The Edmonton Oilers have a good problem on their hands heading into Thursday night's home game against the Chicago Blackhawks — and in hockey, good problems usually mean things are trending in the right direction.
Edmonton has won four straight games, their longest winning streak of the season, capped by a commanding 3-0 shutout victory over the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday. The streak has head coach Kris Knoblauch in an enviable position, but also a tricky one: forward Trent Frederic is ready to return from injury, meaning someone in a working lineup has to come out.
"Difficult decisions are often good ones to have," Knoblauch told reporters following Wednesday's practice.
The Magic Number
Edmonton's focus is squarely on a playoff clinch. The Oilers need 10 more points to officially secure their post-season berth, though Moneypuck currently places their odds of making it at 98.9 per cent. With the Anaheim Ducks dropping a regulation loss to the San Jose Sharks — capped by a Macklin Celebrini-led comeback — a win Thursday puts Edmonton level with Anaheim atop the Pacific Division standings.
Knoblauch has been preaching process over results, and his players are delivering.
"Our game isn't sexy right now. It's not fancy. It's just a lot of little things, and that's usually the difference between winning and losing. We have six defencemen and 12 forwards each night who are doing it."
Jones vs. Frederic: A Pleasant Headache
At the centre of the roster puzzle is Max Jones, who has quietly made a strong case to stay in the lineup even as Frederic returns to health. Jones scored his third goal of the season against Seattle on Tuesday — off his face, no less — putting his body in the right spot in front of the net. Despite playing just a fraction of the games Frederic has this season, Jones has only one fewer goal and point.
"He has played really well for us this season," Knoblauch said. "I've liked his energy, his speed, and also getting in on the forecheck with some hits. And he's been rewarded with goals as of late."
Equally impressive has been 24-year-old rookie Josh Samanski, whose defensive awareness has transformed him from a question mark into a genuine asset. In 18 games, the Oilers have outscored opponents 8-5 with him on the ice, and he carries a 54.73 expected goal percentage. Both Jones and Samanski are currently on emergency recalls.
Veteran Adam Henrique is another name in the mix — and not necessarily for a good reason. Henrique's goalless drought extended to 50 games on Tuesday. While he contributed a solid all-around effort and continues to be relied upon for penalty kill duty, the presence of younger, hungrier forwards makes his spot increasingly uncertain.
Old Faces, New Colours
Thursday's game carries an added storyline: defenceman Connor Murphy and forward Jason Dickinson will face their former Chicago teammates for the first time since being dealt to Edmonton ahead of the trade deadline.
Murphy, paired with Darnell Nurse, has helped bring out some of Nurse's better play in recent weeks. The blueliner admitted the moment will carry some emotional weight.
"I've been traded once only before, from Arizona originally, and it was weirder to go into that building you played in. Hopefully it doesn't feel as weird still playing here at home in Edmonton, and I'm sure it'll feel a little odd seeing some of the faces, but I just hope that the game feels normal when it starts."
Andrew Mangiapane will not play against his former team tonight. The forward, who was part of the Blackhawks trade package, has been sidelined since March 19. He is expected to rejoin the lineup during Chicago's upcoming west coast swing.
Don't Sleep on the Blackhawks
Chicago is firmly in lottery territory, sitting 31st in the league with eyes on a top draft pick — possibly Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, or Keaton Verhoeff. But that doesn't mean they're dead in the water on any given night.
The Blackhawks have lost four straight and only once in their last seven, and their defensive numbers are alarming — an expected goals against of 34.2 at five-on-five over the last 10 games, the worst in the league by a wide margin. Still, Connor Bedard and Tyler Bertuzzi are having career-best offensive seasons, and first-round pick Anton Frondell scored his first NHL goal on Tuesday and has five points in five games.
The Oilers are 2-0 against Chicago this season and 9-1 over their last 10 matchups, but Knoblauch's crew would be wise not to take the Blackhawks lightly. Chicago plays with the freedom of a team with nothing to lose.
Notes
Edmonton's penalty kill has now eliminated nine straight opposing power plays. The Oilers have trailed for just three minutes and 15 seconds during the current four-game winning streak. Chicago's penalty kill sits at 83.9 per cent on the season, though Winnipeg converted on Tuesday. At the faceoff dot, the Oilers rank sixth in the league at 52.6 per cent, while the Blackhawks sit dead last at 46 per cent. Colton Dach remains day-to-day. Goaltender Connor Ingram was sharp versus Seattle, but Knoblauch may keep Tristan Jarry involved with the schedule tightening. The Oilers play Vegas on Saturday, then hit the road for a back-to-back in Utah and San Jose next week.
Source: OilersNation. Original reporting by Michael Menzies. This article was rewritten and adapted for WestNet News.