As a player, Vasily Podkolzin wears his heart on his sleeve, but his heart was ripped apart a month ago when his father Alexander suddenly died in Moscow, just hours after his oldest son had signed a three-year $8.85 million contract.

So when Podkolzin lifted that clever backhand over Sam Montembault’s glove for his first goal of the season with 69 seconds left Thursday he thought first of his late dad, who had travelled from Russia to witness the entire Stanley Cup Final in June, then his adopted family — his Edmonton Oiler teammates.

“Right now, just playing with good memory of him,” said Podkolzin, a wonderful kid liked by one and all, one of the first guys on the ice for practice, staying out late to work on stuff, the ultimate rink rat.

“I want to make him proud every day. He alway

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