EDMONTON – Addition by subtraction.

Sometimes, it takes one minor change to create a huge ripple effect. The Edmonton Oilers saw that on Monday night with their Game 4 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights.

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Adam Henrique posted a two-goal performance while Stuart Skinner locked it down with a 24-save shutout to give the Oilers a 3-0 win. They now lead the series 3-1, heading back to Vegas.

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Kasperi Kapanen came in for Viktor Arvidsson, bringing speed, energy, and physicality. He threw five hits, only one behind Evander Kane, who led the Oilers with six hits.

But one performance was more vital to the team's longevity during this playoff run.

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Troy Stecher came in for Ty Emberson, who has been a penalty-killing sensation. However, head coach Kris Knoblauch wanted to add a couple of players who were more than ready to contribute.

Stecher played an impressive game from start to finish. He was aggressive, hard-working, and made smart plays. He played the fourth most minutes with 16:46. 

Troy Stecher Addition Allows The Proper Pairings To Emerge

Now, the Oilers have the right mix of defensemen – and the right pairings. Darnell Nurse being matched up with Stecher has allowed Nurse to calm down, keep things simple, and do what makes him effective.

Jake Walman and John Klingberg have made a great pairing, bringing a mix of experience, puck skills, and physicality that allow them to be very successful.

Brett Kulak has been sensational all year, and his calming presence beside Evan Bouchard is the next best thing to having Mattias Ekholm.

Of course, they miss their top Swedish defender, but this is the right mix going forward (until Ekholm returns). Everyone plays a healthy number of minutes, and no one plays too much or too little.

It’s almost like Stecher was the missing piece.

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