McDrai split: Oilers make line changes ahead of potentially historic game
The Edmonton Oilers will be running some new forward lines in tomorrow’s potentially historic game against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Head coach Kris Knoblauch revealed some new-look lines at the top of his forward group. This comes after a lengthy All-Star break as the team prepares to fly to Vegas with a chance to tie the NHL record for longest win streak of 17 games, which was set by the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins.
Sports 1440’s Jason Gregor had the lines run at Rogers Place this morning.
Kane on ice after missing yesterday with an illness.
RNH-McDavid-Hyman
Kane-Draisaitl-Foegele
Holloway-McLeod-Perry
Janmark-Ryan-Brown
GagnerNurse-Ceci
Ekholm-Bouchard
Desharnais-KulakSkinner will start tomorrow as Oilers try to tie NHL record with 17th consecutive win.
— Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) February 5, 2024
The most obvious change is that Knoblauch has decided to separate Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl after two games together. As a result, McDavid will have Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman on Edmonton’s top line. That trio has had some excellent results over the last month and a half.
Draisaitl has been moved down to the second line alongside Evander Kane and Warren Foegele. That line has had its hiccups but has also seen good results, particularly from Foegele, who is on pace for a career season.
New addition Corey Perry will continue to play on the team’s third line alongside Ryan McLeod and Dylan Holloway. Those three played together in Perry’s debut against the Nashville Predators and seemed to generate a decent bit of chemistry. It’s a unique line that combines McLeod and Holloway’s speed with Perry’s experience.
The fourth line also remains static as Sam Gagner appears to be the one in the pressbox as PK specialists Mattias Janmark, Derek Ryan, and Connor Brown round things out.
As usual, Knoblauch has left the defensive pairs untouched, while Stuart Skinner is expected to get a chance to record his 13th straight victory.
It’s not a drastically different lineup from what the Oilers have run for the majority of their historic winning streak, but the timing of the changes is curious. The Oilers were playing some messy hockey in the games before the All-Star break, and Knoblauch had to make adjustments.
Now that the team has had some time to relax, it appears Knoblauch wants to give that old lineup another chance to hit its stride.
We’ll see how it goes when the Oilers attempt to make history in Sin City tomorrow night.
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