EDMONTON, AB - It was a critical moment in Sunday's game.
Up 1-0, the Oilers were trying to preserve their lead in the dying minutes. Along with the usual suspects was Jesse Puljujarvi, tasked to hold Calgary's top line off the scoresheet.
When asked about his decision to have the 2016 fourth-overall pick out in the final minute, Oilers Head Coach Ken Hitchcock made it apparent: he trusts his 20-year-old winger.
"I really trust him. I trust his conscience," said Hitchcock. "He's got a tremendous stick and you don't get to be as good on angles and stick positioning and being able to hide your stick like he is unless you're well coached at a young age.
"Someone along the line when he was 13, 14, 15 or 16 years old, at a very young age, taught him proper body positioning and checking."
BLOG: Puljujarvi gaining Hitchcock's trust
"Someone along the line when he was at a very young age taught him proper body positioning and checking. I really trust him," said Oilers Head Coach Ken Hitchcock.
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