UNDER PRESSURE
Hitch embraces responsibility of coaching Oilers
After taking down the last-place Los Angeles Kings and the banged-up Dallas Stars on their current homestand, the Edmonton Oilers are moving up a weight class Saturday.
The 3-1-1 Oilers will be measuring their recent progress against the Vegas Golden Knights, who are 5-0-0 over the same span.
After some early stumbles the Knights seem to have their groove back and represent the toughest test since Ken Hitchcock took over behind the bench.
“They’re back to feeling it now and playing really well,” said Hitchcock, who figured the Knights might have a sluggish start after losing in last year’s Stanley Cup final.
“Having experienced it twice, it’s very difficult. Never mind trying to get a Stanley Cup (winning) team going, you at least have some energy based on last year. But to pull it out from the woods after you’ve lost is very difficult.
“Gerard Gallant had a tough go at the start of the year but he’s got them rolling again. His team is really up and running now. They look like the Vegas Knights of last year.”
WAIVER GAMBLE
The Oilers took a chance on Carolina Hurricanes castoff Valentin Zykov when they plucked him off waivers Friday, a low-risk play that certainly has a lot of potential upside.
The 221-pound left winger had three assists in 13 games with the Hurricanes this season, which doesn’t impress much, but he led the American Hockey League in scoring last season with 33 goals in 63 games, which does.
There’s no guarantee that production will translate to the NHL. It very often doesn’t, but it’s worth a look. He’s had three tries with the Hurricanes over the past three seasons and never managed to win a place in the dressing room, but Oilers defenceman Kevin Gravel played with and against him in the AHL and says there’s a player there.
“When I played with him he has a lot of skill for his size,” said Gravel. “He’s a big guy who’s heavy on the puck and his hands are pretty good. I think he’ll be a good help for us. He’ll be able to play down low, go to the front of the net and score some goals.”
IMPRESSING THE COACH
Speaking of Gravel, he is quickly securing a regular spot on the third pairing as Hitchcock searches for steady fifth and sixth defenceman out of Gravel, Matt Benning, Chris Wideman and Jason Garrison.
Hitchcock says it simply boils down to the guys who make the fewest big mistakes.
“The guy who plays the most error-free, that’s Gravel right now, that’s what you want from your third pair,” said the coach.
“We’re pretty much defined in the top four, they’re playing awfully well right now, but we need error-free from that third pair. To me, Gravel has really stepped up. Every time we try to experiment and put somebody in there there seems to be a bit of a drop off.”
K-BOMB ON OILERS’ D
Defenceman Oscar Klefbom has come to life offensively, putting up five points in his last three games, including back-toback game winning goals against Dallas and Los Angeles.
This, after managing just eight points in his first 22 games.
“It’s been good timing for my first two goals,” said the 25-yearold defenceman. “It’s nice to get them going and it’s good timing for them, too.”
It’s a popular outburst. He’s a likable guy and a very important part of the hockey club, so when somebody like that gets going, everyone feels good about it.
“He’s a rock for us back there,” said winger Drake Caggiula.
“We’re proud of him and happy for him and hopefully he keeps it going because he’s a huge part of our D -corps.”
It seems as though Hitchcock will be leaning heavily on Klefbom from here on out. He’s been playing in the 25-minute range most of the season, but saw his ice time jump to 26:10, 27:23 and 28:30 in the last few games before levelling out at 25 again Thursday night against the Kings.
“I think he’s capable of a lot more minutes than 25,” said Hitchcock.
“He plays with a calmness about him that really helps.
“You can play a lot of minutes. I think 25 to me is the floor. You’re going to see him play more than that.”