Ekholm’s robust defensive presence noticeable in debut as Oilers take down Maple Leafs

EDMONTON — Mattias Ekholm has seen the circus earlier than.

However he’s by no means been allowed to get pleasure from it like he did on Wednesday, because the Edmonton Oilers‘ latest addition watched Connor McDavid notch his fifth consecutive two-goal sport in a 5-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

What was he considering whereas McDavid was doing his factor? A factor that hasn’t been achieved since Alex Mogilny some 30 years in the past?

“It’s sort of good to see that he doesn’t simply do it to you,” the massive Swede stated with a smile. “Simply to see him do it in particular person, it’s fairly cool. I imply, it’s like no one else.”

With Ekholm consuming up virtually 21 minutes on the blue-line, Edmonton’s D-corps seemed not like something we’ve seen on this constructing this season. They have been a peaceful, stout and defensively sound unit, by no means doubtful of dropping some extent in a sport they dominated for many of 60 minutes — and all of the minutes that mattered.

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“He confirmed precisely what he’s going to convey to this group tonight,” McDavid stated of Ekholm. “Simply secure. A extremely, actually good, stable defender again there.”

If it was Edmonton’s defensive posture that Ekholm was introduced in to assist straighten out, then for one night time not less than, the Oilers stood up tall towards one of many NHL’s finest offensive golf equipment. Toronto had simply 22 pictures and one objective at five-on-five, as Edmonton led 5-1 after two and gave up solely a powerplay objective within the third.

“Our group has been hitting its stride post-Christmas,” stated head coach Jay Woodcroft. “We needed to make some onerous choices that drive tradition, and we’ve seen some robust outcomes. We’ve misplaced three of the final 20 in regulation.”

Since Christmas the Oilers have gone 15-6-6, finest within the Western Convention. Most significantly, in these 27 video games they’ve allowed two targets or much less 13 occasions.

“They defended onerous, performed us onerous,” stated Toronto’s John Tavares, the precise quote Woodcroft would wish to learn popping out of the opposition’s locker room. “We weren’t on the degree that we wanted to be.”

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The group with the NHL’s strongest offence, Edmonton goes to win 80 per cent of video games by which they permit two or much less.

Which is the place Ekholm is available in.

“I take numerous delight within the defensive facet of the sport. I feel that’s the place I’m at my finest,” he stated. “So understanding that if I do my job to 100 per cent, there’s a excessive chance that the end result of the sport goes to be actually good.”

The 32-year-old received to city at 1:30 p.m., and logged 20:50 of ice time — simply 30 seconds on the powerplay. Enjoying largely with Evan Bouchard — the pair was plus-2 — Ekholm’s presence merely eases the function of each different defenceman, making the group of seven look higher as a complete and individually.

“When the batting order is ready a sure manner,” defined Woodcroft, “everyone appears good. I believed we received good minutes from everyone who performed tonight — on the again finish and up entrance. However it was good so as to add somebody of Ekholm’s high quality to the lineup.”

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In entrance of a full home break up equally amongst Oilers and Leafs followers, Edmonton truly deposited seven pucks previous Leafs goalie Ilya Samsonov. One was known as again on a minor penalty, and one other on an early whistle — and clear referee’s error — that value Warren Foegele his twelfth of the season.

And it was Samsonov, not Stuart Skinner, who was tasked with stopping three others that had followers with their arms within the air, anticipating the crimson gentle to go on. Skinner was pretty much as good as he needed to be, and you may’t sneeze at permitting solely two to a group with the weapons that Toronto has.

However this sport was Edmonton’s from the anthems to the post-game beers — a 5-2 sport that simply may have been seven or eight to 2.

After all, McDavid drove the bus. It’s not usually he gained’t come up giant on the massive stage — a nationally televised sport towards the mighty Maple Leafs. And on this night time he merely logged targets 51 and 52 on the season, then added an help for level quantity 118 in sport No. 62.

One other two-goal night time — his fifth in a row. Ho hum.

“Generally it simply goes in,” he shrugged. “I felt like I used to be enjoying good hockey earlier than and it simply wasn’t moving into for me. You sort of get a bounce and it appears to go in for you. It’s a humorous sport that manner.”

In the meantime, this marked the a centesimal sport behind the bench for Woodcroft. His report after the century milestone: 59-30-11, for a .645 factors share that’s fifth finest in NHL over that span of time.

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Tags: debut, defensive, Ekholms, Leafs, Maple, noticeable, Oilers, presence, Sports News, strong

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