There was a time when the St. Louis Blues played smash mouth hockey. The Blues of Barclay (front) and Bob (back) Plager lacked the talent other teams brought to the game, so they made damn good and sure no one else outworked them. And work often meant playing right at the outer edge (and beyond) the rules.The truth is that Lynn Patrick and Scotty Bowman built the original expansion Blues around the Bruins model of the late 1950's (another Lynn Patrick team). That template was adopted about 1970 by Keith Allen in Philadelphia and the Flyers won 2 Stanley's with the plan. It also helped they had Bernie Parent, but I digress.
Bob Gassoff (bleeding in photo) was the heir
apparent to the Plagers and did a fine job upholding the Blues hard rock reputation until his unfortunate death in the late 1970's. Gassoff was a very famous junior (the Medicine Hat Tigers of that era were a talented, brutal hockey team) and some of the craziest stories of the era surround the Gassoff boys (Bob, Brad and Ken).This season the Blues are in the top 5 in PIMs and seem to be bringing a lot more of the old style aggression to every game. I hesitate to give new Blues coach Davis Payne too much credit (St. Louis has been trending this way for a couple of seasons) but there does seem to be some smash mouth to the Blues games these days.
The Blues have 4 forwards among the league's leaders in PIMs. Cam Janssen is 6th overall (168), Brandon Crombeen is 14th (142), Brad Winchester is 36th (101) and David Backes is 41st overall with 96 pims. Backes is actually a key player because he's more than a 4line/depth player and often bruises actual NHL players with his monster hits and aggressive style. Most of the Blues roster are strong, physical men with size and it is difficult for a fan to see a St. Louis 5 that doesn't bring a lot of these elements to every shift.
Along the blue, St. Louis has a group of tough men that the Plagers and Gassoffs would recognize. Barrett Jackman (79) is 11th among defensemen, Erik Johnson (68) is 28th and Eric Brewer would be in the mix if he could stay healthy for an entire season.
Juxtapose this against the Oilers current numbers:
Forwards
- Zack Stortini (153) 9th overall
- JF Jacques (78) 68th overal
No Backes, and certainly not the level of toughness offered by St. Louis depth forwards.
Defense
- Sheldon Souray (65) 36th overall
In fairness, Staios would have been in the top 50 and Peckham has 43 PIMS in 15 NHL games. But I think it is fair to say the Oilers enter tonight's game with fewer physical players (and more small men) than the Blues bring to the rink.
There's more than one way to win a hockey game and I'm not suggesting the Oilers goon it up (it is awful hockey, lasts 3 hours and the skilled men get killed eventually). However, the Edmonton Oilers have a lot of skill out with injury right now and I think at least part of the reason is that the club has no answer for David Backes and players of his ilk.
It's ecstasy, anguish, joy, and despair. Its part of our history, part of our country, and it will be part of our future. It's theater, art, war and love. It should be predictable, but never is. It's a feeling we cant explain but we spend our entire lives explaining it. It's our religion. We do not apologize for it, we do not deny it. They are our team, our family, our life, our OILERS.
ReplyDeleteMPS and Lander to play for Sweden in upcoming World Championships.
ReplyDeletePJ: Are you sleeping better? :-)
ReplyDeleteI have a question: if Lander and MPS are playing in the WC's, why aren't the Oilers talking more about signing them and bringing them over here?
Seriously. I understand the idea of having too many kids, but if MPS won a job and Eberle spent a season in the AHL would the world end?
Just asking.
LT - almost there. Magic number is 2 games, so today could clinch it. A well deserved reward for the fans.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I hope they sign Jagr, bring up Eberle, acquire a few veterans (Aucoin, Malhotra) and start winning hockey games next year. I don't think anyone wants to go through this again next year.
Re: MPS/Lander - I'm guessing those two don't want to come over and play in the AHL when they can both develop and earn a salary in the SEL. Latest I read on HF was that Lander will re-sign a contract with Timra and MPS is still considering.
I honestly wouldn't mind MPS spending another year in Sweden or playing in the AHL. Let him play when he's more developed, and extract maximum value (age 20-27 as opposed to 19-26) from his pre-UFA years. He also only finished with 1 point in 5 playoff games and one report from a Swedish poster indicated this:
http://hfboards.com/showpost.php?p=24745189&postcount=353
Of the two (Lander & MPS) Lander was the better player in the playoffs. MPS has speed but everything else needs work. One of the major things he needs to work on is his bodystrength. He won't be able to handle the physical play in the NHL. In Sweden there is little of that in the regular season and he was allowed to do his thing a bit more. But in the playoffs when the teams start playing tougher he turned invisible pretty quick. That said he wasn't useless but he needs atleast one more season in Sweden. I doubt very much that he would love to come over in AHL.
Lander is better in the physical department but needs to improve in other areas. He is farther away from MPS from NHL-level.
I doubt very much that Edmonton is stupid enough rush these two over to quickly. But hey prove me wrong...
Yeah, I understand there are things to learn. Still, Redline said he was pretty much ready a year ago and the guy was a strong plus player in a good pro league at age 18.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to see MPS over here for TC. And certainly signed.
I can't possibly pretend to speak for PJO, mostly because I don't pop in enough to really add much to any meaningful debates these days, but I'm kind of on the same page as you are LT. That being the case, I hope you don't mind my trying to answer your (rhetorical?) question.
ReplyDeleteEberle needs a few AAA at bats before it will be time for him in the show. There are far too many players that have come up over the last few seasons with great pedigrees that have spent time on the farm and have had it help, not hinder their games. As much as I loath the players that prove this point (Perry, Kesler etc), this has really helped to turn them into elite players, unlike the kids we have like Brule, who was definitely rushed into the NHL and suffered mightily for it.
MPS, as we all know, has been playing against fully grown players two years running. The sky wouldn't fall if we built a 4th line "energy line" (as opposed to the current 4th line Zorg line) around MPS next season, maybe even giving the kid a few at bats on the 2nd PP unit. I say this solely because of the level of player each of these kids has faced the last two years. Both obviously have the tools for the game, but one needs some time to be seasoned against bigger, faster players, while the other needs to work on the little things that only NHL game experience can bring. Maybe most people think it should be Eberle in Oilers silks next year and MPS (with Lander perhaps) on the farm, but I am completely for the idea of MPS skating with the Oilers next season. It's time to get these kids, (the swedes), signed to their entry level deals.
Please also note that I don't wish to deny Zorg anything in the statement I made above. I love the guy, but a soft minutes energy line a la the old MGM line would be stellar. Perhaps even having Zorg out there with a speedy center (Poo?) and MPS could be a lot of fun to watch and may even pop in a few goals on occasion.
A note for hockey fans:
ReplyDelete1. Alberta Golden Bears play in the CIS National Championships today at 3
2. Part 1 (Part 2 goes tomorrow) of CBC's new movie, "Keep Your Head Up, Kid: The Don Cherry Story" is at 8PM on CBC tonight.
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2010/03/24/sp-biopic-doncherry.html
Matheson with a nice item on Whitney and some news on Omark and Nash.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/Bodie+puzzled+unpleasantries/2735920/story.html
Matheson's comments on Nash only further my belief the organization doesn't see him good.
shepso: Yeah, I'm less concerned with MPS and Lander playing in SEL/AHL, but would like to see them signed so we don't have to fret about re-entry.
ReplyDeleteLT: Agreed. The deals need to get done. Re-entry would be a horrible situation
ReplyDeleteSmid had vertebrae fused? How the hell bad must his disc injury have been? I should ask my sports injury prof tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteIf you're planning to watch both the Bears-Huskies
ReplyDeleteand the NHL's worst team today,
the Journal Sports is kinda confusing.
It shows the Oilers at 4:00
the Bears at 5:00
Both on Sportsnet.
In fact
It appears that on RSW,
the CIS Final is being tape-delayed to 7:00
Save the Best for last
PJO:
ReplyDeleteWith the new NHL-SEL transfer agreement, Lander is allowed to sign with Edmonton and be loaned back to the SEL should he not make the NHL team.
That doesn't appear to be the case with Paajarvi, but he's probably closer to NHL ready anyways. Then again, Filatov at age 19 was loaned to Russia - maybe that's different because Russia doesn't have a transfer agreement, I'm not sure.
I've been saying for years that development is Edmonton's biggest problem.
ReplyDeleteThe problem isn't bringing up players too early. The problem is what management does with the players once they have them.
Does it matter if Eberle plays a year in the AHL if the following season he is playing with the likes of Ethan Moreau, Marc Pouliot, Zach Stortini and Liam Reddox?
I think someone said in yesterdays thread that Hall would be a good fit with Marc Pouliot. This is the problem.
Clarification: MPS, Lander and Omark have been invited to CAMP, they haven't made the team.
ReplyDeletePersonally I like the idea of MPS and Lander having one more year in the SEL. Eberle does not need an AHL year. He's going to be 20 next year, and no way the org puts him in the minors unless he shits the bed in camp. I actually don't want to see MPS and Lander at camp, only because I think the Org gets enamoured of shiny objects and may decide to keep them with the big club. In a cap world you cant have 4 impact rookies getting their 2nd contract at the same time. Hall/Seguin, Eberle, Petry, MPS all coming due at the same time is a bad idea. Space out MPS and Lander and add a vet or two on 1 year deals and we are a better team this year. you can then add the swedes in 2011 and ease them in without the pressure. Adding no one but Eberlea nd Hall/Seguin, this may be our lineup (without Nilsson and O'Sullivan)
ReplyDeleteEberle-Gagner-Hemsky
Penner-Seguin-Brule
Pou-Horcoff-Cogs
Moreau-Potulny-Jones
Stortini-Stone
Hall-Horcoff-Hemsky
Penner-Gagner-Eberle
Pou-Cogs-Brule
Moreau-Potulny-Jones
Stortini-Stone
"Perhaps even having Zorg out there with a speedy center (Poo?) and MPS could be a lot of fun to watch and may even pop in a few goals on occasion."
ReplyDeleteIf I was a GM I would have a rule that any 1st round pick getting called up should be the worst player on his line.
Is MPS the worst player on his line? Or the best?
Eberle should be with Penner. Seguin with Hemsky. MPS with Jagr.
Does it matter if Eberle plays a year in the AHL if the following season he is playing with the likes of Ethan Moreau, Marc Pouliot, Zach Stortini and Liam Reddox?
ReplyDeleteI think our problem is that we just don't have enough real players, period.
Sure you can play Eberle with Penner and Gagner, but that means he's going up against other team's best every night. But you look down the roster at who you can put together in a more sheltered role, and the cupboard is bare.
Schitzo: Agreed. It's been the problem since spring 2006.
ReplyDeleteLT and Schitzo: You can hide eberle if he's with Penner and gagner, as long as you have hall with Horcoff and hemsky. I expect that to be the way we line up to start next year. The issue will be our bottom 6. Other then brule, who can actually hold their head above water? Do they believe in Cogs more now that he is playing better with actual linemates? Or do they deal him? Do they move Moreau, O'Sullivan adn nilsson? can they is a better question? If they add a solid two way 3C in the off season, and sprinkle in our other players we may be OK.
ReplyDeletethe oil signed some college kids and sent them to springfield.
ReplyDeletefrom coming down the pipe:
The Oilers also signed a couple of college players this week, inking Matt Beca from Clarkson and Eddie DelGrosso out of Omaha Nebraska.
Quick look at stats, DelGrosso is an offensive defensemen under 6 feet. And Beca is a PPG under 6 ft forward.
DBO: I think we're going to see a lot of turnover. If I had to guess about how this team looks in the fall it would be this:
ReplyDeleteGagner-Penner-Hemsky
Cogliano-Hall-Eberle
Horcoff-Jones-Pisani
Pouliot-Potulny-Stortini
or some such.
i was thinking more something of the lines of this. But, *cringe* it'll have to try and out either Hemsky or Hall at center.
ReplyDeleteEberle Gagner Penner
Hall Hemsky Jagr
MPS Horcoff Pisani
Jones Brule Stortini(orlegitgoon)
Potulny Pouliot
Gives the team forward depth to the point injuries wouldn't cripple the team. Forces the other team to pick their poison. But it all hinges on finding a Jagr type, otherwise the other team will know who to focus on, and the young players will ge smashed into the ground, and most will get their wish of a long, slow rebuild.
LT: so you think they move Brule? I wouls substitute Brule for Pisani on your lineup. ANd i also think that with Cogs playing well with penenr., i expect them to throw Hallup top and Penner on the 2nd line for more balance. But who knows. i Still hold out hope they somehow can pry Dubinksy from the rags for any combo of our forwards paired with Souray.
ReplyDeleteBrule, Cogs and Souray
for
Dubinsky and Rozsival
Hall-Horcoff-Hemsky
Penner-Gagner-Eberle
Pou-Dubinsky-Jones
Stone-Potulny-Stortini
Hey LT, Matheson is again suggesting in his Hockey World column that Seguin would be the better fit. Do you think he's telling us how this is going to go. Maybe we can swap picks with Boston and get their own 1st pick if we add a litle something? It sounds like Boston would rather have Hall.
ReplyDeleteThat's assuming boston is picking 2nd overall.
ReplyDeleteJim: I think Seguin is a better fit for the team currently as you can just slide him in with Hemsky and they can make some sweet music.
ReplyDeleteBut I'm loving Hall's grit and speed and its the type of hockey I'm hoping the Oilers play in the future.
Having Hall on the team is going to cause some offbeat situations to possibly occur.
I think these are the situations that the Oilers are wrestling with, Hall is the BPA but Seguin is a better fit currently.
DBO: No, I forgot to include Brule. I always forget someone, which is why I don't usually post things. :-)
ReplyDeleteJim: Matheson probably has talked to various Oiler people and may be passing along someone's thoughts, but the Oilers aren't going to tip their hands before the lottery.
Brownlee usually has the best draft stuff, always has.
It'd sure be nice to be able to watch that playoff series and get an idea of what both players bring. I believe a best of 7 will bring out the best of both.
ReplyDeleteSome awfully pointed comments from Flames Land in the Calgary papers this morning, with Iginla pointing the finger pretty squarely at D. Sutter and B. Sutter pointing it bluntly at the players.
ReplyDeleteAlso reports of a growing sense around Calgary that Iggy's time in a Flames uniform is coming to a close...
Iggy for Ryder and the TO pick anyone?
I'm as big an MPS detractor as you'll find, so it's probably not surprising that I think he should stay in Sweden another year, or perhaps the AHL. Anywhere but the NHL. He plays a very incomplete game and a year to round out his form is needed I think.
ReplyDeleteI'm already of the opinion that his +/- is largely the result of starting more in the offensive zone and against sheltered opposition. I suppose the risk with leaving him in Sweden is that he gets another year of that treatment where he's arguably not learning a lot about the problems that could keep him out of the NHL.
In any case, he didn't light the league on fire so there's no rush to bring him to the NHL and start running his UFA clock. If we could have got him on a contract that allows for him to attend training camp and perhaps still be released to Sweden that might be a different story.
---
As a side note there might be credence to the idea that his strength and conditioning may still need work. This season he ended getting the vast majority of his points in the first half of the year, the same as his draft season. If he's wearing down over a 50 game SEL schedule that dramatically he's certainly not going to handle 82 games in the NHL.
Did Bouwmeester ever pick the wrong bed to lie down on!
ReplyDeleteNo Phaneuf. So all the eyes will be focused on him.
Soon no Iginla. And even more eyes will be focused on him.
Well, maybe Nicholson and Yzerman will fix things.
does anyone think you could give the Hemsky rookie year treatment to MPS? I also would like him in the SEL, but if they do keep him can you play him 40 games and get him stronger and work on his defense betetr here or in the SEL? because I guarantee his agent will not allow him to play AHL.
ReplyDeletejon k: MPS's season in the SEL was an impressive one. Seriously. He's a player.
ReplyDelete"Do they move Moreau, O'Sullivan adn nilsson? can they is a better question?"
ReplyDeleteProbably not without giving up something valuable or taking on a bad contract. Any of you CBA guys please correct me, but by my calcs, it would be a 1.7 mil per-year cap hit over the next two seasons to buy out Moreau and O'Sullivan - but would free up 3.3 mil per-year in space. If they can't be traded "without strings" this is the way to go.
If they can't be traded "without strings" this is the way to go.
ReplyDeleteI hear OKC is in need of veterans.
Hall and Eberle both on the top two lines seems like stretching it to me. You'd have a lot of aggravated players on your team.
ReplyDelete"I hear OKC is in need of veterans."
ReplyDeleteWould love to see 18 down there only to knock him down a peg or two, but unfortunately he'd kill that room too. The problem with 19 is that they have corners in the AHL rinks too - these are 'no go' zones for him.
ribs: one thing to remember about OTC is he wants to roll 4 lines. crazy, but if he starts like last year he'll basically play 4 lines and give the top 2 PP time. So the ice time may not be too terrible for anyone.
ReplyDeletebuy out Moreau and O'Sullivan - but would free up 3.3 mil per-year in space.
ReplyDeleteBuy out none of the 3
[include Rowbear here]
Send all 3 to OKC
Their contracts are then gone in a year.
And there is the hope someone picks tehm up on waivers.
Would love to see 18 down there only to knock him down a peg or two, but unfortunately he'd kill that room too.
ReplyDeleteHah. Send him to Stockton :D
LT,
ReplyDeleteNot deliberately thread jacking. See bottom of post.
I just want to say to Hunter, carrying on from the last post comments, the Chinese said they were coming, at least twice. The Indians said they were coming, the Aussies said they were coming, General Oliver Smith said they are already here.
If it came as news, if the Americans (Truman, MacArthur and Almond) were surprised it was because they wanted to kill all the North Koreans they could to make up for what they saw as war crimes. It is also worth noting that the Chinese started their work day at 7 pm as dark fell and stopped when it got light. They used camouflage and motionlessness during the day. They also didn't move an army, they carried rifles, machine guns and mortars and moved on foot. There was never anything concentrated to see from the air.
However, as India's intelligence corp said at the time, it is all about face. If the US crosses the 38th the Chinese will attack and all your public pronouncements about how they won't because they are a puppet of the Russians are just making it worse.
Face also led to Mao not stopping at the 38th. It would have looked like an admission of failure and fear. His commanders knew that they wanted no part in facing the 1st Division Marine Corp ever again. From Chosin Reservoir to Hungnam they had chased the 1st, well over 100,000 Chinese versus 25,000 fleeing Marines. The result 75,000 or more dead Chinese 6,000 dead Marines. The Chinese high command didn't like that math at all.
Yet Mao, driven by face did what the Americans now expected. He kept coming. Which led to the May Massacre. In an eight minute period the Americans fired 2,000 heavy artillery shells into the middle of the Chinese Army, 10s of thousands and maybe a hundred thousand or more (we'll never know for sure) Chinese died in a matter of minutes.
Once the American's started thinking and stopped being driven by their need to prove their (insert your own word) were bigger they slaughtered the cream of the Red Army. The intelligence failure haunts the US military to this day by the way. At West Point they teach that it was the single stupidest foreign policy mistake in US history (and their have been some beauts).
So it wasn't that the Chinese weren't predictable it was that the Americans chose not to predict them. I would argue we can, if we choose, predict exactly what the Oilers management team will do over the next 4 months. We just chose not to, seeing them as a stunning collection of wingnuts.
In this thread some of you have started posting likely line combos for next year. If we as Asia Oil suggested before we focussed our collective wisdom we could probably nicely predict what is actually going to happen to the Oilers. If we want to know, that is.
Theodore chased by the Phlegms.
ReplyDeleteThe issue will be our bottom 6. Other then brule, who can actually hold their head above water?
ReplyDeleteWhen I hear "hold their head above water", I default to traditional plus/minus, flawed as that stat undeniably is. But it's one metric, so let's look at it:
+/- of tonight’s forwards
———————————
Penner +6
Stortini +2
Pouliot ‒3
Brule ‒5
Cogliano ‒8
Comrie ‒9
Pisani ‒12
Moreau ‒15
Potulny ‒16
Nilsson ‒20
Horcoff ‒28
O’Sullivan ‒33
If Quinn sticks with the lines from Friday, here's the cumulative totals:
27-13-67: -7
12-16-19: -69
18-10-34: -55
91-78-46: -10
Judging from that, it's our middle 6 that are the biggest problem.That second scoring line has been a disaster. All three guys currently on it have EV GF:GA ratio in the range of 1:2. Hard to imagine that Eberle, MPS et al could be any worse, even as raw rookies.
Of course, in September we should have Hemsky and Gagner back in the mix, which should bump 13 and 67 down the pecking order. Perhaps they are better suited to that secondary scoring role than some of the guys we been counting on in '09-10.
Eberle with an assist, -1, and 3 SOG after 40 minutes
ReplyDeleteAnyone want to log this one for me?
ReplyDeleteBruce?
Derek?
:)
Hey does anyone have TOI data for the OHL? I had a buddy who has been watching all the OHL playoffs tell me that Seguin is getting 4-8 minutes more per game than Hall in the playoffs. Just curious if his theory has traction.
ReplyDeleteSean: No. I'm sure it is available somewhere but the leagues don't publish it.
ReplyDeleteDennis:
ReplyDeleteWhat's the system like? Do you just need to know the time the chance happened and who got the chance?
Dennis: I can take a stab at it, I guess. Not sure I have the attention span these days :), and may also be suffering from a case of hockey interruptus (Sunday dinner edition). Can tape it and fill in the gaps, I guess.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you need? Just the game times of what I judge to be scoring opps? And these need to involve an actual attempted shot?
PDO's got dibs.
ReplyDeleteLatest I read on HF was that Lander will re-sign a contract with Timra and MPS is still considering.
ReplyDeleteFrom Jimmy Hamrin's interview:
Anton has not yet signed yet, but gives a clear answer:
Yes, I will guarantee I will be there Jimmy! Contract negotiations are underway.
"There" being Timra's new arena in Sundsvall next year.
When Jimmy asked him my questions:
C&B: Are you willing to come to North America and play in Oklahoma City in the AHL, or are you intent on moving from the SEL to the NHL?
Lander: That's a tough question. It depends what Edmonton wants to do. Most importantly I want to feel ready before I'll go, IF I'll go. People in North America sometimes seems to take for granted that you want to go at all costs.
Also, we can stop calling him Lander. He has an outstanding nickname:
C&B: Do you have a nickname?
Lander: Lampan (The lamp) or Landy..
He is now The Lamp.
Bruce:
ReplyDeleteWanna split it up? These games are pretty awful ;).
I think it has to be a shot on net, a post, or a goal.
Bruce and Brian: I just need the times of what you perceive to be a scoring chance; along with the time remaining in the period when the chance is registered.
ReplyDeleteMake a special notation when there's a goal, let me know which Oiler put the shot towards the goal on all the chances and notate whether a chance is on the PP or SH and to answer Bruce's question I don't count blocked shots as scoring attempts.
Thanks again boys!
Lastly you can send the info to mwhite.dking@nf.sympatico.ca
I'm not sure if Derek - DB - will be around tonight but he's done a couple of games for me and he's got the hang of it for sure if you have an in-game question or two.
Dennis - I'll get it on DVR and ship it to you tomorrow night on the rewatch.
ReplyDeleteAre the notes that I've been sending along worthwhile, or should I drop them?
@coach, I love lamp..
ReplyDeleteI'm going to let Coach take this and run with it since he has a PVR and I sadly do not...
ReplyDelete"I would argue we can, if we choose, predict exactly what the Oilers management team will do over the next 4 months."
ReplyDeleteEveryone else took the high road, but I'll stoop.. and call BS...
It takes two to tango; so even if you could predict the intentions of one group, the overall results depend upon the actions of each group, the reactions of each in response and so forth.. You, like us, are just a fan with little knowledge (or none) relating to the intentions of all the other players... go ahead, predict the next Khabi...
Thanks Coach. Dennis, just to be clear as to what is or isn't a SC, the other night Temmu Selanne was set up right in front with 2 minutes left with an apparent open net. Gilbert made a great sliding play to get a little piece of it and deflect it over the bar. Not sure how it was officially logged by the NHL, as I had to watch the replay 2 or 3 times before I was sure how he had managed to miss the net, but if I was scoring it, it was a) a blocked shot, and b) a Ten-Bell scoring chance. :)
ReplyDeleteMoreau(veteran presence), Nilsson(provides offence), and O'Sullivan(potential 30 goal man), for Iginla.
ReplyDeleteLOL
PS linnaus - MacArthur was getting ready to use nukes on that Chinese army, and as a result got sent home by the nervous American government for daring to suggest using this war winning weapon. And I don't know what you call that many soldiers, other than an army.
As for the Chinese, they're totally willing to lose 100,000,000 civilians, if their rhetoric(and history) is anything to go by. It's the reason Uncle Sam is more terrified of China than it ever was of the USSR.
Anyone have a link?
ReplyDeleteGod damn it, that's mighty close to a headshot by Winchester on Johnson. How did others see it?
ReplyDeleteBruce: It was a tough angle to get a good look at it but it looked like a penalty at the very least.
ReplyDeleteAnd may I just say that Strudwick's tape to tape pass at the beginning of the game was splendid? Guy has talent.
I have a hard time not seeing both Hall/Seguin and Eberle on the team next season... but I also think it's damn near impossible to know what this team will look like until we know if it's Tyler or Taylor.
ReplyDeleteThe trouble with moving Cogs to wing: he tries to make a breakout pass to the winger, who not surprisingly, isn't there.
ReplyDeleteBruce: Yeah. Awful.
ReplyDeletePretty nice goal by O'Sullivan.
ReplyDeleteCan anyone else picture Quinn yelling at him for being a Fancy Dan after that finish?
At least his rabbit ears are working. :)
ReplyDeleteKeeping in mind that Quinn is probably still here next year, and will probably still want to roll 4 lines:
ReplyDeleteHall - Horcoff - Hemsky
Penner - Gagner - Eberle
Comrie - Cogliano - Brule
Jones - Pouliot - Stone
Seems like a pretty likely bet.
If they can somehow flip something along the lines of Cogliano and Souray for Dubinsky and Roszival I would feel a lot better about those forward corps moving forward.
Wow, what a beauty back check by Zorg there in the offensive zone. That was a 2-on-1 in the making with the defenceman caught deep, instead Stortini busted his ass, lifted Oshie's stick, and got it deep.
ReplyDeleteI really like how 78 plays hockey.
ReplyDeleteHe fills a lot of holes too,
Woodguy: Yeah, he really is a good hockey player. Plus he seems to be establishing himself a little bit here at the end of the season. Hopefully he can build on it in the fall, but I swear we've all said that every year since he turned pro.
ReplyDelete78 could still be a decent player if he can ever figure out how to stay healthy...
ReplyDeleteLeafs/Penguins tied 3-3 after 40 minutes.
ReplyDeleteNote that a Leafs win and Oilers loss today guarantees good nights of sleep until at least June 25, 2010
If the can sign him to another value contract (less than 1M) and he stays healthy, the guy could be one of those value deals we talk about.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I got a lot of time for Pouliot. Good thing, cuz we been waiting forfuckingever. But he's an Actual NHL Player, and the heavens know we don't have quota on those.
ReplyDeleteIf you compare Pouliot to Reasoner, their development has had a similar path. Both were offensive players until they hit the NHL.
ReplyDeleteReasoner as a 25 year old had these numbers:
Lge GP G A Pts
NHL 147 23 35 58
AHL 122 57 68 125
Pouliot as a 24 year old (just shy of 25):
Lge GP G A Pts
NHL 168 20 31 51
AHL 157 51 78 129
It was the next season after going on waivers that Marty really established himself. Hopefully Pouliot can do the same!
At the risk of having anyone see a photo of Lupul (it always ends up being a 70 post item) I always felt Jarret Stoll was a good comp.
ReplyDeletehttp://lowetide.blogspot.com/2007/09/marc-pouliot-as-nhl-player.html
It was the next season after going on waivers that Marty really established himself. Hopefully Pouliot can do the same!
ReplyDeletePreferably without the "waivers" part.
That entire play is on O'Sullivan. Lazy, lazy, lazy in the corner there, Gilbert saves his ass AND sends away Robert Nilsson on a breakaway.
ReplyDeleteTom Gilbert is a wonderful hockey player.
Nilsson turns a breakaway into a too-many-men penalty. Now I really have seen it all.
ReplyDeleteThe single biggest difference between the pre-deadline Oilers and now is their breakout.
ReplyDeleteI really like Grebs and Vis, but the puck is moving quicker and in the right spots more often now.
Whitney is the best passer of the puck in the current line up.
He makes some tough passes hard, on the tape, and very acceptable.
LT: Yeah I was going to mention that too. Potulny skated his guy off the puck and POS was first in and he went and stood as far from the boards as he could and fished for the puck. Hey presto a St. Louis guy comes along who actually wants the fucking puck and the pressure stays on. At least until Gilbert makes that wonderful pass under very heavy pressure. That was a fabulous play. Alas, there's only one Gilbert, and he was outmanned by 2 smurfs on that sequence.
ReplyDeleteEven if 34 plays 60 games, 750K is a good deal on both sides.
ReplyDeleteLast time I saw Dubnyk (v. San Jose) he was freezing the puck every chance he got. Tonight the puck comes right to him with the fourth line trapped out on an overlong shift and a long way from the bench, and he keeps it in play. He's gotta smarten up on situations like that.
ReplyDeleteLeafs pick up at least a point -- tied 4-4 at the end of the 3rd.
ReplyDeleteLeafs lose in a shootout.
ReplyDeleteNo guarantee tonight.
@commonfan
ReplyDeleteWhich paper was this?
I was cheering the Flames v the Capitals today, probably the first time I've ever done that.
ReplyDeleteI didn't understand why, until I realised that I want them to suffer for another few more games, then miss the playoffs by 1 point.
Another sleepless night for PJ Oil. Oilers could pull within a dozen points with a win.
ReplyDeleteOilers win the neutral zone draw on the PP and Nilsson carries it all the way back behind our net. Couldn't we have gotten it there quicker by losing the GD draw?
ReplyDeleteNilsson is an absolute apple turnover today.
ReplyDeleteHe was an apple turnstile on that rush by Backes.
ReplyDeleteThoughts on the game:
ReplyDelete1. Dubnyk has played well. I really want to see the Oilers hold onto him next year and avoid waivers. Trade JDD if there is any market, or expose him to waivers.
2. Oilers surprisingly have played well. Their PK has let them down over recent weeks, but the have limited scoring chances against on EV.
A loss today in regulation and the magic number is 0.5. Effectively, that would mean the Oilers would have to finish the year 7-0, and the Leafs would have to finish 0-6.
We'd need an Angels in the Outfield esque for that to be pulled off.
MacT saying that Penner probably won't make Team Canada, but Horcoff (and Gagner, Cogliano), might.
ReplyDeleteHFBoards imploding.
PJ: It is over. Honest.
ReplyDeleteI've liked Dubnyk for the last couple of weeks but don't really know what to make of him. I'd certainly keep him over JDD but don't know that either is a strong enough option for the day Mr. Smirnoff takes a holiday.
PDO: I actually don't think that is what MacT said. If they're discussing the EJ article, what I read was that MacT said "he's having a good season" and then the author drew a conclusion.
ReplyDelete@hunter
ReplyDeleteAs for the Chinese, they're totally willing to lose 100,000,000 civilians, if their rhetoric(and history) is anything to go by. It's the reason Uncle Sam is more terrified of China than it ever was of the USSR.
Ummmm, no. Read some history of the Great Patriotic War-I suggest Beevor's Stanlingrad as an appetizer. The Soviets had no compunctions about sending their guys to doom. They lost 20 million in that war. 20 million!
Most of China's wounds have been self-inflicted. See: Forward, Great Leap. Though to be fair the USSR had similar experiences with collectivization.
Also, Uncle Sam is much less afraid of China than you might think, primarily due to its status as creditor. You know, if you owe the bank a $100, you've got a problem; if you owe the bank a $1 million, the bank's got a problem. China has a problem.
------------
Back to hockey: is it fair to say that Lombardi schooled Tambellini (who, to be fair was only apprenticing at the time) on O'Sullivan? It sure feels that way.
If MacT really wants Gagner and Cogs ahead of Penner, then MacT is still bitter and refuses to recognize that Penner is an improved player since he left. I would agree that Penner has had a tough last half of the season, but it's not like Gagner or Cogs have really outshone Penner IMO
ReplyDeleteMagic number is now .5.
ReplyDeleteThat fat lady is singing.
I don't think that is what he said, but by all means burn him.
ReplyDeleteSorry Lain, I really should read the article instead of just skimming and watching the reaction...
ReplyDeletePDO: No worries.
ReplyDeleteHere's the Matheson piece I read:
Penner won't get call
Craig MacTavish, Canada's world hockey championship head coach, says naming his squad is in "the very, very preliminary stages."
But when asked if he'd take Dustin Penner, the Oilers top scorer this season, after their icy relationship here, he paused.
"He's having a good season," said MacTavish.
I think there's a better chance that Oilers forwards Sam Gagner and/or Andrew Cogliano or Shawn Horcoff gets a call because I'm not sure how Penner would be on the giant European sheet.
"With the worlds starting two
weeks later than normal, that's going to give players a bit of a holiday from the grind and I think it'll be easier for us to get players," said MacTavish.
Players who might be available include: goalies Dwayne Roloson, Cam Ward, J.S. Giguere and Marty Turco; defencemen Dion Phaneuf, Francois Beauchemin, Stephane Robidas, Brent Burns, Marc Staal, Barret Jackman and Nick Schultz; forwards Steve Stamkos, Martin St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier, Nathan Horton, Stephen Weiss, Antoine Vermette, Ray Whitney, Rich Peverley, James Neal, Mike Ribeiro, Penner, Gagner, Cogliano, Horcoff, John Tavares, Andy McDonald, Brandon Dubinsky and Guillaume Latendresse.
There's a lot of empty seats in Lakehead for a national final. Time to move on.
ReplyDeleteIt is good hockey, too. Just too much hockey within easy driving distance (for the Oilers) and college hockey needs to get on televsion throughout the season. MOST Edmonton and area hockey fans have no idea where the dominant college hockey program in the country is located.
ReplyDeleteI call the Golden Bears/Pandas program Edmonton's living dynasty. Been following the Bears since the mid-70s, and the hockey has always been terrific.
ReplyDeleteI love the guy, but a soft minutes energy line a la the old MGM line would be stellar.
ReplyDeleteI remember them as more of a tough minutes checking line (prototypical third line, rather than fourth), but I was getting all of my information from the Edmonton Journal and John Short's radio show in those days.
MGM is Marchant-Grier-Moreau, eh? NO WAY were they a soft-minutes line, or a fourth line either.
ReplyDeleteThat old Oilers team basically had the hard match line (MGM) and the Weight line (Smyth-Guerin, etc) to face the top opposition.
ReplyDeleteAnd then Rem Murray and a bunch of other guys. But Marchant played against the tough opponent for a long time, certainly under MacT.
Question off topic for the guys who seem to know all the answers: WIll the AHL oilers (Oklahoma) be in the other conference next season? I live in Abbotsford and was seriously pissed when they didn't play the heat at all. If they will next year - then sweet!
ReplyDeleteAnyone know for sure?
The Wikipedia article has the division as TBD. Take that for what it's worth.
ReplyDeleteThough if the divisions remain the same as they are now, it's hard to imagine Oklahoma City fitting in anywhere but the West, which would put them in the same conference as the Heat.
ReplyDeleteand the Moose!
ReplyDeleteMarchant played against the tough opponent for a long time, certainly under MacT.
ReplyDeleteUnder Low and Lowe, too. As I remember things, Toddy was a tough-minutes guy pretty much from the get-go.
Yeah, he came up on the wing and scored a bunch in half a season (with Weight at C?).
ReplyDeleteThen they moved him to C because there were about 30 kids with skill who could play wing.
Sweet! Another reason to look forward to next season. If anyone out there hasn't been to see some AHL, it's a pretty good time.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the help.
How did 78 make out in his bout with Coliaccivo?sp
ReplyDeleteDennis: I don't think either guy got hurt, which is a miracle in itself.
ReplyDeleteIt was over pretty fast, and the cameraman had apparently never seen a fight before so it took him forever to get there. By the time he did they were just kinda rolling around on the ice. More like a catfight than a slugfest.