OILERS 7 SENATORS 2
Normally, when a guy scores his first goal in 138 games, it warrants attention. Unfortunately for Eric Gryba, he just happened to write his own piece of history on the same night that Connor McDavid blew up the information super-highway with his jawdropping return to centre stage. So Gryba had to wait a couple of days and fly across the entire country to get a little attention. “I told him it wasn’t fair,” said the Oilers defenceman, surrounded by a throng of reporters in Ottawa, where he spent three seasons before coming to the Edmonton Oilers last summer. “I don’t score for 130-something games and he comes back for one and has three points. That’s pretty selfish of him. But I guess I’ll give him a pass.” McDavid stole the show again at the morning skate Thursday, drawing his usual shoulder-to-shoulder crowd of reporters, but Gryba’s return didn’t go unnoticed. Especially with Ottawa struggling as badly as it is on defence. They’re 29th in the NHL in goals allowed (3.15), after finishing 13th last year (2.62). It’s not all because Gryba isn’t there, but having a six-foot-four, 228-pound guy who can take care of his own end would certainly help.
OLD-TIME HOCKEY
Fourteen years is a long time to be trading punches, so fortunately for Chris Neil’s hands, face and career longevity, that’s not all he does. It’s still a big part of him, though, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. “Being here and doing it for so long, it’s a tough job, it really is, but it’s something I’ve been blessed and fortunate to do for so long,” said the 36-year-old winger, who’s been around for 945 games and 2,402 penalty minutes. “I’ve always thought fighting is part of the game and should always be a part of the game. The fans love it. The players on the bench get all pumped up when you’re in one, they get excited and they get momentum from it. I’m all for it.” As long as it’s for a reason. While pure fighters are vanishing from the game like dinosaurs after the meteors hit, Neil understood long ago that his key to survival in this league is to be a hybrid — someone who can play when they need him to play and take care of business when somebody needs a slap.