Ekholm recorded an assist, four shots on goal, three blocked shots, two hits and a plus-2 rating in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Canucks in Game 4.
Ekholm has three goals and two assists over four games in the second round after he was limited to one helper in the Oilers' 4-1 series win over the Kings in the first round. The defenseman set up Ryan Nugent-Hopkins' second-period tally Tuesday. Ekholm is up to six points, 20 shots on net, 12 hits, 15 blocked shots and a plus-6 rating over nine playoff appearances in a top-pairing role.
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Oilers' Evander Kane: Earns assist on game-winner
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Kane produced an assist, four hits and four PIM in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Canucks in Game 4.
Kane helped out on Evan Bouchard's game-winning goal in the final minute of the third period. This was Kane's second straight game with a helper. The winger is up to five points, 22 shots on net, 33 hits, 19 PIM and a minus-3 rating over nine playoff appearances in a middle-six role.
McDavid posted a power-play assist, four shots on goal and two hits in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Canucks in Game 4.
McDavid's playoff-opening point streak ended at seven games after he was held off the scoresheet in Sunday's Game 3 loss. The center got back at it Tuesday, setting up Leon Draisaitl on the Oilers' opening tally. McDavid has two goals, 16 helpers, 27 shots on net, 21 hits and a plus-4 rating through nine playoff appearances.
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Oilers' Ryan Nugent-Hopkins: Scores in Game 4 win
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Nugent-Hopkins scored a goal on two shots and added three hits in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Canucks in Game 4.
Nugent-Hopkins put the Oilers ahead 2-0 with a goal in the final minute of the second period. The goal was his first since the playoff opener, though he has racked up seven points during a five-game streak. The 31-year-old has two goals, nine helpers, 13 shots on net, 17 hits and a plus-1 rating over nine postseason appearances.
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Oilers' Evan Bouchard: Two-point effort Tuesday
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Bouchard scored a goal on four shots, added a power-play assist, blocked two shots and went plus-2 in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Canucks in Game 4.
Bouchard's tally with 39 seconds left in the third period was the game-winning goal. The defenseman has scored in three straight contests in an extremely close second-round series. Bouchard has four goals, 11 helpers, seven power-play points, 34 shots on net, 16 blocks and a plus-8 rating over nine playoff appearances in a top-pairing role.
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Oilers' Leon Draisaitl: Another two-point effort
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Draisaitl scored a power-play goal on four shots, added an assist and logged four hits in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Canucks in Game 4.
Draisaitl earned his eighth multi-point effort in nine playoff games. He finished off a Connor McDavid pass for the opening tally in the first period and set up Evan Bouchard's game-winning goal in the final minute of the third. Draisaitl is up to eight goals, 20 points, 39 shots on net and a plus-2 rating this postseason, ranking first in the league in points and third in goals.
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Oilers' Calvin Pickard: Wins first playoff start
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Pickard stopped 19 of 21 shots in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Canucks in Game 4.
Pickard received his first playoff start after making his postseason debut in relief of Stuart Skinner in Sunday's Game 3. Skinner's struggles have opened the door for Pickard to get a chance, and he nearly squandered it after giving up a goal late in the third period to Dakota Joshua. Evan Bouchard answered quickly to give the Oilers the win, which tied the series at two games apiece. Pickard went 12-7-1 with a 2.45 GAA and a .909 save percentage over 23 regular-season outings. Tuesday's effort was far from dominant, but it might just be enough for the 32-year-old to get a longer look between the pipes with the series shifting back to Vancouver for Thursday's Game 5.
Henrique (ankle) won't play Tuesday in Game 4 against the Canucks, per Tony Brar of Oilers TV.
Henrique will miss his second straight contest. He has picked up one goal, one assist, four shots on net and 22 hits in six outings this postseason. The 34-year-old forward had 24 goals and 51 points in 82 appearances between the Oilers and Ducks during the 2023-24 regular season.
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Oilers' Calvin Pickard: First off ahead of Game 4
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Pickard was the first goalie off the ice at the morning skate, Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com reports, indicating he will patrol the home crease Tuesday in Game 4 versus Vancouver.
Pickard will get his first NHL playoff start due to the struggles of Stuart Skinner. The 25-year-old Skinner has surrendered 12 goals on 58 shots en route to a 1-2 record during Edmonton's second-round series against the Canucks. Pickard posted a 12-7-1 record with a 2.45 GAA and a .909 save percentage in 23 outings during the 2023-24 regular season.
Nurse notched a power-play assist, four shots on goal, three hits and two PIM in Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Canucks in Game 3.
Nurse snapped a four-game dry spell with his helper on a Mattias Ekholm tally in the first period. The 29-year-old Nurse has been limited to two assists over eight playoff outings, and he's added 17 shots on net, 13 hits, 22 blocked shots and a minus-6 rating. He's played on the second pairing, with Ekholm leapfrogging Nurse for a spot alongside Evan Bouchard on the top pairing. Nurse can still add some physicality, but his offense is likely to be limited with less ice time.
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Oilers' Evander Kane: Helps out on power play
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Kane notched a power-play assist and four hits in Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Canucks in Game 3.
Kane hadn't posted a power-play point since March 23. The winger, who missed time late in the regular season due to a sports hernia, has four points, 21 shots on net, 30 hits and 15 PIM over eight playoff contests. Kane has primarily played in a middle-six role and on the second power-play unit, so his scoring contributions are likely to remain limited to a supporting level.
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Oilers' Ryan Nugent-Hopkins: Contributes power-play assist
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Nugent-Hopkins logged a power-play assist and two hits in Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Canucks in Game 3.
Nugent-Hopkins has six helpers over his last four games, with three of them coming on the power play. Through eight playoff outings, he has one goal, nine helpers, six power-play points, 11 shots on net, 15 hits and an even plus-minus rating. He's centered the second line in the last two games as head coach Kris Knoblauch attempts to spark the Oilers' offense by uniting Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl at even strength.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: One of each Sunday
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Ekholm scored a power-play goal on four shots, dished an assist and added two PIM in Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Canucks in Game 3.
The Oilers' second power-play unit made a rare contribution, with Ekholm getting the opening goal. He also set up Evan Bouchard in the third period, but the Canucks controlled the scoring in between those tallies. All three of Ekholm's goals this postseason have come in the second round, and he's added two assists, 16 shots on net, 10 hits, 12 blocked shots and a plus-4 rating through eight playoff outings overall. The 33-year-old should continue to see his even-strength minutes on the top pairing alongside Bouchard.
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Oilers' Evan Bouchard: Produces pair of points
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Bouchard scored a goal on six shots and added a power-play assist in Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Canucks in Game 3.
Bouchard has a six-game point streak going, and he's earned four points over three outings in the second round. The defenseman was at the center of the Oilers' comeback push Sunday, but the effort fell short. He has three goals, 10 assists, 30 shots on net, 14 blocked shots and a plus-6 rating over eight playoff appearances while playing in a top-pairing role with ample power-play time.
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Oilers' Leon Draisaitl: Two points in loss
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Draisaitl scored a power-play goal on five shots, dished an assist and added two PIM in Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Canucks in Game 3.
Draisaitl got the Oilers within a goal in the second period and helped out on Evan Bouchard's tally in the third, but it wasn't enough. The 28-year-old Draisaitl has multiple points in seven of eight playoff contests, with the lone exception being the Oilers' 1-0 win over the Kings in Game 4 of the first round. He's at seven goals, 11 helpers, 35 shots on net, eight PIM and a plus-3 rating this postseason.
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Oilers' Calvin Pickard: Makes relief appearance
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Pickard stopped all three shots he faced in relief of Stuart Skinner in Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Canucks in Game 3.
This was Pickard's first playoff action this spring, and he did fairly well, though the Canucks were mostly nursing their lead while he was in the game. Head coach Kris Knoblauch didn't name a starter for Game 4 on Tuesday in his postgame comments, per Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic, which leaves open the possibility Pickard could get a start now that the Oilers trail 2-1 in the series. The 32-year-old went 12-7-1 with a 2.45 GAA and a .909 save percentage in 23 regular-season appearances as Skinner's backup this year.
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Oilers' Stuart Skinner: Pulled from Sunday's loss
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Skinner allowed four goals on 15 shots in Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Canucks in Game 3.
Skinner played the first two periods and saw a little more ice time late in the third after some gamesmanship from head coach Kris Knoblauch. Skinner's play remains a serious concern -- the Canucks have fired 58 shots at him over three contests, but he's let in 12 goals while losing two of those games. The Oilers were able to cover the 25-year-old in the first round, but they've had less success in that regard against the Canucks. Per Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic, Knoblauch wouldn't commit to sticking with Skinner for Game 4 on Tuesday. Calvin Pickard made three saves in Sunday's contest, but veteran Jack Campbell could also be an option should the Oilers get desperate in the next week.
