During yesterday’s 3-2 comeback overtime win against the Boston Bruins, Oilers Head Coach Kris Knoblauch experimented with new defensive pairings in the third period. This decision worked in Edmonton’s favor, as he paired Evan Bouchard with Brett Kulak, Mattias Ekholm with Ty Emberson, and Darnell Nurse with Troy Stecher. These adjustments played a crucial role in sparking the comeback that tied the game at 2-2 late in the third period, ultimately leading to Ekholm sealing the overtime victory with a beautiful one-timer, sending Rogers Place into a frenzy.
“I think we just needed a change. Tonight wasn’t a pretty change, wasn’t our best game, but we wanted to change some things up. That new partner gives players a different outlook, hopefully, a little energy, and a little more focus to their game.”
Kris Knoblauch’s post-game thoughts on switching the D-pairings in the third period
“I don’t know how many shifts I’ve had without Bouch. We’ve been pretty steady together but, as of late, there has been more for us that we want to achieve than we have been.”
Ekholm’s post-game thoughts on Knoblauch splitting up him and Bouch
At Friday’s practice, Knoblauch continued to shuffle the defensive pairings, moving Darnell Nurse with Bouchard, Ekholm with Emberson, and Kulak with Luke Stecher. The pairing of Nurse and Bouchard will be interesting to watch, especially since Nurse has been performing well this season, posting a +11 +/- stat while scoring 15 points through 29 games. The hope is that this new combination will help Bouchard play more defensively sound ahead of Saturday’s matchup against the Sharks, especially after a rough week of defensive play for Bouch.
Ekholm and Emberson have already formed a successful pairing on the penalty kill this season. The aim is for that success to transfer to five-on-five play as the second defensive pairing. However, if the new combinations do not work, adjustments can always be made. Knoblauch has a solid track record of tweaking the lineup throughout his time with the Edmonton Oilers, even though the pairings have remained relatively consistent for three months this season.
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