Oilers coach Knoblauch confirms starting lineup for playoff game 1

This morning the Edmonton Oilers held an optional morning skate in preparation for their first playoff game tonight against the LA Kings. Coach Knoblauch confirmed the starting lines would look the same as yesterday's practice.

The most notable changes to what we've seen throughout the year is Henrique still up on the first line, Nugent-Hopkins with Draisaitl, Dylan Holloway on the third line, and Evander Kane way down on the fourth line. Yesterday's Oilers practice also brought news of injuries to Evander Kane and Mattias Janmark, both of whom will be in the lineup today. Kane surprisingly revealed that he's suffering from a sports hernia, a very serious injury, and he's not even close to 100% healthy.




Even Coach Knoblauch has admitted to feeling some nerves and excitement heading into tonight's game. It's his first playoff game as an NHL head coach - and Knoblauch himself will be thrust into the fire of mind games between coaches in the playoffs. Hopefully he's up to the challenge, and has the ability to make the right adaptions at the right time.

Throughout this entire season, Knoblauch has juggled the lines incessantly, trying to find the perfect combinations for this time of year. This lineup is his final product, and should be expertly tailored to beating the Kings' pesky neutral zone trap style of hockey. In the ninth year of Connor McDavid's career, everyone is expecting the Oilers to finally go deep in the playoffs. Now, they just have to execute.