Sunday, October 30, 2011

Post-Game: Game #11 Oilers 4 Blues 2

Scoring Summary
1st Period
EDM Shawn Horcoff 2 (PP) (Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Corey Potter) 5:38

2nd Period
STL David Backes 3 (Vladimir Sobotka, Roman Polak) 3:58

EDM Ryan Smyth 4 (Alex Plante, Ryan Jones) 7:31

EDM Jordan Eberle 3 (Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins) 13:16

EDM Ryan Smyth 5 (PP) (Tom Gilbert, Jeff Petry) 17:15

3rd Period
STL Chris Stewart 3 (PP) (Alex Pietrangelo) 3:17

Penalty Summary
1st Period
5:14 St. Louis slashing - 2 min M. D'Agostini drawn by A. Lander
6:50 Edmonton interference - 2 min R. Jones drawn by J. Arnott
9:41 St. Louis holding - 2 min R. Polak drawn by J. Eberle
10:43 Edmonton high-sticking - 2 min R. Nugent-Hopkins drawn by C. Colaiacovo
15:04 St. Louis boarding - 2 min T. Oshie drawn by E. Belanger

2nd Period
16:18 St. Louis boarding - 2 min D. Backes drawn by T. Gilbert

3rd Period
1:56 Edmonton boarding - 2 min E. Belanger drawn by N. Nikitin

Shots On Goal - Oilers 30 Blues 30

Game Notes:
- It seems the structure has been set in place and in the process of being cemented. When players such as Jeff Petry and Alex Plante, along with Theo Peckham who has been a healthy scratch some games, come in and look like the players that they took the place of, you know things are starting to look good. The Oilers are 7-2-2 now, tied for first in the conference, and once again rode the goaltending of Khabibulin, and scoring from the checking line and the kid line. It was good enough to get another win tonight. The Blues tried to be physical early but the best remedy against physicality is to score on the power play, which is exactly what they did. After that the Blues did not bring a lot of physicality. So are the Oilers for real? I think so, the structure in their game is sound. The rinse and repeat part of it is through 11 games now and they have only given up 18 goals which is still an NHL best. The next big battle will be if they can take their show on the road and keep up the same style of play. The embark on a 6 game road trip and it starts on Thursday against the LA Kings. Concern from the lack of scoring from the 2nd line and 4th line may be a problem for some, but from this seat, I say just keep playing like they have been playing. Goals come and go, the 2nd line could use a tweak, nothing that can be done now until some personnel moves along, but the 4th line, to me, is totally fine. They battle their backsides off, and hem other teams in with their relentless forecheck, kudos to them for strong play tonight. I feel bad for Paajarvi and Gagner, they can't buy a goal right now, but they had endless chances tonight which is a step in the right direction. Good luck to the boys on the road trip, it was this time last year the team started to fall apart.

Player of the Game:
- Ryan Smyth - It took a Ryan Smyth type game to put this game away for the Oilers and they got it. Smyth did what he does best and that score big goals around the net, through taking a abuse but still getting stick on puck. Ryan Smyth's contribution to the team has been huge and has been felt all the way through the lineup. It's a feel good story to have him back on the Oilers and contributing like he never left.

Goat of the Game:
- Sam Gagner - Was one of two players that was -1 on the night. Sam Gagner seems to be out of sorts with all the other new toys on the team and is somewhat sturggling to find his place on the team. He had some good chances tonight, but is playing like a player with not a lot of confidence. He's kind of a round peg in a square hole. Ultimately, it will his spot that will be up for grabs when Ales Hemsky comes back.

Next Game - Thursday November 3, 2011 vs. Kings @ Los Angelas on Sportsnet West 8:30 PM MT.

Pre-Game: Game #11 Oilers vs. Blues



The Oilers take their 6-2-2 record up agsinst a St. Louis Blues team that has started the year 5-5-0. The Oilers are coming off of a 3-1 victory against the Avalanche in Colorado. They were badly outshot 41-19, but gutted out another victory, making them the winners of 4 in a row. This game represents the last home game for awhile as they go on their annual November "rodeo" 6 game roadtrip. Their next home game won't be until November 17th. October has been the month of stingy defense for the Oilers. The Oilers have given up 16 goals in 10 games, the best in the NHL, I repeat, the best in the NHL. This is something that shouldn't overlooked by anyone. I know a lot of Oiler fans and observers are seemingly waiting for the other shoe to drop on the team, but this year isn't about fluke or luck, its about structure and everyone understanding it. It's also about depth, the injuries are still there this year, but they haven't anywhere hurt near as badly as it did last year. The defense has surprisingly held up well without Ryan Whitney. I'm not sure how long it can, as he was the best outlet Dman the Oilers have, but the finding of Corey Potter has really been a godsend for the Oilers and helped alleviate that pressure. Speaking of Dmen, the Oilers will be without Andy Sutton tonight as he will have a hearing with head of discipline, Brendan Shanahan on Monday, meaning he'll be out tonight and perhaps a few more games after that after his head hit on Gabriel Landeskog in Friday's game. Jeff Petry should draw in for him tonight. I'm guessing the Oilers will go back to Nikolai Khabibulin in between the pipes. Keep an eye on Theo Peckham and Ryan Reeves. Reeves got the better of Peckham last year in a scrap, I could see a rematch and it could be something to kickstart Peckham's season.

Forwards Oilers
- The kid line and vet line really anchor the Oilers. One scores and the other prevents goals.
Defense Blues
- The Blues are anchored by Pietrangelo and Shattenkirk. Great at both ends of the ice.
Goaltending Oilers
- The Oilers have the hottest goaltending in the world right now. How can you not go with them.
Special Teams Oilers
- The Blues PP and PK are 30th and 26th respectively.
Coaching Oilers
- The Blues have good depth but the key will be to recognize is going hot for the Blues early.
Intangibles Blues
- The Oilers are finishing a 3 games in 4 nights stretch. Team structure will be key once again tonight.

Oilers:
Hall-NugentHopkins-Eberle
Paajarvi-Belanger-Gagner
Smyth-Horcoff-Jones
Eager-Lander-Petrell

Smid-Gilbert
Peckham-Potter
Barker-Petry

Khabibulin
Dubnyk

Blues:
Oshie-Backes-Stewart
Steen-Berglund-Langenbrunner
Sobotka-Arnott-D'Agostini
Grachev-Nichol-Reeves

Jackman-Pietrangelo
Shattenkirk-Colaiacovo
Polak-Huskins

Halak
Elliot

Game Time - 6 PM MT @ Rexall Place on Sportsnet West.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Post-Game: Oilers 3 Avalanche 1

Scoring Summary
1st Period
None

2nd Period
EDM Cam Barker 1 (PP) (Sam Gagner, Ryan Smyth) 7:55

EDM Andy Sutton 1 (Lennart Petrell, Ryan Smyth) 14:20


3rd Period
COL Ryan O'Reilly 1 (PP) (Matt Duchene, Kyle Quincey) 5:42

EDM Ryan Smyth 3 (Shawn Horcoff, Ryan Jones) 6:09

Penalty Summary
1st Period
9:54 Edmonton holding the stick - 2 min L. Smid drawn by M. Hejduk

2nd Period
3:25 Edmonton interference - 2 min C. Barker drawn by D. Jones
5:56 Colorado interference with goaltender - 2 min G. Landeskog drawn by D. Dubnyk
14:58 Colorado hooking - 2 min J. McClement drawn by T. Gilbert
18:51 Colorado elbowing - 2 min C. Kobasew drawn by C. Potter

3rd Period
3:23 Edmonton elbowing - 2 min A. Sutton drawn by G. Landeskog
3:23 Edmonton fighting - 5 min A. Sutton drawn by S. O'Brien
3:23 Colorado fighting - 5 min S. O'Brien drawn by A. Sutton
3:23 Colorado misconduct - 10 min S. O'Brien
3:23 Colorado instigator - 2 min S. O'Brien drawn by A. Sutton
4:35 Edmonton cross checking - 2 min C. Barker drawn by M. Duchene
6:31 Colorado interference - 2 min D. Winnik drawn by C. Potter
9:49 Edmonton high-sticking - 2 min R. Smyth drawn by E. Johnson

Shots On Goal - Oilers 19 Avalanche 41

Game Notes:
- The Oilers did again. Bend but don't break defense, excellent goaltending and timely goals, all once again did in another team. I really wonder if this style will hold up for the Oilers, law of averages says it won't, but its pretty fun to be an Oilers fan right now. The defense chipped in tonight, getting goals from Barker and Sutton, both firsts as an Oiler. The Oilers are just getting the bounces right now. If I'm Tom Renney, I'm starting to face concerns about the amount of shots the goaltenders are starting to face early in the season. It was 35+ shots in Khabibulin's last two starts and now 40+ on Dubnyk tonight. The Oilers are going to have to find a way to sustain more pressure in the offensive end. Colorado did a great job of crashing crease tonight, they did everything they could to get the puck to the net, but couldn't finish. The kid line was quiet tonight, but the vets picked up the slack and helped out with the offense. Just keep trucking, keep playing like they have been playing until someone beats you. Hockey is a game about repetition until someone makes you change your approach.

Player of the Game:
-Devan Dubnyk. Another game, another goaltender as POTG. 41 shots and only 1 goal against, picking up right where Khabibulin left off. He was square to the shooter all night and look real big in the net. Had some rebound control issues early, but really settled in as the shots were coming more frequently. The Oilers needed a big game out of him in order to get the W tonight, and they got it.

Goat of the Game:
- Theo Peckham. I hate to hate on Theo but back to back GOTG is not good for the system. The Oilers gave up 41 shots but I only noticed one real, glaring error and it resulted in the only goal for Colorado. Theo Peckham had the passing lane cut off, but allowed the pass to go right through his legs, on to O'Reilly's stick and into the back of the net. If he had a better stick and awareness, it could have been prevented pretty easily. The Oilers are giving up a lot of shots but playing pretty flawless, not an easy feat to accomplish, but they are doing it....somehow.

Next Game - Sunday October 30, 2011 vs. Blues @ Rexall Place on Sportsnet West 6 PM MT.

Pre-Game: Game #10 Oilers vs. Avalanche

First place in the division is on the line tonight. Both teams sitting at 12 points in 9 games. It will be a tough road game for the Oilers, as they played last night here in Edmonton, then had to make the long flight to Colorado, probably won't get much sleep tonight. I'm guessing that Dubnyk will get the start tonight as Khabibulin, while he has been stellar, is still 38 years old and is going to need games off especially in back to backs. This has been the game Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has been waiting for. Game #10, the game that declares him as an Oiler for the rest of the year with no chance of going back to Red Deer. I'm sure this story has been inevitable for awhile, but he is a game breaker already and I'm looking for him to continue to do so. Colorado is coming off a 4-2 loss in Calgary on Wednesday night so it will be tough to say how they will come out in this game. Much like the Oilers, the Avalanche have some young players that they rely on for offense. Should be an interesting battle with some youthful puck skill on display.

Forwards Oilers
- The Oilers kid line is running hot and checking line is checking everyone into the ice.
Defense Oilers
- The Oilers defense has done wonders blocking shots. Corey Potter has been a godsend on the powerplay.
Goalies Oilers
- Both teams have had a good streak of good goaltending. It's coin flip but the Oilers have slightly better numbers.
Special Teams Avalanche
- The Avalanche come into this game with the best power play in the league. The Oilers PK has also been very good, should be a good battle.
Coaching Oilers
- The Oilers seem to have settled into roles really well. The Avalanche have Duchene all over the lineup, should be interesting to see how they play him tomorrow.
Intangibles Avalanche
- Tough back to back for Oilers. This is where the team structure will really be tested by the young legs of the Avalanche.

Oilers:
Hall-NugentHopkins-Eberle
Paajarvi-Belanger-Gagner
Smyth-Horcoff-Jones
Eager-Lander-Petrell

Smid-Gilbert
Peckham-Potter
Sutton-Barker

Dubnyk
Khabibulin

Avalanche:
Landeskog-Stastny-Hejduk
Jones-O'Reilly-Winnik
Mueller-Duchene-Kobasew
Lindstrom-McClement-Galiardi

Johnson-Hejda
Quincey-O'Brien
Wilson-O'Byrne

Varlamov
Giguere

Game Time: 7 PM MT @ Colorado on Sportsnet Oilers.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Post-Game: Game #9 Oilers 2 Capitals 1

Scoring Summary
1st Period
WAS Karl Alzner 1 (Jeff Halpern, Jason Chimera) 5:36

EDM Taylor Hall 3 (PP) (Jordan Eberle, Corey Potter) 18:15

2nd Period
EDM Jordan Eberle 2 (PP) (Corey Potter, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins) 12:44

3rd Period
None

Penalty Summary
1st Period
2:52 Edmonton cross checking - 2 min T. Peckham drawn by M. Hendricks
9:55 Edmonton hooking - 2 min A. Lander drawn by M. Hendricks
9:55 Washington diving - 2 min M. Hendricks drawn by A. Lander
15:23 Washington hooking - 2 min A. Semin drawn by T. Hall
16:23 Edmonton slashing - 2 min R. Smyth drawn by M. Johansson
16:37 Washington puck over glass - 2 min J. Carlson
17:43 Washington hooking - 2 min R. Hamrlik drawn by S. Horcoff

2nd Period
4:29 Washington hooking - 2 min J. Schultz drawn by M. Paajarvi
12:04 Washington hooking - 2 min T. Brouwer drawn by T. Gilbert
13:23 Washington closing hand on puck - 2 min M. Johansson
17:11 Washington slashing - 2 min M. Perreault drawn by R. Smyth
18:14 Washington holding the stick - 2 min K. Alzner drawn by J. Eberle

3rd Period
1:22 Edmonton roughing - 2 min L. Smid drawn by M. Johansson
14:59 Edmonton tripping - 2 min A. Lander drawn by T. Brouwer
18:54 Edmonton roughing - 2 min A. Sutton drawn by M. Hendricks

Shots On Goal - Oilers 19 Capitals 35

Game Notes:
- Kid line scoring + outstanding goaltending + battling everything else to a stalemate = WINS. Rinse and repeat. It seems to be a formula that is working for the Oilers early on this season. After a couple of hiccups against Calgary and Minnesota a couple of weeks back, they have now perfected it against the Rangers, Vancouver and now Washington. One thing the Oilers are much, much better at it battling. No freebies, no puck taken for granted, and just flat out making sure the puck is moving forward. All of that plus great goaltending, is the reason on why the Oilers have been so stingy this year. Washington was really bringing it early and late in the game, Edmonton turned them away at every turn. The Oilers have finally found something they can lay they hats on when things get out of sorts, its been awhile where they really excelled at some facet of the game, and early on the defense has been really good. On a side note, The first goal by Taylor Hall, was as fast as I have seen the puck being moved around since the '80s, fantastic puck movement and recognition on the power play, they looked really dangerous tonight. Washington is now 7-1, thanks to the Oilers. Another statement win for the Oilers.

Player of the Game:
- Nikolai Khabibulin. I just want everyone to know out there that I do grade goaltenders a little more harshly than players, but how can you not give Khabibulin the kudos he deserves after all he's been through as an Oiler. It's a feel good story and one that I hope keeps up, but even if it doesn't, I will reflect on this time in Khabibulin's tenure. The game was 2-1 for a long time, but he didn't break and got his team the 2 points they needed.

Goat of the Game:
- Theo Peckham. Looked rusty tonight. Had a tough time with Washington's rushes and gave up a ten beller to Alexander Ovechkin, that thankfully didn't amount ot much. It's a tough gig, to try and come in a replace Ryan Whitney, especially when you don't have the same toolset that Whitney brings. I'm secretly hoping Jeff Petry made the trek to Denver to play in the game tomorrow night. He's a more realistic replacement for Whitney than Peckham is.

Next Game: Friday October 28, 2011 vs. Avalanche @ Colorado on Sportsnet Oilers 7 PM MT.

Pre-Game: Game #9 Oilers vs. Capitals



Here is game #9, the game that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has waited impatiently for, although with each passing game it seems more inevitable he'll be here all year. I'm pretty sure he'll be making the trip with the team to play game #10 in Colorado. The team defense continues to hold up as giving up only 2 goals against the vaunted Canucks team. They did give up 37 shots against but took the Canucks best punch and survived. They will likely have to do the same against the Capitals. The Capitals come into this game a perfect 7-0 and have scored 30 goals coming in. Thats over 4 goals a game. This will likely be the Oilers toughest test. Tom Renney must be tempted to tinker with the lines, considering a lot of players have yet to register a point. I would hold off on that. Eventually they will need some sort of 2nd line scoring, but you can't deny the Oilers are winning games and are doing it in a fashion that the other team has to give it everything it has. Sit tight Tom and keep rolling those 4 lines while getting the matchups you need. I'm not sure who is getting the start tonight, I'd start Dubnyk tonight, but I think Renney will choose Khabibulin. Khabibulin faced a lot of rubber against the Canucks and looked fatigued in the third period. We'll see how this goes.

Forwards Capitals
- The Capitals have 7 players with 2 or more goals, the Oilers have 4.
Defense Capitals
- The additions of Wideman and Hamrlik really shored up that backend.
Goaltending Oilers
- It's close. The Capitals have given up 14 in 7 while the Oilers have given up 14 in 8. The Oilers are going to need great goaltending to win this game.
Special Teams Capitals
- The weapons that the Capitals can throw out there is kinda gross to think about as an Oilers fan.
Coaching Oilers
- Line matchups, line matchups, line matchups.
Intangibles Oilers
- Washington hasn't played since Saturday so they might have some shaky legs early on. Whoever comes out and sets tempo will have a big advantage.

Oilers:
Hall-NugentHopkins-Eberle
Paajarvi-Belanger-Gagner
Smyth-Horcoff-Jones
Petrell-Lander-Eager

Smid-Gilbert
Peckham-Potter
Sutton-Barker

Khabibulin
Dubnyk

Capitals:
Ovechkin-Backstrom-Brouwer
Semin-Laich-Knuble
Chimera-Johansson-Ward
Hendricks-Perreault-Halpern

Green-Carlson
Alzner-Hamrlik
Wideman-Schultz

Vokoun
Neuvirth

Game Time: 7:30 PM MT @ Rexall Place on TSN.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Post-Game: Game #8 Oilers 3 Canucks 2

Scoring Summary
1st Period
None


2nd Period
EDM Jordan Eberle 1 (Taylor Hall, Corey Potter) 1:53

EDM Shawn Horcoff 1 (Ryan Smyth) 5:58

EDM Taylor Hall 2 (Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins) 6:55

VAN Cody Hodgson 2 (Alexander Edler, Manny Malhotra) 11:29

3rd Period
VAN Alexandre Burrows 3 (Henrik Sedin, Sami Salo) 7:43


Penalty Summary
1st Period
4:17 Vancouver delay of game - 2 min J. Hansen

2nd Period
2:22 Edmonton boarding - 2 min B. Eager drawn by A. Volpatti
7:42 Edmonton roughing - 2 min B. Eager drawn by J. Hansen
12:26 Vancouver hooking - 2 min D. Sedin drawn by T. Hall
18:19 Vancouver hooking - 2 min M. Lapierre drawn by C. Potter

3rd Period
3:43 Edmonton elbowing - 2 min L. Smid drawn by H. Sedin

Shots On Goal - Canucks 37 Oilers 22

Game Notes:
- Big win for the Oilers tonight. Game out like gangbusters in the 2nd period and held on desperately in the 3rd period. Tonight's effort was a team effort as everyone gave it all they had and it was enough in the end. Horcoff's line battled the Sedin's tooth and nail and ended the night -1, which isn't too bad as the kid line brought the rest of the offense and got them the win. It's a teplate they will have to ride if they want continued success. Nikolai Khabibulin really had to battle in this one. The Canucks peppered him in the 3rd, he bent but didn't break. He really started to tire at the end of the game but he held on and helped his team get a win. Ryan Whitney appeared to injury his knee when he had a skate on skate incident with Corey Potter. It's something that I'm expecting that will keep him out for awhile. I know Theo Peckham must be itching to get out of the pressbox but Jeff Petry would be the right man for the job here. Sam Gagner appeared to tweak his ankle tonight but finished the game, I'd expect him to be sore in the morning. It was a big credibility win for the Oilers, one that will make the Canucks and the rest of the NHL take notice. This Oilers team will be bringing it on most nights and they will need to bring their A game to beat them.

Player of the Game:
- Taylor Hall. Had himself a heckuva game. Was skating miles all over the ice, dishing out hits, getting hit, but always keeping the battle level high. He was relentless tonight. Setup a nice apple for Eberle in the slot and finished off a nice rush himself. It looks like he is starting to hit his stride and now getting more accustomed to his linemates.

Goat of the Game:
- Magnus Paajarvi. This is more of a cumulative GOTG. He's actually played well, but offensively is still sitting on the big goose egg after 8 games. He needs to find a way to get more abrasive and decisive with the puck. His indecision is getting him slammed all over the ice. He could stand to take a page out of Taylor Hall's book. He's a heckuva hockey player that needs to find some offense.

Next Game - Thursday October 27, 2011 vs. Capitals @ Rexall Place on TSN. 7:30 PM MT.

Pre-Game: Game #8 Oilers vs. Canucks



The Oilers come into this game with a 3-2-2 record, coming off of a convincing 2-0 win against the Rangers on Saturday night. The Oilers seemed to have found a way to win some games early on this season, using a sound defensive structure that they are hoping it will hold up against the Canucks tonight. The Sedin line aginst the Horcoff line should be a classic matchup, one that the Sedins won earlier this year. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins heads into game #8, meaning he has one more game before the Oilers have to make a decision on whether or not they send him back to Red Deer or not. I believe he is here to stay and there is no reason on why he wouldn't be. He fills a big role on the Oilers and he wants to be here, 'nuff said. Nikolai Khabibulin should get his third start in a row tonight, coming off of a shutout. The Canucks should be a good litmus test for the Oilers all year, to see where they stand in the grand scheme of things.

Forwards Canucks
- The Sedins will be a handful for the Oilers tonight, as they always are.
Defense Canucks
- The Canucks defense is a little more battle tested even though the Oilers defense has played well lately.
Goaltending Oilers
- I'm going out on a limb on this one. Khabibulin has been hot lately, while Luongo has not.
Special Teams Canucks
- The Sedins are the best power play players in the game. It will be a good test for a surging Oilers PK.
Coaching Oilers
- Line matchups will be a big key for an Oilers win tonight.
Intangibles Canucks
- The Canucks have to be looking at this game as a way to kickstart their season. They are off to an uneven 4-3-1 start.

Oilers:
Hall-NugentHopkins-Eberle
Paajarvi-Belanger-Gagner
Smyth-Horcoff-Jones
Petrell-Lander-Eager

Whitney-Potter
Smid-Gilbert
Sutton-Barker

Khabibulin
Dubnyk

Canucks:
D.Sedin-H.Sedin-Burrows
Booth-Kesler-Hodgson
Hansen-Malhotra-Higgins
Volpatti-Lapierre-Weise

Edler-Bieksa
Hamhuis-Salo
Ballard-Alberts

Luongo
Schneider

Game Time - 7:30 PM MT @ Rexall Place on Sportsnet West

Sunday, October 23, 2011

The Coaching Staff 2011



The Edmonton Oilers coaching staff has been much maligned over the last 20 years, going back to Ted Green to George Burnett to Ron Low to Kevin Lowe to Craig MacTavish to Pat Quinn to now Tom Renney. This years edition is Tom Renney being the head coach, Ralph Krueger being the right hand man, Kelly Buchburger and Steve Smith being assistants.

It has been awhile that the Oilers have been known for their stout defense. Over the last 30 years, I would say there has only been a handful of years in that time where you could say the Oilers had a "stout" defense. Back in the early 2000s when the Oilers had Jason Smith, Janne Niinimaa and Erik Brewer were roaming the blueline for the Oilers was the defense pretty good. It's a big part of the reason why Tommy Salo holds the all-time shutout record for the Edmonton Oilers. It was also the last time they had a checking line center and used him as such in Todd Marchant.

The Oilers have drawn this out in the newest edition of the Edmonton Oilers. They have a checking line Horcoff-Smyth-Jones, they have 4 pretty to very responsible centers in Belanger, Nugent-Hopkins and Lander, along with Horcoff. They have Dmen that just get in the way of the other team and are willing to sacrifice the body in blocking shots. All of these things will help this club be a better team in the future. The Oilers need to learn how to walk before thet can run, and teaching them to play a tight defensive style now, will only help them later when the games become more crucial. Championship teams learn how to win 2-1 as well as 6-5, something the Oilers will have to learn in order to become one.

I for one, want to applaud the efforts of this coaching staff for preaching defense first early in the season. We all want to see this team run and gun but its not how teams win these days. There is too much structure in todays game to do so. The key for the Oilers is to recognize when opportunities are there and seize them, but otherwise just simply keep the puck moving forward. I know everyone would want 6 goals a game out of the Oilers right now, but the Oilers are far better off for this right now.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Post-Game: Game #7 Oilers 2 Rangers 0

Scoring Summary
1st Period
None

2nd Period
EDM Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 5 (Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle) 10:09

3rd Period
EDM Corey Potter 1 (PP) (Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jordan Eberle) 4:03

Penalty Summary
1st Period
10:31 NY Rangers tripping - 2 min M. Gaborik drawn by A. Sutton

2nd Period
1:43 Edmonton holding - 2 min A. Sutton drawn by B. Prust
1:43 Edmonton fighting - 5 min A. Sutton drawn by B. Prust
1:43 NY Rangers fighting - 5 min B. Prust drawn by A. Sutton
15:48 Edmonton too many men on ice - 2 min Bench served by T. Hall
16:51 Edmonton hooking - 2 min C. Potter drawn by M. Gaborik
19:59 NY Rangers slashing - 2 min K. Newbury drawn by A. Lander

3rd Period
3:23 NY Rangers hooking - 2 min M. Rupp drawn by C. Barker
4:18 Edmonton hooking - 2 min A. Sutton drawn by B. Prust
17:21 Edmonton interference - 2 min T. Hall drawn by D. Stepan
18:57 NY Rangers hooking - 2 min B. Dubinsky drawn by R. Smyth

Shots On Goal Oilers 29 Rangers 19

Game Notes:
- The Oilers are in full lockdown mode. They have only given up 12 goals in 7 games. They have scored only 13 but were on the right side of the win column tonight. The Oilers really grinded the Rangers right into the ice, got the 2nd goal tonight, something they could have used the 2 previous games, but tonight they got it right. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins continued on with his season by scoring his team leading 5th goal by leading off the scorer with a well placed wrist shot. Corey Potter showed off his shot by blasting the 2nd goal by Lundqvist on the power play. Nikolai Khabibulin shook off the disappointed loss on Thursday to the Wild by pitching a shutout tonight. Good to see the fans get behind Khabibulin after a real tough year last year. Smyth-Horcoff-Jones had another successful night by successfully shutting down Gaborik and Richards tonight. It's been awhile since the Oilers have had a legit shutdown line. It's something that is going to be key to success for this team going forward. Good game for the Oilers tonight, right from the top to bottom of the lineup. I'd keep the lineup the same over the next little while, its a good formula and it will allow players to get some comfort in their roles. It means Linus Omark and Theo Peckham may be in the pressbox for a few games longer until injuries hit or losses start to pile up.

Player of the Game:
- Nikolai Khabibulin. I'd give it to the whole team if I could. But after that tough goal and tough shootout loss on Thursday night, it was nice to see him comeback even stronger. He wasn't particularly busy tonight, the defense was outstanding again tonight and the center play for the Oilers has been phenomenal this year. All of this is contributing to the reason why the Oilers are one of the best defensive teams in the NHL, something I don't think anyone would have expected at the beginning of the year.

Goat of the Game:
- Cam Barker. This is flat out cruel on my part. The Oilers played about as flawless as a game as they can play. The only thing that concerns me about Barker's game, well aside from his footwork, is his disadvised pinches. No need to try and win a 50/50 pinch when you are up 2-0. Other than that the game was flawless.

Next Game - Tuesday October 25, 2011 vs. Canucks @ Rexall Place on Sportsnet West. 7:30 PM MT.

Pre-Game: Game #7 Oilers vs. Rangers



It's only Game #7 and already Tom Renney is providing the media with enough controversy. Will Ryan Nugent-Hopkins play tonight? I can't see how he doesn't but at the same time the Oilers do need to get Sam Gagner back into the lineup, if for any reason, to get Gagner back some value around the league. I understand why they would replace RNH with Gagner in the lineup. It's because they essentially do the same things on the ice, problem is RNH is so much better at it. The Oilers are also feebly short on RH shots, which is crippling the power play right now, with Hemsky hurt, Eberle is the only RH shot in the lineup at forward. Gagner would help in that facet being a RH shot. It will be interesting to see who rides the pressbox tonight, because I figure Sam Gagner is ready to play. Honestly, I'd give the short straw to Omark tonight and give Gagner a net-crasher spot on a line on the wing. He'd be miscast there but I wouldn't put him back at center, not now. I expect Dubnyk to be back in net continuing with the rotation theme. EDIT - Khabibulin gets the start tonight.

Forwards Rangers
- Richards and Gaborik will be a handful for the Oilers Dmen tonight.
Defense Oilers
- The Oilers defense has played well all year and Whitney is now finding his stride.
Goaltending Rangers
- The Oilers will be going against another elite goaltender in Lundqvist, goals will be once again hard to come by.
Special Teams Rangers
- The Oilers power play needs to pick it up. The goals have really run dry over the last few games.
Coaching Oilers
- The Oilers with last change will be able to get the Horcoff line against the Richards line.
Intangibles Oilers
- The Rangers are in the midst of a long trip while the Oilers have to be hungry to get a win tonight. If they lose it could get ugly in the media.

Oilers:
Hall-NugnetHopkins-Eberle
Paajarvi-Belanger-Gagner
Smyth-Horcoff-Jones
Petrell-Lander-Eager

Whitney-Potter
Smid-Gilbert
Sutton-Barker

Khabibulin
Dubnyk

Rangers:
Fedotenko-Richards-Gaborik
Dubinsky-Stepan-Callahan
Rupp-Boyle-Prust
Christensen-Anisimov-Wolski

Girardi-McDonagh
Eminger-Del Zotto
Erixon-Woywitka

Lundqvist
Biron

Game Time: 8PM MT @ Rexall Place on CBC.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Post-Game: Game #6 Wild 2 Oilers 1 (SO)

Scoring Summary
1st Period
EDM Ryan Jones 2 (Ryan Smyth) 16:06

2nd Period
None


3rd Period
MIN Dany Heatley 2 (Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Devin Setoguchi) 19:58


OT Period
None


Shootout
EDM Jordan Eberle shootout saved
MIN Matt Cullen shootout goal
EDM Ryan Nugent-Hopkins shootout saved
MIN Pierre-Marc Bouchard shootout saved
EDM Eric Belanger shootout miss

Shots On Goal - Oilers 32 Wild 32

Game Notes:
- The Oilers are in a very festive mood this week. After giving away points to the Flames, they gave away some to the Wild as well. Tonight was more about bad luck than anything. They were 1.2 seconds away from everything being right in the world. Dany Heatley's sifter from the side of the net beat Khabibulin, loss the shootout and the rest is history. The bigger problem the Oilers are facing right now is a real lack of goals. The puck luck around the net just isn't there. Missed open nets, fanned one-timers, hitting posts and crossbars are all adding to the demise. I found it kind of ironic that Belanger's shootout attempt went off the post after a great move, sealing the fate for the Oilers this night. All the Oilers can do is ride it out. Its painful to watch but we are starting to see a lot of the pieces are there now. The center play this year has been far superior to the group they were running out there last year. Its a big reason why the goals against is way down. The Oilers really need the big 3 (Hall, Paajarvi and Eberle) to get going offensively. The offense has dried up offensively for RNH, the goals just aren't there right now and the kids are going to need to deliver there somehow. Does this team miss Ales Hemsky? It does a bit, but it shouldn't be crippling the offense to the point we are seeing now. I know the media is ready to pounce on that story ASAP, but I don't think Hemsky is the difference right now. The difference is trying to dig down that little bit deeper and making sure that will to win is there, that killer instinct. The Oilers have to know that 1 goal isn't enough to win every hockey game. The bigger thing is for the Oilers to keep their defensive structure strong, I do believe the goals will come around. They just need to recognize the opportunities better and seize them.

Player of the Game:
- Ryan Jones. Khabibulin was a second and a half from getting this but that goal was pretty unforgivable in what he gave up. Ryan Jones and the 3rd line were solid all night, battling their faces off and contributing the only goal the 3rd line was getting this night. I have been impressed with this line over this past week and I think the third line has been found in Smyth-Horcoff-Jones. Good work boys. The Oilers need a shutdown line and they have delivered this week.

Goat of the Game:
- Ladislav Smid. I thought long and hard on this one. The game was flawless for 59:58 until Smid turned his back on Heatley and followed a less dangerous Setoguchi around the net while Heatley got one more poke at the puck. Setoguchi was not a threat on that play and would have likely ran out of time to make any other play. Smid needs to make better reads if he wants to be a true lockdown Dman. That two plays over the last two games that cost the Oilers points. If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen. Khabibulin gets a HM here, but how can you fault a guy for giving up one goal in 65 minutes of action, even if it was an ugly one?

Next Game - Saturday October 22, 2011 vs. Rangers @ Rexall Place on CBC.

Pre-Game: Game #6 Oilers vs. Wild



The Oilers come into tonight's game with the Wild with a 2-2-1 record, coming off of a very tough 2-1 loss to the Flames. The Oilers look to get back on track tonight, hopeful that Taylor Hall and perhaps Sam Gagner, will both be back in the lineup tonight. Jeff Petry was assigned to OKC yesterday, a move that bugs me to no end, but a move that I understand why it was made. Petry was their best and debatably, only mobile Dman on the current team. Taking him away comes at the peril of the team that has a bunch of club foots in Sutton, Barker, Potter and Peckham. Gilbert and Smid are OK, and Whitney is coming off of a severe ankle injury, limiting his mobility. Petry was the only Dman that could be sent to OKC without having to clear waivers, so I'm sure to coaching and management it was a no-brainer. Minnesota comes into this game with a 2-2-2 record and coming off of a 4-2 loss against the Penguins. I expect Khabibulin to get the start tonight, continuing the theme of flip-flopping goaltenders. Another potential winnable game for the Oilers. Much like the game against the Flames, a game they will have to win if they want to become credible. Note to Tom Renney, please use Ben Eager more at the beginning of the game. He's a better player than you think he is.

Goaltending Wild
- I have a hard time giving this the Oilers yet. Until they can prove over many games they can hold the fort, they likely will lose this matchup. Backstrom is a very credible goaltender and one that has been tough on the Oilers.
Forwards Oilers
- The Oilers youth and speed need to be on display tonight for the Oilers to win.
Defense Oilers
- Ryan Whitney is the difference here. The Wild really don't have a #1 Dman.
Special Teams Oilers
- The PK has been solid to start the year, will need the PP to pick things up.
Intangibles Oilers
- If this game was in Minnesota, the Oilers would be in trouble. Thankfully, it's in Edmonton and Edmonton has won most of the games here recently against the Wild.

Oilers:
Hall-NugentHopkins-Eberle
Paajarvi-Belanger-Omark
Smyth-Horcoff-Jones
Petrell-Lander-Eager

Whitney-Potter
Smid-Gilbert
Sutton-Barker

Khabibulin
Dubnyk

Wild:
Setoguchi-Koivu-Heatley
Latendresse-Cullen-Bouchard
Bulmer-Brodziak-Clutterbuck
Gillies-Powe-Staubitz

Zidlicky-Zanon
Schultz-Scandella
Stoner-Spurgeon

Backstrom
Harding

Game Time: 7:30 PM MT @ Rexall Place on Sportsnet Oilers.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Post Game: Game #5 Flames 2 Oilers 1

Scoring Summary
1st Period
EDM Tom Gilbert 1 (PP) (Corey Potter, Shawn Horcoff) 6:42

2nd Period
None

3rd Period
CGY Jay Bouwmeester 1 (Olli Jokinen, Lee Stempniak) 14:03

CGY Alex Tanguay 1 (Cory Sarich , David Moss) 15:32


Penalty Summary
1st Period
2:06 Calgary misconduct - 10 min P. Letourneau-Leblond drawn by B. Eager
2:06 Edmonton misconduct - 10 min B. Eager drawn by P. Letourneau-Leblond
6:15 Calgary high-sticking - 2 min T. Jackman drawn by C. Barker
18:31 Edmonton tripping - 2 min C. Barker drawn by D. Moss

2nd Period
1:42 Edmonton too many men on ice - 2 min Bench served by L. Omark
14:00 Edmonton tripping - 2 min E. Belanger drawn by L. Stempniak
15:08 Calgary interference - 2 min A. Tanguay drawn by R. Jones
17:43 Calgary hooking - 2 min C. Sarich drawn by E. Belanger

3rd Period
5:56 Calgary high-sticking - 2 min C. Glencross drawn by L. Omark
9:29 Calgary hooking - 2 min M. Giordano drawn by R. Jones
19:51 Calgary cross checking - 2 min M. Giordano drawn by R. Smyth

Shots On Goal - Flames 30 Oilers 26

Game Notes:
Tough loss. It's the kind of loss that could cost you a potential playoff spot at the end of the year. Essentially, The Flames did to the Oilers what the Oilers did to Nashville last night. Without Taylor Hall, the Oiler offense went very pop gun, they were very timid to shoot the puck and I'm not sure why. They had traffic in front all night and there were a lot of passed up shots. I'm not sure if it was by design or a timidness or fatigue that they just couldn't generate a lot tonight. The defense had a strong game for 55 minutes then it all fell on them like a house of cards. This is the type of game that Ben Eager need to play more early, to soften up the Flames D, so they can take advantage of them in third. The Flames D was still pretty fresh at the end of the game and the Oilers had the heavy legs. It was a game where they just didn't have quite enough in the tank. The Oilers can't live on rolling three lines forever, eventually they will have to even out the lines at some point. Jeff Petry is a player they need to play full time, he is their most mobile Dman and is able to skate the puck out of danger. Barker should be the one sitting if Whitney is back full time. They need Sutton and Smid to play for toughness purposes. As a positive, I have really been impressed with the center play on this team over the last two games. Nugent-Hopkins, Belanger, Horcoff, and Lander have all played well at especially as good support for the defense. It's something I wouldn't break up anytime soon. I know some people have Lander on the bubble when players get healthy, but to me he stays and the others move around him.

Player of the Game:
- Corey Potter. It's somewhat of a shocker I know, but I like the way this guy plays. He's calm, composed, shoots the puck when he's supposed to play, play the body when he needs to. Along with Petry, this two should be playing full time at the moment, game in, game out. Barker and Peckham should be the healthy scratches right now. Fed a nice apple to Gilbert for a one-timer on the only goal.

Goat of the Game:
- Ladislav Smid. I hate to give it to him because he has played so well to start the year, but his play on the winning goal looked like old Ladi Smid. Dubnyk makes a save, puck pops up in the air, he swats at it, misses it, lands behind him, he has no idea where it is, and Tanguay pots it into an empty net. Just a horrible time for an unfortunate play to happen. Jordan Eberle gets an HM here for overpursuing the zone and allowing Bouwmeester to come behind him and fire the tying goal in the high slot.

Next Game: Thursday October 20, 2011 vs Wild @ Rexall Place on Sportsnet West 7:30 PM MT.

Pre-Game: Game #5 Oilers vs. Flames



The Oilers are coming off a hard fought but well deserved 2-1 win over the Nashville Predators on Monday night. The Oilers willed their way to victory from a couple of nice plays plays that led to 2 third period goals. The Oilers also held the Predators to 13 shots. Ryan Whitney sounds like he'll either play tonight or Thursday against the Wild. The defense played so well last night that they might give all them another game and allow themselves to be cautious with Whitney. It will be interesting to see how they handle the goaltending situation tonight. Khabibulin was underworked with facing only 13 shots last night, and Dubnyk coming off a questionable game. They could go either way here, but I think they will continue the rotation and go with Dubnyk. The Flames are fresh off of a trip that took them to Eastern Canada, winning in Montreal but losing in Toronto. They are off to a 1-3 start and will be looking hungry tonight. The Flames have owned the Oilers over the last few years in Calgary. It will be a nother stren test for the Oilers and a chance to exercise another demon.

Forwards Oilers
- The Oilers will win the forward battle a lot this season, they have a good blend of youth and experience, to go along with speed.
Defense Flames
- This will depened on Whitney's health but Mark Giordano has come into his own as a top line Dman in the NHL.
Goaltending Flames
- Not sure what we'll get with the Oilers goalending from game to game, not sure with Flames either, but I'll give the edge to the Flames' Kiprusoff.
Special Teams Oilers
- The penalty kill has been really good for the Oilers so far this year. The power play is starting to establish itself as well with the kids on it.
Coaching Oilers
- As long as Tom Renney doesn't overcoach this game and dresses enough beef, this is a very winnable game for the Oilers.
Intangibles Flames
- Flames have a lot to prove tonight and the Oilers will have to weather the early storm.

Oilers:
Hall-NugentHopkins-Eberle
Paajarvi-Belanger-Omark
Smyth-Horcoff-Jones
Petrell-Lander-Eager

Smid Gilbert
Barker Petry
Sutton Potter

Dubnyk
Khabibulin

Flames:
Tanguay-Moss-Iginla
Glencross-Jokinen-Stempniak
Bourque-Horak-Hagman
Kostopolous-Stajan-Jackman

Bouwmeester Giordano
Hannan Babchuk
Butler Sarich

Kiprusoff
Karlsson

Game Time - 7:30 PM MT @ Calgary on Sportsnet West.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Post-Game: Game #4 Oilers 3 Predators 1

Scoring Summary
1st Period
No Scoring

2nd Period
NSH Sergei Kostitsyn 1 (Kevin Klein) 1:58


3rd Period
EDM Taylor Hall 1 (PP) (Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Shawn Horcoff) 5:29

EDM Ryan Smyth 2 (Shawn Horcoff) 7:31

EDM Ryan Jones 1 (EN) (Shawn Horcoff, Ryan Smyth) 19:20

Penalty Summary
1st Period
3:30 Nashville boarding - 2 min S. Weber drawn by J. Eberle
5:55 Edmonton roughing - 2 min L. Smid drawn by M. Halischuk
11:59 Nashville hooking - 2 min N. Spaling drawn by L. Smid
12:26 Edmonton hooking - 2 min T. Hall drawn by S. Weber

2nd Period
3:34 Nashville holding - 2 min J. Blum drawn by M. Paajarvi
5:52 Edmonton too many men on ice - 2 min Bench served by L. Omark
9:08 Edmonton high-sticking - 2 min L. Omark drawn by J. Blum
19:13 Nashville slashing - 2 min R. Suter drawn by R. Jones

3rd Period
5:07 Nashville holding - 2 min R. Suter drawn by R. Smyth
13:47 Edmonton tripping - 2 min A. Sutton drawn by C. Wilson

Shots On Goal - Oilers 27 Predators 13

Game Notes:
In the past, this would have been a game the Oilers would have lost. Being thoroughly frusterated through 40 minutes, one would have figured this is ultimaltely how the game would have ended. But all it took was one cross ice seem pass from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to Taylor Hall and then there was hope. There wouldn't have two players at either end of that puck that I would have wanted more than those two. Fantastic pass, fantastic finish. Horcoff and Smyth teamed up on winner much in the same fashion. From there all they had to do was drive it home. Not enough can be said about the defense tonight. After being much maligned after the Vancouver game, the Oilers D got their stuff together and only gave up 13 shots on this night. Smid, Gilbert, Barker, Petry, Sutton and Potter all had solid nights, moving the puck and getting in the way. Peckham will have a tough time getting back in the lineup if the defense keeps it up. Something tells me that Sutton will run out of gas and Peckham will get his shot then. Potter and Petry shouldn't be healthy scratches any time soon. The Oilers deserved to win this game and they did, something that wasn't said much last year.

Player of the Game:
- Ryan Smyth. I could give it all 6 Dmen tonight for their efforts, but I'll give it to Ryan Smyth for scoring the winner and making a nice intercept that led to the empty netter. Ryan Smyth had kind of an uneven start to his new tenure as an Oiler, but this game he was his solid, old self, battling hard on the puck and making life difficult for the Nashville defense.

Goat of the Game:
- Andy Sutton. This is a tough one. Everyone played so well and no one had a flat out bad game, but Andy Sutton's penalty in the 3rd period could have been trouble, but Edmonton's PK was so good all night, they killed it off with ease.

Next Game - Tuesday October 18, 2011 vs. Flames @ Calgary on Sportsnet West 7:30 PM MT.

Pre-Game: Game #4 Oilers vs. Predators

The Oilers come into tonight's game with a 1-1-1 record, coming off a 4-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins turned into a folk hero as he scored all three goals in a losing cause. The injuries are starting to pile up as Ales Hemsky looks to be out for 3-4 week with a shoulder injury and Darcy Hordichuk left the game early on Saturday night after tweaking a knee. Ben Eager sounds like he is close to being ready to go, he'll take the pre-game skate and I'm guessing he'll draw in. The Oilers don't have any other forwards to turn to, otherwise they'll have to dress 7 Dmen tonight. I look for Nikolai Khabibulin to get the start tonight. Nashville comes into the game with a 2-1-1 recoed, coming off of a 3-2 OT loss to the New Jersey Devils. I look for this game to be a quiet affair and should be a good test for the young Oiler forwards to gace the very stout Nashville defense.

Forwards Oilers
- The Oilers forwards will have to stay resilient tonight as they will face a lot of frusteration.
Defense Predators
- Shea Weber and Ryan Suter are 2 of the most formidable defenseman in the NHL.
Goaltending Predators
- Pekka Rinne is off to a solid start having a 2.45 GAA and a .930 S% this year.
Special Teams Predators
- Nashville prides themselves on having a strong special teams, both on the PP and PK. Weber and Suter help out immensely with that.
Coaching Predators
- Barry Trotz is the 2nd longest tenured head coach in the NHL and the only coach in Predator history. He's got his players playing his system down pat.
Intangibles Predators
- Work ethic is a mainstay of the Predators teams, the Oilers will to match and exceed it if they want to win tonight.

Oilers:
Hall-NugentHopkins-Eberle
Paajarvi-Belanger-Omark
Smyth-Horcoff-Jones
Petrell-Lander-Eager

Smid Gilbert
Barker Petry
Sutton Potter

Khabibulin
Dubnyk

Predators:
Kostitsyn-Legwand-Hornqvist
Wilson-Spaling-Bergfors
Halischuk-O'Reilly-Smith
Smithson-Geoffrion-Tootoo

Suter Weber
Blum Klein
Hillen Laakso

Rinne
Lindback

Game Time - 7:30 PM MT @ Rexall Place on Sportsnet West.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Back To The Drawing Board



Three games in, and there is already a lot of story that has been told. The Nuge looks like he belongs, Hemsky is hurt again, the defense needs some help and the coaching staff is going to need a lot of eraser.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is a player, there is no denying that, but how can the Oilers get all these pieces pulling in the same direction? How does Nugent-Hopkins fit in with the rest of the pieces? How can the Oilers get the most out of everyone? So save the, "The Nuge is the best and anyone who didn't think he should have been picked first is a dumb jackass, roflmaowtfpwn!" Speaking for myself, I know the Nuge is a helluva player, I got the opportunity to watch him a ton while playing for the Red Deer Rebels last year. I know he has sublime vision, is strong on his skates and is a an all around deft player. The question is, how do the Oilers get the most out of everyone? Originally, I had the Oilers picking Sean Couturier. The reason being I wanted the Oilers to jump the curb a bit in terms of fast forwarding the rebuild, not by a lot, but perhaps cutting off a year on the rebuild. The Oilers are going to need bigger players at some point, and the only way they are getting any of the good ones is drafting them. As it stands right now, the Oilers are going to have to continue turning over the team while players like Hall, RNH and Eberle conintue to gain experience. Players like Omark, Hemsky and Gagner, are practically out the door, and will need to be replaced by players that can apply some "pushback", while chipping some goals. Those types are not easy to find, either they will be castoffs or players well past their prime, but these players are needed in any form. Congrats to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for a solid game last night, but now its up to Steve Tambellini to figure out how to make all these pieces work. The Oilers team should look like Survivor Island over the next few weeks and I will be disappointed if some players aren't shipped out ASAP...aka Omark, Hemsky, Gagner.

Mr. Shawn Horcoff, you just need to play flat out better. I can live with the fact that you fumble the puck all over the place, but you need to be a stabilizer out there. Make the proper reads and cover your area.

Something that I would try if I was Tom Renney in the meantime:

Hall-RNH-Nolan
Paajarvi-Horcoff-Eberle
Smyth-Belanger-Jones
Hartikainen-Lander-Eager

Smid Gilbert
Barker Petry
Sutton Potter

PP1:
Nolan-RNH-Hall-Petry-Barker

PP2:
Eberle-Smyth-Paajarvi-Potter-Horcoff

PK1:
Belanger-Jones
Smid-Gilbert

PK2:
Lander-Hartikainen
Sutton-Potter

Damn, do the Oilers need Owen Nolan in a bad way, he would be the perect third player on a line with Hall and RNH, freeing up Eberle to head up a pretty good 2nd line. I know, I know, Horcoff is on it, but I am thinking he needs to get out of the pure checking role and be more of a hybrid player. Right now, the better option for a pure checking line center is Belanger. The Oilers also need Ben Eager back and Teemu Hartikainen up with the big club. It will give the Oilers two more bullets when push comes to shove.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Post-Game: Game #3 Canucks 4 Oilers 3

Scoring
1st Period
VAN Sami Salo 1 (PP) (Cody Hodgson, Chris Higgins) 8:49

EDM Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 2 (power play) (Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall) 13:44

EDM Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 3 (Tom Gilbert, Jordan Eberle) 19:31

2nd Period
VAN Henrik Sedin 2 (PP) (Sami Salo) 4:19

EDM Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 4 (PP) (Taylor Hall, Corey Potter) 16:37

VAN Alexandre Burrows 2 (Assists: Daniel Sedin 4, Henrik Sedin 5) 19:44

3rd Period
VAN Sami Salo 2 (Mikael Samuelsson, Chris Higgins) 7:47

Penalty Summary
1st Period
3:18 Vancouver cross checking - 2 min J. Hansen drawn by M. Paajarvi
7:07 Edmonton tripping - 2 min R. Smyth drawn by A. Burrows
10:13 Vancouver interference - 2 min D. Sedin drawn by R. Jones
12:56 Vancouver hooking - 2 min D. Sedin drawn by L. Smid
14:27 Edmonton fighting - 5 min A. Sutton drawn by A. Volpatti
14:27 Vancouver fighting - 5 min A. Volpatti drawn by A. Sutton

2nd Period
2:19 Edmonton tripping - 2 min T. Peckham drawn by C. Hodgson
3:10 Edmonton high-sticking - 2 min R. Smyth drawn by S. Salo
11:06 Vancouver tripping - 2 min M. Samuelsson drawn by T. Peckham
16:06 Vancouver tripping - 2 min J. Hansen drawn by T. Hall
18:58 Edmonton fighting - 5 min T. Peckham drawn by D. Weise
18:58 Vancouver fighting - 5 min D. Weise drawn by T. Peckham

3rd Period
None


Shots On Goal - Oilers 33 Canucks 30

Game Notes:
- About as bitter a loss you can get in game #3 of the year. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins nets a hat trick and half the team makes dumb plays all over the ice is essentially the micrcosm of this game. Tke kids, RNH and Hall specifically were really trying hard and creating tonight. Smyth and Horcoff had tough games tonight. Just bad reads and missed assignments all over the ice for these two. Horcoff had a good night on the dot but missed 2 assignments that led to goals. Devan Dubnyk had a lukewarm night. The kind of night that he had a lot last year, good enough to not get the finger pointed at him, but not enough to help his team win. He had issues with rebound control tonight. The Oilers defense was exposed pretty badly tonight. Lots of giveaways tonight and lots of errand passes. Corey Potter played well and made some plays in the backend. The Oilers really need to find a way to get both Potter and Petry playing on the backend, meaning one of Sutton, Smid or Peckham should be sitting. The Oilers really need to learn how to play with some composure. They kept rushing the play when there was more time to make plays. The Canucks did a good job of clogging up shooting lanes and forcing the Oilers to the outside. When an 18 year old player, is the best player at penetrating the defense, that is a big problem for the team, one it will have to deal with in short order.

Player of the Game:
- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Without any doubt, the best player in the game. This kid just knows how to play the game and understands the concepts of where to be and what he is going to do. The master of the simple play. He really understands the angles/leverage and how he works them to his advantage. Welcome to the club, Ryan. We'll have to turn over the team some more to get some neanderthals to help out some of these kids get the space they'll need.

Goat of the Game:
- Theo Peckham. I could have picked from a handful of guys, but Peckham's turnover in the 3rd period led to the eventual winner. Peckham played tough and had a nice fight with Dale Weise, but treated the puck like a grenade tonight. Ultimately, it ended up in the Oilers' demise. Horcoff and Smyth could have ended up here just as easily.

Next Game - Monday October 17 2011 vs. Nashville @ Rexall Place on Sportsnet West 7:30 PM MT.

Pre-Game: Game #3 Oilers vs. Canucks

The Oilers have a shooutout win and a shootout loss to their credit so far this year. The Canucks should provide a stiff test for the Oilers tonight, to see how far their battle tested minds and bodies have come so far. The Canucks are ending a road trip, in which they have already been out east in this young season. The Oilers themselves are coming off a 2-1 shootout loss in Minnesota. The fans seem a little less patient with the Oilers this year. Perhaps its a sign that the fans all want this team to grow up and be the team we all want them to be. This is a big game and a big test for the Oilers early on this season. Either it will put the fans at ease a bit, or it will make those barks even louder. Should be interesting to see the reaction after this game.

Goaltending Canucks
- It's all gonna come down to Jekyll and Hyde Luongo.
Forwards Canucks
- Something tells me the Sedins are going to feast tonight.
Defense Canucks
- Bieksa and Edler are better than anything the Oilers currently have.
Special Teams Canucks
- Without Hemsky, the Oilers power play will be hurting tonight.
Coaching Oilers
- Tom Renney and his staff really need to win this battle if they want to win tonight.
Intangibles Oilers
- The Canucks are ending a long road trip. May be a little fatigued.

Oilers Lineup
Hall-NugentHopkins-Eberle
Paajarvi-Belanger-Omark
Smyth-Horcoff-Jones
Petrell-Lander-Hordichuk

Smid-Gilbert
Barker-Peckham
Sutton-Potter

Dubnyk
Khabibulin

Canucks Lineup
D.Sedin-H.Sedin-Burrows
Higgins-Hodgson-Samuelsson
Sturm-Malhotra-Hansen
Volpatti-Lapierre-Weise

Edler-Bieksa
Hamhuis-Salo
Tanev-Ballard

Luongo
Schneider

Game Time - 8PM MT @ Rexall Place on CBC

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Post Game: Game #2 Wild 2 Oilers 1 (S0)

Scoring Summary
1st Period
EDM Ryan Smyth 1 (Eric Belanger, Jordan Eberle) 11:40

2nd Period :
MIN Matt Cullen 3 (Guillaume Latendresse) 8:18

3rd Period
No Scoring


OT Period
No Scoring

Shootout
MIN Matt Cullen shootout goal
EDM Jordan Eberle shootout goal
MIN Pierre-Marc Bouchard shootout saved
EDM Anton Lander shootout saved
MIN Mikko Koivu shootout saved
EDM Taylor Hall shootout miss
MIN Devin Setoguchi shootout goal
EDM Shawn Horcoff shootout saved

Shots On Goal - Oilers 23 Wild 36

Game Notes:
Welp, the Oilers continued their theme of coming out losers in Minnesota, at least this time they go a point out of it. The Oilers gutted out a point but the legs were real heavy by the 3rd period and the ability to make any kind of an offensive play wasn't there. Minnesota out-gameplanned the Oilers on this night, going with a heavy forecheck in the 1st period and wearing out the Oiler defense to the point where they were rendered useless. If the Oilers defense faces much of this kind of abuse, and I'm sure they will, they will need walkers to finish the year. One thing the Oilers will need to address is mobility on the blueline, because without it, they are sitting ducks back there waiting to be crushed. Surprisingly, (sarcasm alert!) Ales Hemsky once again fell victim to a shoulder injury and did not finish the game. No one is real sure when the moment of impact did happen, but all we know is he did not take a shift after the first period. Hemsky's injury didn't help but the Oilers top 2 scoring didn't do much of anything to create offense outside of the 1st period, I expect the blender to come out on the top 2 scoring lines in order to create more offense. 2 goals in 2 games does not bode well for a team that has a lot of offensive skill. They are fortunate to have 3 out of a possible 4 points up to now. I though the line of Paajarvi-Horcoff-Jones were solid when they weren't forced into a mish-mash of line combos after Hemsky went out of the game. They played tough, heady and managed the puck well. Essentially you want that line to play to stalemate with the other teams best line, and they did well on this night.

Player of the Game:
- Nikolai Khabibulin. I hate to have to give the POTG to goaltenders over and over again, but no one really stood out other than Khabibulin. A very large reason the Oilers were fortunate to get a point was because of Khabibulin. The Oilers were outshot 15-1 in the 3rd period. 'Nuff said there. Khabibulin looked real square to the shooters tonight.

Goat of the Game:
- Andy Sutton. No one really played all that poorly. No one really played all that well either. Just a lot of non-descript games from almost everyone in the lineup. I just didn't like the fact that Sutton felt the need to huddle up beside Belanger and Smyth on the blueline and allow a 3 on 1 to occur behind him. Simply put, it was just a bad read.

Next Game - Saturday October 15 2011 vs. the Canucks @ Rexall Place on CBC 8PM MT.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Pre-Game: Game #2 Oilers vs. Wild



The Oilers meet the Wild in Minnesota tonight, a place where the Oilers are winless in quite some time, a streak that spans 16 games. The Oilers seemed to have a new found confidence when it come to compete level and puck battle but were only able to muster one goal in the shootout win against the Penguins. Lennert Petrell will likely see his first action of the season, meaning Linus Omark will draw the short straw. Taking Omark out of the lineup is kind of a curious move. While I agree they need more battle ready players and Omark coming out of the lineup is the right move, he has played worse games than the one against Pittsburgh. I didn't think he played that badly against Pittsburgh on Sunday night. Perhaps its something Tom Renney has identified, that he's going to need more battle bullets to take counterbalance the smaller, speedy skill of the Oilers. It's a good move by Tom Renney, and something management will have to help him with. The goaltending is up in the air at the moment, Tom Renney could really go wither way on this one and justify it. Go with the hot hand in Dubnyk or knock off the rust on Khabibulin. The game load for the Oilers picks up after tonight, so it might be a good idea to get both goaltenders some game action shortly.

OILERS:
Hall-NugentHopkins-Hemsky
Smyth-Belanger-Eberle
Paajarvi-Horcoff-Jones
Petrell-Lander-Hordichuk

Sutton Gilbert
Barker Petry
Smid Peckham

Khabibulin
Dubnyk

WILD:
Setoguchi-Koivu-Heatley
Latendresse-Cullen-Bouchard
Bulmer-Brodziak-Clutterbuck
Gillies-Powe-Johnson

Zidlicky Zanon
Schultz Scandella
Stoner Spurgeon

Backstrom
Harding

Game Time - 6PM MT @ Minnesota on Sportsnet West.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Oilers Musings: Tuesday October 11 2011



Taylor Chorney was put on waivers yesterday and claimed today by the St. Louis Blues. The Blues have injury issues on the back when Carlo Colaiacovo when down injury and claimed Chorney to be a 7th Dman over there. I wonder if the Oilers will take him back when the Blues inevitably put him on waivers again. OKC could really use Chorney if for anything because he shoots left handed. OKC, as it stands right now have 6 Dmen that all shoot right, something that will have to be fixed ASAP.

The Oilers line combos as of today's practise were:

Hall-NugentHopkins-Hemsky
-It's a line long on skill but short on braun. It bugs me that they are using Hall as an off the puck power forward. Hall and RNH are a long term combo, but Hemsky is very much a 3rd wheel on this line. All 3 will demand the puck but the Kobe Bryant of the line should be Hall by rights. The other 2 will have to find a way to be useful while not having the puck on their sticks.
Smyth-Belanger-Eberle
- I hated this line before and I still hate this line. All 3 puck distributors are playing on the first line, leaving these guys trying to figure out a way to contain the puck in the offensive zone. Without the ability to bring the puck through the neutral zone, they will struggle to get it into the offensive zone.
Paajarvi-Horcoff-Jones
- A 3rd line I have been begging for, for 2 years now, has finally gotten a look. Paajarvi will be the puck transporter with Jones net-crashing and Horcoff being the two-way shooter. All 3 of them being defensively responsible, and the making of a true checking line has been born. Bring on the toughs!
Petrell-Lander-Hordichuk
- Not a terrible 4th line, I'd like a little more tenacity on it, but its a line that will likely create more than give up which is ultimately what you want. The Oilers could really use a 4th line that goes out and pounds defensemen. Wearing down the Dmen will eventually lead to the top lines getting better opportunites later in the game.

Sutton Gilbert
Barker Petry
Smid Peckham
- No need to change the Dmen, at least not yet as they played well in the first game of the year. I could see the pairing of Smid-Peckham being an issue in the future as they are both naturally left side defenseman (Peckham playing the right side). The bigger issue lies in the fact that neither one pisses a drop offensively, so when they do have a bad game, it will stick out like a sore thumb. I'm guessing the D pairings will get tossed around a lot this year. Ryan Whitney will sure give this unit a facelift.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Post-game: Game #1 Oilers 2 Penguins 1 (SO)

Scoring Summary
1st Period
PIT Kris Letang 1 (PP) (Steve Sullivan, Tyler Kennedy) 3:13


2nd Period
No Scoring

3rd Period
EDM Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 1 (Taylor Hall, Jeff Petry) 15:05


OT Period
No Scoring


Shootout
EDM Jordan Eberle shootout goal
PIT Kris Letang shootout saved
EDM Ales Hemsky shootout goal
PIT James Neal shootout goal
EDM Linus Omark shootout miss
PIT Steve Sullivan shootout saved

Shots On Goal - Pittsburgh 35 Edmonton 36

Game Notes:
- A feel good game for the Oilers. A game where the Oilers were going to walk out with nothing, they came away with two points. It was goaltending dual for the whole game. Both goaltenders coming up with save after save. Dubnyk and Johnson were fantastic. Feel good story, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins potted his first goal of his career, and it couldn't come at a better time. It tied the game late in the third period and sent the game to a shootout. He certainly didn't look out of place and further forged himself as a player that looks to be an Oiler all year. Pittsburgh, even without their stars are still a tough team to play against. They are careful with the puck and take what opportunities are presented to them, they don't force the issue. A real good test that the Oilers did so-so on. The Oilers were real dull through two periods but really turned it up in the third, taking advantage of a fatigued Penguins team. Some real nice individual efforts tonight, but the forward lines are a mess and need some cohesion. The defense on the other hand were shot blocking machines, getting sticks and bodies in shooting lanes. Really did a nice job with gap control tonight keeping most of the action in front of them. Solid work from Smid, Peckham, Sutton, Gilbert, Petry and Barker tonight on the defensive side. Having strong center play helped everyone out tonight. A fantastic result for a first game, on to Game #2.

Player of the Game:
- Devan Dubnyk. As much as I would like to give it to the Nuge for his feel good story, this game was going nowhere unless Dubnyk thrwarted the Penguins at every turn. For Dubnyk to establish himself, its all about the next game. the next period, the next shot. He has to have a nice streak of games where he can be as good as he was tonight, and then we can talk about starters' gig. He could have bailed on the game after the first Penguins' goal, but didn't and battled even harder from keeping the 2nd one out. Goaltending is a tough gig on the body and the brain, thats why there are few elite ones. Dubnyk has started his journey towards that. We'll see how he does in time.

Goat of the Game:
- Ryan Smyth. Smyttie battled hard but got little done tonight. The five minute elbowing penalty after the Oilers tied it, really put them behind the 8-ball. The Oilers managed to gut out one more penalty kill to get the game to a shootout, but if the roles were reversed and the Oilers were playing 3 games in 4 nights, the outcome could have been much different. To be fair, it was a bit of a bogus call, but Smyth was careless with his arms and his stick on that play.

Next Game - Thursday Oct 13 2011 vs. Minnesota Wild @ Minnnesota on Sportsnet West 7 PM MT.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Pre Game: Game 1 Oilers vs. Penguins



Game time is finally here, this time for real. Seems like forever since the last time the Oilers played. The Oilers play their first game against a Penguins team that has won its first two games in Vancouver and Calgary. Even without Sidney Crosby, the Penguins are still a very formidable team. Tom Renney looks to have the Oilers set up like a science experiment. Not exactly sure what he has in his team, but could blow up in his face at any given time. Home openers are a time for hope, where the Oilers are winless and undefeated all at the same time. Should be an interesting year and lets all hope for the best.

Edmonton Oilers
Hall-NugentHopkins-Hemsky
Smyth-Belanger-Eberle
Paajarvi-Horcoff-Omark
Hordichuk-Lander-Jones
Petrell

Sutton Gilbert
Barker Petry
Smid Peckham
Potter Chorney

Dubnyk
Khabibulin

Pittsburgh Penguins
Neal-Malkin-Sullivan
Kunitz-Staal-Kennedy
Cooke-Letestu-Dupuis
Vitale-Park-Asham

Letang Martin
Orpik Michalek
Niskanen Lovejoy

Fleury
Johnson

Game Time - 7 PM MT @ Rexall Place on Sportsnet West.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Your Edmonton Oilers 2011-2012 Edition

The starting 23 to survive the cuts will look something like this.

Hall-NugentHopkins-Hemsky
- This line is long on speed and puck skill but short on battle. I think Hemsky will be totally useless on a line like this. RNH and Hall will have to criss cross on the rush in order for it to work.
Smyth-Belanger-Eberle
- This line has no playmaker and all of them are more dangerous around the net as opposed to away from it. This line has very little in terms of puck transport. I can't see a line like this scoring a bunch.
Paajarvi-Horcoff-Omark
- It has decent dimension for a 3rd line if Omark shoots the puck more than looking to dish. If the puck gravitates to more to Paajarvi and he is able to transport and dish the puck, it might have a chance.
Petrell-Lander-Jones
- Its a 4th line thats decent on skill and grit but very short in pugilism. I think its would be better off playing Hordichuk instead of Petrell. With no pugilism anywhere on the forward group, this team will be a total pushover. The forward group just flat out needs more bullets.
Hordichuk

Peckham-Gilbert
- A decent pair, just not a top line pair. Let's face it, without Whitney, the entire defense is a hurtin' unit.
Sutton-Petry
- Another pairing with good dimension. But at any moment the wheels could fall off for Sutton and we are still waiting for Petry to get his on. All being said, Sutton is th perfect partner for Petry to ply his trade.
Barker-Potter
- A passable 3rd pair. One that may be surprisingly good one night and surprisingly bad the next. The key is to limit the matchups here and give them a sniff on the power play every once in awhile. Overall, a defense that could tread water, but if anything at all falters with the forwards or goaltending, will likely drown in the deep end.
Chorney Smid

Dubnyk
Khabibulin
- It good that both are playing OK at this point, although I still think Dubnyk is outplaying Khabibulin to this point. If both goaltenders prove to be who I think they are, its going to be a long year.

IR - Gagner, Eager, Whitney (Whitney can come back any time, Gagner and Eager will be out until at least next Thursday October 13)

Those are the line combos as of the last practise. The lines are still a bit mismatched (ie. 2 playmakers on the same line, no playmakers on another line, sticks don't line up well, lack of right handed shots, no real checking line to play the toughs). Even more importantly still a lot of small skill in the lineup. They need to lose a couple of the small skill types and replace them will some grizzled vets that can score a little.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Oklahoma Bound



While the depth chart with the Edmonton Oilers is in somewhat disarray, the Oklahoma City team is starting to take a decent shape. One that makes sense and could potentially have the shooter, playmaker net-crasher setup.

Hartikainen-Brule-House
Hamilton-Pitlick-Keller
Cornet-O'Marra-Green
Tyrvainen-Vandevelde-Abney
Tremblay Arcobello

Helmer Tulupov
Chorney Teubert
Lowery Plante
Motin

Danis
LeNeveu

Todd Nelson should be happy that he will have 2 capable scoring lines, a checking line, and an energy line. With Brule, Green, Keller and O'Marra all clearing waivers, that will help out with the veteran quotient. His forward group from top to bottom is pretty big and robust. A good blend of veterans and younger players. The defense is a bit mismatched in terms of stick positioning. They have 6 right handed shooters back there with 1 left handed shooter, with that being Chorney, who is questionable to start the season. But the defense has a good blend of skating, offense, defense and toughness. The goaltending should be solid in Danis and LeNeveu, both being quality AHL vets.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Oilers Depth Chart: October 2011



Smyth-Horcoff-Hemsky
Hall-NugentHopkins-Eberle
Paajarvi-Belanger-Omark
Petrell-Lander-Jones
Hordichuk

Peckham-Gilbert
Sutton-Petry
Barker-Potter

Dubnyk
Khabibulin

Injured - Eager, Gagner, Whitney, Smid, Chorney, Fedun.

Likely to be the opening night roster for your 2011-2012 Edmonton Oilers. Not a lot of surprises going in, but as expected, long on skill and short on bullets. Eventually the Oilers will have to make a decision on either Hemsky or Omark short term. Perhaps others long term. The biggest obstacle the Oilers face at forward is...What does the future hold for Hemsky? Is he here for another contract or is he moving along? Hemsky's future affects Omark being here. I believe one of them will be gone before the end of the season and replaced with some braun that can chip in offensively....like you know...say Owen Nolan? The Oilers still lack a true checking line. Either one of Hemsky or Omark will be facing the elite and we all know how much Hemsky loves being a checker. The kids will likely be the least to worry about, unless we are worried about them getting pasted into the boards, amirite? Against lesser teams they will likely flourish. Against teams like Vancouver where defenceman love bashing the hell out of young impressionable forwards, they will likely be rendered ineffective in those games. Eager will likely play opening night, Gagner is a maybe at best.

On the defense...without Whitney its in a world of hurt. With Whitney, its still questionable. The Oilers are going to need Petry to put some decent numbers, otherwise it may not piss a drop collectively. The defense will be like a dam held together with 2x4s. It might hold for awhile but eventually it will give way, especially against teams that will forecheck the Jebus out of them, not the nimblest bunch back there. Considering how Potter played in the last preseason game, Fedun may have made the team. The Oilers really need some offensive minded mobility out there and that was something Fedun brought. Its a shame what happened to him. Either way, the Oilers need a defenceman and are likely on hot pursuit of one. Whitney is likely not ready for opening night, Chorney likely headed to OKC when healthy, Smid I've heard may be out for a month and Fedun is likely out for a very long time.

The goaltending is going to look much like the game yesterday in Vancouver. It'll likely start strong, but once the defense gives way, the goaltending will get worn down. The goaltending will only look as strong as the defense allows it to be.

Oilers Cuts Sunday Oct 2

The Oilers have put 4 players on waivers today for the purpose of sending them to Oklahoma City and one player sent directly to OKC.

Gilbert Brule C - The surprise that really isn't a surprise. Brule was outplayed by almost every other forward that was vying for his spot. He had a chance to compete for a shooting center spot potentially but the Oilers chose to keep him on the 4th line and battle with other 4th liners for that spot. He could potentially be scooped up someone looking for a reclamation project. Like I said, Brule has some skills but you really need insulate him from putting him into a spot where he has to read plays.

Ryan O'Marra C - A somewhat surprise to those in the mainstream media, not really in my eyes, I know the Oilers have a pressing need for a right handed center, especially one that can shoot the puck, but neither Brule or O'Marra are the answer. O'Marra is a role player that brings very little in offense. I doubt he gets claimed.

Josh Green LW - Josh Green looked good this preseason. He competed a lot harder than he did in his first tour of duty many years ago. The Oilers can really use his experience in OKC. He'll likely clear and continue on in OKC.

Ryan Keller RW - Ryan Keller likely won some brownie points for his emergency move to play defense in Minnesota on Friday night. Ryan Keller really looks like a solid pro and another vet that will help OKC youngsters. IF he and Brule can both clear waivers, I'd be intrigued by that duo. Keller being the playmaker while Brule can be the straight up shooter. Likely to clear.

Teemu Hartikainen LW - Teemu had himself a strong camp and was the flag barrer for the new mantra of being hard on the puck. Hartikainen battled and he battled and he battled. He was this close to being an Oiler on opening night. I'm sure we'll see him again at some point during the season.

Time To Play The Game



Another preseason is in the books and its time to get ready for an 82 game grind that is the NHL regular season. What can we expect from this years' Oilers team? Lets do a rundown.

- What we expect from the Oilers is not to be entirely out of the playoffs by January. We expect some meaningful games in March, even if the only meaningful might be on March 1. The spirit of the team and "never say die" attitude has to rise to the forefront. There will some stinkers I'm sure, but they have to truly play each game like its their last game.

- We expect a continued theme of being hard on the puck. Battling their asses off in effort to make sure the puck is moving in the right direction. This is essential as it will be the main reason on how GF goes up and GA goes down.

- We likely see more injuries occuring. The preseason has already taken a chunk of the roster away. From Fedun's broken leg, to Gagner's ankle sprain, to Eager's stiff neck, Smid's shoulder and on down the line. We are all left wondering who will be next?

- It will be interesting to see how all the pieces will mesh. Young and old, skilled and gritty, passers and shooters, big and small, do they have enough of each piece to handle what will be thrown at them on any given night? It would be alright if the Oilers could convince the NHL to up the roster's to 32 players, then they would have enough pieces to put in any given lineup. But they don't and they will have to make due with whatever the roster may be.

- I believe the goaltending will be alright for the most part as long as the defense holds up, but if the defense stumbles at all, or if its forced to be without Ryan Whitney for an extended chunk of the season, it could be a long year.

- I will say that Tom Renney and his staff look more prepared this year. The players look ready to go and understand what they are suppose to be doing on the ice. Everyone, to a man, has taking it upon themselves to do whatever it is they can to help the team. That's a sign of a team that looking to become better.

It should be an interesting year. I'm pretty sure very few will be happy if the Oilers draft first overall again next year, other than a few fanboys that think just simply grabbing the best players is a surefire way of making the team better. The team doesn't need more skill, well maybe on defense, but more than anything it needs to get wiser and more battle tested. It's time to get some of these boys some experience.

Good luck to y'all, and try to not break too many TV's out there this year.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Post-Game: Exhibition Game #8 Canucks 4 Oilers 1

Scoring Summary
1st Period
VAN Cody Hodgson (PP) (Dan Hamhuis, Chris Higgins) 13:51

2nd Period
EDM Magnus Paajarvi 1 (PP) (Ryan Smyth, Shawn Horcoff) 5:08

3rd Period
VAN Jannik Hansen (Chris Higgins, Manny Malhotra) 5:36
VAN Mikael Samuelsson (Dan Hamhuis) 19:15
VAN Cody Hodgson (EN) (Chris Higgins) 19:58

Penalty Summary1st Period
Penalty Summary Time Team Penalty Players
7:16 Edmonton hooking - 2 min A. Sutton drawn by A. Burrows
12:08 Edmonton hooking - 2 min C. Potter drawn by C. Hodgson
17:10 Edmonton cross checking - 2 min T. Gilbert drawn by V. Oreskovich

2nd Period
Penalty Summary Time Team Penalty Players
4:18 Vancouver boarding - 2 min A. Edler drawn by T. Hall
7:49 Edmonton roughing - 2 min T. Peckham drawn by M. Lapierre
7:49 Edmonton roughing - 2 min T. Gilbert drawn by M. Lapierre
7:49 Edmonton roughing - 2 min T. Peckham drawn by M. Lapierre served by T. Gilbert
7:49 Vancouver charging - 2 min V. Oreskovich drawn by T. Gilbert
7:49 Vancouver roughing - 2 min V. Oreskovich drawn by T. Gilbert
7:49 Vancouver fighting - 5 min M. Lapierre drawn by T. Peckham
7:49 Edmonton fighting - 5 min T. Peckham drawn by M. Lapierre
13:40 Vancouver - 2 min A. Edler drawn by T. Hall
16:20 Vancouver slashing - 2 min M. Samuelsson drawn by R. O'Marra

3rd Period
Penalty Summary Time Team Penalty Players
0:50 Edmonton hooking - 2 min R. Smyth drawn by M. Malhotra
6:48 Vancouver interference - 2 min H. Sedin drawn by A. Lander
13:32 Vancouver - 2 min M. Sturm drawn by L. Petrell

Shots On Goal - Oilers 30 Canucks 31

Game Notes - Thankfully the preseason is over and they can start playing for real. The Oilers, for the most part, played hard this preseason. Almost a postseason type push in the preseason. The Oilers really couldn't buy a goal tonight, even on the goal they got, they fired 6 or 7 shots at net and it barely squeaked over the line. Luongo played well and he was tough to beat tonight. Half the defense looked fatigued and the other half looked disinterested. Gilbert, Petry and Peckham looked bagged after playing way too much the night before. Barker and Potter could have given more, and Sutton played OK but he is what he is. Khabibulin held the fort as long as he could but started to show cracks as the game ended. I would say Dubnyk gets the start opening night. The fringe players, O'Marra, Green, Petrell, Lander, Hartikainen, started off slow, but were right in there, battling pucks and taking the body, trying to make a mark. They all played alright, but at the end of the day, they all look the same and it will come down to individual skillsets to say who stays and who goes. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has likely done enough to earn himself the 9 game audition, but the concerns grew that when the physicality gets ramped up, it becomes tougher on him. He was unable to get much done tonight and the question becomes, do the Oilers let nights like this happen to him, or would he be better off in Red Deer this year? It seems like a question that is neverending. The Oilers competed hard but still didn't have enough bullets to finish the job. The Oilers could use, well, um, you know, say someone like Owen Nolan?

Player of the Game:
- Magnus Paajarvi. Scored the only goal tonight and looked great on the rush. Entering his 2nd season, he looks a lot more stronger and a lot more prepared to take whats coming. Paajarvi will be a very valuable and versatile player for the Oilers this year. Peckham gets an HM for making Max Lapierre atone for his misgivings, its too bad Peckham was gassed at the end of that fight. I'm sure the entire NHL applauded Peckham's efforts.

Goat of the Game:
- Cam Barker. Cam Barker is going to be a Jekyll and Hyde creature this year. Vancouver played very physical tonight he looked like he wanted no part of that. He finished the night -2 and really didn't seem all that interested in making an impact in the game tonight. When Peckham, Gilbert and Petry were running on E, due to last nights game, Barker needed to grab the reigns more to alleviate that pressure. Gilbert looked like he could barely stand out there at the end of the game.

Next Game - Sunday Oct 9 Oilers vs. Penguins 7 PM MT Rexall Place on Sportsnet West.

The Oilers finish the preseason with a record of 5-3-0

Pre-Game: Exhibition Game #8 Oilers vs. Canucks



Welp, finally the last exhibition game is here and then the Oilers can start doing it for real. The Oilers are coming off a gutsy, hard fought 4-3 (SO) win against the Minnesota Wild. It would have been easy for the Oilers to fold the tents last night, but they didn't and they prevaile in the end. It's another glimmering light that the Oilers are trying to turn this thing around and become a respectable team. The Oilers continued the theme of battling hard on pucks and keeping the play in front of them. Tonight. the Oilers face a Canucks team that beat them 2-1, 10 days ago. That night the Canucks dressed their "B" team. It was probably the most lethargic game the Oilers have played this preseason. The Canucks and Oilers should be dressing essentially the teams they will dress for opening night, as its both teams' last exhibition games. I am also thankful that last night was the last night for awhile that I won't have to see a game via the internet. My eyes appreciate it.

Hall-Horcoff-Paajarvi
Smyth-NugentHopkins-Eberle
Green-O'Marra-Petrell
Hartikainen-Lander-Jones

Peckham-Petry
Sutton-Gilbert
Barker-Potter

Khabibulin
Dubnyk
Game Time - 8PM MT on CBC in Vancouver