LOS ANGELES — This was a test, and the Edmonton Oilers didn’t just fail it. They were exposed.
In the first game of the second half of their schedule, against a Kings team the Oilers would dearly like to reel in in the Pacific Division standings, Edmonton was soft, undisciplined and gave up four power-play goals in a 6-3 loss.
In a game that was ruptured by whistle-happy referee Furman South, and to a far lesser extent Marc Joannette, the Kings won every battle on special teams, outclassing the best power play in the NHL while punishing one of the worst penalty kills on the circuit (ranked 27th).
LOS ANGELES — This was a test, and the Edmonton Oilers didn’t just fail it. They were exposed.
In the first game of the second half of their schedule, against a Kings team the Oilers would dearly like to reel in in the Pacific Division standings, Edmonton was soft, undisciplined and gave up four power-play goals in a 6-3 loss.
In a game that was ruptured by whistle-happy referee Furman South, and to a far lesser extent Marc Joannette, the Kings won every battle on special teams, outclassing the best power play in the NHL while punishing one of the worst penalty kills on the circuit (ranked 27th).
‘Tonight we got touched up’: Oilers’ Woodcroft on execution from special teams
“The refs got involved. There was a lot of calls both ways,” said Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft. “Our penalty kill could have been a lot sharper and we ended up on the wrong side of the special-teams battle. I thought that was the difference in the game.”
On a night when the Kings hosted a clinic in McDavid Management (one goal, no assists), and the power play was ineffective (0-for-6), well, there were no more bullets at Woodcroft’s disposal. Because he simply does not have a team that can check its way to a win or penalty kill itself out of trouble.
The Kings scored four times on seven opportunities.
“It’s a game we want back on the PK,” admitted Oilers’ Derek Ryan. “I liked our five-on-five game … had some good looks, good zone time. But the penalty kill couldn’t get it done.”
Kings’ Fiala targets top corner from sharp angle for his second goal in first period
It was a rare night when the Oilers’ power play ran cold. The best unit in the league (31 per cent) usually feasts on nights like this one. Not this time.
“That’s gonna happen some nights,” Woodcroft said. “Our power play has operated at the level it has this season. How about the penalty kill step up and take care of the other team’s power play? If that would have happened, we wouldn’t be talking about our lack of production.”
Let’s face it: Edmonton is a power-play-reliant team that really has no other way to win a game that Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl or the power play doesn’t win for them.
This is a team that has just two ways to turn the momentum in a hockey game: A goal and a power-play goal.
They don’t have a fighter, they don’t have energy players and they don’t have hitters — even though three unlikely suspects named Zach Hyman, Jesse Puljujarvi and Klim Kostin bravely jumped into the fray Monday.
Oilers’ Kostin and Kings’ Lemieux drop gloves after empty net goal
If this team doesn’t score — and we’re talking mostly about four or five guys here — they can’t change the direction of a hockey game. Even though the aforementioned, unlikely trio tried their best on Monday.
With the score 4-1 for the Kings, Puljujarvi stepped into Viktor Arvidsson with a hard hit, and then stood in against Phillip Danault when the Kings centre came to his winger’s defence.
Kings’ Danault steps up to Puljujarvi after delivering a huge hit on Arvidsson
Hyman flattened big Quinton Byfield with a lovely hit and then scrapped Sean Durzi later on. And Kostin danced with Brendan Lemieux at the end of a long-gone game.
“Our team showed fight and our team showed fire in a game where things didn’t go all our way,” Woodcroft said. “I think that’s a positive sign. We had some good hits on some of their skill players, in a legal fashion. On the physicality side of things, we were right there.”
Someone had to do it, and here we are, with a Finnish skill guy and a young Russian newcomer leading the Oilers in fights this season, with two each. Meanwhile, there are a host of former Western and Ontario League players who are simply not physically engaged enough on a team that would do well to get its hands dirty more often.
“It shows that they want to win. That they want to go to war for all the guys in the locker room,” Kailer Yamamoto said of the players who were on Monday’s fight card.
You wouldn’t have predicted that Kostin and Puljujarvi would be leading this team in fighting majors one game into the season’s second half. Nor would you say that’s a good thing.
“That’s the way the game is going,” Yamamoto said. “It’s getting faster, but I think we need a little more grit from our team.”
This team isn’t hard enough, isn’t tough enough, and its third and fourth lines have so little definition they are really just lesser versions of the top lines.
You can be sure of this: There isn’t an opponent in the NHL that fears playing against the third or fourth lines of the Oilers.
No McDavid? No Draisaitl? No problem for the opposition as far as line matching goes.
Shut down McDavid, shut down Draisaitl (no points), and shut down the power play.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
