Oilers give fans false hope before puck drop

On Friday night, the Edmonton Oilers were looking at ways to rebound from Game 1 of the second round series against the Calgary Flames, which they loss 9-6 under the roof of a hectic Saddledome.

There was chatter that the Oilers could make a significant change in their lineup, though head coach Jay Woodcroft had confirmed that goalie Mike Smith was getting the start.

A few minutes prior to Game 2 in Calgary, as the Oilers took the ice for warmups, fans got excited to see Dylan Holloway with the rest of the team. It didn’t long for him to start trending on social media with fans wondering if he would draw into the lineup.

Edmonton selected Holloway in the first round (No. 14) in 2020. The 20-year-old turned pro after two NCAA seasons at the University of Wisconsin, but he did not make his pro debut with Bakersfield until Jan. 22 after having two wrist surgeries.

He had a strong second half with Bakersfield and finished with 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) in 33 games. He was just eliminated from the postseason in the AHL and called back by Edmonton.

However, his NHL debut will have to wait, it won’t happen tonight for Game 2. That's too bad: inserting some new blood could have been a creative approach by the Oilers to even out this Battle of Alberta.