Thursday, February 28, 2013

Post Game: Game #19 Oilers 5 Stars 1

1ST PERIOD
EDM Gagner 6 (Petry, Hemsky) 1:13
EDM J.Schultz 3 (Eberle, Hall) 13:52

2ND PERIOD
EDM Petry 2 (Hemsky, Petrell) 19:46

3RD PERIOD
EDM Hemsky 8 (Eberle, J.Schultz) 0:50 PP
EDM Eager 1 (Petrell) 11:37
DAL Jagr 6 (Goligoski, Roussel) 14:05

Edmonton
Devan Dubnyk 33/34

Dallas
Kari Lehtonen 33/38

Game Notes:
- The Oilers exercised all kinds of demons in this game. The Oilers scored 1:13 into this one and just kept the pressure coming all game. It was one of the rare games where the Oilers had a higher compete level than their opponent, winning board battles all over the ice and filtering puck towards the Dallas net. The Oilers put so much pressure on the Stars that the Stars resorted to cheap shots the end of the game, but the Oilers kept focused and kept playing, It was a game where they truly frusterated the Stars. On the right side of the puck all night and kept the puck away from the Stars for good stretches. The Stars had penalty trouble all night and tht played right into the hands of the Oilers. It's difficult to say what the Oilers can take out of this game structurally as the Stars were pretty lethargic for most of the game. Oilers got some puck luck in this one, but also executed plays that turned into goals. Impressive win for the Oilers and one they can build on. Tough back to back as the Oilers take on the Blues tomorrow night. So the Oilers need to continue to ride this wave.

Player Of The Game:
Jeff Petry D - I could put slamost anybody here and not be wrong, A number of players were playing at a high level tonight. I'm going with Jeff Petry for a 2nd game in a row. He played far more mistake free game tonight than he did on Monday night. His statline is some kind of impressive. A goal, an assist, +2, 4 shots, 5 blocked shots, 4 hits, 23+ minutes. He and Justin Schultz were the only Oilers to play over 20 minutes which is the way it should be with this club. Oilers were down to four defensemen for a portion of the game as Corey Potter and Ladislav Smid both left the game, but Smid did return. Ales Hemsky, Sam Gagner, Devan Dubnyk, Mark Fistric, Justin Schultz all deserve kudos for a strong game.

Goat Of The Game:
Corey Potter D - A cheap GOTG as like I said above, everyone on the Oilers had a role in this win tonight. But Corey Potter gets the horns tonight for only playing 6 minutes in the game and then leaving with a possible concussion. Kind of heartless of me to give a concussed player a GOTG, but for the purpose of this exercise Potter gets the nod for the night. It speaks more to the team effort the Oilers gave tonight in cruising to victory over the Stars.

Next Game - Friday March 1, 2013 vs. Blues @ St. Louis on Sportsnet West 8 PM MT.

Pre-Game: Game #19 Oilers vs. Stars



The Oilers get back at it after two days off as they face an old nemesis in the Dallas Stars, in a barn they have little success in over the last 15 years. The Oilers are fresh off a bittersweet 3-2 loss to the Chicago Black Hawks, keeping the Hawks pointless streak alive. On one hand the Oilers hung with the best team in the NHL right now. On the other hand, it was a missed opportunity to have a statement game for this young team.The Oilers will have a different look tonight. Taylor Hall's two game suspension is done and he will be back in the lineup tonight. Nikolai Khabibulin finds himself back on the Injured Reserve with a groin strain meaning Devan Dubnyk will go back to getting the bulk fo the games on this road trip. The Oilers currently sit tied for 12th in the Western Conference with the Calgary Flames, only 3 point out of a playoff spot. The Oilers are getting caught in the "zero sum" game like they have in years past, where they grind out a point here and there but start slipping in the standings because the consistent wins are elusive. While some fans are wanting playoffs something fierce, I'm personally hoping for the opportunity of acquiring Seth Jones through the draft even if it means they have to be the worst team in the league one more time. Ultimately Steve Tambellini will dictate where the Oilers will finish by his moves or lack thereof. The Oilers need this game even if its a game they don't matchup well in.

Forwards Stars
- Stars just have a better blend of fowards at this moment. Oilers have much better potential but a lot of that potential isn't realized yet.
Defense Oilers
- Stars have a mismatched group on D while the Oilers D have been solid this season even though they have been under siege a fair time.
Goaltending Stars
- Kari Lehtonen comes off the IR in time to face the Oilers. Lehtonen has had the Oilers number in the past. Dubnyk will go for the Oilers.
Special Teams Oilers
- Oilers scored shorthanded and on the powerplay on Monday but once again failed to score 5v5. Special Teams has been the lifeline for the Oilers.
Coaching Stars
- Glen Guletzen is getting a little more of his group although Ralph Krueger is squeezing as much as he can out of his bloodstone. Krueger really needs to adapt better especially with his top 6.
Intangibles Oilers
- 3rd game in 4 nights for the Stars. If the Oilers have their skating legs, they could give the older Stars some issues.

Oilers:
Hall-NugentHopkins-Eberle
Yakupov-Gagner-Hemsky
Paajarvi-Vandevelde-Hartikainen
Smyth-Belanger-Eager

Smid-Petry
N.Schultz-J.Schultz
Fistric-Potter

Dubnyk
Danis

Stars:
Morrow-Benn-Eriksson
Nystrom-Roy-Jagr
Roussel-Eakin-Smyth
Whitney-Fiddler-Fraser

Goligoski-Dillon
Robidas-Daley
Larsen-Oleksiak

Lehtonen
Bachman

Game Time - 6:30 PM MT on Sportsnet West.

Monday, February 25, 2013

Post Game: Game #18 Black Hawks 3 Oilers 2 (OT)

1ST PERIOD
EDM Petry 1 (Petrell) 4:28 SH
CHI Kane 10 (Kruger, Leddy) 5:30 PP

2ND PERIOD
EDM Yakupov 6 (Gagner, J.Schultz) 14:17 PP

3RD PERIOD
CHI Stahlberg 5 (Rozsival) 2:24

OT
CHI Hossa 9 (Sharp, Rozsival) 1:44

Edmonton
Nikolai Khabibulin 31/34

Chicago
Ray Emery 17/19

Game Notes:
- Another good news, bad news affair in Chicago tonight. Good news, they fought a point out of Chicago. Bad news, leaving all these points on the table will eventually haunt the Oilers. Hard to make up any ground by doing it one point at a time, but at least statistically its a decent start to the trip. At least they didn't bury themselves in the first game of the trip. Hard to make anything out of this game. It's been pretty much the staus quo of the season. The Oilers special teams kept them afloat but 5v5 they were outmatched. Nikolai Khabibulin was, by far, the busier of the two goaltenders. Ray Emery was pretty shaky in the Hawks net but the Oilers couldn't sustain any pressure to see if he would crack.  The kids are looking overmatched these days, specifically Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, like they know if there is a physical battle upcoming that they just get out of the way. The Oilers need a fine tooth scalpel and start cutting some pieces so they can add others that make sense. Problem is the entire NHL knows this and trying to acquire these pieces is going to be a tough bit of business. The Oilers might have to steal a piece of the playbook from Vancouver GM Mike Gills and trade a highly skilled player in Cody Hodgson for a meat and potatoes type scorer in Zack Kassian. Its the type of deal the Oilers might have to look at doing. All in all, the point is nice to achieve but their is very little that I can take out of this game and say the Oilers are going the right way.

Player Of The Game:
- Jeff Petry D - Since I don't give the GOTG to a defenseman often, I figure its a good time to hand out one here since the offense was subpar and Khabibulin played well but gave up 3. Petry tallied the opening goal on a shorthanded effort following up a nice pickoff and rush by Lennert Petrell. Petry had a team high 7 hits on this night to go along with 3 blocked shots. The pair of Petry and Smid were among the more reliable pairings tonight. Did a decent job of keeping the high scorers of the Hawks at bay for the most part. Good to see Petry pot a goal tonight, but have been disappointed in his lack of offense to this point. Petry has been solid defensively for the most part this season but has had some rough patches there as well. The goal represented his first point of the season.

Goat Of The Game:
- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins C - The Nuge has been finding himself far too ofetn this season. All of it isn't on him though. Ralph Krueger has been playing him way too much this season and those hard minutes are starting to eat at the production of the sophomore. He lead the team in minutes played over 24 minutes, ended up 58% on the dot, but just doesn't seem to be as hard on the puck and is constantly getting beat up and down the ice. I know the Oilers aren't very deep down the middle, but some of these minutes need to be absorbed by Belanger and Vandevelde more so the Nuge can focus a bit more on offense. Going head to head against the Jonathan Toews of the world is no easy task especially for a slender 19 year old. Ralph Krueger does not have a lot of wiggle for success with this club. If he does not coach them perfectly, they will plummet in the standings.

Next Game - Thursday February 28, 2013 vs. Stars @ Dallas on Sportsnet West 6:30 PM MT.




Pre-Game: Game #18 Oilers vs. Black Hawks



The Oilers will be latest team to try and crack the undefeated streak the Black Hawks have going which stands at 18 games. The Black Hawks are currently 15-0-3 to start the season and are out of the gate like gangbusters. The Oilers, on the other hand, are taking solace in the small victories as they held off the Coyotes on Saturday afternoon to take a 3-2 shootout win. The Oilers currently sit with a 7-7-3 record, good enough for 12th in the conference. The NHL is setup in that when wins pileup the move up the standings is incremental, but when the losses pile up, its a freefall. The Oilers have been buying time with a win one, lose one, philosophy, which on paper is OK but in the standings, where it matters, has the Oilers on the outside looking in. The Oilers will have to try to find a way to make up ground as they start a nine game road trip. By the time the roadtrip is over, we could very well be talking about who the Oilers should be using on their first round pick for the upcoming NHL Draft. Taylor Hall will sit out his 2nd game of his two game suspensions. The Oilers survived the first game without him as they overcame a 2-0 defecit to get to a shootout and win it. The Black Hawks will serve a different challenge as they are offensively gifted and have been playing solid defense to start the season. Are the Oilers good enough to overcome their deficiencies and grab a playoff spot? I have my doubts, but as a team they continue to grow. A lot of this will depend on whether management want to fast forward the building process by finding well rounded, experienced players at the cost of some high profiled youth. I have a feeling this year is more about building and nuturing moreso than it is about playoffs.

Forwards Black Hawks
- Any team that boasts Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa will win this category more often than not. Oilers are without Taylor Hall for the 2nd game in a row.
Defense Black Hawks
- Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook have been playing at a high level. Both sets defenses have been stingy this season. The Hawks a little moreso.
Goaltending Black Hawks
- It doesn't seem to matter who is in net. Crawford or Emery, the Hawks are getting great goaltending. Only Boston has given up less. Oilers goaltending has kept them in games this season.
Special Teams Oilers
- The Oilers are 4th on the PK and 7th on PK which means they must be subpar 5v5 to have a middling record. Black Hawks are no slouches in the special teams departments either.
Coaching Black Hawks
- Joel Quennville has the Hawks playing well all over the ice. Ralph Krueger is still trying to figure out what his line combos are going to be.
Intangibles Black Hawks
- This game is the 2nd half of a back to back for the Black Hawks while the Oilers start a nine game road trip. Black Hawks are still trying to keep their streak alive.

Oilers:
Smyth-NugnetHopkins-Eberle
Hartikainen-Gagner-Hemsky
Yakupov-Vandevelde-Paajarvi
Eager-Belanger-Jones

Smid-Petry
N.Schultz-J.Schultz
Fistric-Peckham

Dubnyk
Khabibulin

Black Hawks:
Saad-Toews-Kane
Bickell-Kruger-Sharp
Stalberg-Shaw-Hossa
Bollig-Bolland-Frolik

Keith-Seabrook
Oduya-Hjalmarsson
Rozsival-Leddy

Crawford
Emery

Game Time - 6:30 PM MT @ Chicago on Sportsnet West.



Saturday, February 23, 2013

Post Game: Game #17 Oilers 3 Coyotes 2 (SO)

1ST PERIOD
PHX Chipchura 2 (Johnson, Bissonnette) 5:23

2ND PERIOD
PHX Lombardi 1 (Boedker, Korpikoski) 9:42 PP
EDM Eberle 6 (Yakupov, Gagner) 16:22

3RD PERIOD
EDM Hartikainen 1 (Smyth, J.Schultz) 8:04 PP

OT
No Scoring

Shootout
Phoenix
Mikkel Boedker Miss
David Rundblad Miss

Edmonton
Sam Gagner Goal
Jordan Eberle Goal

Phoenix
Mike Smith 41/43

Edmonton
Nikolai Khabibulin 34/36

Game Notes:
- It amazing how much difference a goal makes in the game of hockey. The Oilers have been having issues getting that dreaded 2nd goal of the game, hence leaving a lot of points on the table. This time, Teemu Hartikainen got that elusive 2nd goal which forced overtime where enabled the Oilers to win in a shootout. That was a much needed comeback win for the Oilers. The Oilers peppered Phoenix goaltender Mike Smith with 43 shots, he was up to the task a lot of the night, but the volume of shots wore down the Coyotes much like it did to the Avalanche last Saturday night. The Oilers survived their first game without Taylor Hall as Phoenix went into a defensive shell pretty early in this game. But that shell turned into prevent defense and once the Oilers tied the game, they had the leverage. Now the Oilers head out on a 9 game road trip all over the midwest. To give you an idea how long this road trip is, they play in Chicago in games #1 and #8 on the road trip. So the Oilers survived for today and live to fight another day. The Oilers are a constant work in progress but there is small signs of growth in many of the players. The Oilers didn't give up on the game and were rewarded for it.

Player Of The Game:
- Jordan Eberle RW - Eberle has found himself in the GOTG a couple of times recently, its good to see him back on this side of the ledger. Scored the much needed opening goal near the end of the 2nd period and tallied the clinching shootout goal on a deft move. Had 4 shots and was +1 on the afternoon. Good to see Eberle havse some puck luck this afternoon as the well was getting pretty dry in terms of scoring chances coming from him. Sam Gagner get an honorable mention for having a solid game himself. Gagner had 6 shots on goal and went back to his sly signature move on the shootout.

Goat Of The Game:
- Nick Schultz D - Nick Schultz took a double minor high sticking penalty that ended up in Phoenix tallying their 2nd goal of the game. The timing of the penalty was a tough one as the Oilers were already down 1-0 and under siege for most of the game up to that point. The Oilers only gave up on that penalty and allowed the Oielrs to starting chiselling away at the defecit. Nick Schultz was trying to absorb a hit he was receiving from David Moss but ended up slapping him in the nose with his stick. A careless penalty but one I can understand as Schultz was merely trying to protect himself.

Next Game - Monday February 25, 2013 vs. Black Hawks @ Chicago on Sportsnet West 6:30 PM MT.

Pre-Game: Game #17 Coyotes vs. Oilers



It's starting to get into the dog days of the season for the Oilers and there are a lot of nervous fans in and around Edmonton. The Oilers enter the final game of the homestand, 1-3 thus far, staring down a 9 game road trip. Needless to say it could be lights out for the Oilers season unless they can buy some time and win a few games. Things are getting ugly in Oilerville, but we are all accustomed to this, amirite? Taylor Hall starts serving his 2 game suspension after trying to take Cal Clutterbuck's knee off. I feel the suspension is justified, but at the same time I like the way Hall wasn't going to take another loss lying down. Sure, it was dirty and a bit cheap, but that's hockey and the Oilers need to become a team that sends messages from time to time instead of just receiving them. I liked the fact that Hall showed some fire and some pulse in an otherwise tepid loss to the Wild. There are a few more players that could stand to show a pulse because right now, the Oilers have become too individual and far too easy to play against. Successful teams are built from the sum of the parts, not through individual skill. The Oilers management group needs to identify this by starting to cull out the wheat from the chaff and start moving forward. I don't know how anyone could think that bringing in a couple of rookies and turfing a coach would make a significant difference. Sure some players are playing better this year but some players are also struggling. It doesn't have anything to do with the individual players, it has to do with the mix of the players and the player chemistry. If Oilers management doesn't deal with player chemistry then the Oilers will continue to toil at the bottom of the standings. Ryan Jones should see his first action of the season in this one.

Forwards Coyotes
- Without Taylor Hall for the Oilers, the Oilers could have a tough time generating shots. We know the Coyotes will be in lockdown mode early and often.
Defense Coyotes
- Coyotes have an excellent blend of defenders. Oliver Ekman-Larsson looks like a stud in the making. Keith Yandle is always good for some offense on the backend.
Goaltending Coyotes
- Mike Smith has been solid since his stint on the IR. Not sure who is getting the start for the Oilers, I assume Dubnyk will get another shot to right things.
Special Teams Oilers
- The Oilers special teams are the only hope the Oilers have in this game. They can still move the puck well even without Taylor Hall in the lineup.
Coaching Coyotes
- Dave Tippett has to be licking his chops looking at an Oilers lineup without Taylor Hall. Ralph Krueger has to be wondering where it all went wrong.
Intangibles Coyotes
- Coyotes have to be ridiculously well rested having not played since Monday. Oilers are at the tail end of a homestand.

Oilers: (my version)
Paajarvi-NugentHopkins-Yakupov
Eberle-Gagner-Hemsky
Smyth-Belanger-Eager
Hartikainen-Vandevelde-Jones

Smid-Petry
Fistric-J.Schultz
Peckham-N.Schultz

Dubnyk
Khabibulin

Coyotes:
Boedker-Vermette-Doan
Sullivan-Hanzal-Johnson
Torres-Gordon-Vrbata
Korpikoski-Chipchura-Moss

Yandle-EkmanLarsson
Klesla-Michalek
Schlemko-Morris

Smith
LaBarbera

Game Time - 1:30 PM MT @ Rexall Place on Sportsnet West.




Thursday, February 21, 2013

Post Game: Game #16 Wild 3 Oilers 1

1ST PERIOD
No Scoring

2ND PERIOD
EDM Smyth 2 (Belanger, Eager) 12:26
MIN Cullen 2 (Suter) 15:01

3RD PERIOD
MIN Setoguchi 3 2:20
MIN Cullen 3 (Clutterbuck, Gilbert) 13:59

Minnesota
Niklas Backstrom 27/28

Edmonton
Devan Dubnyk 25/28

Game Notes:
- The Oilers lose their 3 game on this 5 game homestand with one game left to go. The Wild took a page out of the Kings playbook and outwaited the Oilers, struck twice in the third period and that was all she wrote. For as many talented players the Oilers have, they sure play an uninteresting style of hockey. Might be the opponent, it might be them, its hard to say for sure. One thing is for certain, the way the Oilers are building their club clearly isn't working. In a conference where teams constantly clog the middle of the ice with big bodies, the Oilers are swimming upstream, constantly going against the grain, met with subpar results. Sure the Oilers have their moments where they shine, like any team does, but what the Oilers don't have is sustainability. Patching together multiple wins has been an epic chore for the Oilers over the past few seasons, and the big reason being is there is a team like the Kings, Wild, Stars, Coyotes always lurking on the schedule, looking at the Oilers as easy prey. More often than not, they are.  So now the Oilers sit with a 6-7-3 record, good enough for 13th in the conference. We've seen this movie before. Much like the Kings, the Wild  brought their "B" game and it was good enough for tonight.

Player Of The Game:
Ryan Smyth LW - Smyth scored the lone Oilers goal of the night and his line with Belanger and Eager was the best Oilers line of the night. Eager was smashing players and Belanger was his usual responsible self. This was the first game of the season where Ryan Smyth looked like his old self tonight. Going to the net with authority and creating havoc when he got there.  This line played like an effective third line tonight. It's too bad for the Oilers that the top 2 lines had nothing going on tonight.

Goat Of The Game:
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins C - The Nuge is struggling all over the ice during the homestand. Struggling offensively, losing battles defensively, seems to be caught in between in his transition game. This is life of a 1st line center in the NHL. If you want to become an elite 1st line center in the NHL, you need to win the matchup with the other teams 1st line center. The Nuge is the player that has the most impact on the game because he has the most ice to cover. So, when he's not going, the team is not going to fly so well, as shown by the offense of the Oilers. One might say its tough to put this kind of pressure on such a young player, but that is life of a 1st line center in the NHL. He's an undeniable talent that is learning on the job.

Pre-Game: Game #16 Wild vs. Oilers



The Oilers fresh off another learning experience versus the Kings, get the opportunity to face another team that enjoys a fine taffy pull in the Minnesota Wild. The Oilers stayed patient in the Kings which is a positive sign. Problem was they put themselves to sleep in the process and ultimately stopped getting scoring opportunities. One thing the Oilers have been good at is staying in the games and being opportunistic in crunch time. Last game, the Kings did to the Oilers what they have done to a few teams this season, pull wins out late in games. The Oilers are a work in progress continuing to learn hockey lessons along the way. Ultimately this team will need the fine tooth scalpel and add some strength to the top 6, two-way ability to the bottom six and continue to find reliable defenders. The turnover will continue as the Oilers need to strengthen the center and defense positions. Could use some power forward wingers as well. As much as Oilers fans and hockey pundits enjoy the entertainment value of this team, it isn't built to win over the long haul, at least not yet. The Wild sit one point above the Oilers in 10th place in the standings while the Oilers are 11th. The Wild are a new look team with high price free agent addition in Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. But like teams of the Wild past, they have issues scoring goals, dead last in the conference in goals for. Another test for the Oilers versus a team that can lock things down. The key for the Oilers is sticking with the gameplan and keeping the turnovers to a minimum. Teams like the Wild and the Kings prey on turnovers.

Forwards Wild
- The addition of Parise gives the club a whole different dimension it didn't have before. The Wild are having issues breaking old habits. The Oilers are having issues with consistency.
Defense Oilers
- The Oilers defense has played well for most of the year, they have cut the goals against way down. The Wild defense is formidable but not very deep.
Goaltending Wild
- Niklas Backstrom has been a thorn in the side of the Oilers for many years. Devan Dubnyk will likely get the start for the Oilers. Need to see a bounce back game from him.
Special Teams Oilers
- Edmonton's powerplay sits 6th and the penalty kill sits 4th in the league. Minnesota's PP is 22nd and the PK is 9th. Special Teams for the Oilers has been keeping them in games.
Coaching Wild
- Its pretty much a wash as both clubs have battled inconsistency and have struggled to score goals.
Intangibles Oilers
- The Oilers in game 4 of a 5 game homestand with the games nicely spread apart, so fatigue should not be an issue.

Oilers: (my version)
Hall-NugentHopkins-Yakupov
Eberle-Gagner-Hemsky
Smyth-Belanger-Hartikainen
Paajarvi-Vandevelde-Eager

Smid-Petry
Whitney-N.Schultz
Fistric-J.Schultz

Dubnyk
Khabibulin

Wild:
Parise-Koivu-Heatley
Zucker-Cullen-Clutterbuck
Larsson-Brodziak-Setoguchi
Konopka-Granlund-Bouchard

Suter-Brodin
Stoner-Gilbert
Spurgeon-Falk

Backstrom
Kuemper

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


Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Post Game: Game #15 Kings 3 Oilers 1

1ST PERIOD
No Scoring

2ND PERIOD
LA Fraser 1 (Lewis, Nolan) 4:44
EDM Gagner 5 (Hall, J.Schultz) 16:50 PP

3RD PERIOD
LA Carter 7 (Lewis) 19:10
LA Stoll 3 (King, Doughty) 19:38 EN

Los Angeles
Jonathan Quick 23/24

Edmonton
Nikolai Khabibulin 35/37


Game Notes:
- The more things change, the more they stay the same. Tough loss to take. When it looked as if overtime was about to happen and then a floater with a deft tip beats you, that's just a tough one to take, especially when every point is crucial. Last minute goal by Jeff Carter snuffed out any opportunity to take anything positive out of this game. The Oilers got strong goaltending from Khabibulin throughout the game, but that last goal stunk all kinds of bad. It was a goal given up due to fatigue. Khabibulin couldn't close the five hole fast enough and Eberle didn't have enough mustard to clamp down on Carter's stick. The Kings got stronger as the game wore. Eventually the volume of shots got to Khabibulin and he gave up the winner at the absolute worst time. The Oilers defensive game held up strong for most of the game, but the Kings started using their muscle and it neutralized the Oilers speed. The Oilers scoring chances steadily declined throughout the game. As much as any fan wants to cheer their face off for this Oilers team, one can see that the Oilers are still having issues with experience and muscle. The Kings did not play very well on this night, their execution was horrid but still managed to dominate the play, outshooting the Oilers 38-24. The Kings did enough to win on this night. The Kings team structure allows them to hang around games.

Player Of The Game:
Sam Gagner C - Sam Gagner is the most improved player of the Oilers this season. Scored the lone goal on this night and is constantly around the play. Gagner is finishing his checks, staying in the play and executing plays. He is shooting a lot more which has led to his success. I had mentioned before the season started that if Gagner wanted success, he was going to have to shoot more especially riding shotgun with Ales Hemsky. Gagner has taken that to heart and came into the game 4th on the club in shots on goal. I still don't think Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Sam Gagner can co-exist as the first and second line centers of a contending hockey club. But Sam Gagner has legitmately labelled himself as a legitimate 2nd line NHL center.

Goat Of The Game:
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins C - The Kings are the type of team that the Nuge is going to struggle against. Kings have 3 strong centers they roll through and he had issues with all of them. His line was on the ice for all 3 goals against and ended the night -3. Nuge was able to make some plays offensively tonight but the net execution just wasn't there tonight. Got battered around a bit tonight, took a stiff hit from Dustin Brown that helped the Kings turn the tables in the 3rd period. Teams with bigger, more experienced centers are going to be tough matchups for the Oilers. The Oilers are going to have to delicately balance trying to get the most out of the Nuge while trying to maintain his health.  The Nuge has taken on a lot of heavy minutes early on this season, it will be interesting to see how the wear and tear affect him towards the end of the year.

Pre-Game: Game #15 Kings vs. Oilers



Oilers have shown a flair for the dramatic this season that has entired the fans thoroughly. As entertaining the Oilers have been, the Oilers are sitting with a 6-5-3 record, good enough for 11th in the conference. So, as entertaining as they have been, there is still a lot of work to do in terms of achieving consistency. Tonight, the Oilers get to face one of those stingy defenses they despise in the Kings. If the Oilers truly want to make it to next level and achieve playoffs, they need to start beating these heavily defensive minded teams. The Oilers managed an offensive outburst against the Avalanche on Saturday, a good a time as any to show it while the whole country is watching. The key to success is goals for the Oilers, without goals the Oilers aren't winning anything. More importantly, its about balance, the Oilers are geting timely goals from the bottom of the lineup when they win, but nothing when they lose. The bottom of the lineup creating goals is the difference between winning and losing. Devan Dubnyk had a tough game on Saturday night, it will be important for him to have a bounce back game. The Oilers may have found an identity when they faced the Avalanche and fired a team record 56 shots at the Colorado goal. Shots on goal is what will alow the Oilers to maintain possession and ultimately wear down their opponent. Since the Oilers are light in the hitting department, shots are the thing that will allow the Oilers to win the attrition game. Even though the Stanley Cup champion Kings are off to a slow start this season, they will be a stiff test for the Oilers. The Oilers beat the Kings 2-1 in overtime earlier this season in the infamous Nail Yakupov goal celebration game. Sam Gagner tallied the winner in that game.

Forwards Kings
- Neither team is scoring much consistently but the Kings have the type of forwards that have given the Oilers fits in the past.
Defense Kings
- Drew Doughty is playing much better recently after getting off to a horrendous start. The Oilers are slowly to show weakness on defense over the past couple of games.
Goaltending Kings
- Jonathan Quick has been stingy this year minus a couple of back breaking goals that resulted in losses. Devan Dubnyk coming off of a tough start.
Special Team Oilers
- Kings special teams are in the bottom half of the league while the Oilers are in the top 10 in both categories.
Coaching Kings
- Can't really argue with Darryl Sutter and his Stanley Cup ring, at least not yet.
Intangibles Oilers
- Oilers have home ice advantage and haven't played since Saturday, so they should be ready to go, in theory.

Oilers:
Hall-NugentHopkins-Eberle
Yakupov-Gagner-Hemsky
Smyth-Belanger-Paajarvi
Eager-Vandevelde-Hartikainen

Smid-Petry
N.Schultz-J.Schultz
Fistric-Whitney

Dubnyk
Khabibulin

Kings:
Gagne-Kopitar-Williams
Clifford-Stoll-Carter
King-Richards-Brown
Penner-Lewis-Nolan

Doughty-Scuderi
Voynov-Ellerby
Martinez-Muzzin

Quick
Bernier

Game Time - 8 PM MT @ Rexall Place on TSN.




Saturday, February 16, 2013

Post Game: Game #14 Oilers 6 Avalanche 4

1ST PERIOD
COL McLeod 2 (Hejduk, Mitchell) 1:22
COL Duchene 5 (McGinn, Barrie) 18:22
COL McGinn 2 (Duchene, Barrie) 19:11
EDM Hemsky 6 (Gagner, Hall) 19:56 PP

2ND PERIODCOL Mitchell 5 (McGinn, Duchene) 6:24 PP
EDM Nugent-Hopkins 1 (Hall, Eberle) 15:59
EDM Hemsky 7 (Smyth) 16:58 PP

3RD PERIOD
EDM Eberle 4 (Gagner, Yakupov) 8:58 PP
EDM Paajarvi 2 (Smyth, Belanger) 18:26
EDM Eberle 5 (Hall, Nugent-Hopkins) 18:51 EN


Colorado
Semyon Varlamov 50/55

Edmonton
Devan Dubnyk 9/12
Nikolai Khabibulin 16/17

Game Notes:
- A wild one on a Saturday night, it doesn't get much better than that. For the first time the Oilers found a way to impose their will against a club and take a victory. It took awhile for the Oilers to fully find their stride in this one. They were down 3-1 after one period, 4-2 half way through the 2nd period but the Oilers kept up their tempo. The Oilers new found philosophy of fire shots by volume paid off tonight as it was ultimately the undoing of the Avalanche. Oilers wore out the Avalanche by the end of the game as the Oilers kept Semyon Varlamov busy by firing a team record 56 shots towards his goal. It wae nice to see the results behind the volume of shots. 56 shots without the "W" just wouldn't have felt the same. Not only did the Oilers win this game but they might have created the foundation of an identity in this game. The Oilers will be about speed and offensive pressure but the key will be to establish the balance within the lineup. As much as this was a fun win, this was a win against a lowly Avalanche club, but one the Oilers needed to have. The key going forward is to establish this type of game against experienced/stronger clubs.

Player Of The Game:
Ales Hemsky RW - Hemsky once again was a big time offensive catalyst for the Oilers on this night. Big thing about his game tonight, was he pulled the Oilers out of the gutter when they needed it the most. Hemsky has been one of the more consistent performers for the Oilers, in a season filled with inconsistency thus far. Two goals, countless other opportunities. The Oilers lines were coming in waves tonight, and they were getting stronger and stronger as the game went on. Kudos to Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle for finding their games and contributing heavily towards the offense.

Goat Of The Game:
Devan Dubnyk G - Tough night for Dubnyk, gave up 3 in the first period and didn't get a chance to see the second period. Dubnyk had issues with pucks squeaking between his legs tonight, a sign that he really wasn't sharp. These things will happen from time to time on goaltenders, but the key is to keep it to a minimum. Dubnyk has to erase this game from memory and move on to the next one. He was a lot like the rest of the club, dealing with a lot of rust during the three day break.

Next Game - Tuesday February 19, 2013 vs. Kings @ Rexall Place on TSN 8 PM MT.

Pre-Game: Game #14 Avalanche vs. Oilers



Nothing like a three day break from the Oilers to take your mind off of things. Almost an out of sight, out of mind, type scenario. Welp, the Oilers get back at it tonight against the Avalanche. The Oilers currently sit with a 5-5-3 record, good enough for 11th place in the Western Conference. Only Colorado and Los Angeles have scored less goals than the Oilers in the Western Conference. The Oilers are having a tough time mustering goals. The talent is there, the chemistry and mix of players is not. The Oilers will pull out the blender on the lines in this game and give it a mini-spin. Ralph has a lot of options but the problem lies in that many players are the same pieces, something that has plagued Tom Renney, Pat Quinn and Craig MacTavish before him. The organizaton has been poorly run for quite some time now with no end in sight. The Oilers have a penchant for wild mood swings in philosophy never bringing all the parts to the middle, what you get is a team that is good at something but sorely lacking in many other areas. All the media pundits want this team to succeed something bad, because they represent a "new order" of exciting hockey that everyone wants to see, but the longer it doesn't succeed, the more it will be viewed as a shame. The Oilers are building pieces, but not quite yet at the part of building a team. The more the team building is put off the longer it will take for the Oilers to see playoffs. Getting back to the game, this is a game the Oilers have to have. Losing this game would be crippling in so many ways.

Forwards Oilers
- The Oilers have more high end talent on paper, its a matter of building lines to get the most out of every piece. Avalanche are dealing with an injury to Landeskog and a Ryan O'Reilly holdout.
Defense Oilers
- Justin Schultz has more points (7) than the entire defensive corps of the Avalanche playing tonight (6).
Goaltending Oilers
- Devan Dubnyk needs a strong bounce back game. Avalanche goaltending has been lukewarm at best.
Special Teams Oilers
- Oilers powerplay has slipped to 8th, but its a far cry from the 30th powerplay for the Avalanche.
Coaching Avalanche
- Joe Sacco has settled his team down after a slow start. Interested to see Ralph Krueger's adjustments and if they will matter.
Intangibles Oilers
- Oilers has three days to prepare for this game as Colorado played in Minnesota on Thursday night.

Oilers:
Hall-NugentHopkins-Eberle
Hartikainen-Gagner-Hemsky
Paajarvi-Smyth-Yakupov
Eager-Vandevelde-Petrell

Smid-Petry
N.Schultz-J.Schultz
Fistric-Whitney

Dubnyk
Khabibulin

Avalanche:
McGinn-Duchene-Parenteau
McLeod-Stastny-Hejduk
Palushaj-Mitchell-Kobasew
Borderleau-Olver-Jones

Barrie-Hejda
Hunwick-O'Brien
Zanon-O'Byrne

Varlamov
Giguere

Game Time - 8 PM MT @ Rexall Place on CBC




Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Post Game: Game #13 Stars 4 Oilers 1

1ST PERIOD
EDM Hall 3 (Eberle) 12:59

2ND PERIOD
DAL Dillon 2 (Robidas, Roy) 4:23

3RD PERIOD
DAL Nystrom 1 (Fiddler) 0:44
DAL Jagr 4 (Daley, Benn) 15:25
DAL Garbutt 2 (Fiddler) 17:17

Dallas
Kari Lehtonen 35/36

Edmonton
Devan Dubnyk 25/29


Game Notes:
- What goes around comes around in the game of hockey. As much as they didn't deserve the win in Columbus, they desreved a better fate in this one. Two unlucky goals from Dallas had the Oilers playing catch up in the 3rd period but they could not overcome the defecit. The Oilers fired 36 shots towards Dallas goal and had only one goal to show for it. It goes like that sometimes, but its something they have to continue to do. Shooting needs to be engraved in each of their brains. Many positives can be taken out of this game, moreso than the Columbus game in where they won. The only things lacking in this game were execution around the net and patience to stay with the game when the score was 2-1. The Oilers just could not follow up a great play with another great play. And then impatience set in for the Oilers. Turnovers led to the undoing as the Stars tallied their final two goals. There isn't much solace the Oilers can take out of this game other than they worked hard and got their opportunities, but Lehtonen played well in goal for Dallas and Dallas got some puck luck that resulted in the first two Dallas goals. The Oilers need to forget this game but remember to keep piling up the shot totals. They will get their fair share of puck luck from it if they continue with that theme.

Player Of The Game:
Taylor Hall LW - Hall was the poster child for shooting more. He replied with 9 shots on goal and the lone Oilers tally, a goal where he just shot the puck on the fly and it fooled Lehtonen. Hall was using his speed all night, cutting in off the edges and taking multiple shots. Hall is the player that will get the most amount of shots on the Oilers because he can create his own shot. Once Hall learns to become more selfish with his shot, he can start to branch out from there and start using his teammates once defenders start getting sucked in towards him.

Goat Of The Game:
Nail Yakupov LW -  Yakupov actually had a strong game like many of the Oilers did tonight, but it was his neutral zone turnover that led to the 3rd Stars goal and pretty much put the game on ice. It's this type of play that the Oilers need to negate and become more willfully strong. The Oilers have to get in their minds that they will score the next goal as long as they play like they should. Once they start to become freelance out there and start to play individually, thats when things start to back fire. Players with the puck need to protect it and players without the puck need to do a better job of being an outlet. If you are doing neither, then you might as well get off the ice.

Next Game - Saturday February 16. 2013 vs. Avalanche @ Rexall Place on CBC 8 PM MT.

Pre-Game: Game #13 Stars vs. Oilers



The Oilers are back at it again tonight against the Stars. The games are coming fast and furious in this shortened season. Its a big game for both squads because if this game ends in regulation, one team will be inside the playoff bracket while the other team will be on the outside. The Oilers looked disjointed all weekend. They managed to steal a win in Columbus while losing in Detroit. The Oilers looked anywhere from supbar to downright awful in the two games. One thing that wasn't awful was the goaltending. The Oilers only gave up 3 goals but surrendered 70 shots over the weekend. The goaltending was very sharp and it needed to be in order for the Oilers to stay in the games over the weekend. The Oilers need to find their game quickly, they cannot allow the losses to pileup and talk playoffs at the same time. They need to find a way to stay afloat and to find the right combination of players that will allow them to find some offense. The Oilers finally scored 3 goals for the first time in a awhile, though it was aided by an empty net goal. The Oilers dropped a 3-2 overtime decision against these same Stars last Wednesday night. We know the Oilers can hang with them, its just a matter of finding that extra gear in order to put them away. The loser point has been saving the Oilers early on this season, its time to start turning some of those games into wins. Preparation and proper mindset is key for the Oilers. With a quarter if the season already in the books, the Oilers need to be flying from the start of the game.

Forwards Stars
- I just can't give this to the Oilers right now even though they have more skill on paper. The lines are a mess and the Oilers continue to have issues at center.
Defense Oilers
- The Oilers defense has played well even though the shots are piling up. The shots against speak more to the forwards lack of maintaining pressure in offensive zone. Stars defense can be pressured.
Goaltending Oilers
- Kari Lehtonen has played well for the Stars this season but as of now, Devan Dubnyk could be a Vezina candidate if the Oilers manage to sneak in the playoffs.
Special Teams Oilers
- Oilers special teams are still very good statistically even though the powerplay has gone stone cold. Oilers are 6th on the PP and 5th on the PK. Stars are 17th on the PP and 9th on the PK.
Coaching Stars
- Ralph Krueger is slowly losing the grip of his team. Needs to figure out line combos quickly while working with a depleted lineup. Glen Gulutzen is very much in the same boat as Krueger.
Intangibles Oilers
- Oilers start a five game homestand tonight which could be a blessing or a curse. Oilers need a win tonight.

Oilers:
Yakupov-NugentHopkins-Eberle
Hall-Gagner-Hemsky
Paajarvi-Belanger-Hartikainen
Eager-Smyth-Petrell

Smid-Petry
N.Schultz-J.Schultz
Fistric-Potter

Dubnyk
Khabibulin

Stars:
Fiddler-Benn-Eriksson
Morrow-Eakin-Ryder
Nystrom-Garbutt-Jagr
Whitney-Vincour-Smith

Goligoski-Dillon
Daley-Robidas
Larsen-Rome

Lehtonen
Bachman

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



Sunday, February 10, 2013

Post Game: Game #12 Oilers 3 Blue Jackets 1

1ST PERIOD
EDM Hemsky 5 (Hall) 13:58

2ND PERIOD
No Scoring

3RD PERIOD
CLB Umberger 1 (Tyutin, Dubinsky) 9:43
EDM Paajarvi 1 (Gagner, Smid) 16:50 SH
EDM Gagner 4 (Nugent-Hopkins) 19:47 EN

Edmonton
Devan Dubnyk 39/40

Columbus
Sergei Bobrovsky 11/13

Game Notes:
- What can be said that has not been said before? The only positives that can be taken from this one is the Oilers got the win and Devan Dubnyk was unbelievable. Throw in Magnus Paajarvi actually making a positive play with the puck and the Oilers walk away with two points. The Oilers fought the grain of hockey history the entire game two pull out a win. Dominated in their own zone, poor power play, poorly timed penalties, all things that should have bit the Oilers right sqaure in the backside if they were playing a better. Thankfully they were not and a win is a win. The Oilers are in no position to grade wins, so they should run to the airport with two points in hand and start focusing on things that could use some polish because there is a lot of work to be done with this Oilers club. The Oilers face the Dallas Stars once again on Tuesday, they better be a lot more prepared heading into that game. Thanks to the empty net goal the Oilers finally broke the 3 goal barrier for the first time since they scored 4 against the Avalanche two weeks ago.

Player Of The Game:
Devan Dubnyk G - I'm kind of tired putting goalies in this spot, but this was likely the best goaltending performance of the year anywhere in the NHL. As the Oilers were starting to fade from playing back to back games, Dubnyk's workload kept increasing as the game wore on. The chances were getting better and the Oilers were offering less on less resistance. Devan Dubnyk solidiified himself as the undeniable starting goaltender for the Oilers now and going forward. The only question left is what is the ceiling on Dubnyk's game? Spot starting Khabibulin will be important but giving Dubnyk the bulk of the games shouldn't even in question now.

Goat Of The Game:
Ryan Smyth C - Was not a good weekend for Ryan Smyth. After taking a questionable misconduct penalty yesterday, he took the hat trick of penalties in this game, forcing a fatigued Oilers club to kill off needless penalties. Ryan Smyth looks like a player that is winding down his career, trying to help out wherever he can, but the Oilers cannot afford the goofy penalties he has taken this weekend. Ryan Smyth has been making positive contributions on the penalty kill while battling the 5v5 action to a stalemate. The less he is in the spotlight, the better off the Oilers will be.

Pre-Game: Game #12 Oilers vs. Blue Jackets


The Oilers head into Columbus limping badly. Losers of 5 of five in a row (but 3 loser points!) has this team wondering how its going to find any semblance of offense. Oilers have gone 6 straight games without scoring more than two goals. That streak has to end today against fellow cellar dwellers in the Blue Jackets. Time for the Oilers to get their scoring hats on and its time to break this streak. The Oilers hold their fortune in their own hands for now, but they need to start picking up some wins tout de suite, otherwise we could be counting this team out by mid-March. The Oilers tried some new line combinations with little result. The Oilers mix is not condusive to creating chances. Too many slick perimeter wingers, not enough battle, center depth is weak, its very difficult to win in the NHL with just pure skill and very little battle level. The NHL isn't shinny and until every player gets its nose dirty, expect more of the same. At the same time, if you have the likes of Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins throwing their bodies around, injuries might ensue, so its a difficult balance. I've believed the entire time through the lean years and all the high draft picks that this team was being constructed in a matter that was going to take time as this team was acquiring high end talent. At some point a shrewd GM is going to have to take a fine tooth scalpel and cut the pieces that need to be cut. The time for talent acquiring and position be damned is over. The time for building a team should be starting now.

Forwards Oilers
- The kids are stone cold right now but I still give them a leg up on the Blue Jackets forwards. Both teams are breaking in new forwards this season.
Defense Oilers
- The defense has not been the problem for the Oilers minus a few mental breakdowns. The Oilers can expose the Blue Jackets defense if they are willing.
Goaltending Oilers
- Oilers should be going back to Devan Dubnyk in this one after a strong start from Khabibulin. Not a fan of either Bobrovsky or Mason.
Special Teams Oilers
- Oilers lost a special teams battle they should have won against the Red Wings yesterday. Columbus PP and PK are 25th and 10th respectively.
Coaching Oilers
- Really a coin flip between Krueger and Todd Richards. I like the way Krueger has coached up the defensive scheme but his ability to put together lines for offense is abysmal.
Intangibles Blue Jackets
- Once again the Oilers dominate the board, but here is where they might lose. Back to back games. Fatigue, lethargy and apathy are the only things that might do in the Oilers in this one.

Oilers: (my version)
Hall-NugentHopkins-Yakupov
Eberle-Gagner-Hemsky
Paajarvi-Smyth-Hartikainen
Eager-Vandevelde-Petrell

Smid-J.Petry
Whitney-J.Schultz
N.Schultz-Potter

Dubnyk
Khabibulin

Blue Jackets:
Prospal-Anisimov-Dorsett
Umberger-Brassard-Boll
Foligno-Dubinsky-Atkinson
Calvert-Letestu-MacKenzie

Johnson-Wisniewski
Tyutin-Goloubef
Nikitin-Savard

Mason
Bobrovsky

Game Time - 4 PM MT @ Columbus on Sportsnet West.

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Post Game: Game #11 Red Wings 2 Oilers 1

1ST PERIOD
No Scoring

2ND PERIOD
DET Datsyuk 4 (Brunner, Zetterberg) 8:33 PP
EDM J.Schultz 4 (Eberle, Hartikainen) 17:55 PP

3RD PERIOD
DET Kronwall 1 (Datsyuk, Zetterberg) 6:08 PP


Edmonton
Nikolai Khabibulin 28/30

Detroit
Jimmy Howard 23/24


Game Notes:
- The Oilers played hard but came up short once again. Seems to be the theme of the run the Oilers have been on lately. The good news is the Oilers seem to never be out of a game, at least on paper. The bad news is they seem to make a 2-1 lead seem insurmountable like they did this afternoon. The Oilers were a little too passive in this one and that plays right into the hands of the Red Wings. The Oilers also lost the special teams battle, something they needed to win to have a chance in this game. They managed to battle the 5v5 to a stalemate which is a positive for the Oilers who have been getting buried in that department. The Oilers are accustomed to being totally outclassed in Joe Louis Arena over the years but the Oilers hung around this game which is a small victory. But a loss is a loss and the Oilers head into Columbus needing a win tomorrow afternoon. As expected the line shuffling 5v5 didn't produce any results. The Oilers will likely stick with it heading into Columbus tomorrow.

Player Of The Game:
- Nikolai Khabibulin G - For a guy who hasn't played a game in over ten months, he looked sharp this afternoon. Literally no rust and was quick to react going side to side, making several big saves to keep the Oilers in this one. I'd continue to be cautious with Khabibulin, but it was nice to know that Khabibulin was able to tend twine against a formidable foe and not look like a train wreck. I guess you could say expectations were low, but he passed the first test of the season. It's also nice to know that the Oilers don't have to play the heck out of Dubnyk this year. Dubnyk will need some breaks at points this season.

Goat Of The Game:
- Ryan Smyth C - Ryan Smyth lost his marbles out their in the 2nd period on a ticky tack offside call that ended up in him getting a 10 minute misconduct. On a team that is ravaged by injury to most of its vets, it was important that Smyth take a regular shift. Ryan Smyth's goal totals may never be there again, but the Oilers need his reliability on the ice more than ever. I hope it was a gesture to try and wake up his hockey club that slept walked through the first half of the game. If not, it was a pretty selfish play on his part.

Next Game - Sunday February 10, 2013 vs. Blue Jackets @ Columbus 4 PM MT on Sportnet West.

Pre-Game: Game #11 Oilers vs. Red Wings



The Oilers are currently mired in a good news, bad news type situation heading into game 11. Good news, the Oilers are 4-3-3 currently sitting in 9th place which is a far cry from where they have been over the last few seasons. Bad news, the Oilers have hit the skids losing the last 4 games. Good news, the Oilers got the "loser point" in three of those games to stay afloat. Bad news, the Oilers center situation is in dire straits forcing the Oilers to recall Chris Vandevelde and forced to move Ryan Smyth to the center position. Good news, Ralph Krueger mixed up the line combos which was something that just needed to be done. Bad news, the new line combos are even more messed up than they were before. Good news, the Oilers get Ryan Nugent-Hopkins back into the fold for this game. Bad news, the Oilers have failed to score more than 2 goals in 5 straight games. The goals have dried up and the kid line wasn't pissing a drop. With the bottom end of the Oilers lineup giving very little offensively, too much of the offensive burden is falling to the 2nd line. The Oilers face an old nemesis in the Red Wings in a place they seldom win. It's not a Red Wings team that the Oilers are accustomed to facing as this Red Wings club is subpar on defense with the recent losses the club has endured. If the Oilers attack with speed and are able execute, they have a chance, but their inexperience also has the ability to bite them in the backside in this game. This could be a turning point game. If the Oilers get blown out and can take nothing from this game, the hangover could last going into the Columbus game on Sunday, but if the Oilers find a way to take something out of the game, it could used as momentum in facing the Blue Jackets. Its a swing weekend for the Oilers and we'll likely get a better feel for where this club is headed after this weekend.

Forwards Red Wings
-  For no reason other than experience at the top end of their lineup. The Oilers young kids have gone cold and the center play is band-aided together.
Defense Oilers
- The Oilers defense has played well as a whole for the most part. The defense errors are magnified by the lack of goals for.
Goaltending Oilers
- Devan Dubnyk has played well for the Oilers although its starting to show that the volume of shots is starting to affect him. Not a big fan of Jimmy Howard who goes flaky at the worst of times.
Special Teams Oilers
-
Red Wings special teams have really hit the skids without Niklas Lidstrom. 26th on the PP and 29th on the PK. Oilers are sitting 4th on the PP and 7th on the PK.
Coaching Oilers
- Mike Babcock has shown to be great with adjustments as shown by following up a 4-1 loss to Calgary with a 5-1 win vs. St. Louis. Ralph Krueger is still trying to find his way with a depleted lineup.
Intangibles Red Wings
- Oilers have shown to be slow out of the gate in afternoon games, a sign of inexperience. Red Wings have a lot more experience in afternoon primetime games in the U.S.

Oilers:
Hall-Gagner-Hemsky
Hartikainen-NugentHopkins-Eberle
Eager-Smyth-Petrell
Paajarvi-Vandevelde-Yakupov

Smid-Petry
N.Schultz-J.Schultz
Whitney-Potter

Dubnyk
Khabibulin

Red Wings:
Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Franzen
Miller-Filippula-Cleary
Abdelkader-Brunner-Tootoo
Mursak-Emmerton-Bertuzzi

Ericsson-White
Kronwall-Quincey
Lashoff-Colaiacovo

Howard
Mrazek

Game Time - 12 PM MT @ Detroit on CBC.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Post Game: Game #10 Stars 3 Oilers 2 (OT)

1ST PERIOD
No Scoring

2ND PERIOD
EDM Hemsky 4 (Yakupov, Gagner) 3:21
DAL Benn 3 (Jagr, Morrow) 13:24
DAL Roy 1 (Eriksson, Ryder) 18:44 PP

3RD PERIOD
EDM J.Schultz 3 (Hemsky, Hall) 7:38 PP

OT
DAL Jagr 3 (Benn, Robidas) 1:46


Dallas
Kari Lehtonen 27/29

Edmonton
Devan Dubnyk 25/28


My View:
- Bad news, the Oilers lose another one in overtime. Good news, the Oilers get another "loser point". Let's face it, the Oilers are the walking wounded now. Down to one legitimate NHL center in Sam Gagner, the Oilers generally played well, some passengers on this night but some players playing at a high level despite the injuries around them. A 4th center went down in this game, Anton Lander, who took a shot off an ankle and missed the rest of the game. It's very tough to win without competant centers in the NHL. The centers the Oilers had were questionably good enough when healthy but when they start having to have to go three deep into OKC for centers, that's some pretty grim stuff. The road is going to start to get real bumpy unless the Oilers can start filling the holes down the middle with legitimate NHLers ASAP. Mark Arcobello got his first NHL game, looked like an AHLer, the play was one step ahead of him all night. Obviously, an adjustment period will be needed there. It's not looking pretty in Oilerville. 5th game in a row they have failed to score more than 2 goals and right now, its the difference between winning and losing these games. Defensively, the Oilers have been solid. Keeping the chances to a minimum, still have the odd one on one breakdown but every team has those. The Oilers head off on a quick two game weekend road trip through Michigan and Ohio to face these same Dallas Stars next Tuesday. The loser points are keeping the Oilers afloat but if these points starting turning into losses rather than wins, then it will be lights out quickly.

Player Of The Game:
Ales Hemsky RW - For the 2nd game in a row, Ales Hemsky finds himself in this spot. Playing the game with a lot of speed and confidence and more importantly making plays while avoiding traffic. Tallied a goal and an assist on this night and he, along with Taylor Hall were gangbusters in the offensive zone. Constantly breaking down the defense of the Stars, moving silky smooth like the younger version of Ales Hemsky would have done. The key for Hemsky now is to keep building on a game to game to basis. Honorable mention to Ladislav Smid, who blocked 9 shots on this night. It's rare a defensive defenseman will find himself here, but Smid came close. If the game would have ended at 2-1, he likely would have been here.

Goat Of The Game:
Jordan Eberle RW - Had the game on his stick a couple of times in the third period on shots he normally wouldn't miss when things are going right for him. If he cashes in on one of those opportunities, the outcome may have been different. The sights are a bit off on Eberle over the past few games. Eberle going cold is a big reason the Oilers are having a tough time scoring more than 2 goals in a game.

Next Game: Saturday February 9, 2013 vs. Red Wings @ Detroit on CBC 12 PM MT





Pre-Game: Game #10 Stars vs. Oilers


Sink or swim time for the Oilers. The Oilers are coming off a bitter 3-2 overtime loss against the Canucks on Monday night. Literally snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. The Oilers are taking on the Stars tonight, a team more in their weight class and a team that will be on the cusp of a playoff spot much like the Oilers. The Oilers will be without their two veteran centerman Shawn Horcoff and Eric Belanger, forcing the Oilers to play Anton Lander in some primetime minutes and forcing the Oilers to recall Mark Arcobello from Oklahoma City. The Oilers youngsters will be forced to grow up in a hurry if the Oilers are to stay in the playoff hunt. Ralph Krueger also needs to show the ability to adapt and change his lines of necessary. The Oilers have not scored more than two goals in four straight games. Now would be a good time to experiment a little before things start to get out of hand. Dallas comes into this game winners on Monday night, 3-2 over Colorado. Dallas is 4-5-1 to start this season. Its winnable game for the Oilers if they choose to take it. Stars have a veteran laden club so the Oilers need to be smart about this one, but at the same time use their team speed to expose the Stars transition game. On one hand the Oilers need this game bad and play like they do, on the other hand the Oilers have issues with team like the Stars, veteran teams that muck it up and are opportunistic with their chances. Which one will show up will largely be dictated by how the Oilers feel mentally.

Forwards Stars
- Stars have an excellent blend of skilled vets and role players. Have players for every situation. Oilers are having issues scoring goals these days. Lines could use a shakeup.
Defense Stars
- I'm not sure how the Stars could part with Mark Fistric, they are woefully thin on defense. In the same breath the Oilers lose Fistric for this game due to injury. Whitney will draw back in.
Goaltending Stars
- Kari Lehtonen has posted excellent numbers for the Stars for the past three seasons. Devan Dubnyk starting to show some wear and tear. Still has had a wonderful start to the season.
Special Teams Oilers
- Oilers powerplay is still top notch though it struggles vs. Vancouver. Oilers added a shorthanded goal in that game. Oilers PP 5th, Oilers PK 3rd. Stars special teams are mediocre at best.
Coaching Stars
- I'm giving the edge to Glen Gulutzen and its only because I have found that Ralph Krueger is a little slow to the punch when it comes to switching line combos.
Intangibles Oilers
- Gut check game for the Oilers. The Oilers need this game. Both teams played Monday so fatigue should not be a factor.

Oilers: (my version)
Hall-NugentHopkins-Yakupov
Eberle-Gagner-Hemsky
Paajarvi-Lander-Hartikainen
Smyth-Arcobello-Petrell

Smid-Petry
Whitney-J.Schultz
N.Schultz-Potter

Dubnyk
Khabibulin

Stars:
Eriksson-Benn-Jagr
Whitney-Fiddler-Ryder
Morrow-Eakin-Nystrom
Garbutt-Wandell-Vincour

Goligoski-Robidas
Daley-Rome
Larsen-Dillon

Lehtonen
Bachman

Game Time - 8 PM MT @ Rexall Place on TSN

Monday, February 4, 2013

Post Game: Game #9 Canucks 3 Oilers 2 (OT)

1ST PERIOD
EDM Hemsky 3 (Yakupov, Gagner) 18:38 PP

2nd PERIOD
EDM Smyth 1 (Lander) 8:08 SH
VAN Hansen (Schroeder, Higgins) 12:41

3RD PERIOD
VAN Bieksa 1 (Raymond, Hansen) 17:43

OT
VAN Tanev 1 (H.Sedin, D.Sedin) 4:30

Vancouver
Roberto Luongo 23/25

Edmonton
Devan Dubnyk 37/40

Game Notes:
- Another game, another lesson learned and another shot the gut that will hurt for awhile. On the bright side, they got a point out of it, but on the dark side, they let a point slip away. The Canucks were 2 1/2 minutes away from walk out of Rexall Place empty handed, but once again outguiled and outlasted the Oilers to walk away with two points. The Oilers lost Mark Fistric and Shawn Horcoff during this game, which helped lead to the demise of the Oilers. Two players they needed to take a regular shift in order to win. The Oilers just lost their mental will along the way. Vancouver owned the play for the third period, then the equalizer struck and it deflated the Oilers. Taylor Hall had a penalty shot in overtime which he shot right into Roberto Luongo's blocker. Shortly after that Chris Tanev buried a shot, top corner from the slot and that was all she wrote. The Oilers are what they are. A team that will be exciting on some night, break your hearts in others. Does that make them a playoff team? Time will tell, but the learning curve is steep. The Oilers just need to keep playing but its time for Ralph Krueger to make some adjustments. 4th game in a row they have failed to score more than two goals. Time to mix up the lines, especially the fabled top 6 could use a tweak. The most disappointing part of this game was the Oilers will was broken, like it has been so many times over the past 6 seasons.

Player Of The Game:
Ales Hemsky RW - Hemsky was flying tonight. Scored a beauty of a goal when Yakupov's fanned chip took a hard right turn bounce into no man's land and Hemsky beat both the goaltender and defensemen to the puck, made a dandy forehand-backhand move in full flight to make a difficult goal look easy. His line with Gagner and Yakupov was the lineup with the most giddyup tonight. When Horcoff left the game, the lines were a mixed up mess and continuity just wasn't going to remain throughout the game. This was the 2006 version of Ales Hemsky the Oilers saw tonight. It's been awhile, and it was good to have him back.

Goat Of The Game:
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - No shots, no hits, no points, 1 blocked shots all in over 20 minutes of work. I dinged Jordan Eberle on Saturday afternoon for having a similar statline. The Oilers youngsters need to start doing more with their icetime. Being this unproductive is a detriment to the club and is a large reason this is the 4th straight game the Oilers have failed to score more than two goals. It's tough to win in the NHL by scoring two goals are less. Yes, its tough to score goals in the NHL, but when the kids are getting prime time, they have to produce, regardless of age or pressure. Oilers are 4-3-2 now, meddling in mediocrity.

Next Game - Wednesday February 6, 2013 8 PM MT vs. Stars @ Rexall Place on TSN.

Pre-Game: Game #9 Canucks vs. Oilers



Game #9 and its right around this part of the season the Oilers start to fall apart and settle into the bottom of the league. Will that happen again this season or will the Oilers find some intestinal fortitude? The answer lies in the 20 players suiting up tonight to face the Canucks. The Oilers need to be better in responding to losses. They bounced back well in their first two outright losses by responding with wins in the next game. The Oilers need to continue to do that if the playoffs are to become a reality. Once the losses start piling up, it becomes insurmountable. The Oilers are coming off a lacklustre 3-1 loss in Denver Saturday afternoon. The Canucks will be a tough matchup in this spot. It seems like when the Oilers really need a win against Vancouver, its usually Vancouver that walks away with the victory. The Canucks will be ready, the queston is whether the Oilers will respond. Eric Belanger was placed on the IR after taking two shots. One in the foot, the other in the arm. Magnus Paajarvi was recalled and perhaps there may be a Nordic line reunion. There will be many gutcheck games for the Oilers this season, the is one of them. I have no knowledge of it, but Shawn Horcoff sounds like he might return tonight after being close to returning on Saturday. With Belanger out, the Oilers will need Horcoff experience at centre.

Forwards Oilers
- Neither team is scoring much these days. Both teams stars have gone cold over the past week. The Canucks really miss the versatility of Ryan Kesler. A little more depth on the Oilers.
Defense Canucks
- Oilers defense has played well but have suffered from epic breakdowns while the Canucks D have been rock solid to start the season. A more reliable top 4 from the Canucks.
Goaltending Canucks
- Devan Dubnyk has the been the Oilers MVP up to this point while Roberto Luongo seems to have grabbed the starters job for the time being by only giving up one goal in his past two starts.
Special Teams Canucks
- Oilers PP & PK are 6th and 5th respectively while the Canucks are middle of the pack at both ends to start the season. Oilers special teams have been keeping them in games.
Coaching Canucks
- Alain Vigneault always seems to push the right buttons even if his team is undermanned. Ralph Krueger is still trying to find the right chemistry to get his team scoring 5v5.
Intangibles Canucks
- The pressure is on the Oilers to win this game on home ice. They haven't dealt with that well in the past. The Canucks last played Friday night in Vancouver, Edmonton played on Saturday afternoon.

Oilers:
Hall-NugentHopkins-Eberle
Yakupov-Gagner-Hemsky
Smyth-Horcoff-Petrell
Paajarvi-Lander-Hartikainen

Smid-Petry
N.Schultz-J.Schultz
Fistric-Whitney

Dubnyk
Khabibulin

Canucks:
D.Sedin-H.Sedin-Kassian
Raymond-Burrows-Hansen
Higgins-Schroeder-Lapierre
Volpatti-Malhotra-Weise

Edler-Garrison
Hamhuis-Bieksa
Tanev-Ballard

Luongo
Schneider

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

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Post Game: Game #8 Avalanche 3 Oilers 1

1ST PERIOD
EDM Yakupov 5 (Hemsky, Gagner) 0:58

2ND PERIOD
COL Parenteau 6 (McGinn, Wilson) 12:07
COL McGinn 1 (Duchene) 15:36

3RD PERIOD
COL Stastny 3 (Mitchell, Duchene) 18:50

Edmonton
Devan Dubnyk 37/39

Colorado
Semyon Varlamov 25/26

Game Notes:
- The Oilers learned another hard lesson today. You wanna become great? You gotta beat everything in your path. The other team, fatigue, bad officiating, everything must mowed down in order to pave the way to greatness. The Oilers were sluggish in this one and I guess travel can be used as an out, but great teams overcome this kind of obsticles, one that the Oilers still have to clear. All the work the Oilers achieved in the first two games of the trip went out the window in this game. The Oilers come home with 1-1-1 record and a lot of work to do to continue the playoff dream. No time to rest on the accolades/failures of the recent past. Its all about the next game and it will be like that 40 more times this season. 5 goals in 3 games shows that the goals have dried up for the Oilers. The Oilers scored in the first minute of this game and then not a sniff for the next 59 minutes. Very difficult to win only scoring 1 or 2 goals a game. I am impressed with the defensive game for the most part. It has come leaps and bounds from where it was. Devan Dubnyk's gaoltending has been a big part of it. But the Oilers, have found a way to be positionally sound, get sticks in passing lanes, and just use a better compete level, by getting a body on a body. While this loss on the surface hurts, there is still a lot of hockey left to be played. The good thing about this loss is that it shows the Oilers still have growth to achieve in their games. No need to get giddy or glum yet, lets see how the Oilers respond to this loss aganst Vancouver on Monday night.

Player Of The Game:
Devan Dubnyk G - For the third game in a row, its Devan Dubnyk! In this game, it couldn't have been anyone else. After the first goal in the first minute, the Oilers faded slowly into oblivion after that. Which means there was a barrage of shots headed Devan Dubnyk's way. Dubnyk fought off everything he could. He only gave up two, which means he team should have at least been able to get a point out of this one. But the Oilers only managed one and the compete level waned, leaving the burden to Devan Dubnyk to keep his team in the game. Devan Dubnyk has been the teams MVP through 8 games hands down.

Goat Of The Game:
Jordan Eberle RW - It's time to start singling out some of the Oilers offensive players because on this trip, the well was real dry, leaving the burden to strong defensive play and Devan Dubnyk's goaltending. Don't get me wrong, I am enamoured with the Oilers new found defensive game. But now they need to start working on a transition game and executing odd man rushes at a higher percentage. The execution just isn't there on the line rushes. I suggested a slight tweak of the top 6 before the trip, I still maintain that. Things have gotten a bit stale in the top 6 and offensive production really hurt the Oilers on this trip. Eberle managed one shot and one hit in 20:47 worth of ice time, not good bang for buck there.

Next Game - Monday February 4, 2013 vs. Canucks 7:30 MT on Sportsnet West

Pre-Game: Game #8 Oilers vs. Avalanche


The Edmonton Oilers head into Denver to finish off a quick 3 game road trip. Oilers took 3 out of a possible 4 points out of Phoenix and San Jose, places where they were expected to walk away empty handed. Now the Oilers face a different challenge. They face an undermanned Avalanche team. a club they had just beaten on Monday night by a score of 4-1. The Avalanche are also a club that just finished handing the Calgary Flames a 6-3 defeat. It's a game the Oilers cannot take lightly as its point they need if playoffs want to become a possibility. The Oilers are also coming into this game playing 3 games in essentially 3 1/2 days in 3 different cities. Weary bodies and weary minds have to be weighing heavily on them, but this is what every team gets in a condensed, shortened season. Shawn Horcoff practised yesterday and looks to be ready to head back into the lineup while Lennert Petrell sat out of practise. The Oilers need this win for many reasons. One, to keep momentum on their side, losing this game would really put a damper on the road trip after a strong start. Two, its a  game on paper they should win despite heavy fatigue setting in. Three, a shortened season means there are less points to be wasted, losing this game would be a wasted opportunity. If the Oilers truly want to become an upper echleon team, they have to learn how to play like a frontrunner. The Oilers have established a strong base in their play, now its about repetition and playing at the same high level.

Forwards Oilers
- No Landeskog, no O'Reilly. The Oilers should be able to roll the lines and get favorable matchups throughout. Its a matter of keeping the legs fresh and the heads into the game.
Defense Oilers
- The Oilers have a better blend on defense when Mark Fistric is in the lineup. Avalanche have a tough time creating offense from the defense.
Goaltending Oilers
- I'm a Dubnyk believer for the time being. May as well play him until the wheels fall off. He's been great over the last 3 games. Neither Varlamov or Giguere have been all that great to start season.
Special Teams Oilers
- Oilers powerplay has gone a bit dry but they torched the Avalanche with 4 powerplay goals on Monday night. Oilers PK has been spectacular over the last 3 games.
Coaching Oilers
- Ralph Krueger keeps pushing the right buttons. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop but I hope it doesn't
Intangibles Avalanche
- This is the spot where the Oilers may lose this game. 3 games in 3 1/2 days, weary bodies, weary minds. Avalanche were in Calgary on Thursday night.

Oilers:
Hall-NugentHopkins-Eberle
Yakupov-Gagner-Hemsky
Smyth-Horcoff-Hartikainen
Lander-Belanger-Hordichuk

Smid-Petry
N.Schultz-J.Schultz
Fistric-Whitney

Dubnyk
Khabibulin

Avalanche:
Kobasew-Stastny-Parenteau
McGinn-Duchene-Jones
McLeod-Mitchell-Hejduk
Bordeleau-Olver-McLeod

Hejda-Johnson
Wilson-O'Byrne
Zanon-Barrie

Varlamov
Giguere

Game Time - 1 PM MT @ Colorado on Sportsnet West.