard. The preview framed the main priorities as starting on time, avoiding penalties and giving Jarry time to settle in, while hoping for more scoring support from lower in the lineup. A fourth consecutive win would send Edmonton to Los Angeles with momentum.