Perry back in lineup for Oilers in Game 4 of Western Final
Forward has no points this postseason, had been healthy scratch previous 5 games
EDMONTON — Corey Perry returned to the lineup for the Edmonton Oilers in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars at Rogers Place on Wednesday.
The 39-year-old forward, who had been a healthy scratch the previous five games, had not played since Game 5 of the Western Conference Second Round against the Vancouver Canucks. Perry has no points in 10 Stanley Cup Playoff games after he had 22 points (12 goals, 10 assists) in 54 regular-season games.
Edmonton trails Dallas 2-1 in the best-of-7 series.
“The games that we’ve not used him it’s been tempting,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said Tuesday. “We were looking for a change in the Vancouver series and we had some success. We certainly don’t think we had success because we took Corey out of the lineup and put someone else in.
“You look at the series against Dallas and we felt we were good enough to win each of those games. If we play our best, could the game have gone the other way? Yes. Now we have to make a decision on what does he add?”
Perry has 124 points (53 goals, 71 assists) in 206 career postseason games with the Anaheim Ducks, Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning and Oilers.
He won the Stanley Cup with the Ducks in 2007 and advanced to the Cup Final in three consecutive seasons with the Stars (2020), Canadiens (2021) and Lightning (2022).
“There are lot of attributes: goal scoring, leadership, puck play, smarts, all that stuff,” Knoblauch said. “If we do insert him in the lineup, which is a good possibility, now we’re taking someone else out of the lineup and what are they providing? I think every one of our players provides something to our team. Now you’re adding something you have to think about what you’re taking away, and as a coaching staff we have to evaluate the pros and cons, put together a little spreadsheet and make that decision later.”
Perry signed a one-year contract with the Oilers on Jan. 22 after his contract was terminated by the Chicago Blackhawks following an internal investigation that determined he “engaged in conduct that is unacceptable and in violation of both the terms of his standard player’s contract and the Blackhawks’ internal policies intended to promote professional and safe work environments.”
He had 13 points (eight goals, five assists) in 38 regular-season games with the Oilers.
