Alberta
Suter’s shootout winner lifts Red Wings past Oilers for fourth straight victory
Detroit Red Wings’ Pius Suter (24) and Edmonton Oilers’ Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (93) battle for the puck during second period NHL action in Edmonton on Wednesday, February 15, 2023.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
By Shane Jones in Edmonton
Pius Suter scored the shootout winner as the Detroit Red Wings kept up their second-half surge with a 5-4 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday.
Dylan Larkin, Moritz Seider, Robby Fabbri and Olli Maatta scored for the Red Wings (25-20-8), who have now won four straight.
Ville Husso made 41 saves between regulation and overtime.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a pair of goals and Leon Draisaitl and Derek Ryan also replied for the Oilers (30-19-6), who have dropped two in a row.
Jack Campbell stopped 19-of-23 shots leading up to the shootout.
Detroit opened the scoring 4:17 into the first period on the power play as Larkin snuck a short-side shot past Campbell to extend his goal streak to four games. He has six goals across the stretch and 21 on the season.
The Red Wings added a bizarre goal at 17:19 when Seider sent a backhand shot from the corner towards the net and it caromed off defenceman Philip Broberg, the post, and then Campbell before going in.
Edmonton had no luck in the opening frame as Darnell Nurse and Klim Kostin both hit the posts.
Nugent-Hopkins got the Oilers on the board 1:26 into the second period when he ripped a wrist shot past Husso.
Fabbri restored Detroit’s two-goal edge on the power play when he creeped in from the point and beat Campbell clean to the far side at 9:06.
Edmonton made it a one-goal game just over two minutes later as Connor McDavid sent a one-handed pass across the crease to Nugent-Hopkins, who recorded his 26th goal of the season in his 55th game. Nugent-Hopkins’s career best is 28 goals in 82 games in 2018-2019.
Maatta made it 4-2 with 3:48 to play in the second, scoring his fifth goal of the season on a point blast off the faceoff.
The Oilers power play went to work 3:26 into the third period as Draisaitl put all his weight behind a one-timer to score his 31st.
Edmonton pulled even a couple of minutes later as a long Kostin shot was deftly tipped past Husso by Ryan into the net, eventually sending the game to overtime.
NOTES
The Oilers were forced to deviate from their recent practice of dressing seven defencemen and 11 forwards when blue-liner Vincent Desharnais was unable to dress due to illness. Also out for Edmonton was Kailer Yamamoto, who is ready to return but can’t be added to the lineup at the moment due to salary cap concerns, and Ryan Murray (back). … Missing for Detroit was Lucas Raymond (lower body) and Jake Walman (upper body) … Larkin is averaging a career-high 0.98 pints per game this season and is on pace for a career-high 79 points (32 goals, 48 assists) this season, and if he keeps it up would be the first Red Wings player with back-to-back 30-goal seasons since Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg both did so in 2007-08 and 2008-09.
UP NEXT
The Red Wings are right back at it on Thursday as they take on the Calgary Flames in the third game of a five-game trip. The Oilers play host to the New York Rangers on Friday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 15, 2023.
From the Fraser Institute
By Tegan Hill
According to the recent mid-year update tabled Thursday, the Smith government projects a $4.6 billion surplus in 2024/25, up from the $2.9 billion surplus projected just a few months ago. Despite the good news, Premier Smith must reduce spending to avoid budget deficits.
The fiscal update projects resource revenue of $20.3 billion in 2024/25. Today’s relatively high—but very volatile—resource revenue (including oil and gas royalties) is helping finance today’s spending and maintain a balanced budget. But it will not last forever.
For perspective, in just the last decade the Alberta government’s annual resource revenue has been as low as $2.8 billion (2015/16) and as high as $25.2 billion (2022/23).
And while the resource revenue rollercoaster is currently in Alberta’s favor, Finance Minister Nate Horner acknowledges that “risks are on the rise” as oil prices have dropped considerably and forecasters are projecting downward pressure on prices—all of which impacts resource revenue.
In fact, the government’s own estimates show a $1 change in oil prices results in an estimated $630 million revenue swing. So while the Smith government plans to maintain a surplus in 2024/25, a small change in oil prices could quickly plunge Alberta back into deficit. Premier Smith has warned that her government may fall into a budget deficit this fiscal year.
This should come as no surprise. Alberta’s been on the resource revenue rollercoaster for decades. Successive governments have increased spending during the good times of high resource revenue, but failed to rein in spending when resource revenues fell.
Previous research has shown that, in Alberta, a $1 increase in resource revenue is associated with an estimated 56-cent increase in program spending the following fiscal year (on a per-person, inflation-adjusted basis). However, a decline in resource revenue is not similarly associated with a reduction in program spending. This pattern has led to historically high levels of government spending—and budget deficits—even in more recent years.
Consider this: If this fiscal year the Smith government received an average level of resource revenue (based on levels over the last 10 years), it would receive approximately $13,000 per Albertan. Yet the government plans to spend nearly $15,000 per Albertan this fiscal year (after adjusting for inflation). That’s a huge gap of roughly $2,000—and it means the government is continuing to take big risks with the provincial budget.
Of course, if the government falls back into deficit there are implications for everyday Albertans.
When the government runs a deficit, it accumulates debt, which Albertans must pay to service. In 2024/25, the government’s debt interest payments will cost each Albertan nearly $650. That’s largely because, despite running surpluses over the last few years, Albertans are still paying for debt accumulated during the most recent string of deficits from 2008/09 to 2020/21 (excluding 2014/15), which only ended when the government enjoyed an unexpected windfall in resource revenue in 2021/22.
According to Thursday’s mid-year fiscal update, Alberta’s finances continue to be at risk. To avoid deficits, the Smith government should meaningfully reduce spending so that it’s aligned with more reliable, stable levels of revenue.
Author:
Better, faster, more affordable auto insurance
Alberta’s government is introducing a new auto insurance system that will provide better and faster services to Albertans while reducing auto insurance premiums.
After hearing from more than 16,000 Albertans through an online survey about their priorities for auto insurance policies, Alberta’s government is introducing a new privately delivered, care-focused auto insurance system.
Right now, insurance in the province is not affordable or care focused. Despite high premiums, Albertans injured in collisions do not get the timely medical care and income support they need in a system that is complex to navigate. When fully implemented, Alberta’s new auto insurance system will deliver better and faster care for those involved in collisions, and Albertans will see cost savings up to $400 per year.
“Albertans have been clear they need an auto insurance system that provides better, faster care and is more affordable. When it’s implemented, our new privately delivered, care-centred insurance system will put the focus on Albertans’ recovery, providing more effective support and will deliver lower rates.”
“High auto insurance rates put strain on Albertans. By shifting to a system that offers improved benefits and support, we are providing better and faster care to Albertans, with lower costs.”
Albertans who suffer injuries due to a collision currently wait months for a simple claim to be resolved and can wait years for claims related to more serious and life-changing injuries to addressed. Additionally, the medical and financial benefits they receive often expire before they’re fully recovered.
Under the new system, Albertans who suffer catastrophic injuries will receive treatment and care for the rest of their lives. Those who sustain serious injuries will receive treatment until they are fully recovered. These changes mirror and build upon the Saskatchewan insurance model, where at-fault drivers can be sued for pain and suffering damages if they are convicted of a criminal offence, such as impaired driving or dangerous driving, or conviction of certain offenses under the Traffic Safety Act.
Work on this new auto insurance system will require legislation in the spring of 2025. In order to reconfigure auto insurance policies for 3.4 million Albertans, auto insurance companies need time to create and implement the new system. Alberta’s government expects the new system to be fully implemented by January 2027.
In the interim, starting in January 2025, the good driver rate cap will be adjusted to a 7.5% increase due to high legal costs, increasing vehicle damage repair costs and natural disaster costs. This protects good drivers from significant rate increases while ensuring that auto insurance providers remain financially viable in Alberta.
Albertans have been clear that they still want premiums to be based on risk. Bad drivers will continue to pay higher premiums than good drivers.
By providing significantly enhanced medical, rehabilitation and income support benefits, this system supports Albertans injured in collisions while reducing the impact of litigation costs on the amount that Albertans pay for their insurance.
“Keeping more money in Albertans’ pockets is one of the best ways to address the rising cost of living. This shift to a care-first automobile insurance system will do just that by helping lower premiums for people across the province.”
Quick facts
- Alberta’s government commissioned two auto insurance reports, which showed that legal fees and litigation costs tied to the province’s current system significantly increase premiums.
- A 2023 report by MNP shows
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