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35-34-11, 1.012 p/g | Ranks | 28-44-9, .802 p/g |
Western Conference: 12th | Western Conference: 14th | |
24th | P/G | 28th |
11th | ST | 26th |
20th | ES | 29th |
14th | Goal | 30th |
Happy Trails, Ryan Smyth
Here's where I normally put a little blurb about the last game. Due to the nature of today's game, I'll keep it fairly brief. The Oilers lost to the Kings by a score of 3-0. It was one of the more uninspiring games I've seen all year. That's quite a thing to say when your team has lost a combined 53 games on the season, but to say it wasn't very good isn't an understatement. Viktor Fasth had 45 saves, and with only 17 shots on net, it should come as no surprise that the Oilers were unable to score.
Today is Ryan Smyth's last game as a player in the National Hockey League, and as a member of the Edmonton Oilers. I was all but certain he'd be an Oiler for at least another season, as he's easily one of this team's twelve best forwards. Unfortunately for us, it's not going to be that way, and Ryan Smyth will walk away from the game after today.
"No regrets. I tried to leave it out there as much as I could on a daily basis, on a nightly basis, and, I would love to win for sure, a Stanley Cup. Like you say, we were close, but, no."
That's Oilers winger Ryan Smyth when Tom Gazzola asked him if he had any regrets in his playing career.
Smyth says that the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City was the highlight of his career. He also says that he has no regrets, but you've got to think that 2006 burns bright in his mind. Today, he'll play one final game in a season that will do nothing except guarantee the Oilers a top pick in this year's draft. Again.
You deserved so much more.
The Oilers are saying
"He was always around the net being greasy and scoring goals that everyone was like 'How did that go in?' Oh, Ryan Smyth scored again"
- With a power play goal in tonight's game, Ryan Smyth would become Edmonton's all-time leader in power play goals with 127. It's not a Stanley Cup, but it'd be a small consolation prize to a guy who deserves it.
- Smyth is ranked fifth in goals scored all time on the Oilers. Those ahead? Guys named Gretzky, Kurri, Anderson, and Messier. It's a fair crowd to have your name mentioned in.
- Everyone's got a Ryan Smyth moment. For me, it was when he caught a Chris Pronger slap shot against the Sharks in mid-May of 2006. Everyone who was alive and watching the game remembers the moment when the bottom of his face was bloody and missing a fair amount of teeth. A few shifts later, there was 94 out on the ice like it never happened. And then he helped set up the winner. Not bad for a night's work.
- I wish Ryan Smyth the best in wherever life takes him next year. As much as I bitch and complain at what a dysfunctional mess this team has become, I feel a thousand times worse for a guy who would give his right arm for the team to be competitive. Ryan Smyth has been juggled this year more than a flaming bowling pin. Play wing? Great. Centre? He'll do it. Top six? Yes. Bottom six? Yes. Scratched? If he must.
- You deserved better, Ryan Smyth.
Daniel Sedin - Henrik Sedin - Nicklas Jensen
Alex Burrows - Ryan Kesler - Jannik Hansen
Chris Higgins - Brad Richardson - Zack Kassian
David Booth - Shawn Matthias - Tom Sestito
Alexander Edler - Kevin Bieksa
Dan Hamhuis - Yannick Weber
Ryan Stanton - Frank Corrado
Jacob Markstrom
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The Edmonton Oilers
Taylor Hall - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Jordan Eberle
Ryan Smyth - Sam Gagner - David Perron
Matt Hendricks - Will Acton - Steve Pinizzotto
Philip Larsen - Anton Lander - Tyler Pitlick
Martin Marincin - Jeff Petry
Oscar Klefbom - Justin Schultz
Mark Fraser - Anton Belov
Ben Scrivens