Sunday, February 19, 2012

Post Game: Game #58 Canucks 5 Oilers 2

Scoring Summary
1st Period
VAN Henrik Sedin 13 (Daniel Sedin, Alexandre Burrows) 0:53

VAN Sami Salo 8 (PP) (Henrik Sedin, Ryan Kesler) 6:34

2nd Period
EDM Shawn Horcoff 11 (Ryan Smyth, Tom Gilbert) 1:08

VAN Kevin Bieksa 7 (Dale Weise, Manny Malhotra) 15:01

VAN Chris Higgins 11 (Jannik Hansen) 16:40

EDM Magnus Paajarvi 2 (Ales Hemsky, Ladislav Smid) 18:23


3rd Period
VAN Daniel Sedin 26 (Alexandre Burrows) 0:33


Penalty Summary
1st Period
5:42 Edmonton cross checking - 2 min B. Eager drawn by A. Rome
6:12 Edmonton high-sticking - 2 min L. Smid drawn by H. Sedin
12:19 Edmonton high-sticking - 2 min A. Hemsky drawn by C. Tanev
15:13 Vancouver interference - 2 min A. Rome drawn by T. Hall

2nd Period
11:17 Edmonton high-sticking - 2 min A. Lander drawn by C. Higgins

3rd Period
9:20 Edmonton slashing - 2 min A. Sutton drawn by M. Lapierre

Shots On Goal - Oilers 28 Canucks 31

Game Notes:
- Welp, that was one wretched hockey game to watch. This game signified for the team, the fans, myself, that there really isn't any point to play out the rest of the string. Games like tonight felt so meaningless and it showed as plainly as the nose on my face that the Oilers have no desire to give the extra effort to win a hockey game. Oilers were down 53 seconds into the game and at that point the game was pretty much over. I'd like to take the time to thank Steve Tambellini and Kevin Lowe for assembling this team. Tom Renney, Ralph Krueger and the rest of the coaching staff more guiding these misguided band of misfits. I'd like to thank the veterans of this team, Shawn Horcoff, Eric Belanger, Ryan Smyth, et al, for whatever it is that you do. But its time for a purge, a big flush if you will. The Young players are all this team has going for it right now while everyone else seems to accept this folly of a team. Teams like the Oilers that go through a long rebuild, go through many managers and coaches until the finished product is unveiled, the Oilers should be no different. Its time to take the rebuild forward. Won't be done this year, but perhaps next year we can see some tangible progress, not the small insignificant kind that lays before us now. Its time to start the purge. There is a reason why there are few Stanley Cup rings laying around the Oilers these days, its because they don't have the heart of a champion, the will to win is sorely lacking from this team. Even in meaningless games like tonight, they have to find a way to make it mean something, not go through the motions like the game didn't even exist. Vancouver brought their "C" game tonight and still won easily. The Oilers as a team and an organization, all the way up to Daryl Katz, have some soul searching to do. The game itself was a dud, heartless, gutless, a total lack of life to it. I shook my head in disbelief watching it as I couldn't believe I was wasting my time doing so. On a side note, Ralph Krueger got the lines right tonight. He had Horcoff on the checking line, Lander with Paajarvi and Hemsky and Belanger on the 4th line, alas Horcoff and Smyth let him down and the goaltending couldn't buy him a save tonight. Props to Krueger for getting the lines right tonight, I hope they keep them the same next game and find a new goaltender in the meantime.

Player of the Game:
- Magnus Paajarvi. Good to see Magnus pot another tonight on a sweet one-timer. He's a player that is starting to find and understand his game. Speed and shot is his game, with a side dish of puck transport. Paajarvi is a pretty versatile player but I think got caught up in what his role should be, I think him being a secondary Taylor Hall is what the Oilers need and what he needs to continue to do to get himself some numbers. In the offseason, he'd be wise to work on upper body strength, so on his rushes he'll be able to finish at the net a little more effectively.

Goat of the Game:
- Devan Dubnyk. Jebus, the Oilers could have used a save tonight. Every brain cramp the Oilers had ended up in the net tonight. Bad goaltending can be quite deflating for a team. Dubnyk didn't really battle to make a save in the 2nd period. By the team he realized a game was going on, the game was over. I understand coming off the bench cold is tough after Khabibulin pulled a groin, but you gotta make a save if you want your team to have a chance to win. Dubnyk is far too inconsistant to be a starter in my mind. Once the Oilers find their top pairing Dman, they should direct their attention to goaltending.

Next Game - Tuesday February 21, 2012 vs. Flames @ Calgary on Sportsnet West 7 PM MT.

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