CRUNCH. That’s about all Edmonton Oilers defenseman Andrej Sekera heard when Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf stapled him to the side boards just six minutes into the teams’ critical game 5 matchup.
Seeker appeared to injure his shoulder on the play and didn’t return for the balance of the game, a game in which the Oilers blew a 3-0 lead and could have desperately used the veteran’s steadying presence on the blue line. However, the news gets worse for Oilers fans: he’s done for the series.
Head coach Todd McLellan confirmed this morning that Sekera’s status hasn’t changed from game 5 and he’ll sit for tonight’s game and beyond, if required. It’s a tough break for the Oilers who need all the help they can get if they’re going to rally from one game down against a punishing Ducks squad. It’s expected that Eric Gryba will draw into the lineup in Sekera’s place, but asking him to fill Sekera’s minutes is a pretty big ask. Fingers crossed, Oil fans!