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PHT Morning Skate: How can opponents slow down McDavid?

Edmonton Oilers v Philadelphia Flyers

PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 08: Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers skates with the puck against the Philadelphia Flyers in the third period at Wells Fargo Center on December 8, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

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--Connor McDavid’s made a number of NHLers look silly in his young career. Many have tried to stop him, but it’s easier said than done. One pro scout offers his opinion on how to stop the Oilers captain. “Your best bet [when McDavid is in transition with the puck or on the rush] is getting some pressure from behind on him,” said the scout. (Sportsnet)

--We’ve touched on in the Morning Skate before, but Wayne Gretzky finally made that appearance on “The Simpsons” on Sunday. If you missed it, BarDown has the clip.

--Youth hockey in Long Island has come a long way. A number of top prospects have come from areas like Long Beach, New York in the last few years and some are already in the NHL. “I was fortunate enough to live really close to Long Beach Arena, so I grew up playing there all through youth hockey. I had a lot of good coaches over the time. The whole atmosphere in Long Beach, it kinda became a hockey town,” said Preds defenseman Anthony Bitetto. (Sports Illustrated)

--Young Obadiah Gamble is a huge Minnesota Wild fan. On Sunday, the former St. Paul Children’s Hospital patient got to say “let’s play hockey” prior to the game against the Blues. He also got to celebrate one of his team’s goals on live TV and it was pretty awesome. (NHL)

--There’s more to Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin than just hockey. The 22-year-old is a model citizen and his faith is obvious to those around him. “I’ve never seen a more mature person, for the situation he’s in as a pro athlete. He’s very genuine and very genuine about his faith. He’s the same person in the locker room as he is in church on Sunday. He’s authentic,” said one of Slavin’s friends. (Charlotte Observer)

--No one expected the Columbus Blue Jackets to have this much success in 2016-17. Players like Zach Werenski, Sam Gagner, Cam Atkinson and Sergei Bobrovsky have grabbed some headlines, but head coach John Tortorella has developed a special appreciation for defenseman Jack Johnson. (Columbus Dispatch)