Forward Khaira finds another gear, and earns coach McLellan’s trust
BUFFALO Winger Jujhar Khaira has worked his way out of Edmonton Oilers coach Todd McLellan’s doghouse so much so, he’s actually got a pretty long leash now.
There was one sequence in the second period in Detroit when we saw a glimpse of what Khaira can and should be as an NHL forward, when he muscled the bigger Anthony Mantha off the puck, worked his way into an open space and whipped a shot past Jimmy Howard.
That is what the Oilers have been waiting for from Khaira, who sat out 10 games at one stretch because McLellan simply didn’t like anything about the kid’s game.
It looked like he was gifted a spot on the NHL roster because the Oilers were worried about putting him on waivers to send him to Bakersfield, but ever since he scored on Braden Holtby in Washington Nov. 12, bulling his way to the blue paint, a light’s gone on.
He’s got two goals and two assists in the last five games, and he even got a snippet of power play time against the Wings because regular net-front presence Milan Lucic was in the dressing room for medical attention.
“I’m starting to play in more and more situations, even got on the power play, which was good,” said the sheepish Khaira, who was on the third line in Detroit with Ryan Strome and Jesse Puljujarvi, with Puljujarvi also scoring and Strome getting two assists in his best game in a long while.
“We’re most successful when everybody pitches in,” said Khaira, one of 14 Oilers to hit the scoresheet against the Wings.
“When your secondary level of player is contributing offensively you have to win on those nights,” said McLellan.
“I thought all four lines found a way to contribute on the scoresheet but by doing things right all over the ice surface. And Jujhar was rewarded with the ice time on the power play with (Lucic) out.”
Lucic got a scare in the middle period.
“He caught a stick up in the eye and had to go and get a contact (lens) fixed,” said McLellan.
Lucic said he was concerned, his vision was blurry.
“Broke the two stitches I had (after a fight a few games ago), too. I got a new contact,” said Lucic.
Defenceman Yohann Auvitu, who had a strong game with two assists, has a nasty cut on his lip after taking a puck in the yap in practice Monday in St. Louis. He also damaged a tooth. “It’s OK, it’s the same one I’ve had a problem with before,” said Auvitu, whose skating and shooting and getting up in the play is a major plus when he plays, albeit his physical play and defending needs work.
McLellan was most happy about his team’s resolve in Detroit after they were pummelled in St. Louis. They looked totally disorganized and disenchanted there.
“We believe we have a highcharacter team. We’ve seen it for the last 15 months. We’ve stumbled a bit but we believe in the character in the room and the players. We responded in the face of adversity after being called out after the St. Louis game. But we need a repeat of this,” said McLellan, who saw last year’s Oilers in the second period in Detroit when they outshot the Wings 3-0, out-shooting them 14-3.
“There’s no magical formula that one team has or another doesn’t. Talent and disparity exists in the league but not to a great margin. It’s usually the team that does it the right way the hardest and the longest that comes out on top. This was a commitment level that was much higher than it’s been and I could hear players talking, taking pride in that. That’s a good sign.”
THIS ’N’ THAT: With Darnell Nurse scoring in back-to-back games, that’s nine goals by the Oiler defence. Still well back of the Blues, who lead the NHL with 21, with Alex Pietrangelo getting seven himself ... Not only did Mark Letestu score on his 500th NHL game, but he was 7-2 on faceoffs against the Wings.
There’s no magical formula that one team has or another doesn’t. Talent and disparity exists in the league but not to a great margin.