Oilers coach Knoblauch will be forced to make critical decision with win streak on the line
The Edmonton Oilers locked up their sixteenth straight win against Nashville, and now heading into their extended break, they've earned some time to rest and recover before playing the Vegas Golden Knights to tie the all-time record team win streak of 17. After that however, the Oilers will need to set a new record of 18, and Coach Knoblauch may be forced to make a tough choice in that game. It's very possible that Calvin Pickard is slotted to be the starting goaltender.
The game that would be their 18th straight win is the first half of a back to back against the Ducks, with the next game being against the LA Kings. If Knoblauch were to play goalies customarily, the backup goalie Calvin Pickard would face the weaker team in the Ducks to potentially set the record for a win streak. Jason Gregor explained the situation on OilersNation.
If the Oilers and Knoblauch truly want the best chance of setting the win streak record with 18, they may want to consider playing Stuart Skinner in that game, and allow Pickard to start against the Kings. However, the matchup against the Kings will likely be much tougher, and will have greater implications in the standings.
It'll be extremely interesting to see what Knoblauch decides to do in this situation, and if he'll adjust coaching strategy to go for the all time record.
| POLL | ||
Who should the Oilers start against the Ducks with the streak on the line? | ||
| Stuart Skinner | 359 | 46.4 % |
| Calvin Pickard | 242 | 31.3 % |
| Jack Campbell | 109 | 14.1 % |
| See Results | 63 | 8.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
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