EDMONTON - Given his recent history in pre-game warm-ups, Lennart Petrell figures he might have to try another approach. Or just stay out of Ben Eager’s way.

The Edmonton Oilers winger was struck by a puck in the pre-game warm-up on Saturday, a blow that hit Petrell on the right side of his helmet with enough impact to knock him out of the game against the Colorado Avalanche, plus the next two.

He did get out for a skate Thursday morning and could be back in the lineup by Saturday afternoon when the Oilers wrap up their homestand with an afternoon contest against the Phoenix Coyotes.

“I was skating by the net and somebody hit the crossbar or the post and it hit the right side of my head,” Petrell said. “I had a little headache after that. I’m better now, so that’s a positive sign.

“I’d rather take a puck in the head than a skate to the face.”

Petrell was referring to last January when teammate Taylor Hall was sliced by a skate blade in the warm-up for the Blue Jackets game in Columbus.

As frightening as Hall’s warm-up scare was, Petrell has had a few incidents of late. In the game prior to the Colorado outing, Eager ran over him in the warm-up. It was also Eager who shot the puck that hit him and left him with concussion-like symptoms.

“A week or two before, I got one in the visor,” Petrell continued, “but usually it doesn’t come off the post or crossbar that fast. So if it doesn’t hit you in the mouth, you should be OK.

“Just got unlucky there ... but it could be worse.”

Ever since Hall was cut, the Oilers have worn their helmets during warm-ups.

“I had a headache for a couple of days, but I got to skate today so that’s a really good sign. Obviously, we’re going day-by-day. I see the doctor every morning and we talk about the plan,” said Petrell, who has had three previous concussions, the most recent of which was last season.

“This one is minor. It’s not as bad as it was last time, so it’s OK.

“I knew it was (Eager, though). He actually ran me over in the previous game, so I told him I’ll start drinking some Red Bulls so he doesn’t have to wake me up before every game.”

jireland@edmontonjournal.com

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