Major shake-up on Oilers defence, and ace forward missing from practice
This in from Bob Stauffer of the Oilers, news that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins wasn't on the ice for Sunday's practice, with Jeff Skinner filling in on the top line for him. The Oilers have also taken the blender to their d-man pairings and mixed them up from Game 2.
The EdmontonOilers practice:
J. Skinner-McDavid-Perry Kane-Draisaitl-Kapanen Frederic-Henrique-Brown Podkolzin-Janmark-Arvidsson
Nurse-Bouchard Kulak-Walman Ekholm-Klingberg
Skinner Pickard
(RNH not on ice)
1. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins didn't miss a shift in all five periods of Game 2, but my Cult colleague Kurt Leavins noted that in the final part of the game Evander Kane took faceoffs on RNH's line. Does that indicate some kind of arm, hand or wrist injury for RNH?
RNH has 18 points in 18 playoff games and has played much stronger two-way hockey at even strength than in his two previous playoff seasons.
2. The Oilers have switched up their d-man pairings but not in a way that makes a ton of obvious good sense.
While Evan Bouchard and Darnell Nurse had good results in their short time together in the regular season (10 goals for, six against), they were something of a tire fire in early games against Los Angeles. They were on the ice for five goals for, ten against.
The Oilers only found their defensive mojo when Bouchard and Nurse were split up, Bouchard playing with Brett Kulak (seven goals for, one against) Nurse with Troy Stecher (two goals for, none against).
3. That said a change here was essential. Nurse was struggling to make plays paired up with Brett Kulak. Too many icings and too many turnovers from Nurse. Perhaps the idea here is that Bouchard has now hit his full playoff stride and has reached the highest, most elite level when it comes to puck-moving so he can do the heavy-lifting in that regard when he's on-ice with Nurse.
4. I don't mind the other two pairings at all, though I note that if the Oilers stick with these pairings they will be going with three pairings that have rarely taken the ice together.
5. Ekholm and Klingberg have played together just eight minutes in the playoffs and just 17 minutes in the regular season, when they were zero goals for, two against. Walman and Kulak played just 12 minutes together at even strength in the regular season and just 17 minutes in the playoffs.
I would have preferred to see Nurse go with Walman, keeping Ekholm and Bouchard together, and Kulak with Klingberg.
But I'm glad the Oilers have responded and are moving away from the struggling Nurse-Kulak pairing. They've got to try to do something to get Nurse flying high again, as he was when paired with Troy Stecher.
6. If RNH is out, and has to play hurt, that's a huge blow but I'm also a fan of Jeff Skinner. He can make plays and his defensive game has improved.
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