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Morning, folks!
Good vibes throughout the Country of Oil this morning as our heroes further nurtured the seed of doubt they planted in the minds of the Winnipeg Jets a few games ago. A 3-1 final on the back of another solid team performance — and, of course, when I say team in this instance I’m really meaning great goaltending and yet another Connor McDavid masterclass — saw the Oilers move one win closer to securing home ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs.
Ryan McLeod had another impressive outing in which he looks more competent than most of the bottom sixers they’ve paraded through the lower half of the F group in the last couple of seasons. He’s got some savvy with the puck and a real set of gams on him, and if they were only ever calling up one of the Bakersfield Condors trio it really does make sense that it’s McLeod. He moves in a way neither of Benson or Marody can and it appears he’s got a bit of finesse with the rock, too.
Dmitry Kulikov was less impressive, though the xGF% was once again kind to his pairing, he made a couple of high leverage giveaways last night. One of which ended up counting as Winnipeg’s only goal on the night. A dive into his numbers in New Jersey would suggest that he’s best fit beside a puck mover, perhaps a Tyson Barrie — or, gasp, an Evan Bouchard — on the third pair would be better. Larsson’s having a real good year, but he’s not much of a puck mover.
Speaking of Larsson, John Shannon spent most of the first intermission last night talking about how important Larsson is before suggesting he’s ‘the most important contract they have to sign this summer’ and that they’ll have to pay him ‘a lot’.
No thanks.
Again, he’s having a great year, there’s no question, but he shouldn’t be signed before expansion. No way. The play is to walk all those guys to UFA and go 4-4-1.
McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Jesse Puljujarvi, Kailer Yamamoto.
Darnell Nurse, Ethan Bear, Caleb Jones, Oscar Klefbom.
Stalock probably?!
Oh, and don’t forget: they play again tonight. Calgary, in Edmonton, at 7:00 PM MST. See you then. I’m speaking very hopefully, very specifically to Evan Bouchard. I hope to see you then, Evan.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Episode 8: The Fast Jedi
(I’m losing steam here.)
The Oilers split a playoff-like series against the Canadiens, Ryan McLeod’s set to make his NHL debut, Oscar Klefbom could be exempt in the expansion draft, and much, much more in this week’s episode of the CB Podcast!
GAME RECAP: Edmonton 3, Winnipeg 1 (Copper and Blue)
GAME THREAD: Game 47/56 Edmonton Oilers @ Winnipeg Jets (Copper and Blue)
GAME PREVIEW: Game 47/56 Edmonton Oilers @ Winnipeg Jets (Copper and Blue)
Hot Links: Wednesday, April 28 (Copper and Blue)
Connor McDavid Is Going To Hit 100 Points This Year And It’s Going To Be Insane (Copper and Blue)
The Day After: Getting Hot At The Right Time (ON)
Jets’ Hellebuyck Stays Positive As Losing Streak Reaches Five Games (SN)
Adaptable Oilers Proving They Can Beat Opponents Any Way They Want (SN)
McDavid Racks Up Another 3-Point Night As Oilers Deal Jets 5th Straight Loss (CBC)
Another Three Points For McDavid And Strong Outing By Koskinen For Oilers In Win Over Jets (ES)
9 Ridiculous Connor McDavid Highlights From This Season...In 90 Seconds (CBC)
Regular-Season Success Might Be A Factor In Playoffs (ES)
Report: Edmonton May Host 2021 Women’s World Hockey Championship (ON)
McDavid’s Chase For 100 (SN)
Alex Chiasson Enjoys “Pretty Special” Moment Of Hitting 100 Career Goals (TOR)
Down The Stretch They Come (ON)
Dave Tippett Marvels At Deception In Connor McDavid’s Offensive Game (TOR)
2020-21 Game 47: Oilers At Jets (LT)
Down Goes Brown: Connor McDavid’s 100, Leafs Vs. Habs, And Six More Things To Root For Down The Stretch (TA)
Edmonton Vs. Winnipeg: Five Things The Season Series Taught Us About How They Match Up (TA)