Oilers Stick With Winning Formula as Red-Hot Wild Visit Rogers Place
The Edmonton Oilers are rolling with what worked. After blanking the Seattle Kraken 4-0 on Saturday, the Oilers are keeping the lineup intact as they open a five-game homestand Tuesday night against the surging Minnesota Wild.
And if Saturday’s win was a step in the right direction, Tuesday’s matchup is a chance to prove it wasn’t just a one-off.
“Certainly, it looked more like the group that we want to be and how we want to play,” Leon Draisaitl said after Monday’s skate. “But one game is one game. You've got to do it over a span of time.”
That’s the challenge ahead - consistency. And the Wild aren’t exactly the kind of team you ease into a rhythm against. Winners of 11 of their last 14, Minnesota is one of the hottest clubs in the league, even with their seven-game win streak snapped in a shootout loss to Buffalo over the weekend.
Skinner Stays in the Crease
Stuart Skinner will get the nod in net for the third straight game, and he’s earned it. After a rough outing against Dallas last Tuesday - where he gave up four goals on just eight shots - Skinner bounced back in a big way, stopping all 26 shots he faced in Seattle for his second shutout of the season and the ninth of his NHL career.
Now, he’ll square off against Jesper Wallstedt, who’s been lights-out for Minnesota. The 23-year-old netminder is undefeated in regulation this season, posting a 7-0-2 record with a sparkling 1.93 goals-against average and a .938 save percentage. He’s won six straight starts and has been a major reason for the Wild’s recent tear.
Injury Notes and Lineup Stability
The Oilers will be without defenseman Jake Walman again, despite his participation in Monday’s practice. Walman will miss a fourth straight game after taking a shot off the leg in an overtime loss to Tampa Bay back on November 20. The expectation is he could return later this week, with Edmonton hosting the Kraken again on Thursday and the Jets on Saturday.
Up front, Edmonton is still missing some depth. Jack Roslovic (lower body), Kasperi Kapanen (knee), and Noah Philp (undisclosed) remain sidelined with multi-week injuries.
Despite the injuries, the Oilers are sticking with the same forward lines and defensive pairings that helped shut down Seattle. Here's how they’re expected to line up:
Projected Lines vs. Wild:
- Savoie - McDavid - Hyman
- Podkolzin - Draisaitl - Mangiapane
- Henrique - Nugent-Hopkins - Janmark
- Clattenburg - Lazar - Frederic
Defense:
- Ekholm - Bouchard
- Nurse - Regula
- Kulak - Emberson
Goaltenders:
- Skinner (starter)
- Pickard (backup)
Turning the Page at Home
The Oilers are looking to reset their home-ice narrative. After dropping games to Dallas and Colorado in disappointing fashion, Edmonton knows it needs to be better in front of its fans - especially against top-tier competition.
“Two of the last three games [at home] have been very underwhelming performances by our team against very good teams,” Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said. “Minnesota is one of the best teams in the league right now, especially the way they're playing. It's going to be another test.”
Draisaitl echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the need for a simplified, focused effort.
“We’ve certainly laid a couple of complete eggs here at home,” he said. “But just go out and keep it simple. It’s a cliché, but just get to our game, make it feel like playing the game that we want to play, have that intensity, and we’ll be fine.”
Minnesota Brings Firepower and Structure
The Wild aren’t just winning - they’re doing it with structure, depth, and timely goaltending. Their top two lines have been buzzing, their defensemen are active and mobile, and when breakdowns happen, Wallstedt has been there to clean them up.
“They’ve got some very dangerous players on their first and second lines,” Knoblauch noted. “And their defensemen - for the most part - all move the puck really well and get involved. When they do make mistakes, they’re getting some really key saves.”
It’s a tall order, but it’s also a chance for the Oilers to show they’re turning a corner. Saturday was a statement. Tuesday is about backing it up.