It’s either going to be a great year in Bakersfield or a very long season in Vancouver, after an AHL-laden Edmonton Oilers roster walked into Rogers Arena and beat the Canucks 2-1 Thursday night.
“They worked their butts off,” said Oilers veteran goalie Tristan Jarry, one of only four Oilers players expected to open the season in Edmonton who made the trip to Vancouver. “In the offensive zone, the defensive zone … They were doing everything right. Just everything we've been going through in practice, they really implemented tonight.”
The Canucks iced a lineup with roughly 16 expected Opening Night players, compared to an Oilers roster that featured three or four: Jarry, Ike Howard, No. 6 defenceman Ty Emberson, and Josh Samanski, who will likely be Edmonton’s 12th or 13th forward.
As for NHL games played, the Canucks lineup had 6,789 games to 1,277 for the Oilers.
But it was Howard, playing his third pre-season game, who was the most dangerous player on the ice, with a goal, an assist and seven shots on goal. Quinn Hutson had the other Oilers goal and five shots on net, while Jarry allowed just one power-play marker, stopping 25 shots to all but secure the Opening Night start against these same Canucks Tuesday night in Edmonton.
“I was impressed with our group here tonight,” Babcock said. “We found a way to get it done, and they should feel good about themselves.”
Another young player who made his presence known was rugged winger Connor Clattenburg, who drilled veteran defenceman Filip Hronek, one of his game-high five hits.
“I like him,” said Babcock. “He can skate, he's physical. He pisses off the other team, which is kind of fun, and I like watching that. But he's got energy, and he's a good teammate. You know, he's going to play here one day.”
Line ‘em up
Defenceman Tomas Cibulka was plus-2 with an assist in 17:00 of ice time. And Viljami Marjala, the OT hero from Tuesday night in Winnipeg, had another strong game.
Expect a bunch of assignments on Friday as the Oilers get down to their NHL squad for practice. Their final pre-season game, at home against Calgary on Saturday, will be a dress rehearsal for Opening Night.
Here was how the Oilers lines looked Thursday night in Vancouver:
Howard-Michaels-Hutson
Jones-Samanski-Raty
Tralmaks-Marjala-Griffith
Clattenburg-Berzkalns-Lewandowski
Stastney-Emberson
Stillman-Cibulka
Leppanen-Carfagna
Jarry
Ungar
Big mess
The day began with a shot across the Oilers’ bow from revered alumnus Mark Messier, who questioned the whole process of hiring head coach Mike Babcock.
The fact that Babcock interviewed with players, a compromised leadership group, and that too many decisions were being made by the Oilers players. It was all too much for the Oilers legend-turned-ESPN panellist.
“I am just horrified about the whole thing,” said Messier.
“I think from the management to the coaching to the players, there has to be a divide,” continued the guy who once installed Mike Keenan behind the bench in Vancouver as a prequel to the darkest and most futile era of his own career. “The leadership of your team has to protect the players inside the dressing room. How can you do that when you’re directly involved with the decisions they’re making at the management level and hiring of the management and coaches? I don’t understand it.”
The fact that a Hall of Fame Oiler had taken a strip off the current players was a hot topic at Thursday’s practice.
“I don’t see a lot of headlines about any players here; I see a lot of headlines about the coach,” said Oilers captain Connor McDavid.
“Our organization has its layers just like everyone else. My job is just to be who I am and captain of this team and make sure I’m doing things right every day, and to be ready to roll.”
Nobody wearing blue and orange is going to speak ill of Messier, a five-time Cup winner in Edmonton. A team that accrues the Babcocks, Alex Formentons, and all the other second-chancers the way Edmonton has, better have a thick skin.
It was the friendly fire that surprised, if anything.
Zach Hyman, who was on the ground floor of the Babcock hire, invited Messier back to his hometown to have a look-see.
“If he really wants to see what’s going on firsthand, he’s more than welcome to come here,” invited Hyman. “Oilers fans love him. There's a lot of excitement, there’s a lot of positivity here. Nothing but good is happening right now. So, to try and spew something negative right now, I think it’s his opinion.
“I haven’t heard anything about me, Leon (Draisaitl), or Connor; it’s about ‘Babs,’ which, obviously, I think he can handle that,” Hyman continued. “From a player standpoint, there’s a lot of excitement with training camp, how pre-season has gone, how we’ve worked in those games. I think that you’re seeing changes on the ice, and it feels good as a player, and it's all positive. It’s been really good.”
Babcock took the high road when asked about the Messier criticism. It won’t be the last blast he’ll get this season.
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