Oilers Coach Knoblauch Doubles Down on Team's Best Lineup for Tonight's Game

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Liam McCormick
November 12, 2024 (12:22)

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Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch is known to mix up the lineup quite frequently, so when he runs the same lineup twice in a row, it's a sign he's satisfied with the combinations.

Today at practice, Knoblauch doubled down on the lineup from last game for tonight's matchup against the New York Islanders.

Notably, Jeff Skinner is getting the assignment as the first line left winger, a change that most Oilers fans wanted to see. Skinner had been playing great and getting chances, but was buried on the third line. With McDavid, Jeff Skinner can get back to his usual scoring rate of over 30 goals a year.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has been moved off the first line and is now centring the third line, with Adam Henrique and Connor Brown. The hope will be that Nuge can feast against bottom six opponents, and give the Oilers the ability to run three complete lines.

The second line, fourth line, and defence pairings will remain mostly as they have all season so far. Troy Stecher is still paired with Darnell Nurse, but Brett Kulak has been getting plenty of looks at that position in the most important minutes, and doing well.

Many Oilers fans believe this is the best possible lineup the team can ice at the moment, maybe with the exception of Noah Philp. It's most important that Jeff Skinner is being properly used on the first line, which could be a major difference maker for Edmonton.

In goal, Stuart Skinner will get the start again, still looking to find consistency in his game this year. At the end of last game's blowout win, Skinner was visibly angered with his teammates, demanding better defensive efforts. We'll see if that translates into tonight's game.

The New York Islanders have far less talent than the Edmonton Oilers, but they'll still need to bring their best to win. The Isles have a reputation for hard defensive play, but they themselves struggle to score. The Oilers need to keep New York off the scoreboard early, and overwhelm them in the offensive zone.