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Oilers vs Predators - Perry Plays |
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Today marks the first appearance of Corey Perry in an Oilers uniform. The lineup looks to be set up like below:
Draisaitl-McDavid-Hyman
Kane-RNH-Foegele
Holloway-McLeod-Perry
Janmark-Ryan-Brown
Ekholm-Bouchard
Nurse-Ceci
Kulak-Desharnais
Skinner
The Oilers continue to roll wins off with ease but there are some habits that have popped up in their last few games that are somewhat concerning. The team has not started games well and in general the top players aren't generating as much offense as you would like to see.
The good news is that McDavid and Draisaitl are never snakebit for too long. The fact that the team is still playing a strong defensive game and getting solid secondary scoring and winning without their top players at their best shows how far this group has come.
A Holloway-McLeod-Perry line should be exciting to see in action. It is a third line with skill, speed, and physicality to match. Holloway has looked excellent since his return and McLeod has really broken out this year. Adding a strong veteran who still has some hands and a great net front presence should be excellent to see.
Hopefully the injection of Perry into the lineup plus Draisaitl's love of playing the Predators both mean a convincing win by the Edmonton Oilers. While winning strong team 1 goal games is great to see... a blowout win by the Oilers would be nice for a Saturday afternoon.
Quick thought on Calvin Pickard who was excellent in his shutout against the Blackhawks. Unless a phenomenal deal pops up, I don't think Holland should invest any assets in upgrading the goaltending at the deadline; instead focusing on the defense or another solid forward addition.
Stuart Skinner is 100% the starter for this team and has been outstanding since late November. Calvin Pickard has proven he can be a reliable backup and at the very least keep the team in games. If Skinner was to get injured, obviously that would be a concern but which team in the NHL could you say wouldn't be in trouble without their starter (aside from Boston).
I don't know if there is a goalie out there that a team will want to trade that can be a starter if Skinner was to go out. Blackwood is the only name that comes to mind. Should the Oilers spend assets (and cap) on if a situation possibly could happen or should they focus on the rest of the roster?
Thanks for reading.
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • 
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