Mark Spector🇨🇦🇺🇦
@SportsnetSpec
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Sr. columnist, https://t.co/Zjp5zYrRVl. Past President, Professional Hockey Writers' Association. Author of Battle of Alberta and Road to Gold. Skier of bumps.
Edmonton
Joined May 2009
This kid shouldn’t be doing this every day. Someone in the Rangers org needs to take better care of this young man. He does not always have to say yes. It’ll be a short career if he does.
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It’s not crazy when you think of all the people who work the concessions, parking, security, and clean the building. The folks NOT making a million or more per season. They deserve a work free holiday, IMO.
Still crazy there isn’t even 2-3 games on either Christmas or Christmas Eve, wasted marketing opportunity.
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Mattias Ekholm's wife is from northern Sweden. She skis, loves the snow, and according to her husband, can't wait to get to Edmonton with their kids to raise them in a proper winter climate. Finding a hockey wife that loves EDM weather. Perhaps Ken Holland's finest hour.
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To recap: The NHL strips the Sens of a 1st, because they did not disclose all the details in a transaction. But when the NHL brokered the sale of the team to Andlauer, they did not … disclose all the details in that transaction.
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Women rugby players are way tougher than male soccer players. Don’t @ me.
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Zach Hyman’s Toronto high school has received two bomb threats, as antisemitism rises in Canada and the U.S. “(It’s) 2023. It’s supposed to be getting better.”.Hyman speaks out as a leader in the Jewish community. “I’m proud of who I am.”.
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This is what Quinn Hughes is playing through. Still Vancouver's best player, most nights.
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Our premier believes in chem trails….Wonder if there will be a lottery for Bigfoot tags this hunting season?.
Asked about chemtrails, Premier Smith suggests that "the US Department of Defense is spraying us". "If anyone is doing it, it's the US Department of Defense". Smith is pandering to the conspiracy theorists. #ableg #abpoli
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Connor McDavid had 20 more points (42), than Sasha Barkov, set a new assists record (34) and was +12 to Barkov’s -2. I’ve voted on likely a dozen Conn Smythe Trophies?.This one may have been the easiest decision.
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As pointed out by Kris Knoblauch:. On June 24, 2024, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will play his first possible Stanley Cup clinching game for Edmonton, the team that drafted him on June 24, 2011.
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Folks, I could t care less if Soucy gets a suspension or not. Honest. But if you’re out there comparing a slash in the shin pads to a cross check in the teeth, you should put your phone down and go for a walk.
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Corey Perry, asked if tmw will be his last game:. "Uh, no. I've got more in me. I've got lots more in me: five more years.". (Media scrum laughs). "What's so funny? I feel like I'm 25!".
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“I think players across the league — not just me, not just guys in this room — just want to see the game called (consistently). A penalty in the first is a penalty in the third. A penalty in October is a penalty in April." — Connor McDavid.
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Mega weak call on Draisaitl for that unsportsmanlike. It's the playoffs. Hockey's intense. And we've got a couple of refs tonight from Green Peace.
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In consecutive years from 2017-2020, the New York Rangers drafted high. They picked:.Lias Anderson (7th).Vitali Kravtson (9th).Kaapo Kakko (2nd).Alex Lafreniere (1st). Some misses there. .
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Hockey Physics:.When a 5-foot-9 player (Acciari) chooses to carry the puck - and thus lower his head - through 2 zones without ever looking up, and a 6-4 Dman (Dillon) is paid to impede his progress, head contact ensues. Acciari should change his game, not Dillon, IMO.
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Something fans might want to know:.Edmonton media requested McLeod and Desharnais for post-game interviews, 2 young players who committed key mistakes. EDM leadership group nixed that. RNH and Kane spoke instead, along with Hyman. That's a team protecting its young.
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Forget the hit from behind. They should suspend Nick Cousins for turtling twice in the same game. If you're going to run guys from behind, at least have the courage to face the music.
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This is wild.
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That is like Canada beating Brazil or Italy in soccer. Or Spain. You may not love this as a Canadian, but this is historic in a small hockey nation like Latvia.
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My fellow Edmontonians. Enjoy the night, support your team, and when it's over - win or lose - please respect your city. We've won lots of Cups here, and lost a few as well. Act like you've been here before.
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Give the Leafs travel like this and we’d be holding a Summit on travel in Canadian hockey.
If this is Thursday it must be Denver. Amazing that the Oilers have posted a 7-1-0 record in January, all in the last 14 days, despite a travel itinerary that looks like this:
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When shopping for free agents on July 1, NHL GMs should be looking for this level of bravery.
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Oilers Nation demanding accountability/consistency from the refs. Meanwhile:.- Nugent-Hopkins: 0-2-2 (both on PP).- Hyman: 1 assist (on the PP).- Kane: 1-1-2 (EN goal).- McDavid: 2-1-3, NOT AN EVEN STRENGTH POINT. You want accountability? I know where I'm starting my search. .
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Look, the Cup's not in the building here. It's only Game 1. But you wonder how a team that gathered for Captain's skates on Sept. 5, went through camp and 8 preseason games, can look like they just met each other in the parking lot before the game?.
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Are we really celebrating Ovechkin scoring his 20th goal of the season in mid-March?.
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US-born Kailer Yamamoto does his media scrum today. Lost a bet.
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Fact: A second NHL team in Toronto (GTA) would be a far better expansion candidate than pounding the square peg in Atlanta.
So they are going to go back to Atlanta where it has failed twice though???.
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Reading lots of folks in Toronto emoting over being considered small market, compared to the Dodgers. Feels crappy, eh? — signed Edmonton, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver, Hamilton, Regina. .
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Kings fans upset. Oilers fans upset. Hockey writers watching refs call a game like it's U-14. These are men playing playoff hockey. Get outta their way and let 'em play.
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Only in hockey does a guy deflect home a slapshot with his face, and not miss a shift.
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"This is the best team I've ever been on." — Kasperi Kapanen, who has found some footing on the Edmonton Oilers, his fourth NHL team. Piece up @Sportsnet soon.
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If the Federal gov't wants to convince rural, Western or cold weather Canadians re: EVs, they need someone on the podium who can tell me I'll have a PICK-UP TRUCK that can properly tow, that has range, that can keep the cabin warm - all while driving at 110 KMH in minus-30 C.
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Oilers lose at home to the Ducks, because they can't defend well enough to stop the NHL's 31st place team from scoring four times. Darnell Nurse and Evan Bouchard were both poor in the loss. Two mainstays whose defensive games aren't close to good enough right now.
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So EDM has needed a right-shot Dman, preferably 2nd pairing, since the season started. They get a now-healthy Klingberg, without giving up an asset, for cheap, and have seven weeks to test drive the player before the Deadline. Can't find a negative side to this.
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Chatted with Adam Larsson, who met old friend Oscar Klefbom this summer. Says Oscar’s mental health is well, and he’s wrapping his head around life after hockey. Doing a lot of fishing around Karlstad. Building a house.
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Craig Button absolutely kills it with his thoughts on Mike Babcock here. Nice to see someone who still has a strong opinion and isn't afraid to break a few eggs in making the omellete.
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“Why aren’t we protecting the superstars? Every other league does it - Mahomes, Lebron… They protect their superstars." - Corey Perry, on McDavid protecting himself.
Connor McDavid, it seems, has had enough of waiting for the on-ice officials to give him the room he requires to be the best player on earth. @sportsnetspec explains why.
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I’m agnostic re: Greig’s shot or Reilly’s suspension. Whatever, man. But when I hear him referred to as an “unsuspecting Ridly Greig” we enter a fantasy world. Do what you want - again, no dog in the fight here. But he is not “unsuspecting” after that clapper. No chance.
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Eight games, eight cities, the trip starts and ends in the Pacific but touches every time zone, and in the seventh game the Edmonton Oilers erase a 3-0 deficit to win 4-3 at Colorado. They're 6-1 on this journey. Wow.
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Klim Kostin (8 NHL goals) for Dmitri Samorukov (0 NHL games). Folks out there carving up Ken Holland can start here.
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The McDavid hearing is complete. Lasted about 20 minutes.
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I see we’ve moved from “We’ve got to change the playoff format!” when the Leafs get a tough Rd. 1 opponent, to, “Change the cap rules!” when they mismanage their roster. Nice to see the game evolve.
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Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong flying into Edmonton for a pregame meeting with his team. Will tell them what’s going on and is expected to take questions from the players.
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Connor Bedard had some words for the official after this Josh Manson whack went uncalled. #Blackhawks
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Best group of forwards. Best team down the middle. And likely time for a 2nd PP unit that gets some meaningful minutes. This is the best Oilers team since the ‘80s.
Jeff Skinner signed a one-year deal for $3 million. Viktor Arvidsson inked a two-year deal with a $4 million AAV. Adam Henrique signed for two years at $3 million per. All three will make less than they earned last season. @sportsnetspec has the story.
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That's a Gordie Howe hat trick for Kane, whose finger prints have been all over this game. When we talk about him being a playoff player, this pretty much defines it.
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“With this run, we’ve roped a lot of people into believing in us. I hope we have all of Canada’s support.” - Zach Hyman.
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Oilers embarrassing themselves here. Lose? Sure. But it's 8-1 and their stars are taking penalties of frustration. This is a melt down. They should be past this.
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Say this about Mattias Janmark, biggest game of the year and he's playing his best game of the year. He's a gamer.
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@MikeBartner Even one game means a few hundred minimum wage workers miss their Christmas so the billionaire leagues can take profits. It’s not right. Even one game, IMO.
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Brandon Sutter called a meeting Sunday in Seattle with Oilers GM Ken Holland, head coach Jay Woodcroft and trainer TD Forss, to tell them he could not go on with his PTO. Holland: "He had some health concerns and he just felt that he was going to end his career.".Long Covid. .
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Of all the Glory Years pictures around Rogers Place, I’m not sure this isn’t the best one.
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Not saying Eichel aimed to hurt Ekholm, but a cross check in the back that sends a guy into the boards like that?.It's two minutes every day of the week, no?.
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The logical me says Pietrangelo gets 1 more game than Nurse. Two to 1, 1 to 0. The hockey writer me sees a pair of one-game suspensions, as they play the classic “even it up” game. Any court that views those two acts as equally suspendable has a pouch and lives in Australia.
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LIfe and death to beat the San Jose Sharks, and failing at the task. Edmonton is a worse team in Game 12 than they were in Game 2. Some coaches get fired because the team quits on them. Others, because they just can't fix what's broken. EDM is broken.
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Once again, Edmonton will require five goals to win today. It's no way to live. Their defensive game is a soft and inattentive, and the goaltending well, well below average. Top players coasting far too often. Whose fault?.Players, coaches . Everyone.
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NHL game No 1,297 for Corey Perry tonight, and his parents will drive down from Peterborough. Does a kid still look up in the stands for his parents - even when he’s not a kid anymore?.“You bet I do,” Perry said. “I’ll find ‘em, every time.”.
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Bouchard's derelict season continues. That's simply not an acceptable play late in a 2-1 game.
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BREAKING: Oilers not as dangerous offensively without McDavid.
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Campbell just isn't good enough. That's all you can say. The deflections aren't his fault. That one is.
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What a crowd in this building tonight. A stress free, sudsy Saturday night for a Canadian fan base that deserved at least one game that left a smile on their faces. A memorable night in here. Bravo.
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Oilers announce Evander Kane's surgery was successful, and "recovery from the procedure is expected to take a minimum of five to six months.".My money says the first game he plays this season is a playoff game.
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Stu Skinner the sole reason Edmonton gets even a point today, let alone two. A hard one to justify for the "Skinner can't steal you a game" crowd, I'm sure.
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Let me be clear here: these refs are NOT biased. Not biased. They're just asking players to play to a standard of physicality and gamesmanship well below the level that NHL playoff hockey should be played at.
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Not sure I've seen a team that can have such little success, yet be this satisfied with themselves. Oilers played like s team that was owed two points tonight, and just had to waltz out on the ice to collect them. Pathetic performance.
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Frustration sets in for EDM. Let it be known, this 3rd period is when it's becoming clear: This team likely isn't making the playoffs. Not with this goaltending.
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This is a textbook slewfoot. If it doesn't get penalized it'll just keep happening.
evander kane was none too pleased being on the receiving end of this blake lizotte hit.
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“Last summer I was rehab’ing. This summer I’ll be training.” - Connor Brown.
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Oh boy, do we ever do a nice job on this.
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The Canucks have one Canadian-born player in their 20-man lineup tonight. He is Irma Alberta's Carson Soucy.
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I’m not an expert on fire jurisdiction, Dave. But Smith doesn’t want the Feds’ help on housing, the dental plan, or much else .But she’s waiting for them to fix Alberta fires?.Which is it going to be, Dave?.
Right from the word go, folks have blamed Alberta and Premier Smith for Jasper wildfire, correct?. This strikes me as nonsense. Ottawa and Parks Canada rule national parks with an iron grip, right?. Perhaps I am missing something. If so, what is it? How was province to blame?.
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Expecting Corey Perry to be on the practice ice this morning with Edmonton.
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Take a break from the internet, pal. A long hike and some fresh air would do you good.
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That might be the worst overturn I've ever witnessed. Incredibly, that's a no goal. I can't imagine why.
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Calvin Pickard appreciation tweet. I guess you can go out and trade for a backup, but how much better goaltending is he going to give you than Pickard has?.His save percentage is above league avg, probably .907 after tonight.
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Stuart Skinner was not made available by the Oilers postgame to speak to the media. Played at the end, didn’t talk. Pressure getting to team and goalie?.You’ve got to wonder.
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This is the scene after a @EdmRiverhawks game, as kids run the bases. These guys have it figured out.
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Wow, never knew Janmark could throw 'em like that. Just put a lickin' on Coleman.
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Not looking for a fight here, but really?.Matthews has created more chances than every other player?.I sometimes wonder who is charting these chances, and whether they are wearing their blue and white jammies while doing so.
There’s a lot of harping on Matthews and rightfully so. However, he leads the playoffs with 35 individual scoring chances at 5v5. 4th in ixG, well ahead of McDavid/Draisaitl. The difference is Draisaitl is putting up Gretzky numbers on the PP.
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Congrats to @EdmontonJack, one of the best in the biz.
Oiler TV/radio play by play man Jack Michaels is off to Vegas to do first two games of Golden Knights-Dallas series on NHL radio. Good for him.
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To Garland's credit, he barely went down after that McDavid cross check. Many players would have milked it. Garland got right up. On the other hand, the fact he wasn't injured in any way should affect Player Safety's decision on the match penalty.
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It’s absolutely puking snow in Edmonton tonight - best storm all year - and the LA Kings are in town for a Monday game. I’ll admit, I derive weird joy when the Cali teams get a taste of Alberta winter.
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Things getting tight for Canucks, and Miller gives his teammates a laugh, lightens up the mood. Excellent leadership. Here’s a guy who can read the room.
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I'll tell ya, it's exciting here in Vancouver. The Canucks are good again, they've got Hughes, Pettersson and Demko, and they view their coach as having big, er, courage. Been a while since we've felt this kind of hockey vibe out here.
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Rob is dead on here. Draisaitl competed at Mach 10 last night, set up the winner, went 61% on the dot and blocked 3 shots (team high). While folks in TOR, VAN and WPG wonder where some of their best players are, Draisaitl is once again turning L.A. into the Kings of Leon.
For those who suggest Draisaitl is simply lazy, nothing could be further from the truth. That dude busted his ass up and down the rink all night long. He may not do it every game during the 82 game sked but when it matters, he is a horse at both ends.
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Quinn Hughes. He might be better than Sergei Zubov, and I’m not sure I can find higher praise than that.
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Hockey players care. But only for about the last 100 years.
Who cares how someone scores an empty net goal, unhinged reaction.
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Bouchard can't play any worse, minus-3 in a 4-1 game. He has been awful, even against the backdrop of an Oilers team that has played this poorly.
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How’s this for a press center, in the practice rink off of Rogers Place?.Not sure I’ve seen better.
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“If it takes you 15 minutes to determine if it's offside or not, it probably doesn't really matter.” — McDavid on that disallowed goal, by far the longest review of .EDM's season. Said Knoblauch, "We get 30 seconds to make a decision (as coaches). They get five minutes.".
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Oilers aren't magically coming out of this. As always, the 2nd best goalie on the ice. Defensive indifference. Living off the PP. Depth players getting zero ice time. The obligatory too many men penalty. Heading for 2-7-1, down 4-2 late in the 2nd to Nash.
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Jack Campbell's game is the tidiest and most quiet we have seen him all season long. Economy of movement, nothing lying around, just completed his fifth straight scoreless period. This is a development.
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Leon Draisaitl's season, in a 10-second clip.
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Four goals on 15 shots for Skinner. 8 in the last 37. He's run outta gas, folks.
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“Protect the superstars!” he said, before body slamming superstar Quinn Hughes. Corey Perry is the gift that keeps on giving. Another day, another irate fan base.
Thursday night's win was a masterclass by Perry, still hockey’s most subtle purveyor of the game within the game. He had the Canucks in the palm of his glove — chasing him, challenging him, swearing at him. (@SportsnetSpec)
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