Oilers Ponder Goalie Change in Stanley Cup Final. Panthers Are Not

The last thing Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice is thinking about when it comes to prepping his team for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final is changing goalies.

When it comes to the way Sergei Bobrovsky is playing, he is not going anywhere.

That is not the case when it comes to the Edmonton Oilers.

Coach Kris Knoblauch would not commit to starting Stuart Skinner a day after pulling him in the third period of a 6-1 loss to the Panthers in Game 3.

“We haven’t decided. We’ll announce that before the game,’’ Knoblauch said after holding a practice at the IcePlex on Tuesday afternoon. “But I think a lot of the games that Stu maybe wasn’t on his A game, our team wasn’t on it’s a game in front of him. I don’t think there are any bad goals. Maybe an extra save, but it doesn’t matter how well Stu played last night it wouldn’t have made any difference in the game most likely.

“I’m not holding anything against Stu on that performance.”

Skinner gave up five goals, and the hook seemed to be of the mercy variety.

The Oilers certainly were not giving much of a defense in front of him.

“I let in couple goals, one on the PK and then obviously Marchand’s. They were great tonight,’’ Skinner said Monday. “Some were chaotic. Some were really nice shots. It got a little post lucky for them, a couple shots, but I mean I’ve had my post luck, too. It goes both ways, and they made some nice shots. But as a goalie, you’ve got to come up with a save. It doesn’t matter. It’s a game of inches. If I’m a quarter of an inch out farther on Verhaeghe’s goal, then that can be a save. Same with Reinhart. I don’t like letting open shots in, so I take accountability on those.”

Knoblauch did talk about how good Calvin Pickard has been good in these playoffs as well — going 6-0 in the first round against Los Angeles in Round 1 and at the start of the Vegas series in Round 2.

Pickard gave up a power-play goal to Evan Rodrigues with 3:10 left for the final score.

He ended with seven saves in 16:33 on Monday.

“Here we’ve got a goaltender, Pickard, who has been pretty good, 6-0 in the playoffs. Hasn’t played,’’ Knoblaugh said. “Whether we use him again, there’s a little opportunity for him to get some playing time so when we do use him he’s a little more comfortable when he goes in that net.

“So, I think it’s one [reason], allowing Picks some playing time just in case we do need him, choose to use him at a certain point, but also give Stu some time off and not have him play through that circumstance.’’

As far as the Panthers go, Bobrovsky has been his usual postseason self.

Through the first three games, he has gone 2-1 and made 42 saves in each of the first two games.

On Monday, he made 32 giving him 116 saves overall.

That is tied for second-most through three games of a Final with Tuukka Rask making 120 in 2013, and Olie Kolzig having 116 in 1998.

“I just [take it] one at a time, one moment at a time. I don’t think too much. It’s the Stanley Cup Final,’’ Bobrovsky said. “I appreciate the opportunity, and value the opportunity to play. It’s just a privilege to be here.”

2025 STANLEY CUP FINAL

GAME 4

EDMONTON OILERS @ FLORIDA PANTHERS

Florida Leads Best-of-7 Series 2-1

• When: Thursday, 8 p.m.
• Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise
• National TV: TNT/truTV 
• National Streaming: Max
• Radio: WQAM 560-AM; WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys), SiriusXM
• Radio Streaming: SiriusXM, NHL App
• Series Schedule (all games at 8 p.m., TNT) — Game 1: @Edmonton 4, Florida 3 (OT); Game 2: Florida 5, @Edmonton 4 (2OT); Game 3: @Florida 6, Edmonton 1; Game 4: @Florida, Thursday; Game 5: @Edmonton Saturday; Game 6*: @Florida, Tuesday June 17; Game 7*: @Edmonton, Friday June 20.
• How They Got Here: Edmonton d. Los Angeles (6), Vegas (5), Dallas (5); Florida d. Tampa Bay (5), Toronto (7), Carolina (5)
• Postseason History: Florida Won 2024 Stanley Cup Final 4-3
• Regular Season: Panthers won 2-0
• All-time Regular Season Series: Oilers lead 23-18-0, 3 ties