Another Latvian hockey hero will be making his NHL debut this week.
Ronalds Kenins has been called up by the Vancouver Canucks from their AHL affiliate in Utica, NY.
Kenins, 23, was a standout for Ted Nolan's gritty Latvian squad at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
Kenins is a stone cold hammer. He hits everything that moves and has skill to boot. He's a ferocious forechecker and he flushes the wall with regularity. He plays an NHL style game.
Hell, he'd look great in a Sabres sweater.
Kenins was called up top replace tough guy Derek Dorsett who was the recipient of a Ryan Kesler head shot on Tuesday night. Dorsett is injured and Kesler skated from an NHL Department of Player Saftey hearing. Justice?
I'm expecting Kenins to make his NHL debut against his Latvian teammate Zemgus Girgensons and his Buffalo Sabres. Talk about a family reunion! Ted Nolan and Arturs Irbe coached Kenins and Girgensons for Team Latvia. Somebody better click a picture of the Latvian quartet before the Sabres and Canucks do battle. Girgensons and Kenins are former Team Latvia linemates.
Kenins has scored 5 goals and has 7 assists in 36 games for Utica this season.
Latvians are some of the proudest, most passionate hockey fanatics in the world. For a country of only 2 million people, Latvia packs a serious hockey punch. Their aggressive online voting campaign helped to contribute to Girgesnons earning over 1.5 million votes for last weekend's NHL All Star Game. Girgensons was far and away the #1 vote getter for the 2015 NHL All Star Game. Look for Latvia to try to get Kenins on the 2016 NHL All Star team.
How long will it be until OLAS makes a Kenins rap video?
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Did you know that since December 30th the Edmonton Oilers have gained 12 points in the NHL standings?
Since December 30, the Buffalo Sabres have lost 12 straight games in regulation.
True story.
To whom do the Oilers owe their recent change of fortunes?
Todd Nelson and Derek Roy.
On December 29, Oilers GM Craig MacTavish appropriately extricated himself from the bench. Mac T fired Dallas Eakins on December 14. On December 15, he announced that Nelson would become the team’s interim head coach. The proviso was that MacT would occupy by the shotgun seat on the Oilers bench while Nelson got a lay of the land in the NHL. Nelson was promoted from the head coaching position Oklahoma City of the AHL. It took him only two weeks to prove to MacT that he could handle his new players, his staff and the flow of the NHL game. Hockey is hockey, right? MacT did the right thing by returning to his rightful perch in the press box.
On December 30, Nelson and Roy delivered a 3-2 shootout win over the Stanley Cup champion LA Kings. It’s been smooth sailing ever since for the Oilers. It helped Nelson immensely that MacT made a trade for former Sabres center Derek Roy. In his 12 games played with the Oil since December 30, Roy has scored 3 goals and added 5 assists.
Unlike the Sabres, the Oilers are 4-5-1 in their past 10 games, however, they have been playing a more complete game. It took a Charlie Coyle highlight pack goal in the 57th minute to defeat the Oilers on Tuesday night. They’ve been very competitive in their games this month against Washington, Florida, Tampa, St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, NY Islanders and Colorado.
The Sabres have lost 12 straight games in regulation. Their worst winless streak in Sabres team history began with a 5-2 loss to Ottawa on December 29. The Bolts bashed the Sabres 5-1 on New Year's Eve. The rest is history. The last time the Sabres earned a point in a game was in the December 27th shootout win over the NY Islanders.
If you are a pro-tank fan, Buffalo's fortunes changed for the better on December 30.
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After this morning’s skate, Roy had some kind words for the Buffalo Sabres organization.
Thanks, Oilers TV
I like Roy’s chances to be tonight’s first star of the game. He’s been given the opportunity to play 5-v-5, PP, and PK. His earned the trust of Nelson and he is now on the ice at the end of games. In St. Louis and Dallas, Roy was buried on the fourth line and rarely got a sniff of the ice in a top six role.
For Roy, the change in latitude has changed his attitude.
For Nelson, he was ready for the NHL. Props to MacTavish for stepping aside and giving his head coach an opportunity to lead his team out of the darkness and into the light of 29th place.
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I told you yesterday about Taylor Hall's injury. He suffered a bone bruise to his ankle earlier this week. He won't play tonight against Buffalo.
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