Oilers' Brown 'planning to play' in Game 1 vs. Panthers
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The Edmonton Oilers may be getting a boost to their lineup for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, as forward Connor Brown told reporters after practice that he plans to play in the opener.
Brown was labelled a game-time decision on Tuesday due an illness after missing Game 4 and 5 of the Western Conference final against the Dallas Stars with an undisclosed injury.
Jeff Skinner, who scored his first career playoff goal in his 15th season in Game 5 against Dallas, stayed out late with the healthy scratches at Oilers practice on Wednesday, further indicating he is likely to be benched in favour of Brown.
Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch spoke earlier in the week about the impact Brown has on the lineup.
“He adds a lot of elements to our team,” Knoblauch said. “Obviously on the penalty kill we need him a lot, his speed, his checking. He’s scored and provided some nice offense throughout the season.”
Brown scored 13 goals and totalled 30 points in 82 games in the regular season this year, and has five goals and eight points in 14 games in the postseason.
Edmonton hosts the Florida Panthers in Game 1 on Wednesday in a rematch of last year's Cup final, which the Panthers won in seven games.