The Copper & Blue - Game Coverage: Game 1 - Oilers vs FlamesA site for fans of the Edmonton Oilers. Someday we'll get to write about an Oilers playoff game. Hopefully sooner than later.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/13253/copper-fave.jpg2016-10-13T00:46:44-06:00http://www.coppernblue.com/rss/stream/130218832016-10-13T00:46:44-06:002016-10-13T00:46:44-06:00Oilers 7- Flames 4 -- Connor Saves the Day
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<figcaption>Hard carry, eh? | Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Oh captain, my captain. </p> <p id="r2UjhZ">HOCKEY'S BACK, EVERYONE.</p>
<p id="PlvLwS"><a href="https://www.coppernblue.com/">Oilers</a> fans have really come to understand the true meaning of thirst. Not having made the playoffs for ten consecutive years means a longer time dreaming about the return of hockey than most, and that means an even more intense rush of feels when hockey finally makes its way back into our lives. When the players were announced, culminating in the rousing ovation for the newly-minted captain <span>Connor McDavid</span>, I felt that uniquely familiar physical sensation, the simultaneous rush of blood to the head and goosebumps, that's accompanied every season opener of my hockey viewing career.</p>
<p id="ezqspg">This game quenched that thirst. In many ways, this 6-4 win by the Oilers against Calgary in their first game at the new Rogers Arena had all the elements of what we expect from the team in the years to come- dazzling speed, frustrating inconsistencies, and so much <span>Connor McDavid</span>. The new captain of the team really hard carried today in the moments that mattered, as his resilience and hard-nosed hustle is what made the difference in a rather erratic game from a young, energetic Oilers team.</p>
<p id="pkue6J">Here's how it went down.</p>
<h3 id="672l7w">First Period: A Good Start</h3>
<p id="DUi67m">The Oilers didn't wait long to get things going; just as we were still getting used to the sights and sounds of having hockey in our lives again, Draisaitl sent a shot to the net that was deflected in by <span>Patrick Maroon</span> just 1:10 into the first period. And then as we were getting used to the beauty and joy of the Oilers having a lead, Chiasson scored just 36 seconds later, tapping in his own rebound to even the score at 1-1. In a pattern that would continue throughout the game, the Oilers had a quick response for any offense from the <a href="https://www.matchsticksandgasoline.com/">Flames</a>, as <span>Tyler Pitlick</span> quickly responded with a goal right after the Oilers powerplay to snatch the lead right back. Larsson and Russell also tallied their first points as Oilers, drawing the two assists on that goal.</p>
<p id="mKAXtR"><span>Adam Larsson</span> then smashed his huge golf club-breaking body into Michael Ferland, giving a tantalizing taste of what would be a very welcome physical edge to his game. His defensive partner on the Swede Dream Blueline™ then relayed a nice pass to <span>Zack Kassian</span> for a snippy breakaway goal, capitalizing on a bad change by the Flames to put the Oilers up 3-1 by the end of the first period.</p>
<p id="5hIH0c">It is important to note at this point that newly-minted #98 <span>Jesse Puljujarvi</span> was on the ice for Oilers' first two goals, both times smiling like he was the freaking sun.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Oilers?src=hash">#Oilers</a> lead Calgary 3-1 through 20 mins with goals from <a href="https://twitter.com/patmaroon">@patmaroon</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Pitty687">@Pitty687</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/zkassian9">@zkassian9</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CGYvsEDM?src=hash">#CGYvsEDM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHLFaceoff?src=hash">#NHLFaceoff</a> <a href="https://t.co/oBp5m4yXWC">pic.twitter.com/oBp5m4yXWC</a></p>
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) <a href="https://twitter.com/EdmontonOilers/status/786406929278996481">October 13, 2016</a>
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<h3 id="RcrzHV">Second Period: His Name is Connor McDavid</h3>
<p id="GsA0EK">After a shaky first goal, Talbot looked much steadier throughout the rest of the first period and beginning of second, making a couple of critical saves to preserve the lead. But one man can only control the flooding for so long, and largely unsteady play from the Oilers, which led them to be outshot 17-4 by the 12-minute point in the period, led to two shorthanded goals surrendered, courtesy of <span>Troy Brouwer</span> and <span>Michael Frolik</span>. After a riveting start, the game was suddenly tied 3-3 at the halfway point.</p>
<p id="6BR760">It was at this point that a young man named Connor McDavid decided to put the entire team on his 19-year old back and hard carry the Oilers to a win.</p>
<p id="FWEfR1">After the Frolik goal at 10:51, the momentum was entirely on the Flames’ side, having scored on two consecutive Oilers powerplays (both penalties drawn by Connor McDavid, as well). <span>Jordan Eberle</span> was terribly out of position on both goals, standing and watching by the side of the net like he was enjoying an episode of Seinfeld as Frolik had his way. The rest of the team was slow-footed and complacent with the lead.</p>
<p id="wiFEZk">Connor decided that if drawing penalties for his team was just going to put them in inexplicably more vulnerable positions, he would just do the logical thing and score the goals himself. After many explosive rushes the whole first half of the game, he finally broke through with a goal at 12:17 in the second period to put the Oilers back on top, and then another one off a penalty shot two minutes later to firmly negate those two shorthanded goals and give the Oilers a 5-3 goal at the end of the second period.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Oh my... Just wow. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CGYvsEDM?src=hash">#CGYvsEDM</a> <a href="https://t.co/fRqNH0oTkd">pic.twitter.com/fRqNH0oTkd</a></p>
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) <a href="https://twitter.com/EdmontonOilers/status/786420624361000960">October 13, 2016</a>
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<h3 id="2js8pz">Third Period: You Get a Goal, You Get a Goal</h3>
<p id="1nwQH9">To be quite honest, the game was largely decided by McDavid going Super Saiyan at the halfway point and completely changing the complexion of the entire game. Jesse ":]" Puljujarvi scored his first goal as an Oiler in the third period off a giveaway, radiating more beams of Finnish sunshine from his face. Save this gif of his young, happy face for days when you are sad.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">It feels like the first time... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CGYvsEDM?src=hash">#CGYvsEDM</a> <a href="https://t.co/daZMaDnsbm">pic.twitter.com/daZMaDnsbm</a></p>
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) <a href="https://twitter.com/EdmontonOilers/status/786432234764984321">October 13, 2016</a>
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<p id="Sfpf1V">Then, <span>Dennis Wideman</span> scored a goal but really, who cares. Eberle put the game away with an empty-netter at 18:38, and the Oilers had scored a whopping 7 GOALS en route to a 7-4 win.</p>
<p id="GpnygU">For some reason, the Flames have been like annoying Alberta-made kryptonite to the Oilers, 10-1-1 in their last 12 games against Edmonton, but today's freshly charged team arm-wrestled them into submission. For every time the Flames scored a goal or had some good shifts, the Oilers were ready with a response (or two), displaying a wonderful resilience and ability to create chances all over the ice. Despite being outshot 41-28, the Oilers were dangerous all night long, except for those horrid first ten minutes of the second period, and each time Connor McDavid had the puck on his stick, things just happened.</p>
<h3 id="5AADKY">The Good</h3>
<ul id="0fPkll">
<li> <strong>Connor McDavid</strong>- The captain played like a captain. Consistently the most dangerous Oiler on the ice, he skated like he had freaking jet packs strapped to his ankles and finished with a team-high 6 shots on goal and +3 rating. Leadership was obvious in moments like when he gathered his wingers for a chat before a draw in the second period and immediately drew a penalty in the ensuing play. It brought a tear to my eye to see how hard he was fighting after faceoffs to get possession, no matter what it took. Also made a filial play near the end of the third period, feeding Father Lucic on a breakaway instead of going for his own hat trick. </li>
<li id="YewfhC">It was nice to see <span><strong>Milan Lucic</strong></span> defending his son’s honor early on with a fight against Deryk Engelland. The broadcasters mentioned that he had only been in three fights all of last year, so while he’s not here to serve as Connor’s personal bodyguard, Milan was setting the tone early on with this fight that plebs should think twice before touching the holy body of Connor. Looch also finished with a team-high 6 hits, throwing that body around like nobody’s business. </li>
<li id="yM1rJg"> <span><strong>Kris Russell</strong></span>, for someone not expected to tally much on the scoresheet, had a great first game as an Oiler, finishing the night with two points. Russell also made a couple of great defensive plays, including suppressing a Flames counter rush in the first period as Tkachuk came out of the penalty box, leading directly to the Pitlick goal. Maybe this is the #4 we’ve really been waiting for. (‘Tis joke! Please don’t kill me.) </li>
<li id="YK8R1m"> <span><strong>Oscar Klefbom</strong></span> led the team in ice time at 24:47, soothing for those who were worried about lingering effects of his injury. Looked steady for the most part and saved a few goals with his stick. </li>
<li id="HUyTds">The offense had a breakout night-- not completely unexpected, but following the departure of two number-one picks, it’s certainly reassuring to see. </li>
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<h3 id="nTWsmh">The Bad</h3>
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<li> <strong>Leon Draisaitl</strong> had an interesting game (a CF% of 38.24% is certainly interesting) with his most glaring error being a careless backhand pass at center ice on the powerplay that led to the first shorthanded goal.</li>
<li id="8u14nt">The defense was rather erratic— four goals given up is not great, obviously, and the offense bailed them out on this particular night, but <span><strong>Darnell Nurse</strong></span> looked particularly lost, misreading the play badly on the Flames’ first goal. </li>
<li id="dB7g90">Really, Matthew Tkachuk? You’re going to be a twat and slewfoot Brandon Davidson in the first period of your first NHL game? These kids need to read some Confucius and understand the importance of respecting your elders. I’m glad we didn’t draft you, and you're going to have some big men coming after you on Friday. Davidson left the game after that vicious play and finished the night with just over seven minutes of ice time, which is rather concerning; his burgeoning career is constantly being threatened with injuries, and we are hoping this is the year he establishes himself, not the year he becomes Tyler Pitlick 2.0. </li>
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<h3 id="IcyBNv">The Ugly</h3>
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<li> <strong>Jordan Eberle</strong>- Jordan Eberle has been my Canadian hero since I was 16 and I will forever extol the virtues of his beautiful front teeth, but nothing excuses his performance tonight. So out of position on those two Flames shorthanded goals, the lack of backcheck is still an issue this season and very frustrating to watch. I almost felt like he didn’t deserve that empty netter in the end. </li>
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<h3 id="qWfZGm"><strong>Extra Emotions and Feelings </strong></h3>
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<li>Seeing Kris Russell wearing #4 is weird; it’s like nothing has changed, but everything has changed.</li>
<li id="94aMXI">It was really nice to see the refs finally corral that goon 20-year-old-18-year-old <span>Sam Bennett</span> into the penalty box after that scrum. Serves him right. </li>
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<h3 id="j568SR"><strong>Game in a Haiku</strong></h3>
<p>My name is Connor.<br> I will save the rainforest<br>and score some goals, too.</p>
https://www.coppernblue.com/2016/10/13/13266662/game-recap-oilers-7--flames-4---connor-saves-the-dayMinnia Feng2016-10-12T21:54:09-06:002016-10-12T21:54:09-06:00Sunil Agnihotri on CBC News Edmonton - Opening Night at Rogers Place
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<p>I joined Adrienne Pan on the CBC News in Edmonton this evening to talk about the Oilers, opening night at Rogers Place, and what to expect this coming season.</p>
<p>We also touched on what to expect from Connor McDavid, his new role as captain, and what the team will need to do to get into the playoffs.</p>
<p>Clip starts around the five minute mark, but there's plenty of Oilers news ahead of that worth checking out.</p>
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<p><iframe src="//www.cbc.ca/i/caffeine/syndicate/?mediaId=784739395513" width="1073" height="603" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
https://www.coppernblue.com/oil-spills/2016/10/12/13265728/sunil-agnihotri-on-cbc-news-edmonton-opening-night-at-rogers-placesunilagni2016-10-12T18:00:03-06:002016-10-12T18:00:03-06:00Game Thread: Oilers vs Flames
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<figcaption>Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It's time for another season of Oilers hockey. Hopefully this year is the year.</p> <h4>What you need to know</h4>
<p><a href="https://www.coppernblue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Oilers</a> Record: 0-0-0<br> Last 10: N/A<br> <a href="https://www.matchsticksandgasoline.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Flames</a> Record: 0-0-0<br> Last 10: N/A</p>
<p>Oilers All-Time Record vs Calgary/Atlanta: 112-120-19-8<br> Goals For/Against: 870/895<br> Oilers Record Last Season vs Calgary: 2-3-0<br> Goals For/Against: 13/18</p>
<p>OpeningCeremony Starts: 7:45PM MST | Puck Drop: 8:45PM MST<br> Television: Sportsnet<br> The Opposing View: <a href="http://www.matchsticksandgasoline.com/">Matchsticks and Gasoline</a> | Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/MatchsticksCGY">@MatchsticksCGY</a></p>
<h4>Tonight's Storyline</h4>
<p>If I had to guess, I'd say that the fans enjoyed Wednesday night's season opener more than the coaches did. Todd McLellan and his staff are obviously going to take wins wherever they can find them, but</p>
<h4>Line Combinations</h4>
<p>From <a href="https://www.nhl.com/oilers/news/preview-oilers-at-flames/c-282640952">edmontonoilers.com</a></p>
<p><strong>Forward Lines</strong><br> <span>Milan Lucic</span> - <span>Connor McDavid</span> - <span>Jordan Eberle</span><br> <span>Benoit Pouliot</span> - <span>Ryan Nugent-Hopkins</span> - <span>Anton Slepyshev</span><br> <span>Patrick Maroon</span> - <span>Leon Draisaitl</span> - <span>Jesse Puljujärvi</span><br> <span>Tyler Pitlick</span> - <span>Mark Letestu</span> - <span>Zack Kassian</span></p>
<p><strong>Defence Pairs</strong><br> <span>Oscar Klefbom</span> - <span>Adam Larsson</span><br> <span>Andrej Sekera</span> - <span>Kris Russell</span><br> <span>Darnell Nurse</span> - <span>Brandon Davidson</span></p>
<p><strong>Goalies</strong><br> <span>Cam Talbot</span><br> <span>Jonas Gustavsson</span></p>
https://www.coppernblue.com/2016/10/12/13262358/oilers-vs-flames-preview-lineups-how-to-watch-and-discussion-threadryan_batty2016-10-12T13:07:53-06:002016-10-12T13:07:53-06:00Wayne Gretzky Returns to the Oilers<h3 class="link-title"><a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/JSportsnet/status/786277622959353856">Wayne Gretzky Returns to the&nbsp;Oilers</a></h3>
<div class="description"><p><p>Wayne Gretzky has joined the Oilers as "Partner and Vice-Chairman of Oilers' Entertainment Group" Which I assume is basically baby kisser and hand shaker.</p></p></div>
https://www.coppernblue.com/2016/10/12/13260358/wayne-gretzky-returns-to-the-oilersryan_batty2016-10-12T10:30:54-06:002016-10-12T10:30:54-06:00Jesse Puljujärvi Picks a Number Between and McDavid and Gretzky<h3 class="link-title"><a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/EdmontonOilers/status/786240642070392832">Jesse Puljujärvi Picks a Number Between and McDavid and&nbsp;Gretzky</a></h3>
<div class="description"><p><p>This season Jesse Puljujärvi will wear number 98 for the Oilers, a number that's <a href="http://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/EDM/numbers.html">never been worn by an Oiler before</a>.</p></p></div>
https://www.coppernblue.com/2016/10/12/13258254/jesse-puljujarvi-picks-a-number-between-and-mcdavid-and-gretzkyryan_batty2016-10-12T08:00:12-06:002016-10-12T08:00:12-06:00Game 1 - Calgary Flames @ Edmonton Oilers
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<img alt="Ten years of failure lie dormant at your feet. No pressure, kid. " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wbyITjekGHi6mFpVuFy_1ZBDxTE=/0x61:1881x1315/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51318485/usa-today-9601598.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Ten years of failure lie dormant at your feet. No pressure, kid. | Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>A new season has dawned. </p> <p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.coppernblue.com/"></a></p>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>8 PM MDT</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>TV - SN1, SN2, TVAS2</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><b> Radio - 630 CHED</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Rogers Place</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">The opposing view: <a href="http://matchsticksandgasoline.com" target="_blank">Matchsticks And Gasoline</a>
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<div style="text-align: center;">PROJECTED FORWARDS</div>
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<span>Milan Lucic</span> - <span>Connor McDavid</span> - <span>Jordan Eberle</span>
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<span>Benoit Pouliot</span> - <span>Ryan Nugent-Hopkins</span> - Anton Slepyshev</div>
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<span>Patrick Maroon</span> - <span>Leon Draisaitl</span> - Jesse Puljujärvi</div>
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<span>Tyler Pitlick</span> - <span>Mark Letestu</span> - <span>Zack Kassian</span>
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<span>Oscar Klefbom</span> - <span>Adam Larsson</span>
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<span>Andrej Sekera</span> - <span>Kris Russell</span>
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<span>Darnell Nurse</span> - <span>Brandon Davidson</span>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span>Jonas Gustavsson</span></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">IT IS TIME</h3>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>It's been a hell of an offseason. What'd we miss?</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">For better or worse, General Manager Peter Chiarelli has made a handful of moves to try to shake up this team. Gone is 2015-16 team leading scorer Taylor Hall. In return, the Oilers received defenceman Adam Larsson from New Jersey. Larsson has impressed so far with Oscar Klefbom, they'll be depended on to play the big minutes night in and night out.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Chiarelli then signed Milan Lucic to a seven year deal. He'll start the season on the top line with <span>Connor McDavid</span> and Jordan Eberle. Edmonton is gonna need a tonne of action from that line. Just last week, the Oilers traded <span>Nail Yakupov</span> to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.stlouisgametime.com/">St. Louis Blues</a>. They got this cool draft pick that could become a second rounder if Yakupov scores 15 or more goals with St. Louis this year.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The Oilers took a dip into the free agent pool a couple times. After Lucic, they signed Jonas Gustavsson to backup Cam Talbot. Late last week, Chiarelli signed Kris Russell shortly after dealing Yakupov. No doubt the Oilers need help on the right side of the blue, will playing the left handed Russell on the right side help shore up the defence?</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The Oilers have made several moves in order to help bring the team closer to a playoff berth. After eight preseason games, they all count for real tonight. Is this the year Edmonton breaks its ten year playoff drought?</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span></span><b style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.25em;">The Oilers are saying</b></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;">"We want to be the best team in Alberta and we want to be the best team in the League...It takes steps and I think over the past few years we've been working on those steps and I think Calgary has, too. This is a game to really assert yourself and take pride in the Battle of Alberta."</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.nhl.com/oilers/news/youth-set-to-ignite-battle-of-alberta-resurrection/c-282565566" target="_blank">Source</a></p>
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<p>That's Oilers defenceman Brandon Davidson on how important winning tonight's game would be for Edmonton.</p>
<p>It's been 3,768 days since the Oilers were in the playoffs. Winning tonight would be a great start for a team that could use a little push to start the season.</p>
<p><b style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.25em;">The opponents are saying</b></p>
<blockquote>"It's a huge part for me, being close to home with my family. Being on a team that's on the verge of winning, too...They're a young team with a lot of great young talent. There's a lot of factors." <a target="_blank" href="http://oilers.nhl.com/gamecenter/en/preview?id=2015020816&navid=DL%7CEDM%7Chome" style="line-height: 16px;">So</a><a style="line-height: 16px;" href="http://oilers.nhl.com/gamecenter/en/preview?id=2015020816&navid=DL%7CEDM%7Chome" target="_blank">Source</a>
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<p><a href="https://www.nhl.com/flames/news/versteeg-thrilled-to-sign-close-to-home/c-282560130" target="_blank"></a></p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://oilers.nhl.com/gamecenter/en/boxscore?id=2015020687"></a></p>
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<a href="http://oilers.nhl.com/gamecenter/en/preview?id=2014020123"></a>
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<div>That's new <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.matchsticksandgasoline.com/">Flames</a> winger <span>Kris Versteeg</span> on signing a deal with Calgary.</div>
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<div><b>NEW FACES, NEW PLACES</b></div>
<div>Kris Versteeg looked to be all but a member of the Oilers last week. On a PTO deal, Versteeg was offered a contract but chose to sign with Calgary yesterday. By the looks of things, <a href="https://twitter.com/JSportsnet/status/785919665985978369" target="_blank">Calgary will be able to offer him more significant ice time than the Oilers would have</a>, even though the Oilers traded Nail Yakupov for a non-roster player last week.</div>
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<h3><span><b>Have some of this</b></span></h3>
<li>As that first line of Lucic-McDavid-Eberle goes, so goes this team. The Oilers are going to need significant contributions from this line, as the club finished 25th overall in goals scored during 2015-16.</li>
<li> <b>HOME COOKIN'</b> - Oilers play nine of their first twelve games of the season at Rogers Place. Winning about eight of those would go a long way to starting the season. </li>
<li> <b>D NOTES:</b> I didn't have <span>Matthew Benning</span> making the 23 man roster, the Oilers will go with eight defencemen to start the season. <span>Mark Fayne</span> has been demoted to healthy scratch status to begin the season, and it looks like Darnell Nurse and Brandon Davidson will run wild as a pair. Some questions loom about Kris Russell on the middle pair, especially on the right side. It's a bold strategy, Cotton. </li>
<li> <b>F NOTES: </b>Tyler Pitlick will likely start on the fourth line tonight while <span>Anton Slepyshev</span> has now started the season twice on the big club. I've got some questions about when <span>Drake Caggiula</span> gets healthy and Jesse Puljujärvi being on the same line with Patrick Maroon. Caggiula has a great preseason and I've liked a lot of what I've seen from Maroon, but I'm not sold on running two players with 0 NHL experience on the same line to open the season. Keeping an eye out. </li>
<li> <span>Cam Talbot</span> will start for the Oilers tonight, while newly acquired <span>Brian Elliott</span> will get the nod for Calgary tonight. </li>
<li> <span>Iiro Pakarinen</span> (knee), Drake Caggiula (hip) and <span>Matt Hendricks</span> (lower body) will not dress for the Oilers tonight. Calgary will be without <span>Ladislav Smid</span> (neck)</li>
<li> <b>THE STATE OF AFFAIRS: </b>This is game 1. Game 1 is a little more than 1% of the total season, but it's kind of important for this club. The fanbase is the most restless I've seen in quite some time, and it would go far to see this team put up a statement victory against their provincial rivals. If the Flames come in and walk the Oilers, it's going to be a long week. So, uh, don't let that happen. </li>
<li>#GOILERS</li>
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https://www.coppernblue.com/2016/10/12/13255438/game-1-calgary-flames-edmonton-oilers-mcdavid-caggiula-puljujarvi-russell-versteeg-gaudreau-monahanJeff Chapman2016-10-12T07:09:28-06:002016-10-12T07:09:28-06:00Looking Good, Rogers Place<h3 class="link-title"><a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/EdmontonOilers/status/786181767791124480">Looking Good, Rogers&nbsp;Place</a></h3>
<div class="description"><p><p>Rogers Place is ready for it's official opening tonight, and it looks fantastic. If you weren't excited for the return of hockey before, you should be now.</p></p></div>
https://www.coppernblue.com/2016/10/12/13255744/looking-good-rogers-placeryan_batty2016-10-12T06:45:03-06:002016-10-12T06:45:03-06:00Wednesday Round Table: McDavid, How Great? Surprises? Disappointments?
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<img alt="NHL: Preseason-Vancouver Canucks at Edmonton Oilers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-Az1IBK42YlSzBrkCPIJgBUFMms=/0x64:1616x1141/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51317877/usa-today-9601749.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Three questions with the Copper & Blue staff.</p> <h3 id="3U47im">1) Let's assume McDavid plays the full season, what do his numbers look like after 82 games? </h3>
<p id="gTDbe3"><strong>Matt:</strong> McDavid has the ability to lead the league in scoring this season. With Crosby likely on the shelf due to the World Cup of Hockey Ownership, McDavid might be the best player in the league to start the season. That said, I figure he gets about 400 points. At a canter.</p>
<p id="nNBsNZ"><strong>Alan:</strong> If he plays every game I think he exceeds a point per game. 87 feels about right, but he's so talented if you asked me to bet against him getting 100 a wouldn't. I'll stick with 87 for now though.</p>
<p id="vCZfj3"><strong>Scott:</strong> It's tough to find actual comparables for Connor McDavid given that he's... well... Connor McDavid. A quick look at something roughly approximating comparables (teenagers who scored at least 0.7 points per game in their rookie season in the last twenty years) suggests a pretty wide range for McDavid this season. The guys who played 90% of their team's games are highlighted in green in the table, so if McDavid stays healthy and plays all 82 games, I'll take the average improvement from that group, which would give him 1.15 points per game and thus 94 points. </p>
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<p id="m_3521590648906765536yui_3_16_0_1_1476202064537_4578"><strong>Jeff:</strong> A healthy McDavid is the only way this team comes within a whale fart of a playoff berth. Fortunately for the Oilers, predicting a great season for 97 isn't out of the realm of reality. I've got him at 90 points (31-59-90) if we see him in 82 games. </p>
<p id="SrBzA7"><strong>Minnia:</strong> McDavid has shown that his improvement every month is exceptional, exponential even. If a brief break to nurse a clavicle created such an improvement, an offseason and extra honing through two international competitions should do even more wonders. If all Oilers fans pray diligently enough, 100 points.</p>
<p id="FppSH6"><strong>Ryan: </strong>In the last six season only four players have broken the 100-point mark. I have no doubt that McDavid gets to that plateau eventually, but I’ll guess that he plays at least one more year before doing so. I’ve got him finishing between 30 and 35 goals and 95 points. That’s okay for a sophomore, right? </p>
<h3 id="c81DRj">2) Who will be the biggest surprise on the Oilers this season?</h3>
<p id="vJTUDS"><strong>Matt:</strong> The biggest surprise this season will definitely be the amount of injuries that still happen to Oilers within 200 feet of Milan Lucic.</p>
<p id="Jd2fQe"><strong>Alan:</strong> I honestly don't know who to peg as a surprise this year. Davidson or Pitlick might be good choices if Davidson keeps growing or if Pitlick can get back on track with some good health. Larsson might be the best bet as he's likely to get some opportunities offensively he didn't in NJ. I'll say Larsson as I don't think anyone else is in a position to truly surprise anybody </p>
<p id="StPSIG"><strong>Scott:</strong> I'm not sure what people are expecting of each player, but I'll say that Cam Talbot will be a big positive surprise of the season. There seems to be a significant number of people who aren't convinced that he can carry the load as a starter. I expect that the Oilers will have him start 60 times or more and that he'll perform at or above his career save percentage of .924. </p>
<p id="ILa7P5"><strong>Jeff:</strong> The Oilers are running two rookies on the third line to open the season. The biggest surprise is of Drake Caggiula or Jesse Puljujävi takes the ball and runs with it. Fun part about this pair is that if anyone gets injured on the top two lines, they'll almost certainly get a promotion. That's good, right? </p>
<p id="ldjgRZ"><strong>Minnia:</strong> I really have high hopes for Adam Larsson. Maybe I like shiny new toys, but from all I've seen from his play in New Jersey and the steady play he's shown us so far in preseason action, he seems like he could be the absolutely solid shutdown d-man we've been waiting for, even with the extra pressure from the circumstances in which he joined the team. </p>
<p id="f8MkqG"><strong>Ryan:</strong> It might sound a little silly, but I’m going to say McDavid. We know that he’s great. We say that last season and then again at the World Cup. But a year older, and a little stronger, he should be even better this season, and I don’t think we really know just how good that’s going to be. I think there is a very real chance that we could be talking about McDavid as one of, if not the best player in hockey shortly after the new year. Even with the high bar against which measured, that should surprise some people.</p>
<h3 id="cBbWyd">3) Who will be the biggest disappointment?</h3>
<p id="EPp4vR"><strong>Matt:</strong> The biggest disappointment so far is Peter Chiarelli. I cannot recall an Oilers GM I haven't been severely disappointed in before their second season in charge. Why can't we have nice things? Ever?</p>
<p id="83y66h"><strong>Alan:</strong> The disappointment one is difficult because I think it will be different people for different aspects of the fan base. There will be some who want Larsson to be something he's not and will put the loss of Hall at his feet which is unfair. For others it might be Darnell Nurse because honestly if he isn't showing at least glimpses of emerging as a star by the end of this season it is extremely unlikely he ever will. Maybe a player, but not an impact guy. For me though it might be Lucic. Not because he will be bad and certainly some fans will love him for his physicality, but there's a belief out there that playing with a star can greatly increase your scoring totals, which it usually doesn't. I don't think Lucic exceeds 55 points and that may bother some. I think people may also think he's a big net front presence guy on the power play but he's not really. He's good in corners but he's really more of a passer than the old Dave Andrechuck prototype I think people are hoping for. He'll be fine to me, but I think some expect 65-70 points. And I don't see it but would be happy to be wrong. He's really struggled handling McDavid's passes in the pre-season.</p>
<p id="d4Hz7Q"><strong>Scott:</strong> This is another difficult one to peg because you need to know what folks are expecting, but I'll pick Oscar Klefbom. If he stays healthy Klefbom is going to be relied upon for big minutes all year, and I expect he'll struggle at times as a result. He hasn't played more than 69 games in a single season since turning pro in his draft year, and has never averaged more than 22 minutes per game. Klefbom is a really good player and he'll have a good partner in Larsson, but he's slotted a little bit higher than his established level and it seems like folks are expecting him to be very good in that spot. </p>
<p id="JV2vea"><strong>Jeff:</strong> Peter Chiarelli, hands down. If anyone gets injured and this team is incapable of plugging in a suitable replacement, there's only one finger to point. But don't worry, no one gets injured on the Oilers. </p>
<p id="qXP5sh"><strong>Minnia:</strong> I'm really afraid that Darnell Nurse once again fails to have a good season. I think back to the beginning of the previous season, and how highly we all viewed Nurse. His stock has fallen a lot since then at a scary pace, and it's hardly his fault that he was rushed into the league at such a young age, but I'm very afraid of the long-term repercussions of this premature debut. Very afraid. And also afraid for Puljujarvi of having the same thing happening to him given the events of the past few days with "Oilers and Disappearing Wingers" saga. In short, I am just afraid. Going into this season, I feel optimistic despite my best rational thoughts, and afraid because it's the Oilers.</p>
<p id="rcp21l"><strong>Ryan: </strong>I think Leon Draisaitl is going to let a lot of people down this year. He’s got a tremendous skill set and will be a great player one day but I think that day is today. He’s also going to get bounced around the lineup a little, starting the season on the right side and likely playing some centre this season as well, for a player still trying to find consistency in his game this isn’t ideal. When paired with Hall last year we saw what he can do, now we will see what he can do without Hall. I’m not sure that we’re going to love the results.</p>
<p id="f27aVR"><em>For more from our writers be sure to follow them on Twitter.</em></p>
<ul>
<li id="Gnc5fH">Matt: <a href="https://twitter.com/therealfoz">@therealfoz</a>
</li>
<li id="qnltkW">Alan: <a href="https://twitter.com/alanhull">@alanhull</a>
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<li id="gbP84f">Jeff: <a href="https://twitter.com/newwaveoil">@NewWaveOil</a>
</li>
<li id="sWayVr">Minnia: <a href="https://twitter.com/minniafeng">@minniafeng</a>
</li>
<li id="ndQJT8">Ryan: <a href="https://twitter.com/ryan_batty">@ryan_batty</a>
</li>
</ul>
https://www.coppernblue.com/2016/10/12/13255402/mcdavid-season-prediction-oilers-surprise-disappointmentryan_batty