The Edmonton Oilers Young Guns played a strong game and defeated the Vancouver Canucks 5-2. It was a special night for Ryan Smyth as he announced his retirement the day before and this would be his final game. He took to the ice with his son for the National Anthem both sporting the captain’s C on their jerseys.The Oilers started the scoring at 2:14 of the first period when Will Acton battled for the puck in the right hand corner. Stev Pinizzotto gathered the loose puck and circled behind the net. He spotted Roman Horak breaking down the slot and passed it to him. Horak snapped a shot and scored giving the Oilers a quick 1-0 lead. At 13:17 Taylor Hall was in the Canucks zone and got the puck on the left boards. He made a backhanded pass down the boards to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Hopkins cut laterally on the left circle to the middle and spotted Jeff Petry positioned in the slot on the right side of the goal. Hopkins passed it over and Petry wristed a shot high over the glove of the goalie to make it 2-0.

In the second period at 2:14 Will Acton had the puck behind the Canucks net and passed it back to Philip Larson near the blue line. Larson skated toward the middle and snapped a shot. The puck deflected off a Vancouver player and went to the left. Another Canuck tried to clear the puck but Henderson was there to lift the defenders stick. The puck was intercepted by Acton circling back in the high slot. He fired a shot that the goalie didn’t see clearly and it went in the five hole to give the Oilers a 3-0 lead. A few minutes later the Canucks scored to cut the lead down 3-1. At 9:27 Ryan Smyth drew a high sticking double minor penalty as he was cut in the face. Smyth was tied with Glenn Anderson for the most career power play goals at 126 and looked to surpass that mark. Although coach Eakins kept Smyth on for an extended shift of 5:36, even calling a time out during the power play to give him a rest, it was not to be as Smyth was unable to score on the power play.

But at 16:16 the Oilers did score a power play goal. Taylor Hall passed the puck to Justin Schultz at the middle of the blue line. Schultz moved the puck to the left to Jordan Eberly. Eberly on the left circle snapped a shot high toward the net. Ryan Smyth came so scintillatingly close to tipping the puck in but it bounced off the chest of a Vancouver defender and deflected into the net to give the Oilers a 4-1 lead. Smyth in front of the net was immediately cross checked off his feet and slammed to the ice. Nugent-Hopkins came over to push back but was cross checked from behind by a Canuck then again cross checked from behind by Kesler. Eberly took exception and delivered a forarm shiver to Kesler who fired back. Smyth got back on his feet to join the frey and wrestled with Kesler and pushed him back behind the net protecting the youngsters. Both went off with penalties.

In the third period at 1:35 the top line was buzzing in the Canucks zone. Hall had the puck by the top right hand circle and passed it over to Martin Marincin alone on the left hand side. Marincin fired the puck but the goalie was unable to control it and gave up a big rebound. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins slashed at the puck loose in front of the net. The puck hit the goalies pad and a Vancouver defender attempted to clear the puck. But it bounced off of Nugent-Hopkins skate and deflected into the net. The goal was credited to Nugent-Hopkins on his 21st birthday and gave the Oilers a commanding 5-1 lead. In the final minute the Canucks scored to make it 5-2 and that remained the final score. The third star was Ben Scrivens stopping 40 of 42 shots, the second star was Taylor Hall with 3 assists and the first star was number 94 captain Ryan Smyth.

After the game Ryan Smyth took to center ice to acknowledge the Oilers faithful as they rose to a standing ovation and cheered with a huge roar. Smyth choked back tears as he waved to the fans. The Vancouver Canucks led by captain Henrick Sedin were the first to congratulate Smyth as they met him at center ice and all shook his hand and skated off. Smyth skated around the end boards to thunderous applause unable to hold back his emotions and made his way past the players bench. He was met there with a platoon of injured Oilers in suit and tie, Gagner, Jones, Gazdic, Joensuu, Gordon, Yakupov and Ference as they hugged and congratulated him. He openly wept as he hugged the coaching staff of Acton, Eakins, Buchberger and Smith. He then circled the other end of the ice with continuous applause. He met his team mates at center ice and each gave an embrace, Nugent-Hopkins, Perron, Eberly, Scrivens, Schultz and Hall. But the fans wanted more chanting “Smitty, Smitty!”, so he circled the arena one more time gaining back some composure and lifting both arms to wave and salute the fans. He made his way to the gate and found his family standing there. Emotions welled forth again as he embraced and kissed his family. In tears he gave one last wave to the cheering crowd. Then he turned and stepped off the ice for the last time.

The Edmonton Oilers Young Guns bowed to the Los Angeles Kings as they were blown out 3-0. The Oil put in a listless performance as the Kings started the scoring 27 seconds into the game. Half way through the period the Kings added another marker to make it 2-0. To start the second period David Perron stole the puck, circled the net and passed to Taylor Hall in front of the net and he was robbed of a point blank shot that would have made the game more interesting. About half way through the second period the Kings tallied their third to go up 3-0. The third period was scoreless as the Oilers were once again booed off the ice.

In the meantime, there was much speculation that Ryan Smyth would announce his retirement at the end of this season. While Team Canada sent invitations to a few Oilers for the World Championships. David Perron immediately accepted the offer he was given to join the team. But the Oilers Young Guns line of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberly remained undecided about their invitations.

The Edmonton Oilers Young Guns crumbled to the Colorado Avalanche loosing 4-1. The Avs started the scoring in the first five minutes as they jammed the puck in. Later in the period the Oilers were controlling the puck on a power play. At 16:58 Philip Larson had the puck at the blue line and passed over to Sam Gagner on the left. Gagner moved the puck down to David Perron at the side of the net. Perron passed it in front of the crease looking for an Oiler on the other side. But the puck deflected in the net off the skate of an Avs player as he tried to stop the puck, to tie the game 1-1. But on the following face off, 12 seconds later, a Colorado player sliced through the defence of Edmonton and scored to make it 2-1.

In the second period the teams played even and went scoreless. In the third period the Avs capitalized on a power play to make it 3-1. With four minutes remaining in the game Colorado completed the scoring to end it 4-1.

The Edmonton Oilers Young Guns Knocked feathers off the Anaheim Ducks as they defeated them 4-2. It was the second time in three games within ten days that the Oilers have defeated the second best Western Conference team. Once again the Ducks started the scoring within the first two minutes of the first period on a lucky bounce and ending the period 1-0.

In the second period the Young Guns took flight. At 6:17 the Oilers were on a power play. They played the puck around the boards to the left side, then the puck was played back along the boards back to the right side. Justin Schultz got the puck at the blue line and passed it down to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Hopkins passed it down to Taylor Hall waiting at the right side of the net. Hall shot the puck toward the goal with Ryan Smyth poised on top the crease distracting the goalie. The puck hit the pad of Hiller and went in five hole to give Hall his 27th goal of the season and a 1-1 tie.

At 9:21 on a 4 on 4 Philip Larson played the puck up to Sam Gagner. Gagner took the puck into the left corner of the Ducks zone and made a quick stop. He passed it back to David Perron. Perron moved toward the goal but then cut to the left corner and circled around with the puck. He then stick handled the puck by a defender toward the goal and snapped a shot from the dot of the left hand circle. The puck went between the side and arm of the goalie and bounced in to give Perron his 27th goal of the season and the Oilers a 2-1 lead.

At 16:38 the Oilers broke out of their zone. Taylor Hall made a cross ice pass to Justin Shultz at the blue line. The puck got by him and went to the end boards. Shultz reached the puck on the right side of the net and poked it around the boards and absorbed a check. Hall retrieved the puck and sent it behind the net again to Shultz. Schultz made a short pass to Eberly behind the net and Eberly brought it to the front and shot it, the puck bounced off the pad of Hiller and remained motionless on his left side. Shultz came from behind the net and backhanded the loose puck in to give the Oilers a 3-1 cushion.

The Ducks were on a power play to start the third period and scored in the first minute to make it 3-2. Both teams battled for the rest of the period with Oilers goalie Viktor Fasth holding off his former team. In the final two minutes of the game the Ducks pulled their goalie in a bid to tie the game. At 19:46 the Ducks brought the puck through center. But Taylor Hall broke the play up poking the puck loose. Jordan Eberly retrieved the puck just outside the Ducks blue line on the left hand side. Without looking he spun around and fired the puck. It went in on the short side just past the post of the empty net to give Eberly his 27th goal of the season and the Oilers Young Guns a 4-2 victory.

The Edmonton Oilers Young Guns dusted the Phoenix Coyotes 3-2 in overtime to win their final road game of the season. In the first period there was no scoring until the last minute at 19:15 when Ryan Nugent-Hopkins gathered the puck in his own zone and moved it up the right side to Jordan Eberly at the blue line. Eberly passed it to the far left side to Taylor Hall. Hall brought the puck through the neutral zone and over the Coyotes blue line, he quickly stopped as Eberly and Hopkins went on each side of the net. Justin Schultz trailed the play and Hall passed it to him as he skated over the blue line. Shultz moved in on the right side and snapped a shot which deflected off a Coyotes defender and went up over the goalies glove to give the Oil a 1-0 lead.

In the second period the Coyotes tied up the game on a power play. In the third period about half way through the Coyotes scored again to make it 2-1. In the last two minutes the Oilers pulled their goalie to get an extra attacker. As time was winding down at 19:19 David Perron brought the puck up from his own zone. He passed it over to Sam Gagner on the left hand side. Gagner brought the puck up along the boards through center ice and flipped it in around the boards. The Phoenix goalie stepped out behind his net to stop the puck. The goalie fumbled it as Jordan Eberly quickly snatched the puck and passed it in front. The puck bounced off a Coyote defenders leg and deflected through the crease. Gagner was hovering in front of the net and backhanded the puck into an open net to tie the score at 2-2. The Oilers faithful in Phoenix erupted with cheers.

The game went to overtime with no results so the teams went to a shoot out. Eberly, Perron and Hendricks were all stoned by the Phoenix goalie. But Ben Scrivens was up to the task as he stopped all three Coyotes shooters as well. They went to a fourth round and Scrivens stopped the fourth shooter in a row to give Sam Gagner a shot to win the game. Gagner picked up the puck and weaved toward the goalie. In the high slot he faked a wrist shot, then he brought the puck to the left as the goalie committed to the shot sprawling to the ice. Gagner deftly brought the puck back to the right around the outstretched pad of the goalie and snapped the shot in to give the Oilers a 3-2 shootout win.

In the meantime, Oilers Young Gun Nail Yakupov is not expected to return for the remainder of the season.

The Edmonton Oilers Young Guns had the Anaheim Ducks in their sights but let them fly off with a 3-2 win. Once again the number one line of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberly dominated play with 19 of the teams 32 shots and generated 3 points. In the first period the Oil started off strong out shooting the Ducks 8-1 before the Ducks evened it up by the end of the period with the Oil up 11 shots to 9. Neither team scored to end the period 0-0.

In the second period at 16:04 the Oilers were on a power play. In the Ducks zone David Perron gathered a rebound on the left half boards. He brought the puck back and passed it to Martin Marincin at the blue line. Marincin moved to the middle and passed off to Philip Larsen on the right hand side. Larson moved down to the right circle looking for an open man. As he moved toward the net he snapped a shot that deflected off the toe of a Ducks defender and sliced into the top corner of the net to give the Oilers a 1-0 lead.

In the third period at 2:51 Taylor Hall picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and turned up ice passing the puck off to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Hopkins chipped the puck up to Jordan Eberly who quickly passed it off to Taylor Hall on the left hand side at the blue line. Hall moved to the net with speed while Eberly cut in on the right side. Hall deftly passed to Eberly who held the puck for a split second out waiting the goalie and snapped the puck over the goalies glove to give the Oil a 2-0 lead.

In the next minute Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Hall broke for the net. Hopkins took a shot and got his own rebound and backhanded the puck but it bounced off the Ducks goalie. The Oil were denied a three goal lead and the Ducks countered on the same play and scored to make it 2-1. The Ducks scored half way through the period to tie the score. Then with less than two minutes left the Ducks scored their third in a row to take the lead and fly off with a 3-2 win.

The Edmonton Oilers Young Guns were bumped by the San Jose Sharks 5-4 in a hotly contested affair.  The first line of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberly sliced up the Sharks for 10 points. The Nuge harpooned 2 goals and 1 assists, Hall speared 1 goal and 3 assists while Eberly netted 1 goal and 2 assists. The Sharks got off to a fast start scoring the first goal early in the first period. The Oil tied up the match at 12:34 on a power play. The Oilers Defence started the play behind their own goal passing it up to Jordan Eberly on the right hand boards, Eberly moved it to Nugent-Hopkins in the middle. The Nuge carried it up passed center ice and crossed the blue line. He deftly made a backhand pass to Taylor Hall driving down the left wing. Hall snapped a shot to the far post that went passed the glove of the goalie and rang off the post to make it 1-1. A few minutes later the Sharks scored again to take a 2-1 lead.

Early in the second period the Sharks scored once again to go up 3-1. But the Oilers were not to be deterred. At 13:04 the Oilers were pressing with Hall getting the puck back from a Shark on the half boards of the right side. He passed the puck back to Anton Belov on the blue line. Belov then passed the puck off the right hand boards to Ryan Nugen-Hopkins. Nugent-Hopkins curled to the right hand circle and fired a snap shot zinging the puck passed the outstretched glove of Niemi to cut the lead down 3-2. 38 seconds later at 13:42 Oscar Klefbom passed to Taylor Hall, Hall moved the puck to Jordan Eberly. Eberly then raced down the far right hand side of the Sharks zone and spotted the Nuge driving to the net. Eberly fired a pass to him but it went by Nugent-Hopkins feet and delected off a San Jose defender’s skate into the net to tie the score 3-3.

In the third period at 6:16 the Oilers were circling in the Sharks zone. Hopkins passed the puck to Eberly on the right hand circle. Eberly zig-zagged in a figure 8 then passed to the middle. The puck bounced off a Shark to Hopkins who snapped a quick shot past the blocking side of the goalie to take the lead 4-3. A few minutes later the Sharks tied the game. But the Oilers took one too many penalties as the Sharks capitalized to take the lead 5-4. Late in the third the Oilers Young Guns pressed to tie the game with an empty net but pulled up short when time ran out.