Coming out of game three against the Dallas Stars, Head Coach Kris Knoblauch mentioned that there were expected to be lineup changes for game four, but declined to comment on what they were. Again this morning, he was mum about lineup changes for the Edmonton Oilers, noting that we will see the changes in warmup. However, this morning’s practice has given an indication of what to expect.
Mcleod, Perry, Broberg expected to play
As we noted yesterday, the Oilers would likely be putting Ryan McLeod back in after being scratched in game three for Adam Henrique. He is expected to be back in the lineup tonight alongside veteran Corey Perry up front.
Expected to be coming out of the lineup are Sam Carrick and Warren Foegele. The latter has struggled through the playoffs, consistently being one of the weaker performers analytically through the playoffs. Carrick is a bit of a surprise, given his steady play on the fourth line as well as the fact that the Oilers traded for him at the Trade Deadline to augment their depth.
These changes likely see McLeod slotting in as the fourth line centre and Perry taking Foegele’s place on the third line to start.
Shifting gears to defense, the Oilers are expected to make their first lineup change to their blueline in the playoffs. Rookie Philip Broberg is expected to slot in to the lineup while Vincent Desharnais is expected to come out for game four. Broberg had 38 points in 49 games in the AHL, among the best points-per-game pace of all blueliners his age in the league, but just two points in 12 NHL games.
Taking Desharnais out is an interesting choice not only because today is his birthday, but also because both Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci have struggled mightily this playoffs. Nurse was unlikely to leave the lineup, but Ceci was the player many expected to be coming out. That being said, the Laval-born blueliner has just one assist and owns a brutal plus/minus of -8 in the playoffs. A game off the ice may give him a bit of a reset.
The other odd thing about this change is that Desharnais is a right shot defenceman making room for the left shot Broberg. The top pairing likely remains the same with Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard, but what the Oilers do with Nurse, Ceci, Broberg, and Brett Kulak is going to be interesting. Ceci is the only right shot of the four, so how the Oilers match their pairings is something to watch.
What to expect in game four
This is a must-win game for the Oilers. If they can win, they go back to Dallas with a tied series and a looming best-of-three to finish off this round of the playoffs. If they cannot pick up the win, the Stars take a 3-1 edge back to their fans at the American Airlines Centre to try and close out the series and punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Finals.
This is a massive game for both teams, and hopefully these changes help the Oilers come away with the win.
