The Oilers look to start their road trip off right against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday.

There's nothing you can do about a hot goalie.

You can dominate puck possession, you can fire as many shots as you want on net, but if the other team's goalie is hot you're just out of luck. The Edmonton Oilers were out of luck last week, losing two straight to Detroit and Toronto despite putting up more than 45 shots in both games.

The game-saving performances of Alex Lyon and Joseph Woll have halted the Oilers' momentum, dropping them to 3-3-1 in their past seven games. With all four of those losses coming by one goal, the Oilers need to figure out why they keep coming up one goal short before it becomes a trend.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyLNBLX9Ni8[/embed]

They'll get their first shot at turning their shooting luck around tonight against the St. Louis Blues, a middling team with middling goaltending. Sitting seven points out of the final wildcard spot in the Western Conference, the Blues have struggled to find consistency all season long. Their only regulation win in their last seven games came on Sunday over Utah.

The biggest Blues storyline for Oilers fans is still the performance of Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg. While Broberg's production has stalled, Holloway is second on the team in goals (16) and points (38), which would both be good for fourth on the Oilers.

Trending Oilers Articles

Oilers' Recent Loss Reveals Great Need

Oilers Top Prospect Shows Off Wheels At AHL Skills Competition

Oilers Can't Let Busy Trade Season Pass Them By

Oilers Forward Continues Clawing Out Of Doghouse

Holloway's breakout only emphasizes the Oilers' lack of secondary scoring. They still have only five forwards with over 30 points and just one more with even 20. 

Despite their dominant expected results (a league-best 55.96 xG%), the Oilers have scored 7.87 fewer goals than expected this season. That's not catastrophic, but it can lead to frustrating one-goal losses and points left on the table. They can't afford that as they fight for their first division title in over 35 years, and they simply need more from their secondary scoring.

[gallery ids="148,149,150,151"]

It was that secondary scoring that led them to a 4-2 win over the Blues in their last meeting on December 7th. Corey Perry and Troy Stecher joined Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman on the scoresheet that night as the Oilers scored 4 goals on just 21 shots against Jordan Binnington. 

With only three games left before the 4 Nations Face-Off break, the Oilers need to finish strong to set themselves up for the stretch run. That strong finish starts tonight in St. Louis at 6:00 pm. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more. Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.