Edmonton Oilers place goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin on injured reserve with groin injury
Many National Hockey League teams have been struggling in the 2010-11 season, but no team has fared worse than the Edmonton Oilers. The team has been struggling to find their identity,
and they have also been mired in a lengthy slump.
According to
TSN.ca, the Oilers received more bad news on Thursday 18 November, when starting goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin was placed on the team’s injured reserve with a groin injury.
The native of Sverdlovsk, Russia has started 15 games for Edmonton this season, posting a record of 4-10-1, along with a goals-against average of 4.07 and a .897 save percentage. He started
Edmonton’s last game, a 5-0 home loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, but left after tweaking his groin.
“We might be putting him on IR, and if that’s the case, obviously we’re going to need some help,” Oilers head coach Tom Renney told
Canoe.ca. “After the second period, we had a quick chat and I didn’t want to risk it. That’s why we took him out.”
“At that position, it’s something you have to be really careful with, naturally. So we will be.”
In order to account for the loss of Khabibulin, the Oilers have called up veteran goaltender Martin Gerber from the Oklahoma City Barons, their American Hockey League affiliate. He and
Devan Dubnyk will hold the fort in the Oilers’ net while Khabibulin is out.
Gerber has posted a record of 9-4-0 in 13 games with the Barons. He has a 2.56 goals-against average, and a save percentage of .911, along with a single shutout.
The Oilers are currently in fifth place in the NHL’s Northwest Division with 11 points, and possess one of the worst records in the league. They will attempt to improve their record when
they host the Phoenix Coyotes on Friday 19 November.
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