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Flames hand lifeless Edmonton Oilers a richly-deserved butt kicking – Edmonton Journal

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Good.

The Edmonton Oilers not only got what they deserved, they got exactly what they needed.

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A richly deserved ass kicking from their biggest rivals on national television.

After three-weeks of taking periods off, showing up 20 minutes late, falling asleep defensively and then trying to convince themselves they deserve credit for occasionally fighting back in the third period, there was no masking the truth Saturday night at Rogers Place.

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They’re heading in the wrong direction. The hockey they’ve been playing since the All-Star break is nowhere near good enough.

They’ve lost six of their last 10 games (4-5-1) since the All-Star break and given up a staggering 42 goals against. If being exposed 6-3 by the Calgary Flames on their own ice doesn’t snap them to attention, nothing will.

“It’s learning from our mistakes,” said goaltender Stuart Skinner, who fell to 2-4-1 in his last seven starts. “This could be the best thing for our group heading down the stretch. Just learning how to not have the kind of stretch we’re having now, where we’re not doing our thing, and that starts with me.”

There is no panic, but this isn’t good. Not with the LA Kings having tracked them down from behind.

“I mean, it’s an 82 game season,” said winger Zach Hyman. “Would you like to play perfect every 10-game stretch? Sure. Are you going to? Probably not.

“At the same time, we’re getting closer to the playoffs and we’re still fighting for a spot. We have to learn that we can’t just flip it on and think we’re going to win every game in the third period. You have to start on time.”

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The Oilers didn’t start at all. The first 20 minutes of what was supposed to be a rebound game after back-to-back home ice losses was the worst they’ve looked in a very long time.

It wasn’t another slow start, it was hot garbage.

In a Battle of Alberta, with the standings closing in on them after they’ve been bleating on about the need to have better starts and play a full 60 minutes, the Oilers came out looking like a cross between 2-9-1 October and their draft lottery dynasty years.

Slow, uninspired and aimless, they fell behind 3-0 on three putrid goals against.

“We just got outworked from the start,” said Oilers winger Leon Draisaitl, who played a major role in sealing Edmonton’s fate. “It just seemed like they were ready and we, for whatever reason, weren’t quite ready.”

Just 2:02 into the first period Evan Bouchard turns the puck over at the blue line, Connor McDavid gives up on the back check, Skinner is too deep in his net and it’s 1-0 Flames on the first shot of the game.

It got worse. Martin Pospisil got between FOUR Oilers and walked down main street to make it 2-0 on Calgary’s fifth shot of the game.

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Then, the hat trick of humiliation: McDavid falls asleep on defensive zone coverage, allowing Noah Hanifin to skate in uncontested and make it 3-0 Calgary at 15:53, with the shots 13-5 Calgary.

“It’s definitely concerning,” said Draisaitl. “It just seems like our heads weren’t into it early. This league is too good to play catch-up all of the time. It’s another thing that we will look at and definitely have to fix.”

Five on five, the Oilers were no match. But they closed it to 3-1 on a power-play marker from Hyman late in the first and an even-strength Hyman goal five minutes into the second.

The comeback was theirs for the taking, right up until Draisaitl buried his team for good. Just seconds after the Flames went up 4-2, the alternate captain took a selfish penalty 175 feet from his own net, setting up the Calgary power-play goal that put the game out of reach.

Not one we wanted,” head coach Kris Knoblauch said of the penalty. “It was unacceptable. Leon took ownership of that. We can’t have that.”

On the next shift Knoblauch put Evander Kane into Draisaitl’s spot with McDavid and Hyman, but when Edmonton went on the power play a couple of minutes later Draisaitl was right back out there. If not for the man advantage, does Draisaitl sit the rest of the second period?

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“I hadn’t decided,” said Knoblauch.

Draisaitl had no choice but to take the bullets for his costly lapse of judgement.

“It was an undisciplined, stupid penalty on my behalf,” he said. “I certainly didn’t help our team tonight in that way, so I take full ownership for that.”

LATE HITS — Mattias Janmark had a beauty of a scrap with Blake Coleman, taking the Flames forward to task after his punishing hit on McDavid late in the first period. He added a goal in the third period for good measure … With McDavid directly at fault on two of the first three Calgary goals, and minus four in Friday night’s 4-2 loss to Minnesota, he fell to minus six over four periods.

E-mail: rtychkowski@postmedia.com

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French league’s legal board orders PSG to pay Kylian Mbappé 55 million euros of unpaid wages

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The French league’s legal commission has ordered Paris Saint-Germain to pay Kylian Mbappé the 55 million euros ($61 million) in unpaid wages that he claims he’s entitled to, the league said Thursday.

The league confirmed the decision to The Associated Press without more details, a day after the France superstar rejected a mediation offer by the commission in his dispute with his former club.

PSG officials and Mbappé’s representatives met in Paris on Wednesday after Mbappé asked the commission to get involved. Mbappé joined Real Madrid this summer on a free transfer.

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Reggie Bush was at his LA-area home when 3 male suspects attempted to break in

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former football star Reggie Bush was at his Encino home Tuesday night when three male suspects attempted to break in, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.

“Everyone is safe,” Bush said in a text message to the newspaper.

The Los Angeles Police Dept. told the Times that a resident of the house reported hearing a window break and broken glass was found outside. Police said nothing was stolen and that three male suspects dressed in black were seen leaving the scene.

Bush starred at Southern California and in the NFL. The former running back was reinstated as the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner this year. He forfeited it in 2010 after USC was hit with sanctions partly related to Bush’s dealings with two aspiring sports marketers.

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B.C. Lions lean on versatile offence to continue win streak against Toronto Argonauts

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VANCOUVER – A fresh face has been gracing the B.C. Lions‘ highlight reels in recent weeks.

Midway through his second CFL campaign, wide receiver Ayden Eberhardt has contributed touchdowns in two consecutive games.

The 26-year-old wide receiver from Loveland, Colo., was the lone B.C. player to reel in a passing major in his team’s 37-23 victory over the league-leading Montreal Alouettes last Friday. The week before, he notched his first CFL touchdown in the Lions’ win over the Ottawa Redblacks.

“It’s been awesome. It’s been really good,” Eberhardt said of his recent play. “At the end of the day, the biggest stat to me is if we win. But who doesn’t love scoring?”

He’ll look to add to the tally Friday when the Leos (7-6) host the Toronto Argonauts.

Eberhardt signed with B.C. as a free agent in January 2023 and spent much of last season on the practice squad before cementing a role on the roster this year.

The six-foot-two, 195-pound University of Wyoming product has earned more opportunities in his second season, said Lions’ head coach and co-general manager Rick Campbell.

“He’s a super hard worker and very smart. He understands, has high football IQ, as we call it,” Campbell said.

The fact that Eberhardt can play virtually every receiving position helps.

“He could literally go into a game and we could throw him into a spot and he’d know exactly what he’s doing,” the coach said. “That allows him to play fast and earn the quarterback’s trust. And you see him making plays.”

Eberhardt credited his teammates, coaches and the rest of the Lions’ staff with helping him prepare for any situation he might face. They’ve all spent time teaching him the ins and outs of the Canadian game, or go over the playbook and run routes after practice, he said.

“I’ve played every single position on our offence in a game in the last two years, which is kind of crazy. But I love playing football,” he said. “I want to play any position that the team needs me to play.”

While B.C.’s lineup is studded with stars like running back William Stanback — who has a CFL-high 938 rushing yards — and wide receiver Justin McInnis — who leads the league in both receiving yards (1,074) and receiving TDs (seven) — versatility has been a critical part of the team’s back-to-back wins.

“I think we’ve got a lot of talented guys who deserve to get the ball and make big plays when they have the ball in their hands. So it’s really my job to get them the ball as much as possible,” said quarterback Nathan Rourke.

“I think that makes it easy when you can lean on those guys and, really, we’re in a situation where anyone can have a big game. And I think that’s a good place to be.”

Even with a talented lineup, the Lions face a tough test against an eager Argos side.

Toronto lost its second straight game Saturday when it dropped a 41-27 decision to Ottawa.

“We’ll have our hands full,” Rourke said. “We’ll have to adjust on the fly to whatever their game plan is. And no doubt, they’ll be ready to go so we’ll have to be as well.”

The two sides have already met once this season when the Argos handed the Lions a 35-27 loss in Toronto back on June 9.

A win on Friday would vault B.C. to the top of the West Division standings, over the 7-6 Winnipeg Blue Bombers who are on a bye week.

Collecting that victory isn’t assured, though, even with Toronto coming in on a two-game skid, Campbell said.

“They’ve hit a little bit of a rut, but they’re a really good team,” he said. “They’re very athletic. And you can really see (quarterback Chad Kelly’s) got zip on the ball. When you see him in there, he can make all the throws. So we’re expecting their best shot.”

TORONTO ARGONAUTS (6-6) AT B.C. LIONS (7-6)

Friday, B.C. Place

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: The Lions boast a 4-1 home record this season, including a 38-12 victory over the Redblacks at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, B.C., on Aug. 31. The Argos have struggled outside of BMO Field and hold a 1-5 away record. Trips to the West Coast haven’t been easy for Toronto in recent years — since 2003, the club is 4-14 in road games against B.C.

CENTURION: B.C. defensive back Garry Peters is set to appear in his 100th consecutive game. The 32-year-old from Conyers, Ga., is a two-time CFL all-star who has amassed 381 defensive tackles, 19 special teams tackles and 16 interceptions over seven seasons. “Just being on the field with the guys every day, running around, talking trash back and forth, it keeps me young,” Peters said. “It makes me feel good, and my body doesn’t really feel it. I’ve been blessed to be able to play 100 straight.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.

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