Dubnyk returns to Oilers net

Thursday, 10.17.2013 / 1:18 PM

By NHL.com Staff - / 2013-2014 At the Rink Blog

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After sitting out the past two games, Edmonton Oilers goaltender Devan Dubnyk will return as the team's starter Thursday against the New York Islanders.

Edmonton has gone 0-2-1 to start its season-long, six-game road trip, and Dubnyk has come under fire for his lack of stability in the crease.

"He hasn't played as well as we'd hoped," Oilers coach Dallas Eakins said Thursday. "I talked to him this morning and he's ready to go out and battle."

Perceived as the team's franchise goaltender coming into the season, the 27-year old started four of Edmonton's first five games, going 0-3-1 with a 5.43 goals-against average and .829 save percentage. Those glaring numbers have led to speculation the Oilers could be looking to trade for an established starting goaltender.

That speculation wasn't aided by Dubnyk being kept out of the Oilers' past two games. In his place, backup Jason LaBarbera allowed seven goals in two losses.

"It's not like I forgot how to play goal," Dubnyk said. "It will be a couple of small adjustments that will make the difference. I just have to relax back there and take on every save one at a time."

Dubnyk will try to regain his confidence against an Islanders team that isn't looking to make too many changes despite losing three straight, including a 4-3 shootout loss Tuesday against the previously winless Buffalo Sabres.

"We played well in the third period," Islanders coach Jack Capuano said. "To me, it was one of our best third periods of the year. We didn't come out with two points, we weren't rewarded."

Evgeni Nabokov will start in net for the Islanders, and Colin McDonald and Matt Donovan will return to the lineup. Brock Nelson, Matt Carkner and Eric Boulton will sit.

Here are the projected lineups for the Oilers and Islanders:

OILERS

Taylor Hall - Mark Arcobello - Jordan Eberle

David Perron - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Nail Yakupov

Ryan Smyth - Boyd Gordon - Ales Hemsky

Ryan Jones - Will Acton - Mike Brown

Andrew Ference - Justin Schultz

Anton Belov - Jeff Petry

Ladislav Smid - Nick Schultz

Devan Dubnyk

Jason LaBarbera