NHL Daily: Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Dallas Stars
By Ryan Ritchie
NHL Daily: Edmonton Oilers keep rolling with a 2-0 win over Vancouver, Calgary Flames demolish the Senators despite special teams being absent once again, Dallas Stars on a roller coaster ride early in 2016-17, and more! (Morning Coffee Headlines)
Grab your morning cup of coffee and join us here at Puck Prose for a compilation of NHL daily links that will help keep you updated with everything going on in the hockey world.
Six games were on the schedule on Friday night. Five out of six match-ups were low-scoring affairs with the three late games yielding shutouts. Carolina defeated the Rangers 3-2, Chicago beat New Jersey 3-2, Calgary had a decisive 5-2 victory versus Ottawa, Winnipeg won 1-0 vs. Colorado, Edmonton kept rolling with a 2-0 win on the road against the Canucks, while Columbus grabbed a 4-0 win in Anaheim.
As per usual, we highlight the top performers of the previous night:
Dougie Hamilton, CGY (2 goals 1 assist)
Jeff Skinner, CAR (2 goals 1 assist)
Nick Foligno, CLB (3 assists)
Mats Zuccarello, NYR (2 goals)
Sam Gagner, CLB (2 goals)
Brandon Saad, CLB (2 goals)
Artemi Panarin, CHI (1 goal 1 assist)
Milan Lucic, EDM (1 goal 1 assist)
Victor Rask, CAR (2 assists)
Johnny Gaudreau, CGY (2 assists)
Alex Chiasson, CGY (2 assists)
Alex Wennberg, CLB (2 assists)
Michael Hutchinson, WPG (37 save shutout)
Sergei Bobrovsky, CLB (35 save shutout)
Cam Talbot, EDM (26 save shutout)
NHL Daily: Morning Coffee Headlines
Oilers Keep Rolling
The Edmonton Oilers brought their winning streak up to five after shutting out the Vancouver Canucks 2-0 on Friday night. Milan Lucic had a goal and an assist, while Cam Talbot recorded yet another shutout. [CBC]
Flames Win Without Special Teams
All NHL
Despite walking all over the Ottawa Senators on Friday night with a decisive 5-2 win, Calgary Flames special teams were absolutely non-existent once again. It’s a trend that needs to change quickly if this team wants to contend for a playoff spot. [Flame For Thought]
Emergency Goalie for Ottawa
Ottawa was forced to turn to their emergency goaltender (the NHL requires all team have one present for each game) on Friday after Andrew Hammond sustained a lower-body injury in the first period. The Sens called upon Calgary firefighter and former Leafs 3rd rounder from 2002, Mike Ford. [Fox Sports]
Stars on a Roller Coaster Ride
Josh Clark over at Blackout Dallas describes the Stars recent woes as a bit of a roller coaster ride to start the season. With so many injuries continually mounting, fans and experts alike are searching for answers. [Blackout Dallas]
Decision Day for Rookies
Sportsnet takes a look at some of those rookies that are nearing the nine-game threshold in which teams must make the all crucial decision of whether or not to keep a player and burn a year of his entry-level contract, or send them back to junior. [Sportsnet]
Montreal Getting Secondary Help
Over the first week of the new NHL season, Montreal was piling up wins thanks to Al Montoya and their first line. Since Price’s return, the Habs are getting that necessary secondary scoring up-and-down their entire lineup, a recipe that could ensure long-term success. [A Winning Habit]
Next: Week 3 NHL Power Rankings
NHL Daily Morning Rant
Give the Edmonton Oilers some credit, they look great so far this year. That top line of Milan Lucic, Connor McDavid, and Jordan Eberle is really starting to come together, and Cam Talbot is an absolute beast between the pipes.
I’m sure many people are wondering the same thing, and that’s how long will the hot streak last? Truth be told, if they can stay perfectly healthy, there’s little that can stop this team. This is anything but a perfect world though, and injuries tend to occur. In recent years, the Oilers have struggled immensely when faced with adversity, and more than anything else, it was injuries to key players to blame.
I’m still on the fence about this team. Of course, I expect to see a lot of improvement, but playoffs? I’d like to see this team fight through a bit of adversity before I’m ready to call them a legitimate threat in 2016-17. Prove me wrong Oilers.
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