'Confidence and swagger back': Jack Campbell to start 5th straight game for Oilers

A little more than 10 weeks after calling his in-game performances "pathetic," goaltender Jack Campbell says he's finally confident between the pipes for the Edmonton Oilers.

The team has faith in him, too, right now, making Campbell the starting goalie for their fifth straight game on Thursday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

After falling to a back-up role because of poor play early in the season, Campbell's numbers are vastly improved in 2023.

He's been in the net for four consecutive wins, turning in a stellar 2.00 goals-against-average and .927 save percentage against Anaheim, San Jose, Las Vegas and Seattle.

"[I'm] just settling in and getting my confidence and swagger back. I've been feeling pretty good for a little while now and just want to keep it going," he told reporters Thursday.

Campbell came to the Oilers from the Toronto Maple Leafs when he signed a five year, $25 million free-agent contract in July. He admitted the move affected his game.

"I definitely try to do too much and I think that got the best of me early in the year. And it's just nice, the group we have, everyone is supportive. I'm just trying to learn from it and be the person that I can be on and off the ice," he said.

When Campbell struggled, the Oilers turned to rookie Stuart Skinner to play the majority of the team's games.

Campbell sat on the bench and worked with coaches to rebuild his game, including changing some of the equipment he uses.

After giving up a weak goal to Seattle's Vince Dunn on Tuesday, Campbell said he got rid of the glove that he was wearing when he bobbled the puck that then fluttered into the net.

"I obviously tried a new set of gear, and I had one glove to use, and the new stuff came in and I made the switch after that goal went in. And we're good now," he explained with a laugh. "I think we fixed the problem tonight. So we'll see."

Campbell also credited his teammates for being better in front of him recently. That'll need to continue if they're going to beat the Lightning, he said. Tampa Bay comes into the game six points ahead of Edmonton.

"I feel like we're playing as a unit and we're connected and all lines are going and all the defencemen are going and it's a lot of fun right now. So we just gotta keep it going," he said.

"[Tampa Bay has] been the pinnacle of the league for as long as I can remember. Anytime they come into town it's always a tough game and I think we're ready."

Head coach Jay Woodcroft gave Campbell credit for continuing to battle after a rough start.

"I see someone who's earned the right to feel that way. He's earned that right through a lot of hard work and he's made some adjustments to his game and he's really played well," he said.

SITTING PULJUJARVI A 'HARD DECISION': COACH

The return of Evander Kane from injury and strong performances from fellow wingers Klim Kostin and Mattias Janmark has led the team to shake up its forward lines.

Jesse Puljujarvi was a healthy scratch Tuesday against Seattle for the first time this season.

The former fourth-overall pick in the 2016 NHL draft has four goals and 10 points in 45 games this year after signing a $3-million contract in the off-season.

Woodcroft said the decision to scratch Puljujarvi was not the player's fault.

"Probably the biggest reason why is because our team has made the decision to go 11 [forwards] and seven [defencemen]. And when you do that one really good forward ends up having to not play," the coach said.

"I don't think there's anything specific or egregious. It goes back to when Warren Foegele was sat out or Derek Ryan was sat out, for that matter. It's not that anyone was doing anything egregious or they cost the team in a certain way, it's that there are sometimes hard decisions to be made."

Another forward who has been sitting recently is Devin Shore, who the team sent to their AHL farm team in Bakersfield for a conditioning stint. He hasn't played for the Oilers since Dec. 31.

The Oilers (25-18-3) and the Lightning (29-13-1) faceoff at Rogers Place shortly after 7 p.m. MT.