"Oilers will be better without both" "Kane is scared of Tkachuk": NHL fans react as Evander Kane and Darnell Nurse miss morning skate ahead of Game 3

The Edmonton Oilers faced a setback as forward Evander Kane and defenseman Darnell Nurse missed Wednesday's morning skate ahead of Game 3 in the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers. Kane was seen briefly on the ice before leaving after a conversation with coach Kris Knoblauch.

Both players are believed to be nursing undisclosed injuries, with Kane playing just over 10 minutes and Nurse logging around four minutes in Game 2. In their absence, the Oilers experimented with new line combinations during practice.

Leon Draisaitl centered Ryan McLeod and Dylan Holloway, while Adam Henrique joined Holloway and Connor Brown on the third line. This shake-up comes after the Oilers fell behind 2-0 in the series, with the Panthers prepared to take a commanding 3-0 lead with a win in Game 3.

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman shared the news on X, and it generated a range of reactions from fans.

One fan wrote:

"The Oilers will be better without both in the lineup."

One fan commented:

"Kane is scared of Tkachuk."

Few NHL fans expressed optimism about the team's performance without Evander Kane and Nurse:

"If Oilers get swept, this is going to be the most boring finals," one fan wrote.

"Evander Kane should be out of the league," another fan commented.

"Really dirty team and I wish some different players were mentioned here," a fan tweeted.

"Coach told Kane to just go home," another fan said.

Evander Kane and the Oilers are down 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Final

The Florida Panthers now lead the Stanley Cup Final 2-0. They achieved this by defeating the Edmonton Oilers with a score of 4-1 in Game 2. Evan Rodrigues scored two crucial goals in the third period and sealed another comeback victory for Florida.

The Panthers remained focused despite losing captain Aleksander Barkov to a hit by Leon Draisaitl. Barkov might miss Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday after Draisaitl's high hit in the Panthers' 4-1 Game 2 win. Draisaitl didn't face any suspension for the hit. He got a two-minute minor for roughing after the head hit, which took Barkov out of the game.

The Oilers struggled offensively with only one goal from Mattias Ekholm. The series now moves to Edmonton for Game 3. You can catch Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on ABC on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.