EDMONTON — When it rains or pours.
Although this saying is closely associated with bad luck, it can also be used for good luck.
Case and point: Edmonton Oilers forward Jeff Skinner.
When the Oilers hit their warmups prior to their last game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Kris Knoblauch decided to mix up the top-six forward combinations. He had Viktor Arvidsson, Connor McDavid, and Zach Hyman as the top line with Leon Draisaitl centering Vasily Podkolzin and the aforementioned Skinner.
Both Arvidsson and Skinner scored as a result.
While Knoblauch has been a big fan of Arvidsson (with the deployment to back it up) he hasn’t been as big of a fan of Skinner’s game. That was until the game against the Blackhawks changed his thinking.
If It’s Not Broken, Don’t Fix It
As the Oilers take to the ice this morning before they go toe-to-toe with the Colorado Avalanche, we caught a glimpse of the line combinations.
Knoblauch appears to be a fan of how consistently Skinner has played defensively. In turn, he’s rewarded with another game on Draisaitl’s wing.
Oilers lines & pairings – Friday’s Morning Skate:
Arvidsson – McDavid – Hyman
Skinner – Draisaitl – Podkolzin
Janmark – RNH – Brown
Perry – Henrique – KapanenEkholm – Bouchard
Nurse – Klingberg
Kulak – Emberson
StecherSkinner
Pickard #Oilers— Tony Brar 🚀 (@TonyBrarOTV) February 7, 2025
Judging from today’s Morning Skate, the Oilers will use the same forward and defense combinations for tonight. Stuart Skinner will be the starting goaltender for the team’s last game before the 4 Nations Faceoff.
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This is a nice reward for the veteran forward, who is coming off a two-point performance against the Blackhawks. He has three goals and one assist in his last five games.
The Avalanche look a little different than they did the last time these two teams met. Mikko Rantanen is out and Martin Necas is in. Despite the Avalanche trading out one of their best players, they are still a lethal team, with the likes of Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar wreaking havoc.
Catch the Oilers’ last game before a…