Oilers sticking with Skinner in net for Game 4

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner will have another chance to prove that he's "Mr. Game 4."

The Oilers are starting Skinner against the Florida Panthers on Thursday night, trailing 2-1 in the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final. Skinner was pulled 3:27 into the third period of Game 3 after giving up five goals on 23 shots during Edmonton's 6-1 loss.

There was some speculation that backup Calvin Pickard could replace Skinner in Game 4. Pickard replaced Skinner in the first round and went 6-0 before an injury against Las Vegas saw Skinner return to the crease. The Oilers had been noncommittal since Game 3 about who would start, but Skinner was confident he would get the call.

"I felt like I was going to be in. I don't really see too much reason to panic quite yet," Skinner said when asked about potentially being replaced by Pickard. "We lost two in a row. I'm good in these situations. I know how to bounce back."

He also knows how to win the fourth game of a series. Skinner is 6-0 lifetime in Game 4, with a 1.26 goals-against average and a .955 save percentage, including two shutouts. Skinner limited the Panthers to one goal in Game 4 in last season's Stanley Cup Final, which sparked Edmonton's comeback to force a Game 7.

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said Skinner seems to get better as series go deeper.

"It's just how well he's played in the second half of a series," Knoblauch said. "That goes for every single series this year and last year. Here's a guy that's going to just continue to get better as this series goes on. Hopefully we've got a few more games where he can stand up and play really well."

Knoblauch did make some lineup changes for Game 4. Winger Jeff Skinner draws in for forward Viktor Arvidsson. Skinner last played in Game 5 of the Western Conference final and has a goal and an assist in two playoff games.

Defenseman Troy Stecher replaces defenseman John Klingberg, who was a minus-3 in Game 3. Stecher is a plus-3 in six playoff appearances, having last played in Game 4 against Dallas in the conference final.

The Oilers are also elevating forward Connor Brown to their top line to play alongside star center Connor McDavid and winger Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

"He's a guy that's playing really well," McDavid said of Brown, who has five goals and three assists in 17 playoff games. "Skates well with the puck and a confident guy that can kind play up and down your lineup."

Brown will try to get McDavid going after a rare off night for the superstar. Game 3 marked just the 13th time in their playoff history together that both McDavid and Oilers star center Leon Draisaitl were held off the score sheet.

One reason for that, according to the Oilers, was how disjointed the game was from a penalty perspective. Game 3 had the fourth-most penalty minutes (140) for any Stanley Cup Final game in NHL history.

The Panthers, who aren't expected to make any lineup changes, anticipate Game 4 will be played much differently. Florida defenseman Seth Jones said he expects that "both teams probably want to be a little bit more disciplined" on Thursday night.

"I'm sure it's going to be just hard hockey between the whistles," Jones said. "I don't think there's going to be a lot of stuff after. I think I'm sure the refs are already talking about trying to keep this thing under control, but that doesn't mean that it's not going to be intense and in your face."

Florida coach Paul Maurice expects the same, though he said it's less about the Game 3 shenanigans and more about this series starting to creep toward its finale.

"There's four games left to this series. As you get closer to Game 7, discipline becomes a more and more critical factor," he said. "I think this is going to be the fastest, most disciplined game played by both teams. It won't have anything to do with the way [Game 3] ended. It'll have everything to do with it being Game 4."

The Panthers and Oilers are scheduled to face off in Game 4 at 8 p.m. ET.

History favors Florida: Teams that win Game 3 of a best-of-seven series with the series tied 1-1 have won 23 of 30 times. Six of the past seven teams that held a 2-1 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final have gone on to win the Cup. Defending champions such as the Panthers are 22-1 in the Stanley Cup Final when leading after three games.