The Battle of Alberta added another thread to its storytelling web Monday night.
In the first period between Edmonton and Calgary, Juil’s forward Jujhar Khaira went full steam ahead on Oliver Kylington and beat him high in front of the team benches. The dubious hit did not yield a penalty kick.
The Flames defender went straight down the tunnel to the locker room to investigate. Fortunately, he took action again later in the second period and even a neat little help on Calgary’s second goal.
While Kylington was checked out during the first period, teammate Brett Ritchie took on him to seek retaliation after the referees did not punish Khaira for the nasty one-way collision.
In this tortuous series of events, Ritchie catches the Oilers with a hard right hand forward and sends him crumbling to the ice – a face no one wants to see in a hockey game. Khaira had to be helped off the ice and was ruled out for the rest of the match.
After the 4-3 victory in Flames, Dave Tippett, head coach of the Oilers gave an update on Khaira’s status.
“Jujhar feels good after the first period. Guys come in and he feels good,” Tippett said.
It is not yet known whether Khaira will sue the NHL division for player safety, but Sportsnet’s Eric Francis suggests the Oilers forward is likely to face disciplinary action. ‘
The Flames and Oilers will heat up the day-old vitriol again Wednesday night as they face each other again for an always dramatic match.
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