Oilers at Jackets, G21, 09-10
Years ago I was at a weekend sales seminar and the instructor was from Columbus, Ohio. Over the course of the weekend during lunch and dinner breaks I found out quite a bit about C-bus. Unlike Cleveland (made immortal in song by Randy Newman) and Cincinnati (home of Marge Schott), Columbus is progressive, clean, innovative, cutting edge.
Ohio’s future is in Columbus. The trading area is about 1.7 million people (Edmonton’s is over 1 million but Columbus is much bigger in terms of population) but the city itself (213 square miles) is much smaller than sprawling Edmonton (264 square miles) and its endless photo radar vehicles.
The highest temperature ever recorded in Columbus was 106, Edmonton’s highest was 100 in August 1998.
I could say 10 words about Edmonton and anyone from the area would have memories flood. Gretzky, Black Friday, 5 Stanley’s, Leduc #1, West Edmonton Mall. I don’t know 10 words about Columbus that would inspire similar memories, but I do hope at some point the city has a reason to remember the Blue Jackets for something really good. That city endured Doug MacLean, and Canadians owe it to every Columbus resident to make up for it somehow during our lifetime.
It’s the right thing to do.
–
I’m not going to be too popular among Oildrop fans today, but this game could get ugly for the Oilers. The Jackets are 10-6-2, and an impressive 5-2-2 at home. They’re well run and spent this past summer addressing needs and trying to find ways to get better. They have no cap issues and they seem to have depth in most areas. They must lead the league in former Oilers–Jan Hejda, Jason Chimera, Raffi Torres, Mathieu Garon. I think Garon may be starting tonight.
The Edmonton Oilers on the other hand are a team in the National Hockey League.
So Clarke MacArthur didn't receive any punishment from the NHL for his from behind on Liam Reddox? I can't find any mention of a suspension or a fine anywhere. Obviously the NHL or the NHLPA don't really give a shit about hits from behind or players getting hurt. I'm not a former teammate of Colin Campbell's or a friend of his so I don't feel the need to pretend this guy is actually doing a good job. If Reddox's jersey had the names Crosby, Ovechkin or Kessell stitched on the back, that same dangerous play would have resulted in at least a 1 game suspension. Reddox is a young player who plays on a team invisible to the NHL and unless he gets crippled by that play, the NHL is more than willing to look the other way. See Ignla's hit on Souray, October 8th for reference.
LT – that's one of the pics that got the CiO lads in trouble.
As for tonight's game and the Oilers…it's hard to care about a team that can't be bothered to even pretend that they're trying to do things the right way. There's some quote some guy on HF or OilFans had as a sig for a while about preferring to cheer for a poor team than a rich, stupid one. Even with MacLean's ineptitude, the Jackets are miles ahead of the Oilers organizationally.
Before we have people reminiscing about the good ol' days when Raffi Torres skated up and down the wing in Oiler silks, let's take a look at his last 3 seasons.
07-08 Missed 50 games: Had 11 points in 32 games.
08-09 Missed 31 games: Had 20 points in 51 games.
09-10 Currently injured: 9 points in 17 games.
Is Raffi Torres a useful NHL player? Yes. Did we trade a young Maurice Richard for a handful of magic beans? Uh, no.
It might be time to get over the Raffi Torres blockbuster.
P.S. That rant wasn't in reference to you using Raffi as your GDT picture, LT. I just find it funny how some go on and on about Raffi, like he was the supermodel girlfriend who got away.
I'm just glad that we have our own draft pick this year. Hope has to live somewhere.
It was extra depressing the year that Anaheim had ours and we were shooting for #1 (draft pick that is). Thank god they went on that run at the end.
Conversely, it's delightful to see Burke go through the exact same thing this year.
So, does that mean that the Columbus BJs are the backup plan again when the Oilers lead us on and refuse to put out again this year?
I don't think anyone who comes here would say that don't like the BJ's, especially considering they're getting better as time goes on. I just wonder how much more my poor abused heart can take with these Oilers. When are they going to stop slumming it and start acting like the model franchise they could be?
Well if Rick Nash plays the way he did last time these two clubs met a W may still be a possibility.
I'm more into picking out good young players on the opposing teams now and imagining them in Oiler silks. Not so depressing.
The most interesting thing to talk about this year might be on Monday, Apr 5th against the Wild when there's less than a full rink watching two AHL teams play out the string. Sigh.
Put your hand up if you'd prefer Howson as the G.M. over Ditherlinni.
Seems that 80% of the brain power left the organization with Howson.
Oiler record when:
Outshot: 7-7-0
Even in Shots: 1-0-1
Outshooting opposition: 0-3-1
*insert sample size remark here*
I cannot figure these guys out.
Lowetide: I actually thought that was you for the longest time reading that entry. Then I recognised the landing strip and it all came flooding back.
I remember Torres bewailing the loss of Laraque. You all remember, when Lowe/Mact were laughing at the thought of "NHL players" not being able to individually defend themselves against the likes of Boogard etc. Something Raffi said at that time gave me the impression he was more than prepared to give the odd killer hit, but not if he was going to be held personally accountable for everything.
The weird thing about the current state of the Oilers(24th in the 30 team league, 29th if taking the past 10 games into account), is how much I'm enjoying it. It's like I'm just not up for following a good hockey team, preferring to bewail the bad instead. Must be all that practise I've had since Mark Messier escaped.
Signed, Apathetic
May I be the first to predict an Oiler win?
Seems like taking shots at Raffi Torres is popular, but I will state this with confidence: he would be the 2nd best LW on the Oilers right now.
Without debate.
Raffi has had a rough go with injuries and other off ice issues. At first I figured he was just a salary dump but I'm starting to dig Brule's game more and more.
pboy,
You may have missed Colin Campbell talking about head hits prior to the games on Saturday. Essentially his argument boiled down to "the fans like big hits, soooo, we can't do anything." *mime hands waving helplessly*
If the NHL would start being consistent and start with 5 games for dangerous/late/objectionable hits, you would eventually see some change.
Hey, I get the need to have hitting in the game, but nobody really seems to want to look at why it might be necessary to at least limit some of the more major hits for the safety of the players.
Essentially the NHL needs to hold the blame not only for not policing the issue, but also for not doing structural things to minimise the issue. Like, if the league wants greater speed, then the league needs to recognise the rinks are too small for 210lb 6'04" guys to rocket around at full speed and not make regular or unintended major collisions. And some of those injured will be the stars who will drive league revenue by attendence. You lose the stars, you lose the revenue. Therefore, spend the money (or the owners' money) by increasing the width of the ice by 5-10 feet.
But, it is so much simpler to shake your hands helplessly. I don't necessarily agree with the commissioner of the OHL's actions on his last suspension, but you better believe that he will get a better, safer product as a result.
Oh, and the Oil get trounced tonight. I think they give up at least 6 goals. But Penner still scores one.
The Jackets have really been hit by the injury bug this year, not as bad as the Oilers though, but bad. They're starting to get fit though.
I loved that first pic that was up, Raffi looked like he was on his way to kneecap someone. Seeing that pci … I've decided that Jason Statham definitely has to play him in the Oiler movie. Why did CinO get in trouble for that, anyways?
Ah, I see.
I'm surprised that there aren't more issues with bloggers using photos without permission. I'm terrible for it, myself. Let's face it though, nobody in their right mind is going to pay for pix unless they have a realistic chance of getting sued. So unless you're a registered business like ESPN, HFBoards, Bleacher Report, etc … it doesn't seem necessary. Not in my spectacularly uneducated opinion, anyways.
The NHL doesn't give a shit about the health of the players. Think of the media time and attention they'll get (and subsequent ticket/merchandise sales) if a player gets crippled or killed on live TV.
I play hockey every week and really enjoy the game, the exercise and the time with my buddies, but more and more, I'm finding the NHL version to be brutal and artificial. Nowhere does that become more evident than in a news conference with one of the dummies – Campbell, Daley, Bettman.
I think we're getting sucked in and not getting our money's worth.
But, that's probably just me. I hear fans complain about head shots and then in the next breath get exuberant about a fighter punching someone in the head hard enough to knock them unconscious.
The legal issue is the degree of risk a player is willing to accept, based on the rules of the game. Every injury hit from behind, every head shot (with a stick or an elbow) has a legal remedy. Of course, suing another player/team for ignoring the rules would be the fast track to the end of one's career.
I'm surprised that there aren't more issues with bloggers using photos without permission. I'm terrible for it, myself. Let's face it though, nobody in their right mind is going to pay for pix unless they have a realistic chance of getting sued.
I've fielded a couple of emails from bloggers when there's been some pushback on this. For a number of reasons, I don't want to get into it in great detail but it's not a coincidence that my site is pretty light on the photography. If someone ever decided to make an example of someone, it would not be fun to be on the receiving end of it.
And it's funny because that's the day I probably give up the blog. I always hope they'll assume since there's no money being generated Lowetide will be overlooked.
But yeah, it's an issue.
Luckily, we have an agreement with AP that gets us access. Any time I've got to go outside of AP, I ask for permission to use the photo because of issues like the CIO guys had.
As for Howson, I've got a poll up right now and somehow Curtis Glencross is a bigger loss than Howson and Hedja combined…ooooookay.
Portzline reporting that Gagner is out for tonight.
Lord help Penner and Hemsky.
I've said this before, but hockey in general needs a total re-education in regards to hits to the head and dangerous hits. Former players like Mike Bossy lobbied for safer hits through education of younger players and one of the key aspects of body checking is respect. Ironically in the instructional video, Bossy makes a huge mistake when showing how to absorb a hit (stick held high). Bobby Orr continues to have an impact with his Chevy Safe & Fun Hockey program, in which players are taught to be creative and keep the game fun. Thankfully these folks continue to have an impact.
BY far IMO this biggest contributor to the current trend of dangerous hits and head hunting, was the introduction of full face guards for youth players in 1980. The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association, under Pashby's guidance, made CSA-approved helmet's mandatory in 1976. The positive result of Pashby's work has seen eye injuries all but disappear from youth hockey.
The unintended consequence of full faceguards is the feeling of invincibility by many youth and the lack of respect taught in regards to hitting the head. Too many people in hockey, especially coaches, do not teach this aspect of respect especially when teaching body checking. Players should be taught that the head is off limits when body checking. No exceptions. Penalties and a rule emphasis needs to be placed on hits to the head, much like the recent rule emphasis on stick use.
Not sure if I've made any sense here, but hopefully people like Mike Milbury and the like will be a fond memory one day.
Not sure if I've made any sense here, but hopefully people like Mike Milbury and the like will be a fond memory one day.
Mike Milbury needs to be shot with a ball of his own shit.
And it's funny because that's the day I probably give up the blog. I always hope they'll assume since there's no money being generated Lowetide will be overlooked.
Worst case, by 2012 you'll be doodling an MS-Paint picture of a player for each game.
The good news is, you've already got the Flames covered for six games a year.
http://thepipelineshow.blogspot.com/2009/11/friday-farm-report-flyin-ryans.html
Another good read on The Pipeline Show about O'marra's cup of coffee in the show.
The good news is, you've already got the Flames covered for six games a year.
Holy Fuck!
Breathe slowly
OK
I'm OK now.
Call me blindly optimistic today, for the simple reason that the last couple seasons we've had our fair share of beating up on Columbus.
And, you know, we're due or something on this road trip.
I don't think anyone who comes here would say that don't like the BJ's, especially considering they're getting better as time goes on.
Unleaded: Not sure I agree. In my experience the BJs were better before I got married.
So what's the story on Gagner?
I suppose it's a step in the right direction when we only lose one player in a game … Man, this has been Brutal.
Unleaded: Not sure I agree. In my experience the BJs were better before I got married.
Bruce: I highly respect you, and your opinions when it comes to the Oilers and hockey in E-town. So I need you to know that I mean this in the most friendly and inoffensive way possible.
I think that says more about your wife, than it does about the BJs.
Now, to extract my foot from my mouth, so that I can run fast enough to keep Bruce's foot away from my ass…
Yeah, I knew I should have worded that differently. I should stick to hockey.
I agree with your main point thought, I do like the BJs … always have.
BJ's are great. Must admit however that the idea of BJ's as a team sport kinda scares me.
BJ's are great. Must admit however that the idea of BJ's as a team sport kinda scares me.
+1 Point YKOil
The follow-up to that is of course "Announcing Team Sweden!"
According to Tencer, Gagner has a lower body injury.
According to Tencer, Gagner has a lower body injury.
I should probably stop while I'm ahead, but… I don't want to.
Maybe Gagner got a little too excited about the good BJs, and now the coach has pulled him because he won't be able to perform tonight
This thread sucks. Not sure we can go down much lower.
LT,
A tip of my hat to you for your in-depth look at my home state.
No question, Columbus is the future. The city has surpassed Cleveland as the most populous in Ohio. Indeed, it is progressive, clean, and growing exponentially.
In terms of what Columbus is known for, look no further than The Ohio State University. I'm no Buckeye fan, but it's what brings "O-H…I-O" together, whether you're from Cleveland, Cincinnati (although the Bearcats look great this year), Toledo, or like me from rusted-out Youngstown, undoubtedly tOSU dominates the state's landscape.
What makes C-bus so intriguing as a hockey town is that the Blue Jackets are the city's first major pro sports franchise. This is one of those times that the NHL got it right. Columbus is thriving, and is in a state with a growing hockey tradition (although Cleveland retains a firm grip on the best amateur hockey in Ohio).
Seeing an Edmonton native as the Jackets head coach and seeing so many former Oilers in their lineup is kind of neat. It makes being an Oiler fan from Ohio all the more interesting.
Quinn pre game
IMHO, Raffi Torres is a jerk. He quit on the team during the great collapse. He disgraced the jersey when he complained about playing with Stortini.
Those, are unforgiveable sins.
Woodguy: where the heck is that "shot with a ball of his own shit" line from?
Haven't heard that in ages and I am currently giggling uncontrollably after that old chestnut was dusted off. Good work sir, good work.
This thread sucks. Not sure we can go down much lower.
All this talk about the BJs and sucking from Bruce has me both unsettled and oddly excited about tonight's game….
Well, at least we can all say with complete certainty that if the Oilers choke tonight, they obviously took on more than they could handle with the BJs in Columbus. Not that anyone would blame them. I hear Rick Nash is a big guy…
This thread doesn't suck, but the Oilers sure blow…
I am not sure if you guys are catching this, but some of you have accidentally been writing inadvertent sexual undertones in your comments.
'Maybe Gagner got a little too excited about the good BJs, and now the coach has pulled him'
Is that in lieu of getting him better linemates?
Just because the Oilers blow doesn't mean we can't as fans say that they suck.
That guy Nash can be a real load to handle. And Klesla has been known to cream the opposition given the opportunity.
I am not sure if you guys are catching this, but some of you have accidentally been writing inadvertent sexual undertones in your comments.
Who would do such a thing!? On a family site like Lowetide!? I think you must be reading another blog Bookie… Besides, we all know there are no sexual undertones in conversations about Hockey. It's not like scoring, getting good wood, strong muscular thighs, or a team called the BJs could ever be interpreted as anything other than what they are: clear and direct desriptions of what is going on night in and night out in the owners box.
I mean commissioner's office.
I mean… well hell. This whole thing just went tits-up…
Where's BlackDog when you need him?
I don't think Pat's going to make it this far – he's probably just gonna head over to the self-serve pumps.
If Pat doesn't show up, then who will save us from this path of licentious depravity we have been unable to stray from?
Yup, the Oil are really hard up tonight. Better not come out soft or they'll get it shoved down their throats. The BJs can be explosive at home.
Huh. Anyone got link for the controversial photo?
Just google search it. #212 – black and white with the trenchcoat.
It's a good picture. For a BJ.
All things considered, if they can somehow manage a win tonight, wouldn't this road trip have to be considered a success?
i'm thinking cogs has a good game tonight if gagner is out. about time for that fella…tio.
surprised jdd not in net.
Now that someone has mentioned it, wtf happened to Cogliano??
From the sounds of it the shrimp's more arrogant than any of the dynasty personally…well…wtf for???
I feel more and more like grandpa Simpson, the longer I follow this team.
When the thought police prevent LT from posting an oh so delicious photo of Salma Hayek it is time to shut the net down
End of Mayan calendar or not
1. I haven't posted it yet – I'll do it later tonight or early tomorrow – but I had the chances 23-25 for the game at Atlanta.
2. Thanks to the guy who keeps posting Quinn's gameday podcast; sometimes I forget to keep checking the official site and I am glad for the reminder.
3. Nice to see LT finally paying tribute to Old 14 because last year he didn't – after paying tribute to former Oilers in their first game against the club was basically a staple of such a gameday thread – and we all know how that turned out.
All things considered, if they can somehow manage a win tonight, wouldn't this road trip have to be considered a success?
First of all, that's a big IF. Secondly, a .500 record in any group of games doesn't keep pace anymore. Consider that over just the 5 days since the Oilers recorded their own Bettman point in Ottawa, the NHL's 30 teams have posted a 36-22-14 record for a .597 Pts%.
Thanks again, Gary, for removing the concepts of balance, symmetry and logic from my favourite sport. Your stain will never be removed.
You know Bruce, I was just sitting ehre thinking "Dam that Gary Bettman. WHy can't we have a good Commish? He has:
– Never done anything good for the game
– Succeeded in driving two, and almost three teams out of Canada
– expanded the league into citys that really cannot support NHL teams.
– Negotiated a CBA that guarantees the Owners make money, as long as their francise can hold water."
But then the real questioned entered my mind. For all intents are purposes, he's been the Commissioner for the entire duration of my NHL life. Has there ever been better commissioners? Or worse?
I mean this quite seriously – where is the bar set for the spokesman of NHL hockey?
All things considered, if they can somehow manage a win tonight, wouldn't this road trip have to be considered a success?
I would,condsidering when they left on the trip this team was reeling from 6 out of 7 losses and the fanbase was(and still is) cranky.
I've accepted average.
I'm an Edmonton Oiler fan.I'm average.Joe Average.
And your welcome Dennis.
I mean this quite seriously – where is the bar set for the spokesman of NHL hockey?
Very, very low. And Gary Bettman barely has to stoop to walk right under it.
Like MC said…this org can't be bothered to even pretend that they're trying to do things the right way. I might add they probably don't even know what the "right" thing is – but we are basically on the same page.
You know it would be interesting to know if Kevin Lowe's bi-polar management record (a mix of good stuff and bad stuff) was actually helped out by Howeson accomplishing most of the "good stuff". Wouldn't surprise me at all if that was the case.
Moving back to hockey and Colin Campbell's poor judgment …
You may have missed Colin Campbell talking about head hits prior to the games on Saturday.
… I continue to be surprised at how people think there is much new in this area or that Campbell is really any worse than his predecessors. Hockey has been a brutal sport forever, and the recent round of headshots is just the continuation of a long tradition of violence in hockey. I was going to start at home, with Coach Quinn’s headshot on Orr or perhaps Messier’s headshot of Modano,but then I found this beauty: A SI Article on the violence in the NHL in the first quarter of the 1988 season. It includes Messier taking half the teeth out of Rich Sutter’s mouth with the blade of his stick ("The dentist had to scrape black tape from the stumps left in Sutter's mouth," says Vancouver vice-president Brian Burke.”), Rick Tocchet blinding some poor rookie with an intentional eye-gouge during a fight, Ron Sutter cross-checking a Flyer in the face, knocking out teeth, breaking his jaw, and giving him a concussion, Daivd Shaw breaking Mario Lemieux’s sternum with a tomahawk attack with his stick, and all sorts of other nice stories. It even comes with Scotty Bowman complaining, in 1988, that players don’t respect each other anymore: "’Players today seem to have a certain disregard for other players,’ says Scotty Bowman, the winningest coach in NHL history and now a television commentator.”
Here’s what I think has changed in the last 10-20 years.
1) The media & internet. In the days when I watched a young Oiler team win their cups in the early 80s, if there was a brutal hit, you could talk about it with your buddies over beers, and *maybe* it would be replayed on CBC HNIC the following week. Maybe. That’s it. No ESPN, no Sportsnet, no YouTube, no bloggers, no Twitter, no XM NHL radio, no 24×7 coverage to really burn it into the public consciousness. So while the brutal hits and other attacks were still there, the general public couldn’t see or hear about them the way they do today, so they likely weren’t perceived as the same way. Remember, technology effects how we perceive reality more than we sometimes think.
2) Equipment. When you hit someone hard with the equipment I wore in the 80s (little bits of leather and foam essentially), it was *almost* as likely that you got hurt as the other guy. Lots of guys delivering the hit ended up with separated shoulders, etc. Accordingly, the majority of hits were delivered at lower velocity and hurt less, though monster hits still happened (mostly with sticks and elbows). These days, a nice pair of RBK (by Jofa) 9K shoulder pads allow you to pile into the other guy at full speed and you almost don’t feel the hit, let alone worry about getting hurt. If you really wanted to get a lot of the nasty stuff out of the game, ban plastic from equipment, and put the hitters at greater risk again.
3) The league has tamed, for the most part, the “exceptional” violence (stick infractions, eye-gouges, retaliatory fights, etc.), so players channel it into what’s allowed (high-speed big-body contact). It’s a game of whack-a-mole, though … if you suppress it one place, it is going to pop up somewhere else.
Don’t get me wrong. I would rather see no headshots than headshots. I just think violence in hockey is a 100-year-old problem, and I don’t think Colin Campbell can solve the problem from his chair in TO or NY or wherever it is he lives.
If anything, I would point the finger at the players. If they were as interested in making the game safer as they were in making the big dough, I am sure they could put the problem on their agenda for the next round of contract negotiations. They have proved they can move the direction of the league when they want to badly enough …
"Dam that Gary Bettman. WHy can't we have a good Commish? He has:
- Never done anything good for the game
- Succeeded in driving two, and almost three teams out of Canada
- expanded the league into citys that really cannot support NHL teams.
- Negotiated a CBA that guarantees the Owners make money, as long as their francise can hold water."
When Gary Bettman came on the scene, a third of NHL teams (8/24) were based in Canada. That fraction is now a fifth (6/30).
Of the 9 NHL "markets" that exist today but didn't when Gary Bettman came on the scene, all 9 of them are situated at south of 40 degrees latitude. Tonight's opponent, Columbus Ohio, is the most northerly of the new or revived "markets".
Gary Bettman has overseen the entirety of the Dead Puck Era.
Two major work stoppages, of half a season and a full season respectively, have occurred on Gary Bettman's watch.
With his introduction of the three-point game (but only if it's tied), Gary Bettman has overseen the wreckage of the standings, the scoring statistics and the record book, and compromised the integrity of the game on the ice. Checks and balances which should be mathematical certainties have been cast aside in a misguided attempt to "grow the sport".
Gary Bettman has been an unmitigated disaster.
Unless your priority is how much money you can milk from your team's fans, in which case it has been reasonably successful. As long as your team is not one of the new or recently revived ones…
"You know it would be interesting to know if Kevin Lowe's bi-polar management record…"
I think the fans are the bipolar ones.
One second Lowetiders are praising Rick Olczyk for having a salary grid and then a year later they're giving management the screws for letting Glenx walk. There was certainly a fair number of fans that wanted to give Glen his money and I know which fans those are but I also know the ones that we're bringing up "lightning in bottle" that now call Lowe out for letting him go and they just look petty IMO.
re Bettman:
What else do you expect, when your leader is the evil twin of Pee Wee Herman?
- Negotiated a CBA that guarantees the Owners make money, as long as their francise can hold water."
Dude. He works for the owners, that's what he was supposed to do!
Here’s what I think has changed in the last 10-20 years.
You forgot:
4) A much wider audience to the long-term effects of head shots on a player's health and quality of life.
LT: I stumbled across a service that lets you search a huge database of editorial photography, and use these on your blog. It is licensed through their vendors and its free to you to use. it has a pretty extensive database of photos. And it credits the photographer automatically.
Just did a search for 'Raffi Torres' and it returned 185 photos with Raffi in it.
like this
Traktor:
Re Glencross, when the MSM was reporting that Glencross was asking for big dollars ($2 mill + and long term) there was a lot of trepidation. Same goes for Stortini, who was reported to be demanding nearly double the rate that ended up on his eventual contract.
Dude had the best underlying numbers of any Oiler during his time here, and 3rd or 4th best on CBJ (crappy PDO number in Ohio, though). So that crowd were fans.
Can you find anyone who said "better him than us" when Sutter signed him for $1.2 million per year?
I know I called that contract (and Rene Bourque's deal) bets that Sutter couldn't lose. And of all the folks who I regularly read on the internet, none disagreed with me.
danny:
Very cool, thanks for the link.
Traktor:
Also, in searching back through the comments back then. HBomb and most others here were thinking that if the Oilers kept Raffi over Moreau we could maybe start having some confidence in them. The Torres vs Moreau debate was recurring that spring.
Now it looks like Torres may be one of those guys that's injury prone, or maybe just bad luck that way so far. Still, clearly they bet on the wrong horse. Again.
STORTINI WON A FIGHT!!!
anyone have a stream with sound?
Penner easily the best Oilers forward, by the power of five this season.
Cogliano and Smid with a GREAT shift there…
LT basically said as much in the GDT, but since McLean has left I've considered the Blue Jackets to be the Bizarro Oilers. They do the opposite of everything the Oilers do, which means that they are a generally well run organization that makes small, smart moves to address issues; They outplay their skill level; They're content to develop internally. It's frustrating to think that the answer to the Oilers' management woes was in the organization a few years ago.
penner. goal. soon.
Great penalty by Stortini
That Dan Hejda's a pretty useful player. Have we ever considered adding someone like that to our roster?
That Dan Hejda's a pretty useful player. Have we ever considered adding someone like that to our roster?
…
That Gilbert Brule's a pretty useful player. Have we ever considered ditching a team cancer and adding someone like that to our roster??
…
That Tom Gilbert's a pretty useful player. Have we ever considered losing a useless goaltender and adding someone like that to our roster??
…
What if games are fun. Shall I continue?
Ty: Fair point. But I'll bet you'd run out of examples before I would.
Steve:
I doubt it.
I'm really not liking Hemsky's game. He's not skating as hard as he used to and failing to make the head man pass, preferring instead to try and go globetrotters on the Jackets.
Played like a 13 year old puckhog in the first.
Really Moreau?
Really?
Ethan Moreau: Moron.
Oh Moreau, you scamp.
Why am I not surprised?
That Gilbert Brule's a pretty useful player. Have we ever considered ditching a team cancer and adding someone like that to our roster??
Maybe on Brule's usefulness.
Sure could use a big, fast skilled LW.
Nobody would ever give the Oilers one for Brule tho'
Rod Phillips calls it a legitimate hit.
Hahahahahahaha.
Moreau taking penalties 200 feet from his own net is bad enough under normal circumstances, but when we are already fucking shorthanded?
Time to take Old Yeller out behind the barn. Just be sure to use the AK47 and not the damn double barrel. Just to make SURE.
Put 18 in the gun rack and throw away the key.
Strahlman. Assist to Moreau.
Horcoff got 5-hol'd.
Damn.
we needed an ejection seat for that penalty box.
Moreau should get a scarlet colored "dumb ass" tatooed on his head for that.
Terrible.
"Have we ever considered ditching a team cancer and adding someone like that to our roster??"
Also,
Any evidence for the team cancer bit?
If we lose by one, Moreau needs to come out and say that game is on me.
I think asking if Ethan Moreau has a brain is a legitimate question at this point.
Kris:
Ha.
You know he'll blame the PP for not coming through and none of the kids scoring.
Damn kids, making almost as much as him.
We often talk about guys not being NHL players yet.
Ethan Moreau is NO LONGER an NHL player. He's on the other side of the hill.
To whomever referred to Torres as a team cancer:
I'd like to see some evidence that he's ever done anything as bad as some of the shit Moreau has done and said over the past 100 or so NHL games. I'll bet a cup of Tim Horton's that Torres never said anything as utterly stupid and divisive as that shit about the PP that Moreau spewed last year.
Maybe Moreau just wanted to see how far away from the net he could take a penalty?
Reddox with a nice move.
Rob Reddox?
Nobody wanted to touch the ginger. That's a pretty good power move for someone who's 5'10.
That would've been a beautiful goal. Damn.
Will catch up on the thread during the intermission, just dropping in to say I'm Very upset with Ethan Moreau just at the moment. I have a feeling I might not be the only one.
great replay of reddox protecting the puck with his outside skate!
Score!
thank you.
Nice PP.
End result was weird, but nice.
That's Hemsky's goal.
I hope Souray-Vis can make it work on the PP.
What was Quinn saying about passing it into the net…
Who looks like the fool now!!!
Horcoff gets a golden chance, and rings it off the crossbar.
Hemsky throws the puck weakly at the net and gets a gino.
Lady luck is being quite the bitch this year for #10.
Moreau and Stortini,
It's okay to use your stick to hit the puck.
Hemsky fools the entire free world by shooting on the PP.
Garon sure in hell wasn't expecting it.
We still can't clear the puck.
Penner is a beast.
I would rather have Chimera back than Torres…
I'm getting kinda bored with the game to be honest, so I started surfing some junior stats.
Did you know Philippe Cornet is second in the entire QMJHL in points?
Also, something's seriously wrong with the Q this year. It's usually known as the high scoring league yes? Based on the top scoring players, they're at the bottom of the CHL.
pboy: Chimera, Torres, Glencross….they're all way better than Ethan Moreau.
Watching Jan Hedja tonight makes me either want to drink or cry. Letting him walk was a crime.
"Watching Jan Hedja tonight makes me either want to drink or cry. Letting him walk was a crime."
Almost as bad as having him on your roster and not playing him.
Some bank just told me there are no penalties for early withdrawal.
They should talk to Mrs DeBakey
Some bank just told me there are no penalties for early withdrawal.
They should talk to Mrs DeBakey
Funny, I'm suffering an 18-year penalty for late withdrawal.
I have the chances as 11-17 after 40 min.
If we live long enough, this team might consistently outchance their opposition.
Great penalty by Stortini
RiversQ: Hope you're not being sarcastic, but fear otherwise. I didn't mind that penalty one bit, the puck was loose at the edge of the crease, goalie down, and if Chimera gets a stick on it it's a 30-cent chance. Zack came deep to help the defence, lifted Chimera's stick, and his own twig went up into Chimera's hands. Happens sometimes. The BJs never got a chance remotely as good on the subsequent 5 on 4.
The penalty I do have trouble with is Moreau's. We used to teach in Tier 5 PeeWee, when bodychecking was first allowed, to not take the body behind the other team's net when shorthanded. Finishing the check there turns a 5-on-4 into a 4-on-3. Finishing the check illegally turns a 5-on-4 into a 5-on-3. A mental error compounded by a physical error. This by the same guy whose dumbass penalty 190 feet from his own net led to the critical tying goal in yesterday's Loss.
I think it's time for Pat Quinn to demand some accountability and let All the players know who is in charge of the room. This shit has got to stop.
Souray looked like a $5.4 MM defenceman there.
where is gagner?
"He's got the quickest legs in the NHL"
"Gumby-like Stretchyness"
Man. I miss Mathieu Garon.
Friggin puck comes off O'Sullivan's stick every direction except straight
gagne?
Ico,
You're lost. Philly is east of here.
Gagner is injured tonight.
Beauty backcheck by Hemsky on Nash. Textbook.
I would rather have Chimera back than Torres…
Agreed. Way more consistant
Great stand-up defensive play on the coverage by Hemsky. Nice hit on Nash, and a great stick lift too.
Mixed up the spelling. Any word on the injury?
Lower body, I think?
Vo-et for Lubo.
thank you.
Christ that PP looked nice.
That was a nice looking power play.
Penner deserves an assist there, he had his feet jammed up in Garon's pads making it hard for Garon to move.
Finally some movement on the PP. Nice!
That was a nice looking power play.
My favorite part was when the puck went into the other teams net.
With both Souray and Vish on the blue line, it sure gives Hemmer a ton of options from the half wall. I like how Hemmer took the puck to the goal line extended twice and really made the BJ's have to compress their coverage.
I was just about to clear my throat about the PP. Now that we got the five biggest salaries on the club playing on the first unit, there are no more excuses. This should be a Top 10 group.
After a stuttering first period, they looked like an alite group the last two PPs, for sure.
elite
This team really missed the presence of Souray. He's so calm and makes great plays in the defensive zone. Add that to his offensive skills, and we wonder why he's not the C?
Oh yeah. Because Moreau is a very underrated leader and one of the most respected men in the NHL and only takes aggressive penalties.
As the great Bill Cosby said to God:
Riiiightt.
Penner is getting destroyed on the dot these last few games. Is Horc's shoulder that bad?
That was not an elite PP…
Two out of three ain't bad. Baby steps, Kris, baby steps.
Bruce:
I was wondering that too, yet he took the draws on the 5-on-3, and I believe he's been the faceoff guy for the other powerplays too.
Did Quinn forget his brain medicine and assume he's got 89 on the top line instead of 10?
Right Bruce.
Nash was a demon on that kill. You have to give the guy his due.
Is Horc's shoulder that bad?
It looks to me like they're trying not to overwork it.
He takes some – D zones & such
But, as few as possible
Balls.
Our core is very good: Hemsky, Penner, Vis., Souray.
Horcoff is almost back IMO. Gilbert too.
Khabi looks okay.
Fun team to watch as long as we don't have kids and smurfs chasing the puck around in their own zone, not clearing the puck.
Moreau with a stupid hit on Chimera.
I sure hope that hit is reviewed, and Captain gets 10 games. Whether it was legal or not.
Bruce Stortini:
Please settle down. I was serious – your son took a good penalty there. In that situation you do whatever it takes because that was as good as in the net otherwise.
Gilbert's had his best games of the season yesterday and today.
Horc is looking good tonight – he did well to ensure the puck got deep on that last rush. The kids should take note.
I have to say that Reddox has been a breath of fresh air since his callup. There's absolutely no reason Nilsson gets his spot.
Damn lucky to be getting a point tonight.
Oy, we need another line that's safe-ish after the 1st line.
Moreau-Cogliano-Stortini with a minute to go in a tie game isn't ideal.
Cogliano makes a great play to control the puck in his skates and set up an outman situation. Every grunt winger worth 50 cents is busting on a beeline for the net there. Ethan Moreau dawdles in the neutral zone, then takes it wide, and instead of a 2-on-1 he gets a quarter chance way out on the wall, then makes a spinnaround diagonal back pass to Chimera, and now the puck is going the other way, 3 minutes left, tie game.
That's just terrible hockey no matter how you slice it.
Another day, another Bettman point.
Well, at the very least you can say that this is not boring…
Penner! Wow.
Dustin Penner is Frank Mahovlich. We can take out "sometimes looks like" at this point.
Well, at the very least you can say that this is not boring…
True. There have been lulls, but it has overall been pretty entertaining.
20 foot backpass by Horcoff…sigh
Penner still looks great, even on the boards and in his one end. All around player. That Lowe was correct for seeing something.
The Oilers should probably stop letting them have 1 on 0's against our goalie.
Wow, what action. First whistle, 3:47 into OT.
Too many breakaways tonight.
I've counted at least 3.
Gotta win this in OT. Garon's coming up in the shootout and we all remember what Gumby's capable of.
breakneck speed – Penner=Anderson!
crap – if past dictates..Garon never lets in goals in the shootout.
Wow did you see Smid skate it up the slot there then curl back????
That is not the Ladislav Smid I have been watching for the last three years.
Wow, what a great ten minutes of hockey!
I hate shootouts. Stupid gimmick.
RQ: Glad to see we agree. We don't always on my man Zorg. But that was a "good" penalty, for sure.
HBomb: that was a saying of my late Dad. I use it in mixed company some time because it illicits awesome reactions (good and bad)
This team looks like they've practiced a lot.
44 is a big mean bastard. I didn't realize how much this team missed him. Knocks guys like Nash off the puck like he was Gagner. Nice to see him back.
Love the quick puck movement on the PP, gets the other team to run around and create odd man situations down low. Good to keep hammering the puck from the point too,
Used to love having Garon on the shootout, he was money.
Who for shootout.
POS
Hemsky? (or does injury prevent)
Comrie? (is he any good)
Gagner (cause he scored like 3 out of 4 two years ago and that still matters).
Moreau (just to prove that you CAN get a penalty in the shootout).
I'd go Hemmer, Lubo and Comrie in the SO.
No Gagner bookie
Kinger: Ladi is showing the experience and maturity of a 200+ GP vet. Had to play those pesky 200 games first, though.
I am Really liking his game these days.
OK, let's go get that Bettman point.
POS, Hemsky, Comrie
Penner – Interesting!
Don't like that slow approach Huselius took.
No Gagner bookie
Good Point! Clearly my short term memory is terrible.
The Big P….
Oh…
I now hate Garon's shootout mastery. Go away Garon!
Did you see how Garon robbed Penner, wow!
Hemsky. He's no good.
NICE freaking goal by Hemmer!
Khabibulin has not looked good in this shootout.
Fuck. That hit the post!
Sad.
Am I wrong or does Khabi not come out enough on the shootout?