Sports

JONES: Just who is the Edmonton Oilers No. 1 goaltender, anyway? – Edmonton Sun

Published

5 years ago

March 8, 2020

It’s about the idea that Mike Smith had become the Oilers first-string goaltender and pretty much an automatic to start Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Mikko Koskinen has stopped 97 of his last 99 shots.

He stole a game in Dallas that the Oilers definitely didn’t deserve to win, stopping 42 of 43 shots to allow Edmonton to win 2-1 in overtime.

He came in cold off the bench with the score 4-1 replacing Smith after the Oilers didn’t show up to play in front of him in Chicago. He stopped all 10 shots to backstop a near miracle comeback against the Blackhawks.

And he was brilliant in recording what looked like a 45-save shutout when Leon Draisaitl turned over the puck to create a breakaway goal to spoil his clean sheet against Columbus on Saturday night at Rogers Place, in just about the ugliest 4-1 win you are ever likely to watch.

Which begs the question. How does coach Dave Tippett intend to use his goaltenders the rest of the way?

As it happened, I asked Tippett that exact question eight hours before game time.

I asked it in regard to the Oilers’ current situation and coaching with one eye on making the playoffs and the other eye on having the team ready to have success when they got there.

I also asked it because I was semi-surprised Koskinen got the start. Smith didn’t get pulled in Chicago for any reason other than the way his teammates had decided to play in front of him.

It was obviously the right move.

Thanks to the towering Finn, the Oilers woke up Sunday morning with 82 points, tied with the Vegas Golden Knights for first place in the Pacific Division. They are, in fact, listed ahead of the team that visits here Monday and again at the end of the month.

I figured, as the Oilers returned to play 10 of their final 14 games at home, Smith might get eight or nine of those games, including what turned out to be this butt ugly one the Oilers inflicted on the nation on the Hockey Night In Canada telecast Saturday.

Tippett had obviously decided to continue through to the end of the regular season pretty much the way they’ve been going with the two all year, despite an affection for Smith, having coached him in all three of his stops in Dallas, Arizona and now Edmonton in a coaching career that has had clearly defined No. 1 and No. 2 netminders at every stop.

This is all new to Tippett.

“I’ve always had a No. 1 guy and the second guy you’re sliding in and everybody knows when the second guy is coming in,” he said. “We don’t really have that second guy. Every time you put a goalie in, he’s the guy and away you go.

“But there’s a good feeling on this team that whoever we put in can get the job done.”

When the game was over, Tippett’s quote on what went down was juicy enough. Indeed, it sounded almost exactly the same as Vegas coach Peter De Bour after the Golden Knights crapped out in Winnipeg on Friday.

Quote-unquote, De Bour: “You have one team that started like they were fighting for their playoff life and we didn’t. The first period we didn’t.”

Quote-unquote, Tippett: “The goaltender was unbelievable. The rest of the group wasn’t unbelievable. We were not good. Our execution was poor. Our ability to get the puck and win battles was really poor. But our goaltending was really good. So we got two points.”

Koskinen has started 33 games, has an 18-13-3 record with a 9.17 save percentage and a 2.75 goals-against average.

Smith has started 36, has a 19-11-6 record with a .902 save percentage and a 2.94 goals-against average.

Monday’s game against Vegas has arguably become the biggest game of the season since the most recent Battle of Alberta game.

Who does Tippett start in this one?

Smith, a disaster in December, has had the hottest hand since the All-Star break. But has Koskinen suddenly become the go-to goalie?

The Oilers’ schedule features home games Monday, Wednesday and Friday against Vegas, the Winnipeg Jets and New York Islanders, respectively, followed by one last three-games-in-four-days road trip and then a six consecutive play-every-second-night stretch of home games. Then it’s a four-day break before completing the regular season in Calgary.

You’d have figured it would be about now that the Oilers might decide on the guy that gets Game 1 of the playoffs?

“When do we decide that?” Tippet said. “After Game 82.”

E-mail: tjones@postmedia.com

On Twitter: @ByTerryJones

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Sports

Sports betting roundup: NFL and college football were all about the favourites

Published

19 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Anne Joseph

The past weekend of football was all about the favourites.

The favoured teams went 13-1 straight up and 10-4 against the spread in the NFL. In college football, the three most teams bet at the BetMGM Sportsbook in terms of number of bets and money all won and covered. All three were favourites.

Trends of the Week

The three most bet college teams that won and covered on Saturday were Ohio State (-3.5) vs. Penn State, Indiana (-7.5) at Michigan State and Oregon (-14.5) at Michigan. Penn State has now lost seven straight home games as underdogs. The Nittany Lions were up 10-0 in the first quarter and were 3.5-point favourites at the time. The Buckeyes won 17-10.

In the NFL, the three most bet teams in terms of number of bets and money were the Washington Commanders (-4) at the New York Giants, the Detroit Lions (-2.5) at the Green Bay Packers and the Buffalo Bills (-6) vs. the Miami Dolphins. All three teams won, but only two of the three covered the spread as Buffalo beat Miami 30-27.

When it came to the players with the most bets to score a touchdown on Sunday, only two of the five reached the end zone — Chase Brown (-125) and Taysom Hill (+185). David Montgomery (-140), Brian Robinson Jr. (+110) and AJ Barner (+500) did not score.

Upsets of the Week

The biggest upset in the NFL was the Carolina Panthers coming from behind to beat the New Orleans Saints 23-22. New Orleans closed as a 7-point favourite and took in 76% of the bets and 79% of the money in against-the-spread betting. The Saints fired head coach Dennis Allen following the loss. They have now lost seven straight games after starting the year 2-0.

Arguably the biggest upset in college football was South Carolina beating No. 10 Texas A&M 44-20 at home. Texas A&M closed as a 2.5-point favourite and took in 59% of the bets and 58% of the money.

Coming up

Right after the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees to win the World Series, odds for the 2025 World Series were released.

The Dodgers have the best odds at +400, while the Atlanta Braves and Yankees are next at +800.

The Baltimore Orioles and Philadelphia Phillies round out the top five, both at +1100.

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This column was provided to The Associated Press by BetMGM online sportsbook.

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Longtime rivals Ovechkin, Crosby join Necas as NHL’s three stars of the week

Published

19 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Anne Joseph

NEW YORK – Washington Capitals left-wing Alex Ovechkin, Carolina Hurricanes centre Martin Necas and Pittsburgh Penguins centre Sidney Crosby have been named the NHL’s three stars of the week.

Ovechkin had a league-leading five goals and nine points in four games.

The 39-year-old Capitals captain has 14 points in 11 games this season, and his 860 career goals are just 34 shy of Wayne Gretzky’s record.

Necas shared the league lead with nine points (three goals, six assists) in three games.

Crosby factored on seven of the Penguins’ eight total goals scoring four goals and adding three assists in three appearances. The 37-year-old Penguins captain leads his team with 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in 13 games this season.

Crosby and Ovechkin, longtime rivals since entering the league together in 2005-06, will meet for the 70th time in the regular season and 95th time overall when Pittsburgh visits Washington on Friday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2024.

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Oliveira, Mitchell named as finalists for CFL outstanding player award

Published

5 days ago

October 31, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – Running back Brady Oliveira of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell are the finalists for the CFL’s outstanding player award.

Oliveira led the CFL in rushing this season with 1,353 yards while Mitchell was the league leader in passing yards (5,451) and touchdowns (32).

Oliveira is also the West Division finalist for the CFL’s top Canadian award, the second straight year he’s been nominated for both.

Oliveira was the CFL’s outstanding Canadian in 2023 and the runner-up to Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for outstanding player.

Defensive lineman Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund of the Montreal Alouettes is the East Division’s top Canadian nominee.

Voting for the awards is conducted by the Football Reporters of Canada and the nine CFL head coaches.

The other award finalists include: defensive back Rolan Milligan Jr. of the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Montreal linebacker Tyrice Beverette (outstanding defensive player); Saskatchewan’s Logan Ferland and Toronto’s Ryan Hunter (outstanding lineman); B.C. Lions kicker Sean Whyte and Toronto returner Janarion Grant (special teams); and Edmonton Elks linebacker Nick Anderson and Hamilton receiver Shemar Bridges (outstanding rookie).

The coach of the year finalists are Saskatchewan’s Corey Mace and Montreal’s Jason Maas.

The CFL will honour its top individual performers Nov. 14 in Vancouver.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31.

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