McDavid absence ‘opportunity’ for other Oilers to contribute more offensively

Nahreman Issa has the story of how some Oilers fans are staying home from Tuesday's game in protest of Connor McDavid's recent suspension.

Tuesday night marks Game 1 of Connor McDavid’s suspension for cross-checking an opponent in the face in the previous Edmonton Oilers game.

The National Hockey League gave McDavid, its face and best player, a three-game punishment on Monday for striking Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland in the chops in retaliation for being held down on the ice in the dying seconds of Saturday’s game with the Oilers trying to even the score.

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Canucks defenceman Tyler Myers, who cross-checked Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard during the stoppage in play following the McDavid incident, was also suspended three games. The six-foot-eight rearguard has been suspended twice and fined twice previously in his NHL career.

Thoughts after the Oilers' morning skate as they prepare to play the visiting Washington Capitals (31-10-5) at 7 p.m.?

Oilers star Leon Draisaitl: “I think three games is a little too much for either side, but I guess (the NHL doesn’t) overly care about having our best players in the league in the game.”

Oilers top-pairing defenceman Mattias Ekholm: “I think it’s way too high ... It’s just mind blowing to me how they can come to three games, but that’s the decision they made.”

Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin: “I don’t think he meant to do that, but it sucks for him. Good for us. He’s not playing tonight, so we’ll take it.”

The Oilers released a statement late Tuesday afternoon to say the organization “is disappointed” in the suspension and that they “share in our fans' frustration” over the ruling.

What McDavid’s three-game ban means for the Oilers (29-14-3) is the rest of the team has to fill the void left by his absence on Tuesday night against the NHL-best Capitals, Thursday in a rematch with the Canucks and Saturday vs. the Buffalo Sabres, all home games.

Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said while Draisaitl will be leaned on to pick up some of the slack – for instance, “more opportunities to get the offensive zone face off” – it’s an opportunity for everyone to contribute more offensively as the five-time NHL scoring champ McDavid sits out.

“For a player, no matter if you’re the first-line centreman or the fourth-line right winger, flow to your game and knowing when you’re going to be on the ice, those kind of details are important,” Knoblauch told media Tuesday morning.

“It makes you feel better. You know when you’re going to get out there, you know what’s expected of you, and ultimately, you can just go and play your game. That has a little bit to do with it, but also the concentration, the knowing that we’re missing a big piece.”

Draisaitl said situations in which players are asked to take on more responsibility “create a lot of excitement, too.”

“(Coaches are) going to rely on other guys a little bit more than usual, and I think that creates certain excitement for those individuals,” Draisaitl said. “Obviously, Connor takes on a lot of the offence for us (and in) his all-around game.”

One of those players who will see more ice time tonight is Jeff Skinner, who had been a healthy scratch in several recent Oilers games.

The winger the Oilers signed to a one-year, $3-million deal as an unrestricted free agent in the summer will draw into the lineup Tuesday, projected to play alongside regular McDavid linemates Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman.

“Jeff definitely will get some opportunities to play more minutes than he has and move up in the lineup a little bit,” Knoblauch said.

The 32-year-old Skinner, who has scored 364 career goals in 1,047 games, has scored seven goals and eights assists in 41 games played for the Oilers this season, mostly on third- or fourth-line duty.

Ovie brings all-time goals chase to home of Gretzky

Ovechkin, who at 39 has scored 21 goals in 30 games played this season, has been narrowing the gap between his career NHL goal-scoring mark and the league record held by Oilers legend Wayne Gretzky.

The Capitals star, in 1,456 games over a 20-year career, has scored 874 goals, just 20 behind The Great One.

Ovechkin was humble telling media Tuesday “it’s hard to say” how he feels that he’s within tangible reach of the goals mark set by Gretzky, who set the standard in 1,487 games played over 20 seasons with the Oilers, the Los Angeles Kings, the St. Louis Blues and the New York Rangers, retiring in 1999.

“It’s hard to score in this league,” Ovechkin said. “You play against the best defensive players out there. Maybe in one game, you might have two or three chances, and you have to use it, maybe one chance.”

Projected Oilers lineup

Forward

Jeff Skinner • Ryan Nugent-Hopkins • Zach Hyman

Vasily Podkolzin • Leon Draisaitl • Viktor Arvidsson

Mattias Janmark • Adam Henrique • Connor Brown

Corey Perry • Noah Philp • Kasperi Kapanen

Defence

Mattias Ekholm • Evan Bouchard

Darnell Nurse • Troy Stecher

Brett Kulak • Ty Emberson

Goal

Stuart Skinner • Calvin Pickard