Edmonton Oilers head coach Khris Knoblauch has chosen to keep the winning lineup from Friday's strong 5-0 victory against the Washington Capitals for their upcoming game against the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday night.
Knoblauch shared the decision after the optional morning skate, as reported by Sportsnet's Gene Principe. The Oilers, under Knoblauch's leadership since Nov. 12, broke a three-game losing streak with the decisive win in Washington.
The win highlighted a comeback from star players, with Leon Draisaitl scoring twice and Connor McDavid assisting four times. Encouraged by this success, Knoblauch has opted for consistency, sticking with goaltender Stuart Skinner (5-7-1) for the next game.
Goaltending has been a concern this season, but Skinner's shutout improved his save percentage to .875 and lowered his goals-against average to 3.37, and Knoblauch has decided to role with the hot hand.
The Oilers-Ducks game will be broadcast on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ at 7 p.m. MT / 9 p.m. ET.
Oilers Lines:
Nugent-Hopkins - McDavid - Hyman
Kane - Draisaitl - Brown
Foegele - McLeod - Ryan
Janmark - Hamblin - Erne
Defensive Pairings:
Nurse - Ceci
Ekholm - Bouchard
Kulak - Desharnais
Starting Goalie:
Skinner
POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 26 | 259 ANSWERS Oilers head coach finally breaks the silence on tonight's starting goaltender How many goals will the Oilers score tonight? | ||
1 or 2 | 38 | 14.7 % |
3 or 4 | 94 | 36.3 % |
5 or 6+ | 103 | 39.8 % |
None | 24 | 9.3 % |
List of polls |