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The Edmonton Oilers toe the playoff cut-line after a 5-2 win over the Dallas Stars – Edmonton Journal

Published

2 years ago

April 21, 2022

Harry Miller

Publishing date:

Apr 20, 2022 • 9 hours ago • 6 minute read • 6 Comments

Edmonton Oilers goalie Mike Smith (41) and Dallas Stars Jamie Benn (14) get into a pushing match during NHL action at Rogers Place in Edmonton, April 20, 2022. Ed Kaiser/Postmedia Photo by Ed Kaiser /Postmedia

To some extent, the Dallas Stars have been the nemesis of the Edmonton Oilers this season.

That changed, Wednesday night, as the Oilers outplayed the Stars over the lion’s share of the 60 minutes en route to a solid 5-2 win. To these eyes, Dallas had trouble contending with Edmonton’s quickness. The Oilers converted that advantage into a 50-36 edge in shots.

More importantly, the victory brings the Oilers tantalizingly close to punching their ticket to the post-season.

Here’s the tale of the tape…

Edmonton Oilers Player Grades

MIKE SMITH. 8. Remained red hot. Stopped 34 of 36. No chance on the 2-1 by Jason Robertson, an absolute rocket that also may have been deflected a touch on the way in. That snapped Smith’s shut-out streak at 144 minutes 39 seconds. The 2-2 was a wild net-front scramble. Smith had many good moments on the evening but perhaps his best was on a 1^st Period Dallas Power Play, when he stopped Gurianov, Seguin and then Gurianov again in quick succession. A late stop on Pavelski (on which he lost his mask) capped off a good night. Also took a couple shots at the empty net late which had the building buzzing. The game’s 2^nd Star. .948 SV% in his last 10 starts.

CONNOR McDAVID. 8. Looks at the top of his game. Burst up the right-hand side at almost 40 km/h and slipped a lovely reverse back-hand to a hard-charging Evander Kane who swept it home for the 1-0. A gritty turnover created in the attacking zone was converted into the 4-2. Topped off the scoring by receiving an excellent pass from Keith and breaking in on the RHS before back handing it home. A terrific defensive sequence deep in his own zone early in the 2^nd. The 3-point night moves him back into the NHL scoring lead with 113.

EVANDER KANE. 7. Kane gave his club an early lead by slamming home a nifty backhander from 97. That was one of 4 shots on his evening. Provided an additional screen on the 4-2. Played a workman-like game. Didn’t at all look like he had just flown clear across the content in order to make it for game time.

KAILER YAMAMOTO. 5. Hustled but ultimately didn’t get a whole lot done. A couple shots, a couple hits. 1:50 on the PK. Threw a bit of a grenade to Ceci at the attacking blueline which very nearly resulted in a Stars odd man break in the other direction.

DARNELL NURSE. 7. Got better as the night went on. Vacated his side of the net during a goalmouth scramble and (of course, as luck would have it) the puck ended up sitting wide open in the very spot Nurse had just left. The author of the hit of the game when he launched Jamie Benn into the Oilers bench, much to the delight of the hometown crowd. Dicey give-away forced Smith to make a good stop on Pavelski. But in his 25:52 of TOI, Nurse amassed 6 shots, 5 hits and 2 shot blocks.

CODY CECI. 7. Logged a lot of hard minutes (23;54). Ceci was part of the scramble against on the 2-2. A desperation play helped prevent a Dallas jail break late in the 3^rd. 3 hits, 2 take-aways. Broke even on 5v5 scoring chances.

LEON DRAISAITL. 7. A super-smart wrist shot by Draisaitl from long range which created a rebound that Zach Hyman hunted down and backhanded in for the 3-2. A 2^nd Period laser pass sent Hyman in all alone but he couldn’t convert on that one. Threw a thundering check on Jacob Peterson in the 2^nd who was clearly wobbled by the collision. Was on the ice for 13 scoring chances 5v5, 9 of them HDSC’s, just 2 against.

ZACH HYMAN. 8. Best player on the ice. Zach Hyman skated miles, a lot of them hard miles with a defender (or two) hanging off his back. 8 shots (!) on net. Scored a huge goal, the go-ahead and eventual game winner, snapping a 2-2 tie. From there, the Oilers mostly took over for the rest of the game. Scooped up a Draisaitl pass and split the Dallas D, only to be denied by Wedgewood late in the 2^nd. On the ice for 15 scoring chances for. Named the game’s 1^st Star.

JESSE PULJUJARVI. 7. Planted himself strategically between shooter and net and had the puck go off him and in for the 4-2. Jesse Puljujarvi has been doing a lot of things right lately. Sometimes you just need one to hit you and go to a good place. But his 5v5 CF on the evening shows how the flow of play was with him on the ice (26-7, 79%). 4 shots, 3 hits. Hopefully lighting the lamp helps them start to go in a little easier.

EVAN BOUCHARD. 8. Is picking a good time to play some of his best hockey of the season. Earned a 2^nd assist on the 3-2 with a pass to Draisaitl. Then, it was his shot that deflected off Puljujarvi and in for the 4-2. Named 3^rd Star. High Danger Scoring Changes For/Against was 8-1 with him on the ice. He and Keith were excellent.

DUNCAN KEITH. 8. Keith and Bouchard had a most excellent evening on the 2^nd pairing. A sharp headman pass to Connor McDavid for the empty netter. On the ice for all 5 goals for, +5 on the night. Only a single HDSC against in 17:24. The +5 is a career high in his 1,251 game stay in the league.

RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS. 5. Was “just o.k.”. His line broke even on scoring chances. Nugent-Hopkins couldn’t find the puck on an excellent 2^nd Period setup from McLeod. I thought he was his best at 4v5, where he offered 1:33 of solid work. That included back-to-back zone clears during a critical Dallas PP in the 3^rd Period. 45% on draws.

WARREN FOEGELE. 6. Playing his best hockey as an Oiler. No points but played hard and fast in straight lines and was a physical as I have seen him all season. 5 shots, 5 hits, a couple good defensive back-tracks too.

KRIS RUSSELL. 6. Earned the 2^nd assist on the 1-0. Russell’s man passed off on the 2-1. Over-all a steady, veteran game. Also pitched in on the PK. As a former D-man I’d like to point out that playing both sides interchange-ably in-game is not an easy task at any level, let alone in the best league in the world.

TYSON BARRIE. 7. Earned a helper on the 2-0 with a smart slap pass down low to McLeod. 2 shots. Moved the puck well, made mostly good decisions when he was under pressure and was solid defensively. Seems to have found a home with Kulak.

BRETT KULAK. 7. Too cautious coming across to his man on the 2-1. I also thought the puck may have clipped a bit of Kulak’s stick on the way on. But it was one of precious few iffy moments for the tall defender. Led all Oilers in 5v5 CF (21-4, 84%).

RYAN McLEOD. 6. Flying. McLeod earned as assist on the 2-0 when his shot went off the bar and to the waiting Derek Ryan net side. Could have had another when he flew into the zone and zipped a pass in front to Nugent-Hopkins who couldn’t pull the trigger. Effective yet again in a minute of PK work.

DEREK RYAN. 7. Slammed home the 2-0 on a McLeod rebound. Threw himself in front of a Hakanpaa drive in the 3^rd and limped off but would later return. A part of the confusion on the 2-2. Gritty, effective performance.

ZACK KASSIAN. 6. No assist but helped create the 2-0 goal with an aggressive forecheck. Missed the puck, and his man, in the neutral zone on the 2-1. Good defensive stick in the 1^st. 3 hits.

The win, their 45^th of the season, gives the Edmonton Oilers 96 points. It was a regulation victory. So, Edmonton is now 5 points up on the Stars for the final wild card spot. And L.A. is now 4 back (with just 4 games left) and in 3^rd place in the Division.

Find me on Twitter @KurtLeavins

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Fernandez and Dabrowski headline Canadian lineup for Billie Jean King Cup Finals

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12 hours ago

September 16, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – Singles star Leylah Fernandez and doubles specialist Gabriela Dabrowski will anchor Canada’s five-player lineup when the team tries to defend its Billie Jean King Cup title in mid-November.

The 26th-ranked Fernandez, the 2021 U.S. Open finalist from Laval, Que., is the lone Canadian in the top 100 of the WTA Tour’s singles rankings.

Dabrowski, from Ottawa, is ranked fourth on the doubles list. The 2023 U.S. Open women’s doubles champion won mixed doubles bronze with Felix Auger-Aliassime at the recent Paris Olympics.

Marina Stakusic of Mississauga, Ont., returns after a breakout performance last year, capped by her singles win in Canada’s 2-0 victory over Italy in the final. Vancouver’s Rebecca Marino is also back and Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion from Mississauga, Ont., returns to the squad for the first time since 2022.

“Winning the Billie Jean King Cup in 2023 was a dream come true for us, and not only that, but I feel like we made a statement to the world about the strength of this nation when it comes to tennis,” Canada captain Heidi El Tabakh said Monday in a release. “Once again, we have a very strong team this year with Bianca joining Leylah, Gaby, Rebecca and Marina, making it an extremely powerful team that is more than capable of going all the way.

“At the end of the day, our goal is to make Canada proud, and we’ll do our best to bring the same level of effort and excitement that we had in last year’s finals.”

Fernandez, who beat Jasmine Paolini to clinch Canada’s first-ever title at the competition, is ranked No. 42 in doubles.

Canada, which received an automatic berth as defending champion, will play the winner of the first-round tie between Great Britain and Germany on Nov. 17 at Malaga’s Martin Carpena Arena.

Australia, Italy and wild-card entry Czechia also received first-round byes. The tournament, which continues through Nov. 20, also includes host Spain, Slovakia, the United States, Poland, Japan and Romania.

Stakusic is up 27 spots to No. 128 in the latest world singles rankings. Marino is at No. 134 and Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, is ranked 167th.

Canada will look to become the first team since Czechia in 2016 to successfully defend its Billie Jean King Cup title.

Malaga will also host the Nov. 19-24 Davis Cup Final 8. The Canadian men qualified over the weekend with a 2-1 victory over Great Britain in Manchester.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.

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Penguins re-sign Crosby to two-year extension that runs through 2026-27 season

Published

13 hours ago

September 16, 2024

Anne Joseph

PITTSBURGH – Sidney Crosby plans to remain a Pittsburgh Penguin for at least three more years.

The Penguins announced on Monday that they re-signed the 37-year-old from Cole Harbour, N.S., to a two-year contract extension that has an average annual value of US$8.7 million. The deal runs through the 2026-27 season.

Crosby was eligible to sign an extension on July 1 with him entering the final season of a 12-year, $104.4-million deal that carries an $8.7-million salary cap hit.

At the NHL/NHLPA player media tour in Las Vegas last Monday, he said things were positive and he was optimistic about a deal getting done.

The three-time Stanley Cup champion is coming off a 42-goal, 94-point campaign that saw him finish tied for 12th in the league scoring race.

Crosby has spent all 19 of his NHL seasons in Pittsburgh, amassing 592 goals and 1,004 assists in 1,272 career games.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.

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Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar wins Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal

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24 hours ago

September 16, 2024

Anne Joseph

MONTREAL – Tadej Pogacar was so dominant on Sunday, Canada’s Michael Woods called it a race for second.

Pogacar, a three-time Tour de France champion from Slovenia, pedalled to a resounding victory at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal.

The UAE Team Emirates leader crossed the finish line 24 seconds ahead of Spain’s Pello Bilbao of Bahrain — Victorious to win the demanding 209.1-kilometre race on a sunny, 28 C day in Montreal. France’s Julian Alaphilippe of Soudal Quick-Step was third.

“He’s the greatest rider of all time, he’s a formidable opponent,” said Woods, who finished 45 seconds behind the leader in eighth. “If you’re not at your very, very best, then you can forget racing with him, and today was kind of representative of that.

“He’s at such a different level that if you follow him, it can be lights out.”

Pogacar slowed down before the last turn to celebrate with the crowd, high-five fans on Avenue du Parc and cruise past the finish line with his arms in the air after more than five hours on the bike.

The 25-year-old joined Belgium’s Greg Van Avermaet as the only multi-time winners in Montreal after claiming the race in 2022. He also redeemed a seventh-place finish at the Quebec City Grand Prix on Friday.

“I was disappointed, because I had such good legs that I didn’t do better than seventh,” Pogacar said. “To bounce back after seventh to victory here, it’s just an incredible feeling.”

It’s Pogacar’s latest win in a dominant year that includes victories at the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia.

Ottawa’s Woods (Israel Premier-Tech) tied a career-best in front of the home crowd in Montreal, but hoped for more after claiming a stage at the Spanish Vuelta two weeks ago.

“I wanted a better result,” the 37-year-old rider said. “My goal was a podium, but at the same time I’m happy with the performance. In bike racing, you can’t always get the result you want and I felt like I raced really well, I animated the race, I felt like I was up there.”

Pogacar completed the 17 climbs up and down Mount Royal near downtown in five hours 28 minutes 15 seconds.

He made his move with 23.3 kilometres to go, leaving the peloton in his dust as he pedalled into the lead — one he never relinquished.

Bilbao, Alaphilippe, Alex Aranburu (Movistar Team) and Bart Lemmen (Visma–Lease) chased in a group behind him, with Bilbao ultimately separating himself from the pack. But he never came close to catching Pogacar, who built a 35-second lead with one lap left to go.

“It was still a really hard race today, but the team was on point,” Pogacar said. “We did really how we planned, and the race situation was good for us. We make it hard in the last final laps, and they set me up for a (takeover) two laps to go, and it was all perfect.”

Ottawa’s Derek Gee, who placed ninth in this year’s Tour de France, finished 48th in Montreal, and called it a “hard day” in the heat.

“I think everyone knows when you see Tadej on the start line that it’s just going to be full gas,” Gee said.

Israel Premier-Tech teammate Hugo Houle of Sainte-Perpétue, Que., was 51st.

Houle said he heard Pogacar inform his teammates on the radio that he was ready to attack with two laps left in the race.

“I said then, well, clearly it’s over for me,” Houle said. “You see, cycling isn’t that complicated.”

Australia’s Michael Matthews won the Quebec City GP for a record third time on Friday, but did not finish in Montreal. The two races are the only North American events on the UCI World Tour.

Michael Leonard of Oakville, Ont., and Gil Gelders and Dries De Bondt of Belgium broke away from the peloton during the second lap. Leonard led the majority of the race before losing pace with 45 kilometres to go.

Only 89 of 169 riders from 24 teams — including the Canadian national team — completed the gruelling race that features 4,573 metres in total altitude.

Next up, the riders will head to the world championships in Zurich, Switzerland from Sept. 21 to 29.

Pogacar will try to join Eddy Merckx (1974) and Stephen Roche (1987) as the only men to win three major titles in a season — known as the Triple Crown.

“Today gave me a lot of confidence, motivation,” Pogacar said. “I think we are ready for world championships.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2024.

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