The Edmonton Oilers are dealing with some injuries heading into Game 3 versus the Florida Panthers on Thursday night. Interestingly, the player most thought was in the roughest shape doesn’t have the Oilers terribly concerned, at least not when compared to a forward who has been fighting through something all playoffs long. Darnell Nurse looks good to go, but Evander Kane might not be.
According to head coach Kris Knoblauch, tonight’s lineup for the Oilers is still not finalized. “You’re going to have to wait and find out,” he told media members on Thursday morning. Elliotte Friedman reports, “Think there is more concern about Kane’s health than Nurse’s.”
Kane has been fighting a sports hernia but has played regularly in every series of the playoffs. He delivered an awkward hit later in the playoffs and since then has had trouble sitting on the bench and played a postseason low of around 10 minutes in Game 2 versus the Panthers. Kane had a long chat with Knoblauch at Wednesday’s practice before leaving the ice early.
Nurse, meanwhile, didn’t skate on Wednesday. He took a hit in Game 2 and tried to skate it off a couple of times with little luck. He played a couple of shifts in the third period, totaling just over 4 minutes in the game. Still, Knoblauch hasn’t been under the impression most of the week that Nurse would miss any time. It is believed that Nurse has gotten treatment over the past couple of days that has really helped, and while he might not be 100%, his minutes shouldn’t be too limited on Thursday night.
The Oilers Could Use Both Players Healthy
This series with the Florida Panthers has gotten greasy and physical. If Nurse and Kane aren’t capable of giving their all, that’s a huge issue for the Oilers as these two bring a physical element to Edmonton’s lineup.
The Oilers are down 2-0 in the series and are hoping to get back into the Stanley Cup Final with a win on home ice.
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