Kane has played through the entire postseason with a sports hernia, and likely more injuries sustained along the way. It's been a commendable effort to see him push through pain to play, but Knoblauch recently said they just need a healthier body in the lineup. Seeing now that Knoblauch is signalling he will play again suggests he will be back for Game 5.
With only one assist in his last 9 playoff games, Kane wasn't able to perform at the level that's expected from him. Hopefully when he is able to return, he can get back to the scoring power forward he can be - with the added element of being hungry to be in the lineup.
The Oilers will face their toughest task yet in Game 5, with the Panthers having an opportunity to lift the Stanley Cup on home ice. If the Oilers can pull off their best effort of the year and get a win to take the series back to Alberta, what looked like a sure sweep may begin to look very different. Every time the Oilers have lost three in a row this year, they've followed it up with a streak of four wins. Can they do it again to win the Stanley Cup?
Source: Daniel Nugent Bowman
What are the chances Evander Kane plays again in this series?
POLL | ||
JUIN 17 | 504 ANSWERS Oilers coach Knoblauch reveals if Evander Kane will play again in Cup Final Do you think Evander Kane will play in Game 5? | ||
Yes, he'll be back | 222 | 44 % |
No, he'll be back if it goes to 6 | 265 | 52.6 % |
See Results | 17 | 3.4 % |
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