How the Oilers should manage their blue line in Game 4 

The Edmonton Oilers have a tough test ahead of them. After a 5-3 loss to the Dallas Stars in Game 3 on Monday, Edmonton enters Game 4 tonight with a chance to tie the series, but also with the real possibility of falling into a 3-1 series hole in this Western Conference Final. 

One area the Oilers could really use a surge is on their blue line. Outside of the top pairing of Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm, the defense has struggled in this series. Dallas has scored 10 goals in three games, a 3.33 goals per game average that is likely enough for the Stars to beat any team in the league with. 

Bouchard has been great, leading all defensemen with 22 points (five goals, 17 assists) and leading all skaters with a plus-12 rating in the playoffs. Ekholm has been good, sitting at plus-6. But what about after that? The next best defenseman for Edmonton is Brett Kulak, who is plus-3 with five points (one goal, four assists). 

Is it time for the Oilers to make a change in personnel on their blue line? According to Oilers morning skate, it might be. 

Tyler Yaremchuk: Are they going to be able to get back in this series? If they can find a way to gut out a big win tonight down at Rogers Place, who’s going to be in the lineup for them?… Piecing together some reports from skate… [Warren Foegele, Connor Carrick and Vincent Desharnais] all stayed out late… There are rumblings that Philip Broberg could be getting into the lineup tonight… Is that a sure enough sign that Kris Knoblauch’s ready to make a change on his blue line? 

Frank Seravalli: [Broberg] does have playoff experience. He played nine games for the Oilers last year in the playoffs. It’s not like you are taking this guy and just dropping him in… You’re going against a Stars team that, they play fast, they stretch the ice, you need better skaters. The Oilers, from a purely philosophical and management perspective, have really preferred size over skating. Desharnais is the best example of that… When it comes to what that lineup looks like, I really wondered about the possibility of 11-7, just because it gives you that optionality. They’re really struggling to find a fit for Darnell Nurse. Whether he’s with Cody Ceci, whether he’s with Desharnais, it hasn’t worked.

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