
Stanley Cup final: Stuart Skinner to be Oilers' Game 4 starter, Jeff Skinner, Troy Stecher to play
See more sharing options
Send this page to someone via email
Share this item on Twitter
Share this item via WhatsApp
Share this item on Facebook
Kris Knoblauch is mixing things up for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup final.
The Edmonton Oilers head coach is making two lineup changes with his team down 2-1 to the Florida Panthers in the best-of-seven title series.
Troy Stecher will replace John Klingberg on the blue line, while Jeff Skinner enters the fray up front for Viktor Arvidsson.
Story continues below advertisement
Knoblauch also put his lines and defence pairings in the blender, including bumping Connor Brown up to play alongside Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
Stecher is poised to reunite with Darnell Nurse on the back end.
Stuart Skinner will get the start despite allowing five goals in each of his last two games — a 5-4 overtime defeat and a 6-1 drubbing.
Nugent-Hopkins will dress after missing Monday's practice with an upper-body injury.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
ANALYSIS: Plenty to be proud of in banner year for Jets, MVP Hellebuyck
It's been 27 days since the Winnipeg Jets' season ended. That was the day of Game 6 against Dallas. Who can forget everything that surrounded that last game, including the heroic appearance of Mark Scheifele, whose father died in the early hours of that Saturday? And now, here we are, in the middle of June, the Stanley Cup final is now a best-of-three, going back to Edmonton. And while there are only two teams remaining in this season, Thursday was a great day for the Jets and Connor Hellebuyck. Story continues below advertisement That should be Vezina Trophy and Hart Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck. There is little doubt that the announcement of Hellebuyck winning the best goaltender award was a given, but to add the most valuable player award marks Thursday, June 12, as the greatest individual day for any member of the Jets. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy As an aside, the Vezina is voted on by the NHL general managers. The Hart is voted on by the members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. And in the world's greatest team sport, individual awards are often very hard to measure. They can be very subjective. But not this year, not with these two trophies. These awards are a tribute to Hellebuyck's regular-season success, which also included the Jennings Trophy as the best statistical goaltender in the NHL: 47 wins, a 2.00 goals-against average, a .925 save percentage and eight shutouts — key stats that helped the Jets to the best regular season in the NHL. Story continues below advertisement In so many ways, it's a season that hockey fans in the province should never forget. And numbers that the Jets goaltender will call his most successful career numbers to date. Also add No. 37 being named to the NHL's first all-star team — along with teammate Kyle Connor, by the way — and Thursday was a banner day for the Jets. For Hellebuyck, the team and Jets fans everywhere, the Vezina Trophy, the Hart Trophy and the first all-star team are satisfactory consolation prizes for not playing in the Stanley Cup final. They aren't the ultimate prize, but they are reminders that this season was not completely a lost cause. There is plenty to be proud of.


CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Stanley Cup final is becoming a showcase for the Edmonton Oilers' Leon Draisaitl
This is becoming Leon Draisaitl's Stanley Cup final for the Edmonton Oilers. The standout German forward has scored the overtime goal in each of their two wins in the championship series rematch against the Florida Panthers, including Thursday night in Game 4 to pull Edmonton even. He's just the fifth player in NHL history and first in more than three decades to score twice in overtime in the final. "He's as clutch as it gets," goaltender Calvin Pickard said while sitting next to Draisaitl, who also had a pair of assists for a three-point performance. "Always scores big goals at big times." Draisaitl's four OT goals this playoffs are the most in a single postseason. John LeClair was the last to score two OT goals in a final for Montreal back in 1993, the last time a Canadian team won the Cup. Edmonton is two victories away from ending that drought thanks in large part to Draisaitl delivering when it matters most. WATCH | Oilers fans celebrate after a nail-biter night in Game 4: Oilers fans survive roller-coaster of emotions in Game 4 7 hours ago Duration 1:47 'It's incredible' "It's incredible," longtime teammate Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said. "He's a horse out there for us — just always. It's just constant. It's consistent. We always can lean on him, and he always finds a way to get those big ones." It's also nothing new. Among modern day players with at least 40 games of playoff experience, only Hall of Famers Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux and teammate Connor McDavid have produced at a higher rate at the toughest time of the year to put the puck in the net. Draisaitl is averaging 1.49 points a game, and this series has been a showcase for him after being far less than 100 per cent a year ago when he and the Oilers lost in the final. All the overtimes aren't bothering him. "I feel great," Draisaitl said. "It's a long season, of course, for either side. We've played the same amount of minutes in this series. Fatigue kicks in at some point, but your adrenaline usually takes over and you just chip away at it, chip away at it." Draisaitl addressed teammates after a 6-1 loss in Game 3 on Monday night, an uncharacteristic effort from the oldest team in the league. He was equally as unpleased after Edmonton fell behind 3-0 in the first period of Game 4. "We were kind of lollygagging around a little bit," Draisaitl said. "It's certainly not the time to lollygag around, especially after getting spanked in Game 3." The Oilers rallied to tie it, took the lead and then gave up the tying goal with 19.5 seconds left in regulation. That set the stage for Draisaitl to lead the way with his play, not just his words. "He not only says what he's going to do, he backs it up with his play and his actions," defenceman Darnell Nurse said. "That's what makes him an amazing leader. We get into overtime, those tense moments and he has an ability to relax in them and just make plays. He gets rewarded for working hard." WATCH | Oilers' Drasaitl scores OT winner in Game 4 of Stanley Cup final to even series: Oilers' Drasaitl scores OT winner in Game 4 of Stanley Cup Final to even series 9 hours ago Duration 1:40 Draisaitl accurately called his goal "a fortunate bounce — no secret about it." But there were enough plays throughout the night that he did not finish, so call it even. With the Panthers putting all their energy into stopping McDavid, Draisaitl is taking over just about any time he's on the ice. "Leon, I don't know what could be said that really conveys what he brings to our team — not only the leadership but the play," coach Kris Knoblauch said. "He has just elevated his game in the toughest moments." Draisaitl is making his case for the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, the award McDavid won last year in a losing effort and refused to leave the locker room to accept. He pulled even with McDavid as the favorite on BetMGM Sportsbook after scoring in overtime and tying him for the postseason scoring lead with 32 points. Asked how Draisaitl seems to be so automatic in overtime and other clutch situations, teammate Vasily Podkolzin responded: "Because he's one of the best players in the world. That's why."


National Post
2 hours ago
- National Post
Oilers fan from Down Under lands in Florida, then Edmonton for Cup final
Miami, Fla. — If you're at Edmonton's Rogers Place for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final and hear a distinctly Australian accent, chances are you've met Shane Pask. Article content Pask made the long journey from the twin cities of Albury-Wodonga, Australia to Sunrise, Fla., to see his favourite sports team take on the Florida Panthers in Game 4. On Friday, he will take a couple of flights to get to Calgary, then jump on a bus for Edmonton, all to ensure he'll be at Saturday's Game 5 at Rogers Place. Article content Article content 'It's been unreal,' he said. 'I wanted to try to get over to this last year, but I had family commitments and work commitments. I couldn't go and I was kicking myself, and my wife said this year, 'You can't miss out on the opportunity twice. You've just got to do it.'' Article content He said when the Panthers and Oilers looked destined for rematch, it was as if the world was sending him a message. Article content 'It's been one of my lifelong dreams to go to a Cup and see the Oilers.' Article content So. how does a guy living in a city of about 100,000 people, halfway between Canberra and Melbourne, become an Oilers fan? Article content When he was young, he first experienced hockey through the PlayStation. He loved the speed of the game. And then he watched a few games. And, of course, the most famous hockey player in the world was Wayne Gretzky. Later in life, he spent a year living in Vancouver, but there was no way he was switching his allegiance to the Canucks. Article content 'I was, like, this game is unreal,' said Pask. 'The speed that it's played at, the toughness of it, and I've just followed it every year since. I like all the snow sports.' Article content When the Oilers play at home, the games face off at about 10 a.m, in Albury-Wodonga. So, if it's a Saturday night game, Pask is spending his Sunday morning cheering on Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Darnell Nurse. Article content Article content We have to mention Darnell Nurse, because he's the favourite player of one of Pask's sons. He has four kids, and he's spread his Oilers fandom to them. Article content 'I've never been to Edmonton, so I'm looking forward to getting out there and checking out the actual city, as well. I don't think there's a better time of year to be there. I hear the crowd noise is out of control. I'm in.' Article content He said hockey's popularity in Australia is building, there's a few local teams now. But, living in a place where it's so hot all of the time, it's hard for an ice sport to really take hold. Article content But, he has a couple of friends who are also hard-core NHL fans. Article content 'I've got a couple of mates who like it, there's this one mate who's right into it, but he's a Rangers fan, so he's not that much of a mate, really. But when the Rangers played L.A. in the Cup a, he flew over and when he got back he told me, 'Mate, you've got to do it, it's the best ever.