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Apr 13, 2024, 10:59 AM ET
After clinching home ice for at least their first-round series in the playoffs, the Edmonton Oilers turn their sights on trying to finish in first place in the Pacific Division when they host the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night.
Edmonton (48-24-6, 102 points) trails Vancouver (48-22-9, 105 points) by three points entering the showdown but still has one game in hand on the Canucks. And the Oilers also might have reigning Hart Trophy recipient Connor McDavid back in the lineup.
McDavid has missed the past two games with a lower-body injury sustained when he landed on his right leg near the end of a 4-2 win at Calgary last Saturday. He skated with Edmonton before its loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Friday, and there’s the possibility that he could be back for the key four-point swing game with Vancouver.
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“We’ve been taking it a day at a time, making decisions day to day, and we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” McDavid said. “I’m extremely confident it will turn the corner quick. I’ll be ready to go.”
McDavid ranks third in the NHL in points (130) and needs one assist to become the fourth player in league history to register 100 assists in a season.
“I just want to feel good, I want to feel at my best, and that’s not the case tonight,” McDavid told reporters before his team’s contest versus the Coyotes. “I never want to miss games. I really don’t. It’s frustrating, but at the end of the day we’re after bigger things here and everyone being healthy is priority No. 1.”
Vancouver also could have a key player back for the game. Starting goalie Thatcher Demko, who left a 5-0 victory over Winnipeg on March 9 in the second period with a knee injury, could make his return on Saturday. Demko is 34-13-2 with 2.47 goals-against average and five shutouts.
Demko said the original timeline for his return was Tuesday’s game against Calgary. Vancouver coach Rick Tocchet wouldn’t rule him out when asked by reporters after practice…
Source link : https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/39933616/connor-mcdavid-return-oilers-saturday-vs-canucks
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Publish date : 2024-04-13 16:01:03
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