OKC V HOUSTON 30.11.12
If Curtis Hamilton had been eligible for the 1976 Amateur Draft, I swear to God the Montreal Canadiens would have taken him. Hamilton’s scouting report coming out of junior was a “top dead center” perfect match for the Habs. Stu MacGregor said on Hamilton’s draft day “An extremely smart player, a great two way player. Strong, has good size, works hard along the boards. Very strong on the puck, has good vision, very good penalty killer. A guy who plays hard and smart.”
In the last 10 years, Edmonton graduated Fernando Pisani (an 8th round selection) to the NHL. He was drafted in 1996, made his debut in the big leagues in 2002 and was so good so soon the club flushed Daniel Cleary the following summer. Cleary had been taken in the 1st round in 1997, and had several ups and downs in a solid career before arriving in Motown.
Long story short, you never know. Hell, we know the 1st overall picks are going to play in the NHL, but what about the kids from pick 15-210? For some of us, following their progress is a big part of the game’s appeal.
TONI RAJALA
The wingers from last night offer fans a look at pretty much every level of sponsorship North American pro hockey:
- NHL: Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle
- AHL: Magnus Paajarvi, Teemu Hartikainen, Dane Byers, Curtis Hamilton, Phil Cornet
- ECHL: Toni Rajala
The beauty of pro sports (at least baseball and hockey) is that the pecking order is in constant movement. Hall and Eberle couldn’t move down this depth chart this side of their 40th birthday, but the guy at the end (Rajala) could make life miserable for the guys ahead of him.
Rajala’s problem goes like this:
- Toni Rajala (5.10, 163)
- Phil Cornet (6.0, 196)
- Magnus Paajarvi (6.02, 204)
- Teemu Hartikainen (6.02, 211)
- Dane Byers (6.03, 204)
- Curtis Hamilton (6.02, 214)
Now, I’m not saying he has no heart or jam, but there is a bias for a player that small. I’m cheering for him, but I keep coming back to the big man Hamilton. I find myself wondering why he doesn’t enter more battles because with his size he’d win a few. Maybe I’m just missing them, but it seems to me the points would come if he forced the issue.
That’s an option Hamilton owns that Rajala doesn’t possess. It’ll be interesting to see which of those 6 wingers ends up playing more games in the NHL.
Reider on Sportsnet right now. PK Subban providing analysis at the intermission.
Shaw Friday Night Dub game is Tigers vs. Rebs. Shinkaruk.
LT, are you thinking Gainey, Jarvis, Carbonneau mould for Hamilton?
How the heck did Chuck Berry get a phone in his Cadillac ?
Pitlick and Hamilton are in the same position… In the system, behind outstanding offensive talent on the wings. This is obvious enough.
If and when the goals start to come, great but shouldn’t we focus on the other end of the rink? Solid defensive positioning, finishing checks hard and being all around pricks to play against gets them to the Oilers in a hurry doesn’t it?
Rieder hurting after blocking that shot.
Spoiler more like style than specific player Steve Shutt for instance had an outstanding rep as a fed winger Not comparimg Hamilton to jom
http://www.thefirstrow.eu/watch/156321/1/watch-ahl:-oklahoma-city-barons-vs-houston-aeros.html
feed
When does the OKC game start?
Hamilton with two big mistakes on that penalty kill, ugh.
Bagnall has to be the biggest pussy in the league can jump a guy when he isn’t ready but can’t fight a guy when the guy is ready.
There we go stop fartin around with these guys.
Still not sure why Teubert got the misconduct.
Shouldve pummeled the guy and made it worth it.
Wow, those lazy passes will cost you Mr. Hall.
nice pass taylor, NOT.
…..
Hall and Hopkins need to stop with the over-confident idiotic plays.
where is everyone on a friday night. out drinking and chasing skirts….
some of us don’t get the feed and need the updates. did teubert fight d-bag, i mean bagnall. box score says toni scored….
help a fella out!
If you have a computer connected to the internets you can watch it.
xhttp://www.thefirstrow.eu/watch/156321/1/watch-ahl:-oklahoma-city-barons-vs-houston-aeros.html
Just came into the game myself, 2-2 after 1 period of play. Rajala and Eberle with the goals for the Barons. Justin Fontaine and Jason Zucker with goals for the team formally known as the baby wild.
Edit: Rajala with 3 shots on net after 1 period.
nelson88,
No Harty fought Bagnall after a beauty hip check from Harty on Macintyre. Then Teubs fought Macintyre on the same play.
So far OKC is making some good plays, some boneheaded plays. The top-end players, Hall and RNH especially have been fairly idiotic. They aren’t really in the game, mentally. Eberle is playing fine. Schultz is playing fairly well. They need a good whipping inbetween periods. Play has been chippy with each side being a little over-the-top with behind the scenes facewashes and late hits. It’s kind of like an old fashioned battle of alberta, but on the lazy-and-entitled end of the spectrum.
Sorry my bad it was Palmer not Macintyre but the same scenario.
Apparently Arcobello and not Rajala with the goal.
I just joined the fun too. The goals are clear, but I’m wondering what happened with Teubert, Harti, Bagnall and Palmer. From the box score, guessing that Bagnall roughed someone up (leading to the roughing penalty) then he and Harti fought. After that started then Teubert and Palmer were “second men in”, earning them both game misconducts. Corrections to that narrative, and/or any other info on that situation as well of the rest of the game would be great.
I saw Rajala had a goal on theahl.com, now it’s removed though. What happened there?
Palmer got tossed too I missed that which is better then just Teubs getting tossed.
JP, that’s right. Harikainen had a nice hipcheck which led to Bagnall attacking him. Teubert and Palmer went after each other right around when the first fight ended.
Rieder took a half shift after that puck block off the inside of his boot in the 2nd, but hasn’t been seen since. We’re now halfway through the 3rd. Hopefully, they’re just being careful, but it could be bad news.
These refs are really confusing me.
Wow…I hope someone absolutely pummels Bagnall. What a DB of a player.
Harski throwing huuge hits.
Nice carry up the ice by Marincin.
It was a mistake, it was Arcobello and not Rajala with the goal. However, Rajala looks good in this one so far.
gr8one,
I second that motion. Not sure how Byers can get 4 and 10 last night and Bagsucker does the same thing pretty much and gets… 2 minutes was it?
There goes Eberle’s shot at the Lady Bing.
Decent visual feed, minimal cuts but there is a dual audio feed? Radio and TV broadcast?
Good movement on the PP, but no goal. The one thing that never gets old for me is the amount of space the Nuge gets on the Powerplay.
Byers is such a DB.
Ya developing a serious distaste for baglicker.
OKC hasn’t been winning many faceoffs tonight.
Damn Zebras are even taking liberties with our young stars
Roy reminds me of Deslauriers. I’m not sure if he is diving all over the place because our team defense completely blows, or that’s just the way he plays. Of course, our team defence sucked when Deslauriers played too…..
Nice dive by Lander to draw the tripping call….
Thinking this Barons team is in for a world of hurt if the NHL comes back they just are not very good outside of the fab 4.
Send Abney out to take on the linesman. He totally elbowed Ebs there!
Sad day today, Movember is nearing its end! Great time fund raising however.
Wow. Was that checking to the head of Eberle called or not?
I’m just glad that Chesapeake is securing my “energy freedom”. It is a load off my mind!
Taylor Chorney. 3 pts, -14 in 18 games with Peoria. Fiscal cliff.
Ben,
Did Chorney at least finish his degree? Might be time for a career change…
Taylor Chorney: The Answer.
It’ll be his shoulder. Puck off inside of skate, shoulder. Everytime.
Wow best powerplay or on paper should be in the league and can’t buy a goal.
Oilertown,
They need more cowbell.
I’ve never seen Plante play before. Now I know what all you folk have been talking about! Slow & out of position all the time.
Wow Henry belongs in a beer league
Henry brought in to “stabilize the defense”….
Atta boy Hall
Holy crap our D sux! Not one Baron could manage to protect the front of the net on that PK! On the other hand….. HALL!
Right when I turn away because Houston scored…aya.
Hall with some finish finally! Nice goal!
Agreed LOL
Some people in the Southern states complaining that they don’t want to kiss on the kiss cam because they’re related? When did that ever stop them before…
I kid, I kid!
Almost actually looks as if the Aeros play the same trap hockey as the Wild.
Obviously the highlight of the game was the Aero girls.
Oilertown,
Hopefully the Oilers go the opposite way and draw their game play system from the minors?
Aeros win without their 2 best players.
Granlund, Brodin, Rau, Bulmer,and Kampfer all injured.
Oilanderp,
They’re doing the same annoying post-game dance as last night…
Barons vs Aeros. Aeros Win.
Barons cheerleaders vs Aeros cheerleaders. Aeros cheerleaders Win.
Luckily I turned the feed off as soon as the clock ran down…
Really great game, it’s just a shame I’m getting flashbacks of almost every Oil vs. Wild game over the past 5 years.
Ugh. Great hockey, but that Aeros team is the epitome of dull.
Remember in 2006 when the Oilers trapped their way to game 7 of the Stanley Cup final? Good times those were. Good times indeed.
Lois Lowe,
For some strange reason that hockey seemed a lot more exciting.
Schultz surpasses his previous point streak of 8 this game, having points in every game the Barons have a goal in.
Things I need to write to believe: Justin Schultz, a rookie defenseman, is leading the scoring race by 4 points. We are a quarter into the season. His closest non-teammate is 9 points behind (Brayden Schenn).
I hope when the NHL starts up again they put the five kids together for a few powerplays, just for kicks.