BLOG: Monday content & commentary 02.22.21

EDMONTON, AB - The Oilers practiced at Rogers Place Monday. The club will fly to Vancouver for games against the Canucks on Tuesday and Thursday.
Leon Draisaitl, James Neal and Kyle Turris were not on the ice. Defenceman Slater Koekkoek was also placed on Long Term Injured Reserve.
With three goals and six assists in four games including three wins, Connor McDavid was named the National Hockey League's second star of the week.
The Oilers also recalled defenceman Theodor Lennstrom from the Bakersfield Condors on Sunday and placed him on the taxi squad.
Get all content from the day below.

Head Coach Dave Tippett on the status of defencemen Ethan Bear and William Lagesson:

"Lagesson's not ready. He won't play tomorrow night. Ethan Bear had a good day today and he's going to check with the doctors today. We'll have a better idea in the morning of where he's at."

Tippett on winger Kailer Yamamoto, who took a big hit in Saturday's Battle of Alberta:

"It was a pretty hard hit. He got banged up pretty good. He was alright yesterday and today he was out there in practice. We'll see how he is but it doesn't seem like there are any ill-effects. We kept him out the other day. We had a lead in the game so out of precaution, we kept him out. He seems alright but he got through practice fine."

Tippett on what he would like to see from defender Caleb Jones if he gets back into the lineup:

"There were some parts to the game that had to improve. Some defending parts to the game. And then we're just looking at different roles. It's not as if you could say he played bad and we're going to leave him out. We were looking for people in different roles and how to mesh the six guys back there or sometimes we had seven.
"He's available. We'll have to see where we are with injuries. He's a player that we feel confident if we throw him in there, he's going to do the job. We've been looking for a different mix and his number hasn't come up."

Tippett's update on Kyle Turris and James Neal, who were both absent from practice:

"Turris skated with some injured guys. He got injured in practice last Friday in Calgary. Was off the ice a couple of days and skated with the injured guys this morning. Neal was just off the ice today."

Tippett on the high-scoring North Division:

"You just got really good players (in the North Division). You got top, top players. You got Connor (McDavid) and Draisaitl. You got Matthews, Marner, Petterson, Scheifele. There are some really good players in this division. That's driving the offence a little bit. When you're playing against really good players, you better be able to defend pretty well otherwise the game could get out of hand. They go hand-in-hand.
"You try to become a better team by driving both sides, offence and defence. Top players that drive offence, that's a hard job but they're expected to do it. We've got some guys that have really done a good job at it. That being said, we have to be a good defending team if we're going to be a good team and a team that can be a playoff team."

Darnell Nurse on the success he's seeing this season:

"I think it's a combination of everything. Getting a little more confident, putting in a lot of time and work in the off-season. It's funny, this off-season, I worked more on my skating than anything else. It's just confidence coming in and studying the game. I put a lot of hours into watching the game and seeing where I could be better. That was one of the areas I felt I could take a big stride. Not just creating offence but finding ways to get out of our own zone. It's been good so far and it's got to continue. As you get older, everyone always says that the game slows down a little bit. With that, as long as you keep the right mindset to keep working, I feel like there's more I can tap into."

Nurse on improving his skating:

"I think the last four or five years, I haven't really worked on my skating. I haven't done much power skating. Just worked on skills. I worked with a lady in Ontario and we worked a lot on our edges, stops and starts. I felt like there was another gear that I could get to. Another level of my skating I could get to, especially in and out of corners. As you settle down and put yourself in the right positions to be able to jump to pucks and close on guys, it all kind of comes together. I felt like skating was something that I needed to get back to the core of and those were areas I worked on."

Josh Archibald on the success alongside Jujhar Khaira and Tyler Ennis as the club's third line:

"I think we're just playing a simple game. We're talking out on the ice, we're getting pucks in. We're not trying to be too fancy. When the play is there, we'll make it. At the same time, we're just trying to play simple."