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Oilers vs Team Eviction - Coyotes Come To A Merciful End |
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Tonight the Edmonton Oilers play against the soon to be Utah Somethings. After years and years of "will they won't they," it looks like the Phoenix, Arizona, Scottsdale, Somebody Please Find Us A Real Arena To Play In Coyotes will be moving out of the desert.
I feel for the dozens of fans in Arizona who are going to be upset by this news. I'm also sad for the players on the team who I'm sure were all shocked to find out that their team that wasn't paying their hotel bills and was renting out space in a college arena in order to play games, wasn't profitable and is moving to a new market. This news must have been a massive revelation for them with absolutely no way to have known something like this was going to happen.
At the end of the day, the NHL and Gary Bettman should be absolutely ashamed at the disgrace that has been the Arizona Coyotes. It hasn't worked for well over 10 years and there have been numerous times over this period to pull the plug. The final straw should have been the Tempe referendum where the people's voice very clearly stated that they did not want a new arena. Instead, we all had to wait nearly another year and sit through this ridiculous charade.
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Now onto actual hockey, something that the Coyotes franchise clearly knows very little about.
It looks like Connor McDavid will sit another game out. Speaking to the media today, it seems that the captain tweaked a lingering injury against Calgary and would sit out but also stated if the playoffs had begun he would be playing. Rest up #97.
Dylan Holloway will have at least another game to audition for coach Knoblauch and try and reinforce why he deserves to be in the lineup. Holloway will line up once again with McLeod and Corey Perry.
Watch the Oilers PK tonight. If Janmark isn't getting regular shifts on the penalty kill that could be a very telling sign that Knoblauch is considering benching the fourth liner in exchange for more speed and skill in the lineup.
Pickard gets the start tonight which should surprise no one as Skinner will then get the Canucks on Saturday. Next week does Pickard get the Coyotes or the Avalanche?
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VEGAS
I'll end cap this blog off with the news that Mark Stone is back practicing with the Vegas Golden Knights after missing months due to a lacerated spleen. I do not dispute that a lacerated spleen is a serious injury, nor do I believe that Stone faked his injury. That all being said, it remains a remarkable coincidence that for the second straight season, Mark Stone will likely be back within the first game or two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
I hope this most recent example forces pressure from around the league to close this ridiculous loophole. The idea that a player is too injured to play in Game 82 but can play in Game 1 of the playoffs is just plain dumb.
Make a player ineligible for X number of games of the playoffs if he is on LTIR. Have the cap count in the playoffs. Find something because too many teams have danced around this rules over the past few seasons and it's hurting the integrity of the game. I don't blame the Golden Knights for doing this, I blame the NHL for allowing them to do so.
Thanks for reading!
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • 
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