DOUBLE TROUBLE
Oilers to start Koskinen Saturday, Talbot Sunday
Edmonton Oilers’ backup Mikko Koskinen is getting the call in net against the Calgary Flames, no big surprise considering his 4-1 record with the only blemish a 5-2 loss in Tampa.
Cam Talbot will be the starter Sunday in the quick turnaround home game with Vegas.
“Having two goalies is perfect for our staff, it’s one of the healthiest positions on our team,” said Oilers coach Todd McLellan, who is riding the hotter hand in Koskinen, but likes the 1 and 1a situation, a far cry from the past when Laurent Brossoit was Talbot’s caddy but played sporadically except when Talbot was hurt for three weeks last year.
Koskinen has never been through a regular-season Battle of Alberta game, but he’s being thrown into the fire in Calgary, his fourth road game of his five starts. So far, the Oilers have given him outstanding run support with 21 goals in those five starts.
“Mikko has created a tremendous amount of confidence with his teammates and the staff,” said McLellan, who realizes Talbot’s game isn’t where it should be as he’s one win from 100, but he likes two goalies challenging one another. And Talbot is working through some of the kinks in his game.
“Cam works all the time. You don’t necessarily have to be on the ice or getting a sweat. He works as hard and as efficiently as anybody on our team. He’s spent considerable time with goalie coach Dustin Schwartz on his reads,” said McLellan.
Oilers assistant coach Glen Gulutzan will be going back to the Saddledome for the first regularseason game since he was fired after last season. Maybe Gulutzan, who left his family in Calgary this season because of school commitments for his kids, will get a video tribute like the former players. Or is that a reach?
“I’ll be lucky if they let me in the building,” joked Gulutzan.
McLellan went back to San Jose after years there as head man and it was certainly different. But Gulutzan was only head coach in Calgary for two years.
“I spent eight years in San Jose and my family was there for 10 years,” said McLellan. “And in Gully’s case, I’m sure his family will be there (Saturday) and he’ll know a lot of people in that building but his allegiance is to the Oilers. There’s lots of movement in the NHL whether you are a player or a coach.”
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will be back at centre for his second game with Leon Draisaitl moving up to play with Connor McDavid on the top line. “No, I haven’t forgotten how,” said RNH, who was on leftwing with McDavid for the last month or so of last season and all of this season until the Montreal win but for situational, in-game shuffles. “I finished two games there (centre) before I was (officially) put back in the middle. The faceoffs are something I have to dial back in, but that’s it.”