Yahoo Sports Oilers Reveal Surprising New Lineup Against Kings
The only constant is change.
That seems to be Kris Knoblauch's modus operandi since Christmas. He's made lineup changes before almost every game since the holiday break, with today marking his biggest yet.
The Oilers will be icing an 11-7 lineup tonight against Los Angeles, one of the first times they've done so since Jay Woodcroft's coaching tenure.
Changes. Skinner in goal and Josh Brown in for Derek Ryan. Oilers will go 11-7
RNH - McDavid - Hyman
Podkolzin - Draisaitl - Arvidsson
Janmark - Henrique - Brown
Perry - - Kapanen
Ekholm - Bouchard
Nurse - Stecher
Kulak - Emberson
J. Brown
Skinner— Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) January 13, 2025
The 11-7 lineup was a Woodcroft staple. It allows Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl more ice time while sheltering some of the team's weaker defenders, namely Josh Brown and Troy Stecher.
Tonight, it will also allow Knoblauch to lean on his three most common forward lines, as the top nine from the beginning of the season are reunited. In all likelihood, Draisaitl's line will take on the Kings' big guns while McDavid gets big minutes against an easier matchup. Adam Henrique's third line cleans up the rest, while Corey Perry and Kasperi Kapanen rotate on and off McDavid and Draisaitl's wings.
On defence, the top pair will stay intact while Brown, Stecher, Brett Kulak, and Ty Emberson will be in a constant rotation.
This is a big change for Knoblauch, who typically ices a more traditional lineup and doesn't hard match his lines. But this is a huge game for Edmonton, with a chance at creating some separation from the Kings, who have been neck and neck with them for weeks.
Anything to keep McDavid and Draisaitl on the ice and away from the Kings' shutdown centres and top defence pair. It remains to be seen how Los Angeles will react to a gambit they've seen many times before from their playoff nemesis.
Tonight's puck drop is at 7:30, on Sportsnet.
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