Oilers at Predators, G63/08-09
It’s a big game tonight. The Oilers are ahead of Nashville by a single point with a game in hand. A win tonight puts them three ahead at the trade deadline.
Ales Hemsky hasn’t been himself lately but this team needs him to be at his rambunctious best during this road trip.
There is a chance at some clearance and a chance to add some help at the deadline.
This could be the biggest week for the Oilers since the deadline in 2006.
Ya know, that’s the second time Pies has shot at the outside pad for a rebound tonight. The first was on the PK and Horc couldn’t get there. A very Crosby-like play.
That was a gaffe by the NSH tender.
We’ll take it.
slipper: You were missed.
3-3 now, St. Fernando appears to be back.
How dazed and confused was Reddox anyway?
I’d love to add Zanon tomorrow. Can’t see Nashville doing it, even if we win in regulation, but I’d love to.
So that does it. Cogs for Frolov.
Hemsky looks fucking awful tonight.
Ohh, Hemmer. Bad play.
Scott: I’d still do Cogliano for Frolov. In a half-second.
Assuming we could extend him this summer, of course….
LT – Reddox hurt? Help an Eastern Canadian brother out here.
JFJ?!
Sweet merciful fuck. JF Jacques scored a goal.
Some nice lines tonight, hope MacT keeps the Gagner-Pouliot and Cogliano-Pisani group together.
JACQUES!!! ahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
dRINK time!
Sorry I’m late gents.
Looks like a good time to join! Go JACQUES!!!
Good lord..offense from JFJ and Smid..on the same play? Hell has frozen over.
WHAT?!?!?
Tough thing to say, but we may lose this game because of Hemsky.
it’s a SIGN!!!!
what a crazy time for JFJ to score his first goal.
Stop fucking with me. As if.
As an aside, 22′s making lots of little plays tonight that he never did before. I’ve counted three times where he’s shielded the puck and got it out and in the O zone he’s cycling as well as anyone else. Kid looks like a player for the first time, IMO.
Witch!
Damn it we need to keep pressuring…and someone needs to get Ales some glasses… his passes have been brutal.
bdHS: hE (rEDDOX) took a hit and was wobbly getting back into the play, then he took some time to get to the bench.
Wow. Love this game so far tonight, other people scoring goals. I’d forgotten what this was like, to breath fresh air and look at blue sky.
SOrt of like getting out of Shawshank.
Cogliano aside the score sheet sure isn’t the usual suspects.
HBomb: I’m opening a second! Plus, my typewriter has gone crazy.
Smid’s exceptional play leading to that goal reminds me of Jason Smith’s blunder years ago that cost the Oilers the game against Minnesota in overtime.
MacT was steamed after the game and explained to the reporters, “Our grit hard defenceman think they’re Bobby Orr, four-on-four”
Hilarious. And completely irrelevant to today’s game.
Punjabi,
I hope I’m not alone in saying there is no way I’d deal Cogliano without a Frolov type player coming the other way. I like that kid way too much. I would actually prefer to deal gagner’s potential in a big move.
For a shooter, playing so much time with moreau, it’s amazing that he likely cracks 20 goals again.
great game by JK Brodizak tonight.
Ok, got it, the “Crazy Train”…re-naming a previous invention after JFJ:
1 shot Jack Daniels
1 shot Yukon Jack (NOTE: If this is unavailable, double up the JD)
1 shot Root Beer Schnapps
Cola
Enjoy.
JFJ from Smid and Stortini.
The best goal since Jiri Dopita scored his only goal for the Oil (assisted by Alexei Semenov)?
BD: lol. I can see where you’d need proof. I wish there was an Elias Hockey Bureau who could tell us if JFJ’s scoreless streak from the start was a record for an F.
Lowetide: As you can see, I’m switching to the hard stuff.
And as I say that, Nashville scores as Staios loses his man. FUCK.
We really need another veteran hand back on the blue. Really.
On the oiler’s live scoreboard they tell u how far out the shots are coming from, but they do a mildly humourous job of wording it when it’s a missed shot..
Missed Shot: EDM COLE,E. 15′ Wide of Net (6:48 3rd)
Fuck you MacT, fourth line against first line, 5-4 Nashville.
Curly-haired idiot can’t run a bench. Stupid, stupid, STUPID.
That’s what happens when you overplay your 4th line.
Dumb, dumb, dumb
Ah, dammit.
Roloson can’t give up a rebound on that shot.
Oilers to the powerplay. If there was EVER a time to finally score a goal with the G-D man advantage, it’s now.
We really need another veteran hand back on the blue. Really.
I choose to think that you mean a different veteran hand rather than a second veteran hand. Staios needs to be sent away.
Something happy has turned sour so quickly… so quickly. Weren’t we talking about the Nashville game of last year. Oh deja vu.
Okay, NEED a PP goal. rfn.
shooooooooooot
They’ll just take it away anyways.
Just to rub some salt into the oozing gaping bleeding wound over my heart.
Fuck Hemsky, SHOOT THAT SHIT.
I thought we were supposed to suck in the SECOND period.
Aw, come the hell on. Are you serious? Score dammit!
I have to say wouldn’t it be great to have a coach who could take advantage of situations like Barry Trotz just did? When was the last time MacT did something like that, the playoffs in 2006 to the best of my recollection.
Smid is playing awesome. He has multiple points!
Hemsky looks fucking clueless out there.
Maybe MacT will start double-shifting Reddox to tie it back up. He’s got jam.
Hemsky looks like shit.
Seriously.
He’s whiffing on pucks that he never whiffs on. He’s giving the puck away any time he’s forced to make a move with the puck.
I’m guessing he has a wrist injury.
COLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you Erik Cole. Do NOT trade that guy tomorrow Lowebellini.
GOAL!
Quick! trade that guy!
YES!!! You can’t stop Eric Cole. You can only try to contain him. Or break his neck.
“both teams going for the juggler..”
Never change, Rod Phillips.
Funny, three guys that would be popular choices for team MVP (Souray, Hemsky, Roloson), they’re all having shit nights.
Good to see other guys picking up the slack.
What I wouldn’t give for a regulation win here.
Dear Steve Staios, your snowblower is clogged.
I’m sure glad that Reddox is on that first line – that line has been really great tonight, huh? Break your neck attempting self pleasure, Craig.
Okay, that was mean. I like Cole. Just trying to prepare myself for his inevitable trading.
Hemsky’s gotta be hurt.
And “Opie” Reddox hasn’t come back from that collision
Now that’s better!
Dennis,
Do you see JF Jacques with the game winner?
3 points for Gagner tonight. Good sign.
Ok, anyone know anybody who sells apocalypse insurance?
Smid with multiple points on the same night JF Jacques scores.
Dear Steve Staios, your snowblower is clogged.
Yeah… he heard about what happened to Sakic so he called me. It’s fixed now.
Dear Steve Staios, your snowblower is clogged…
lol, mean but good
I’d just like to point out that Gagner is having the best game of his career after a chat with MacT.
I really want Zanon.
Reddox out there right now with 46-51. Horpensky must be re-united.
If MacT was a real man the conversation would have been about Sam’s Mom.
MacTavish gets caught up in it, eh?
Smid contributes offensively for the first time ever… all the sudden he’s quarterbacking the poweplay.
The 4th line looks good against the other team’s depth… all of the sudden they’re put out against Arnott’s line.
And I knew JFJ was going to score tonight. Maybe it had sometihng to do with those first fiew shifts that Dennis talked about, bu I was a snail’s penis away from posting up a called goal.
You don’t see that play from Cogliano very often – nice work, even if it didn’t result in a goal.
If both Reddox and Moreou are out for any length of time MacT will cry himself to sleep.
Smid contributes offensively for the first time ever… all the sudden he’s quarterbacking the poweplay.
Better than having Staios out there on the PP.
i’m listening to this period on CHED. going nuts. can’t believe anaheim tied it up against the hawks, too.
I predict Cogs will win this one in OT. PLEASE.
Poo with the draw there for Gagner
PDO said…
I really want Zanon.
… awkward
Well given the effort tonight, I’d say even walking away with one point against this team is worth feeling good about. I didn’t see the entire game, but from what I have seen, it’s been a pretty good game. If only our top line were also the first line.
http://www.justin.tv/cgames82
streaming
Fuck you Dumont, you head-tossing bitch.
Good boy, Strudwick – someone’s got to fill the void left by the captain.
I know that this isn’t exactly the conventional wisdom but I’m not as wild about Strudwick as the rest of Oildom seems to be. He really seems to struggle with the downlow coverage.
Nice to see slipper back. Did you happen to see Vic in whatever dimension you were wandering?
^thanks for the heads up on the stream^
what was struds doing out there 4 on 4????
oh Lubo why did you have to go?
Huh. This doesn’t feel good. Go Pisani! Go Horcoff!
Sh game-winner by Pisani coming up
longest minute ever
Fuck off….how do they not blow it dead dead when the goalie is obviously hurt?
wow. wow wow wow. that is the shittiest possible way to loose. Pleeeeeease don’t let him be injured.
Uh oh.
Damn..and hopefully Roli isn’t hurt
Well that’s a hell of a way to lose a game.
The goalie gets a puck in the throat to lose the game in OT.
I called it.
What’s the rule on that anyways? If the goalie’s hurt, shouldn’t the play be immediately dead?
Can’t fault Roloson on that one or the game overall. Meanwhile, that last sequence is an excellent reminder to management that getting a backup goalie that you trust is kind of fricking important.
Can’t feel bad about this L. Lots of good things.
Thanks for the stream, just in time to see the PP.
Why was Strudwick out there? Anyone?
Carrie Millbank is almost as annoying as that bald dude who does the ‘Ask an Oiler’ segments on the oficial site.
Of course I think just about anybody’s face would piss me off unless it was the ref nullifying that last goal on account of an INJURED FUCKING GOALIE.
a little surprised roli didn’t toss the mask there. I guess souray gets paid too much to get down to block a shot though…
And just like that, the Oilers become sellers.
Really annoyed that the play wasn’t blown down.
Expected the loss the second we got on the PK, but I’m still really annoyed.
You’re going to want to up the mood leveling medication icecastles.
In the dimension I just came from people still believe Jason Strudwick sucks.
Why was Strudwick out there? Anyone?
He’s a MacT type.
Inexcusable, along with other brain dead decisions today (playing the 4th line way too much).
Ice Castle:
Oilers are in a playoff spot no matter what tomorrow morning.
Souray needs to suck it up and lay down in front of that shot, instead of just creating a screen for Arnott.
Hemsky – beyond horrible this game. Couldn’t make a pass, passed up on some wide open shots, and enjoyed turning it over at both blue lines on a regular basis. Either he’s hurt, or he’s got some serious girl trouble.
MC: lol. Okay, so my bet is that the Oilers buy a veteran center, a veteran D and possibly a scoring LW tomorrow.
I said they’d only make 1 move before tonight but management owes it to this bunch. Seriously.
Icecastles isn’t a MacT player.
Guaranteed that Shawn Horcoff gets blamed for this loss on the fan-boards. Book it.
Hemsky’s not playing well, and it’s trickling down to his linemates because he handles the puck most of the time. We’re talking March 2004 Hemsky here – i.e. his worst time as an NHLer past his rookie season. No shots tonight.
And the special teams are KILLING the Oilers right now. PP sucks, but the PK is even worse. 0-for-3 on the PP, but only 2-for-4 killing them…brutal.
Totally PDO. No faulting the team on that loss – it was a really good game against a team that they always have a tough time with. I just hat eto think that we may have lost our goalie, even if just for a few games.
MC79 – I’m okay now. Meds kicking in… everything is rosy.
Yeah, in fairness to Roloson, those seemless tic-tac-toe cross ice plays Nashville was pulling off all night were eliminated from the NHL in 1992.
It looked to me like Roloson took a stick in the throat there by Dumont.
Yep they’re in a playoff spot and a point out of Nashville is a good start to this trip.
LT – With Hossa out do you think the Wings become sellers? Maybe the Oilers pick up Zetterberg?\
Isn’t Schremp from Michigan? Maybe he flew over Detroit once. Owns a GM vehicle?
Anyways if I’m Holland I make that deal.
Well if Dumont sticked Roloson in the throat, where’s the high-sticking call on that?
To tonight’s referees: FUCK YOU.
quain said… Icecastles isn’t a MacT player.
No way, Quain! I am totally a MacT player! I have heart, I work hard, and I have no skill and loose my temper. I’m a CLASSIC acT player.
All that’s left is Ottawa/Toronto/Montreal.
Win two, it’s a good trip.
Shouldn’t be a problem, right?
Would Vermette help on LW?
I guess souray gets paid too much to get down to block a shot though…
Glad I wasn’t the only one who noticed it.
Would Vermette help on LW?
Yes, but I’m hearing he’s off to Columbus….
No one blocks shots on this team anymore. It’s not just Souray.
With Nashville going 2-4 on the PP, you could tell we were really missing Ethan out there.
I just assume this will the quote from either MacT or Staios after the game.
Havlat just scored an absurd goal…point for the Ducks but not two and there’s another game gone.
How much is Jason smith making these days?
Some stats on Horc and Hemmer:
39 minutes of Icetime
1 shot
-2
8/28 Shots on Goal On Ice For/Against
I have no idea what this means but the kids do it an it seems to work. H&H got pwned!
I’m starting to wonder if Havlat might be the 1LW solution the Oilers are looking for this summer. Say on a 2-year deal?
I’ve watched a bunch of Chicago games lately. Guy is healthy and dominant.
Gagner’s line did all the heavy lifting that game. Over 6 minutes against the Arnott line and all three went +2.
Brodziak’s line had a little more time against the Arnott line then Hemsky’s. They all finished as minus players.
The Oilers need Brendan Witt in a bad way.
Horcoff and Hemsky, up to the last 10 games, were doing it and doing it well against tough opposition.
Ever since Lubo went down though…..coincidence or circumstance?
If Steve Staios is in your top four – you’re going nowhere in the playoffs, IF you get that far.
Remember that game against Phoenix a few weeks ago? Well, that was the last time the Oilers won the special teams matchup. In fact, since the calendar turned to February (and now March) that monumental feat has happened exactly twice.
I’ve had sex more times than that since February 1st and my wife’s 7 months pregnant!***
***depending on your definition of sex
I miss lubo.
Ever since Lubo went down though…..coincidence or circumstance?
It certainly doesn’t help, but Hemsky’s inexplicable suck is probably the main driver. I mean, it’s not a case of bad breakout passes, it’s a case of him getting the puck and just doing f-all with it.
I’ve had sex more times than that since February 1st and my wife’s 7 months pregnant!***
w/ ur wife?
And a big thank you to Bill Clinton for stopping by.
BTW,
offseason to-do:
select head coach from one of the following:
- NSH assistant coach
- BUF assistant coach
Seriously. These guys know how to coach a system for team’s with good top 3 talent, and pretty pedestrian down the lineup.
They can create 3 on 2′s attacks out of nothing.
Was at the game tonite and can’t wait to read the thread.
A couple of observations:
1) Defense was AWFUL tonite. Just plain AWFUL. Grebs and Gilbert could not get the puck out against the checking line. Staios missed Sullivan on at least one goal. Souray was average at best. Smid was pretty good and Struds was ok until that last penalty.
2) Did Roli get hurt in the sequence on the OT goal? Roli was average tonite. First goal was terrible, but I’d say he had no chance on 3 of the goals. Still, he was not sharp and looks fatigued.
3) First line did zilch. Zip. What’s wrong w/Hemmer (is it more than Visnovsky)? He just had no space tonite.
4) 2nd line looked great in this game. Gagner had his best game of the season. Cole looked solid and Pouliot was good too. Sell high on Pouliot.
5) Zorg played solid as did Jacques but what was MacT thinking having them out on the first line? They got scorched.
A very exciting game but all in all we were lucky to get 1 point out of this game.
Burrows: 4 years @ $2m per.
Thats a hell of a signing.
Where’s ours?
And the results are in!!
http://www.mc79hockey.com/?p=3086
I gave 44 a hard time earlier on but wholly fuck what a bad night for 37/77.
Right off the bloody bat, 37 was fumbling the puck and making life hard for the other four guys on the ice but he’s now 8/22 combined in his first two games back from his injury.
At the other end of the spectrum, 5 went 12/6! The Oil only had 17 EV chances – they finished 17/21 – and 5 was on for 12 of them.
That’s gotta be some kind of record; it’s only my first year of logging these stats, all the same;)
10-83 went a combined 2/14 and they are just killing us right now. I never thought I would ever get a chance to say that but I thought it would be turned around by now.
22 made the cut to the last nine forwards but he only finished 4/7. Don’t get me wrong, the kid looked for real tonight but MacT got caught Again on the road with the 4th line out and it bite him twice.
In the same ****sucking period.
Unreal.
is it just me or do we get caught way more with our 4th line out in dangerous positions rather than us Catching teams in the same regard? That seriously rots the fuck out of me.
A great night for the 89 line and 78 is playing with some real offensive confidence.
Finally, the Preds had more SH chances than we did PP chances.
//Finally, the Preds had more SH chances than we did PP chances.//
Dennis – that was my observation as well. Our best chance on the PP was a slapper from 44 that hit the Nash goalie right in the logo.
We actually had a better chance on a PK than a PP. Sad.
Also, interesing numbers on Smid. He was much better than I thought.
But Staios was brutal.
You know those lists of weaknesses TSN draws up at the deadline to show what a team might want to trade for?
Right now, the Oilers’ list goes “forwards, defense, goaltending, coaching, management”. That’s a bad sign.
You know, if that was Luongo instead of Roloson, he would have flopped to the ice like a dead man and flailed around like a fish, inducing a whistle from the ref.
As it was, it’s Dwayne Roloson and he tried to shake it off and wasn’t able to stop it. No wonder he threw his helmet in disgust.
Sweet lord vishnu. I dunno if the ref can whistle that play dead tho, since Roloson was halfways back into the play.
Yergh.
Go Nucks Go.
Go Sharks Go.
Go on a bus to Atlanta Penner (Schremp) for Reasoner & Colby Armstrong.
Pens was the only guy not competing tonight.
Armstrong allows them to trade Cole/Nilsson for Tuomo Ruutu.
JFJ the new Glencross.
Forward Lines on Thursday –
Ruutu-10-83
78-89-Armstrong
22-13-34
85-51-46
Final Question:
Does anyone know if Pisani has ever played LW with Hemmer & Horcoff? Saw him on left side tonight for a bit.
I'm glad others recognized how bad Hemmer was. If his head or something else is wrong we should sit him for a game or two. He is definitely not helping right now.
Brownlee has brought up that the Oilers would have more interest in Briere than Jokinen over at oilersnation, something speeds brought up a few months ago I believe.
Didn’t even include Marty Sakic in those new lines.
Not even sure if we need him to tell the truth. Cogs looked like a weight was off his shoulders (line) with Moreau out.
Briere? Talk about a potential millstone of a salary. Six more years at 6.5 per?
No thank you. Simon Gagne please!
I wouldn’t mind Briere if Penner goes the other way.
.I wouldn’t mind Briere if Penner goes the other way.
Even then, Briere’s not a good fit.
- Not a proven success power vs. power.
- Plays RW or C, when we need a LW.
- Small guy, size is a concern already.
Pass. I’d rather have Jokinen.
So, the next 15 or so hours should be interesting…maybe…
some game (and other) thoughts:
- I am not a fan of moving Pouliot at the deadline for a rental. At least, not the kind of rental I imagine he would land via trade. Scored a nice goal. You could fairly blame him for losing his coverage on the 2-2 goal, but not without noting that there were other guys open in the slot and that it took an odd bounce for it to become a bad play to have left his man.
- I feel pretty bad for Strudwick on that OT penalty, that was a hard luck play. He was not at all “careless” with his stick in the way people normally mean it. He tried to lift the NSH stick (Dumont’s?) thinking that they were battling for the puck, but in fact Dumont only had 1 hand on his stick.
- If tonight was the first game Dennis had seen of Smid, I imagine his view of Smid’s offensive potential would be different
Deadline:
- I’m assuming Roloson isn’t seriously hurt, but I kinda think they’ll buy a player or two. I sure hope that it isn’t Briere
Mike: the assist he got on 89′s goal actually bounced off a Preds knee before it found Sam. His other assist came because the guy covering his point didn’t have a stick!;)
Seriously, though, the young fella played great.
And I’m with you on 78. I think he can be a good two-way 15 goals and 35 point guy who winds up a small plus playing top nine min.
And he’s affordable.
I certainly wouldn’t move him for 19 games of Recchi.
It’s too bad that pass hit his knee. Otherwise that saucer pass was landing right in front of Gagner and we’d REALLY have to talk about Smid’s offensive potential.
I’m not sure what the past statistics say about a guy like Smid suddenly gaining offensive prowess. I can imagine that if any young D was likely to add offense it might be a guy like Smid who probably started in the NHL before he was (ideally) ready for it. None of his past numbers suggest a future Mike Green, and his rushes through the neutral zone to tend to look Brewer-ish. Excpet for his age 19 AHL season, which isn’t terrible given his age.
I don;t think we will see a potential for a rental type of deal unless the perfect rental is there.
I think it will be rental (COle) for rental, or player for player (I mean two or more guys who are signed for a few years who dont fit their current teams well).
Self Quote: “Control the Arnott and control the game.”
Well, so much for that. Dammit.
This would have been a fun game to watch if I wasn’t spending most of it fighting with a broken vacuum cleaner…arg.
JFJ with a goal? And they’re going to let him keep point this time? Hoorah!
I don’t know if anyone’s commented on this but what’s with all of these players sitting out of games waiting to be traded? It’s pretty ridiculous isn’t it?
Shouldn’t Gary be hopping in his Bettmanmobile and chopping some legs off here? Detroit loses guys for not going to the All Star game but these guys get away with purposely skipping regular season games?
I guess I shouldn’t ask…
Anyone wonder if this team is made up of a bunch of players who are strongest in the last 20 games or so?
HBomb said…
Guaranteed that Shawn Horcoff gets blamed for this loss on the fan-boards. Book it.
And the special teams are KILLING the Oilers right now. PP sucks, but the PK is even worse. 0-for-3 on the PP, but only 2-for-4 killing them…brutal.
Look for the common denominator HBomb.
FCM: If you think the PP and PK issues are Shawn Horcoff’s fault, you’re out to lunch.
PP and PK, as I’ve said before, are system-based. Non-playoff teams with so-so talent often will have a good PP or PK. Why is it that the Oilers PP, under all the years of the MacT regime, the best they’ve ever done at the end of the season is 15th (and this was in the Smyth/Hemsky/Pronger year).
That’s the coaching staff’s fault. No one else’s. The Oilers have a group of talented players, but they cannot make chicken salad out of a chicken-shit system where everyone is standing still.
At least up until this year, they could kill penalties. Now….not so much. What changed there?