Edmonton Oilers coach gets angered at practice and decided to make some changes
The Edmonton Oilers are back on the ice for practice after a tough loss to the Carolina Hurricanes and it's clear that Coach Kris Knoblauch is aiming to wake up his team.
Midway through practice, Kris Knoblauch stopped a drill and gathered the players for a huddle and he was showing sign that he wasn't pleased with their effort of his team in the pratice. With the Edmonton Oilers off to a slow start, it seems like this kind of wake-up call was needed and that Knoblauch chose the right moment to do it.
Significant changes were also made to the line combinations like Jeff Skinner was demoted to the third line, and Vasily Podkolzin moving up to the second. Corey Perry was absent and was leading to prospect Roby Jarventie stepping in as a temporary replacement.
With another move Kris Knoblauch reshuffled the powerplay units and Jeff Skinner has taken Ryan Nugent-Hopkins' spot on the top unit with the hope that Skinner's scoring ability will provide more space for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Victor Arvidsson replaced Zach Hyman on the first unit too which is signaling a more balanced approach with two distinct powerplay groups. Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins who were both struggling to start the season, were bumped to the second unit.
The Oilers' slow start has put them near the bottom of the Western Conference and a crucial game against the Pittsburgh Penguins is in the looming.
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