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It’s time to hand out some titles in the Edmonton Oilers latest loss, 4-3 to the Dallas Stars on Thursday:

MVP

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Scott Wedgewood

Faced 50 shots and came out with the win? Say no more. It began fast and furious for the Stars backup, who was called into action as the team was playing its second game in as many nights.

After Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a wide-open net, only to hit a pad out of nowhere, the Stars went ahead with the first goal of the game by Matt Duchene, who put the puck between the legs of Stuart Skinner at the other end midway through the first period.

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And later in the first, Wedgewood performed a poke check on Connor Brown in tight for a rebound.

PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM

Sam Gagner

He gets the Oilers team MVP for the game after coming up with back-to-back goals in the third period to make this one rather interesting down the stretch, one that saw the Stars inevitably sit back on their heels after taking a win out of the Calgary Saddledome the night before.

On an Oilers squad that has seen little in the way of productivity from a bottom-six constantly overshadowed by two top lines that take up the lion’s share of ice time, the 17-year veteran scored twice in three minutes (give or take one second) to make this one real interesting.

BIG REDEEMER

Joe Pavelski

He was responsible for the giveaway in his own end that ended up in the back of the Dallas net after allowing Zach Hyman to make a soccer-style sweep that relieved him of the puck while being unceremoniously dumped on his keester, adding injury to insult.

But the 39-year-old’s veteran savvy shone through as he responded by putting Dallas up 2-1 on the next goal of the game to open second-period scoring with a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

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Pavelski finished the game with a goal and two helpers.

DOWN GOES BROWN

If the Oilers are willing to call the Connor Connection experiment to reunite Connor McDavid with his former Eerie Otters junior linemate a dud, then this may be the perfect opportunity.

Brown’s non-contact injury in the second period after taking two strides saw him leave the ice without putting any weight on his left leg. And he didn’t return.

Should Brown wind up on, say, the long-term injured list for the rest of the season, the Oilers would save some desperately needed cap space by not having to pay out the bonus that awaits him if Brown plays a 10th game with them this season.

Just sayin’…

STUDS TO DUDS

It’s a rare night indeed when neither of the league’s reigning leading scorers come up short of sharing even a single point between the two, but that’s what fate had in store for Oilers captain McDavid and his righthand man, Leon Draisaitl. But the Stars successfully shut them down.

Zero. Zilch. Nada.

E-mail: [email protected]

On Twitter: @GerryModdejonge

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