As the title suggests, at the bottom of this blog you will see a clip from the movie Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. My goal is to find a logical way to incorporate each of those words as a topic to cover in this game day blog. Wish me luck.
TINKER
Throughout this season the Oilers lineup has changed massively from what we saw in Game 1. Tinkering with the lineup, seeing who has chemistry, and calling up the right players has yielded positive results. Edmonton has a dominant second line that could be argued is actually the top line, an above average bottom six that is producing goals, two goalies that can give the team a chance to win on any night, and a fairly underrated defensive core.
We are less than three weeks away from the trade deadline and the needs for this team moving towards a playoff berth are now clear; a top 6 winger and a third line centre. Regardless on if one or both are added, expect to see more tinkering of the roster.
TAILOR
Tonight we finally see Tyler Benson make his NHL debut. Benson will start on a line with Gaetan Haas and Alex Chiasson. Benson could be tailor-made for a top 6 position like Yamamoto has carved for himself but I have no issues with Tippett starting him lower in the lineup. Playing in the bottom six at home will allow Benson to start against easier competition and get his NHL legs going. Give him some confidence there and maybe send him out on the top line for a couple shifts later in the game depending how things are going.
SOLDIER
Tonight Sam Gagner will start the game on the right side with Connor McDavid and Josh Archibald. Gagner has been a good soldier for Edmonton this season and is a player Tippett feels he can slot anywhere in his lineup. I don't know whether this start is a message to Gagner as a reward or to Kassian as a punishment. Perhaps it is neither and Tippett just wants to start the game on a different footing than the lackluster start against the Coyotes.
SPY
Plenty of discussion has been had here on this blog regarding what pieces Edmonton should acquire but not as much on what other teams might want from Edmonton. Tonight and over the next couple weeks it will be interesting to see which scouts of other NHL teams are in attendance at Oilers games, spying on our assets.
For example, tonight William Lagesson will also get into the lineup. The 23 year old left shooting defenseman might be a far more valuable piece to some teams than a second round pick.
Welp, challenge completed. With that done, here is the lineup.
LINEUP
1.) Second Chance - Last game against the Coyotes, I noted how it was a strong opportunity to gain ground in the standings against a weaker team dealing with significant injuries... Edmonton ended up falling flat. Luckily due to the out of town scoreboard going the right way for the Oil, the team did not lose any ground in the standings.
Tonight Edmonton is playing a much weaker Sharks team that is dealing with two of their top forwards, Cotuure and Hertl, out of the lineup. A poor performance against Arizona is fresh on their minds and the Oil should come out much faster tonight.
2.) Zack Attack - Both Kassian and McDavid were on the ice for each of the three goals the Coyotes scored in the last game. Blaming Kassian for those goals wouldn't be correct but the winger hasn't been at his best in recent games. Through his last 7 games, Kassian only has a single goal (scored in the last BoA game). Whether this lineup shift is a message or not, Kassian needs to get back to playing the game that made him so successful through the first half of the season.
3.) Khaira's Last Game? - There is a greater than zero percent chance that tonight is Jujhar Khaira's last game as an Edmonton Oiler. James Neal was practicing today and while he will not play tonight, should be back in action shortly. Combine that with other players who have produced like Archibald and Gagner, and the opportunity for Benson to surpass him and Khaira should be feeling fairly claustrophobic right now.
---
FILM OF THE DAY
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a Cold War spy thriller with some brilliant performances, including one in this scene from the late William Hurt.
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»