The Oilers will be loading the wagon in Game 3, much like they did the game prior, keeping Leon Draisaitl on the top line against the Canucks.
Banged up in Game 1, Drasiatil was questionable for Game 2 but ended up not just playing but ripping Vancouver apart all night en route to a 4-3 win in overtime.
But Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said that while Draisaitl is expected to start on the top line, the superstar might also return to centring his own line.
“I’m certain there’ll be times when he’ll be playing left wing with Connor, and there’ll be other times he’ll be centring his old line,” he said, via the Oilers website. “So we’ll see what Vancouver does with their lineup, and we’ll adjust from there.”
Another questionable player who did play in Game 2 was Adam Henrique. However, he was much less effective, playing just 11:38—his lowest ice-time total since joining the team ahead of the trade deadline. And ahead of Sunday night’s Game 3, Knoblauch said he will be out of the lineup due to his lingering ankle issue.
Connor Brown is expected to draw into the lineup to replace him, skating on the fourth line alongside Derek Ryan and Mattias Janmark.
Henrique, who was on the Oilers’ third line in Game 2 alongside Ryan McLeod and Corey Perry, is set to be replaced by Dylan Holloway, bumping up the lineup.
“I like how they’ve been playing. I have a lot of trust in them. I’m not hiding them,” said Knoblauch of the Oilers’ third and fourth lines, via the Oilers website. “There’ve been times I’ve had them go out there for a defensive zone face-off when I know they’re other teams top lines going to be out there, and they’ve held their own very well.
“And ultimately, that third or fourth line, what you want from them is obviously, you’d like to be a plus every night and have one more goal than the opposition. They’ve been a little snake bit and haven’t been scoring, but I think they’ve done a pretty good job of defending and spending time in the offensive zone.”
The Oilers’ defensive pairings are expected to stay the same.
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.
