That's Bobby Schmautz with my haircut, maybe 1971. The Habs in photo are Rogatien Vachon and JC Tremblay. Within a few years Vachon would be a star on the coast, Schmautz had emerged as a 30-goal scorer and Tremblay was in the WHA. When this picture was taken it was Tremblay who would have been the most valued player, and depending upon the exact date it could have been one of Vachon's final Hab performances (he was dealt due to the emergence of Ken Dryden).
--
I hate to say this, but the Canucks are in a window of opportunity for the Stanley. The twin piss cutters have real help now, not just a wing and a prayer plus the D looks as tight as Watts-Wyman on some nights. Luongo is acting like Wayne Newton live from Vegas many nights (what IS he doing?) but one has to imagine Michelangelo will paint a masterpiece in the post-season.
The Vancouver Canucks may win the Stanley in the spring.
--
I'm really enjoying the Oilers right now. The rookie kids seem to have jumpstarted the older kids and the joint is rocking. I love the compete level of Taylor Hall, and married to what I hope we can agree is ridiculous talent this guy is going to force Pierre McGuire to come up with a new word for ka-bong. And Jordan Eberle is also an out of sight talent. Really, this is an amazing season to be an Oiler fan.
--
It's opening day of the World Juniors today. I don't follow NFL football that closely (the Eagles are my team because they came on tv when I was young and their quarterback was a guy named Roman Gabriel. What a great name for a quarterback) so this is a day devoted to hockey.
Christmas, and the world juniors with as much Spengler as I can get. If you're trying to shake off the tryptophan, this might help.
It's a beautiful day to be a hockey fan!
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard yet - is Roy starting in goal for Canada vs. Russia?
Have a great day LT!
Taylor Hall - the Great El Ka-Bong
ReplyDeleteOops, I guess I need to check TSN more often:
ReplyDelete"ROY TO START FOR CANADA"
tsn.ca/world_jrs/story/?id=346857
Go Canada's Oilers!
It'll be a good season for hockey if I can convince my folks to pick up TSN for the weekend. Travelling has its drawbacks.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm the same way with the NFL. Packers are my team thanks to their colours, but that's as far as it goes.
LT
ReplyDeleteI agree with you completely. I think they have a legitimate shot at SCF's this year. Very strong down the middle. Some talent on the wings and balance on the back end that they will be tough to play in the playoffs. They will be better with whatever they get for Bieksa when Broken Glass returns.
Kinda funny that we think the starting goalie on Canada's Olympic team may be a weak link
Would love to add Bieksa to our roster because I think he would be a good 4-5 D man for the next 5 years and is young enough to be solid contributor for that whole time
On to the WJC .......the Magnificent Bastards children at work
Good... Good... The jinx against the Canucks is in full swing.
ReplyDeleteThere will be a time when we'll look back on this season and think "we didn't appreciate these kids enough." Times when the burden of expectation weighs on the team, when drama of one kind or another pops up, when possible cap considerations force moves we might not want to happen.
ReplyDeleteThis may be my favorite Oilers season ever. Winning is fun, but there's some stress involved. Here we're looking at the future and anything is possible. Dreams and reality are interwoven and all too soon the boundary will come down decisively on the side of reality.
---
Into the distance, a ribbon of black
Stretched to the point of no turning back
A flight of fancy on a windswept field
Standing alone my senses reeled
A fatal attraction holding me fast, how
Can I escape this irresistible grasp?
The Floyd. Damn good writing that.
ReplyDeleteThanks for mentioning the Spengler, LT. It's one of my favourite bits of hockey each year, mostly for the "Oh, so that's what happened to Player X" moments. For Oil fans, this year's editions features JDD, Grebs, Dominic Pittis (as always), and the legendary Mikhail Zhukov.
ReplyDeleteA great day for hockey? Heck, this is a great week!
Got boxed set of Deadwood under tree. Was trying to remember where I heard swearing on the same level and frequency as Bruce Boudreau....now I remember: EVERYONE on Deadwood!!
ReplyDeleteI am Michael Vick fan. So eagles are it. Not a big fan of his extra curricular activities as dog owner can't get behind that. But it is cultural thing I hear. Di I read that right the Nucks to win the cup... stand back from the Egg Nog sir u have been overserved. Heresy I say.
ReplyDeleteU never know they do have the talent but knowing the Nucks they will find some way of losing. Could be the Kings the west is a gong show once again with even the crappiest teams being a playoff contender in the East. Hmm can u say crossover lol. I like the Oilers in a couple years .
All the talk about the Oilers being an improved team, we dont really have a good record against teams in the playoff picture. This should be loss!
ReplyDeleteBut this is not the game we are focused on today is it?
Go Canada!
Haven't seen 24/7 yet but Boudreau's got nothing on those Deadwood cocksuckers.
ReplyDeleteHemsky skated but still day to day-same lineup as Thursday with Khabi starting.
On the road to fernie and tsn isnt telling me who's scoring. Help a brother out?
ReplyDeleteDg - Russians opened the scoring early, Canadians were scrambly, then Foligno on the PP late. Canada really came on strong, they could be up a couple.
ReplyDeleteThere's McLeans in Fernie, both of my cousins got married there this summer. If you run into any tell them Pat said to buy you a pint. ;)
And it looks like Lander just got an assist on the third Swedish goal. Good tournament from him would be fantastic.
ReplyDeleteRoy looked a little shaky early on with a few bad rebounds, but settled in halfway through the period. Looks like he uses paddle down quite often so could be susceptible to high shots seeing as he isn't very tall. Looks a little deep in his net.
ReplyDeleteNot much of a chance on the goal, big one timer from the top of the circle that was tipped slightly.
I don't know much about goalers though.
Haven't noticed Hamilton much other than he's good on the boards and doesn't venture off them too far. Was first forward back a few times. I suspect coaches love him, he's low risk.
I think Hamilton was pretty much in the coaches' doghouse until that scoring play.
ReplyDeleteRoy looks shaky. Doesn't seem to inspire confidence with his demeanor. It wouldn't be surprising to see Visentin start the next game.
Boooo...
ReplyDeleteSo Matty had in the Journal today that 83 had a tear in his groin.
ReplyDeleteIts a 4-6 week injury and 83 is probably playing Tues here against BUF.
That would put him at about 3.5 weeks. 83 is quoted as saying he's a fast healer.
I really hopes he's at full strength, groin injuries can linger for a long time.
If 83 and 67 are ready to come back, they need to send 1 guy down and sit two from tonight's line up.
My guess is that ROM goes down (even though I think he's better than 16) and the lines look like:
27-13-83
4-89-14
91-67-23
22-16-28
I think Hamilton has been fine. The Canadian kids who are moving the ball on offense are all 2009's (Schenn, Ellis, de Haan, Kassian).
ReplyDeleteGudbranson and Schwarz have been more noticeable but are also higher picks. Hamilton seems to be on the correct side of the puck a lot and that's a good thing.
His penalty was a nothing slash but the stick broke so there you go.
Roy has been inconsistent. The middle goal is a worry and the rebounds will bite him in the ass eventually.
But we're 60 minutes in, there's a long way to go and they are after all kids.
Hamilton was screening the goalie on Ellis' goal and his line set up Gudbranson's and look dangerous every time they are on the ice.
ReplyDeleteI think the goalters will see the next 2 games split reagardless then whoever looks better plays on New Years Eve.
ReplyDeleteBut, yah Roy has been just ok.
Couturier and Hamilton are getting stronger as the game goes on. Good sign.
ReplyDeleteI've been especially impressed by Kassian this game. He's great at carrying the puck and making plays, even going into corners WITH the puck and coming out of them with it.
ReplyDeleteThe nucks will get rolled in the playoffs just like every year. They are SJ 2.0
ReplyDeleteAlso, it's easy to see why Johansen was coveted by the Oilers and in fact went so high at the draft.
ReplyDeleteHamilton with a nice goal. Lucky bounce off the glove but a nice, aggressive, heavy shot right off the draw.
ReplyDeleteCurtis Hamilton FTW.
ReplyDeleteGuy looks like a player.
Ellis and Tarasenko deservedly recognized. 2009 looks like an exceptional draft year, on par with 2010 arguably.
ReplyDeleteLander with three assists today. Granted, Norway isn't a big threat, but was still a nice game.
ReplyDeleteI can't really get myself excited about this year's Canada team. Not sure why, but watching them play my gut reaction is a very large "meh".
McGuire might have something to do with that.
I was in the same boat about this Canada team until today's game. The team got better every period, and I bet a large factor of that is confidence. They didn't just beat Russia, they outplayed them. How many good chances did Russia have in the third? 3? The Russians couldn't get out of their own zone.
ReplyDeleteI'm not as pumped about this team as previous teams either. Likely because it's in Buffalo, and there's not alot of star power or personalities to get attached to. We've been spoiled over the last few years with players like Eberle, Tavares, Toews etc. Love watching this tourney though regardless of who's playing.
ReplyDeleteThere isn't alot of flash on team Can, just a bunch of good hockey players with jam and crust.
Nice shot by Hamilton and Roy was good enough for the win.
GOilers!
Can anyone, even Ryan Ellis himself, say that his goal was planned? He misses the net and gets a lucky bounce. Man McGuire is such a preacher. Where does he come up with the formulas to make these statements? "Uhh lets see Ellis = smarter-ish player, therefore, Goal = smart planned play, he knew what he was doing."
ReplyDeleteI won't see this game so can someone log the chances and send it to my hotmail account?
ReplyDeleteoh and merry xmas:)
I think Ellis was definitely shooting it off the boards to give Hamilton the chance to score.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that it went of the goalie is just plain luck.
World Juniors: Check
ReplyDelete'87 Canada Cup: Check
2010 Olympic Hockey: Check
Should be a good week on the couch.
For everyone that didn't see Hamilton good earlier: TSN's re-airing the CAN-RUS game tonight in place of the delayed Sunday nighter.
ReplyDeleteEight inches of snow in Philly and Vikings-Eagles gets pushed to Tuesday? Coach Lombardi must be rolling in his grave (shaking his head, at least). Did no one consider that this game could decide my fantasy league championship, in which I am currently embroiled? The agony will now last another two days.
Meanwhile, my beloved Lions just put away two back-to-back road games for the first time since, oh... 1993. Detroit's football team is shilling hope on the back of highly-drafted, young, talented players. It's easy to relate to, if you're looking for a team LT ;)
US vs Fins on now.
ReplyDeleteGo Fins!
From Rishaug's twitter:
ReplyDelete"Roy is battling this game. Couple soft ones, he continues to stay with it. That's his scouting report and why he's starting."
So I went to the tape... From LT's collection of Roy's scouting reports:
"...a tough-minded competitor who never gives up on a play."
"He is a warrior, his competitive nature and desire to win is exceptional."
I think Rishaug's assessment is fair, as Roy didn't seem shaken by much & kept his aggressiveness throughout the game. If we're a fanbase once titillated by Dubnyk's invite to the Worlds, reconsider today's performance & ponder why the coaches started him against the Ruskies instead of the larger, more technically sound Visentin. Roy should be getting a tad more love IMO.
The only thing that's better than watching the Spengler Cup on TV is watching it live in Davos.
ReplyDeleteI was lucky enough to do that a few years ago. New Year's Eve in Davos is also a blast.
I'm really looking forward to see how Marincin does against Germany tomorrow.
I'm really looking forward to see how Marincin does against Germany tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of. Anyone have a line on a stream for that game? IIHF's info about broadcasting says all Slovakia's games are played on "Slovak Television." There's a punchline in that somewhere...
God I hate the sportsnew crew.
ReplyDeleteDamn, I was hoping Cogliano got a set of hands for Christmas...
ReplyDeleteDownright: Years ago I lived in Regina and for some reason the American cable there was out of Detroit.
ReplyDeleteThey used to run a show called "Lions Locker Room" with a host who had one of those voices that sounded like he'd smoked a chimney earlier that day. Bernie Smile-something I think or maybe Rob Something.
Anyway, they always had cool guests (Mitch Albom, the Lions coach who was named Darryl Rogers maybe at the time) so I watched it most Sunday mornings.
Now, during those days the team gameplan surrounded Billy Sims. Billy Sims was a helluva runner (not as good as the next great Lions rb) so they won some games riding him.
One weekend Billy Sims ripped his knee and that was all she wrote. The next Sunday I tuned in to Lions locker room and I have never seem a more depressed television show. Seriously, they had to hide the knives, those poor bastards were beside themselves.
Anyway, i decided that day never to cheer for the Lions. That was painful, I thought Mitch Albom was going to shoot himself.
Is the cameraman drunk?
ReplyDeleteIt's the holidays, give em a break. I'd pay money to see Gene drunk.
ReplyDeleteWow, Kevin Quinn might be pickled after hearing that yoddle.
Congrats to O'marra!
ReplyDeleteLucky bounce, and maybe the 1st scoring chance of the period for the Oilers?
I like O'Marra. O'Marra is like the anti-Riley Nash.
ReplyDeleteFun to know Cogliano NEVER scores, so when he's in all alone on the goalie, you can totally relax, like meditation.
Similar is Raffi Torres, who when he passes the puck it almost never turns into a goal.
I don't see anyone in the west as good as the Canucks this season, who play a near perfect brand of technical hockey.
Why is Stortini getting a penalty?
ReplyDelete2 minutes for being cross checked to the face???
Whitney...scored?
ReplyDeleteI was so sure he was going to pass there.
Wait Whitney can score?
That's fin BS on Storts. Taking a cross check to the chin = roughing.
ReplyDeleteMessage to NHL refs - Grow a set and call the game by the book and not how it's been called since forever.
Whitney - what a goal scorer!
I wonder if Dad did a little fist pump om that one?
ReplyDeleteAlso it's good to see Jeff Tambellini finally sticking in the NHL, and scoring there as well. Seemed to take forever for him to get traction, and with his proven record in the AHL one has to wonder why he hadn't made it yet.
ReplyDeleteTambellini's son continues their Christmas feud.
ReplyDeleteCanuck's making a big deal about Peckham.
ReplyDeleteRajala 1A, 6 SOG for the Fins.
ReplyDelete3-2 US.
Nucks really taking turns at Peckham.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDrinks will be on Khabibulin tonight.
ReplyDeleteHunter:
ReplyDeleteDon't you mean in Khabibulin?
Couldn't pass that up.
So when Hemsky's back, who's going down??
I say JFJ
Old timey Nucks announcer just called Gagner Dave.
ReplyDeleteStrudwick is sooooooo bad.
ReplyDeleteTambellini's really must have had a serious argument yesterday.
ReplyDeleteCaught a break there. That's not a high stick
ReplyDeleteShould be a goal. How much more conclusive can it be?
ReplyDeleteHaha! Tambellini got robbed by the refs there.
ReplyDeleteThe kid may finally be a player after all.
8 G 6 A 14 PTS +6 in 20 games so far.
I've been watching games online most of the year, and have really enjoyed American feeds - Detroit, SJ, LA, New York, etc. They're informed, generally unbiased, and have things to say about both teams.
ReplyDeleteI can't say that about Canadian teams, least of all the Canucks so far. Embarrassing play-by-play.
That's one's Taylor hall's Fault.
ReplyDeleteAwful, awful giveaway
yeuuuugh
ReplyDeleteterrible third
Hall owned that Sedin.
ReplyDeleteThat one's on Renney for putting the kid line out on the defensive in the last minute.
ReplyDeleteWell, poop.
ReplyDeleteThe worst part about this is that it makes Canucks fans happy.
Penner would have scored there if he wasn't so adverse to Big Goals.
ReplyDeleteOh well
ReplyDeleteELPH
LT: My Billy Sims knowledge is strictly rooted in NFL Films, but no doubt it reads like a nightmare. Michigan does depression like Wisconsin does cheese, so I can only imagine the aftermath.
ReplyDeleteAlso: BALLS.
ReplyDeleteAt least O'Marra scored. And Wreck'um appears to be getting on everybody's hate list. Which is great.
LT,
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Ft. Mac and our NBC feed was Krem 4 out of Detroit. You are talking about Bernie Smilovitz (the Detroit Sports Reporter). I can remember watching the Lions show and this would be A.B. (After Barry) and they would have Wayne Fontes on all the time. He wasn't that great of a coach and they couldn't draft a QB if their lives or jobs depended on it but he was a hell of an interview. It was basically, Sanders would get 150 yards and a TD, the QB would throw 3 picks and the defense was porous and Fontes would just shoot sunshine and talk about how "elusive" Sanders was.
I wish you could make an immediate in Vegas just by saying your wager out loud. I would have won a ton of money because I knew once Hall didn't get that puck out of the zone it was going to end up behind Khabi.
so do we just walk away from cogs after this season?
ReplyDeletei remember us talking about sugar tits for tambi a few years ago. i'd give anything for him, now that he's figured out the big league pitching. think we could trade GM tambi for winger tambi? i'd throw in cogs or brule, no questions asked.
so do we just walk away from cogs after this season?
ReplyDeleteIf we do, he'll get a one way contract from someone else. Not saying that he should, or that we shouldn't walk away from him anyway, just that that will happen. First round picks with that kind of speed who scored eighteen goals in each of their first two seasons get a lot of chances.
I think that if we were really serious about unloading him, somebody would give us a mid-to-late pick. Then again, I thought the same thing about Ryan Potulny (and, in fact, I thought that we *should* trade him, because his next contract was going to be too pricy). So I'm basically a drooling moron.
You can tell that Tambellini's son takes great offence at the hilarity his dad's dragged the family name down to, ever since he joined the Oilers.
ReplyDeleteBad blood at the Tambellini compound.
ReplyDeleteHunter: NO ONE is biting. Sorry. Canucks have a really good defense now, the kind they wanted back at the beginning when they took Tallon and Guevremont with their top picks (70 & 71).
ReplyDelete30 years later they seem to have gotten it right. Good for them.
40. 40 years later. Man, time flies.
ReplyDeleteLT: 1
ReplyDeleteCanuck Fans: 0.
Though I guess, to be accurate, it should be 5-0...
//That one's on Renney for putting the kid line out on the defensive in the last minute.//
ReplyDelete1) They have to learn sometime.
2) They have to be kept humble.
3) Renney isn't so hot for the playoffs that is talking in the last couple of weeks suggest.
These guys are going to be amongst our best players when the rebuild is complete. It is going to be their job to close out games when the team is competitive.
Yep. Jacques Martin would have had his best checkers out there (while protecting and ruining Spezza) on the bench.
@Godot: Last game Renney got crucified for having the fourth line out in the dying minutes in a tie game. Tonight he's getting it in the ear for using the First line. What's he supposed to do? (Other than coach them how to get the puck The Fuck out of our end, that is.)
ReplyDeleteHow about the logical answer? The line with the best defensive forward on team: Penner's line.
ReplyDeleteWhen you have dying minutes left and the Sedins are carrying the puck into your zone, that would seem like the solution.
godot: It has nothing to do with learning how to "play clutch" last minutes of the game and everything to do with knowing where players are developmentally. The Hall-Gagner-Eberle line clearly struggles with puck retrieval. If you put them out at that point in the game in a defensive situation you have to consider what's likely to happen. I.e. the Sedins hemming them in their zone.
Penner played from 15:17 to 16:01 and again from 16:58 to 18:00. And there was absolutely no way to change after the puck got into Oilers end.
ReplyDeleteThe other major issue was that 5-49 were paired, which has caused trouble before. The reason? Gilbert's last shift ended with 11:26 on the clock. Egads.
In theory you clone Whitney and Penner and play them for 60 minutes, but in reality you have to cycle your bench.
Speaking of which, JFJ and Stortini got just over 3 minutes each, during which time they had a shot margin of 4-0 and a Corsi differential of 5-1. In the time they were on the bench those counts were 16-27 and 24-54 respectively at evens. Not sure why Renney didn't give those guys a little more time, they were doing well when they were out there. In the third they played one "shift" (right after the tying goal) forced an icing after just 8 seconds, and immediately got benched so that Gagner could come out and lose the o-zone draw. They never saw the ice again, meanwhile Jones and Omark were getting killed out there (Corsi of -14 each) including the tying goal and the disallowed goal. I know there are match-ups involved, but the slugs were winning theirs and the third liners were getting clubbed, and the coach just didn't respond. And by shortening the bench you wind up with 20+ minute guys who are running on fumes at the end.
PDO: Just because a team is good doesn't mean I'm their fan, dickhead.
ReplyDeleteBruce: Try to forget these game, like so many of us.
ReplyDeleteThere. The pain's nearly gone already, isn't it?
I hope Penner gets traded to the Nucks. If Oilers are stupid enough to drive him out of town that is.
ReplyDeleteYep Vancouver has a good team. But you have to like how far the Oilers have come in 30 games. By no means did they get blown out. Now Gagner, that's another story. I keep trying to find something to recommend him. That 3 on 2 just ended with a shot in the pads. At least keep it on the ice for a rebound, eesh.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, really liked Hamilton's play today. Nice, in control game, looking good.
Hunter: I swear I'd rather just lose 9-0 than to piss away a game like this one. To Vancouver of all fucking teams. It's hard to swallow.
ReplyDeleteGood advice, though, thanks.
Now Gagner, that's another story. I keep trying to find something to recommend him.
ReplyDeleteLet me help you out:
- Third best +-/60 among Oilers forwards (behind Hemsky and Horcoff)
- Third best relative Corsi among Oilers forwards (behind Hall and Eberle)
- Finishes in the O-Zone 52.5% of the time (third, behind Hemsky and Penner), despite only starting there 47.7% of the time
So, he's even on a lousy team and gets the play moving in the right direction. This has to be weighed against his high PDO and his favourable QUALCOMP/QUALTEAM numbers, but if you're not finding anything to recommend him, you're not looking very damned hard.
The Dys had so many great chances that the Oilers really didn't deserve this one though I guess i would be saying different if 13 or 91 would have buried the early chances.
ReplyDelete