Six days ago when Edmonton Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch took out Noah Philp from the line-up, NHL insider Jim Mathseon, the Hockey Hall of Fame reporter of the Edmonton Journal, made the following observation online: “From afar Knoblauch has just messed with three lines that worked vs Canucks to get one player (newcomer Jack) Roslovic in his first game. Why? And he went out of his way to say he really liked Philp with Kapanen and Podkolzin. So Philp after maybe most effective game as Oiler comes out.”

Matheson suggested Ike Howard should come out of the line-up, not a centre like Philp, who’d played so well against the Canucks.

Could it be that the veteran Matheson, who has covered the Oilers since 1972, got this one right, but the Oilers coaches not so much? It’s certainly looking that

See Full Page