A fine way to start our Saturday. Final Score: 4-1 Oilers
As I wrote in this morning’s GDB, the biggest key to this game, to me, was paying attention to the details in all three zones on the ice to try and limit the Bruins’ ability to attack as much as possible. With the ability to get scoring from throughout their lineup, Boston can be a real handful if you’re playing loose defensively and that made me nervous considering our boys have basically been a colander in the d-zone lately. Needless to say, giving the Bruins more chances than they’ll already manufacture for themselves is a horrible idea and something that the Oilers had to eliminate from their game if they had any chance of pulling two points out of this game.
Over the past couple of games, the Oilers have come out flying and gotten the kind of starts we’ve all been yearning for, but haven’t been able to finish off as strongly. Today, I was hoping that they’d, once again, hit the ground running while also finding a way to maintain the effort for 60 minutes. It was a simple dream but it was a beautiful one. Unfortunately, it was the Bruins that got themselves on the board in the opening minutes despite a strong road period for the Oilers and the boys were forced to chase a team that doesn’t cough up leads very often. Moving into the second period, Edmonton needed to keep chipping away as they had been in the opening frame to try and build upon the foundation they started putting down. Thanks to some hard work and a little bit of luck, they were able to score two unanswered goals, grab the lead, and give themselves a chance for a win with 20 minutes to play.
Heading into the third period with a one-goal lead, the Oilers had to make sure that they didn’t simply sit back and hope to run out the clock as they did against the Sabres. We all knew that Boston would push hard to try and tie things up, and it was up to the boys to make sure that they couldn’t execute. Much to our collective delight, the Oilers kept chipping away and attacking as they could, even extending their lead to two goals on a beautiful passing play from Kassian to McDavid. While the Bruins were certainly running the show in the third period, the Oilers didn’t look as helpless as they had been in their last two outings. Up by two goals with time running out, Edmonton did a fine job of bending without breaking to the Boston pressure that we all knew was coming and they managed to squeak out a fantastic road win in a very tough building.
Gaetan Haas tied the game up at one after the gift pass he got from Jake DeBrusk and sunk the puck through Halak’s legs for his fourth goal of the season. I just want to take a second to appreciate Haas a little bit. Of all the scratch tickets Holland signed this summer, Haas has been the most effective in his role and I look forward to seeing what he’ll be able to do as he continues to get more at-bats at the NHL level.
After going more than 30 games without a goal, Darnell Nurse gave the Oilers a 2-1 lead with a wide-angle snapshot that beat Halak on the short side. Clearly, the Boston goaltender was unhappy about the brutal softie he let in with only six seconds left in the second period, but that doesn’t matter to us since it was just so nice to be on the other end of one of these for once.
Connor McDavid put the Oilers up by a pair of goals after he took a beautiful spinning pass from Zack Kassian in full flight and beat Halak with a quick wrister to the blocker side. McDavid was flying all game long and it seemed like only a matter of time before he’d be able to convert on one of his many chances.
Leon Draisaitl put the final nail in the coffin with an empty netter in the dying seconds of the third period to seal the deal for the Edmonton Oilers. Drai finished the day with a pair of points as he looks to be getting himself back into form after a very tough December.
Mike Smith got a second straight start as Mikko Koskinen continues to battle whatever illness Dave Tippett was talking about the other day, and the Oilers were going to need him to be at the top of his game against the Bruins. To his credit, Smith was rock solid from start to finish and gave the Oilers the kind of goaltending that allowed them to weather any storms they faced and gain the confidence they needed to move the play down up ice. In the third period, Smith really shone as he made some tremendous saves that halted the Bruins attack and allowed his team to bend without breaking, something that hasn’t happened a whole lot over the past few games, and he deserves major credit for the way he stepped up. Smith finished the day with 35 saves and a .972 save%.
Kailer Yamamoto continues to impress since being recalled from the Bakersfield Condors last week and I can’t help but wonder if he’s seen his last AHL game of the season. Yeah, I know that’s pretty premature to say after only three games but you have to admit that he adds a different flavour to a top-six group that desperately needed one.
Speaking of Yamamoto, I still really like the trio of Nuge-Draisaitl-Yamamoto and I hope that Dave Tippett gives these three a stretch of games together so that they can further develop some chemistry. Could it be that the Oilers finally have a second line?
Oscar Klefbom continues to log huge minutes for the Oilers, playing 28:22 in all situations while adding two shots on goal, two blocks, and a +2 beside his name.
Gotta love the boys winning 56% of the draws against a veteran team like the Bruins!
David Pastrnak opened the scoring for the Bruins with a power play goal less than four minutes into the game with a blast through traffic that deflected off Kris Russell and beat Smith high to the glove side. Not a great start for the Oilers to say the least.
Oilers went 0/2 on the power play today and I felt like they kept getting caught trying to force cross-ice passes that just weren’t there. I know that moving the puck through the slot has been something that has worked for them all season long, but I can’t help but feel like they need to add in a Plan B when it’s not working.
I thought the Oilers took their foot off the gas a little bit in the third period, and they were lucky to get some very strong goaltending from Mike Smith. That said, we all knew that Boston was going to be pushing hard for the tying goal and, all things considered, I felt like the boys did a decent job of defending the lead.
Why do the Oilers have such a hard time hitting empty nets? I know Yamamoto got one against the Rangers and that Leon finally cashed on in late, but it seems like the boys really struggle to close things out with a wide open cage.
Oilers were outshot 36-26 as 21 of those shots for Boston came in the third period. Again, thanks to Mike Smith for this one.
It wasn’t a great day for Kris Russell as the vet played only 11:51 which is obviously problematic for a guy they’re paying $4 million. He can be better.
Easy:
Edmonton Oilers – call anything that’s borderline, hell if anyone lifts their stick an inch off the ice it’s a penalty
Rest of the League – Just don’t dismember anyone and you good fam
McDavid used the same strategy when being hit by Chara as is advocated for a brown bear attack – lie down, play dead, wait for the bear to lose interest.
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.
