Oilers face the Stars with a goaltending change. Can Edmonton capitalize on the Stars' backup and find consistency?
The Edmonton Oilers are heading to Dallas after a gut-punch Monday, surrendering a late goal to the St. Louis Blues that snapped the Blues' seven-game win streak. The Oilers are taking it on the chin again, proving that consistency remains an issue.
As the Oilers try to rebound, they're getting some potentially good news, offering a possible edge over their opponent, the Dallas Stars.
Following news that goaltender Jake Oettinger and his wife had a new baby this week, the Stars' starter won't be in goal. He showed up Tuesday morning for practice, but it was confirmed that Casey DeSmith will be the Stars’ starting goalie.
Oettinger's appearance on the ice was a bit surprising, given the news that he had recently added to his family. He stayed late following the morning skate, and the Stars will give him a game to rest.
For Edmonton, facing DeSmith instead of Oettinger could be a small advantage, but they’ll need to play a full 60 minutes. The way things have gone for the Oilers of late, there's no guarantee that kind of effort is coming.
The Oilers are aware that they aren't playing their best hockey. If they can't find a way to put forth a consistent effort, it might not matter who is in goal for the opposing team. The Oilers have found a way to string points together over their first 10 games, but Monday's game against St. Louis also showed they have the capability to simply give points away.
This Stars team is traditionally far too strong for the Oilers to show up lethargic and uninspired.
Oilers Issues Aren't Mysterious, They're Just Not Getting Addressed
The Oilers' predictable, unresolved issues plague their performance. Unaddressed five-on-five struggles and defensive lapses cost them crucial wins.
Stuart Skinner, who bested Oettinger in the playoffs, will have to be much better than Calvin Pickard was Monday night. Evan Bouchard is likely on his last chance to snap out of his funk before the coach has little choice but to sit him after several games in which he has been prone to 10-bell mistakes.
The Oilers (6-5-3) face a Dallas team (6-3-3) riding two straight overtime wins, meaning the margin for error is slim.
Edmonton activated defenseman Alec Regula off injured reserve on Tuesday, which means he might be slotted into the lineup versus Dallas. With Regula back, it seems that a decision on the team's blue line is imminent. There's been talk that one of Troy Stecher or Ty Emberson could be the odd man out.
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