A familiar face will remain out of the Edmonton Oilers lineup on Tuesday.
Defenceman Mattias Ekholm won’t play in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars as he continues to recover from an undisclosed injury, head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters.
Meanwhile, goalie Calvin Pickard will return as a backup to Stuart Skinner while forward Viktor Arvidsson draws in for the injured Connor Brown.
Ekholm, 35, has been out since mid-April. 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.
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Stanley Cup Playoffs on Sportsnet
The Edmonton Oilers host the Dallas Stars in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final with a chance to go up 3-1 in the series. Watch the game live on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ on Tuesday with coverage beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET/ 5:30 p.m. MT.
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.
Troy Stecher has stepped up in Ekholm’s absence since Round 2, joining Darnell Nurse on a steady defence pairing.
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 series lead over the Stars.
Arvidsson, 32, has played nine games during these playoffs, recording one goal and three assists.
He’ll take the place of Brown, who will miss his first game of the season after exiting Game 3 following a hit from Stars defenceman Alexander Petrovic.
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.
