OILERS PLAYOFF SPIRIT
Fan Tanya Hamilton, an employee at United Sport and Cycle, gets into the Stanley Cup playoffs mood Tuesday outside the store. United Sport and Cycle has set up a drive-thru kiosk in the parking lot to sell Oilers gear until Friday. More Oilers news on
Ryan Nugent-hopkins comes to the rink every day and knows his name will always be there on the lineup card, but where 93 is playing is a roll of the dice.
Left wing with Connor Mcdavid? Left wing with Leon Draisaitl? Centre with Kailer Yamamoto and maybe Dominik Kahun? Nobody has asked him to sharpen any skates or sew any underwear, but he's not an arguer. When his number's called ...
Speaking of numbers, his stats 5-on-5 are clearly not up to his standards, with the playoffs looming. While a big piece of the NHL'S best power play, he has 15 even-strength points in 50 games. Jesse Puljujarvi has 21, Yamamoto has 18. Nugent-hopkins got his 15th goal in Montreal Monday, his eighth evenstrength. Puljujarvi has 13 goals five-on-five, Yamamoto seven.
His even-strength vs. power-play numbers this year are totally atypical.
He has 477 career points, just 49 goals on the PP and 119 assists. Throw out seven short-handed points and 302 of his 477 career points are five-on-five.
“I haven't been able to capitalize on some chances this year, but it's a long season and there's lots of ups and downs and I have to find ways to stay positive and not overthink it . ... Eventually, they'll go in,” Nugent-hopkins said.
“I don't think Ryan's put up the numbers he would like offensively, but he's a solid player who touches many parts of the game for us,” Oilers coach Dave Tippett said. “He's a good penalty-killer, obviously a key part of the No. 1 ranked power play. There's some good parts, but if you asked him, he would likely want his production numbers five-on-five to be up.”
TEACHER AND PUPIL?
The 6-5 Mike Smith and six-foot Oilers No. 3 goalie Alex Stalock are both excellent puckhandlers, but nobody's as good as Smith, right?
“Stales has been a great pro for a long time and he likes to venture from his net also,” Smith said. “I won't compare him to myself. We're two totally different goaltenders and with the way we play the puck. But we're similar in how we try to help our team out (by taking pressure off defencemen).”
Smith was appreciative of the Edmonton media unanimously selecting him as the Oilers' Masterton Trophy nominee.
“Huge honour, something I'm very proud of. But I don't believe anything in this league is done on your own. With my position, it's something you don't do by yourself. This is about our whole group,” Smith said.
INTO THE DEEP END
When Dylan Holloway is ready for his first pro games in Bakersfield against Vegas's AHL farm team from Henderson, Nev., this week, the teenager, who broke his thumb two months ago, won't be dipping his toes in the water.
“We'll start Dylan in the middle and see how he does. We've got lots of people who can take faceoffs. We're exploring putting Dylan with (Tyler) Benson and (Cooper) Marody,” said Edmonton Oilers farm coach Jay Woodcroft, who has done an excellent job with the AHL squad, with his name popping up as an interview possibility for NHL head jobs after the season.
Woodcroft wants to see how the former University of Wisconsin forward, on an amateur tryout in Bakersfield, responds to a few practices before he sets a date for his first AHL game.
The Condors play Henderson three times this week. When that initial pro game comes, Holloway will be high up in the lineup for the Condors, who are challenging Henderson for No. 1 seed in the playoffs in the Pacific Division.
“He's been skating on his own but he has to skate with a competitive
There’s lots of ups and downs and I have to find ways to stay positive and not overthink it . ... Eventually, they’ll go in.
team. From what I've seen, he's a big guy, he has some touch around the net, he fits our team with his skill set and he's going to make us better,” Woodcroft said.
This ’n’ that: Tippett said Zack Kassian (leg injury) absolutely has to get up to 100 per cent before he would consider playing him in the playoffs, even if the Oilers need his aggressiveness. “Different pace, higher pace in the playoffs,” he said . ... For Montreal, Josh Anderson (foot) is doubtful for Wednesday's game against the Oilers . ... Winger Brendan Gallagher (broken thumb) practised Tuesday but still wore a no-contact jersey for Montreal . ... Canadiens centre Jesperi Kotkaniemi played a team-low 9:13 Monday. The third overall pick in 2018 was rushed to the NHL just as the Oilers rushed Puljujarvi (who was selected fourth overall in 2016).