Oilers Kris Knoblauch shaking up defence pairings, likely adding Broberg
Within hours after the Oilers lost 5-3 to the Dallas Stars in game three of the Western Conference final, Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch hinted of a defensive pairing shake up.
NHL insider Frank Seravalli thinks that major change is imminent as there's a strong possibility of Phillip Broberg entering the series. One player in particular who has struggled during these playoffs for the Oilers is beleaguered defenseman Darnell Nurse.
Nurse's stat line is particularly brutal as he has played fifteen games, scored no goals with two assists an is an eye watering -12. A player who has been a positive in the plus minus column for the past five seasons has lost his way during this postseason and could likely be looked at as either reducing his ice time or potentially replacing him.
The defense became particularly leaky after the first period when the Oilers were up 2-0 and the stars scored three goals in less than 4 minutes. Oilers will also need a better game from goaltender Stuart Skinner as he only had it .810 save percentage and letting in four goals on 21 shots.
Only time will tell on whether Knoblauch will make the changes but it's likely after game three's performance that the Oilers will need to make some adjustments as they hope not to go down 3-1 heading back to Dallas.
Game 4 will take place on May 29th and puck drop will be at 8:30 PM eastern.
| POLL | ||
Should the Oilers make Darnell Nurse a healthy scratch in Game 4? | ||
| Yes | 164 | 56.6 % |
| No | 126 | 43.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
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