On Dec. 27, general manager Ken Holland, assistant general manager Keith Gretzky, director of salary cap management and assistant to the president Bill Scott, coach Dave Tippett and his staff sat together for two hours in the coaches office at Rogers Place to brainstorm after a 5-1 loss to the Calgary Flames was the Oilers’ eighth in 10 games.
“We knew that we had to try to do something, so we called up (forward) Kailer Yamamoto (from the American Hockey League) and the coach made a decision that he was going to separate (forwards) Leon [Draisaitl] and Connor [McDavid],” Holland said. “From that point in time … Yamamoto came up and found chemistry with Leon, and we had Leon on one line and Connor on another, and it made it a little more difficult for the opposition matchups.”
From there, the Oilers were 17-8-5 until the pause, with production spread out on two lines. Yamamoto, who made his season debut Dec. 31 in a 7-5 win against the New York Rangers, has 26 points (11 goals, 15 assists) in 27 games.
Edmonton (37-25-9) is second in the Pacific Division, three points behind the Vegas Golden Knights with the season paused due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus.
“We played our way into the thick of things,” Holland said. “We’re in a playoff spot now, only [five points] from being out, but we’re in the game. I remember thinking at the start of March that we were in a good position, controlling our own fate. …
“The goal in the short term was that we could be competitive and be in the playoff race when the calendar turned to March.”
The Oilers did that by improving their competitiveness and consistency — they lost three straight games in regulation once this season — and by playing better defense. Edmonton allowed 3.03 goals per game, 15th in the NHL at the pause, compared to 3.30 last season, 25th in the League.
A big part of the success has been reliable play from goalies Mikko Koskinen, who is 18-13-3 with a 2.75 goals-against average and .917 save percentage in 38 games, and Mike Smith, who is 19-12-6 with a 2.95 GAA and .902 save percentage in 39 games.
All of that is a backdrop to the play of Draisaitl, who leads the League with an NHL career-high 110 points (43 goals, 67 assists) in 71 games, and McDavid, who is second with 97 points (34 goals, 63 assists) in 64 games.
“When you’ve got a team with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, two of the best forwards in the game today, the goal as a manager is to build a team, to try to find a supporting cast so that we are competing for the Stanley Cup,” Holland said. “It’s why we’re all in this game. How do you compete for it? First, you do it by making the playoffs. And if you can make the playoffs annually, you get multiple chances at it. If you don’t make it, you can’t compete for the Cup.
“[You start thinking about] making the playoffs two years in a row, but then it gets harder and harder. Everybody’s trying to build their team. I signed a five-year deal coming to Edmonton (on May 7). The short-term goal is to be in the race. Looking forward to next season and beyond, how do we make our team a little bit better and deeper?”
With so many things to be determined in the short-term, it’s difficult for Holland to come up with a clear picture too far out. During the pause, he’s talking to Oilers chairman Bob Nicholson multiple times a day, to Tippett every other day, and to his hockey operations staff and scouts on a regular basis.
“We’ve been giving our pro scouts some assignments, to watch teams they haven’t covered, doing some video scouting and putting in some reports, and it’s helped them get a feel,” he said. “We’ve had some conference calls already, planning to do them regularly.
“On the amateur side, I’m talking to (director of amateur scouting) Tyler Wright all the time. You’ve done all the work and we’re as ready as anybody for when the [2020 NHL] Draft will be held.”
Holland said he’s had in-depth discussions with Scott and Gretzky about the plan next season for their American Hockey League affiliate in Bakersfield, which will not make the Calder Cup Playoffs this season.
Holland and his wife, Cindi, are spending the pause at their offseason home in Vernon, British Columbia, about a nine-hour drive from Edmonton. He said it’s easier to self-isolate and practice social distancing there.
“The most important thing is for everybody to be safe,” Holland said. “You’ve heard the prime minister and the president and all the health officials talking about the importance for all of us to be social distancing, to stay home, to have as little contact as possible with nonfamily members. We’re all thinking about making good decisions, including for those around us, because we’ve got to get this virus under control.
“And then somewhere down the road, hockey is an important part of a lot of peoples’ lives. And in Edmonton, it’s something that’s really important for our fans, to have somebody to cheer for, to make the community feel good. But in the short term, it’s all about making the right decisions from a health standpoint, to protect one another via social distancing, don’t be in gatherings and let’s shorten this time frame so that soon we’ll start to get a more normal world back.”
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.
