From the morning skate in Edmonton...
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Edmonton, Canada -- It’s hockey day in Edmonton, so the local media were out in full force for the Oilers’ game-day skate. No exaggeration: there had to be at least 20 reporters, three camera crews and several radio stations represented. You know you’re in hockey country when you see that kind of crowd for a regular-season game, even though this one is vital to both the Oilers’ and Ducks’ playoff hopes.
A few minutes of listening to Oilers’ Coach Craig MacTavish explains the large turnout. The man is a quote machine.
Asked if tonight’s game is a must-win game, he agreed that it is. ‘Game 77 of the must-win variety,’ he said. ‘This one might be a little bit more.’
Asked if he’s still unsure at this late date what kind of effort he will get from his team on a given night, he went into a soliloquy about exploring potential and added, ‘You get into that cycle, that vortex of death. You lose a game and it’s tough to get out of bed the next morning. You drag yourself to the rink and talk to people and start to feel better about things. When you wake up on a game day the potential is limitless. You skip to your car.
‘You’ve just got to avoid the loss to keep that optimistic, positive frame of mind.’
And to have reason to skip to your car. Which was possible today, with temperatures around the freezing mark and no ice to make skipping a dangerous pursuit.
MacTavish also compared the Ducks’ line of Bobby Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry to the Philadelphia Flyers’ ‘Legion of Doom’ trio of Eric Lindros, John LeClair and Mikael Renberg for their size, skill and ability to dominate. Ryan, who grew up near Philadelphia, laughed at the notion. But at least he knew who they were.
‘I remember them very well. I remember following them for years,’ he said. ‘It’s a nice comparison but I think we’re a few years away from that.’
Getzlaf said he had never heard of the Flyer trio until asked by reporters Tuesday. ‘I’m not a hockey fan, no,’ Getzlaf said. ‘I play hockey.’
The Ducks also announced Tuesday that they have signed undrafted center MacGregor Sharp to a two-year entry-level contract. The 6-1, 185-pound center played for the University of Minnesota-Duluth this season and was tied for fourth in the nation in scoring with 25 goals and 50 points in 43 games. He’s scheduled to report to Iowa of the American Hockey League.
More tonight from Rexall Place at www.latimes.com/sports.
-- Helene Elliott