EDMONTON – Life is full of surprises.
The Edmonton Oilers have learned this the hard way during the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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They were surprised going down 0-2 in the first round of their fourth straight run-through against the Los Angeles Kings. The Oilers then surprised the hockey world with two five-game series victories over the Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars.
The other night, they surprised many fans by throwing discipline to the wind and letting the Florida Panthers know that they weren’t going down in the series quietly.
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EDMONTON – Every player brings something unique to the team.
Tonight, they can turn that frustration into action by putting the Panthers through the paces. Ahead of Game 4, the Oilers took to the ice for a morning skate that saw full participation from the roster.
There were surprises and not-so-secret surprises. Here are two non-surprises and three surprises from the Game 4 morning skate:
Two Surprises That Aren’t Surprises
Stuart Skinner is the projected starter for Thursday night’s Game 4 in Florida. A significant number of fans are clamoring on social media for Calvin Pickard to start.
Some people must have the memory of a goldfish. Skinner is Mr. Game 4 himself and has an excellent record in bounce-back games. It would be a bigger surprise to replace him than for him to play.
The other non-secret surprise is the addition of Troy Stecher into the lineup for John Klingberg. Rolling with seven defenders is something that head coach Kris Knoblauch doesn’t like doing, so making a substitution makes the most sense.
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Stecher brings something to the lineup that Klingberg doesn’t – which isn’t a knock on either player. However, sometimes a player needs to be brough in to settle a teammate down, and Stecher has that effect on Darnell Nurse.
Surprise 1: Connor Brown Promotion
Connor Brown took reps on the top line alongside Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. This team has been together in the past, so look for them to try to recreate some magic on the ice.
Surprise 2: Jeff Skinner Draws In
Viktor Arvidsson comes out, and Jeff Skinner comes in to replace him. Both offseason additions have had up-and-down seasons. Skinner has produced in every game he has played this playoffs (which is two).
Surprise 3: New Partner For Ekholm
The Viking King had a new partner at the morning skate. Jake Walman was skating on the right side of Mattias Ekholm. That also means that they are keeping Evan Bouchard and Brett Kulak together.
These three pairings feel like a great combination of skill, physicality, and skating ability.
Game 4 will begin just after 6:00 PM, and will be broadcast on CBC, Sportsnet, TNT, truTV, MAX, and TVAS. Puckdrop will be around 6:20 PM Mountain Time.
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