Prospects strut their stuff in win over Canucks
Coaches still get look at bubble players against a mostly AHL Vancouver squad
OILERS 5, CANUCKS 3
It wasn’t a Who’s Who of hockey talent Friday night at Rogers Place, but rather a Who’s That? as an Edmonton Oilers skeleton crew posted a 5-3 pre-season win over the Utica Comets.
The Comets were cleverly disguised as the Vancouver Canucks, but with all of Vancouver’s top players over in China for games with the Los Angeles Kings, it was a lineup made up almost entirely of no-name players who’ll be starting the season in the AHL.
Edmonton didn’t exactly go with its opening night lineup either, dressing only one NHL forward line (Leon Draisaitl, Milan Lucic and Drake Caggiula) and one defence pairing (Oscar Klefbom and Adam Larsson).
So it was a good night to buy a program.
Despite the lack of name recognition there was more than enough to keep the fans in Edmonton entertained, though, as the Oilers improved to 4-0 in the pre-season.
Hours after dropping Cam Talbot at the morning skate with a one-timer up high, Oilers winger Iiro Pakarinen was tormenting another goalie, this time Richard Bachman as he put two goals past the Vancouver backstop.
Kailer Yamamoto scored his third and fourth goal in three games as he continues his charge from the underdog spot while Draisaitl added another in the win. Laurent Brossoit went the distance in goal for Edmonton.
Edmonton’s veterans stood out, as expected, but Larsson said situations like this are never as easy as they appear.
“Sometimes it can be even more difficult not playing NHL guys in the pre-season,” he said. “A lot of young guys who want to make names for themselves. You never know what to expect, you’ve never played the guys. It’s just a different challenge.”
Despite the lack of NHL competition, head coach Todd McLellan still thought it was a good opportunity to evaluate his bubble players.
“We’re at the point now where we’re looking for players to play in structure,” he said. “Can they get to the right spots, can they get it done when they get there? Are their anticipation skills proper to play within our structure?
“We’re two weeks away from opening night and when that rolls around you can’t have any grey area, you have to know what your jobs are.”
Michael Carcone, Anton Rodin and Jalen Chatfield replied for the Canucks.
The Oilers were holding their breath at the morning skate when Cam Talbot took a rocket off the collarbone from heavy-shooting Iiro Pakarinen.
Seeing their franchise goalie falling to the ice had everyone fearing the worst (it’s not like they’ve had much luck with clavicles lately), but Talbot got up, slammed his stick off of the crossbar in anger and carried on.
“Just under the mask on the collar bone,” he said afterward. “There’s some padding there, but not enough for Pak’s shot.”
There were no hard feelings afterward, even though goalies hate it when their teammates whistle pucks by their head in practice. And if you’re going to take one off the collarbone, Pakarinen might be the last guy you want pulling the trigger.
“It obviously sucks,” said Talbot. “Sometimes the puck gets away from guys.
“Test (Mark Letestu) put it on a tee for one of the hardest shots in the league. I’d put his shot up against anybody in the league. Weber, Ovechkin, any of those guys. It’s that hard.
“He’s walking in, trying to score in practice and I’m trying to put my body in front of it. These things happen. It’s frustrating at the time but you can’t really blame him for trying to score.”
Pakarinen’s future flashed before his eyes when Talbot went down. Nobody was more relieved than he was to see the goalie get up.
“It’s always bad when you hit the goalie like that,” he winced. “I was just practising one-timers. You never want to hit the goalie up high but sometimes it happens.”
SLEP ON THE MEND
Good news on the right wing as Anton Slepyshev, who had been out for the first week of camp after injuring his ankle during an off-season workout, returned to the ice Friday.
“I feel good, happy to be there with the guys,” said the 23-yearold, who made huge strides last season and had his eyes on a top six spot this year. “I feel 80 per cent. In a few days it should be good.”
He’s hoping to get in a pre-season game or two next week to try and catch up.
“I hope so but it depends what the doctors say to me, whether I’m ready or not,” he said, adding the setback hurt his heart more than his ankle. “I just wanted to play, show the coaching staff again what I can do, how I can help the team. But it happens. I just have to heal my ankle and be ready to play.”
You never know what to expect, you’ve never played the guys. It’s just a different challenge.”