Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane was pleased with his return to action Tuesday night and believed he was back to the level he was before his scary injury.
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“It was perfect. I didn’t have a problem with my arm. I wasn’t lacking in finish. I may have to take some time to find comfort, but it went well,” he told the Edmonton Sun after the fifth day His team’s 2-2 win over the Seattle Kraken.
Recall that Kane missed the last two months of activity after sustaining a wrist laceration. On November 8, he fell off the ice against the Tampa Bay Lightning after accidentally severely cutting himself with Pat Maroon’s skate. He had been taken to the hospital for detailed examinations.
Kane’s absence was originally scheduled to last three to four months. He beat the doctors’ forecasts by far.
A noticeable absence
According to Connor McDavid, it was about time the number 91 returned to the fold of the Alberta lineup.
“He definitely brings a lot to our team, both on and off the ice. We missed him,” the Oilers captain told Sportsnet. He gives personality to our group. He’s big and strong and he plays physically.
For the team’s head coach, Jay Woodcroft, the presence of this player is important to the success of his group.
“He comes to the ice rink every day with energy and a lot of passion. Evander shows up at every game and works hard,” he added.
The 31-year-old didn’t get a point against the Kraken, but he liked the collective way the Oilers played against the American team, which had suffered just one loss in 10 games.
“The team played well. Those two points against a very good team, that’s excellent. We knew before the game that it’s a team that scores a lot of goals in a five-a-side game, so we wanted to take away most of their chances,” he explained.
Kane has 13 points, including five goals, in 15 games since the start of the season. He had 39 points in 43 games last season.