The Edmonton Oilers got a wake-up call in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, taking a 6-1 beating on the road. The Florida Panthers are not going anywhere, so it may be time for coaches to show them something different and spark this Edmonton team to tie the series back up before heading home.
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No player on the Oilers has played astonishingly bad and should be punished, but a change should be made. This Panthers team is a different beast than the opponents Edmonton saw in the Western Conference. Showing them a different look for Game 4 could give them an advantage and bring some new energy to the ice surface. Here are a couple options.
Many fans are wondering why Jeff Skinner isn’t seeing more ice during these playoffs, the first playoffs of his career. He has two points in the two games he has played and can be very productive when placed in the right situation. He has the grit and grind with the soft touch the team needs, it’s just time to ‘put him in coach’.
The grit with the soft touch is what most fans were hoping to get out of Trent Frederic, but that hasn’t quite carried over from Boston yet. He has played a fine game so far this postseason, but everyone is looking for a bit more. Some thought the Skinner for Frederic swap should have come before last game’s disaster, so what better time than the present? Give Frederic a game or so to rest and figure it out, and if coaches feel strongly he should be back out there, then so be it.
The other option for Jeff Skinner to replace is Adam Henrique. He is another one who has been fairly quiet, primarily centering the third line and putting up just six points so far in the 2025 Playoffs. He has zero points and is a minus-1 in the Cup Final. It’s not that he’s been bad; however, he’s just been sort of pedestrian for long stretches of time. He needs to find that next level like he did last postseason; otherwise, a swap for someone like Skinner may be in the books very soon with the season coming to a close.
A swap on the blue line could be just what the Oilers need to lock up a relentless Florida attack. Troy Stecher lost his spot in the lineup when Mattias Ekholm returned from injury, but maybe he shouldn’t have. The Oilers were on a roll with him in the lineup, and he was bringing just the right amount of grit and smart playmaking to the ice. He is well-rested and a proven asset to this Cup contender.
John Klingberg hasn’t necessarily been bad; however, he hasn’t been all that good either. He was a minus-3 in the ugly Game 3 loss and played just over 17 minutes; both series lows for him. At least a game or even two off wouldn’t hurt the veteran on the wrong side of 30, especially this late in the season. Edmonton’s fans, along with their media, seem to agree on this one.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, and it makes me puke thinking about it, but I'd consider dressing seven D-men and get Stecher in. I think after that game it could be good to get someone fresh in there. The risk is the health of the forwards, so maybe even Klingberg for…
Both guys have played solid hockey to this point in the postseason, but there’s no sparing feelings in the Cup Final.
Quick tweaks midway through a series like this are nothing new for head coach Kris Knoblauch, or Stecher for that matter. He was inserted into the lineup for fellow defenceman Ty Emberson after a Game 3 loss in Round 2 of these playoffs. Emberson was playing fine, but like I mentioned, sometimes a change can bring new energy and spark a team.
Kasperi Kapanen is another great example. He was brought in for Viktor Arvidsson at the same time Stecher came in, and hasn’t left the lineup since. He has scored in the clutch for Edmonton and been a force all over the ice. A waiver wire pickup to a vital piece of the Western Conference champions.
And of course, the other perfect example of Knoblauch lineup changes in the playoffs is the Calvin Pickard for Stuart Skinner swap in Round 1. Pickard came in for a struggling Skinner, vaulted the team to six straight victories, and then handed the reins back to Skinner, who found his mojo and helped his team the rest of the way to this point. The energy shift from Skinner to Pickard was clear on the ice, and everyone got behind it.
Sometimes, all a team like the Oilers needs is a tweak in the lineup to provide a change in momentum and potentially win a series. They have a chance to try that right now.
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