“We welcome him”: Kane says Oilers not worried about Milan Lucic
Evander Kane doesn’t foresee Milan Lucic being much of a problem for him.
Or a factor at all, it sounds like.
The Edmonton Oilers forward, prompted with a question about his on-ice battle with Lucic late in the first period of a topsy-turvy, one-of-a-kind reintroduction to the playoff edition of the Battle of Alberta, nonchalantly shrugged off the Calgary Flames forward.
“I don’t know if there was much of a battle there,” started Kane.
“We welcome him to be on the ice whenever he is.”
The altercation, or lack thereof according to Kane, came after Lucic delivered a crushing hit to Oilers superstar Connor McDavid. Kane, didn’t take too kindly to that interaction. Kane came in from behind, ripping the helmet off Lucic.
Lucic quickly dropped his gloves, but linesmen stepped in before either could continue further and, eventually, Edmonton came out of the exchange with a power play.
The hit was one of five McDavid endured in the game, as recorded by the NHL’s off-ice officials. That doesn’t count the numerous face-washes and other activities of a roughhousing nature endured by the Edmonton captain, who, in fairness, returned the favour in delivering a game-high five hits.
Still, a little problematic to have McDavid, who paces the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) through eight games, including seven multi-point efforts thus far.
Again, another solvable solution, suggested Kane.
“Well, if they’re going to go after our top guys we’re going to go after their top guys,” said Kane, who is second in playoff scoring with seven goals, bluntly. “I think we didn’t do a good enough job of that last game. I think we did a good job of sticking up for one another.
“I think that’s the best way to handle that.”
For all the physicality, or lack-there-of in Game 1, the rematch proves to be equally as interesting as the highest-scoring playoff Battle of Alberta game in NHL history.
If not for the scoring, perhaps for some score-settling.
“If we don’t give up nine goals tonight I really like our chances,” Kane said.
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