Oilers Make Major Changes To Defense

EDMONTON -- "Oh, the times, they are a-changin'.'"

Win, lose, or draw, change is inevitable. Even when things are good, change happens. The Edmonton Oilers are experiencing this firsthand at practice today.

The Oilers are 8-2-0 in their last 10 games. Despite winning last night's bout with the Boston Bruins, Kris Knoblauch has elected to switch things up on the backend at today's practice.

Darnell Nurse found himself alongside offensive dynamo Evan Bouchard. Mattias Ekholm was paired up with Ty Emberson, with Brett Kulak and Troy Stecher forming the third pairing.

Nurse has been extremely good this season, and now he'll be tasked with helping Bouchard whenever he struggles defensively. Ekholm and Emberson have already formed a pairing on the penalty kill, where the newcomer has carved out a vital and often thankless role on the team.

Kulak has also been a standout this season. He's been tasked with carrying a much heavier load this year. Compared to last year, he is playing nearly four and a half minutes more minutes per game. Over 32 games this season, he has averaged 19:41 minutes per night. He hasn't averaged under 20 minutes a night over the last six games.

Coaches often experiment with their lineups during the playoffs. However, if things go sideways quickly, throwing the pairings into a blender at this time of year will yield fewer negative results.

Despite the pairings a-changin', hopefully, the success that this team has been enjoying doesn't a-change too.

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