Lucic offers stability for Oilers’ newcomers, Hitchcock says
COLUMBUS There aren’t a lot of safer places for a newcomer to line up than with Milan Lucic, but protection had nothing to do with why Ken Hitchcock had the 231-pound winger riding shotgun with Colby Cave and Josh Currie the last couple of games.
“Looch is playing about as well as anybody right now,” said the Oilers coach, who loves the way his veteran winger is not only pounding opponents on the forecheck, but helping create chances around the net.
“This is five of the last six games that he’s played this well. He’s skating well, he’s managing the puck well.
“He gave them some stability and some moxie with the puck.”
The line had nice chemistry in the Ottawa game, with both players crediting Lucic for setting the tone.
“When you have a guy like Lucic on your wing it’s pretty easy to follow in his footsteps,” said Cave. “He sets the energy level every shift. He’s a great leader.”
Hitchcock saw enough in the last few outings that he put Lucic on the second line with Leon Draisaitl and Alex Chiasson Friday in Columbus, moving Tobias Rieder, who’s been around some chances lately, but remains 0-for-50 on the season, with Currie and Cave.
TALL ORDER
The Oilers will have their hands full Saturday afternoon against a Columbus team that stocked up at the trade deadline, adding Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel to an already decent cast headlined by Artemi Panarin.
The Jackets added 50 goals between the two former Ottawa Senators, who now sit second and fifth in team scoring with 62 and 46 points. Not only has the team been strengthened talent-wise, but it is highly motivated by the fact management has gone all in on the season.
“They’re always a dangerous team, they’re a team that works extremely hard,” said defenceman Darnell Nurse.
“They’re very detail oriented. You can’t get away with many mistakes when you play them. And with the additions they made, they’re one of the top teams and a hard opponent.”
The Oilers, who’ve been holding their own lately (3-1-2 in the last six games) will be looking to prove themselves against a power team after their 6-2 blowout loss in Toronto.