Oilers’ Brown out, Pickard and Ekholm questionable for Game 4 against Stars

The Edmonton Oilers will be forced to veer from a successful formula.

Forward Connor Brown will not play in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars, head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters on Monday.

Brown left Game 3 ahead of the third period after suffering an apparent injury on a hit from Alexander Petrovic.

The 31-year-old, who has eight points (five goals, three assists) in the playoffs, will miss his first game of the season as a result.

Meanwhile, goalie Calvin Pickard returned to practice on Monday, while defenceman Mattias Ekholm said he will return to game action soon, Sportsnet’s David Amber reported.

Pickard added that he hopes to be able to back up Stuart Skinner during Tuesday’s Game 4 against the Dallas Stars, per Amber. Ekholm has been day-to-day throughout the series.

A backup for most of the season, Pickard took over the crease during Game 3 of the first round against the Los Angeles Kings and backstopped the Oilers to six straight wins.

But the 33-year-old was injured during Game 2 against the Vegas Golden Knights on May 8 and has not played since.

Skinner, who had been benched, returned to the starter’s role, guiding Edmonton to its current 2-1 lead over the Stars in the Western Conference Final.

Ekholm, 35, has been out since mid-April with an undisclosed injury. He recorded nine goals and 33 points this season while logging over 22 minutes of ice time a night. He has 12 goals and 52 points in 112 career playoff games.

During Edmonton’s run to the Stanley Cup Final last year, the six-foot-five, 225-pound defenceman potted five goals and played nearly 22 minutes a night.

Live coverage of Tuesday’s Game 4 between the Oilers and Stars will be available on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. MT.

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