The Canucks Game 3 win involved different types of benchings of Oilers players

The Vancouver Canucks defeated the Edmonton Oilers by the score of 4-3 in Game 3 of their Stanley Cup playoff series. With the win, the Canucks grab a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series with Game 4 scheduled for Tuesday night in Edmonton.

Two prominent themes emerged in Game 3. The first is that the Canucks continue to play well on opponents' ice. This was evident in Nashville also. Homefield advantage does not seem to be a factor.

The second theme involved the Oilers bench. Players were benched different ways and for different reasons during Game 3.

Nikita Zadorov personally shows Evander Kane to the bench

This series has been physical since the puck drop in Game 1, and each team's No. 91 has often been in on the action. In Game 3, Nikita Zadorov personally showed Evander Kane to the bench in a horizontal position. Don't try this move at home folks.

While it resulted in a penalty, it did not change the outcome of the game and proved to be entertaining to both Canucks players and fans.

The second Edmonton Oilers benching had far less fanfare but was equally intriguing. Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner was benched at the end of the second period and backup Calvin Pickard took over. Skinner allowed four goals out of 15 shots through the first 40 minutes of the game. Oilers Coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed that Skinner was not injured. Instead, he said, “We need more saves.”

Media outlets requested that Skinner be available to speak to the press after Game 3, but he was not seen or heard from. It points to a quandary that Knoblauch is facing for Game 4. Will he bench Skinner to start the game or split time between Skinner and Pickard if he deems it necessary by how the game is going?