“We wanted to get better defensively, and we have,” Knoblauch said. “A lot of it is an emphasis on what we can do with our systems, but also, we added two very defensive, detailed players, and especially with Dickinson and Murphy, who’ve been playing a lot of minutes for us and playing against key matchups.
“Those two have really solidified our identity of how we want to play.”
After the Sharks defeated the Ducks on Wednesday, the Oilers can put themselves into a tie for first place in the Pacific Division if they earn two points tonight, with Edmonton currently holding the tiebreaker over Anaheim with more regulation wins.
“Home-ice advantage is huge for any group, but first place is the result of the process,” Dickinson said. “I think we just want to go out there and win games that we’re supposed to win and the divisional matchups that matter even more. Take advantage of those.”
“I think the biggest thing is to focus on today. Win the two points and then see where it takes you. Because there are a lot of things outside of our control that might not allow us to get that position. But if we do what we do, then it might happen, and that’s all we can ask for.”
With Thursday’s morning skate being optional, the forward lines and defence pairings are based on Wednesday’s practice and will be confirmed during warm-ups.
