McDrai reunited: Oilers change lines after ugly showing versus Stars
The Edmonton Oilers are hoping that some line changes can result in a much better performance tonight versus the Colorado Avalanche.
The Oilers had a horrendous game on Wednesday versus the Dallas Stars, falling by a 5-0 final. It was a tough showing against one of the Western Conference’s top Stanley Cup contenders, and has resulted in head coach Kris Knoblauch making some big lineup changes for tonight.
The biggest chance of all comes to their first line, as Leon Draisaitl will play on Connor McDavid’s left wing, with Zach Hyman playing on the right. The second line will see Ryan Nugent-Hopkins centring Adam Henrique and Warren Foegele, while Ryan McLeod will play down the middle of the third line with Evander Kane and Corey Perry on his wings.
The fourth line will feature Derek Ryan down the middle with Mattias Janmark and Connor Brown, indicating that Sam Carrick will be a healthy scratch.
The blue-line pairings will remain the same, with Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard on the top pairing, along with Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci on the second. The third pairing will feature Brett Kulak and Vincent Desharnais, meaning Troy Stecher will be a healthy scratch for the third-straight outing.
Stuart Skinner will draw the start after the Oilers gave Calvin Pickard a surprising start on Wednesday. He didn’t have much help, but was far from great, allowing five goals on 32 shots for a .843 save percentage (SV%).
This will mark the second time the Oilers have faced the Avalanche within the past month, as they fell to them by a 3-2 overtime final on March 16. They will also go against them in their final game of the regular season on April 18. Both games will be good measuring sticks to see how the Oilers match up against a team many believe is the best in the Western Conference. Puck drop is set for 7 pm MT.
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