OILERS SNAPSHOTS: Tippett sees flashbacks of Gretzky in McDavid’s game
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‘I was one of those guys who chased Gretzky around and I tried to keep him off the board. You didn’t want Wayne embarrassing you. You’re playing for your life’
Author of the article:
Jim Matheson • Edmonton Journal 
The Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid (97) celebrates his 100th point in 53 games with teammate Leon Draisaitl (29) against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Saturday, May 8, 2021. Photo by David Bloom /Postmedia Article content
Dave Tippett was 20 and on the hockey team at the University of North Dakota on Dec. 30, 1981, when Wayne Gretzky scored five goals and hit 50 in just 39 games against Philadelphia, so there was no, “I was there when” moment for the Edmonton Oilers coach.
But after watching his captain, Connor McDavid reach 100 points in a Hockey Night in Canada game Saturday,Tippett knows how the stars come out at night and go about their business when the light is shining brightest on them. When he became an NHL centre, Tippett admits he was scared silly of Gretzky, just as today’s NHLers have little chance against McDavid, who got to 100 points in 53 games when Leon Draisaitl got his second of the night (500th and 501st career points).
Sadly nobody was there in the rink to see McDavid’s staggering feat, unlike that Gretzky night 40 years ago when he had five goals on the Flyers. “We really miss the fans They would have been going nuts tonight,” said McDavid.
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Gretzky came in on a heater with 10 goals in the preceding four games–three against Minnesota, two against Calgary, one against Vancouver and four against Los Angeles. Just as McDavid did with 16 points in his last five games. “We were talking after the game, the coaches, about Connor and what he had just one, and we said “you’ve got to remember this is the NHL, the best league in the world,” said Tippett. Indeed, McDavid is 21 points clear of Draisaitl, 33 of Mitch Marner and 35 of Auston Matthews right now, all phenomental players.
“Speaks to the magnitude of the year Connor’s having,” said Tippett.
There was a delirious full-house at Northlands Coliseum on that December night in 1981 with Pete Peeters stoning Gretzky three times in the last 10 minutes before Flyer coach Pat Quinn pulled him for an extra skater as Peeters argued that he wanted to be in net if Gretzky scored. The only cheering came from the Oiler bench when McDavid found Draisaitl for his 100th point.
“Probably fitting that it was Leon who helped him do it, on a one-timer that goalies have an awful lot of trouble stopping,” said Tippett.
Tippett was a very good defensive centre in his day.
“I was one of those guys who chased Gretzky around and I tried to keep him off the board. You didn’t want Wayne embarrassing you. You’re playing for your life, you know it’s an awfully hard job,” said Tippett, who would have been gasping and grasping at straws trying to handle McDavid too.
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“The game is a lot faster now than when I used to try and check Gretzky. Seemed kind of slow (in his day) as I look at it now. Connor’s skating and hand speed is phenomenal. No one guy can check a player like Connor,” said Tippett.
Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, McDavid. The sky’s the limit with them.
“The elite, elite players have a knack for impacting the game. I also played with Mario in Pittsburgh and there were games where he would just be dominant. The other team would be doing everything they could to stop him, but couldn’t. Certain players have that element. Connor’s in that group.” said Tippett.
NURSE GOT HIS DANDER UP
Darnell Nurse didn’t like Zack MacEwen’s knee to his head as he was on all fours by the Vancouver bench after being high-sticked on the chin Thursday, but didn’t cast any stones after MacEwen got a one-game suspension and missed Saturday’s tilt.
“I’m not going to sit up here on my high horse and say I’ve never done anything dirty. These things happen in the heat of the battle,” said Nurse, who cross-checked MacEwen in the back, later in front of the net, and they fought.
With the playoffs 10 days away, nobody’s advocating Nurse fight in case he breaks a hand, as Montreal’s Ben Chiarot did against the Canucks’ J.T. Miller on March 15. But stuff happens.
“It’s been awhile since my emotions got that high. You don’t think about it in the moment,” said Nurse.
EYES ON THE BALL
Oilers goalie Mike Smith, 39, isn’t a big numbers guy, except for wins and losses, so when told only five other netminders aged 38 and older had save percentages over .920 with at least 25 games played in a season over the last 65 years, he shrugged.
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Even if the list, as compiled by The Athletic’s Jonathan Willis, includes Jacques Plante, Gump Worsley, Johnny Bower, Dominik Hasek and Roberto Luongo — the first four in the Hall of Fame, and Luongo a lock when eligible.
Smith doesn’t care about save percentage, but he must be smiling that his name is in the Vezina trophy race. With him, it’s wins that matter most, as Hall-of-Famer Grant Fuhr used to say during the glory 1980s. If he gave up four goals and the Oilers scored five, that was great with Fuhr.
“To be honest, I don’t look at stats. I want to win and be a good leader on and off the ice. I couldn’t agree more with what Grant said. I’ve played as long as I have to chase the (Stanley Cup dream),” said Smith.
With Anaheim’s Ryan Miller now 41 and playing his final game this weekend, will Smith be around that long?
“Ryan’s had an incredible career and to be playing into your late 30s and 40s, that’s obviously a unique statement,” said Smith. “I’m just enjoying the ride right now. To be playing at my age, I’m still as hungry as I was when I was younger. I still have the drive to want to compete.”
VACCINATION UPDATE
While many players on U.S.-based teams have been vaccinated, it’s a far different story in Canada. The Oilers aren’t jumping the line and, say, bringing in a nurse to vaccinate the players, en masse, with the playoffs looming. They’re following Alberta Health Services guidelines. Their medical personnel have been vaccinated but it’s not a team-wide thing.
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Tippett has had the needle, but he’s 59. Presumably general manager Ken Holland, who is 65 has, as well.
“Yup, I’ve had my first shot,” said Tippett.
POINTS ARE THE POINT
Gretzky scoffs at the idea that McDavid has so many points because he’s playing teams nine and 10 times that aren’t that good in the North Division. Same story for Toronto’s Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. But they’re 30 points behind McDavid.
“Because of salary-cap issues, there’s so much more parity in the league. Don’t be surprised if the team coming out of the Canadian division gets to the Stanley Cup final. The teams in Canada are much better than people are giving them credit for,” said Gretzky. “Look at the division Vegas is in. They could play St. Louis in the first-round and they’re no pushover. They won the Stanley Cup two years ago.”
According to media reports, ESPN has sounded out No. 99 on whether he would be interested in being a commentator on their new hockey package next season. The vice-president of the Oilers Entertainment Group may be intrigued, but would Gretzky, who lives in California, want a regular TV gig?
This ‘n’ that: Oiler defenceman Adam Larsson played his 600th NHL game. “That’s a hard, hard 600 games. I don’t think I’ve ever played with a guy who played that hard consistently,” said Draisaitl…Canucks’ Tyler Graovac only has 11 career goals but five have come against the Oilers…Lost in McDavid’s heroics has been an outstanding season by Draisaitl. With three games left he could wind up with 85 points over 56 games and nobody has noticed… Dmitry Kulikov (lower-body) missed his first Oilers game since the April 12 trade with New Jersey, but it’s only day-to-day … Oilers centre Gaetan Haas sat out his fourth in a row but should be ready for the playoffs. “He took a shot off his foot (May 1 against Calgary) but he’s skating and it’s improving,” said Tippett.
E-mail: jmatheson@postmedia.com
On Twitter: @jimmathesonnhl
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