EDMONTON — Paul Maurice, ever a preacher of the positive when he takes to the Stanley Cup Final podium, would never frame his lineup changes as punishments.
But a couple of his Florida Panthers will pay for their mistakes in Game 5’s 5-3 loss by taking a reduced role in Game 6.
Brandon Montour has not been singled out by name (and there’s no point in doing so), but the right-shot defenceman’s careless cross-ice pass at the top of the offensive zone during the Panthers’ first power-play Tuesday has got him demoted off the top unit.
Montour’s pass was picked off by speedy Edmonton Oilers penalty killer Connor Brown, who made good on a shorthanded breakaway and gave the visitors a lead they would not relinquish.
Maurice promoted veteran lefty Oliver Ekman-Larsson mid-game to the top unit of a power-play that has a concerning minus-one goal differential in the series. Now, he’s sticking with that formation for Friday’s Game 6.
“This is what he’s done for his entire life. He used to drive me nuts,” said the former Jets coach of Ekman-Larsson. “The composure he has at the top sets him apart. He’s relishing it. He gets back in his wheelhouse.”
This is far from foreign territory for Ekman-Larsson, who played a key role in Florida’s power play early in the season when Montour was recovering from shoulder surgery.
Another mistake belonged to respected but slowing veteran Kyle Okposo, who committed a minor hooking penalty in the second period.
That infraction halted the momentum Florida gained from Matthew Tkachuk’s first goal of the series, as Corey Perry popped in a power-play marker with Okposo in the box.
Okposo will be scratched in Game 6 in favour of winger Nick Cousins, who makes his Final debut and sees his first game action in 26 days.
“Speed, energy, camaraderie,” says linemate Ryan Lomberg. “We’ve been doing it together for a couple years here, so excited to have him back in there.”
Cousins injects fresh legs and, surely, some nervous energy.
“They come back, and they’re jacked,” says Maurice, recognizing that it’s been difficult for his veterans that get healthy scratched. “Nick and Ryan have experience together.”
The third tweak Maurice is making is flipping his top-six left wingers, a go-to move of the coach’s whenever things get stale during this deep run.
Carter Verhaeghe has earned his reputation as a big-game player, but he’s a series-worst minus-seven and has just one goal.
He’ll move up to Aleksander Barkov’s defensively responsible top line, while the red-hot Evan Rodrigues (series-high four goals) will skate alongside Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk, who should be flying after his best effort of the series.
Florida Panthers projected Game 6 lineup:
Verhaeghe – Barkov – Reinhart
Rodrigues – Bennett – Tkachuk
Luostarinen – Lundell – Tarasenko
Lomberg – Stenlund – Cousins
Forsling – Ekblad
Mikkola – Montour
Ekman-Larsson – Kulikov
Bobrovsky starts
Stolarz