Edmonton Oilers should have rethought their goalie plan from the start.
Edmonton Oilers should have rethought their goalie plan from the start.
EDMONTON -- Edmonton Oilers versus Colorado Avalanche hockey has been electrifying hockey this season.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONQWnEYh0Sg[/embed]
At least, every game before this one.
In a surprising move, Kris Knoblauch gave the two best defensemen and the top five forwards the night off for the Oilers. What was even more puzzling is who was in net.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_kYSSEd5G8[/embed]
While it makes sense to play your starter against a top team like the Avalanche - Calvin Pickard should have gotten the nod to start the game. Instead, they iced a team that was lacking the top seven scorers against a regular Avalanche squad - with Stuart Skinner in net.
If the Oilers had started their big guns, then no harm, no foul. But you had to think he had considered the possibility that the game could have gotten out of hand quickly - which it inevitably did.
The Avalanche rushed out to a 4-0 lead after only 10:17 of the first period.
Knoblauch (luckily) recognized the error of his ways. To start the second period it was Pickard who came out to man the net for the Oilers.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xLCYJFh15o[/embed]
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