What’s up with new, jumbled lines at Edmonton Oilers practice today?

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This in from TSN’s Ryan Rishaug at the Edmonton Oilers practice today, some new lines:

Lines were a bit jumbled but best guess at today’s formation. Full team skate.

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Pod (93) McDavid Brown
Skinner Draisaitl Kane
Frederic Henrique Arvidsson
Kapanen Janmark Perry

RNH not on ice. 92 place holding

Skinner in what was starters net last time they skated here.

They showed a few different looks through practice so not taking any of this too serious. Best guess is Kapanen and Klingberg are back in, but unclear who’s going to skate where. Would expect an optional tomorrow.

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My take

1. The key line from Rishaug? “Not taking any of this too serious.” I suspect Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch wasn’t going to tip his hand at practice today. We could see completely different lines in Game 6.

And yet, while the lines are important, the key thing is the team’s confidence. In the first four games of the series the Oilers averaged 20 Grade A shots per game. They snapped the puck around like they meant it. In Game 5, they had just nine Grade A shots.

The key for them is to play Oilers hockey again, not react to refs or to the Panthers playing their “Dead Puck” smothering hockey.

Edmonton has to impose its will and its game in the final two games of the Stanley Cup Final.

2. I have a strong sense we’ll see McDavid and Draisaitl on the same line Game 6. Of course, much  of this comes down to the health of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and whether he’s able to take face-offs and centre his own line. He took just three faceoffs last game, winning just one.

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3. It would be a shocker not to see Stuart Skinner back in net. Calvin Pickard faced tough shots in Game 4 but he didn’t stop enough of them. Skinner has had time to reset and he often comes back strong after sitting out a game or two or three.

4. The Oilers need to be more dynamic and effective moving the puck. John Klingberg brings that so it would make sense that he plays, with Stecher come out after an iffy game moving the puck in Game 4.

5. I’m not a huge fan of Kane and Draisailt on the same line together. They’ve played 68 minutes together in the playoffs and are four goals for, four goals against. They have both done better when matched with other players. They can both struggle at times in the d-zone. If RNH is good to go at centre, he’s a better match for Kane. RNH can use Kane’s size and aggression and Kane benefits from RNH’s positional smarts and stability in the d-zone.

RNH with Kane and Zach Hyman was an excellent two-way line. How about RNH with Kane and Kapanen or Podkolzin

6. I like Brown as a checker, but not on the top line. Strikes me Arvidsson might work there, even as he’s played little with McDavid. How about Draisaitl, McDavid and Arvidsson as the top line, followed by RNH, Kane and Kapanen?

At the Cult of Hockey

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