Edmonton Oilers give Ekholm injury update ahead of Game 2

A disappointing Game 1 loss won’t be enough for the Edmonton Oilers to insert Mattias Ekholm into the lineup on Friday night.

Ekholm, who has yet to suit up in the playoffs, had originally been ruled out for the first two games of the Western Conference Final versus the Dallas Stars, though there was some belief he may be able to return sooner after joining his teammates for practice in recent days.

The Oilers could desperately use the 34-year-old stalwart back in the lineup, but it appears as though they will need to wait at least one more game before he is given the go-ahead to play.

“No,” head coach Kris Knoblauch said matter-of-factly when asked if there was any chance we’d see Ekholm in Game 2. “He’s not ready.”

Though the Oilers were able to get by the LA Kings and Vegas Golden Knights in Ekholm’s absence, the Stars proved a much bigger challenge in Game 1. Assistant coach Paul Coffey was forced to switch up his defensive pairings several times throughout the outing as his blueline struggled to contain the Stars’ high-powered offence.

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The Oilers were able to get by with mixing and matching their pairings through the opening two periods, but it didn’t work out in the third, as they gave up five unanswered goals to fall to the Stars by a 6-3 final.

The Oilers will be relying heavily on this blue line, along with goaltender Stuart Skinner, to carry their weight in Game 2, as it is imperative that they are able to get a split on the road before returning to Rogers Place.

Though Ekholm will remain out on Friday, it seems as though there is a real chance he’s ready to go for Game 3 on Sunday back in Edmonton.

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