Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Hawks at Oilers, G54 '10-'11

That's Bobby Hull getting ready for a faceoff, late 60's or early 70's. He has hair, so my guess is early 70's (Bobby ran out of hair at the end of te 60's but had some surgery to get the Elton John look later).

The other player is Bob Plager, St. Louis Blues. Tough as nails, he spent so much time fighting his brothers (and everyone else) the Blues acquired both Barclay and Billy just so he'd be on the ice more (I kid).
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The Hawks are a fun team to watch because there's so much skill on the ice most of the time. Toews, Kane, Sharp, Keith, Hossa, man Chicagoland has a lot to be proud of with this group. I don't know if they'll make the playoffs, all those trades last summer took their toll.

Still, a fun team to watch.
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Among NHL goalies with at least 10 games played, Devan Dubnyk ranks in a tie for 24th in save percentage (.917). On the other hand, 6 goalies who have played 10 games or more have a worse SP than Nikolai Khabibulin. They are: Rick DiPietro, Jonas Gustavsson, Dan Ellis, Mike Smith, Ty Conklin and Justin Peters. At some point the Oilers are going to be forced into sending NK to the minors. I wonder how many times owner Katz will sign off on demoting guys he's paying millions before he wonders why they were signed in the first place. It took Mike Illitch awhile, so we wait.
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Taylor Hall's rookie season looks like a dead ringer for the Steve Stamkos rookie season. That's too much pressure to put on the kid (Stamkos ripped 51 as a sophomore) but the math is a nice fit:
  • Stamkos actual: 79gp, 23-23-46
  • Hall projected: 82gp, 26-24-50
Hall is playing about three more minutes a night than Stamkos did as a rookie. His even numbers (53gp, 13-13-26) will tower over Stamkos as a rookie (79gp, 14-15-29) but again Hall is playing about 3:40 more a night at evens than did Stamkos.
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Ralph Krueger will coach the next two games, as Tom Renney will spend the week with his family, Renney's father passed away last week.
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Lots of trade rumors around the Oilers currently. Tambellini did some solid work last deadline and one hopes he can do more of the same this time. I think names like Vandermeer and Jones are possible, but Hemsky and Penner unlikely. I suspect a team asking after either of them will find the Oilers want NHL players in return; most deadline deals involve prospects and picks.

285 comments:

  1. Why do the old time hockey pics look so aweome?

    Is it because:

    The innate quality of celluloid over digital film?

    The players look different sans helmets?

    The crowd looks cool, thanks to none of them being stupid enough to want to go to a game dressed like one the hockey players?

    This is a game the Oilers can win. Therefore, they're probably going to lose.

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  2. I think using the Stamkos rookie stats for comparisons is generally problematic. Looking at his splits I believe he played much more in the second half and his production subsequently exploded. There's also a reasonable argument that he was misused in the first half by Melrose. Comparing Hall's second half with Stamkos' second half might be a more accurate comparison.

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  3. The Hawks were bag skated yesterday morning at Rexall.

    Quenneville is pissed that they are still taking games off (like they did against Calgary), but out of the playoffs.

    I expect a fairly complete effort from them tonight.

    If DD starts and holds the fort in the 1st maybe the Oilers have a chance, but I'm not betting on it.

    They key to the Oilers offense is the quick transition game. They have 3 lines that can turn the puck up the ice quickly.

    The key though, is Dmen who can get them the puck in a hurry, on the fly, and on the tape.

    Currently there are only 2 such men in the Oiler's line up (77&58) and 77 is not 100%.

    Teams that cycle the puck well down low and limit turnovers feast on the Oilers with their depleted and mostly AHL caliber D. While CHI cycles well, they were turnover machines in the games they lost against the Oil this year.

    Taking my wife to her first game of the year. Should be lots of skating and action. Hope the Oil don't get in a deep hole early.

    Go Oilers!!

    *clap,clap*

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  4. LT: it's been crazy all the rumours. I expect that stems as much from other teams as for Oiler fans/media. The Oil being one of the few true sellers, and they are also one of the few with actual top 6 forwards who are possibly in play.

    Can anyone summarize all the crazy rumours? From what I could find here are a few over the last few days:
    - Seabrook to Edmonton for a package not including Penner or Hemsky (crazy I know, but that was reported)
    - Bogosian for Hemsky
    - Hemsky to Boston for Toronto's 1st
    - Hemsky/Penner for Brayden Schenn
    - Hemsky to Nashville for something

    And I'm sure there were a lot more. Would love Seabrook, but can't see how that is possible unless Chicago thinks he'll want too much money. I would give up a lot for Seabrook, and short of giving up Eberle or Hall, I would consider pretty much anyone going the other way.

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  5. Well, at least of Khabibulin goes down to the minors, will will save Katz money on the big club, since he'll continue to count against the cap.

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  6. DBO - The Seabrook rumour began on hockeybuzz as far as I can tell.

    There are some other rumours involving the Oil flying around on that site as well. Nothing I'd put much stock in.

    http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/John-Jaeckel/Seabrook-to-Edmonton-UPDATED-NO-DEAL/128/33505

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  7. UPR: I think Spector via Roger Millions actually tweeted the Seabrook rumor yesterday and said "according to sources in Chicago" or something along those lines.

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  8. Steve smith....
    Money is an asset too...no? Lol...tyler's take on the ST's comments on the Souray situation was gold!

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  9. SpeAmong of hockey buzz, ek came up with NK to caps! Golden.....

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  10. SumOil: awesome. Make that happen Tambellini! take back one of there other goalies. LOL. made my morning

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  11. Anyone else not able to sign in under a Google account this morning?

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  12. For what it's worth,

    I think the acquisition the team makes around the trade deadline that will have the most positive impact will be plucking someone off the waiver wire a la Ryan Jones last year. This time of year, deep teams who look for more "scoring" or D-man depth tend to have quality forwards in the press box who will be made available when a team acquires the requisite scoring and d-man depth. We might find a useful 4th line C who can PK or a 4th line knuckledragger who can play a little.

    One can only hope St 3.0 can make off like a bandit much as he did with Ryan Jones last year at this time.

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  13. It is always nice to see that Ty "cant play the fucking puck" Conkilin is still shitting the bed!!!! As bad as NK numbers are, I am always happy to se Conklin struggling.

    I would like to see Penner and Hemsky stick around. I hope they want to stick around and are willing to sign in a year. If we need to let one go in my opinion Hemsky makes the most sense but only if the package makes sense. His skills are reproduced to a certain extent in Omark. Penner would be hard to replace.

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  14. hunter1909 said...
    Why do the old time hockey pics look so aweome?

    Is it because:

    The innate quality of celluloid over digital film?

    The players look different sans helmets?

    The crowd looks cool, thanks to none of them being stupid enough to want to go to a game dressed like one the hockey players?

    This is a game the Oilers can win. Therefore, they're probably going to lose.


    Hunter1909, I've noticed the same thing, I think it's all of the above =).

    jon k said...
    I think using the Stamkos rookie stats for comparisons is generally problematic. Looking at his splits I believe he played much more in the second half and his production subsequently exploded. There's also a reasonable argument that he was misused in the first half by Melrose. Comparing Hall's second half with Stamkos' second half might be a more accurate comparison.


    Exactly what I've been thinking, I really hope Hall can 'explode' offensively like Stamkos did at the tail end of his rookie season.

    DBO, I'd consider all of those as starters, not as trades in and of themselves. Unless a team is willing to give what you listed and then more value, I'd pass.

    The guy I think that might really get something nice back, besides Penner and Hemsky, is Omark. There's scuttlebutt about lots of interest being garnered. As loathe as I am to Linus being moved, I think he's the most likely candidate to go for a decent return.

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  15. I know exactly what you mean about the Bobby Hull hair plugs, LT. Bobby had an interest in some purebred beef north of Vermilion and when somebody pointed him out to me in Lee's Cafe when I was a little kid, I mustered up the courage to approach him for my first and only NHL player autograph. I remembered two things abut him; one was that he feakish Popeye arms, and two was that he was bald, which seemed unusual since he was a pro athelete in his prime. Bobby was as bald then as Terry Bradshaw is now.

    The rumour back in the day was that he paid a G note for every hair transplanted.

    Bobby Hull related: Did anybody else have one of those "speedometer" type promotional type pucks that recorded how fast your shot was? I can't remember if it came with cereal or if you had to mail in proof of purchase stuff.

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  16. "It is always nice to see that Ty "cant play the fucking puck" Conkilin is still shitting the bed!!!! As bad as NK numbers are, I am always happy to se Conklin struggling."

    What an absolutely ridiculous and cruel thing to say.

    Conklin has also been rather splendid since '07. We'd have been a better team if he'd still been around.

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  17. "freakish" Popeye arms, not feakish...frack me...

    Oh, and LT, good luck with the radio bit on Saturday, up against the Oilers no less. I know you have too much class to have a "Grandpa Sneezby" moment.

    Assuming you were a Sneaky Snooper and know what I am talking about...

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  18. @jon k

    I agree that Stamkos splits would be interesting and show increased production in the second half. Comparing Hall to Stamkos will be an interesting exercise prior to golf season.

    That said, don't blame it all on Melrose. He was fired after 16 games - about 20% of the season.

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  19. I think Spector via Roger Millions actually tweeted the Seabrook rumor yesterday and said "according to sources in Chicago" or something along those lines.

    Millions seems like the kind of guy who's sources would come from an NHL rumour site that he subscribes to and reads daily.

    The last game in Nashville was pretty fast. I'm expecting another quick one tonight. Hopefully the Oilers can keep up. They made some bad plays under pressure against Nashville, but also made some good ones in transition. I think the keys to this one are ironing out their passes a bit and, you know, counting on Khabibulin to be able to stop a few beachballs.

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  20. I second LMHF's comments about Conklin. One thing I always liked about him was that he never dodged responsibility, even when interviewers offered him a clear chance to: "Ty, are you still feeling some lingering effects from that injury?" "No, I'm just not playing very well."

    I hope he recovers his form.

    I admit, though, that it was painful to see him playing brilliantly for stretches for every team in the league other than the Oilers. But hey, goalies are a complete crapshoot.

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  21. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  22. Also, the discussion of Omark as having value indicates precisely why he shouldn't be moved aside from an unexpectedly superb offer. Other teams seem to be better at spotting players on the way up than us, so I'm hoping someone over there has the brain to realize he's a keeper and we don't get fleeced. He's such a perfect complementary fit, and likely won't see his cost balloon too much (unless his production jumps markedly, in which case he'd be worth it anyway and move beyond complementary).

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  23. I would hesitate to move O'Mark for more than just what he brings as an affordable player with skill and tenacity. Normally I despise the word "synergy", but in the case of Paajarvi, O'Mark does seem to have a role in elevating his countryman's game.

    If O'Mark had been on the team from the start the Oilers would have 4 players in the top 20 rookie scoring. Eventually the team will have to replace some of the smurfs, but I would hesitate to shed O'Mark at this point.

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  24. @hoil

    When did Ireland and Sweden become the same country?

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  25. That MPS-Cogliano-Omark line sure seems legit. What gives?

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  26. When did Ireland and Sweden become the same country?

    It's just one of those Oilogosphere nicknames. But did the Vikings never conquer Ireland? I guess they pillaged more than they did any proper conquering.

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  27. I never thought that the bungle was his mistake alone. Jason Smith was equally responsible. It was a big time communication error and Ty was made the scapegoat. So I feel sorry for him and find myself happy with his success elsewhere

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  28. It was a big time communication error and Ty was made the scapegoat.

    To take the other side for a moment:
    i. Conklin was certainly largely responsible, though I agree that there was plenty of blame to go around.
    ii. It's not like his time with the Oilers was just terrific apart from that one blemish.

    (And though I've defended MacTavish quite a bit, alternating backups was kind of a stupid idea.)

    Still, though, that's no reason to wish him failure elsewhere.

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  29. Here's my new plan. We go to the Czech Republic, find a few dudes named "Ales Hemsky", and quietly sign them to one-year deals.

    Then we trade our "Ales Hemsky"s as many times as we can get away with. Think of it, we could get Seabrook AND Bogosian AND Schenn AND a first, AND keep the real Ales!

    Won't the other teams be surprised when training camp starts!

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  30. Anonymous - Unfortunately, the season isn't over yet.

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  31. Bogosian for Hemsky is pure madness. How do we know Bogosian is not a smaller version of Smid? I think the Jack Johnson trade is a better comp (also a number 3). Carolina traded Tverdovsky and Johnson for Belanger and Gleason. That might equate to one of Petry/Smid and Brule going to Atlanta for Bogosian and a spare part.

    Hemsky is an impact player. Only way we trade him is if we get an impact player back, not the prospect of one (I wouldn't even want Toronto's first). A potential trade partner might be a team that has such a player that is injured for the season.

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  32. But did the Vikings never conquer Ireland?

    Not all Ireland
    But Dublin, for 300 years from 850ish

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  33. Grant: I add in a apostrophe to Linus to make up for the missing umlaut with Magnus.

    It's a math thing, not a seen 'em good thing.

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  34. My family history tells me that Viking raids were the cause of all the red hair in Scotland and Ireland.

    It's a Norwegian fact.

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  35. @hoil

    I remember those speedometer pucks.Don't remember how I got it,but thinking it was made by CCM.Or I might just be thinking that becaose the dial was orange?

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  36. "Steve Smith" said...
    When did Ireland and Sweden become the same country?

    It's just one of those Oilogosphere nicknames. But did the Vikings never conquer Ireland? I guess they pillaged more than they did any proper conquering.


    Besides the pillaging, they were quite fond of marching to a big city or capital and slapping it around till they got paid off to leave. They also did some proper conquering, but that only ever happened when they had a strong leader or leaders.

    They had a go taking over Ireland at one point, around the beginning of the 800s up till the middle 1000s, but eventually learned that the Irish are just too &#@%ing crazy, and left it be.

    I'm with Stuart on this one, no freaking way you move Hemsky, unless it's much more than a Bogosian, something you can't refuse. I'd trade Hemsky for Seguin and Toronto's 1st though, not that Boston is that crazy.

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  37. Leafs acquire Lupul for Beauchemin +.

    Somehow, Lupul on the Leaves seems right. Just does.

    He has a 4.25 MM cap hit for two more years after this, which isn't the worst thing in the world for a guy who can bring some offense, but the Leafs are building through free agency, pretty much exclusively, so they need to use their cap space more wisely, IMO. Maybe that's too obvious.

    What do people think?

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  38. Gardiner -he and a 4th were the rest of the return in that deal- seems to be a decent prospect, though.

    Still, Beauchemin has his warts and has struggled, but he's fairly young with a decent record for a D-man.

    I wouldn't have taken Lupul's cap hit if I were Burke. He needs cap space to make his "build a great team instantly through free agency" strategy to work. If he wanted Beauchemin out, he could've just got a pick, though maybe not a great one worth more than Gardiner, and Beauchemin's cap space.

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  39. I'm with Stuart on this one, no freaking way you move Hemsky, unless it's much more than a Bogosian, something you can't refuse. I'd trade Hemsky for Seguin and Toronto's 1st though, not that Boston is that crazy.

    If Hemmer isn't positive about re-signing, you are just putting off the decision for a year.

    If his agent isn't saying the right things for the right range of money, I'd trade him for a potential #1 C or #D

    In fact, I'd try to get Seguin by giving up Hemmer and the #1 pick. I'd take back Toronto's first and might even settle for Boston's first instead.

    Seguin seems to be better than anyone in this draft and should settle in as the #1 C.

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  40. Lupul, Kessel, and Phaneuf on the same team, which is coached by Ron Wilson and managed by Brian Burke?

    Does the Ontario fire code even allow for that many absolute douchebags in such close proximity?

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  41. Front Street is burning, I can see it from my office window.

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  42. Apparently there is a bidding was between NYI and DET for Gustavsson.

    Someone should tell v3.0 he has two serviceable goalies in OKC and to pick up a phone.

    Gustavsson has had a terrible year, I might take JDD or Gerber over him.

    Paging v3.0....

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  43. Rules of Being an NHL GM:

    Rule #278: If you participate in a trade where you are receiving Joffrey Lupul, you are on the losing end of said deal.

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  44. I think I read this morning that Seguin is headed to the press box for a while in Boston.

    Not that it means they've soured on him at all, but it's certainly a better situation for deal-making than if they were bumping him up to the first line to replace Savard.

    I'd definitely do Hemsky and our first for him and the TO first. If that pick ends up 5th or so, this seems like a draft where you could still snag the best player in that spot.

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  45. And just going off how ANA was willing to give up Smid when he was a highly-touted D prospect, I don't know that TO fans should expect big things from Jake Gardiner.

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  46. Francois Allaire messed up Gustavson by trying to change his style If he is away from Allaire, he has a good chance of recovering his game, and would be far better than Deslauriers. The Oilers don't want to trade Gerber, because they want to make the playoffs in the AHL.

    Money isn't an object in Toronto. Burke can always bury Lupul in the AHL. He can't trade Beuchemin for a draft pick ony, because he has to stay out of the lottery or be a bigger laughing stock than John Ferguson Jr.

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  47. I'm in Chi-town and nothing is out there as I can see about a Seabrook to Oilers deal.

    In fact, one of the reasons they dealt away so many players was to fit a Seabrook deal under next years cap.

    Hopefully the Hawks are as careless with the puck as usual, and the Oilers win.

    Also the old hockey photos look great for two reasons, no Photoshop tricks and no ads on the boards and ice.

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  48. Money is always an object.

    That's why so few players actually get buried in the minors.

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  49. The Oilers don't want to trade Gerber, because they want to make the playoffs in the AHL.

    The Oilers didn't become the worst team in the NHL by accident.

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  50. Also the old hockey photos look great for two reasons, no Photoshop tricks and no ads on the boards and ice.

    And the lighting.
    Less lighting

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  51. The Oilers didn't become the worst team in the NHL by accident.

    They did last season. This season it was on purpose.

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  52. No

    The Traintrust set the table.
    Bad move after bad move followed by terrible moves.

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  53. Ahh, Lee's Cafe.... first place I ever had a Float, an Orange Crush float, if I recall correctly, which I might not since we're talking about nineteen frickin seventy two. Thought I was in heaven, ice cream and pop? Pre-puberty nothing could beat it.

    Lupul's been traded more times than his hockey card. Do you think he might eventually Dan Cleary?

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  54. Do you think he might eventually Dan Cleary?
    He has to get traded to Detroit first ;)

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  55. One concern if you're going to trade Hemsky or Penner is the need to get a quality vet back w/some experience.

    Is anyone else concerned with the fact that we're breaking in so many rookies? Yes, there's more quality than in years, but we're going to need someone in the locker room (other than Struds) to help them through tough stretches.

    Or maybe that's not valid.

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  56. This is weird. I can post thru my Google account by phone but not laptop.

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  57. Continuing the discussion on old-timey goalies, I couldn't help but feel sadly nostalgic seeing M.A.Bergeron push a forward into Roloson last night...

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  58. Debakey - it was a joke.

    It would be nice to see a solid GM move from this team.

    One in a row.

    Until that happens, I don't see much reason for optimism. We are likely only a couple of seasons away from talking about trading away our own Bogosians.

    I will not be around for that. Life's too short to watch these guys wander the desert that is their own intellect.

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  59. I expect ANA required TOR take Lupal in order to get Gardiner.

    That trade makes TOR worse in the short term and Lupal should wear out his welcome soon.

    The media in TOR is going to have some fun. Lupal and Kessel teaming up to piss off Wilson. Another lottery pick for BOS. The Monster in the minors. And the Kaberle soap opera should start soon.

    Someone is going to walk the plank in TOR this summer.

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  60. DBA: you got it right, but the Nashville deal was involving Ryan Ellis, the smallish superhero of this year's WJHCs (aside from Schenn).

    BTW, Gene Principe twatted that Ales Hemsky doesn't want to be traded.. yayyyy!

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  61. I will not be around for that.

    See ya. The bandwagon will be back around in a year or two.

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  62. @Steve Smith and LMHF

    I perhaps spit a bit too much Venom at Ty Conklin. I have always blamed him for that play. Probably because I never liked his play in Edmonton. You are right though, it is not a good enough reason to wish him failure elsewhere.

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  63. BOSTON -- After speculation surfaced from Bruins practice yesterday that rookie forward Tyler Seguin would be a healthy scratch tonight when the Bruins host the Montreal Canadiens, head coach Claude Julien confirmed it to the media following the team's morning skate at TD Garden. Julien, however, cautioned the media to not read too much into the scratch of the player the team drafted second overall at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

    "I don't think we can over-analyze this guys, we have to sit somebody out and I know who he is, I know where he was drafted and I know all that stuff," Julien said when asked if maybe the thought in having Seguin sit was to get a different view from above. "I think right now we've got [Jordan] Caron who we feel is a good fit on that fourth line and [Zach] Hamill is here to have a look at. Here's a guy who's a third-year pro and he needs to have a look too. Right now that's the choice we've made."

    Seguin has 17 points in 51 games but only one goal in his last 11 games and has been on the ice for less than 10 minutes in the last four games. Julien was asked if perhaps the physical and mental rigors of the NHL have caught up to the 19-year old rookie.

    "It could be," he answered. "There's a lot on his plate right now and I think that's what people have to understand. I know he's lost a bit of his edge and there have been times when he's lost the puck when he's a guy that should be able to hold onto it. And there are parts of his game that have slipped a little bit. But that doesn't change the outlook of what we think of him. It's just a matter of I think it's a phase he's going through this year and it's a lot different at this level then what he's been used to and it's never a bad thing to watch, never a bad thing to get a rest at this time of year because we know that players do get tired after 50-plus games and the travel and everything that goes along [with it]."

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  64. I'm tellins ya, Penner is the one who will be moved!

    I think on the face of things Burke wins this trade. However, looking a little more closely there is reason to believe that Anaheim pulled a fast one on Burkie.

    Gardiner is having an excellent season in the NCAA as a 20 year old this season. He's put up 30 points in 30 games. He was a 17th overall selection just two years ago. All of that looks great.

    But then we look at Wisconsin and see that he's not even the top scoring defenceman on his team, Justin Schultz is.

    Who is Justin Schultz? Why he's another 2008 Anaheim draft selection, 43rd overall. He has a whopping 39 points in 30 games, 15 of which are goals. One would think that with two top prospects in Wisconsin Anaheim would spend a significant amount of time scouting them. Methinks that Anaheim moved the guy with pedigree but possibly kept the better prospect in the long term.

    It seems likely to me that Anaheim found a way to offload Lupul's anchor of a contract (regarding his cap hit and his on-ice play) and get back a decent defenceman, and only had to give up a late conditional draft pick and a fool's gold prospect.

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  65. The bandwagon will be back around in a year or two.

    Sure it will. They will just 'flip the switch' and start stringing together correct moves.

    Its exactly the same skillset as stringing together terrible moves.

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  66. Rishaug tweets: "Oil have had early talks with Penner about long term future with team. Penner wants to know how he fits in with rebuild. Big decisions ahead"

    At least they're talking, I guess.

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  67. jon k...

    Well thn has a scouting report on their bio of Gardiner but not Schultz, so how was Burkie to know?

    Or maybe Gardiner simply has the requisite truculence? Bwahahahaha!

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  68. Penner wants to know how he fits in with rebuild

    That doesn't surprise me - we have a lot of quality LWs on this roster all of a sudden.

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  69. Debakey - it was a joke.

    A+ deadpan on the on purpose gag Deano

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  70. "Dustin, you will be chief food eater on the rebuilt Edmonton Oilers. You will be first and last at all buffets -where you will wear the "C"- and you will be the third eater in every food out."

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  71. Vikings ran Ireland for centuries - which is why many Irish chicks are hot.

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  72. University of Wisconsin hockey eh?

    In somewhat related news, Wisconsin’s goalie has the best Save % of NCAA Div 1 goalies with more than 20 games.

    He’s a young lad [born 1988] from a place that calls itself Sherwood Park AB.

    His name is Scott Gudmandson, and is undrafted.

    Unfortunately for this Senior’s pro prospects, his height is 5.10, his weight 175.

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  73. About the Leafs trade, I have to think that the Sharks missed a good opportunity to shore up their D

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  74. Post-Kessel Leafs fans have developed an amazing method of rationalising their putrid lineup.

    They count the amount of 1st round draft picks on the Leafs, then smile at the thought that(in theory) they have a powerhouse hockey team.

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  75. After what happened with Souray, I doubt if anyone is going to answer no to any of the questions lol and complain about staying here!

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  76. Stauffer had some audio from the media scrums in the Oiler's dressing room today.

    I guess there were a lot of reporters asking the trade questions to Penner and Hemsky.

    Both 83 and 27 went on record stating that they like the direction that the team is going and they want to stay.

    Yay!!

    Stauffer said yesterday he's be surprised to either one go at the deadline unless someone knocks off v3.0's socks.

    This top 9 coupled with a high quality 4th line (which would really have traditional 3rd line responsibilities and minutes) would be a pretty good team in a year or two IF they can find a top pair Dman and another goalie.

    Tambellini never gives out much info in any interview, but Stauffer did get him to say that their "areas of concern going foward" were getting bigger down the middle and improving the D.

    Looks like they actually do see the same things we do.

    v3.0 also mentioned they still need to work hard on building their development system so that "there is no question where each player slots in, right now its not always clear"

    I read that as they don't want to use the NHL as a development team.

    I may grow to like the v3.0 fellow if he does the right things in the next 5 months.....

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  77. Why do the old time hockey pics look so aweome?

    I might not be a hockey expert, but photography is something I can talk about with considerable authority.

    Two main reasons - the depth of field used that results in less bokah (blurring of the background), and the dramatic difference in how arenas are lit nowadays. There' also something to be said for the humanizing element of seeing the players unobscured by helmets.

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  78. "The Oilers don't want to trade Gerber, because they want to make the playoffs in the AHL."

    Mr deBakey wrote:
    //The Oilers didn't become the worst team in the NHL by accident.//

    MBS's work will go for naught if the Oiler's don't run a competent operation in Oklahoma City. It is a bad idea to trade Gerber, because the Barons have a potential Calder Cup run because Omark and Petry and probably Reddox will likely be eligible for the Calder Cup playoffs.

    A 5th round pick for Gerber is not worth missing out on a Calder Cup run for the Oilers prospects in OC.

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  79. Stauffer said yesterday he's be surprised to either one go at the deadline unless someone knocks off v3.0's socks.

    Which, if they want to stay, is as it should be. There's room for both on a well-run team, and there should even be room for both on the Oilers.

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  80. Rick said: Also the old hockey photos look great for two reasons, no Photoshop tricks and no ads on the boards and ice.

    They used to do nearly as much in the darkroom as photographers do these days with Photoshop.In fact, a huge percentage of the tools in Photoshop are named for the darkroom tools/techniques they replicate. The idea of a photograph never lying was as much of a myth then as it is now.

    Anon said bokeh.
    You say potato, I say tomato. Wait... I think that's wrong. Anyway, yeah I alwayz misspel that werd.

    Sorry for the three "deleted by author"s above - my bad.

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  81. Old time hockey without advertising is sublime.

    Eventually the NHL will start selling it's jersey rights like they do in English soccer - and you end up with a team jersey that advertises some product. Then next season that team sells the rights off to the next advertiser and everyone has to go out and buy a new jersey.

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  82. Hunter - It's already started. The NHL now allows ads on practice jerseys. I know the Blackhawks are taking advantage of it already, not sure who else. As much as I'm opposed to it, I'm kind of hoping to see Masengil logo the Canucks sweaters.

    You're so right about the ad-less boards being sublime. And now they're starting to phase in backlit boards. If they want the league to be more profitable, maybe they should simply consider having teams in profitable locations first. Surely their economists recognize the subtle difference between revenue and profit... right?

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  83. @ Icecastles: it kind of helped fuel my increasing disinterest in my English Soccer team, knowing that every year or so I'd have to get used to an entirely new jersey look - I just want a little bit of light relief from sports - I'm not looking to base my life around it.

    And lately I notice Oiler powerplays are being brought to me by some sponsor - I don't pay attention at all so don't know who the sponsor(s) are, but whoever is sponsoring those PP's deserves to go bankrupt.

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  84. MBS's work will go for naught if the Oiler's don't run a competent operation in Oklahoma

    I'm not sure I follow the logic.
    But OK.

    Is it somehing to do with culture?

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  85. Hemsky for Malkin. Pittsburgh needs a winger that can put up points. Tell my why it couldn't happen. It frees up cap space for Pittsburgh too, and Edmonton has room.

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  86. I won't say that trading an oft-injured, 75-point winger for a younger, bigger, Conn Smyth and Art Ross Trophy-winning Centre can't happen, because anything can.

    But it won't.

    Even Penner for J. Staal probably wouldn't ever happen.

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  87. Hemsky & Penner for Malkin

    Gagner for Bogosian

    Cogs/Brule/Vandy/Foster for useful checkers/PKer and you totally rebuild the bottom 6

    Call it done...

    Hall Malkin Eberle
    MPS Horcoff Omark

    Whitney / Bogosian
    Gilbert / UFA or trade
    Peckham /Smid / Petry

    Doubt Malkin wants to come here though...

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  88. Mr. DeBakey:

    The vast majority of prospects are not going to be able to go from junior to the NHL directly.

    They need a stable successful place to develop for a year or two in the AHL, or MBS's drafting will go in vain.

    Look at the Canucks-Moose relationship.

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  89. I think for the salary he can command that Malkin kind of sucks.

    Just doesn't have the 5v5 production you like to see.

    Pittsburgh should trade him to Toronto.

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  90. I wish more of our players sucked the way Malkin sucks. He's no good at faceoffs though, so there's at least one common link.

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  91. We can probably agree that Crosby's better than Malkin. They have the same cap hit, both on their first contract post-ELC. Either Malkin is overpaid or Crosby is underpaid; if it's the latter, how much should he be making?

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  92. I don't know and I don't care. He's a passenger in a lot of games. And he's broken for six months and will probably need most of next season to hit his stride again.

    No thanks.

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  93. Yeah I agree with Smarmy, 100 point NHL players aren't needed on this team. (etc. etc.)

    Bob McKenzie has an interesting article up about the Anaheim-Toronto trade. It seems there are some question marks attached to Gardiner. Caveat emptor Mr. Burke.

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  94. Ha ha yeah dude. 77 points last year. Was on pace for 45 or so this year.

    He should probably be on the wing and for the size of his pay cheque I'd rather keep Hemsky and use the extra millions for a real defenseman.

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  95. Oh wait I'm wrong he was on pace for closer to 80 this year.

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  96. Plus that was 77 in 67 games last year.

    The Oil would be fools to turn down any deal for Malkin, but it doesn't matter because one isn't likely to come up.

    A weird thing on espn.com incidentally - Crosby isn't listed on the Penguins roster.
    http://espn.go.com/nhl/team/roster/_/name/pit/pittsburgh-penguins

    Do they know something we don't?

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  97. Maybe but I disagree.

    He basically costs what we pay Hemsky and Penner. He's a poor center on the dot and in his own end.

    Look at the sheer amount of obstruction minors the guy takes.

    Plus the whole mantra that teams like Philly were pushing is that if you get physical with Malkin he quits.

    I think Oiler fans would grow to hate this guy especially if we had to move one of our blue chippers because of his cap hit.

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  98. Also from the Twitter (Terry Jones this time): Re Tambellini pretending no pressure to trade for picks and prospects on deadline. There's pressure. Owner wants buzz for new rink NOW

    I may be misinterpreting this, but if it means that Katz is pressuring Tambellini to dump Penner or Hemsky for picks just to generate "buzz", then I think that's very, very stupid.

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  99. Wait, does Terry Jones actually have insight into the actual functioning of the Oilers now?

    I just thought he made stuff up.

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  100. I think Terry Jones just says whatever.

    Buzz for a new rink would mean getting a Malkin though. :)

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  101. "steve smith":

    They could also both be overpaid, or both be underpaid.

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  102. >They could also both be overpaid, or both be underpaid.

    I'm a terrible LSAT prep instructor.

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  103. SB: That's some monster bullshit.

    Montreal glued Gill to him and they tried to piss him off all series long and it didn't work for a cent.

    He's physically strong enough not to care.

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  104. Malkin:

    QC (14th out of 26)
    QT (12th out of 26)

    REL CORSI: 16,1 (1st by a full 2)
    CORSI ON: 15,79

    P/60 : 2,17
    GF/60: 2,89
    GA/60: 3,20

    On ice SV% : ,884%
    On ice SH% : 7,86%

    That guy is clearly dominant on the ice and is only getting trumped as of now by shitty PDO.

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  105. Jones has a hate-on for Katz as he turns down all his (and others) interview requests.

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  106. @DBA

    I'd take
    Penner to LA for Schenn
    Hemsky to ATL for Bogosian
    Draft Coutourier
    Gilbert/Brule + picks to nash for weber
    And an offer sheet to TO for the other schenn

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  107. Gilbert/Brule + picks to nash for weber

    Alchemy trade.

    Lead into Gold.

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  108. Trading for Brayden Schenn:

    Secretly taking the WJC seriously.

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  109. WG,

    (warning: bad chemistry joke) Wouldn't that be turning plumbers into gold?

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  110. This Habs game is terrific. Two goals now since I started typing this.

    Is the / a new thing for Gilbert Brule? Like when Pouliot changed his name.

    I like it though.

    Gilbert/Brule

    What's he out with today?

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  111. And a brawl including a goalie fight, though not much of one.

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  112. Black Dog: Jacques Martin can go hang himself on the highest rope he can find.

    Playing Moen all the time on skill lines even if he consistantly sucks balls is plain stupid*.

    He has favorites on the team and it's painful to watch.

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  113. Chara hates Pacioretty quite a bit. That was entertaining.

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  114. Drinking in my office before the game. Hurray, I'm becoming a real lawyer.

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  115. fpb - like Pyatt? ;)

    I'm neither a Habs fan nor a Martin fan to be honest but considering Markov and Gorges are gone for the year and Cammelleri has been hurt as well I think he must be doing something right. A lot of that would be Price of course but old Jack Martin deserves some credit.

    No?

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  116. I forgot to add as a result they should trade him Just to save his life.

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  117. Deano - gesundheit

    oh Gilbert/Brule ... right ;)

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  118. Black Dog: Not.

    I'd give credit to the replacements (And yes Tom Pyatt... that man is competing with Strudwick for worse NHL player).

    He's basically always punishing the younger guys with better underlying numbers (Pouliot, Kostitsyn) and never touching the veterans who suck and give next to no effort (Gomez, Cammaleri, Gionta (Well effort's there for Gionta).

    And he ALWAYS puts up a moron in the top 6. Either Moen, Pyatt or Eller. But they all suck massively.

    It's like Renney would on occasion move Colin f'in Fraser in the top 6, just to piss off Penner or Hemsky.

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  119. Six Bruins in the box.

    Just like the old days. Awesome.

    The only shitty thing is that Pierre MaGuire is doing the game.

    BIG BODIES!!! (squeals lustily)

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  120. Omg.

    There is a total of 11 players in the penalty boxes!

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  121. Ever seen this....in Boston standing room only in penalty boxes...wow.

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  122. according to the twitter Hawks about to announce a trade

    5-4 now, that's six goals and a line brawl in fourteen minutes real time

    Only two words to describe it.

    Awesome.

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  123. Unfortunately, Pierre Mcguire is doing the game so it's not as good as it could be.

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  124. BD: Yes it is.

    But everytime Moen steps on the ice children cry.

    Fuck Lucic.

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  125. A classic in Boston. Wonderful game. I don't even know the score but it's a lot for Boston and plenty for Montreal.

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  126. fpb - I'll defer to you when it comes to the Habs

    however they are doing it they are getting it done

    Hawks trade Jack Skille to Panthers for Frolik

    and another goal

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  127. LT - seven goals and a line brawl in less than seven minutes

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  128. I'm giddy. I'm like a kid. I keep expecting Sanderson to high stick someone.

    What a beautiful game.

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  129. HF has an article up listing the top D men from Q in the draft last year. They list Blaine as #5 ahead of some guys drafted before him. They say (in part):

    A steady blueliner at both ends of the ice, Blain might never blow anyone away with any single skill or attribute, but instead it is the sum of the parts that makes all the difference for the 18-year-old defenseman. Strong on his skates with good size, Blain moves the puck well and makes smart and safe decisions in his own end. Since returning to the Titan line-up, he's played like a man possessed and provided an instant shot in the arm for Acadie-Bathurst. In 25 games this season, Blain is producing at just short of a point-per-game rate with two goals and 24 points.

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  130. The EC does suck pretty hard. These are the two best teams in the NE division and that's saying something. I think it's amazing that the WC continues to be the superior conference year after year. It's at least a decade now.

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  131. Black Dog: Just follow the 32. You'd expect a grinder would have some energy and be fast.

    It's just not the case.

    He sucks AND he puts 0 effort.

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  132. The Oilers might have some guys we think are overpayed,but at least we dont have Gomez

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  133. I sincerely don't get the trade from the Panthers point of view.

    Michael Frolik + Alexander Salak

    For

    Jack Skille + Hugh Jessiman + David Pacan

    So Frolik and a good goalie prospect for an underperforming Jack Skille et garbage?

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  134. FPB, I don't get it either, from all the numbers Frolik is a pure and pure outscorer alongside Weiss.

    A young outscorer with over 200 games under his belt at the ripe age of 22, and the top goaltender in Sweden, also young, for magic beans. Man I wish the Oilers could have pulled something like this off for Brule, Chorney, and some other spare parts.

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  135. Gilbert/Brule

    What's he out with today?


    Lead poisoning.

    I really like Frolik.

    I guess Bowman knows Tallon's weakness and/or blind spots.

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  136. And the man who's name shall not be pronounced scores.

    This game is madness.

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  137. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  138. The Bruins just became my favorite team not named the Oilers.

    Best game of the year.

    Boston vs. Philly semi.

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  139. Fines coming for that game and some phone calls, too.

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  140. I went to turn on some fights and a hockey game broke out.

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  141. Great game, lots of fun.

    Word on the street is that Gilbert/Brule may have a noxious labia.

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  142. Quick Question: If I had an accident and I wasn't responsible.

    Is it the responsible guy's insurance who should pay for my car damage?

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  143. yep

    Game of the year in Beantown. Their next match-up is in Montreal, I wonder if wee Gary will show up for that one?

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  144. /Word on the street is that Gilbert/Brule may have a noxious labia./

    Or he got that walrus gumboot thing again.

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  145. Then go to your bank and wire me $500. :-)

    That's a good way to get yourself charged under the Legal Profession Act, LT.

    It's also worth noting that Quebec uses the civil law system for private law, so, as the Supreme Court found in a landmark ruling on this very subject, "who the fuck knows?"

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  146. LT: Real person. I had a live witness in my car and the damage is pretty self explanatory.

    I already had those. It's a shame that it's really uneasy to find on the web.

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  147. Fpb - I'm no lawyer although I play one on TV but I'd say yes. Not sure what the rules are in PQ - was a police report filed? If not then you may have problems.

    But yes he or they should have to pay.

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  148. Seriously? I'll delete.

    Christ, no. Not unless somebody thinks you were actually charging for legal advice, which you pretty obviously weren't.

    I try to add a little levity and look what happens.

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  149. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  150. Dammit, Steve. You're my online lawyer when Tyler isn't available!

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  151. Black Dog: In QC you don't have to file a police report. There'S that thing you can write which is a ''Constat à l'amiable'' which is on cases people either agree it's both drivers' fault or it's one sided.

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  152. FPB: Take photos. Time stamped photos. Seriously. Before anyone moves a vehicle.

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  153. fpb: i'm glad you did have a "live" witness in your car, otherwise you'd have a tragedy on your hands. Or else an awful lot of 'splainin' to do.

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  154. LT: Too late.

    It's not exactly super damage to my car tough.

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  155. The law isn't nearly as much of an ass as it's often thought to be (just today, Snopes dismissed that old canard about McDonald's being allowed to put God-knows-what in its burgers and still advertise them as "100% beef" because it buys its patties from "100% beef inc."). As a rule of thumb, you can't be charged for making jokes on the internet, unless maybe it's a hate crime or defamatory libel (and criminal charges are usually pressed for the latter only where the subject of the libel is a police officer).

    Although I am currently editing the factums of my first year moot team, which is engaged in a (fictitious) court battle where a lawyer's getting sued for answering a question on a Yahoo! Answers clone.

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  156. SS: Pretty sure he won't loose, either all the trolls on that site would be on the streets by now.

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  157. Is anyone else tired of watching Foster coast back into the zones. He's so shity it kills me watching play.

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  158. Well, he lost at trial. And in fairness, this fictitious website, despite being a Yahoo! Answers clone, seems to involve less flagrant idiocy.

    Also: hockey.

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  159. Jesus Christ why it is so fck'in complicated to know the law.

    The government is uncontested champion at poorly designed websites.

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  160. SS: We're watching the Edmonton Oilers, not ''hockey''

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  161. I shudder to think what you'd call what the Habs were doing.

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  162. It's not the law you need to sweat, it's your damn insurance company.

    When they pay off the guy who breaks his neck jumping drunk out a 2nd floor window into a pool, it's not because they have no case in law, it's because the occasional 10M payout is good advertising for why you need higher liability coverage.

    Jackals all of them.

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  163. No way Oiler fans could handle Malkin. They would expect 113 point seasons every year.

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  164. Alice: It's not my insurance compagny i want money from. It's the guy who destroyed my right light.

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  165. fpv - I actually think that each party's car gets fixed by their own insurance companies, and then they exchange a cheque.

    You never deal with his company. You deal with yours and then they deal with his.

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  166. It's cryptic garbage as of now.

    All I hear is ''Physical or psychical damage'' (Body or mind). There's like 0 text who talk about accidents only implicating car damage.

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  167. fpv: you need to go to your local PD, and file an accident report. Bring anything you have, pics,witness info, diagrams etc. They will take a statement, and get a statement from the other guy. Insurance companies will read the reports and contact you. The paying company will likely tell you which repair shop to make an appointment at. You go get the fix, sign some papers and it's done.

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  168. I'm going to caution people again: Quebec. Civil law. Completely different kettle of fish. I don't know the first damned thing about it, so all of this advice could be right, but it could just as easily be wrong (unless there's somebody here with experience with car accidents in Quebec, in which case I defer to them).

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  169. Not that this is earth-shattering news, but one reason why Sam Gagner should be a part of this team going forward: He has shown an ability to find chemistry with all four H.O.P.E. wingers. 2 years from now, Gagner and then lesser two of those four wingers could well be a dominant second line.

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  170. ss: filing and accident report with the PD must be pretty standard across the map. Beyond that it's outta his hands anyways.

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  171. ss: filing and accident report with the PD must be pretty standard across the map.

    Well, FPB says you don't need to do it in Quebec. I don't know if he's right, but it's at least plausible that he is.

    In short, FPV, don't you frequent any Quebecois blogs? People there would probably be more helpful than here.

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  172. SS: Well you CAN file a PD report. (I'm going there tomorrow to make sure).

    Fact is the law is so unknown, i'd have good odds of not really having a good answer.

    We have a 2nd option here which allows to not involve the Police if someone admits fault.

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  173. "Always report an accident to the police if: a) anyone is injured or b) total damages to all vehicles exceed $1,000"

    https://www.belairdirect.com/english/quebec/claims/claims_loss.htm

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  174. It's been almost 5 years but I think I can admit it. Smid sucks.

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  175. //Not that this is earth-shattering news, but one reason why Sam Gagner should be a part of this team going forward: He has shown an ability to find chemistry with all four H.O.P.E. wingers. 2 years from now, Gagner and then lesser two of those four wingers could well be a dominant second line.//

    Yep...Gagner is a "round peg"! -),-). Hemsky is a...I'm ducking for cover.

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  176. @ jon k: Who gives a rip about the game? The lessons in Quebec law are far better tonite.

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  177. Danny: Looks like we'll make a trip to the PD, or not.

    That depends. My damage is just a car light so.

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  178. Fpv: if your car is under warranty, or leased, then you need a dealership repair. They start at 1000 minimum. Seriously.

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  179. Danny: 1999 Tercel.

    I'm 17 so I don't have that problem.

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  180. 2009-2010 my car was hit 4 times in less than a year. Once by a RCMP ghost car.

    Last one someone put a small crack in my bumper. Was a $4000 fix from my dealership. Insane.

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  181. LT - (over)compensating for something?

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  182. Thought I'd interrupt this accident/Habs thread with a couple thought/questions.

    Why is Kreuger swapping C's around? Didn't like the 4-0 win a couple days ago?

    It maybe to keep 91-16-23 away from tough comp, but yeesh, it makes that line porridge.

    13-85 were fresh off killing a penalty and 16-28 killed the last part of it early in the 2nd and he puts out 85-13-28 out against Kane/Toews.


    Wtf?

    Horpensky hadn't seen a shift in over 3 min and he puts tired PKer's out against Kane/Toews?

    He runs a worse bench than Renney.

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