Oilers officially scratch Corey Perry due to poor performance
The Edmonton Oilers signed Corey Perry in the middle of this season, hoping he could be a playoff veteran and be an important player in the postseason.
Instead, with the season on the line against the Vancouver Canucks at home, the Oilers will be scratching Corey Perry to bring Sam Carrick into the lineup.
The Oilers debuted an entirely new configuration to their bottom six in tonight's warmup. Derek Ryan has been elevated to the third line, Sam Carrick will center the fourth, and Corey Perry will be a healthy scratch.
After Game 5, Knoblauch stressed he loved the play from the fourth line, but didn't seem enthusiastic about the play of the third line.
In 10 playoff games with the Oilers so far, Perry hasn't registered a point, or even really looked like a real threat on the ice. Now 39 years old, Perry is just a step too slow to keep up with the intensity of playoff hockey. He can still be a good pest, like his hilarious with his cross-check baiting against the Canucks, but his play hasn't warranted being in the lineup.
Sam Carrick will enter the lineup to center the fourth line. Hopefully he brings some hunger to be in the lineup in the playoffs, and comes out playing a physical game. Some Oilers fans had called for Sam Gagner to enter the lineup given his propensity to score some clutch goals, but Knoblauch is clearly looking for some more youth, speed, and physicality from his bottom six.
With their season on the line at home, the Oilers will need to come out with a complete team effort to even force a game 7, and punch their ticket to the conference finals.
| POLL | ||
Do you agree that Corey Perry needed to be scratched? | ||
| Yes, the best lineup doesn't include him | 366 | 71.6 % |
| No, he should be playing | 102 | 20 % |
| See Results | 43 | 8.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
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