Despite thinking they’d have the veteran forward in the lineup on Tuesday night, Zach Hyman will not be playing with the Edmonton Oilers as they take on a division rival in the Los Angeles Kings.
When asked if there was any update on Hyman and his availability, Oilers head coach Mike Babcock responded, “No, they told me he’s not playing tonight.” He added, “It sounds like it’s day to day… we sure thought… well, it’s really close, I guess.”
He then added, “But, what does that mean?”
Coach Babcock on the #Oilers going into tonight’s matchup vs. the Kings.
@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilersThe last line from Babcock is interesting. Perhaps he’s just poking fun at the idea of day-to-day, hinting that it could be the next game; it could be longer. The hope is that the coach isn’t suggesting there’s been a setback and that Hyman might be out longer than expected, and the Oilers are just being vague, even with their coach.
Oilers Getting Ready For a Big Game
The Oilers have had some time off since their recent win over the San Jose Sharks. It will be important that they come out strong against a Kings team looking for its first win of the season.
“Every night you play, you have to assume the other team’s really hungry, and you’ve got to get ready to play,” said Babcock. “As much as it’s about them, it’s about us and our preparation and being ready here to go tonight. And they’re going to make it hard on us, and we understand that going in. So let’s get prepared and do things right.”
Edmonton is off to a 4-0-1 start, with their top guns firing and their depth providing quality minutes while names like Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Matt Savoie are out. Babcock revealed that defenseman Jake Walman won’t be in the lineup either; the second game in a row he’s missing.
Can the Oilers Keep the Momentum Going?
Mike Babcock talked about the spacing between games and how it might impact his team. “The big thing here is we’ve had quite a bit of time off on the road here, and so it’s a big game for us here tonight. We got to get our minds right, and we got to get ready to play.”
When it comes to beating the Kings and their style of play, “…they’re not going to give you up a ton through the neutral zone. You’re going to have to work. You’re going to have to win the game in the ozone on the cycle, climbing on the goalie because they’re not going to give you anything off the rush.”
The time off can be a blessing or a curse. While it might have offered a little time for players to heal up, the healthy players can get cold. “Sometimes just easier if you play the next day, right?,” said Babcock. “But just getting regrouped here today is important.”
“We can talk about all that other stuff. It doesn’t even matter. It’s game day. We got to get right and play right.”
Oilers Hit With Injury Setback on Zach Hyman?