Kris Knoblauch is tinkering again.
The Edmonton Oilers head coach is making at least one lineup change for Monday’s Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers, adding defenceman Vincent Desharnais to the lineup at the expense of Cody Ceci.
Desharnais, who has sat out the last four Oilers playoff games — he was scratched in favour of Philip Broberg in Game 4 of the Oilers’ Western Conference Final series against the Dallas Stars — will play on a defensive pairing with Darnell Nurse.
Nurse and Ceci were on the ice for the first two Panthers goals in Game 1, a 3-0 Florida victory.
Monday’s move is the first time Ceci has been a healthy scratch for the Oilers.
Knoblauch said he’s making the move to insert “new life” into the lineup, something he’s done throughout the post-season, “and it’s paid off.”
“We’ve got an excellent, capable person who hasn’t played the last few games,” Knoblauch said of the six-foot-seven, 226 lb. Desharnais.
“We feel that he can help us.”
Both Nurse and Desharnais are known for their physical style of play, a manner which the Panthers employ arguably more than the Oilers’ previous opponents in this year’s playoffs.
Both Nurse and Desharnais told media on Monday after the pre-game skate they feel they communicate well and have a “good feel for each other.”
“We can be very effective out there when we’re on our game,” Nurse said, wary of the “very heavy” play employed by Florida.
“They attack and hold onto the puck and are physical, but for us to get in there and break up that cycle, we’ve got to bring a little bit of that element ourselves.
“I thought we did a good job of that in Game 1. They’re going to ramp their game up in Game 2 and we’ve got to ramp ours up, too.”
Desharnais said while he didn’t enjoy being out of the lineup the last four games, he said he and his teammates accept their roles.
“The roles are changing throughout the playoffs, whether it’s a guy like Corey Perry, who’s played over 1,000 games or whether it’s me who’s played just over 100 games, you’ve just got to take your role,” Desharnais said.
“I think everyone takes it pretty positively.”
Another possible Oilers lineup move could see centre Sam Carrick draw into Monday’s game, with Perry coming out. Perry was scratched for the last two games of the Oilers’ second-round series against the Vancouver Canucks and the first three against the Stars, returning in Game 4 of the conference final to great effect, assisting on a goal while playing on the second line with Leon Draisaitl and Ryan McLeod.