The Edmonton Oilers have made a few changes to the line-up after Saturday’s win against the Dallas Stars. Dylan Holloway, who missed the Saturday game due to illness, will draw back and be on the fourth line with Sam Gagner and Derek Ryan.
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The biggest change for Oilers fans, which took longer than it should’ve, is that Connor Brown will be watching the game from the press box. I’ve wanted Brown to get better real badly. But on top of his offense being non-existent, he was on the ice for all three of the goals Edmonton allowed against Dallas. There were four other teammates on the ice, but he looked a tad disinterested in the backcheck on every single goal. When I wrote my article reviewing Brown’s season last month, I complimented Brown’s defensive work and forechecking even though that painstaking first goal was still not coming. But even that side of that took a step backward. Sometimes, when things aren’t going well for one part of your game, it will eventually take away all sorts of confidence and worsen everything else you do.
This is his first healthy scratch since Dec 21st, 2023, against the New Jersey Devils. Edmonton won that game 6-3. Hopefully, whenever he draws back into the Oilers line-up, it may spark something in him. Perhaps he can use the disappointment to find some kind of lucky bounce, and it’ll repair his confidence.
