The law of the jungle still dominates the NHL, as witnessed by the Edmonton Oilers 1-0 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Monday Night.
At 11:29 of the third period, Edmonton star Connor McDavid rushed into the L.A. end, then spun back with the puck along the boards to evade d-man Vladislav Gavrikov. Two Kings converged on him, Gavrikov and star L.A. forward Adrian Kempe, as McDavid put the puck over to a teammate. A moment later, Kempe elbowed McDavid into the boards, then kicked out McDavid’s feet under him, sending McDavid crashing to the ice on his back.
No penalty was called. So far there’s not been a word out of NHL Player Safety.
The lesson?
The NHL can’t be counted on to enforce the rule book in tight games, let alone stand up for its star players, even golden goose, meal ticket Connor McDavid, one of the few players with massive name recognition in the United States. McDavid makes everyone in the NHL richer, but the league doesn’t even enforce its most basic rules to protect him.
With the law of the jungle continuing to prevail, the Oilers are evidently going to have to up their own game in the hammer, hit, punch and maim department if they hope to beat out big, tough and heavy-fouling teams like the Los Angeles Kings in the playoffs.
Los Angeles iced five position players over 220 pounds on Monday night, Gavrikov, Tanner Jeannot, Anze Kopitar, Quinton Byfield and Joel Edmundson. Edmonton iced just two, Mattias Ekholm and seventh d-man Josh Brown, who played just six minutes and is unlikely to be on the ice in the playoffs.
The Kings rank 15th in the NHL for hits per game at 21.5, with the Oilers last at 13.1. Division rivals Vancouver are second at 28.0 per game.
The law of the jungle in the NHL is simple, the notion being that if the league does not properly punish violent players like Kempe, then crime pays. It pays to slew foot McDavid if there’s no suspension attached.
In the playoffs, if you can knock out star players without facing serious consequences, you’re more likely to win.
Edmonton doesn’t need to become the 1974 Philadelphia Flyers, but if that’s the way the game is going to unfold, the Oilers can’t pretend otherwise.
In this arms race, Edmonton’s need some thicker, stronger, brawnier arms. Of course, near 220-pounder Evander Kane is expected to return at some point this season for the Oilers. He’s one of the most feared players in the entire NHL. He’s exactly what the Oiles need. He’s not one for the slew foot a la Kempe, but his ability to land a ferocious hit is up there with the best. Almost singlehandedly he changes the equation between the two teams.
Who else might the Oilers acquire to beef up the fourth line? Edmonton needs a player who can both aggressively hit but also take a make a pass.
A few names that might work are Buffalo’s Beck Malenstyn or Jordan Greenway, who is injured right now, CBJ’s Mathieu Olivier, Philadelphia’s Garnet Hathaway, Chicago’s Patrick Maroon and Nick Foligno, though Hathaway has two more years at $2.5 million and Foligno has one more year at $4.5 million. Perhaps there are other AHL-level players who might also help the Oilers in this regard.
Edmonton also might bite on a smaller player who plays with aggression, such as Seattle’s Brandon Tanev or Anaheim’s Brock McGinn or Philadelphia’s Scott Laughton.
At the Cult of Hockey
STAPLES: Player grades in win over L.A. Kings
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