Oilers Face Off Against High-Flying Mammoth at Home Tonight

EDMONTON, AB – The Edmonton Oilers are set to begin a crucial three-game homestand at Rogers Place on Tuesday night against the Utah Mammoth. The Mammoth have been impressive, winning their last seven games and currently sitting atop the Western Conference with an 8-2-0 record in this young NHL season.

Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl expressed the challenge that lies ahead. “A lot of skill on a team that’s feeling it right now, but this isn’t the time where it matters to feel it. You’ve got to show it down the stretch,” he said. The Oilers are looking to bounce back after a 4-3 overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks last Sunday.

During the morning skate, Coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed that Noah Philp would replace Curtis Lazar on the fourth line, joining Isaac Howard and David Tomasek. The top-six forwards remain unchanged from the previous game, featuring Ryan Nugent-Hopkins alongside Connor McDavid and Andrew Mangiapane.

On defense, Knoblauch will stick with the pairings used against Vancouver, keeping Darnell Nurse and Evan Bouchard as the top combination, while Mattias Ekholm and Jake Walman form the second pairing. Brett Kulak and Ty Emberson round out the blue line.

Knoblauch emphasized the importance of mixing up defense pairings: “I just think with the way everyone’s game is at right now, we felt that some switch had to be made. Whether this is a long-term or short-term thing, we’ll find out,” he noted.

Darnell Nurse commented on the chemistry he and Bouchard have developed. “Whenever you’re out there playing with him, it’s a lot of fun. My skating and his ability to move the puck complement each other well,” he said.

Jack Roslovic has become a key player for the Oilers, particularly after scoring a goal and an assist against the Canucks. Knoblauch stated his satisfaction with Roslovic’s progress despite his slow start after missing Training Camp. “I think he’s come in and was pretty quiet the first two games, which was expected, but he’s gotten better and better,” Knoblauch said.

Stuart Skinner will start as the goaltender for the Oilers against the Mammoth, who have scored the third-most goals in the league this season. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 PM MT.