Tyler Benson sat in his stall slowly untying his skates. He and Kailer Yamamoto had stayed after practice to work on some drills, but also just to have some fun. They are 21 years young and living their dream playing in the NHL, and Benson didn’t need to rush getting undressed. Every moment in your…
“Knock, knock, opportunity awaits,” Dave Tippett said to Ethan Bear during a morning skate in September after learning Joel Persson was going to miss a few weeks with an injury. You know the rest of the story. Bear played well in the final two preseason games and earned a spot in the opening night roster….
Only six days until the trade deadline, and just under seven weeks remaining in the NHL season to decide who makes the playoffs. No spot is guaranteed, and while some teams seem like a lock to make the playoffs, where they finish is far from certain. The final 46 days of the regular season should…
Welcome to the second installment of 10 in 1. It is 10 thoughts in one place. Some days it will be questions, random thoughts, non-sports topics and quotes. Let’s get to it.
Injuries are part of hockey, and usually at one point in the season, every team in the NHL will endure some challenges due to injuries. Good teams find ways to overcome them, at least for short periods of time. Exceptional teams will be able to overcome key injuries for long periods of time. The defending…
The Oilers’ second and third leading goal scorers, Connor McDavid (30) and James Neal (19), are out with quad and ankle injuries. McDavid is also tied for second in NHL scoring with 81 points. Nikita Kucherov, who has the most points (29) in the NHL since January 1st and is seventh in the NHL scoring,…
“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity,” Albert Einstein. Connor McDavid’s quad injury, which will keep him out two to three weeks according to Oilers GM Ken Holland, is a big blow to the Edmonton Oilers. But the other players can’t use it as an excuse to wilt or feel sorry for themselves. They are…
When Connor McDavid leaves practice early because of a leg injury/issue sustained in the previous game, it is a big story. Oilersnation will be slightly on edge this morning waiting to hear if McDavid will play tonight. He is the most dynamic player in the NHL, and when you add his injury is on the…
Earlier this week the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) announced that Ryan Smyth will be inducted into their Hall of Fame this year. Smyth won gold at the 1995 World Junior Championships, then played eight times at the World Championships, winning gold in 2003 and 2004 and silver in 2005, won gold at the World…
The Edmonton Oilers are in a heated playoff race. Dave Tippett’s number one priority is to win games. He isn’t worried about anything more than tonight’s game. He has a proven track record of having success with different teams and he has a fantastic reputation of making players comfortable and putting them in positions to…
The San Jose Sharks have made the playoffs in 19 of the past 21 seasons. Since Doug Wilson took over in the summer of 2003, the Sharks have the most wins in the NHL, and have only missed the playoffs once — 2014 with 89 points — but they skate into Edmonton in 26th place…
Welcome to a new feature called 10 in 1. It is 10 thoughts in one place. Some days it will be questions, random thoughts, non-sports topics and quotes. Let’s get to it.
