The Ducks and Oilers were both expected to go into Thursday, November 5 with no lineup changes from their previous games, according to NHL.com’s projected lineups report for Ducks vs Oilers. That keeps the focus on the same skaters after both teams came out of Tuesday’s action without any major adjustment planned.
The Ducks won 5-4 at the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, while the Oilers lost 4-3 in a shootout at the New Jersey Devils. Even so, the game-day setup suggested continuity rather than a shake-up, with both sides projected to use the same skaters again.
Quenneville keeps the Ducks unchanged
Ducks coach Joel Quenneville said there will be no lineup changes from their last game, which makes the projection straightforward for a club that is trying to build on a narrow road win. With the Ducks coming off a 5-4 result, the decision to stay with the same group signals trust in the lineup that delivered the points on Tuesday.
The report also noted that the lineup picture included scratches and injuries for both teams, so the final combinations were always likely to be shaped by availability as much as preference. Still, the key message was simple: the Ducks were not expected to move away from what they used last time out.
The Oilers also stay with what they know
The same theme applied to the Oilers, who were projected to ice the same skaters after their shootout loss in New Jersey. After a result that left little time for major reflection, the expectation was that Edmonton would keep the lineup intact rather than chase change for the sake of it.
That gives the meeting a familiar feel. Both teams come in with recent games already in the legs and both are set to lean on the same personnel, which places more emphasis on execution than on selection drama. NHL.com’s projected lineups report suggested that, on Thursday night, Ducks vs Oilers would be about continuity first and adjustment later.
