Wild at Oilers, G48/08-09
This is “Butch” Schaefer who was born in Hinckley, Minnesota on November 7, 1911. He is pictured in the uniform of the Baby Ruth of the Chicago Amateur Hockey League (photo is from 1934 or 1935).
Schaefer had a brief NHL career (5 games) for the 36-37 Blackhawks and is one of the first Minnesota-born NHLers (but not the first). Minnesota has produced some tremendous talents: Frank Brimsek was born in Eveleth; Phil Housley was born in St. Paul; and Neal Broten was born in Roseau.
The Minnesota Wild and the Edmonton Oilers are in a flat-footed tie with the season 57% in the books. The Wild have made a couple of moves to address weakness recently (acquiring Robbie Earl and Dan Fritsche) which will no doubt (if history repeats) have a greater impact than expectations imply. Earl is a speedster best described as a “tweener” but the Wild have an ability to grind just these types of players into useful role players. Fritsche is a player who has size, grit and some skill. He was miscast in his first NHL stop and snowed under in NYC, but if he can avoid injury will be a useful player on the Lemaire assembly line.
The Oilers entered the second season on a nice run and fell flat against Buffalo the other night. Those blowout, crush-your-nuts games can either galvanize a team or send them in the other direction. As a fan, I’m hoping like hell they come out and kick the living daylights out of the Wild. They’re a better team than they showed the other night, their coach deserves a better effort on his behalf, and the money spent on this roster should deliver better results. However, this team is a coach killer.
Pure gaspipe.
Maybe Penner got pulled mid-game because he’s been traded for Kovalchuk.
What?
Of all 10′s options, he picks 85, who is two white sweaters away?
Maybe I don’t understand hockey, but why does 85 take 27′s position on the first line every third shift? Reddox can hit, shoot, or stick handle . . . is his work ethic really that useful? Please MacT play the fat man on the first line, he hasn’t been that bad tonight.
Wouldn’t you be hurt if Reddox was playing in your place?
Penner got clobbered in the second, he came back for a shift and I thought he was OK, but apparently not.
Penner’s still on the bench. MacT must be saving him for the PK or something.
During the last TV timeout, I finally heard the Mike Richards song that got the Oilers’ panties in a bunch. I would say, grow a sense of humour, Mr. Watt. The team got schooled, you shouldn’t have expected anything else from the southern infidels.
Jesus shit-gargling Christ Roli, don’t do that to me!
Hockey gods are smiling on the good guys tonight.
The “Somehow It Stayed Out Of The Net” PK unit strikes again.
Penner has had at least two shifts in the third period I think, so it’s more a discipline thing than an injury thing I’d have to think.
Alright kids… boys…
I’m late to the game and frankly, can’t be bothered to read all your 200+ ramblings. We’re up 3-1, but give it to me straight.
Is it a good 3-1?
Loxy: the 200+ ramblings may be more entertaining than the game.
Isn’t Daryl Katz rich enough to afford the real version of “Rock and Roll” and not the shitty house-band cover?
It’s a good 3-1, I started from the 2nd and that was an almost all Oilers period.
3rd period has evened up a bit and the Wild are pressing, but Roli’s been good and lucky and they deserve a win.
Again with the bad covers. What the hell is wrong with the Rexall Place sound guys?
Loxy: It’s been a troublesome third at times, but the first two periods, and especially the second, were very good for the Oilers. They came out physical and energetic, created chances and got the breaks.
Take that Wild On Jack Lemaire!
Nice bounceback.
You know who had a nice game? Our friend Pouliot. And out at the end to protect the lead. Which speaks to what MacT thinks about him I would say.
He’s become a useful NHL player.
Christ, and they’ve got the crappy 80′s music going in the dressing room again, without fail. I love this team.
8-4 in January after 7-5-1 in December.
HBomb – 80s music. Rocks.
I know we already had this discussion.
Seriously.
8-4 in January after 7-5-1 in December.
It’s easy to lost track of when you actually watch them play, but this isn’t a bad hockey team by any stretch of the imagination.
I feel like this team is one group dance scene away from being a really bad sports movie.
It’s Keanu Reeves as Ethan Moreau in: The Replacements II!
Well, thank god we can’t hear about the “undefeated” Niklas Backstrom anymore.
Great night. And for LT, both of his teams get the win and both end the night in the top 8.
BDHS: It's worth re-stating. Hall & Oates is the anthem from here on in.
Only after the wins though. Might need to go with A-Ha's "Take on Me" after the losses. Or maybe something more terrible? Blondie? Cyndi Lauper? Something bad…..
So in the seven-team mess, we have Edmonton and Columbus winning (Goddamnit Ottawa), Minnesota losing. That puts the standings at:
5. Columbus 50, 25-20-5, 55
6. Edmonton 48, 25-20-3, 53
7. Phoenix 50, 24-21-5, 53
8. Anaheim 51, 24-22-5, 53
=====
9. Dallas 47, 22-18-7, 51
10. Minnesota 48, 24-21-3, 51
11. Vancouver 49, 22-20-7, 51
Shit, who do you cheer for between Minny and Vancouver tomorrow night?
Oh, and Pat….you laughed at my use of the term “clam”? Seriously?
Hot off the presses:
http://www.mc79hockey.com/?p=3051
Might need to go with A-Ha’s “Take on Me” after the losses.
I like the literal interpretation of their video.
Columbus is actually kicking at 49GP and 53 points, so we’re in fifth. Hooray.
Columbus is actually kicking at 49GP and 53 points, so we’re in fifth. Hooray.
CBJ won tonight, 1-0 over OTT.
Shit, who do you cheer for between Minny and Vancouver tomorrow night?
Whoever’s leading in regulation.
hbomb – haven’t heard that one in a while is all, good stuff
two good things – just as there’s daylight between the top four and the pack there is a gap starting to open up, a few times are beginning to sag which means a few more sellers at the deadline, a little less competition for these spots
and the games in hand – they don’t mean anything if you don’t win them but they have games on everyone but Dallas and the Wild.
He was thinking of the famous
Bearded Clam
And, this thing about Hall & Oats
They Suck
How 'bout Shreikback instead?
I cheer for Minny because I have no interest in Vancouver doing well.
The music at Oiler’s games has always been bad. The best tunes in the league are in Dallas. Even during the beatings years ago in the playoffs, I could appreciate their sound guy.
I cheer for a devastating flu bug
CBJ won tonight, 1-0 over OTT.
Yes, but wherever you grabbed that standings list from was already updated with that win, unless ESPN decided to update Edmonton but not Columbus.
Doogie – Cheer for Vancouver.
Sundin will make sure they don’t make the playoffs.
Minesota’s boring style is really hard to cher for.
Minesota has a game in hand over Vancouver.
If the game gets out of hand, we can always hope boogard runs the sisters!
PPG:
San Jose 1.64
Detroit 1.44
Calgary 1.33
Chicago 1.28
Edmonton 1.10
Dallas 1.09
Columbus 1.08
Minnesota 1.06
Phoenix 1.06
Vancouver 1.04
Anaheim 1.04
Los Angeles 1.00
Colorado 0.96
Nashville 0.94
St. Louis 0.89
Yes, but wherever you grabbed that standings list from was already updated with that win, unless ESPN decided to update Edmonton but not Columbus.
Both Yahoo! and the NHL had CBJ at 49/53, so I went with that. I hate that they don’t warn you that their standings will update within 15 minutes instead of the next morning. Very confusing.
Also confusing: The NHL has now updated the Oilers’ and Wild’s records but not their places.
Edmonton is in 5th now, am I wrong?
DeBakey: Now you’re talking.
@Loxy: I think you’re right. 48/53 beats 49/53.
Also, the image I uploaded isn’t working. Dammit. This should.
Thanks for the link Bruce =D.
And yes, I believe the Oilers are 5th now…and I’m going to bed thinking that =).
Isn’t this the point in the season where someone usually drags out the 92 points it takes to make the playoffs and concludes the Oilers aren’t going to make it? (I think there is a whole site devoted to this line of thinking somewhere.) OK, now that I brought it up, let me check … right, with 35 games left, the Oilers need to play around .600 to get 92 points, which is an uptick from what they have played the first half of the season. There you have it.
The way things are looking now, 87 points will make the playoffs.
DeBakey…any band that can find a rhyme for “parthanogenesis” in a song and not sound ridiculous has my attention
Haven’t listened to this Shreiker gem in ages:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovH46-o0rLw
Not sure if anyone else is addicted like I am to Drive This and some of the hardcore sports crew but Gabe’s got his Sports Rage show on right now live from Vegas and it’s a riot.
I’ve been listening to Morency since he was doing Expos stuff on CJAD in Mtl and sometimes he wears on me a little but he means well and honestly loves sports. Cam Stewart on the other hand, that guy’s a fucking riot and I could listen to him all day.
I think there’s going be a lot of snickering going on in the away dressing room after the game.
You should keep making predictions. They are about as useful as a weatherman’s deepest thoughts.
All 6 guys on the ice get a HUA for giving up a breakaway at the end of a penalty with a 3-0 lead FFS. I didn’t hear Roli slap his stick, but whether that was Dwayne not paying attention or Bruce I can’t say for sure.
As Wesley Snipes always bets on black, I always blame Bruce.
During the Avs game last night, the Avs announcer cried out that the league begin tracking penalties drawn because Milan Hejduk seems to draw more penalties than any other right wing.
Hejduk, 11 Drawn
Cole, 29 Drawn
This is much later & rockier version of the Shreikback song that got me first
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v24Di5-1gsg
I got to watch the game with my dad tonight. I wish that happened more often. Some quotes:
“That Vishnoevsky guy looks like Pierre Pilote.”
“This coach should learn from Al Arbour. Put that huge guy in front of hte net for 25 minutes a game and let the waterbugs shoot at him”
“24 reminds me of Harold Snepsts and not in a good way.”
“Hey, rewind that. That play by 44 there – that’s a Norris play. Puck goes to the corner and two guys rush him – he uses the reach to pull the puck up the boards the opposite way. That’s defense. Great play.”
Isn’t this the point in the season where someone usually drags out the 92 points it takes to make the playoffs and concludes the Oilers aren’t going to make it? (I think there is a whole site devoted to this line of thinking somewhere.) OK, now that I brought it up, let me check … right, with 35 games left, the Oilers need to play around .600 to get 92 points, which is an uptick from what they have played the first half of the season. There you have it.
The way things are looking now, 87 points will make the playoffs.
http://www.sportsclubstats.com/NHL.html
http://www.sportsclubstats.com/NHL.html
I don’t see anything on that page about point projections; I only see ranking projections. Am I missing something?
It’s official: The 2009 Springfield Falcons eat yak feces. News at 11:00.
Well here’s some good news – Dubnyk just put up his best month as a pro with a stellar .938 SP in January. Let’s see if he can keep it up and if the dolt running the bench in SPR gives him a night off next month when they play 3 in a row. Looks like they just ran him into the ground before Christmas.
Thanks for the update AO.
A fan of Dubnyk. We would love to see a bit more consistency from the guy, but it’s only a matter of time before he leapfrogs over that bundle of suck, JDD.
It would be nice if the Oilers could get a 2nd round pick for JDD this summer. There must be a GM that like the Oilers brass, overrated JDD. No?
I really try hard not to write too much about JDD – shooting fish in a barrel. I just have no idea why mgmt brought him back up and traded Garon when JDD was stinking up the joint in the AHL. He got absolutely gunned his last AHL start – 4 goals in 14 shots. So is anyone surprised he got lit up first time out in EDM? But I’ve long since accepted that while Lowe and MacT have a few good points – the bad has far outweighed the good for a while now and their handling of goalies is beyond pitiful.
As for DD – like you said – we’ll see. He has to play like this the rest of the year to get me excited again. Nice to see a good stretch again and maybe he was over-worked.
Overall it’s pretty hard to like this team. Sure Hemmer’s a beaut and so is Vis – Souray and Horcoff are solid guys. But mgmt are buttheads, the coaching staff’s “best before” date is way past, and the core vets like Moreau, Staios and Roloson are mediocre and arrogant (bad combo!). So if they squeeze into the playoffs fine – but I won’t cry either way – in fact missing may make real changes easier. Haven’t felt this way about the team since the bad old days of the mid 90s.
the core vets like Moreau, Staios and Roloson are mediocre and arrogant
In what way do you think these guys are arrogant?
I got to watch the game with my dad tonight. I wish that happened more often.
Coach: Thanks for sharing that, sounds like fun. I’m guessing your dad was (is?) a defenceman?
I’m dating myself by saying the Visnovsky-Pilote comparison isn’t bad at all. Pilote, who made the All-Star team 8 straight seasons 1959-67, was the perennial Norris Trophy winner when I started watching the game at my own dad’s knee. Very smart, mobile, puck-moving defenceman.
Good obs on Souray as well. He’s not a Norris player, but he does make Norris plays from time to time. Lots of subtle stuff with his stick to cause a change of possession, such as the play your dad describes.
Garon gets his first start tonight so let’s see how that plays. Frankly, I’m still shocked there wasn’t more outrage over the garon move.
I really try hard not to write too much about JDD – shooting fish in a barrel. I just have no idea why mgmt brought him back up and traded Garon when JDD was stinking up the joint in the AHL. He got absolutely gunned his last AHL start – 4 goals in 14 shots. So is anyone surprised he got lit up first time out in EDM?
AO, it’s pretty strong hyperbole to say JDD got lit up in Springfield. I’m hardly a huge fan of the goalie handling, but these were his stats:
Dec31 – 27S, 2G, .926
Jan2 – 29S, 2G, .931
Jan3 – 35, 4G, .886
Jan9 – 30S, 1G, .967
Jan10 – 18S, 4G, .778 (pulled after 40)
So yeah, if you look at only the last game he got “lit up” (though not as bad as you suggested). Otherwise, he was pretty good (and his non-BTB starts were great). Anyway, looking at the stats over 5 games doesn’t say that much for a goalie on a bad team. I understand your point that he’s never dominated the AHL, and the Oilers have screwed his development, but I think you overstate his degree of suck.
I’ve been very consistent with JDD – average AHL starter – NHL upside is Valliquette. He’s a journeyman NHL backup eventually and I haven’t seen anything in 5 years to change my mind.