Head Coach Knoblauch taking heavy criticism for a bold decision

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Liam McCormick
January 9, 2024 (3:48 PM)

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Tonight, the Edmonton Oilers are visiting the Chicago Blackhawks for a game on the road, trying to secure their eighth consecutive win. It should be a pretty easy assignment, given the Blackhawks were already the worst team in the league before being horribly plagued by a series of injuries.

Heading into the game, coach Knoblauch clearly is treating the Blackhawks like any other team - like it could be a close game and the Oilers need every advantage they can get for a win. With that in mind, Knoblauch is starting Stuart Skinner tonight, but many fans and analysts think that could be the wrong move.

Playing on the road against one of the worst teams in recent NHL history, this could be a prime opportunity to rest Stuart Skinner and give some playing time to backup goalie Calvin Pickard, who has impressed in the limited opportunities he's been given. The Oilers should still easily handle the Hawks with Pickard in net, so the decision to start Skinner is questionable.

On Twitter, more than a few fans expressed dissatisfaction with the decision to start Skinner on short rest over the clearly capable Pickard.

Clearly, Knoblauch isn't taking a risk by falling into a trap game, and is dressing his absolute best lineup tonight in response. Along with Skinner starting, forward Sam Gagner remains scratched as Knoblauch said he wouldn't re-enter the lineup while the team was on their current run of success. With these moves, the Oilers really better be able to pull off their eighth straight win in Chicago tonight.