Edmonton Oilers: Mikko Koskinen needs a night off
At this point in time, the Edmonton Oilers are 4-6-0 and have shown some signs of brilliance so far this season, as they’re coming off a huge overtime win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Of course, in a shortened 56-game season, it’s still pretty early but at some point, the Oilers need to figure out what to change in order to get some winning streaks going.
Head coach Dave Tippett continues to tweak the lineups daily with hopes of finding that winning formula that brings consistency. While the Oilers have improved a bit when it comes to scoring, their defense will need to tighten up a bit more as goaltender Mikko Koskinen sure looks overworked these days.
In the grand scheme of things, Koskinen deserves to at least get a night off as he’s started for 11 consecutive games. While he’s done his part to hold the fort for the Oilers, the good news is that yesterday, the Oilers added Troy Grosenick to their active roster.
The Edmonton Oilers should give Mikko Koskinen the night off
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As confirmed by CBS Sports, Grosenick was not only added to their active roster but he was even dressed as Koskinen’s back up even though he didn’t play in last night’s loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Hopefully, the Oilers consider giving Koskinen the night off and put Grosenick either as the starter or spelling relief if it’s needed.
As the Oilers prepare to end the month of January at home against the Ottawa Senators, hopefully, they can end on a high note and make it two big wins straight.
Once the Oilers start putting together some winning streaks here and there, it will only continue to put them in the right direction. At least with having a better rotation at goaltender, the Oilers can keep their goalies fresh as the season continues.
Grosenick has been impressive so far in the AHL that it was time to give him the call up to see if that translates to consistent results in the NHL. It won’t be easy as Grosenick will undoubtedly have some getting used to but perhaps Tippett works him slowly into time on ice until he’s ready to play an entire game without any issues.
Hot. James Neal does not belong on the same line as Connor McDavid. light
Koskinen has been solid so far this season as it’s important not to overwork him as there is still a ton of hockey left to be played. Hopefully, the Oilers wisely give him a night off as soon as tonight or at some point next week and give Grosenick the golden opportunity to see what he can do with more playing time. The only way to gauge how a potential up and coming goalie is at with their progression is to do it through trial by fire with real hockey situations in games that actually matter.