PROJECTED LINEUP: Oilers vs. Avalanche

EDMONTON, AB – The Edmonton Oilers can have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the highest line alongside Zach Hyman on Friday evening after they host the Colorado Avalanche at Rogers Place.

Head Coach Kris Knoblauch says the choice to load up the highest line with the Dynamic Duo and their main goalscorer is to account for Colorado’s prime unit of Nathan MacKinnon, Jonathan Drouin and Mikko Rantanen and the ice time that they will command tonight.

“We now have MacKinnon’s line that is going to be enjoying 23-to-25 minutes tonight, and we wish our greatest gamers out on the ice as a lot as doable,” Knoblauch stated. “Not essentially head-to-head, but when we go together with extra of a four-line technique, it makes it a little bit tougher to get our guys on the ice as a lot as we wish to.”

Stuart Skinner is anticipated to be again between the pipes tonight to make his 53rd begin of the season towards Alexandar Georgiev, who leads the NHL in wins this season with 37 for Colorado.

The Oilers netminder made 40 saves whereas Georgiev stopped 32 pictures to earn the win of their final assembly towards the Avalanche, which ended with a 3-2 victory for Colorado in additional time again on Mar. 16 at Rogers Place. All 4 of their earlier contests and 6 of their final seven matchups have gone additional time, with the Oilers proudly owning a 2-0-5 file in these video games.