G49 Oilers at Canucks
Devan Dubnyk was so good last night his SP for the year jumped from .902 to .908. One of the things we can monitor in the season’s second half is progress from young players like DD, Paajarvi and Omark.
Devan Dubnyk won the battle of prospects over Jeff Deslauriers and it’ll be awhile before Tyler Bunz or Olivier Roy push for NHL employment, so the top job should be DD’s job to win in the fall. Among the other things we can watch for:
- any signs of offense from Paajarvi
- Hartikainen’s ability to at least compete along the boards (an item the Oilers need more of every night)
- Jeff Petry cutting down on rookie mistakes and establishing himself as a legit top 4 option down the road.
The Oilers have some positives from the season (RNH, continued development of Hall, Eberle) but two or three of those other things coming through for them would represent a lot of progress.
Ryan Whitney might be in the lineup tonight, he was apparently close to being part of last night’s lineup. I wonder if they might just roll the winning 20 from last night, giving Whitney over a week before he has to play. We’ll see.
The 24-hour Oilers news cycle brought us news of a new contract for Steve Tambellini and perhaps changes in the coaching staff. Oilers have turned over the head coach a lot lately, I wonder if it is a good idea to flush Renney. I also wonder who they have in mind if they do replace him. Todd Nelson hasn’t coached Hall, RNH or Eberle and the farm kids who are here have for the most part not yet established themselves. My guess is they’ll have Nelson coach the next wave (Bunz, Klefbom, Marincin) and then bring everyone up (including Pitlick and Hamilton) after the 2nd lockout.
I thought Hartikainen played well enough to earn another night on a veteran line with skill, here’s hoping he gets a long look over the next 30 games. If the Oilers spend some time getting to know Hartikainen, Omark and find a role for Paajarvi then this club will have accomplished quite a bit during a season from hell.
There still a lot that can be salvaged from this season. A lot. Starting Dubnyk again, playing Hartikainen on a skill line and giving Paajarvi some PP time tonight should also be considered good arrows.
..find a role for Paajarvi? Well, I’d give him one or two games on the D. Long-shot? Sure, but MPS is reliable defensively, always good on the back-check, good with the stick-poke, can battle in the corners (at least he could last year when paired with Omark), quick and able to move the puck. Not under-sized.
Isn’t that basically what the Oilers are missing? Not too sure MPS would love the assignment but since nothing is working for him at the moment it could do both him and the team well. He would probably be glad not to get sent back down again.. Adding to that, it’s not like the Oilers have much to lose these days. Worth a shot I’d say.. We’ve had neutral AHL-defenders drowning in the lineup before, MPS could hardly be that much worse even in a worst-case scenario.
“After the 2nd lockout”
Don’t scare me with such flippant remarks LT, I get little enough hockey in the UK as it is – the thought of a lockout scares the bejesus out of me! If that happens I might actually have to watch the British Elite League… *shudders*
LT, what do you think the chances of a second lockout are?
On another note LT, how do you rate Petry now since he seems to have picked up his game over the last few weeks? I’ve kept tabs on him since he was drafted in ’06, and he slowly but surely seems to be coming round. Although if he ends up being the best defenseman on the Oilers by this time next year as Stauffer seems to suggest, then I don’t know if that’s a good or a bad thing – it means Tambellini won’t have done his job over the Summer…
p.s. wouldn’t this be the 3rd lockout? I suppose only the 2nd full one.
Been thinking a lot about belanger recently. I’m surprised no one has looked into it yet, but his great year last year was played mostly with doan and …. X, right? for some reason, I had thought that they were more of a cycle line than a transition line – is that why belanger’s offense is non-existant? Because the style of game the Oilers are playing doesn’t mesh with Erics?
Did anyone else see Pajaarvi just get flattened last night and just get up and keep going?
That’s the kind of thing that encourages me about the kid. Even though he isn’t scoring, he’s still putting in the effort in the other areas.
Now if only someone would tell him to drive the net off the rush, and we’d be in business. Kid needs to get greasy to score some goals.
Chris Hext—formerly EasyOil—,
The canon was fired across the bow with regards to the next lockout by the NHLPA rejecting re-alignment and the new playoff structure – by division. Of course the fact that the NHL arrogance of shoving it down their throat and a new NHLPA head trying to make some political points had nothing to do with the rejection.
Needless to say, labour unrest is on it’s way … unfortunately.
The NHLPA didn’t hire Donald Fehr because they wanted to negotiate a quick settlement. Baseball lost a World Series (sorry Expos fans) with him at the reigns of the MLBPA and he won’t cave in like the NFL Union did this year. I believe the players get 57% of the revenue in the NHL. Both the NFL and the NBA revenues are split very close to 50/50 (I don’t know the exact numbers but I’m pretty sure I’m close). I would think that the NHL owners will want to get something close to that for themselves. The chances of a strike/lockout and signifigant time lost is very high IMHO.
regwald,
pboy,
~But why can’t they all just get along?!~
But seriously, why can’t they all just get along? Unfortunately it does seem to be going the way of a lockout, although I’d like to think that given the strikes in the other major pro sports this past year they would have the sense to avoid a lockout at all costs.
Put those fuckers on a plane with a finite amount of fuel and tell them to solve it before they land. The fuckers have a death wish for the sport, apparently, so why not for themselves.
I don’t think you change coaches until offseason.the worst thing to happen would be change and have a little winning streak affecting our draft position and making us think the stopgap coach is any good.
As to coaching
We play the 1-2-2 a lot which limits our forecheck and doesn’t show our speed.Does that system fit our player mix?
Lately our passes have more zip on them than most of our shots on net.You have to have a certain amount of finesse to them.As since RNH got hurt every player is doing the same is this the coaches wish?
We are in the middle of the pack for penalties but why as we are not that big.A lot of our penalties are of the bonehead type super aggressive and mostly by our defense.Is that by design
I am sure most of you have questions about some of the strange line combinations and use.
I would love to hear answers from Renney .
I listened to an interview with an ISS scout from early J*nuary at the pipeline show website last night where he compared Ryan Murphy to B rian Leetch.
Not sure how accurate that is but I’ll take that but this Grigorenko comparison to Mario Lemieux is hard to ignore.
Bruce McCurdy,
Sure, but tell us how you really feel.
That was indeed a very good game from Dubnyk last night. Likely the best of the season for him. It’s nice to see.
Other fun highlights were Peckhams concentrated bursts of his former self (which was also nice to see), Smyth whacking away at the Sharks centerman’s stick knob on a faceoff (the wily veteran move), and the sad stat that Paajarvi has the most shots taken without a goal in the league right now.
I think Renney did himself a little favour by putting Hall in the shootout with the game in the balance after last games frustrations. It did seem a bit troubling that Horcoff didn’t shoot at all when he has one of the best records on the club, though. I don’t know if that suggests injury, Renney’s preferences, or if maybe Horcoff only likes to shoot on certain styled tenders.
Petry had a pretty swell showing. I’m glad he left his garage band in Seattle to come play for the Oilers this season.
There should also be some motherfucking snakes on that motherfucking plane!
Sorry about the language LT. One of my favorite lines on a movie, that I’ve never seen.
The faux-fifties-fawn gives me the Schiffers. Timeless.
Here’s an idea. Something I would really enjoy reading here during the now traditional lost-season interlude is an account of other rebuilds. There could be a few successes, a few failures, concluding with a ten part series on “the” Toronto.
A key theme is the distinction between good management and good luck, and either of those due to the other. (Not every rebuild wakes up on Christmas morning with a Toews or a Crosby.) A second theme would be robbing Peter to pay Paul, e.g. Luongo sized craters of short-term competitive pretense. Finally, people often fall into the trap of thinking that all DFLs are created equal. A bad product on the ice is not the only organizational liability that plays into this: there are facilities, ownership structure, organizational depth and continuity, and donkeys of doom (everyone has their favorite list). Liabilities come in all shapes and sizes.
Horcoff: the contract
Heatley: the person
A few good example of rebuild stutter steps (handled well or badly) would also help to shape the debate. We had a stutter step for whale hunting (under new management). Stutter steps are a fact of life in every mode of entrepreneurship I know about. Something is surely rotten in Denmark when “the” rebuild degenerates into a fifty year drought. There was a brief period with RIM where it was hard to tell if the initial stutter step was a bungled response to a fierce competitor (Apple) or the prelude to a double face palm. Now that the goats have resigned, I’m sure RIM is destined for greatness. Lather, rinse, rebuild. Thrilla in Manila, round three: Thorsten Heins vs Tim Cook. Gentlemen place your bets.
How exactly did Chicago bring about all ladders and no snakes? Which organizations made the best snake soup in their rendezvous with destiny? I had snake soup over xmas for the first time. It was fabulous, but I don’t know if it was the snake, or just a mighty fine broth from the best Cantonese restaurant in Richmond. The snake was shivered into a short fibre somewhat like the chicken in a certain style of Mulligatawny. Rollers with spikes? I didn’t ask.
Curious picture for a Canucks v Oilers gameday blog, LT. Are you saying that Perry is a big enough Dbag to be a Canuck?
So the Oilers now have 40 points in January. They haven’t hit the 40 point mark in January since 2009. That year, they did it on January 5th with a win over the Islanders, and believe it or not, Jason Strudwick was the 1st star of the game.
I thought PRV looked pretty good last night. He was changing up his repertoire and not just circling the net on the rush. I was quite surprised though that he didn’t have to go to the “quiet room” after that hit.
His backchecking is still his biggest strength at this point, though. You know, if he turns out to be a durable defensive winger type, I’m fine with that. Good teams need Kirk Maltbys to go along with the Steve Yzermans.
Sweet Jesus, I think I’m going to up my bid from ten Schiffers to five Groundhogs.
Is Omark skating with the Barons yet? Any timeline on some game action?
I hope he is ready to go by the trade deadline.
Other than drafting amateurs what pieces of the puzzle has Steve Tambellini acquired on the periphery that will still be with the team when they get good?
Belanger? no, he was 34 when he signed his 3 year deal and will be long gone before we get good. Sutton- nope.
Barker, apparently, all evidence to the contrary… much like Khabby was our MVP when he got injured in 09, Barker is our 3rd best D man. Sheesh who is dumb enough to buy that BS
Seriously, when the Oilers mangement pedals this shit: why don’t MSM state, deadpan,:”Gee, either Smid is much worse than I thought and have seen or good on you guys to finally acknowledge that Whitney’s injuries have caused him to retire”
Expect totality of lateral hires that ST has made 6 years since the last playoffs that may????? be around here when we get good are: Potter as a 6-7 D man and Eager if he does not get moved at deadline.
But he was instrumental in getting OKC arena refurbished
Agreed. Unless of course they get nuts and include our 1st in a package for a 1D. Then they might be looking for the new coach bump.
Also, Panthers announce Kulikov to miss 2 months following knee surgery.
Magnus still indestructible.
I seriously think Omark is done in North America, LT. This team needs more players with size that go in the tough areas, he doesn’t fit the bill what-so-ever.
Do you watch the games? Going into the tough areas to get the puck is Omark’s greatest strength. Your eyes are deceived by your prejudicial belief in the importance of size. Size is irrelevant. Performance is everything.
How is he at skating backwards? I can’t recall seeing a whole lot of that in the games I’ve watched.
Well done on the header pics LT. Anyone who posts a shot of my girl Anne is A Ok in my books.
Other than drafting amateurs what pieces of the puzzle has Steve Tambellini acquired on the periphery that will still be with the team when they get good?
Thats a big “other” given that the whole basis of the rebuild was based on the draft. But to answer your question, Teubert, House, Petrell, Fedun, Tyrvainen, Tulopov, Tremblay. Some may be no more than AHL players but one or two might stick.
As I said yesterday, they didn’t go after big fish last July on purpose.
Size is irrelevant. Performance is everything.
Assuming you are still talking about hockey, this is true to the extent that Omark should be judged on performance not his size. But he would not be able to perform as well if he is on a team consisting entirely of smurphs.
Magnus still indestructible. You trying to have the scoreclock fall on him or something?
Going to the game tonite.
Vigneault’s been in a sour mood lately, and has been ridin’ hard on the Dys. The Pisscutters haven’t been delivering at their usual pace, Kesler has been garbage all year, and Luongo is, well, Luongo.
Could be ugly, or maybe something to build on. Either way, I’ll be in a luxury box full of Canuck fans (lawyers…), and I would really love to rub something in.
Or at least drink lots of their beer.
Another lockout might not be terrible. We could get another top pick without having to watch the oilers stink. Which could help a lot considering the oilers should be out of the lottery next year.
I would add that possession is everything. If Harti and Pajaarvi can’t be top six someone is going to have to go shopping I think. Maybe some NHL defensemen would help a bit.
If the season got cancelled and they used the same system for the 2013 draft as for the 2005 Crosby Sweepstakes, the Oil would have zero shot at the first overall pick if we get it again this time, since every team started out with 3 balls and lost one for every playoff appearance in the last 3 years and every 1st overall pick in the last 4 years.
Ducey,
Ducey
You get that selecting 1st overall (31st, 61st, etc) gets you better picks that selecting 10th or 22nd ….. right. So your amateur scouting hopefully gets better when your GM does a horrible job staffing your NHL roster. Tambellini has certainly done a very good job at that. Or were you suggesting the selection of Hall and RNH are going to be noticeably better than Sequin and Larsson. Time will tell in that regard
So your answer to my question re Other is none.
I am not talking about big fish.
Tambellini had a chance to keep Brodziak or sign someone like Boyd Gordon . Both young guys, relatively cheap, kill penalties and, most importantly, win face-offs. Not big fish and fully able to do what Belanger does ONLY they are young enough to be around when we get good. Simple example but shows how filling out a roster for when we are good seems like a wee bit of a stretch for this management group.
You are not really giving ST 3.2 kudos for Teubert, House, Petrell, Fedun, Tyrvainen, Tulopov, Tremblay. With the exception of trying to validate the Penner trade and giving Tuebert multiple opportunities to be a 6/7 D man, it s a real stretch that any one of those identified players play 75 games in the NHL
Its too bad the NHL does not have relegation of the 30th place team to the AHL because if that were the case, the Oilers and their fans would not put up with repeated abysmal performance
Matheson tweeted that Dubnyk will get the start tonight-that’s great news…we need to see if this kid can play.
Any word on lineup? Whitney in, I assume Chorney out. Probably Eager in for Petrell?
How did people like the lines last night? I liked them in theory, but wow did they get their show run.
Tambellini had a chance to keep Brodziak or sign someone like Boyd Gordon . Both young guys, relatively cheap, kill penalties and, most importantly, win face-offs. Not big fish and fully able to do what Belanger does ONLY they are young enough to be around when we get good. Simple example but shows how filling out a roster for when we are good seems like a wee bit of a stretch for this management group.
You missed the memo. The Oilers were not trying to be good. By not being good they get better draft picks, increasing their chance of getting better players. By getting better players, they “get gooder”
You criticise Tambo for doing what he set out to do.
Wouldn’t an option be to just sign the next (or actual) Boyd Gordon (assuming a draft pick doesn’t take the job) when they “get good”?
It means you have to watch your team get gonged 9 out of 10 nights, but it also reduces the chance that the team is drafting 10th rather than in the lottery.
Sounds like Whitney is in-Stauffer tweeted that Eager is out(upper body)
Since the yeqr is a write off, and the goal is to improve, I hope they move a bunch of the young guys to the minors (the ones who are marginal) and let them have a good run at the AHL championship. Being doewn there for that run is more important for Lander, MPS and Hartsky then the AHL vets like Omarra, etc.
Build up their confidence and have Lander and MPS lead the charge as top line players in the AHL. Build that “winning” mentality we always hear about. Eberle, Hall, etc. are too good to be down (they clearly do not lack confidence), you shoudl let them learn in the minors.
Send MPS, Lander and possibly HArtikainen down. Bring up Omarra, and 2 other AHL vets who may never get a shot with the bug club later and let them prove it if they belong in the NHL while the kids get tons of icetime and confidence on a run tot he calder cup
Procurement through the eyes of a twenty-year-old emperor:
From As Long As She’s Nice To Look At.
After narrating 166 podcasts on tumultuous unglueings of Roman history, the narrator seems not to think much of these parameters. Unfortunately, after Dan Carlin on the Ostfront, this guy is pretty dry, even with Attila in the hole, batting cleanup.
To quote myself from yesterday on G+.
“Linus Omark told Swedish local paper Kuriren yesterday that he hoped to be able to hit the ice today. He didn’t wanna take any chances but he had his hopes high. He also made clear, once again, that he will not be returning to Sweden this season.
OKCBarons head coach Todd Nelson said, on the Barons Radio broadcast that we “won’t see him (Omark) playing this weekend. Probably first of February”, but Omark’s expected to skate again very soon.”
Won’t be rushing him, but expecting Omark to be back with the Barons in a week or so.
I’m ever so concerned that Theodosius makes a wise choice.
From the Secretary problem:
4. The applicants are interviewed sequentially in random order, with each order being equally likely.
5. Immediately after an interview, the interviewed applicant is either accepted or rejected, and the decision is irrevocable.
6. The decision to accept or reject an applicant can be based only on the relative ranks of the applicants interviewed so far.
7. The objective is to select the best applicant with the highest possible probability.
To maximize your odds, you’re supposed to reject roughly the first one third, then accept the next beauty better than any yet seen. If you follow this blindly, if Ms Hathaway were the first presented, you would wave her off automatically as a baseline to exceed. That just seems wrong.
Sometimes a guy needs to satisfice.
Ducey
Do not believe everything Oiler management tells you, even if it is written in a memo! Although no one has ever seen the memo because if they had they would be measured against it.
Just because someone tells you they have a Plan, that does not make it so. Look for for evidence of a plan actually being implemented. Or steps taken to fill in holes that will need to be filled in the future. Passing on Brodziak and Gordon and signing Belanger is evidence contrary to the existence of any type of coherent plan. Forgot, you read the memo. Or at least listened to Tambellini tellling MacKinnon…… we are not this bad because we are this FREAKING bad. We are this bad because it really takes time
Unless the Oiler Plan, clearly written in crayon, is to compile a whole series of draft picks and simply wait. That plan, breathtaking in its simplicity, has failed as often as it has succeded. For every Chicago, there is an Atlanta; for every Pittsburgh there is a NYI.
Brodziak and Gordon are not going to somehow make a HORRIBLE team good or even great. They are going to be young complementary players that make a good team better. Think Lee Fogolin not Paul Coffey. But your comment is illogical: if you were going to wait to sign the next Boyd Gordon (or wait for a draft pick to fill the spot) why sign Belanger? Plus none of the recent Oiler draft picks have been able to fill that spot. But, magically, when it matters the Oiler management will be able to walk over to the switch and flip it. and be immediately good. All the evidence to the contrary.
You believe they are doing a real good job and and point to thetfact that they have been successful at being terrible, albeit when everyone else is trying to do the opposite. All other things being equal, I would suggest a simpler theoriy is better: they are simply bad at what they are paid to do
PS if you believe the Oiler believed they were going to be this horrible spending to the capand were tanking, you live in a fantasy world.
Anytime someone mentions something about a plan, I just think about the term on the Khabibulin contract. There was no plan then and I don’t believe there is one now.
I think the entire thing goes back to summer 2006, and the decision to punish Ryan Smyth by not signing him first. I understand needing to get Pisani and Rolson done, they were UFA. But the Oilers signed a lot of rfa’s before Smyth went public and THAT was personal.
No one can convince me otherwise. Pride goeth before a fall.
It can’t go all the way back to 2006 because that’s 6 seasons ago and we are only in year 2 of the rebuild. Therefore, what would the excuses be for those other 4 years of futility? Obviously, you aren’t very good at math LT.
lol. I think the only way to really know is to cut Cal Nichols in half and count the rings.
Lol. I would find it funnier if it wasnt so sad. The Gagner, Cogliano, Nillson, Gilbert rebuild era right after the Cup run is never mentioned by the organization or the local MSM.
I was talking the other day to a guy about Nilsson and the first day we saw him in an Oiler uni. I swear he was 5.07, the guy I was talking too thought 5,09.
Either way, shrimps all of them. And young. Lordy.
Nilsson is a very talented player but he didn’t have the greatest work ethic and he didn’t seem all that interested in his own end of the rink. Omark has a similar skill set but he seems to relish puck battles and I think he is more of a competitor. Hopefully Omark is put into a position to succeed the next time he is in the line-up.
Well I think all of these kids would have been helped immeasurably if the Oilers weren’t trying to push them into the NHL six at a time. If Gagner makes the team, send out Cogs.
You know, like this year. RNH makes the team, they send down Lander. Way better now.
Agreed. Bad asset management has hurt us every year. Take away the fact that you space out your rookies, you don’t break in 6 or 7 rooks and sophs in the year you want to “play meaningful games in March”.
No room for Lander this year unless you move Gagner or Belanger. After RNH comes back I hope they send him down. Same with MPS. Shocker MAcT liked a team with vets. i wonder why?
There’s a simpler explanation for the Ryan Smyth fiasco.
Edmonton had a 42M budget. Ryan Smyth was fresh off a game 7 no show, and management were wondering how they could replace Pronger.
Smyths 5M salary demand was a pretty significant portion of the teams budget.
The grass was greener for the EIG, and they sent 94 out to pasture.
Just two quick questions:
1- Which one of the Kid Line will be the first one run out of town?
2 – If oilers decided to pull another 2003 sucker-at-the-table move and draft down… Imagine Pittsburgh deciding they needed a defenceman more than Malkin, so they trade down for Barker? What would you as fans think of the oilers were they to totally fuck up, like 2003?
I have a lot more faith in the Oilers at the draft table now than I ever have before. That’s the one real positive in the organization since the 2006 bloodletting.
pboy,
Well there is the issue of Tambellini making the decision on the first Oilers pick, even after the scouts and Stu weigh in, if Oil Change is to believed.
And to answer #1, Hunter: Definitely Hall. First one drafted at #1, needs to be paid the most and the earliest after his ELC and he’s a headstrong kid who wants to win, which doesn’t fit with the 2-4-6-8 year rebuilding “plan”.
(I kid.. Hallsy’s going to be here a long time.)
Well said TOJ. If ST had filled the blanks with “25′er types with upside” we’d have still sucked but those players would have had time to learn the system and mesh with the hotshots when they reached peak production. Certainly a better concept than filling holes willy nilly with whomever you can pluck off the FA market. or is willing to relocate to Edmonton.
Thats why we have to get better via trade / draft rather than FA signings imo, and that means it’s going to hurt a little NOW. The idea is to be better tomorrow. We have a couple of tradeable regulars as well as some kids that might draw some interest. Picking top 2 three years in a row should be all a team needs to stockpile the superstars of tomorrow. Now flesh them out with the Versteegs, Ladd’s, and Sharps.
What I’d like to see the NHL adopt is a rule whereby no team is allowed to pick #1 overall more than two consecutive years. That might have lit a fire under ST’s ass versus the shotgun from the La Z Boy on cruise control approach.
Eberle..absolutely. Not run out of town but a buh bye of his own volition.
Dubnyk starts and I imagine about 5 guys will be sent down after the game.
Brule with his 3rd goal and 4th point in Phoenix. (7th game)
Obligatory streaming post.
Anyone, anyone……..Bueller?
First Row Sports is looking good
Holy man – somebody should tell Petry he’s playing against NHL players. Wierd step up in the nuetral zone for the 2 on 0 and made to look like a pylon in his own zone the next shift
Oilers have chased the puck so much in the last 30 hours I feel like it’s a loop.
That was a nice Hemsky to Hall
Hall should have had that out of the zone.
I just choked twice. First Hemsky and now Hall fanned. Could easily have been two.
Oilers have no possession game at all again. It’s like watching an expansion team. Seriously. Have some savvy, like Smyth did earlier. Stop the play, let the forecheckers fade and then come out in a controlled fashion.
I wonder what the coach thinks watching this mid-season.
It’s like a skipping record – Pressure D – cough up puck (forwards not deep enough) Sedins cylcle 5 times r unitil all opponents are staring at the puck, kick puck out of cycle to slot – scoring chance – retrieve puck if no goal and repeat.
Gagner is looking pretty good out there, he seems to be making less 80% plays (where he looks like he is going to do the right thing and slightly messes it up) and is starting to show us more.
People complain all winter that the Oilers don’t have defensemen who can handle and pass the puck, and then demand that the Oilers draft the newest shiny forward, and then complain about the D that the Oilers are able to acquire in the free agent market.
Another skipping record…
Nucks on permanent powerplay, as 98 pound weakling oilers cannot clear their own zone.
Meanwhile half the oilers getting flattened to the the ice, along the boards…by the Nucks!!
Since most agree the Nucks are whining losers and crybabies, wither the oilers?
I have to admit it, Hemsky looks good tonight. Lots of try. Maybe he’s putting the butter back in the freezer.
MPS RNH Yakupov(add 2012)
Hall McKinnon(add 2013) Eberle
“I think we’re ready to report on our forwards, Mister Tatz” *long term GM Tambellini*
Lowetide: Oilers ARE an expansion team.
The dump and chase doesn’t work quite right when you’re dumping it from your own blue line all of the time.
Gagner is looking good so far.
Paajarvi not getting the calls that he used to. The refs are cluing in that he is turning his body instead of fighting for the puck.
Whitney, The poor bastard. Someone just shoot him and get it over with.
Nice seeing Eberle take care of himself.
Peckham with some explosive bursts again. Maybe he’s finally getting into form?
Hartikainen not surprising anyone this season. He’ll need to pick up the pace if he wants to be the wrecking ball that he was last year.
Too bad Horcules passes em up into the slot on edge…..
The edmonton oilers – where hockey careers die.
Not everyone.
Personally I would trade Hemsky and/or Gagner for help on D (or assets that could be traded later for help on D) and then draft Grigorenko to play behind RNH.
Is Yakupov a LW or RW?
You should have seen him 5 years ago.
It’s gotta be a killer for Whitney. His career is at least a little in question and he can’t play at his usual levels. I read his tweets, he’s no dummy. I feel for the guy.
RW
Horcules lmao
Wonder why it’s never discussed openly just how much horcoff stinks as a leader, and 7 million dollar hockey player.
if anyone wants a 1 minute history of the oilers, just look at whoever was captain during any particular year. When they had Gretzky and Messier, they were great. When they had Weight, they kind of sucked but had try. When they had thecaptainethanmoreau they finished 30th. When they had horcoff they were threatening to become a lottery team dynasty.
I refuse to use capitalised letters for anything connected with the oilers, until they stop sucking.
Boy, a whole bunch of kvetch on everyone. Yes, the Canucks cycle well and so on. But that wasn’t a bad period of hockey. Could have easily been 2-1 for the usns. This is lineup 210 but the H’s look good. Gotterdamerung is not yet, seppuku is not yet indicated and all those bad things.
Yea…No one ever complains about Horcoff…..Ever.
Now that was a really bad penalty call.
Belanger – dumb, needless, obvious penalty
Brule with his 3rd as a senator.
Hah, that org might be getting smart (Getting sparkplugs for cheap)
I agree with Ribs that 24 looks better over the last few games especially on the PK vs Sharks.
FPB94 I think you meant coyotes.
yeah I honestly think he’s playing better. but there was nowhere to go but up right?
O-Zone time for the Sedin line must be about 98% of their total TOI.
Hag: Yes sorry.
For some reason the boxscore with Brule’s goal had a Senators’ logo on RDS.com.
Well damn.
Kyle Turris was a good move, tough they got another young ”pedigree kid”.
Shit school+Job has kept me away from hockey.
Wow – great patience by Hall
Anyone know the status of RNH?
By my eye the Oilers look a little more physical than the last dozen or so… definitely a little more effort and commitment correlating to results. That and Eberle doesn’t hurt.
Nice feed by Hall… a pass that even Horcoff couldn’t miss. My wish is to see Smyth grab a winner tonight.
I wonder if Whitney’s career will come down to pain tolerance and pain management or if his body will simply not allow him to have a career?
oh wait, I agree with you pal. pecks looks lot’s better and great on the PK last night rumblin’ over dudes. my post was meant to be in reply to SKoilerfan, re: Belanger’s penalty.
Nice chop on Whitney’s ankle mr kestler behind the play. What a cocksmoker.
I like Smid. Bettern better every day, in every way.
Caught that as well Henry – Hordichuk should make himself useful.
Crude- Canuck (Hansen?) had the puck, Belanger had a free hand on one shoulder and the stick wrapped around the other side and pressed against the boards. He then keeps the stick in there as the Canuck proceeds to the net – classic hold or hook these days. Belanger should know better.
an 80% Whitney isn’t such a bad sight after all, his passes are still better then the rest, Smid is the unsung hero of the league so far.
no interference penalty for 91 leads to that chance.
Dubnyk feelin it. Magnus this would be a good time bud!
Maybe I didn’t get a good look at it. And, I think I was choked about a previous interference on Hemsky by Ballard behind Luongo.
Also, totally agree that Kesler should get his.
Man, Hemsky and Hall look so close to being right there. Just need a few more games to get in tune. A Hemsky trade would be a total bone head move. Hemsky is getting stronger game to game. That Horcoff goal was such a nice sign of maturing by Hall. Even at the beginning of the year Hall would have closed his eyes and blasted.
Well I’ve watched 5 periods of Oilers hockey in a row and haven’t checked what else is on the tube – Progress?
I thought the Oilers looked like and NHL team that period-baby steps.
The Canucks seem a little less a-holish tonight – Kesler’s chop aside. I haven’t wanted to throw anything at the TV yet – wierd
Was seeing Peckham pretty good this game until that play. Vancouver wants to draw the defense up for a hit at the blue you dummy.
Mps could have taken that to the net so easily. He had the defensedood backing into the stands.
Yeesh, that Sedin line has the oilers pinned behind there own goal line.
Best game Belanger has played in a long, long time. Having Whitney on the ice makes such a difference to this team.
Does anyone know the ETA on RNH?
Sutton so is slick.
Sutton had that as a backhand shot – should have taken it instead of the pass.
first penalty this late in the period for the canucks.
yeah, the refs are against you and your ugly jerseys.
Eat it John Garrett!
Taylor, or Tyler?
There are a lot of canucks I don’t like, but i fucking hate Kevin Bieska.
Fuck, I can’t stand Kesler. Where’s Matt Cooke when you need him?
Yikes, the Canucks had about 4 golden opportunities to win it there.
how is that not interference on Beiksa
The Canucks are fantastic at interfering but making it look accidental.
No Lander¿
No Hall?
Havent our shooters watched any SO video? You have to go high vs Luongo.
A little tired of Gagner’s one move.
You’d think after 4 years he’d be able to add something else to his arsenal.
He played well tonight though, shootout aside.
That goal by Hemsky was butter soft and lazy!
Seriously, wtf???
LMHF#1,
Clearly they all think he is weak low glove side.
Idiots…
Yeah nice goal by Hemsky. The shootout is the one time you can count on him making his way to the net… but he did gave a strong game tonight. Too little too late for him staying an Oiler. And too bad Taylor couldn’t cash. Horc’s attempt was pitiful.
By my eye, Luongo struggled a bit on the first save, possible stretching his lgroin straddling to the glove side. After that he seemed to visibly cheat a bit to that side and they were trying to take advantage of it. The second shot tried to go to glove side and Luongo cheated to that side making the save. Hemsky’s shot he brought the puck back for a shot after selling a glove side fient and scored. After that we tried again to go love side and failed. Defensible strategy but it didn’t work. Good game all in all but Pajarvi is starting to really concern me. If he had a little more backbone, I would almost put him on defence, as he WAS once a defenceman in Sweden before switching to forward at a youngish age. Maybe he is better suited as a puck moving D??
you knew the second you saw Horcoff he was going five hole..
would Dubnyk be considered a #1 at this point if.. A. We had a real back end not implants B. He got to actually play more until this point.
If I was Oilers management, MPS would be playing for the Barons far away from Renney, regaining his poise and confidence, this does not look like the guy we saw all the way up until this season started, big part probably has to do with Omark being sent down. They would be dressed together on the 4th line with no pressure to perform, and hopefully when they’re going they can spell off the top two lines. Bah we got a point more then everyone thought we would. Win.
Eberle’s SO was so close to going in, and I think the Oilers really had a chance to win this game and that’s a helluva thing.
Having said that, this felt a lot like those 2006-07 wins where the Oilers would get outchanced three to win and win by a goal because of the goalie.
The three points are nice but there’s work to do.
The Canucks hit the post/crossbar 5 times.
That stuff tends to even itself out.
Was it my eyes or did the Oilers all try the Gagner move unsuccessfully. I thought it was upstairs on Luongo as per Hemsky. Well three points on two top teams isn’t too shabby. Dubnyk seems to have improved on shootouts.
Hall and Hemsky looked dangerous all night. What’s this too late bull. Hemsky is a little more careful going into corners and his passing is as good as ever. I actually like the mad Russian between the two. With Nuge and Eberle that gives you two scoring lines right now and not in the misty time to come. Trade Hemsky for Pie and draft Yakupov, another little guy. Broken wheel.
I hope Whitney came throught the game alright. Did some good things tonight in spite of the rust. Looked a lot better to my eyes.
I think the Van boys repeatedly said four pings and I remember Hall having three in one game by himself but here you are again. Ankle biter
That was the laziest shootout goal I’ve ever seen. Anyone else notice how long it took Hemsky to get to the bench afterwards? Jeepers creepers.
Paajarvi needs an off-season of ‘badass’ training (kick boxing, tiger/shark wrestling, and what have you). He plays like a tiny man trapped inside a much larger body.
I knew BEFORE I saw Horcoff that he was going five hole – that makes me a more awesome prognosticator than you!
They should find that coach that MPS was under last year and let him play for him – that would fix him up.
I hope Renney breaks down the video on both our goals tonight. Both were based on good entry passes into the zone, maintaining possession of the puck away from the boards and moving the puck to players in open ice where they can get a good high-percentage shot.
I don’t care how good players are “getting the puck in tough areas”, cycling the puck ad-nauseum around the boards does not lead to good high-percentage shots.
It may work once in a while when an opponent makes a mistake, but usually the goalie has the possession side of the net well covered and forecheckers are covering any open areas. Maybe it would work more often against the Oilers defense corps, but not against a team with a decent backline and surely not against a quality team like Vancouver.
Drop the boring low-scoring chance dump and chase already (which I assume is there solely to keep the opponent’s possession time down) and let our skill players create good chances.
Umm…say what now?