Edmonton’s Spurgeon pots three as Wild tops Oilers
Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin, who played 211 games for the Edmonton Oilers wearing No. 9 at Rexall Place before they retired Glenn Anderson’s number, got a tour of the spiffy dressing room digs at Rogers Place Thursday.
“First time for me in this rink, really beautiful place,” Guerin said, getting the Welcome Wagon treatment from Oilers counterpart Ken Holland.
What looked infinitely better to Guerin was his club’s 5-3 win though as the Wild got three from local product Jared Spurgeon — his first hat-trick — including the winner in the third when his harmless backhand appeared to glance off the stick of Adam Larsson and in past Oilers goalie Mikko Koskinen. Spurgeon also scored into an empty net.
Irma-born defenceman Carson Soucy and Kevin Fiala, who has seven goals in the last nine games, had the others on Koskinen as the Wild swept the season series with 3-0 and 6-5 wins earlier this season.
The Oilers had no offensive juice apart from the No. 1 line of Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-hopkins and Kailer Yamamoto, who combined for seven points and all three goals.
Nugent-hopkins had two goals off room-service passes from Yamamoto and a helper; Draisaitl scored and got an assist for his 30th multiple-point game. The line has 84 points over the last 20 games but they got no help in this one.
WORKING OVERTIME
Connor Mcdavid didn’t play against the Wild, missing his sixth straight game with his quad injury, but he skated before practice Friday morning with Zack Kassian and at an optional with about 15 guys, then stayed out afterward to work on some things. He’s going on the three-game trip to Los Angeles, Anaheim and Vegas. He’s 50-50 to play vs. Kings on Sunday, and 7525 to play in Anaheim on Tuesday.
“He’ll practise with us before we go to L.A. Saturday and if he feels no ill-effects, we’ll see where he’s at. Still day-to-day,” Oilers coach Tippett said.
DECISION TO MAKE
With Wild captain Mikko Koivu playing on the fourth line now in the last year of his contract, Minnesota can trade him Monday as a rental but it has to be Koivu’s call.
They’re leaving it up to him whether he wants a shot at a Cup. Koivu would be perfect as a thirdline centre in Edmonton, but the Oilers don’t have the cap room and he probably wouldn’t want to go to a team that’s not a legit Cup contender.