2023-24 Game 68: Oilers at Maple Leafs

If life was fair and just, Zach Hyman would be the main topic of discussion on HNIC this evening. Hyman was an impact player in Toronto, the team slow-played, low-balled and acted indifferent about their winger, and the Oilers scooped him up for just money. He has 48 goals, he’s a hammer and a unique talent. Tonight is the perfect backdrop to discuss little old Edmonton, frozen winters, rows of refineries, working men and women plus gigantic trucks that only back in to parking stalls (apparently) stole a helluva talent while the Toronto Maple Suits bet on “coming home” being worth millions. Ken Holland won a high stakes game. DNB wrote about Hyman here this morning.

That’s a helluva story, you know. I’ve been watching Canadian drama television since John Vernon (from Zehner, SK) starred in Wojeck, and I think a television series about the Maple Leafs general manager trying to build a contender would be fantastic. Kind of like the movie Draft Day. You’d have to tone down Harold Ballard, though, no one would believe a character like that could exist in real life.

THE ATHLETIC!

• New DNB: Why Oilers’ Zach Hyman might be the NHL’s most unlikely 50-goal scorer ever
• Lowetide: The Oilers face a looming cap crunch. How bad will it be this summer?
• Lowetide: If Oilers’ Philip Broberg is next man up, he needs NHL games soon
• DNB: How Adam Henrique is slowly becoming a key player for the Edmonton Oilers
• Lowetide: Where can the Edmonton Oilers improve their draft strategy in 2024?
• Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers top 20 prospects ranking, winter 2023

WHAT TO EXPECT IN MARCH

• On the road to: SEA (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 1-0-0)
• At home to: PIT (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 1-0-0)
• On the road to: BOS, CBJ, BUF, PIT (Expected 2-1-1) (Actual 2-1-1)
• At home to: WAS, COL, MON, BUF (Expected 2-1-1) (Actual 3-0-1)
• On the road to: TOR, OTT, WPG (Expected 1-2-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
• At home to: LAK, ANA (Expected 1-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
• Overall expected result: 8-5-2, 18 points in 15 games
• Actual March results: 7-1-2, 16 points in 10 games
• Oilers in 2023-24: 42-21-4, 88 points in 67 games

The Oilers are +52 in goal share according to NHL.com, only Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers and Colorado Avalanche have done better. Hockey-reference has them at +51. You have to go all the way back to, well, let’s see, last year to beat that number. The 2022-23 Oilers were +69 according to hockey-reference. This is a Stanley level hockey club. That’s a fact.

LATH AND PLASTER

In the 1960’s, houses could be cold even when the furnace or fireplace worked. Insulation was a thing, not as efficient (or safe) as the world we live in today. My Grandpa built his house, the interior walls were lath and plaster. By the time I got around to landing on earth, the house was 20+ years old and there were parts of the house you could see the lath in places. Always fascinated me, dust and lath for all the world to see. Stayed that way as long as lived there. This was 1965-69 in the lower mainland in BC, past Haney a few miles. Whonnock. Thornhill. Maple Ridge. Plaster falling, lath doing the full monty.

My next memory of things falling off houses came in about 1971. We lived 17 miles north of Maidstone. I was doing my homework in front of the fireplace in the living room. We lived in a giant school house, the ceilings must have been 16 feet high I swear to God. Anyway, I took a break, laying on my back, looking toward the ceiling. Something fell, my Dad blamed plaster (lath was nowhere to be seen) and holy hell did it hurt and it was a long time before we got everything out of my eye. The moral of the story: Don’t live in the 1960’s, kids!

Both memories are surrounded by hockey. In the 1960’s at Granpda’s lath shack, I was surrounded by people when HNIC’s broadcast began. As the game wore on, the men would play some cards at the table, come over to watch if things got tense, and Grandma and I would have the best spots on the sofa. It was an old sofa, with lots of places for a kid to fall five feet into the cushions. Perfect. Grandma had this quilt we’d share, that’s probably the warmest I’ve ever been. It’s one of my favourite memories.

In Maidstone, watching HNIC became more of a solo project. Dad remained angry at the Maple Leafs for trading Frank Mahovlich, and my brother had discovered girls and would soon buy a car. It was lonely during winters there, hockey kept me company.

Sometimes, we would be at Grandma’s house (three miles south of Maidstone) and it would be good times again. She was my hockey soulmate, truth to tell. I can only imagine what kind of comments she would leave on this blog on a day like today. Grandma was a Leafs fan. She loved Grandpa, but was possibly more attached to Johnny Bower. I miss all of the people from my youth. I look for connections to them. There’s one at 5 pm Edmonton time, live from Toronto on HNIC.

TONIGHT’S GAME

I don’t have much to say about the actual game, it’s going to be wild and filled with skill and mistakes. Best goalie wins, probably. I hope to see these two teams in the SCF. Sure Canada probably doesn’t survive, but what a way to go! Here are the five-on-five pts-60 since the trade deadline:

1. Connor McDavid 5.54
2. Mattias Ekholm 4.49
3. Connor Brown 3.22
4. Sam Carrick 2.81
5. Zach Hyman 2.67
6. Leon Draisaitl 2.56
7. Warren Foegele 2.32
8. Ryan McLeod 2.32
9. Evan Bouchard 2.13
10. Darnell Nurse 1.78
11. Adam Henrique 1.62
12. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 1.62
13. Troy Stecher 1.42
14. Mattias Janmark 1.19
15. Corey Perry 0.94
16. Evander Kane 0.73
17. Brett Kulak .63
18. Cody Ceci .61

I’ll be interested to see if Vincent Desharnais returns, and if the clubs rests a veteran. I don’t ask for much from the hockey Gods, but would love to see Hyman get No. 50 in Toronto. Music!