Oilers likely making a change for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. Who starts in goal is a mystery
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Kris Knoblauch said Wednesday the Edmonton Oilers are likely making a change in their lineup for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers, though the second-year coach would not reveal what it would be or who he plans to start in goal on Thursday night.
Stuart Skinner was replaced by Calvin Pickard late in Game 3 after allowing five goals on 23 shots on the way to a 6-1 defeat. Pickard allowed one more in mop-up duty.
Knoblauch, captain Connor McDavid and others defended Skinner's play, insisting the team needed to be better in front of him.
'We've got to help him, for sure, and I think that he's been playing unbelievable in the last, what, three, four, five weeks,' defenseman Mattias Ekholm said. 'I don't know how long it's been now, but it feels like a long time and he hasn't had a bad game. Maybe last night was one of those when it was good to get it out of the system. Hopefully it's one of those, a night off.'
Skinner has allowed 13 goals on 97 shots in the final, an .866 save percentage. Florida's Sergei Bobrovsky has allowed nine on 125, a .928 save percentage.
'He gives us a chance every night,' Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues said. "That's all you can ask for, right? Some big saves, key saves at key moments and we're not taking him for granted, that's for sure.'
Edmonton started the playoffs with Skinner, went to Pickard after two losses to open the first round against Los Angeles and won six in a row. Pickard was injured in the second round against Vegas, so Skinner got the net back and has been the starter since. He allowed 10 goals on 132 shots in five games against Dallas in the West final, a .924 save percentage.
'Calvin was playing really well but I think, also, we've always felt confident in Calvin," Knoblauch said. "Calvin's always been a guy who (has) been able to come in and give us good, quality starts.'
The play in front of the crease is a bigger concern for the Oilers. Veteran defenseman John Klingberg is a team-worst minus-4 through two games.
'John's been great through the playoffs: He's gotten us through a lot of rounds,' Knoblauch said. 'At this time of the year, you want depth. You know there's going to be injuries and things you have to change up to your lineup.'
Troy Stecher, who played a handful of games earlier in the playoffs when Ekholm was out, figures to take Klingberg's place if that is the move.
'Troy's been very valuable to our team, through regular season, playoffs and probably one thing we as a coaching staff appreciate a lot from Troy is just how dependable he is,' Knoblauch said. 'No matter if he's playing big minutes regularly, hasn't played for a long period of time, any time we've needed him he's given us really good minutes and usually not making mistakes.'
Top-line forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is again going to be considered a game-time decision with an undisclosed injury. Nugent-Hopkins did not skate Tuesday.
The Oilers had a (well-attended) optional practice Wednesday that included McDavid and Leon Drasaitl among the more than half-dozen players on the ice.
Ekblad's hit
One of the most noticeable moments of Game 3 was Aaron Ekblad connecting with McDavid on a clean, hard open-ice hit. McDavid almost helicoptered down to the ice as Panthers fans cheered. McDavid went to the locker room not long after but with an equipment manager, not a member of the training staff.
Ekblad did not think much of it.
I didn't think it was that big hit, no," Ekblad said. 'I don't even think I got him that good, realistically. So, I don't know, I'm just trying to get in his way and separate man from puck and that's all you can ask for against a guy like that.'
The body checks are piling up. Ekblad had three of the five on McDavid in Game 3, and the reigning playoff MVP has been hit nine times in the series.
Florida has outhit the Oilers, but not by much: 137-124.
Maurice's memory
Only nine-time Stanley Cup champion Scotty Bowman — father of Oilers general manager Stan Bowman — has coached more games in the NHL than Florida's Paul Maurice. With that comes some full-circle moments.
On the other bench in the final this year and last is Hall of Fame defenseman Paul Coffey, an assistant on Knoblauch's staff. Maurice when asked about older players delivering in the playoffs in light of Brad Marchand and Corey Perry starring in the final told a story about making Coffey a healthy scratch for the first game of the first round in 1999 against Carolina in his 'foolish youth.'
'He handled it great,' Maurice said. 'He said, 'I don't agree with it, but I understand it.' He went back and I think he rode the bike for about three hours. ... And then he went into Game 2 and he was maybe our best player (and) one of the best players on the ice. And I always remembered that as these older players view the playoffs differently.'
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