Big night for Nugent-Hopkins, Eberle in OKC
Oilers stars contribute three points apiece in Barons victory
OKLAHOMA CITY – NHL stars Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle made their first official appearance in the American Hockey League on Tuesday night.
Nugent-Hopkins scored his first two minor-league goals and added a helper, and his Edmonton linemate Eberle added a goal and two assists for the Oklahoma City Barons, the Oilers’ AHL affiliate.
Eberle also had a second goal wiped out when a video replay showed he had booted the puck past Lake Erie Monsters goalie Chet Pickard.
It all added up to a 4-3 Barons victory over the Monsters in the fourth and last meeting between the clubs this season.
“If people were worried, I wasn’t, not at all,” said Eberle, who had just one goal in his first four games with the Barons while Nugent-Hopkins had two assists.
“I actually thought we’d played well the first four games, but nothing was going in. All of a sudden, tonight, we get five chances and four go in (all on the power play).”
Eberle didn’t argue about the goal that was kicked into the net during the first period at the Cox Convention Center.
“I actually had one just like that last year in Edmonton and they counted it, but ... ”
Nugent-Hopkins ripped a screened shot past Pickard and got the winner in the third period when the puck actually bounced off Eberle’s stick right into his wheelhouse in the high slot area.
The Barons changed things up on the power play, which was four for seven, with Eberle moving from the point to the right side and Magnus Paajarvi going back to the point. They were a handful for the Monsters on every single man advantage.
Nugent-Hopkins said he was surprised by his slow start early in the Barons’ 2012-13 season.
“It’s been building (to an offensive breakthrough). We did get lots of bounces in this one,” he said.
Nugent-Hopkins is more of a passer than a shooter, but all players likes to score goals.
“Yeah, nice to get the first one out of the way before it goes on too long,” said NugentHopkins, who had a shot at a third goal in the dying seconds of the game, but unselfishly tried to pass to Eberle on a close play that was ruled offside.
Lake Erie defenceman Tyson Barrie was robbed by Barons goalie Yann Danis with seven seconds left or the game would have gone to overtime.
“Thank God they didn’t score or we’d have felt pretty bad,” said Eberle.
Nugent-Hopkins and Eberle have one eye on the NHL lockout news these days, but they don’t have any idea how long they’ll be in Oklahoma City.
“I, uh, probably overpacked,” said Nugent-Hopkins, who didn’t want to be caught short.
Barons defenceman Justin Schultz added three assists to give him nine points in five games.
“How much fun is it playing with them? Man, it’s a blast, you just get the puck to them and watch them go to work,” said Schultz, who now leads the AHL in scoring.
“They couldn’t be stopped tonight.”
Schultz said he did “not have a clue I’d be where I am (in the AHL scoring race). That’s what happens when you’re on the ice with Nuge and Ebs.”
Nugent-Hopkins and Eberle’s robust AHL linemate Teemu Hartikainen also had a goal and an assist as the line registered 11 of the Barons’ 38 shots.
Hartikainen is overshadowed, of course, by the assigned NHLers, but he will be in Edmonton when the lockout ends if he keeps leaning on people.
“He was impressive. Did he get these kind of (linemates) when he was up with the Oilers before?” asked an NHL scout, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“He goes to the net ... that’s the key for Teemu,” said Eberle. “He’s a big body and, on my goal and one of Nuge’s, he was right there screening.
“Any time you’ve got two skill guys and the other one banging bodies that makes for a good combination. He does all the things you’d want out of a power forward.”
Former Oilers farmhand Bryan Lerg had two powerplay goals and Andrew Agozz had the another on Danis in a game that was all special teams.
It was also a chippy affair, but when four of the 3-2 Barons’ first five games are against the same team, it’s not going to be a love-in.
“A great four games against Lake Erie (three one-goal games and the other 5-3). That’s a very good skating team ... the only two losses they have this year are to us,” said Barons head coach Todd Nelson.
Lake Erie is 4-2.