NEW YORK Yanni Gourde, a forward for the Seattle Kraken, has been suspended by the NHL for two games for pushing Mattias Ekholm, a defenseman for the Oilers, during Thursday’s game in Edmonton.
The incident happened in the third period at 16:23. Gourde’s charging during the play resulted in a significant penalty.
Edmonton secured its 12th consecutive victory, winning the match 4-2.
According to the terms of the collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association, Gourde will forfeit US$53,819.44 in salary.
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Calgary Flames hope to end rival Edmonton Oilers’ record winning streak
If the Edmonton Oilers’ record winning streak is broken by the Calgary Flames, Saturday night will be much better than okay.
As we enter this most recent round of the NHL’s Battle of Alberta, Connor McDavid and company have won 12 in a row. In the history of the Oilers franchise, that is the longest such run.
Certainly, their southern rivals would be delighted to put a stop to that.
“Any game against the Oilers is an exciting one,” Flames winger Blake Coleman said after Thursday’s 4-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. “I anticipate that the attendance will resemble that of tonight. There is no place you would rather be on a Saturday night.”
They have moved up into a postseason spot in the Western Conference as a result of their recent hot streak. In fact, they jumped ahead of the Los Angeles Kings and into third place in the Pacific Division with their dramatic victory against the Seattle Kraken on Thursday.
Since taking the field outdoors in late October as two of the circuit’s slowest starters, a lot has changed between these provincial rivals, who most recently teamed up for the Commonwealth Stadium Heritage Classic. These bitter rival teams had combined for three wins when the puck dropped that day in Edmonton, and the hosts eventually prevailed 5-2.
Kris Knoblauch is the new face behind the bench for the Oilers. Knoblauch coached Connor McDavid during his junior year, so his observations of No. 97, who has averaged 1.75 points per game since his arrival, won’t come as a huge surprise.
In contrast, the Flames are more confident now than they were during their last meeting with the Oilers. With their move to a zone-style defensive scheme, they feel more at ease, and lately, there has been a lot of discussion about them trying to figure out who they are.
