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Return from the Dead? The magic each Edmonton Oilers player must conjure to avoid elimination
The Edmonton Oilers have found a way to lose three games to the Vancouver Canucks. Now the Oilers have to find a way to win two more games. Can they do it? Here’s what Team captain Connor McDavid said earlier this year in a dressing room speech to his team: “If there’s anything this year has taught us it’s that when we stick together like brothers we can do anything… We brought ourselves back from the dead this year it’s a credit to everybody in this room.” One more return from the dead is not mission impossible for these Oilers. Teams do it often. The Oilers can do it. They have done it before in franchise history. Indeed, in 1990, on their way to winning the Stanley Cup, the Oilers were down 3-1 to the Winnipeg Jets, then won three straight. The same happened against Colorado in 1998, the Oilers winning the three final games of the series to take it in seven. The McDavid/Draisaitl era Oilers pulled off the stunt in 2022, winning the final two games to beat the Los Angeles Kings in seven. As McDavid said, this current team is familiar with rising from the dead, given its horrendous start that had some folks writing off Edmonton’s playoff chances in November. But they found a way. Now their assignment, their mission possible, is to find the unique individual secret sauce it will take for each of them to play well enough to get by a determined Vancouver Canucks team. It’s do-able. The flow of play went Vancouver’s way in Game 5, a brilliant effort that saw them get 20 Grade A shots to just eight for Edmonton in a their 3-2 win. But overall in the five game series, Edmonton has had 78 Grade A shots to 58 for Vancouver. The Oilers have been the more dangerous team, but Vancouver has had superior goaltending. That said, if Edmonton can reassert its dominance in Grade A shots, its chances of winning the next game shoot up. That might not be enough to win, as it will also take puck luck and solid goaltending. But I like Edmonton’s chances in Game 6, and Game 7 will come down to which team wants it most. Here’s what each and every Oiler has to do for Edmonton to take the series: #2. Evan Bouchard. Until a few major mistakes in Game 5, Bouchard had been the Oil’s best d-man in the series. He’s got two game-winning goals, six points in five games. For him, I’ll suggest he keep doing what he’s been doing. He’s crushing it. #5. Cody Ceci. He got off to a rough start this series, in large part due to a number of ill-advised offensive forays where he was slow getting back. He’s settled down in the last few games since getting paired with Brett Kulak. For Ceci, solid positional play is his strength. If he can always, always, always stay on the right side of his check and guard the slot, he can help Edmonton win. #10. Derek Ryan. He’s been sensational on the kill and is driving forward a solid checking line. More of the same will work but that can be assisted by coach Kris Knoblauch. Given how well Ryan’s line played in Game 5, it was odd that Ryan only got 7:15 of even strength ice time. Two or three minutes more for his line would have done the Oilers well. #13. Mattias Janmark. He’s playing some of his best hockey right now. For Janmark, one key is out of his hands. I’ll suggest that when the Oilers have a lead, especially at the end of each period and the end of each game, Janmark should be Knoblauch’s first choice to have out on the ice, as opposed to an offensive player who lacks Janmark’s excellent defensive instincts. #14. Mattias Ekholm. He’s done far, far more good than bad this series, even as he’s been playing sick. He made a mental mistake with a bad line change on the winning goal against in Game 5, but such is hockey. For him, the key is to rest up, get as healthy as he can, and keep bringing what he’s brought all year, excellent defence and puck-moving. #18. Zach Hyman. He’s played solid two-way hockey this series, but has just two goals in five games. He’s counted on to find a way to score. Now is the time. #19. Adam Henrique. If he’s healthy, he can bolster the top line with smart and steady play. He’d be a welcome addition to the roster. But only if he’s healthy. #25 Darnell Nurse. He’s come on as the series has progressed. Nurse is at his best when he stays on the right side of his check, guards the slot and moves the puck. He’s now playing that straight ahead game, just needs to stick to it in Game 6. #27 Brett Kulak. Like Bouchard, he’s generally brought his “A” game against Vancouver. He’s another player where more of the same is what his team needs. #28 Connor Brown. Finally, at long last, we’re seeing the real Connor Brown. He made a brilliant pass to Janmark for Edmonton’s second goal in Game 5. His defence has been solid. But, again, this is one where Knoblauch has got to find more ice-time for this line. They have earned it. #29 Leon Draisaitl. Eleven points in five games, seven of them at even strength, the Oil’s best player in this series. Enough said. The key for Draisaitl is to keep it simple on defence, cover his position, not free-lance. On the attack, he’s a monster. #30 Calvin Pickard. Goalies are voodoo, so whatever voodoo Pickard has been conjuring, no one should question or mess with. He singlehandedly kept the Oilers in Game 5 when the Canucks took over in the second period and gave his team a chance to win. #37 Warren Foegele. He’s disappeared in this series and these playoffs, save for on the penalty kill where he’s been part of an outstanding effort. If he stays in the line-up, his strength has been taking the puck hard to the net and forechecking. If he focuses on taking the man each forecheck, that might well work. #39 Sam Carrick. He may be asked to provide some physical punch on the forecheck. The Oil greatly lacked that in Game 5. Related LEAVINS: Player grades in Game 5 loss to the Canucks "Masterful performance": Social media reacts as Oilers lose but find hope in Calvin Pickard #51 Troy Stecher. If he gets in, keep it simple, just move the puck, which is his strength. #55 Dylan Holloway. Suddenly he’s a Top 6 player, smart with the puck, solid on defence, fast and adept enough to even bottle up Quinn Hughes at the point. Now he’s got to find a way to get off his shot. #71 Ryan McLeod. In some ways he’s been good. He is sound defensively, solid moving the puck, and has been involved in some close calls around the net. But he’s got no points in five games against Vancouver. He’s had just four shots on net, missing the net on a few open looks. Like Foegele, he’s got to find a way to drive the puck on net. #73 Vincent Desharnais. Solid on penalty kill and in his own end, if he can move the puck smartly, he helps the Oilers in their goal. #74 Stuart Skinner. He may yet get another chance in this series. If he does, he’s got to be the Stu Skinner of December and January, not the one we saw in May. He can make big saves. He’s done it consistently in the regular season. Why not now? #86 Philip Broberg. I doubt he’ll get in, even as I think if he’d been handled adroitly he might now be providing the same boost to the Oilers as Holloway is. If does see the ice, he’s got to keep it simple, modelling his game on Kulak, getting it done with sound positional defence and brilliant skating. #89 Sam Gagner. It’s time for Sam Gagner to get a game, no? If he does, he’ll score. #90 Corey Perry. He looks banged up and a step or three behind. He’s out of sync with McLeod. Perry out, Gagner in is the right play for the team, no? If he comes back rested later in the playoffs, he might still be a factor. #91 Evander Kane. When Kane is hitting and shooting — and he’s been doing a good job of it this series — the Oilers roll. He’s played well, but must maintain defensive focus when covering the point, making sure to stay in front of his check. #93 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. He had a great Game 4 but disappeared again in Game 5. If Henrique is back, RNH might be on the third line with McLeod and Gagner. I’d like to see that. Such a line with three smart hockey players can have some success on the attack. For RNH, the key is to play with an edge, something he’s done in the past. #97 Connor McDavid. Just six points and one goal this series, not up to his usual standard. He looked slow and tired in Game 5. He lost his check J.T. Miller on the winning goal. McDavid takes over a game when he’s moving his feet, beating players with his speed. He did so in Game 2 in the series. Now it’s time for him to bring the magic again. McDavid knows it. I bet McDavid does it. At the Cult of Hockey LEAVINS: Player grades in Game 5 loss to Canucks STAPLES: “Masterful performance”: Social media reacts as Oilers lose but find hope in Calvin Pickard
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Edmonton Oilers pushed to brink, with commanding 3-2 victory by Vancouver in Game 5: Cult of Hockey Player Grades
The Edmonton Oilers have been pushed to the brink of elimination after a last-minute, 3-2 loss in Vancouver in Game 5. The Canucks were the better team on the balance of the night, including on special teams where Vancouver blanked the much-vaunted Oilers Power Play on 5 opportunities. Edmonton had a narrow edge in in play the First Period. But they frankly got smoked in the Second, with shots 17-4 for Vancouver. In the Third, the play evened out a bit, but the Oilers looked fatigued. The winner came off a combination of a fortunate bounce and a missed assignment with a mere 33 seconds left on the clock, spoiling a tremendous effort by Calvin Pickard. Here is the tale of the tape… Edmonton Oilers Player Grades CALVIN PICKARD. 8. His first back-to-back start of the NHL season after an important effort in Game 4. Suter interfered with him, putting the Oilers on the man advantage early. Big right pad save off a Hronek shot. A glove save from a hard point shot, then a puck glanced off the crossbar seconds later. The 1-1 was off a giveaway right in front. Stared down a hard push by Vancouver in the Second and as nothing short of spectacular. Early save off Hughes. Big blocker stop off Petterson. Then, stuffed Miller on a power move to the net. Also handled tough volleys from Myers, De Giuseppe, Lindholm, a great toe stop off Miller (again) and closed the frame with a shoulder block on Petterson. The 2-2 was on the Bouchard turnover. Third Period stop on Miller yet again. Just got his skate over in time to prevent a wraparound by Garland. Victim of a bad bounce and a missed assignment on the 3-2. The best Oilers tonight by quite a bit. CONNOR McDAVID. 4. Ticked the crossbar early on the Power Play and had a shot on the same shift. Drew a Second Period trip but he and his mates again failed to convert, making the PP 0-5 over 2. Spin-o-Rama attempt in the Third. Lost his man on what (in fairness) was a fortuitous bounce in front for the 3-2. -2. RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS. 4. Missed a glorious opportunity right from the slot in the early going. Funneled a pass over to Hyman whose attempted pass across ricocheted on net. A fine steal on the PK. ZACH HYMAN. 4. Whistled for a hold that you could feel coming after three consecutive Oilers PP’s. A dangerous wrist shot to end the first period. Not as effective as we are used to seeing. -2. EVAN BOUCHARD. 4. Hammered a one-timer on the second power play but it hit a leg in front. Carried the puck right in front of his net while under pressure from two Canucks and turned it over for the 2-2. -2. Led the club in TOI at 25:44. High Dangers 2-4, and o-fer on the PP. MATTIAS EKHOLM. 4. Pumped a hard one-timer off a Draisaitl feed. Rare shot on this night in a Second Period PP. High Dangers 5v5 0-3. The line change in the final minute may have been a quiet culprit on the 3-2 goal. LEON DRAISAITL. 5. Extended his playoff point streak to 10 games with a terrific dish to Kane on the 1-0. A fine feed to Holloway for a chance. Good backcheck. Threaded a pass to an activating Ekholm who hammered a cannon on net. Blocked shot early in the second. -2. A tough night on the draw (38%). Related "Masterful performance": Social media reacts to Oilers losing but finding hope in Calvin Pickard DYLAN HOLLOWAY. 6. Effective. And one of a handful of Oilers who looked like they had energy. No assist, but the zone entry on the 1-0 sequence. Fine first period backcheck. A nice tip off a Draisaitl pass. Then an excellent blocked shot. And a drawn Interference call. Managed a shot late in the second. Another shot block in the Third. EVANDER KANE. 6. Received the pass from Draisaitl and whistled it home 5-hole for the 1-0. Second period slash. 2 shots and a hit. DARNELL NURSE. 6. The Oilers best D-man on an otherwise tough night for their defenders. A fine hustle back to negate a developing Miller rush. Big blocked shot to open the Third. Could not stop the pass across on the 3-2. But in his defence, the pass came from over by the wall and it took a luck bounce in front to create the chance. High Dangers 5-1 5v5. VINCENT DESHARNAIS. 6. The pass high to low to Draisaitl on the 1-0 goal. Fished a puck right off the goal line with one hand and swept it away to safety. Had lost his stick on the 1-1 goal and retrieved it instead of fronting the shot. The flow of play was in huis favor 5v5, 19-10 66% CF, and High Dangers 6-0. RYAN McLEOD. 5. A decent performance from him tonight. 5v5v CF of 17-10, 63%. Set up Ryan for a point-black chance late in the Second. WARREN FOEGELE. 5. Called for interference in the second frame. A good intercept on the PK. Drew (to be fair) a pretty dubious charging call. Moved his feet well and enjoyed a positive result in terms of flow of play. COREY PERRY. 3. Turned 39 today and hard to say he did not look it at times. His attempted backhand was intercepted and turned immediately into the 1-1. Had a chance in the Third but could not covert. BRETT KULAK. 5. A desperate play in his own end created the turnover on the 2-1 goal. A well-earned assist on the play. Took a Third Period trip but probably saved a goal in the process, net-side. CODY CECI. 4. Third Period shot block. Crushed on shot shares. He and Kulak were challenged against a withering Canucks forecheck on this night. DEREK RYAN. 6. An effective pick on the 2-1 goal. Fine play at his own blueline on the PK. An excellent intercept and clear on the PK. Could not drain a fine setup from Mcleod late in the Second. Important D-zone faceoff win on the PK in the Third. MATTIAS JANMARK. 6. Charged hard to the net and slapped home a perfect pass from Brown for the 2-1 :27 after the Canucks had knotted it at 1. The Third line was industrious and hard on pucks. CONNOR BROWN. 6. Early shot on net. Picked up a loose puck off the Kulak play and then dished a perfect pass to the hard-charging Janmark for the 2-1. Part of an effective Fourth line. The loss drops Edmonton to 2-3 in the series. Game 6 is back in Edmonton Saturday at 6pm local time. Find me on Threads @kleavins, on Instagram at LeavinsOnHockey, Mastodon at KurtLeavins@mstdn.social , and X @KurtLeavins. AI was not used in the composition of this article. Recently, at The Cult… STAPLES: “Masterful performance”: Social media reacts to Oilers losing but finding hope in Calvin Pickard McCURDY: Ek, Drai, Kane maintenance men by day, game-changers by night STAPLES: Ken Holland to Columbus rumors not fading away, says insider STAPLES: Evan Bouchard sprinkles his magic in 3-2 Game 4 win McCURDY: Oilers outshoot Canucks, still lose 4-3 in Game 3 LEAVINS: From excellence to extraordinary in Game 2 win
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NHL Notes: Let the Rod Brind’Amour coaching sweepstakes begin ... Brad Marchand better, says Sam Bennett hit part of playoff war
In the coming days, teams keen on pursuing Rod Brind’Amour as coach will find out how serious he and the Carolina Hurricanes are about him staying on Tobacco Road. After the sting of losing a late lead Thursday, falling 5-3 and being eliminated in six games by the New York Rangers, talk will turn to getting Brind’Amour’s name on a multi-year deal. Until then, his undeclared status is creating some drama with other vacancies around the National Hockey League. Chris Kreider’s natural hat trick on Thursday ended the Canes’ shot at becoming just the fifth team to rebound from a deficit of 0-3 in a best-of-seven series. But ownership and management put a lot of resources via trades into getting the Canes through the opening rounds, without success. Now the polite assurances that a deal would eventually get done as Brind’Amour’s final year elapsed have to be settled. While the Maple Leafs are taking a good look at Craig Berube to replace Sheldon Keefe, they were no doubt waiting to see which way the wind is blowing with Brind’Amour. Joel Quenneville being stuck in limbo with the league yet to determine his future might also be delaying the final call in Toronto and elsewhere. Quenneville would also be high on the list of clubs such as San Jose, Seattle, Winnipeg and New Jersey, but there has been no official indication from commissioner Gary Bettman when he’ll be allowed to work again. He was shelved three years ago for perceived indifference during the Kyle Beach scandal with the Chicago Blackhawks, which cost him his position in Florida. Todd McLellan flew from Los Angeles, his last post, to be interviewed in Toronto this week, but could also get attention from the Devils, while in the East after they apparently passed on Berube and got Toronto’s permission to speak to Keefe. Former Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft is getting some mentions, too. After being let go by St. Louis earlier this season, Berube returned to the Philadelphia area, where he’d played and first served as an NHL head coach with the Flyers, telling blogger Wayne Fish: “I’m going to wait for an NHL job and see what happens. “It doesn’t matter where. I’m sure I have a shot. It all boils down to talking to a team, talking to the GM, the ownership. If they believe in your message, if they like what you’re saying. In the interview process, if it’s a good fit for me and a good fit for them, probably MARCHAND FEELING BETTER An extra day off in the Boston–Florida series could allow Bruins’ captain Brad Marchand to get back in the lineup Friday night’s Game 6. But Marchand insists his desire to extend the series will out-weigh any wish to retaliate against Sam Bennett, who was accused of camouflaging a sucker punch in the collision that rang Marchand’s bell in Game 3. “He plays hard, he’s an extremely physical player, great player for the group,” Marchand said in describing Bennett to reporters in Boston at practice on Thursday. “I think he got away with a shot (not called by either referee in the game or subject to NHL Player Safety review), but I’m not going to complain. S**t happens. That’s part of especially playoff hockey. I’ve been on the other side of a lot of plays. It sucks to be on the other side. But it is what it is. “People don’t want to say it, but part of the playoffs is trying to hurt every player on the other team. That’s just a fact of the game. Any time you can get an advantage, it’s going to help your team win. That’s part of the benefit of having a physical group. That’s why you see teams go the distance with a big defence corps and physical teams (and) why you rarely see teams that are small and skilled go far, because they get hurt.” JUNIOR SWEEPERS KEEPERS The three champions in the WHL, OHL and QMJHL lowered the broom in their respective league finals this week, the first time all three championship rounds ended in four-game sweeps. On Wednesday, the London Knights defeated the Oshawa Generals 7-1, winning all four meetings and their first league title since 2016. Later in the evening out west, the Moose Jaw Warriors beat the Portland Winterhawks 4-2, rolling to their first Ed Chynoweth Cup. A day earlier, the Drummondville Voltigeurs edged Baie-Comeau Drakkar 4-3 to run the table for the Gilles Courteau Trophy, their first since 2009. That gives all three teams a week to get ready for the Memorial Cup in Saginaw, Mich., where the host Spirit, with their automatic entry, open the tournament May 24 against Moose Jaw, with London playing Drummondville next day. ICE CHIPS The winner of the Frank Selke Trophy for best defensive forward will be announced Saturday. The finalists are Toronto’s Auston Matthews, Aleksander Barkov of Florida and Jordan Staal of the Hurricanes … Oilers’ Zach Hyman, nicknamed Shaq way back on the AHL Toronto Marlies by assistant coach A.J. MacLean, has traded game worn jerseys with O’Neal, the basketball superstar … This spring marks the sixth in NHL history in which all second-round series have gone at least six games, last occurring in 2017 … Avalanche blueliner Cale Makar on Wednesday became the fourth defenceman to score 20 career playoff goals before his 26th birthday, joining: Paul Coffey, Denis Potvin and Bobby Orr … While Dallas veteran Joe Pavelski now has the 13th most goals in NHL playoff history with 74 and now passed Alex Ovechkin for most by an active player, there’s lots of rooting interest in East End Toronto for 21-year-old teammate Wyatt Johnston, a youth graduate of the summer Withrow Park Ball Hockey League. Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland to Columbus? Rumours won't quiet down, says NHL insider Who will score PWHL Toronto-Minnesota series-winning goal? Here are our best bets l hornby@postmedia X: @sunhornby
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SIMMONS: Brilliant GM work by Bill Zito in Florida trumps everything Kyle Dubas did with Leafs
When Kyle Dubas was named general manager of the Maple Leafs some six years ago, he began his hockey journey fortunately with Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly already on a star-laden roster. You couldn’t ask for a better launching point for a young GM on the rise. When Bill Zito was hired as general manager of the Florida Panthers, without much applause, he being 21 years older than Dubas, he inherited a roster that included Sasha Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, Aaron Ekblad and what seemed to be an overpaid goaltender in Sergei Bobrovsky. The Panthers had missed the playoffs the year before Zito arrived. They were undoubtedly a work in progress for the former player agent to solve. The first big move Dubas made in Toronto was the free-agent signing of John Tavares, so exciting at the time, and so strangling and numbing after COVID-19 hit and the salary cap froze, hampering his ability to be bold in his Maple Leafs manoeuvring. Zito, who arrived on the job one year after Dubas and inherited less, wasn’t considered the next great anything. He began with a Panthers team in 19th place in the league and all he’s done since is had a near-sensational run with Florida, winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 2022 even after losing his coach, Joel Quenneville, to unofficial suspension. Dubas had five seasons to make the Maple Leafs better. Zito, in five seasons, has put on a managerial clinic that has everyone in hockey taking notice. He has moved the Panthers from average to great, with bold creative deals, and built a team that already has played for one Stanley Cup and likely will play for more under his supervision. The Panthers likely are on their way to a second Eastern Conference final in two years after winning a Presidents’ Trophy the year before with a different kind of team and a different coach. Zito was like one of those TV show renovators — he took an axe to a lot of the Panthers roster. Most GMs fall in love with first-place teams. Zito let coach Andrew Brunette walk, hired Paul Maurice and began the further dismantling of the roster. This after a 122-point season. In all, Zito has changed five of his six defencemen. He has changed 10 of his 12 starting forwards. He has altered backup goaltenders behind Bobrovsky, many of them playing a large role in the success of the Panthers. But the work done — in particular the trades and free-agent signings (none of which got the splash of a Tavares signing) — has not won him a Jim Gregory Award for GM of the year, but if there was an award for GM of the past five years, he’d be the runaway winner. Over a three-month period in 2021, Zito showed his moxie as a manager by making deals for right-shot defenceman Brandon Montour, game-changing centre Sam Bennett and scoring winger Sam Reinhart. He took advantage of the inexperienced GM in Buffalo, Kevyn Adams, getting Reinhart for goaltender Devon Levi and a first-round draft pick just after he plucked Montour for a third-round choice from Buffalo. What’s happened since then? Montour, the pending free agent, has been so good on the Florida blueline that he gets Team Canada mentions for the 2026 Olympic team. So does Reinhart, who was second behind Matthews in goal-scoring this year in Florida and also has his contract up at the end of the season. All the whirling dervish Bennett has done is take Brad Marchand out of the second round of the playoffs, all but physically overwhelm the Maple Leafs last year and, in between, has provided the Panthers with a different kind of look as an unconventional second-line centre. That was 2021 for Zito. By comparison, that summer, Dubas signed David Kampf, Michael Bunting and Ondrej Kase as free agents. Almost all of the Panthers’ big moves came after Zito signed a relatively inexpensive free agent in one-time Leafs draft pick Carter Verhaeghe. All he has done is score at a 31-goal pace over his four seasons in Florida. But the big move — the franchise-changing move — would come in the summer of 2022. The Panthers had finished first in the league with Brunette as interim coach and led by the explosive winger, Jonathan Huberdeau. There was something about the team — even with a record 122 points — that Zito didn’t buy. On July 22, 2022, he made a blockbuster deal with Brad Treliving, then GM of the Calgary Flames, to bring Matthew Tkachuk to South Florida. In the trade, which seemed relatively even at the time, he gave up Huberdeau and one of his top defencemen, MacKenzie Weegar. It hasn’t turned out to be even at all. Treliving was fired in Calgary. The Flames are now in rebuild mode. And Tkachuk has become one of the NHL’s premier leaders in his two seasons in Florida. The deals for Bennett and Tkachuk do not look impressive on Treliving’s resume at a time he has been given the reins to run the Leafs. Whether intentional or not, the moves Zito has made, one by one, have taken the Panthers to a new level. He picked up Gustav Forsling on waivers at the delayed start of the 2021 season. All Forsling did this season was lead the NHL in plus-minus at a rather startling plus-56. He will get some Norris Trophy votes. Makar scores 2 goals, Avs win Game 5 to stay alive in NHL playoffs Maple Leafs' prospect Easton Cowan caps OHL playoff ride with MVP honours Zito had to beef up his defence of Ekblad and not much else and added near all-stars in Montour and Forsling and later signed veterans Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Dmitri Kulikov at rather inexpensive prices. Dubas’ best signing on the blueline was bringing in the now-extinct TJ Brodie. Since his large moves, Zito has done some roster finishing. He brought in Steven Lorentz, Eetu Luostarinen and Kevin Stenlund — all inexpensive depth forwards — before he swung big for rentals Vladimir Tarasenko and Kyle Okposo at the trade deadline. And now, a possible shot at the Stanley Cup, brought to you by Bill Zito. The general manager whose name everyone should know. ssimmons@postmedia.com x.com/simmonssteve
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