Oilers coach Knoblauch failed to get the best of McDavid in playoffs
In highly competitive playoff series, home ice is a huge advantage for multiple reasons, one of them being the all important last change.
At home in the playoffs the Oilers should be able to get favourable matchups for McDavid, but Knoblauch has shown he's not interested in taking that advantage. Through the first two games of the series, McDavid has played nearly all his ice time against the Kings' top players.
To be honest, there's no reason why Knoblauch shouldn't have taken advantage of last change through the first two games, and get Connor McDavid out against the Kings weakest competition at some moments, like after an icing. Some coaches argue that consistently rolling the lines and not engaging in line matching keeps the entire team more engaged, and while that can be true, Knoblauch needs to find some favourable scenarios for his elite players. Former coach Jay Woodcroft often ran the team with 11 forwards and seven defence, just to get McDavid and the stars some extra looks.
The Oilers top six should be able to dominate any lineups they're faced with, but taking any advantage available can make a difference in a right playoff series, and McDavid could've been eating against the Kings fourth line. It's never certain when a game will be decided by one goal, so every opportunity they can, the Oilers should look for mismatches on the ice at home. Now heading into Los Angeles tonight, the Oilers depth may be tested if the Kings try to take advantage of last change - hopefully, they're up to the challenge.
| POLL | ||
Should Knoblauch have taken advantage of last change at home in the playoffs, or just roll the lines? | ||
| Use last change for an advantage | 155 | 55.2 % |
| Roll the lines, keep everyone going | 107 | 38.1 % |
| See Results | 19 | 6.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
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