Former Rival Reject Vasily Podkolzin Becoming Oilers Fan Favourite After Hardcore Fight

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Ryan Hall
November 1, 2024 (9:59 PM)

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It's becoming apparent that former Vancouver Canucks forward Vasily Podkolzin has found a great home with the Edmonton Oilers and is becoming a fan favorite especially after his fight with Predators forward Jeremy Lauzon.

The fight took place at 15:56 left in the third period when Lauzon and Podkolzin chose to drop the gloves and settle their score. Lauzon started off strong with several hits and with this being the second fight in Podkolzin's career he did not disappoint as he threw several bombs against Lauzon which connected and sent him down to the ice in a crumbling heap. Many pointed out after the fight that Podkolzin showed respect towards his opponent as he protected his head from hitting the ice by holding him up by his jersey.

«Click here to view the fight between Vasily Podkolzin and Jeremy Lauzon.»

Podkolzin has been working his way up the lineup over the past 10 games and appears to be a significant contributor to the top 6 which is what the Oilers need now. The team also needs toughness and players willing to do what's necessary to protect each other with Podkolzin showing that he can fight and play with some edge.

Fans took to the X platform and expressed their gratitude and enjoyment of that fight and even some fans are comparing him to a new Klim Kostin who was a players admired by many Oilers fans just a few years ago when he played for one season while scoring eleven goals with 10 assists for 21 points and was a + 12.

The Predators game could be a signal of a turning point for the Oilers as the team appears to have hit rock bottom especially losing their superstar captain Connor McDavid for the next couple of weeks. Games like this and performances like this are exactly what the Oilers need to inject some confidence into their lineup and start to take the games and hopefully string some wins together through the month of November.