MATHESON: Lack of scoring a priority for Oilers Woodcroft

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Whereas Connor Brown has the opening in a donut by means of eight video games with no factors, he’s not alone. His linemates Ryan McLeod and Dylan Holloway have 28 pictures and zip in the case of objective cellys.

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The Edmonton Oiler coach Jay Woodcroft has observed.

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Not simply the followers, clamouring for extra.

“It’s regarding, yeah, it’s a concern. It could be much less if the ice-time (for all three) was within the single digits however it’s not,” mentioned Woodcroft.

‘Backside line for us we wish to be a crew that comes on the opposition in waves. We wish to preserve a degree of momentum when it comes to stacking a very good shift on high of a very good shift, on high of one other. A part of that requires some manufacturing from uncommon sources or not the standard sources,” mentioned Woodcroft.

“These gamers in our backside six or actually backside 5 proper now (dressing seven defencemen and 11 forwards) need to discover a approach to make sure they’re affecting video games in several manners. It’s ending checks, it’s successful face-offs, it’s contributing on face-offs. However discovering a method to contribute on the scoreboard…that’s regarding,” he mentioned.

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Whereas Brown is due a $3.25 million bonus for enjoying his tenth sport on Saturday, when Nashville is right here for a day sport, he’s not alone in that regard across the league, when it comes to video games performed bonuses.

Former Oiler goalie Cam Talbot, now in his first 12 months with Los Angeles Kings, is due $1 million when he performs his tenth sport Nov. 11 towards Philadelphia. Dallas ahead Joe Pavelski will get an additional $1 million when he fits up towards Vancouver Saturday. And Blake Wheeler in New York, will get a $100,000 sweetener from the Rangers Thursday.

WELCOME BACK SAM

The Oilers put Adam Erne on waivers Monday and have signed Sam Gagner to a one-year $775,000 NHL deal to take his spot on the fourth line. So, this would be the third totally different time Gagner, 34, has suited up for the Oilers. First as their first-round draft choose, then after the Oilers traded Ryan Spooner to Vancouver for Gagner when Keith Gretzky was interim GM and now this newest recall.

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Gagner, who didn’t play any exhibitions as he rehabbed from two hip surgical procedures however was practising with the principle group, had simply signed an AHL contract in Bakersfield. He had 5 factors (a objective and 4 helpers) in three minor-league video games.

Erne had signed a two-way deal ($250,000 within the minors, $775,000 NHL) after coming to coaching camp on a tryout. He dressed for six Oiler video games, averaging rather less than eight minutes however solely performed 3:34 (seven shifts, three hits) within the Heritage Traditional Sunday. They need a special look in Gagner, who killed lots of penalties whereas enjoying in Detroit after his commerce there, earlier than signing in Winnipeg, earlier than his hip surgical procedures. He has extra offensive upside. They may have thought-about centre Lane Pederson ($775,000 one-way) for a recall however he bought harm final weekend in a sport towards Tucson.

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In the meantime winger Raphael Lavoie, who had a very good camp, is staying on the farm as a result of they don’t need him as a job participant now, on a fourth line, however increased up the line-up. If Holloway, say, continues to battle when it comes to offence, perhaps he will get a third-line look.

Lavoie, who simply received AHL Participant of the Week, has seven factors (4 objectives) in 5 video games and 27 pictures. If he has 35 factors in, say, 25 video games, he’ll be up with the Oilers. However not now. They need him to spherical out his sport extra, away from the puck, one thing Lavoie has purchased into.

“I didn’t assist Adam a lot final sport. I didn’t play him a lot (three minutes) due to all of the penalties, the 2 (early) five-on-threes took him out of the sport,” mentioned Woodcroft. “Among the forwards on the backside finish of the lineup those who saved alive, had been on the market killing penalties.”

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“So Adam is on waivers. We’re making an attempt to construct momentum in that half (backside six) of the lineup. Let’s face it, it hasn’t lived as much as expectations by means of eight video games,” mentioned Woodcroft.

NO REASON TO WORRY

Connor McDavid didn’t skate Tuesday, however, chill out. He bought by means of the Heritage Traditional sport simply nice after lacking two video games with both a hip/indirect muscle subject. “Connor had dental surgical procedure. It was a beforehand scheduled process. He’ll be on the ice tomorrow (Tuesday),” mentioned Woodcroft, laughing off the suggestion he had some tooth points from consuming some Hallowe’en sweet.

Evander Kane (six hits, six pictures, a objective and an help) within the 5-2 win over Calgary was additionally absent Tuesday from observe. “Simply managing bumps and bruises,” mentioned Woodcroft, who didn’t have third ahead Mattias Janmark there both.

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Janmark (doable shoulder drawback) didn’t play outdoor Sunday after practising Saturday on the sheet. He had a sling on final Friday at a crew operate after being harm towards the New York Rangers final Thursday. Docs thought it finest if he sit out the Calgary sport. Possibly he’ll give it a go Thursday when Dallas is on the town. He could also be going for assessments to see the place the ailment sits.

“I don’t see it as week-to-week or month to month. We simply held him off at the moment,” mentioned Woodcroft.

This ‘n that: Oiler GM Ken Holland has now been concerned in 5 outside video games, and has old-style crew jackets filling up his closet. He hasn’t misplaced in regulation, going 3-02 with Sunday’s resounding win over Calgary at Commonwealth Stadium. When he was the Detroit normal supervisor, the Wings had a shootout loss to Toronto, earlier than 100,000 plus at U of Michigan, and an OT loss to the Leafs at BMO Subject in Toronto. There have been wins over the Blackhawks at Wrigley Subject and the Avalanche at Coors Subject in Denver…Within the wake of the surprising demise of former NHL ahead Adam Johnson’s demise from a skate minimize to his neck whereas enjoying in England final weekend, the NHL doesn’t mandate neck guards for his or her gamers. However, in line with Philip Broberg, the SHL again house does. Gamers are given a warning in the event that they don’t put on a neck guard and there generally is a penalty known as after that. The Quebec and Ontario Junior Leagues mandate gamers put on neck safety, however not the Western Hockey League proper now…Don’t depend on Oiler defenceman Vinny Desharnais making a behavior of objectives after he bought his first within the NHL, in his forty second regular-season sport, vs. Calgary. He kidded Tuesday that he had scored each of his Windfall Faculty crew objectives in two weekend losses as soon as whereas at school and the coach identified later how poorly the crew had performed if it was the shutdown defenceman as their their solely goal-scorer. Hearty chortle from Desharnais at that reminiscence…The Bakersfield crew is hurting. Tyler Tullio hasn’t performed a sport but and Drake Caggiula only one.

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