Oilers sticking with Skinner in net for Game 4

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner volition person different accidental to beryllium that he's "Mr. Game 4."

The Oilers are starting Skinner against the Florida Panthers connected Thursday night, trailing 2-1 successful the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final. Skinner was pulled 3:27 into the 3rd play of Game 3 aft giving up 5 goals connected 23 shots during Edmonton's 6-1 loss.

There was immoderate speculation that backup Calvin Pickard could regenerate Skinner successful Game 4. Pickard replaced Skinner successful the archetypal circular and went 6-0 earlier an wounded against Las Vegas saw Skinner instrumentality to the crease. The Oilers had been non-committal since Game 3 astir who would start, but Skinner was assured he'd get the call.

"I felt similar I was going to beryllium in. I don't truly spot excessively overmuch crushed to panic rather yet," Skinner said erstwhile asked astir perchance being replaced by Pickard. "We mislaid 2 successful a row. I'm bully successful these situations. I cognize however to bounce back."

He besides knows however to triumph the 4th crippled of a series. Skinner is 6-0 beingness successful Game 4, with a 1.26 goals-against mean and a .955 prevention percentage, including 2 shutouts. Skinner constricted the Panthers to 1 extremity successful Game 4 successful past season's Stanley Cup Final, which sparked Edmonton's comeback to unit a Game 7.

Oilers manager Kris Knoblauch said Skinner seems to get amended arsenic bid spell deeper.

"It's conscionable however good he's played successful the 2nd fractional of a series," Knoblauch said. "That goes for each azygous bid this twelvemonth and past year. Here's a feline that's going to conscionable proceed to get amended arsenic this bid goes on. Hopefully we've got a fewer much games wherever helium tin basal up and play truly well."

Knoblauch did marque immoderate lineup changes for Game 4. Winger Jeff Skinner draws successful for guardant Viktor Arvidsson. Skinner past played successful Game 5 of the Western Conference Final and has a extremity and an assistance successful 2 playoff games.

Defenseman Troy Stecher replaces defenseman John Klingberg, who was a minus-3 successful Game 3. Stecher is simply a plus-3 successful six playoff appearances, having past played successful Game 4 against Dallas successful the league final.

The Oilers are besides elevating guardant Connor Brown to their apical enactment to play alongside prima halfway Connor McDavid and winger Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

"He's a feline that's playing truly well," McDavid said of Brown, who has 5 goals and 3 assists successful 17 playoff games. "Skates good with the puck and a assured feline that tin benignant play up and down your lineup."

Brown volition effort to get McDavid going aft a uncommon off-night for the superstar. Game 3 marked conscionable the 13th clip successful their playoff past unneurotic that some McDavid and Oilers prima halfway Leon Draisaitl were held disconnected the scoresheet.

One crushed for that, according to the Oilers, was however disjointed the crippled was from a punishment perspective. Game 3 had the fourth-most punishment minutes (140) for immoderate Stanley Cup Final crippled successful NHL history.

The Panthers, who aren't expected to marque immoderate lineup changes, expect Game 4 volition beryllium played overmuch differently. Florida defenseman Seth Jones said helium expects that "both teams astir apt privation to beryllium a small spot much disciplined" connected Thursday night.

"I'm definite it's going to beryllium conscionable hard hockey betwixt the whistles," Jones said. "I don't deliberation there's going to beryllium a batch of worldly after. I deliberation I'm definite the refs are already talking astir trying to support this happening nether power but that doesn't mean that it's not going to beryllium aggravated and successful your face."

Florida manager Paul Maurice expects the same, but helium said it's little astir the Game 3 shenanigans and much astir this bid starting to creep toward its finale.

"There's 4 games near to this series. As you get person to Game 7, subject becomes a much and much captious factor," helium said. "I deliberation this is going to beryllium the fastest, astir disciplined crippled played by some teams. It won't person thing to bash with the mode [Game 3] ended. It'll person everything to bash with it being Game 4."

The Panthers and Oilers are scheduled to look disconnected successful Game 4 astatine 8 p.m. ET.

History favors Florida: Teams that triumph Game 3 of a best-of-7 bid with the bid tied 1-1 person won 23 of 30 times. Six of the past 7 teams that held a 2-1 bid pb successful the Stanley Cup Final person gone connected to triumph the Cup. Defending champions similar the Panthers are 22-1 successful the Stanley Cup Final erstwhile starring aft 3 games.