One of the Edmonton Oilers’ key defensemen might not be going into Round 2 of the playoffs. Edmonton head coach Kris Knoblauch has recently said that Mattias Ekholm is still doubtful to face the Vegas Golden Knights in the upcoming series.
Since suffering an injury near the end of the regular season, Ekholm hasn’t played and missed the entire first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings, which the Oilers won in six games.
Oilers’ Mattias Ekholm’s Latest Injury Update
Following the Oilers’ 6–3 win over the Kings, winning in six games to seal the first round, Knoblauch delivered an update that worried fans. Speaking to the media following the Game 6 victory, Knoblauch said the defenseman, Ekholm, is “doubtful” to play in the second round against the Golden Knights.
“Mattias right now is doubtful for the second round. I think it’s still going to be a little bit longer,” Knoblauch mentioned after the game.
Ekholm is doubtful for the second round at this time, and Knoblauch said he thinks it will still be a little bit longer. Ekholm has missed action since he was injured in a game against the San Jose Sharks on April 11. The Oilers are riding high after a good series win, but they may have to play longer without one of their more trusted defensemen.
Ekholm was a steady presence on the blue line during the regular season, posting 33 points (nine goals, 24 assists) in 65 games while finishing at +11 and averaging more than 22 minutes of ice time per game. Edmonton will have to handle his absence with a strong Vegas squad on the radar.
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Knoblauch was looking ahead to Round 2 and made it clear that the team is preparing for a whole new kind of test. The win over the Kings was hard-earned; the team’s depth was on display, but the Golden Knights have a very different way of playing hockey. Knoblauch admitted that what got them past L.A. may not work quite as well this time around.
“For the series against Vegas, obviously, they play quite a bit different style than L.A. with their systems and the type of personnel they have. It’s going to give us a whole new challenge,” Knoblauch said.
“And I don’t want to undersell L.A. They’re a good team, and they had the best record in the second half of the season. It wasn’t easy by any means, but the way we approach the two systems is going to give us a different challenge. We’re going to have to change some things up. Things that were successful against L.A. might not be successful against Vegas.”
The Kings played well for their final two months, but Vegas will present its own set of challenges, especially as it relates to the style of play. The message was quite simple: Edmonton is going to have to be flexible, sharp, and ready to change if it wants to stay in this playoff run.