--
Tom Renney has been critical of Sam Gagner in the past (after stating in TC he wouldn't be publicly critical of any player) so it's nice to see something positive from the coach. This season, it looks to me as though Andrew Cogliano has passed Gagner in some important areas in the estimation of coach Renney.
So when he says "what I like about Sam now is how his game is rounding out. He’s one of those guys who understands how to play with and without the puck, what transition looks like. He has his head around that” it can only be considered good news.
I remain convinced the Oilers will trade one or the other eventually, and am not convinced the organization will make the right choice. Renney's words are encouraging, though.
--
Alex Giroux made a good impression in his first Oiler game the other night, but for me the real news is the impressive number of potential callups who are on the farm. Colin McDonald, Teemu Hartikainen and Brad Moran are still down in OKC hoping for a call, and the Baron blueline has seen lots of action with the Oilers.
So far this season, callups Linus Omark, Liam Reddox, Jeff Petry, Alex Giroux, Shawn Belle, Ryan O'Marra, Taylor Chorney, Martin Gerber, Richard Petiot and Alex Plante (I think that's everyone) have helped the cause. That's a long list, and far superior to what was available to previous Oilers teams.
--
I suspect the Oilers will be wearing their ass for a hat after tonight's game. An angry Flyers team has been taking it on the chin and there's plenty of skill to take advantage of the own zone chaos the Oilers bring to every town. Likely the same for tomorrow night.
So, with that as the backdrop, anything within two goals of the Flyers tonight should be considered acceptable.
So going to rack tonight to watch the game..using the promotion from the Oilers website.
ReplyDeleteAnyone else doing the same?
Those were the thoughts I was having
ReplyDeleteFlyers getting their ass kicked + bag skate = big trouble for the Oilers.
I am watching incase somehow Smac manages to catch Pronger coming around the net with his head down and forever endears himself to Oiler faithful.
nonoblai-what that Spanish girl said when I asked...oh nevermind
hockeyguy
ReplyDeletenonoblai -not noble eye
Only thing I can figure regarding Gagner is if Renney (and come to think of it OTC) felt that he responds better to being challenged versus coddled.
ReplyDeleteI've advocated for Cogs for several years and certainly he's got more game than he did last year.
But if someone is thinking of keeping him over Gags they are smoking the drapes. I sure hope this is the pump & dump mentality. Certainly Gags would get you more on a trade, but at some point in time you have to have real hockey players on your roster.
Both fanbases would go into panic mode with an Oiler win tonight.
ReplyDeleteThat probably means it will happen.
Terry Jones tweeting that the Oilers are 3-0 since trading Penner.
ReplyDeleteArticles in the MSM about how the Oilers are 7-3 in the last 10 and the 5th hottest team in the NHL.
1 Thessalonians 5:3
"For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape."
Last time the MSM went on and on about the Oiler it was in late December.
Even Willis was hopeful. In that thread on Dec 18th I guessed that the Oilers would get 8 of 24 points in their next 12 games. Some thought I was guessing low. (hey look, DSF trolled that thread too, whodathunkit?)
They actually got 6 of 24 points, and also lost the next 3 games after that.
History is about to repeat.
The Oilers have 11 games left in March. I think they will get 5 points out of 22.
I really hope CFP doesn't break 91's arm with a slash tonight. For some reason I think he might.
Go Oilers!
*clap,cap*
I thought Colin McDonald only had a contract with OKC and not with the Oilers. Wouldn't the Oilers have to negotiate a contract with McDonald (if they have room on total number of contracts) before he became a callup option?
ReplyDeleteTuesday Morning standings
ReplyDeleteBottom 5 NHL
COL .462
FLA .462
NYI .448
EDM .409
OTT .408
Still a 2 horse race. Oil about to go into the toilet again, will be hard for COL and FLA to catch em.
Western Conference
VAN .694
DET .652
SJS .621
CHI .606
DAL .598
LAK .586
PHX .582
CAL .581
---------
ANA .568
MIN .568
NAS .568
CBJ .538
STL .508
COL .462
EDM .409
A bit of separation happening between 8th and 9th and games are running out.
I called SJS anc DAL to both not make it this year. SJS is understandable, but DAL is a surprise.
Eastern Conference
PHI .662
BOS .646
PIT .627
WAS .627
TPY .621
MTL .598
BUF .554
NYR .544
-------------
CAR .538
TOR .508
NJD .492
ATL .492
FLA .462
NYI .448
OTT .408
CAR still has a chance. TOR and NJD will probably run out of games.
BUF playing well. I like them at -105 at PIT tonight.
Renney quoted in the paper today saying they wanted to save one of the callups so they could look at Hartikanen later in the season.
ReplyDeleteNJ plays OTT tonight. NJ is going to make the playoffs.
I beleive that is the case Frelbo - He doesn't have an Oilers contract at this point he's just there as an AHL vet (without the actual status, I beleive).
ReplyDeleteOilers have been lighting it up recently, and philly's goaltending has been mediocre. Wouldn't put it past this team to take one from the Flyers tonight - they did manage to hand in there with Boston.
And if Pronger is going to break someone's arm, I'll but money on Smid or Eberle, as they're the return we got for him.
tract - all I need to see before I skip the rest of the post.
I've been thinking about the Neal/Niskanen for Goligoski trade, and I have come to the conclusion that my initial thought of Niewy getting hosed was terribly incorrect.
ReplyDeleteNiewy needs a PP QB. They are very tough to get in trade, and are often expensive.
They can be worth a lot. Zubov pretty much owned everyone when he was DAL PP QB and they haven't had one since.
PIT would deem Goli expendable since he plays behind Letang, and PIT has an excellent top 4.
Goli is currently 14th in NHL Dman in overall scoring and 15th in PP scoring, is only 25, has 1 year left after this at $1.833MM and is an RFA.
Yes, Goli was very sheltered and plays on a decent PP, but he still has worth as PP QB, and PP QB's don't grow on trees. What other PP QB is available?
So Neiwy take a chance that Goli can be better than 3rd pairing at 5v5 and gets his PP QB. He deals a very good power LW in Neal, but that is the position of strength in the organization with Benn (sometimes a C), Erickson and Ott all under contract.
Neiwy did what we want v3.0 to do. Deal from a position of strength to fill a void.
It sounds like v3.0 really wanted LAK's 1st in order to package it up and move up in the draft. There he wants to fill the void of 1C and 1D.
Maybe v3.0 is doing what we want?
Problem is that the kids he drafts this year won't really be ready to fill those roles for 4-6 years as true #1's at their positions. That of course assumes they draft well, the kids develop, and they don't get injured.
Lot of ifs, but I think I see the plan.
Time line is still too long to keep shelling out for season tickets though.
Sorry for treating this place like my own blog today LT.
Also,
Fun fact. DAL's PP is 13th in the NHL with 18.1% rate and PIT's is 17th with 17.2%. Interesting to see if DAL's improves.
Does anyone know why the NHL instituted all these terrible rule changes regarding rosters and movement during the last CBA?
ReplyDeleteA limit on callups is good for precisely no one.
NJ is going to make the playoffs.
ReplyDeleteI think its going to be really close, but they will run out of games.
Not only do they need to keep up their amazing pace, but they need BUF or NYR to start playing less then .500 hockey and I'm not sure both will happen.
"Oh my goodness 3-on-1 Strudwick left to go get a stick at the bench!"
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for another one of these this game.
@Woodguy: I think that for the rebuild it would be better to acquire a #1 center (who is already developed) through trade or UFA if it's not going to be through the draft, because if you want to get that 1D and 1C nothing guarantees that either (let alone both) will be available to you in a single draft.
ReplyDeleteSo I'm going with what I consider to be the current BPA in Landeskog.
I consider Landeskog and Nugent-Hopkins to be the most NHL-ready of the current top 5, though Couturier and Larsson have the most natural talent. I don't see RNH as having as a high of a ceiling, but maybe I'm just biased.
Plus Landeskog has that Mike Richards/Brandon Dubinsky/David Backes kind of feel to him. Skill, toughness, intensity, desire.
Woodguy, I see what you mean about the plan. It definitely does seem like thats what Tamby wants to do, but like you said there are a lot of 'ifs'. A week has passed since the Penner trade and I'm starting to see some of the reasoning behind it. I still don't like it, and its pretty obvious that guys like Penner don't come around all that often, but it is nice to see (or at least hope) that management actually does have some rhyme or reason to their actions, rather than just acting for the sake of acting. Yet again, I find I'm putting a lot of faith in MBS. But I guess if I had to pick anyone in management to have any faith in, it would have to be him.
ReplyDeleteI really hope NJ makes the playoffs, but I think they'll fall just short and end up in 9th. Just too late to start surging. But who knows, if NY or Buffalo choke, they could still make it. I don't see NJ slowing down at all, especially with Parise coming back soon (If I remember correctly)
Anyway, I'm guessing a 5-1 loss today for the Oil. 8-1 if they give Khabi the start. Just can't see an angry and riled up Philly team putting forth anything less than a completely dominating effort.
@Kabir: Or perhaps somewhere down the line the Oilers have stockpiled talent at the draft (the Eberles @ 25th overall, what a beauty), loaded up the farm with wily journeymen (the Peverleys) and veterans waiting for a playoff callup (Gerber types?) we can afford to deal from strength.
ReplyDeleteAs for Penner, don't forget that they are always available, you just have to be willing to be pay the price, or opportunistic.
The price for Penner was paid via offer sheet but we got similar value in return for him, so good trade or bad trade, it works out to neutral.
Similarly, the Oilers were willing to pay the price with Vanek, just that the opportunity was not there because Buffalo was going to match, no matter what.
@everyone: I'm calling Alberta boy Versteeg with a hat-trick tonight with assists from Hartnell.
ReplyDeleteKV also happens to be in my pool.
Omark has looked better and better as of late.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFor those who haven't checked, NJ is 20-2-2 in their last 24 games. That's just absurd. Would be prohibitive favourites if replicated over a whole season.
ReplyDelete@Amy: Another Sam Gagner vs Patrick Kane moment?
ReplyDeleteYea that is true, hopefully at one point we will have a lot of young talent which can be traded for areas of need. Once again just a lot of ifs with regards to whether or not draft picks work out as well as we hope they will.
ReplyDeleteAs for Penner, players like him are around, but teams don't usually want to give them up. Guys with size and hands who can put up points and hold their own against the opponents toughs are something that most teams would want to hold onto.
Omark has been playing better as of late but I'm still holding out hope that we'll see a Briere-esque dirty streak from him at some point. He strikes me as the kind of guy who probably has it in him, just hasn't let it boil to the surface yet.
@Saushobb: Fair enough on the Penner point. Agreed that his skillset is unique, but still think that anyone can be had at the right price.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.coppernblue.com/2009/12/7/1188964/update-on-omarks-shenanigans
Remember this about Omark?
@Woodguy: The Stars have been a different team with Jamie Benn in the lineup. Without Richards they have been ok without Benn they lost almost every game. I think Dal realized Benn was passing Neal and Morrow on LW and made one of those few win/win trades. Benn is the goods.
ReplyDeleteWG
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the Dallas/LA game last night, my opinion of the Neal trade also shifted.
I was very impressed with Gologoski's ability to control things in the offensive zone. When I watched him play in Pittsburgh, he seemed to turn the puck over, ALOT.
I guess he just needed more opportunity. That trade should be beneficial for both teams for Years.
Also, Watched the Dallas feed of the game. My Favorite part:
Dallas color guy (rheaugh?) "That's the hardest I've seen Penner play in years"
NJ is humming along with one loss per ten games. NYR and BUF are at .500 in their last 10.
ReplyDeleteNYR 14 GR 74 pts
BUF 17 GR 72 pts
NJ 17 GR 64 pts
If NYR win 8 of their last 14, they wind up with 90 pts
If BUF win 9 of their last 17, they wind up with 90 pts
NJ then would need to win 13 of their last 17, (plus an OT loss). After they beat OTT tonight, it will be 12 of their last 16.
I think they will do it. Reagrdless, Jacques Lemaire should get the coach of the year.
I consider Landeskog and Nugent-Hopkins to be the most NHL-ready of the current top 5, though Couturier and Larsson have the most natural talent. I don't see RNH as having as a high of a ceiling, but maybe I'm just biased.
ReplyDeleteHmm I'd go the other way and say Couturier is probably the most ready for the NHL (due to his size)
RNH has the most talent of the forwards and the highest ceiling but he would really benefit from another year in junior.
Woodguy,
ReplyDeleteWhile Zubov was Dallas' PP QB, he was more than just a PP QB, and certanly more valuable than a Goligoski is now.
However if Goligoski can eventually play the toughs, then that will be a pretty fair trade.
Smarmy,
ReplyDeleteAfter watching Couturier play on TV this week I would say he is nowhere near being ready to play in the NHL next season.
Ducey,
ReplyDeleteIf they make it they should put up a statue of Lemaire and give him the Jack Adams immediately.
Amy,
No 4,83,27. They Oil about to go into the abyss. I still have them finishing 30th since OTT is playing Anderson a lot. DD starts tonight, Khabby is starting vs. Caps.
rt40,
Oilers are not drafting Landeskog. They have stated they are drafting for position and that means a C and D.
Also re: Getting what you gave up for Penner, therefore neutral trade.
Cost has zero bearing on whether or not a deal is a good deal. Did you maximize value? I tell my sales staff that sometimes a 15pt sale is great and sometimes a 30pt sale is poor, it all depends on market value, not what you paid.
Sean: I love Benn too. Dallas had a ludicrous line up of LW with Neal,Benn,Erickson and Ott (although they seem to want Benn to play C)
itsaleaf,
Its all about filling need, and Niew did ok for a type of player who is rarely available and even rarer to be cheap and a RFA.
And I would agree RNH is not ready either.
ReplyDeletefroses: Bob, is that you?
Woodguy,
ReplyDeleteWith regards to the Oilers drafting for need, do you think theres a chance that they deal Hemsky at the draft (hopefully for a center prospect) and then draft Landeskog to fill a newly opened RW slot on the depth chart? I can only see this scenario happening if we drop to the 3rd pick and miss out on Couturier and Larsson, but I don't think its completely out of the realm of possiblity
I've watched the last two LAK games and Penner has definitely taken his play up a notch to impress the new employers.
ReplyDeleteI think the "he plays when he feels like it" tag will always follow this guy around. Not sure it's entirely justified as there was some subtle nuances to his game that went under-appreciated here at times. I think the reality is Neely and Messier set a high standard for the coke machines and almost everyone else fails by comparison. Not every big man wants to carry it through the defense, the goalie AND the back boards like those wild horses did.
While Zubov was Dallas' PP QB, he was more than just a PP QB, and certanly more valuable than a Goligoski is now.
ReplyDeleteHowever if Goligoski can eventually play the toughs, then that will be a pretty fair trade.
No question. Zubov was an immense talent. Like Lubo, but better.
I doubt Goli ever reaches Zubov's level, but DAL needed a PP QB and they are tough to find and expensive to acquire.
I think Niewy did ok. I though he did horribly, but in looking at the market for PP QB's (price and availability), he did ok.
I can understand if it's not clear who the BPA is, but drafting for position is not a good idea imo.
ReplyDeleteOh well.
Woodguy:
ReplyDeleteWhat other PP QB is available?
Somewhere, Sheldon Souray is climbing off an Earl's waitress and sobbing quietly to himself.
WG: Seems I was on my wife's account earlier, but to follow up on my earlier point on the standings, I think you might be getting a bit of tunnel vision onto the Oilers to disregard the woefulness of the other teams in proximity. But since you mentioned the Oilers' lots players, let me supplement my comment about the standings with a brief look at the teams:
ReplyDeleteOilers (last ten: 7-3-0): lacking Whitney, Hemsky, Hall and Penner, but youth and goaltending playing well recently.
Senators (5-4-1): lacking Alfredsson, top players Gonchar and Spezza woefully ineffective/injured all season. This team is making us look like an offensive powerhouse currently.
Avalanche (1-7-2): other than Fleischmann, relatively healthy but completely unable to play defence or goaltend. Have been the worst team in the league since the All-Star break.
Panthers (2-6-2): a decent team defensively and in net, but very little offence to speak of (again, even behind EDM). Moved part of their team at the deadline and are slumping right now.
Much like NJ charging for the playoffs at an unbelievable rate, Colorado in particular seems to be charging for 30th with an epic slide. I think FLA's good D can probably keep them ahead of us, but Ottawa can't score enough goals to beat anyone. In other words, I'm hoping for 30th, but increasingly I see 28th as the most likely.
Remember, for as bad as the Oilers are, there are other teams playing worse hockey right now.
Lee: I haven't watched entire games, but I've checked in on the Kings as well. Penner seems to be doing pretty well, but I wouldn't say it has been spectacular. Part of the blame probably has to go to coaching, though. Putting Smyth and Penner on the same PP unit looks very redundant since Penner doesn't have as much freedom in front of the net.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, LA continues to lose, so there's always that unrelated statistic to consider...
Cactus,
ReplyDeleteI am willing to wager on the final NHL standings.
I say Oilers finish 29th or 30th after the 82nd game and before the lottery.
What is your take?
Saushobb,
I think there is a good chance Hesmky gets dealt, but they are after a C and a D, I really doubt they take Landeskog.
Woodguy: considering the Oilers already are in 29th and have a good chance statistically to end up 29th or 30th (compared to 27th or 28th), that would be a pretty poor deal for me to take. Moreover, my predictions are based upon the Oil not trying to tank by playing Khabby 60-75% of the time.
ReplyDeleteBut if you want a gentleman's agreement on 30th vs. 28th (with 29th as a tie), I'll happily take that.
Woodguy: considering the Oilers already are in 29th and have a good chance statistically to end up 29th or 30th (compared to 27th or 28th), that would be a pretty poor deal for me to take.
ReplyDeleteThat's why God invented odds.
But if you want a gentleman's agreement on 30th vs. 28th (with 29th as a tie), I'll happily take that.
Sure.
Stakes?
spOIL: I'm inclined to agree, but I don't think that one game was very representative of Couturier's overall talent. However, I do think it was a stark example of the kid at his worst.
ReplyDeleteVoltigeurs got their show run by Patrick Roy's thugs and Couturier's attitude reflected as much. He was flat-footed and disengaged for much of the game, even in the heat of the action. I think it was the Ramparts 4th goal where 3 Drummondville players were backchecking hard to catch the opposing rush, meanwhile Couturier was gliding into the d-zone standing upright with a dead stick. That isn't the Penner Effect, it's just lazy.
If that's Couturier on a struggling team (even for a night), I'll take Landeskog every time.
Unless Larsson is available.
As per Oiler press release:
ReplyDeleteGeneral Manager Steve Tambellini announced today the Edmonton Oilers have agreed to terms with free agent defenceman Taylor Fedun on a two-year contract.
Fedun, 22, just completed his fourth year with the Princeton Tigers of the ECAC, and has 22 points (10G,12A) in 29 games. The captain of the Tigers has appeared in 127 games during his tenure at Princeton scoring 20 goals and adding 48 assists for 68 points. He is also +41 and has accumulated 154 penalty minutes.
The 6’1”, 210-pound blueliner came to Princeton to major in Mechanical Engineering after spending a couple seasons in the Alberta Junior Hockey League where he served as an assistant captain with the Spruce Grove Saints and was named to the All-Star Team as well as the Saints’ most valuable player.
Fedun is part of the Princeton Class of 2011, which graduates as the winningest class in program history with 72 wins over the last four years. He will report to the Oilers AHL affiliate, the Oklahoma City Barons.
Good to see the organization digging the corners to find diamonds.
ReplyDeleteGood Luck Taylor!
This team doesn't have enough Taylors.
What do you think it would take to get into the top 5? We have the 16th - 30th pick depending on where LA finishes, right? I'd throw in next year's 2nd round pick considering we know for sure this year our 2nd is almost a 1st round pick.
ReplyDeleteL.A.'s 1st in 2011 + EDM's 2nd in 2012 + young roster player (Gagner or Cogliano?)
for
a top 5 1st round pick + veteran defensive forward or mid-level prospect
WG,
ReplyDeleteI wager 4 quatloos that the Oilers finish second last.
---
I know it would hurt us big, but in my heart of hearts, the part of me that cares about what is just and right (my appendix?), I want the Oilers to go on a %'s fueled winning streak, then have someone win the lottery and slip ahead in the draft order, so they draft 6th.
Losers shouldn't win. And Lowebellini are trying to lose intentionally; they're being losers intentionally, and they shouldn't be rewarded.
The moral arc of the NHL is long, but it bends towards justice, and I pray (not really) for the day that justice arrives in Edmonton.
"Oh, mine eyes have seen the Glory of the firing of the old boys
The fans are trampling out the media where the liars are employed
They have loosed the fateful lightning of their wallets and their voice
The truth is marching on"
(Maybe the bad team-civil rights analogy is a bit offensive. But I like my rendition of the Battle Hymn: one of the coolest songs of all time.)
Taylor Fedun, decent statsline. Do you think he projects better than the last college Taylor on D? Chorney is a PP monster but he's an injury risk and suspect at EVs.
ReplyDeleteThat's by observation, though I suspect the numbers back this up.
I see Fedun's the former captain of the Tigers, though. Can never have too many of those on your farm.
WG: I'll do Kris one better than his 4 quatloos and pledge a declaration here on your superior prognostication abilities should I lose (that is, unless trying to complete a Ph.D. suddenly becomes a lucrative occupation in the short run).
ReplyDeleteInteresting that Fedun is being sent to Oklahoma since he's not on the Clear Day Roster.
ReplyDeleteCactus,
ReplyDeleteWhat's the PhD in?
There are too many lawyers here. We need more PhD's.
@Ribs: Don't different rules apply to people signed after a certain date?
ReplyDeleteIf Edmonton doesn't finish 29th or 30th I blame the idiot that is jinxing us by making guarantees.
ReplyDeleteJezus man.
raven - Heck if I know. Sounds confusing.
ReplyDeleteA math and a Mech.E Ph.D regularly reads this blog (and I'm one of them). I think we both agree the Oilers will likely get thumped tonight.
ReplyDelete@ribs
ReplyDeleteI have seen this cconcern a few times concerning free agents. Any PTO or free agent signings (which would include lander or any junior players once their season ends) do NOT have to be on the barons clear day roster. Neal on c&b explains the rules.
"All the way down to pick No. 13, there were six quality offensive players," Button says. "In this era of defensive players and defensive games, that's what made this the most attractive draft since 1990."
ReplyDeleteTalking about the 1999 Draft.
Too bad it didn't work out that way.
This quote makes me question Craig's scouting list.
Ah, thanks Kristopher. I suppose that does make sense. I was thinking that his teams season would still be going for some reason but I see that they're done now.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of the 1999 draft, I would sign Tore Vikingstad if St. Louis no longer holds his rights.
ReplyDeleteEvery international event he is among the more noticeable players of his fiesty Norwegian team.
Interview with MBS up at the Oilers site. Link
ReplyDeleteI think 41's an afterthought at this point just because we have so many other kids to break in like 49-58 and Tuebert and Plante and there's way too much uncertainty in his game to waste any amount of time on him.
ReplyDeleteBTW, the 27 deal isn't bad IF the puppet can take the Kings first and another of our players and turn it into a pick that becomes a Skinner or Eberle type and one that produces in the timeframe of the former rather than the latter.
But what was done was to push things back and once again not make a direct deal which is something that Dal and Pit did though the Pit side of that thing is far from known.
The Oilers were at +310 today when I did a three way reg parlay with them and the Preds and Dys. I'm not saying the Oilers are gonna win but I can't pass them up at a number like that against a team that's struggling.
in fact I think that is the exact same odd the night the Oilers shut out the Sharks in SJ.
After his freshman year...
ReplyDeletePrinceton head coach Guy Gadowsky on what makes Fedun special: "He is a very intelligent guy with the puck, and you don't usually find those gifted, talented offensive players mixed deceptively with a tough, tough guy to play against when he doesn't have the puck."
Attended Canuck Prospect camp last year, raised his scoring to 10 G in 29 Games in his senior year. Sounds like a character kid with a good resume. One of those low risk little signings that could pay off nicely.
Raventalon40, although he has a kick ass name in Tore Vikingstad, that can't be easily shortened to something inane like Vike-ey or Vikes, the dude is 35 years old.
ReplyDeleteStrikes me as the Jiri Dopita type, and I think he's past his best before date. Still, I'd love to hear the play by play with sprinklings of Vikingstad hard on the puck, and some bad puns about plundering or raiding tossed in.
Courtesy of Wheatking at HF:
ReplyDeleteAccoring to Fedun's coach...
- As intelligent as they come. He's in engineering. Building a hover craft for his senior project.
- Will report to OKC
- One of the top Dmen in the league
- Near the top of the league in goals from a Dman
- Leads league in blocked shots
- Unanimous choice for team captain
- Battles for pucks like he's 260 pounds
- 97 or 98mph shot
- Great puck mover
- "Terrible player" to play against
-------
At minimum he looks like he could be a decent AHL defenceman.
Ryan Strome is probably this draft's Skinner.
ReplyDeleteNow the Oilers need to offer a contract to Darien Dzuirzynski. He's got a lot of interesting power forward tools that may pan out with a few years in the AHL.
OMGOMGOMG
ReplyDeleteDid we upgrade to v.4.0?!
kulikqzx - the name of the alien who has replaced Steve Tambelinni
@R: Which would make him a cheap veteran signing who would be a good stopgap for a couple of years. :P
ReplyDelete@Swarmy Boss: I also like Darien. Also interesting is Carolina prospect Drayson Bowman's younger brother, Collin Bowman. He's an undrafted defenseman in the WHL with 42 points so far.
Whatever Fedun is or isn't, it means the oil at least have some eyes out there scouting, and looking at something other than draft pedigree, obviously.
ReplyDeleteHas to be considered a positive sign for the org.
Dopita once bought a bottle of port at the liquor store I was working at during University. Maybe he was celebrating because he'd finally scored a goal after sucking all year.
ReplyDeleteIt was a beauty goal though, so I congratulated him on it at the til after reading the name on his credit card.
He just looked instantly really sheepish and said in an awesome accent, "Faarst Juan."
Jordan,
ReplyDeleteHe's not v4.0 until Hemsky is re-signed or traded.
Cactus,
How about this:
Upon request one must reply in a thread that : "Woodguy/Cactus is a superior hockey prognosticator to myself. I bow in his presence."
Max requests once per thread until the Dec 31/11.
Sound good?
Kris,
I like the song. Well done.
There are too many lawyers here. We need more PhD's.
ReplyDelete+1 if you are counting - we may just outnumber the Lawyers...
We need to ban all the lawyers and doctors.
ReplyDeleteblue collar team for blue collar fans. :smug:
Another PhD here.
ReplyDeletePhD vs Lawyer shinny game to follow.
Not that anyone is likely to care, but I used to post under the name "dubya"
PhD/JD. I guess I get to pick my team.
ReplyDeleteAlso good to know I piss off Smarmy middle management from two angles.
ReplyDeleteWG: good stakes, let's go with that till Dec or a bet in the next season when we can speculate on how great the tragedy will be then.
ReplyDeleteKris: the PhD is in political science... so if this current rebuild fails I'll be able to bring some expertise in analyzing the double-talk and excuse-making!
Dennis: taking the Oil (especially with those odds) tonight isn't too bad a wager. They may get killed like the numbers say the should, but I have a friend who watches most Flyers games and he can't stop complaining that they just don't seem to care much right now (yes, I know that falls squarely in the "saw them bad" category, but the mounting loses do support it).
Gogliano,
ReplyDeleteYou can find a lawyer on any street corner - you know which team you want.
Cactus: at those odds I can't stay away.
ReplyDeleteThe most I would probably put on it would be 25 bucks if I had a couple of hundred in my account but I made withdrawal a couple of weeks ago so now I'm trying to get it back.
Personally, even if the Oilers weren't playing the Flyers, I would wait until Philly flexed their muscles before I bet on them again. The Dys were sputtering and I was waiting for them to play a good game before I jumped.
They got shut out by the Preds on Thurs night but could have easily won so I jumped on them on Sat and Sun. You don't win a lot of bets by betting against losing streaks or winning streaks.
On that note, I looked at the lines today and there were a couple of 5's in there for the over/under totals.
has scoring gone down that much since xmas? I can see a line of 5 for all Devils games but the one in Bos seems odd. I was texting with my buddy today before I saw the lines and I said take the under in Bos because there were 14 combined goals the last meeting and then I check out Bowman's and the line's down to the even number.
You can usually tell the PhD's by whether they have that empty, dead look in the their eyes. "My advisors took my soul and the best years of my life."
ReplyDeleteI take it Bruce is, too, or at least some kind of scientist.
But I still think we're outnumbered by the law-dogs fairly heavily: Tyler, Jon K, "Steve Smith", goldenchild, and many more.
A game of egghead shinny is a good idea.
+1 PhD, Princeton. Very pleased to see Fedun's an Oiler wannabe.
ReplyDeleteDellow's a very good hockey player, I'll take the lawyers.
ReplyDeleteJust a humble B.A. here, no wonder the turns of logic here astound me so much.
And one more lawyer.
ReplyDeletewhere are the comments on Temmu H by Renney? was it in print or did Renney reference it during a pregame spot?
ReplyDeleteBoy, you guys make me feel *preto* stupid with my humble NAIT diploma.
ReplyDeleteGood thing my minions have stacks of fancy paper.
Dennis - It's in one of the practice videos on the Oilers site from yesterday.
ReplyDeleteIts one of those situations where it's an emergency recall if we lose anyone. We don't want to burn any callups if we can help it. We'd like to see some young people. Like your Hartikainens, for example.
I sort of like that after my post the topic started turning towards degenerate gamblers. :)
ReplyDeleteI find this facinating, the number of PHD's that post here is astounding,why Lowetide hasnt littered this place with ads for german cars and tweed blazers is beyond me. So we have a running count on Lawyers and PHD's, how many fellow MBA's are there? I would imagine we could line up a full roster.
ReplyDeleteDennis save your money for the tourney, put it on a Georgetown first rd exit!
Whatever Fedun is or isn't, it means the oil at least have some eyes out there scouting, and looking at something other than draft pedigree, obviously.
ReplyDeleteHas to be considered a positive sign for the org.
Alice,
Amateur scouting is a strength of the org.
Pro scouting stinks like a fish sandwich left in a desk over the August long weekend.
Morey Gare needs his work reviewed by his boss.
BD,
I'll start the group of humble undergrads with you (B.Comm UofEh)
Hell, we'll even let in the NAIT guys!
Dennis,
+310? Wow. That line might be close to the truth. Oiler D will get exposed hard tonight I think.
Boy, you guys make me feel *preto* stupid with my humble NAIT diploma.
ReplyDeleteGood thing my minions have stacks of fancy paper.
Holi,
One of the richest guys I know is an electrician who started a home building company.
One time he said to me "I like hiring university grads. They usually have have so much debt they really need the job"
this infrequent poster has a BSc in Computing Science from the U of A
ReplyDeleteLawyer.
ReplyDeleteIts actually kind of heartening that there are some well educated (read: older) people around here.
On some other sites I get the impression I'm walking down a hallway in virtual junior high school.*
* apologies to those of you like Tractor who are in grade 9
I'll be the first piece of evidence tendered in support of the proposition that education does not equate with maturity.
ReplyDeleteconafo
Hockey game gents?
ReplyDeleteThey never call holding the stick anymore...should have been at least coincidental calls on the Omark play, then someone holds up Eberle.
Call the real damn penalties and not this weak hooking crap.
rt40:
ReplyDeletePlayers signed after completing their major-junior careers and sign contracts are exempt from clear-day rules and regulations. I'd assume that also flies for college seniors.
No way Johan Motin or Jordan Bendfeld see OKC ice again this year.
MPS a bit lost behind his net.
ReplyDeleteInglore: what basterds do.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAnother lawyer here.
ReplyDeleteNice to hear Rod's voice again!
Um...who gets the blame on that one?
ReplyDeleteAnyone have a good feed? Atdhe's giving me a black screen
ReplyDeleteChem Eng student here...
ReplyDeleteDid Vandermeer and Plante just completely forget that Briere was behind them? Oilers look downright awful to start this one
Alex Plante is not a finished product.
ReplyDeleteGet Petry back here RFN.
Ducey: now I understand why you defend the Oilers brass.
ReplyDeleteit is in your professional nature to believe and defend people even when you know they're wrong;)
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ReplyDeleteif it was a recorded stat the Oilers must lead the league in letting guys get behind their D.
ReplyDeleteThe same thing happened in Col and lead to an early Oilers penalty.
and dear jesus does 48 look slow. he makes cory cross look like Cogliano.
great job on that Smyth draft and follow up drafting:)
the Flyers are Globetrottering the Oilers.
ReplyDeleteLadislav Smid dirty hit.
ReplyDeleteIt's not what you'd normally think folks.
You don't mind the odd penalty from 5 because he brings so much offense.
ReplyDelete/waits for someone to defend the Pronger trade;)
Globetrottering is by far the most appropriate way to describe this. This is looking like it could easily end up being one of those "outshot 50-10" games
ReplyDeleteI have the chances at 0-12 and I'm also lobbying the league to suspend 48 just "in case" he goons someone.
ReplyDeletethat kid's so bad he makes one long for the glory days of Taylor Chorney.
Downright Fierce...
ReplyDeleteRe: Couturier v. Remparts
Yeah, I probably saw him bad.
The 4th goal was a travesty. His LWer, who was out back checking him all game, picked up the scorer, who was SC's man, on the RW side of the low slot while SC sat near the blue line with his back against the RW wall, checking absolutely no one. In fact, he wasn't coming back below the hash marks, when he did back check, all game long.
I quit watching halfway through the 3rd and at that point had him with more giveaways than completed passes. I was not impressed with his vision as he made a couple of passes to open ice. Mentally, I had him about 3 for 15 on the dot at EVs. Absolutely horrible on FOs.
His skating... he has decent top speed with a very long stride. It's funny you called him flatfooted cause I said to my buddy he looks like he has weak ankles or small joints or something. He sure seems to have a high centre of gravity with them chicken legs, but compensates with a very wide bowed-in stance when in balance mode. That all might be good if it indicates being in, or just after, a growth spurt, dunno. And it is important to remember he's still only 17.
He has unbelievable reach, and protects the puck well. He doesn't mind play along the boards, but scarcely ever won a puck battle.
He doesn't play the half wall on the PP, but does like to hold the puck behind the net in Gretzky's office.
...I didn't think the Remparts won through intimidation so much as they used their better team speed to out-work and out-hustle the Volts. In a key game for their standings, I had expected more gumption from SC.
I don't know if LT has had a chance to watch the game yet, but I hope he posts his thoughts when he does.
spOIler: Yeah, I saw the game. Couturier has size but I only saw him really use it a couple of times (down low along the wall, effectively). He made a real nice play on the first Drumm goal (a quick little stick lift) but I felt he was a day late and a dollar short on almost every play.
ReplyDeleteHe looked like Doug Wickenheiser.
+1 Ph.D. Physics, dual B.Sc. in Physics and Computer Science.
ReplyDeleteOilers were outclassed that period, I don't think that should come as any kind of news.
ReplyDeleteI thought Dubnyk showed well, with a couple of juicy rebounds and not finding the puck quickly at his feet a couple of times being the only real negatives.
Reddox made a really nice play late in the 5MIN kill and Colin Fraser did an excellent job in what looked like a vicious high stick.
Getting in late, and looking for an online feed of the game. Anyone have a link?
ReplyDelete4th yr ChemE at the U but thinking about a math degree in the near future
ReplyDeleteI was really hoping the Oilers would fare a bit better in that period but not at all surprised at how it turned out. I'm actually quite pleased that they only allowed one goal on that PK. Props to Dubnyk for not letting this one get out of hand (just yet)
I'll be the first piece of evidence tendered in support of the proposition that education does not equate with maturity.
ReplyDeleteI was equating education with age.
Age does not equal maturity, unfortunately.
Does Re-Khab look drunk?
ReplyDeleteAnother lawyer here.
ReplyDeleteAaaaaand Philly scores again. Whee.
Horc had a nice look at that one.
ReplyDeleteJFJs got a new pair of hands!
ReplyDeleteJacques to the PP.
ReplyDeleteReddox' motor doesn't quit
ReplyDeleteLT,
ReplyDeleteI know. It was very disappointing. And I dunno what the hell the Oil are gonna do at the draft.
It's like the Hockey Gods have decided there shall be no elite C while the Oil draft at the top end.
Anyone else wishing we had pried Anderson out of Colorado?
ReplyDeleteHas Gagner ever PK'd as much as we've seen him tonight? He's making a decent enough pairing with Horcoff, but then again so did Eberle earlier this year.
ReplyDeleteUnder the present Soviet 5 Year Plan, Anderson makes no sense.
ReplyDeleteReeph: Greek for Doobie Dubnyk
spOIler: I think it'll be between the Swedish D and the big Q center. I bet they take Larsson.
ReplyDeleteA bit of separation happening between 8th and 9th and games are running out.
ReplyDeleteTwo points is separation?
Also, since we're measuring, two B.Sc.s (Electronics Engineering Technology and my forthcoming one in Biomechanics), entering my Master's (Biomedical Engineering) in September.
shodse - Sounds like the effort the Oilers put forward in the first.
Gogliano: goaltending is NOT the problem tonight.
ReplyDeleteWatching Richards and Carter gives me hope for the eventual maturation of Hall and Eberle.
ReplyDeleteAnd Tom Renney is definitely the right coach for this team. Someway, somehow, he's developing Cogliano into reasonable trade bait. No mean feat that.
Who's 22 in white? Did Penner and Jacques pull a fast one on the Kings?
ReplyDeletegreat shift by the scrubs. there is some life.
ReplyDeleteI read Anderson was offered 2/7.5 by the Avs this summer and he balked and now there's talks the sens will offer 2/8
ReplyDeleteDennis: really? I don't like that number at all. Especially on a team with so much money tied down in dead weight (Spezza, Gonchar, etc).
ReplyDeleteLee: If Cogliano could actually learn to win a faceoff I'd prefer to keep him as our 3rd line C... I think he's got a future there if he can fix that problem. Does anyone know if NHL players are ever able to show remarkable improvement in FO% over their careers?
DG: Yeah, he's been part of the PK unit in the past.
ReplyDeleteThe Oilers have been running good on the PK for a long time now - it's actually true - and it's mostly on the backs of the 13/85 and 16/85 duo though 10 filled in for those games where 16 was a HS.
For a long time I've stumped for three PK pairs because it allows all hands to go at full speed with the extra wind afforded them and the other day i was reading about Gillis and the different things he's tried with the Dys.
One was talking to the players and taking suggestions and the first thing Burrows said to him was to suggest to the coach that they go to three PK pairs because it gives everyone that much more energy.
I had the chances at 5-1 for that period and Philly's falling back and I dare say they would be squirming if the Oilers had scored a late one.
Here's a link for "Steve Smith"
ReplyDeletehttp://bit.ly/hpLPNC
It's in regards to this conversation we had back in October:
I've been drinking, and you're annoying, so here's your chance: I say the Oilers get fewer than eighty-five points this year. If I'm right, you donate five bucks to the charity of my choice. If I'm wrong, it goes the other way.* If you want to conceive of a non-financial bet, I'm fine with that too.
*"The other way" being that I donate five bucks to the charity of your choice, not that the charity of my choice donates five bucks to you.
Cactus, I prefer Horcoff in the 3rd center role with the winner of the Gagner v Cogliano battle in the 2nd center slot. I think we need some size down the middle so I'm hoping they address 1C through the draft and free agency. Although the prospect of Paajarvi at center does sound interesting. Guys like Modano, Messier and Kesler have shown that a speed burner can do well at center and the kid seems to have the defensive smarts that the job requires.
ReplyDeleteShould read draft OR free agency...
ReplyDeleteYou can keep 13 around as the 4th line pivot just as long as it's proven he's a really good PKer, he doesn't want too much money AND we've got a bonafide faceoff winner in the 3rd hole.
ReplyDeleteLee: if Gagner continues to develop, I think there's a chance for him to be a quality #2 centre on a scoring line. Until we get a real #1 centre with size however, he and Horcoff will have to continue to fill the 1st and 2nd C spots, putting Cogliano at 3. Obviously, if they get Couturier and he develops positively things would change. Likewise, if Cogliano can't learn to win a faceoff he's much less valuable as a 3 C and either must be traded or moved to the wing.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with Gagner I think is that Oil fans are hoping for Martin St. Louis and more likely we'll end up with Andy MacDonald. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Andy MacDonald's mommy loves him very much.
ReplyDeleteUDennis - interesting stuff about the PK, wonder if the improvement and Reddox' role in it means he has a spot for next year. His exclusion from the AHL playoff club seems to point to me that they think he has made the jump. Maybe Renney has told Tambo he wants him around in future.
ReplyDeleteIf so good for the little guy. He works his bag off.
Ducey: Admittedly, but I interpreted your criticism aimed at junior high students and Traktor implied that you were enjoying the Lowetide blog maturity that comes with age.
ReplyDeleteGood to see Kane got a shitty tattoo to commemorate his stanley cup winner.
ReplyDeleteI would wager that Reddox was excluded from the clear day roster because he has to clear waivers.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it is close between Gagner and Cogliano. Gagner is clearly the better player and two years younger.
Maybe Sam ends up like Dave Gagner, not too bad really. 50 to 60 points a year, a solid top nine guy. Like Andy MacDonald who centred a good line the year the Ducks won the Cup.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNot sure if I noticed it before or not but 77's getting a little bit of Eric Brewer disease where he takes too long to make a decision and backtracks and gets the team in trouble.
ReplyDeleteThe Flyers just had two chances because 77 wouldn't flip the puck at start over; a move which Niinimaa had down pat.
Anyone else want to name some Dmen from the old days when the Oilers used to make the playoffs?
Pat: I think 28-13-85 would be a fine 4th line; especially if all three are driving positive PK results.
Godot, quality is not always job 1 when it comes to personnel decisions with the Oil. Hence, JFJ still having a job. Horc has to stay cos of the contract so Cogs may stay and Gagner may go either because he commands more in a trade or because of cap issues. When I think of the future core and the cap issues they'll create (Hall, Ebs, MPS, Whitney, Larsson? Roy), Gagner could definitely wind up being the bubble boy.
ReplyDeleteBD, does MacDonald work as your 2nd line center without a bull like Getzlaf manning the top line? Not to mention that team was pretty deep upfront (Getzlaf, Perry, Selanne, Kunitz, Penner, etc.) He doesn't seem to have helped St Loo much.
ReplyDeleteZdeno Chara: A big bad of human garbage.
ReplyDeleteNice dirty hit, not enough the fucker is 6''9 he got to use the fucking pole to kill a guy. Dirtbag.
Jeff Beukeboom. Craig Muni. Geoff Smith. Randy Gregg. Past the obvious ones (Coffey, Lowe, Huddy, etc.), we had a ton of effective d-men back in the day.
ReplyDelete91 is so aware and steady defensively that even though he's a rookie I was still disappointed when he made the panic pass that just preceded the first Philly goal.
ReplyDeleteBut he's been making great defensive plays all that night and that lost one was icing considering the ground he made up to make the play.
He's so aware and fast and has such a great stick that it will be a big fail if the Oilers aren't using him on the PK starting next season. He's a natural fit and should be able to break up all kinds of plays and create a bunch of odd man rushes.
Well, we forced the best team in the East to call a timeout... that's sort of a moral victory, right?
ReplyDeleteAdd another one for Team Lawyer. We are legion.
ReplyDeleteOttawa is gonna beat the Devils huzzah!
ReplyDeleteAnd I think Gags has had a gooder tonight. Good to see.
all jokes aside, 22 is having a fine game.
ReplyDeleteDennis,
ReplyDeleteI think Pääjarvi is a natch on the PP. But then I thought the same about Hemsky 4 years ago and we all know how that turned out.
Geez, the Oilers should have been physically hammering these flu-ridden Flyers. Disappointing.
Wow.Boboroski's never met a rebound he didn't like.
Spoiler: I was gonna say the same thing about the Flyers goalie.
ReplyDeleteThere was a play where 89 threw the puck on goal from the right wing on a sharp angle and the russian kicked it out into the slot perfectly and there were a bunch of others he muffed as well.
I think Jones is OK. But I really think Reddox is way better. If you had to choose I would keep Reddox.
ReplyDeleteI also don't think Philly's goalie will win for best rookie. His team is too good in front of him.
Nice no look pass Gilbert.
Chara is my new favorite player
ReplyDeletejjwiens: So what? His save% is still amazing for a rookie.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mc79hockey.com/?p=3603
ReplyDeleteLee - well he's had injury problems with the Blues and yeah the Ducks were deep but he centred their de facto #1 line, Getzlaf and Perry were still being sheltered and Carlyle busted Penner down to the fourth line a few times.
ReplyDeleteAre there better players? Sure. Same as there are better players than Sam. And you need some size up the middle too.
But right now Sam is a top nine player and along with Horc he is the only centre that fits there. I think he stays - they have tons of cap room and their depth at C is abysmal.
Dennis- that works for me as a fourth line esp. as all three can move up as well, at least briefly. ST likes size though and two of the guys are small and Jones isn't exactly rough and tumble
who did chara goon?
ReplyDeleteI wish we could mail Chara back to the 1970s as a Bruin. Man, that would be sweet.
ReplyDeleteBrobovsky, Leighton? Will the Flyers ever learn?
ReplyDeleteBin losing the goaler battle since Hexy.
Couldn't Homer have payed up for Roli or even better - Anderson?
BD, I fully agree with you that Samwise is here for the next couple of years at least. Looking into the crystal ball though, I see guys like Lander really pushing him and I don't know that Gags has the two way game to fend off that challenge. I'd love to see him step up his game to become an 80 pt guy that leaves no doubt but he's currently stuck on this treadmill of 1 game good, two games invisible and it's been that way for a while.
ReplyDeletePacioretty got hit, haven't seen it yet but apparently it was pretty brutal. I guess he was knocked unconscious and taken to hospital. Hopefully he is ok but it sure doesn't sound good at the moment
ReplyDeleteLT: So some canadian goon could mail him back?
ReplyDeleteDennis: Pacioretty. He blatently hit him without the puck where the pole for the glass begins.
At his size that's one cowardly act.
Theres a vid of the hit here http://www.twitvid.com/WW2FD
ReplyDeleteKinda makes my stomach hurt just watching it... Hopefully Pacioretty is alright but I can't help but imagine he won't be back this season after that
McKenzie tweet...
ReplyDeleteMTL's Max Pacioretty is moving all extremities, conscious and talking in hospital
Yikes. Almost decapitated.
Chara basically just rubbed the guy out and had the misfortune of the stanchion(sp?) being there.
ReplyDeleteJust saw the play. I know this will sound pretty empty (and btw Pacioretty is a terrific young player so here's hoping he's okay) but that was at least a hockey play.
ReplyDeleteCertainly a penalty and Chara held him and forced him wide, but I don't know that we can know Chara had malice in him.
Yea, it was a clean enough hit. I think it's one of those respect deals where you don't cream a guy into those things.
ReplyDeleteI doubt Chara realised that it was there and that he was going to make that much impact on Pacioretty.
LT: Yeah but he had a choice. He definitly didn't play the puck, and I'm pretty sure he's well aware where that pole is.
ReplyDeleteEhhhh I don't know if I believe that Chara did that by accident. I seem to remember a game back in January where Pacioretty scored the OT winner and Chara went after him because Pacioretty shoved him or something after the goal. Chara seemed rather upset at the time. Plus Pacioretty laid out a Bruins player earlier in tonight's game. In short, there's a possible motive there...not that it's anything more than speculative, though.
ReplyDeleteWell whatever happens, we can be sure ''Colie'' will make a decision that has no sense whatsoever.
ReplyDeleteI suggest no suspension since it would hurt his son's team.
For the statsheads, Scott Cullen of TSN's report on the recent MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference.
ReplyDeleteThat hit reminds me of the one Smytty took a couple of years ago.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Chara could do that if he tried. You have to know that the guy is going around you and the exact right timing to run him into the stancheon, instead of the glass or the boards.
ReplyDeleteYou could run a guy into the stancheon intentionally, if you were skating with him for a second or two from behind and you saw the stancheon coming. But even that is hard.
That fucking Mongoloid Chara knew the pole was there, what a crock of shit. Plus those two have a history after Pacioretty gave him a little wack after scoring the game winner against them a few months back.
ReplyDeleteBruins got played off the rink tonight, Ryan White kicked Boychuk's ass, they're down 4-0, so they resort to that bullshit. They've got no Plan B. See: Philly series last year. Julien is a mindless robot.
P.S. - I can't be arsed to look, but whichever one of you said Chara is your new favorite player...pretty fucking classless. Pacioretty didn't move a muscle for 10 mnutes and was stretchered off.
I love how the Goldwater institute is sticking it to Bettman and the NHL.
ReplyDeleteJust finished watching the game on PVR.
ReplyDeleteIf v3.0 ever assembles a Dcorps the Oilers will be something, but until then.
48 isn't NHL ready, not sure if he will ever be.
26 isn't NHL ready either.
I wish we could mail Chara back to the 1970s as a Bruin. Man, that would be sweet.
MTL would have at least 1 less cup, there would be statues of him all over Massachusetts and Southie Mothers would tell their kids to eat their vegetables if they want to grow up and be like Chara.
Chara was finishing his check. Its the NHL's responsibility to make sure that something like that can't happen with a check. Not sure how you do it, but the kid could have been killed.
Hockey is fast game played by big men.
A bit of separation happening between 8th and 9th and games are running out.
Two points is separation?
Points are for peasants until everyone has played the same amount of games.
The pts% in the West for teams 6-9 were identical about a week ago. Now that there is .013 spread its an infinite increase. :)
+1 and another for the PhD camp.
ReplyDeleteAnyone in the MSM who thinks this blog is full of kids in their basement is seriously deluded - and outgunned - more analytical/legal juice here than the Oilers could ever dream of having in-house and you really wonder why the Katz doesn't tap this place for some ideas occasionally.
Chara was finishing his check. Its the NHL's responsibility to make sure that something like that can't happen with a check. Not sure how you do it, but the kid could have been killed.
ReplyDeleteI am speaking in terms of the structures around the rink, not the play.
Horcoff was gold tonight.
ReplyDeleteGood thing we have him locked up for another 4 years.
@Lowetide & FPB:
ReplyDeleteYou look at the whole play, Chara was getting smoked by Pacio and decided he had to interfere, or else Pacioretty was in all alone with Gomez and/or Gionta, against Rask who couldn't stop a puck to save his life. They were loosing 4-0, in the dying seconds of the second frame, getting desperate and frustrated.
Pacioretty blowing by at full throttle is fucking fast. I mean, I honestly beleive him to be faster than MPS. So Chara did what he had to: he took the interference call and made sure Pacio would stop.
My call is it's a hockey play and not worth a suspension. Chara ain't Pronger.
But... Colin Campbell in the press box, Campbell Jr on the goon line on the ice (wonder why Seguin can't score? He plays with Campbell and Thornton)...
If Campbell makes what is, IMHO, the right call, he doesn't give a suspension. But then the slow-mo replay keeps rolling in TO and MTL and the league takes a big hit in a sensitive place.
If he doesn't make the right call and suspend Chara, Boston gets the shaft for a few games.
Wonder what's next...
Yeah, that bugs me about the MSM, too. Brownlee et al. say their opinion is expert and just more reliable than anything on blogs.
ReplyDeleteBut you have life long hockey fans, life long hockey players, trained and experienced coaches, guys like Dennis who watch literally every game with careful analytic detail, scientists, engineers, mathematicians, social scientists, lawyers, and respected entrepeneurs all writing on blogs.
But all of them have an opinion that counts less than Brownlee and Gregor's. All of them have eyes that see less about the game than the eyes of a trained sports "journalist." (What do they learn in this training?) All of them are eating Cheetos and blogging about the Oilers while playing Dungeons and Dragons.
Moose,
ReplyDeleteDidn't see the hit, Didn't know the guy was hurt, just responding to the initial comment.
Just saw it. IMO Chara new what he was doing, but didn't expect the guy to jump into the air to get around him, which increased the head to pole contact.
Too bad - one of the few Habs I actually pull for.
That pole likely needs a slope to it to reduce the angle of contact.
Oilers put up another 38% on the faceoff dots. Awesome.
ReplyDeleteOh, and the Sens and Ilses win tonight! Hoorah! Colorado did lose though.
ReplyDelete48 actually came out ahead at EVs on the Dennis metric.
ReplyDeleteJust sayin.
Dellow's a very good hockey player, I'll take the lawyers.
ReplyDeleteSure, but it Steve Smith's playing, the eggheads have a free goal.
Heyoooo
ReplyDeleteHere's a link for "Steve Smith"
ReplyDeletehttp://bit.ly/hpLPNC
You're a class act, Mag - who'd your charity have been? I think I can probably afford a matching gift.
(You got LT's url wrong in your concessionary tweet, but if there's complaining about that to be done, I'll leave it to the proprietor.)
"Steve"
ReplyDeleteWe're a month away from the 25th anniversary of that play and it's still not funny.
rarni - the mystery lower body injury that shelves 67 for all road games
Actually, if this Steve Smith is playing, it's going to cost Team Lawyer a lot more than one goal: as I've learned over the course of a few years of minor soccer, a year each of football and hockey, an ill-advised ultimate frisbee tournament, some intramural slow-pitch and soccer at the U of A, and an 0-2 record as an amateur boxer, I'm really terrible at anything requiring more technique than "left foot-right foot-left foot-right foot".
ReplyDeleteRider Guy: you're free to find it unfunny, but if I wasn't prepared to laugh about it, it'd have ruined my childhood. More than it did, I mean.
ReplyDeleteOilers put up another 38% on the faceoff dots. Awesome.
ReplyDeleteYes, but if you look at the last two games cumulatively, they are around the 75% mark, which would be a spectacular face off percentage in the NHL.
Bah, Steve Smith was a scapegoat for an Oilers squad that was overconfident and too busy partying to put in the hard work to put the Flames away 2-3 games earlier.
ReplyDelete