Oiler fans everywhere can finally breathe a collective sigh of relief - Taylor Hall is off the schnide. After picking up his first NHL goal in Thursday's 3-2 shootout loss at Columbus, Hall continued his stellar play on Friday when his 2nd goal and and 2nd assist of the week propelled the Oilers to a 7-4 upset of defending Cup-champion Chicago.
As is the case with many snake-bitten snipers, Hall's first goal, potted just 24 hours ahead of his game-changing performance against the Blackhawks, seemed to ease his personal tensions and allowed fans to catch a glimpse of what they've been waiting for. Always known as a player unafraid to get his hands dirty, Hall's initial tally was just that - a fine screen set in front of Blue Jacket netminder Steve Mason followed up with a finesse tip by his velvet-soft hands. And while the odds are that we'll see a ton of these throughout the youngster's budding career, here's a video you might want to archive. Just to say you saw the 1st one...
Friday night in Chicago, Hall came back for more. In his impressive encore performance, he picked up his 2nd goal and 2nd assist in as many nights, earning himself the 1st Star of the Game and the Oilers a well-deserved win.
Coach Tom Renney seems to have finally found a home for his star winger alongside fellow youngsters Sam Gagner and Jordan Eberle, but it sounds as if this has been his plan all along.
Following the win at Chicago, he said "The bottom line is that my job is to play (the kids), give them opportunities and put them in situations that stretch them a little bit and forces them to reach. So far, they're doing that."
Hall and the Oilers' will be put to the test this week as Western Conference powerhouses Vancouver and Detroit visit Rexall Place and the club makes a return trip to Chicago for a Sunday matinee. Check back in late next week to see the results.
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