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Edmonton Oilers defenceman Alex Plante EDMONTON The Edmonton Oilers were still restocking their defensive corps before the puck dropped Sunday at Rexall Place.With Andy Sutton(notes) in New York for a hearing at the NHL office with Brendan Shanahan(notes), the league s vice-president of player safety and hockey operations, and Cam Barker(notes) a late scratch because of a shoulder injury, Ale football results today x Plante(notes) stepped right into the lineup for the game against the St. Louis Blues.Jeff Petry(notes), called up from the Oklahoma City Barons of the American Hockey League when it was determined that Ryan Whitney(notes) would be out for a few weeks with a knee injury, was also in the lineup. He joined the team on Friday.Plante, who played for the Barons in Saturday s 5-4 win over the Houston A football results today eros, was initially recalled because the Oilers may be without Sutton for a few games. The veteran was suspended for Sunday s game against the Blues after he hit Colorado Avalanche rookie Gabriel Landeskog(notes) in the head. He has a hearing on Monday with Shanahan. That happens with a big man. Often times, where your arms and appendages line up with somebody else s when you re six-foot-six football results today and 250 (pounds) isn t always conducive to the rules of the game #8230; and we understand that, said Oilers head coach Tom Renney. It s a shoulder shot, it s not an elbow. If he could have made full body impact, maybe it would have been a different story, but the kid is a good player, he s elusive, too. Andy got a piece of him, but not enough of him, nor the right way. Last January, when he was football results today with the New York Islanders, Sutton was suspended for two games for hitting Pittsburgh Penguins winger Pascal Dupuis(notes). He now falls into the repeat offender category.Blue-line teammate Ladislav Smid(notes) figures Sutton s size also worked against him, in this instance. If he tries to poke check, he s taking a risk that the puck is going to jump over his stick and turn into a two-on-one, so football results today he separated the guy from the puck, said Smid. Unfortunately, he hit his head. That s an unfortunate loss, said Oilers defenceman Tom Gilbert(notes). He s a big man and if he s going to check anyone, it s going to be something around the head. Those are big shoes to fill, but guys have to step up. Hemsky practising againAdamant that his right shoulder feels better than it has in a long while football results today , Ales Hemsky(notes) expects to be back in the lineup by the time the team hits the eastern leg of its upcoming road trip.The veteran winger had his first practice with the team on Sunday. I m still weak, I still need a little bit more time, but it s going in the right direction, he said. Hopefully, in a week, I ll be at 100 per cent. Hemsky, who has yet to have contact, had surgery in March. He football results today opened 2011-12 with the club, but left two games into the new season.He s now targeting the Nov. 8 game against the Canadiens in Montreal for his return. I had pain there for three months and just couldn t get rid of it. Now, it s feeling much better, Hemsky said. I m feeling the best I ve felt in a long time. I just want to be 100 per cent, so I can play the rest of the season. The labrum, whi football results today ch was repaired in the spring, has not been the issue. The problem has been muscle weakness at the back of his shoulder. It s been too long. Having him out for a game is too long, but we ll see how it goes, said Renney. Certainly, when he s in the lineup, I expect him to be there for the duration. Short shifts Jaroslav Halak(notes), who started in net for the Blues on Sunday, has not got off to football results today his best NHL start. He arrived in Edmonton with a .835 save percentage and a 1-4 win-loss record, compared to the 4-1 start of backup Brian Elliott(notes). Jaro is our No. 1 goaltender and he knows he hasn t played up to his capabilities. We have other guys in that category. That just demonstrates the importance of depth. Brian Elliott has come in and done a heck of a job, said head coach Davis football results today Payne. Former Oiler Taylor Chorney(notes), plucked off the waiver wire in the fall, still hasn t played a game for the Blues. When Kent Huskins(notes) left the lineup with a fractured ankle, Nikita Nikitin(notes) drew in for the Oilers game. It s just a matter of staying patient. I know he ll be ready. He s been working his tail off, Payne said of Chorney.jireland@edmontonjournal.comTwitter.com/ football results today jirelandEJ Play Fantasy Hockey, now with Pro Leagues! And follow Yahoo! Sports' NHL coverage on Twitter. Updated Oct 30, 10:12 pm EDT football results today
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