Scoring Summary
1st Period
SJ Torrey Mitchell 8 (Tommy Wingels, Marc-Edouard Vlasic) 1:07
EDM Ryan Whitney 3 (Nick Schultz, Eric Belanger) 19:10
2nd Period
SJ Joe Thornton 15 (PP) (Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski) 11:36
EDM Taylor Hall 26 (Unassisted) 14:54
3rd Period
SJ Logan Couture 28 (PP) (Dan Boyle, Joe Thornton) 0:38
Penalty Summary
1st Period
18:37 Edmonton slashing - 2 min J. Petry drawn by D. Winnik
18:37 San Jose slashing - 2 min D. Winnik drawn by J. Petry
2nd Period
5:24 San Jose holding - 2 min D. Murray drawn by A. Hemsky
11:29 Edmonton tripping - 2 min T. Hall drawn by J. Demers
19:12 Edmonton puck over glass - 2 min L. Omark
3rd Period
None
Shots On Goal - Oilers 22 Sharks 33
Game Notes:
- Ugh, I'm not sure if this season has been harder on me or the players and the coaching staff. The whole game felt so anti-climatic that it felt like a preseason game without the ability to check in on some prospects you have never seen before. The whole game felt so inevitable as if the game was staged. I can't see the Sharks making the playoffs, they look just as listless as the Oilers did, who have nothing to play for. The whole Oilers team looks defeated before the opening faceoff. I don't think it can be cured now. These games mean nothing and everybody knows it. The Oilers are in a state where the bodies are trying but the minds are defeated. Not the mentality of a champion and now we are starting to infiltrate "the Oiler way" to a new breed of Oilers. Things need to be flipped on their sides and things need to change. The Oilers need a Florida type overhaul where only a handful of players are safe (Hall, RNH, Eberle, Paajarvi, Lander, Petry) and everything else just needs to be moved along. A total cleansing, if you will. Losing is a virus that just keeps spreading from player to player to the point where it is tolerated and accepted. It's pretty mindnumbing right now, and there is no end in sight. I don't know how they get out of this mess, its going to need a whole lot of mind trickery and the Oilers are going to need a lot more of mind trickery, if you know what I mean. Tough times indeed.
Player of the Game:
- Ryan Whitney. Whitney has had a rough go of things this year after having a very promising half-year last year. An ankle injury has really limited his mobility and therefore his effectiveness. Tonight against a slower Sharks team, Whitney was able to play a more simple game and keep things in front of him. Scored a nice goal on a wicked, accurate slapshot. Top shelf, glove side, a goal I was hoping to see more of from him this year. I'm sure last year's Ryan Whitney will ever be back, but it was good to see he can still be an effective Dman in a puck control game.
Goat of the Game:
- Sam Gagner. All the fears I had about Sam Gagner being a #2 center on the Oilers going forward, came to fruition tonight. Gagner missed his backcheck on the first SJ goal and he and his line were largely ineffective tonight. Gagner was 22% on the dot and only had 1 shot on goal in 16 minutes. When Gagner plays against bigger bodies, he becomes pretty ineffective much like 85% of the Oilers team. I've said it in the past and I'll say it again, when the Oilers uttered the words, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins at the past draft, it meant the end of the effective tenure of Sam Gagner as an Oiler.
Next Game - Wednesday March 14, 2012 vs. Blue Jackets @ Rexall Place on Sportsnet Edmonton 8 PM MT.
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