NHL Tonight looks at chemistry of Ekholm-Bouchard for Oilers

Connie, the one thing people have said a lot about Edmonton is that they need help in the rear. Looks like you found a tape showing they found help in the back. Yeah, and there were rumors out there afterward that Eric Carlson is a great defenseman, but not the kind of guy they need. There were rumors about Jacob Chicken, who he would be a good fit with as well, but who did they settle on and he's a great salesman. Matthias is home and that's how he got there with the disk by communicating. with Evan Bouchard, a Bouchard gets it, he actually tried to run it through the middle, the Ryan Nugent Hopkins feeling fell through, but he finally makes it through, so that shows me good communication again. a great skater, he has the heavy shot with the long stick, he is calling the puck, he beats the four check, now he has the defender backed up, now he can make the line finish by serving the puck, that is a good shot at the net of the Edmonton Oilers, very good. good communication skating there I like the fact that they stand up that's taige Thompson the guy who can make you look silly yeah but they stay in his face they stay right on his grill and he here finishing the croaking of the thread , This is very important. you hit, you hold and that allows the defenseman, the center, to come back that's Leon, he dries up to skate and finish with a shot at the net again, another chance to score only from good defense offensively, I like the thought process here, he is in the game. but he's thinking defense first, so there's a turnover.

He wants to be the first back, so he backs off a bit, unless who's on top of the play. The puck returns to the point where you pass it to perform. he has a heavy shot whoa I attack the first home goal which is from Bouchard and again I love this play because look there is pressure here the guys are coming at him you have to make a decision quickly what does he win it now he has time and space well the defense does this Drew Dowdy and the King does it so well he buys time and space for himself takes it to Conor McDavid and then yeah it's the Conor McDavid show so a 97 foot pass because he had time and space to number 97 and I love this because it shows confidence that it is a four against one, it has three different options to pass two, what does it do? called his own number he doesn't listen he wasn't Conor McDavid out there very much on the net huh it was Fogle huh and that was a couple of other Wingers.

I think Cole Yarby was still with the team at the time. No, he wasn't. He was not with the team. Berry and they paired him up with Matthias at home now remember last year he was paired up with Duncan Keith and that helped him so much he had a great year last year he struggled at the start of this year but now they have home in the fold it's a really couple nice and with that comb on the left side now nurse darnell doesn't get those hard penalty minutes against the other team's number one line so it will protect nurse a bit so lots of props to Ken Holland, who I think did a very good job at the trade deadline bringing Matthias home, who has a term and who is going to help Evan Bouchard in his development and bring him to forwards who need that puck oh so fast sure you could just uh connie nailed as she showed how easily they can get away with a puck that line the offending team the puck is in control gets to the neutral neutral zone thats horrible from Los Angeles Central Casting yeah you wanted a defender you would choose matthias

ekholm

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