Oilers' Stuart Skinner to start Game 4 of Stanley Cup Final - ESPN

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner will have another chance to prove that he's «Mr. Game 4.»

The Oilers are starting Skinner against the Florida Panthers on Thursday night, trailing 2-1 in the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final. Skinner was pulled 3:27 into the third period of Game 3 after giving up five goals on 23 shots during Edmonton's 6-1 loss.

There was some speculation that backup Calvin Pickard could replace Skinner in Game 4. Pickard replaced Skinner in the first round and went 6-0 before an injury against Las Vegas saw Skinner return to the crease. The Oilers had been non-committal since Game 3 about who would start, but Skinner was confident he'd get the call.

«I felt like I was going to be in. I don't really see too much reason to panic quite yet,» Skinner said when asked about potentially being replaced by Pickard. «We lost two in a row. I'm good in these situations. I know how to bounce back.»

He also knows how to win the fourth game of a series. Skinner is 6-0 lifetime in Game 4, with a 1.26 goals-against average and a .955 save percentage, including two shutouts. Skinner limited the Panthers to one goal in Game 4 in last season's Stanley Cup Final, which sparked Edmonton's comeback to force a Game 7.

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said Skinner seems to get better as series go deeper.

«It's just how well he's played in the second half of a series,» Knoblauch said. «That goes for every single series this year and last year. Here's a guy that's going to just continue to get better as this series goes on. Hopefully we've got a few more games where he can stand up and play really well.»

Knoblauch did make some lineup changes for Game 4. Winger Jeff Skinner draws in for forward Viktor