OKC V HEAT 9.11.12
The Barons added two players this week (Eric Hunter and Jordan Henry) and of course the Hall-Ebs-Nuge-Schultz group should have plenty of success.The club has been horrible on the PK, solid on the PP and outshot at evens.
The Heat are on some kind of roll at evens and the PK. Abbottsford have killed off 39 of 40 man-advantages (97.5%) and have scored three PK GF. The Heat power play is also tied for top spot in the AHL on home ice converting 32% of its power play opportunities. That’s ridiculous, and it won’t last all season, but that doesn’t mean it’ll stop this weekend.
The Barons have an extremely nice group of young players. The Pitlicks and the Hamiltons are getting buried a little but we knew that would happen.
Justin Schultz is the story of the early season, with Nuge and Ebs finding their way now being a secondary story. Hall will impact soon, and I do think Hartikainen has proven all he can at this level and should get a push.
Beyond that, we have Mr. Paajarvi who I think is an NHL player, and Mr. Marincin who looks good beside Schultz and that’s a win but he might have a year’s worth of struggles around the corner.
A quick note on Fedun: he seems to be emerging as the “4th” option behind the Marincin-Schultz pairing and Teubert. That’s basically the Alex Plante job so there’s progress there too.
God bless Taylor Fedun. What ever else happens in his career, you’d have to say he’s covered all bets twice over.
I haven’t been able to watch any OKC games yet. Have they tried Hall at C yet?
Leaving from Victoria in a hew hours to go see these weekend games in Abbotsford. We had a tough time reserving a hotel a week ago. The town is packed! Should be a fun time, as long as I can focus on eliminating everything for the missus to complain about!
I will be at tomorrow nights game, excited to get my first look at Schultz and first time seeing Nuge live, hopefully all the young guys are playing both days. Im really interested to see some of these forwards picked the last few drafts, ie Pitlick, Martindale, Lander but also a little worried.
One thing Ive been thinking about lately about this team, is how damaging missing on the 2nd & 3rd rd picks would be especially the forwards. As an Eagles fan Im seeing the end of the Andy Reid era and it is almost all due to the fact that after being very good in the draft for years, now excluding 2012 ( to early to know but looks better) they have found exactly 2 starter level players Maclin and Shady Mccoy in the last 3 drafts (2009,2010,2011) mostly because they tried to force need picks over BPA . You just cannot miss on that many picks especially 1st day picks rds (1-3) Not only do you have to try to replace those misses in free agency or trade ie signing Babin because they picked Brandon Graham over JPP or Earl Thomas but then you end up also spending more draft picks trying to correct those missed on previously ie drafting Jarret a year after Nate Allen
Obviously picking 1st Oilers have lined up the top shelf but Im worried about what else is in the pantry.
2009- 2nd (F)Lander – 3rd (F)Hesketh
2010- 2nd (F)Pitlik, 3rd (F)martindale
2011- 2nd Musil, 3rd Perhonen & (F)Ewanyk
2012- 2nd(F) Moroz, 3rd (F) Khaira
I get its too early to call but it seems unlikly so far that there is a lot of impact in this group among the forwards,maybe some guys later in the draft cover the bet that some of these guys wont but maybe not. That doesnt mean Oilers still wont become a very good team but it does mean that they will probably spend more resources trying to fill the roles that some of these guys were supposed to fill, I keep haivng this nightmare that we’ll see the eqiv of Mats Sundin for Wendall Clark because this team tried to draft wendall clark every year and couldnt.
I guess a couple more weeks till Oscar returns to team. Looks like he will be playing by the end of the month.
http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&ei=ajydUJGxJsP7yAHmyIDgCg&hl=en&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dfarjestad%2Bbk%2Bschedule%26hl%3Den%26prmd%3Dimvns&rurl=translate.google.ca&sl=sv&twu=1&u=http://www.hockeysverige.se/article/13698600/klefbom-fr-vanta-p-comeback&usg=ALkJrhiGPJC-cTl_3YuGgQo1Gxnm0wlIBw
Sorry for the long link. It’s already translated.
Goldenchild: I agree there is no Keith or Letang in the picture. But Petry was a 2nd rounder in 2005 and the pantry is full of D prospects. If one or 2 develop we’re fine.
Plus Schultz was a 2nd rounder in 2008
“Abbottsford have killed off 39 of 40 man-advantages (97.5%) and have scored three PK GF”
Not to be a pedantic nitpicker, but Isn’t that the same thing as SHG?
@Oilanderp, goldenchild
Looking forward to the game too! I am in town as well for both. Saturdays game was sold out about 5 days ago with just singles left, so should be a rocking good time both nights! If anyone from ON or Lowetide is at the game and wants to meet for a beer tweet me at @chriscurtola and we can meet up
Man, its gonna be good to watch the oil again! Have been going through withdrawal…
Anyone know a bar in Edmonton that is showing the game?
This game tonight isn’t being televised, but the one tomorrow night will be on Sportsnet.
Yeah….I knew that but I just swear I had heard a radio advertisement or one of the guys on the Team 1260 mention that there was a bar that was showing all the games
Eric Rodgers @AHLBarons
Projected #OKCBarons lines tonite: Tyrvainen-RNH-Pitlick, Hall-VandeVelde-Paajarvi, Hartikainen-Lander-Eberle, Byers-House-Hamilton. #Oilers
Expand
Neat. Spreading the talent out, try to get the non-core players producing.
This is what I’ve been reduced to: Being seriously interested on the impact of Jordan Henry. No offence Jordan Henry.
delooper,
I like it. I think our good polayers are good enough to bring up their lines, as long as they aren’t saddled with absolute anchors.
The main player to suffer from this presumably will be Schultz, as he’ll get proportionately less ice-time with all the elite talent. But he’ll still have the powerplays.
Today on the fan960 in Calgary Peter Marr said that he thought the Battle of Alberta will really be heating up in the next few years, as for the last several years the Flames were so much better than the Oilers. Now, with the Oilers looking to be a “more competitive” team, he thinks they may be able to compete with the Flames and their rising stars Roman Horak, Bartschi, and TJ Brodie.
Could he possibly be comparing them to RNH, Hall, Eberle, Yakupov, and Schultz? I mean does he really believe that and is absolutely that stupid? How dumb are the people in Calgary who believe that?
Even if Abbotsford wins tonight, it will say more about their supporting cast and the Barons’ supporting cast than it will that Horak and Brodie, who are borderline NHL players ever, with only one good player in their entire system to complement them, are better than the 4-5 borderline superstars we have brewing.
Oklahoma City Barons @OKC_Barons
Tonight’s #OKCBarons scratches: Davidson, Green, Martindale (not on trip); Arcobello, Fedun, Abney, Ringwald (healthy)
Oklahoma City Barons @OKC_Barons
Defense pairings for #OKCBarons at Abbotsford: Marincin-Schultz; Zahn-Teubert; Plante-Henry
Horak is hardly a borderline player.
He just turned 21 and has 10 goals in 9 AHL games this season.
While it’s unlikely he keeps up that pace, dissing him because he plays for another team is just homerism.
He managed 64GP 26G 52A 78P in his final WHL season and has already played 61 NHL games.
Looks pretty promising to me.
Considering he was drafted in the 5th round, I would think the Flames have a steal on their hands.
Martindale not on trip? Hurt?
free stream seems to be up: http://www.thefirstrow.eu/watch/151997/1/watch-ahl:-oklahoma-city-barons-vs-abbotsford-heat.html
excited about actually being at the game tomorrow!
Rieder with a PP assist tonight, he’s 19, 6-11-17 so far this season.
Bigos with an assist and Laleggia a goal in college play. Simpson’s UND game is still underway.
Barons looking a little sluggish tonight so far.
DSF
Last year the Oilers had a promising 20 year old with 20 goals in his first 25 games. Now he is in the ECHL. Not reading too much into it. Only an asshole troll like you would.
Flames have some of the worst depth in the league. Horak playing 61 games for the Flames does not make him a promising prospect. To compare him to any of Eberle, Hall or Yakupov is laughable. If he has a career half as good as David Vyborny Flames fans should be thrilled. He is exactly a borderline player.
Teubert isn’t going to get many better chances than that one.
Marincin looking like a rookie on that shift Loirdy.
no kidding I was just gonna say
wow marincin
2 consecutive defensive zone giveaways
Zahn very physical there. Don’t get a penalty young man!
JFJ managed 69-36-42-78 in his final Q season, and has already managed 166 NHL games.
Looked pretty promising to me. Or something…
Any player who leads the AHL in goal scoring at his age is a promising prospect.
I wouldn’t think he has the upside of the players you mention but your characterization of him is ridiculous.
It will be interesting to see if the Oilers young guns can outplay other teams youngsters by the margin you are intimating.
So far, other than Schultz, no deal.
Teubert leaves the puck behind the net for Zahn to lead the breakout. No disrespect to Zahn, but yikes!!
Tyrvainen needs to bury that one.
wow
PK
again…
Pitlick with a nice chance there.
Pitlick has been one of the more active Barons tonight.
Lots of try.
Pitlick has all kinds of good things, suspect he’s from the Pat Hughes family offensively.
Oh dear lord that was ugly.
the ghost of steve smith was in the building.
or, since he’s not dead, maybe he was there himself.
striatic,
Who made that pass?
Marincin off the Nuge and past Danis.
5 periods now without a goal.
Marincin making some huge defensive gaffes tonight. I guess to be expected but sucks that it’s so many in such quick succession.
Boy and here I thought the Oilers prospects were better than the flames.
Paajarvi I believe with that nice hit.
I guess old nelson gave up on splittin up the boys…
more PK practice i guess.
And again.
And another for good measure.
5 on 3 practice.
gotta practice this stuff right?
getting scored on practice.
woulda’ thought they had enough of that.
Kolanos, only fitting that he would score
suddenly much less excited about the 5 hours in the car tomorrow. hm.
Clearly they haven’t been practicing enough.
I was listening, but I think instead I’ll just pick at an infected hangnail. Less painful.
I can’t say that I’m expecting better tomorrow night, either. I’m waiting for someone to write an article detailing how AHL to NHL stats aren’t always synchronized.
This may only be one game, but I’m not entirely certain now that I want the NHL back that badly.
Hmmn it seems that OKC has incorporated the Oiler defensive system this season.
at least eberle and hall and schultz are trying.
i almost get the sense that now that the young guns are on the team some of the other players look like the feel they’ve been given permission to be passengers or something.
Rookie defensemen make mistakes. The Oilers are the only organization that doesn’t seem to know this, although it’ll be better as time rolls along this season.
Man. That was horrible. Thank goodness they got that stink bomb out of the way.
9 Powerplays for the Heat. Is Pat Quinn coaching for OKC tonight?!!
i don’t think you can break up Hall/RNH/Eberle.
if only because any other player plays with one of the trio, they figure they can take the night off.
or, if not take the night off, try to play a totally different style.
either way, pays to keep the big three together.
Yeesh that was a stinker, this link is fitting
http://www.despair.com/los24x30prin.html
Taylor Hal credited with only 1 shot?! is that right? PItlick with 4 shots is good to see, but he eventually needs to figure out how to put his game together.
Also, defense is still a problem, what else is new?
Pitlick was the only decent looking player out there, other than RNH, Eberle, Hall when they were finally reunited in the 3rd.
Lander not only looked mediocre, but the cause of mediocrity in others.
That was fugly. I don’t think we one 35% of the draws tonight. Hopefully arocobello and fedun draw back in tomorrow. I would give house and plante a seat. I also think that Vandervelde was not good at evens, but faired quite well on the pk. I would go with this tomorrow
RNH-Harti-eberle
Arocobello -hall-MPS
Lander-tyrvainen-pit lick
Vandevelde-Hamilton-Byers.
Schultz-Marincin
Teubert-fedun
Henry-zahn
Roy
eidy,
Not bad, but given that this is the AHL, and the Flames farm team as well, I’d make one minor variation
On the fourth line I’d run Doug Glatt – Ogie Oglethorpe – Ross Rhea. Match them against the Baertschi line.
Just a thought.
I think 9 shorthanded situations also tells part of the story. That usually means you don’t have the feet moving early and get frustrated late. Danis should sue from what I saw tonight. Credit to the Heat though, they’ve clearly put aside the fact their parent club are asshats.
I think we all know that tonight the Heat won because they owned the superior facial hair. Call it a facial follicular advantage. If this season is going to be turned around, Eberle and Hartikainen need to start stop shaving. As for Hopkins, could we attach some groucho features to his cage?
Wow. Help help i,m still in Abbotsford! Holy penalties Batman! Pitlick and Teubert looked good but everyone else deserves immediate devotion to the AHL… Aww CRAP!
lol. And that’s a nice way to end a pretty bad day.