Kris Knoblauch Makes Bold Defensive Changes Ahead of Crucial Game 3 in Florida
Photo credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images
The Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch made bold defensive changes ahead of tonight's Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals in Florida, against the Panthers.
The Panthers and the Oilers will be back on the ice for the third time in the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals, inevitably breaking the 1-1 tie as teams travel to Florida for the third game of the series.
Florida managed to tie the series last Friday by beating the Oilers 5-4 in Edmonton during the second overtime period, after Brad Marchand scored the game-winning goal:
Both the Panthers and the Oilers know better than going into panic mode after a loss. The two teams came back in series earlier in the playoffs, and both have confidence they can win any night.
However, that doesn't mean head coaches won't make lineup changes after a loss.
It appears that this is what Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch has done after losing Game 2.
Oilers Head Coach Knoblauch Makes Lineup Changes Ahead Of Game 3
On Sunday, the Oilers were on the ice for a practice, and fans observed that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins wasn't on the ice, forcing Knoblauch to put Jeff Skinner on the top line.
But the most surprising changes occurred at the blue line, where Knoblauch decided to split the top pair of Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm.
Here are the full lines, as seen at yesterday's practice:
In a press conference, Knoblauch explained that he made those changes to counter the other team:
"We're always making adjustments. To counter what other teams are doing, and who is playing well. There's some conversations on what is working well with our lines and d-pairs."
Ekholm and Bouchard were partly responsible for Marchand's overtime goal, and splitting the pair could make sense for the Oilers, who will look to contain the Panthers' offensive depth in Game 3 tonight.
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