Ever since Kris Knoblauch won his first game as the head coach of the Edmonton Oilers on Nov. 13, the team has posted a remarkable 26-6 record, the best in the league during that span. Knoblauch was recently critiqued on the “Oilers Now” show, where his work so far received a well-deserved ‘A’ grade.
Since becoming the boss behind the bench, the Oilers have boasted a plus-50 goal differential, leading the league, and their average of 3.84 goals for per game ranks third — a statistic unsurprising given their offensive talent. What’s even more impressive and almost out of character, however, is that they’ve only given up an average of 2.28 goals per game against in that span, ranking second in the NHL.
Related: Stuart Skinner’s Role in the Oilers’ 16-Game-Winning Streak
The Oilers haven’t lost since Dec. 19, having won 16 consecutive games and they’re one win away from making history tying the NHL record for the longest winning streak. That said, Knoblauch has made some very good decisions over the team’s stretch of victories and below we highlight five of his strategic choices that have been integral to the ongoing winning streak.
#1 – Knoblauch Picked Derek Ryan to Clinch the Oilers’ Victory
On Dec. 30, the Oilers visited the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena. The Kings got out to an early 2-0 lead in the first period, but the Oilers fought back to even it up. The game went to a shootout, and captain Connor McDavid scored the first shootout goal. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins shot second and also beat Cam Talbot, while Leon Draisaitl was unable to score on the third attempt.
The tallies were even heading into the fourth round, where Anze Kopitar was stopped, and that meant that if the Oilers scored on their next attempt, they would win the game. The next logical pick for the shootout would have been Zach Hyman, on pace for a 56-goal season, but Knoblauch had a hunch and went with the 37-year-old Derek Ryan, who had only scored three goals on the season, at the time.
The veteran forward went in with speed and beat Talbot with a sneaky wrister, and the decision Knoblauch made turned out to be a wise choice, as Ryan helped their team win their fourth straight at the time. In 15 games since that night, the Kings have gone 3-9-3, slumping down the standings, a slump that resulted in the recent firing of their former head coach Todd McLellan.
#2 – Knoblauch’s Gut Feeling to Put McLeod on Top Line Against Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs visited the Oilers on Jan. 16, and the game had a playoff-type atmosphere to it with both Oilers’ and Leafs’ fans cheering loudly for their respective teams. Late in the third period, with the game tied 2-2, Toronto had just iced the puck with just over three minutes remaining.
In that moment, Knoblauch went with an interesting line combination up front and put the speedy Ryan McLeod on the big line with McDavid and Draisaitl, a blend we hadn’t seen in the Jay Woodcroft era. When the puck was dropped, the Oilers cycled the puck around and McLeod picked it up behind the net, circled to the front and unleashed a shot through a McDavid screen and scored.
Knoblauch’s decision to put McLeod on a line with the dynamic duo paid off. He knew the Maple Leafs were exhausted, so he sent out two of the team’s fastest players to flank Draisaitl. McLeod scored the game-winning goal and the Oilers extended their winning streak at the time to 11 straight games.
#3 – A Strategic Line Adjustment Helped Oilers Secure Win
The Columbus Blue Jackets visited Rogers Place on Jan. 23, and while the score was tied 1-1 after two periods, the Oilers were outshot 21-9 and were being badly outplayed by Columbus within that span. Knoblauch had kept his top line consisting of McDavid, Hyman, and Nugent-Hopkins together for most of the winning streak; however, entering the third period, he opted for a change by pairing Draisaitl with the Oilers’ captain and Hyman, and the alteration proved to be highly effective.
The change created a momentum shift for the Oilers in the third period, as they outshot the Blue Jackets 11-2. Evander Kane scored the go-ahead goal with Nugent-Hopkins as his centerman at the 15-minute mark, and less than a minute later McDavid scored with his newly reconfigured line.
Overall, the Oilers appeared drained of energy in the first two periods; however, credit goes to Knoblauch for the strategic line switch he made during the second intermission, boosting his team to a win and continuing their winning streak.
#4 – Another Knoblauch Hunch Led to Oilers’ Win Over Blackhawks
There were instances in former head coach Woodcroft’s era when pairing McDavid and Draisaitl together on a line lost its effectiveness and became stale over time. However, building on the success of the Blue Jackets game, Knoblauch chose to keep the dynamic duo together with Hyman for the next game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 25.
Once again, Knoblauch’s decisions proved beneficial, as the line of McDavid, Draisaitl and Hyman combined for seven points on the night, resulting in a 3-0 win. Backup netminder Calvin Pickard stopped all 27 shots and picked up his fifth career shutout, pushing the winning streak to 15 games.
#5 – Oilers’ Penalty Killing Unit Has Thrived During Knoblauch’s Tenure
Before the coaching change, the Oilers’ penalty-killing unit was 30th in the NHL, clicking at a 70% rate. Throughout Woodcroft’s tenure, there was no fixed set of forwards, resulting in a mix of players up front on the unit.
When Knoblauch took over, he put assistant coach Mark Stuart in charge of the penalty kill, and under their guidance, we’ve seen three forward unit combinations: typically, Ryan with Nugent-Hopkins, Mattias Janmark with Connor Brown, and McLeod with Warren Foegele. This has likely resulted in more chemistry among the group.
Since Knoblauch took over, the Oilers’ penalty kill has ranked first in the league, clicking at an 89.3% success rate. The strategy of having set pairs on the penalty kill was implemented before the 16-game winning streak, but it has proven to be pivotal during this period, turning from a weak point to an absolute strength.
The Oilers could potentially tie the NHL record for the longest winning streak by defeating the Vegas Golden Knights on Feb. 6. And whether they achieve it or not, there’s no denying Knoblauch’s pivotal role with his decision-making during the 16-game winning streak.
What has stood out to you most about Knoblauch and his coaching decisions? Have your say in the comments below!