‘Game-time decision’: Oilers’ Ryan Nugent-Hopkins misses practice as defensive pairings shuffle ahead of Game 3

Nurse and Bouchard have played 91 minutes so far in these playoffs, but the results haven’t been great, getting outscored 8-3. Much of that came in the Oilers’ first round series against the Los Angeles Kings, where in 57 minutes they were outscored 7-3 at five-on-five, despite controlling 52.3 percent of the expected goal share.

The sample size on the second pair is very small, just 11 minutes so far in the playoffs, and while breaking even in goals 1-1, they’ve controlled 78.2 percent of the expected goal share. It’s too small of a sample to really glean much from, but Nurse and Kulak, with the latter on his offside, have struggled through the first two games.

The third pairing is also an unknown. Ekholm had been stapled in his usual spot beside Bouchard all throughout the regular season, and after getting hurt, the defenceman is just starting to find his game now, set to play his third of the post-season.

Nonetheless, the Oilers clearly felt the need to shuffle things up on the blue line after two incredibly tense games against the Panthers. The series is tied up at 2 ahead of Monday night’s Game 3, set for 6:00 PM MT.