Edmonton calling Red Deer: he's not coming back.
This isn't Hollywood, but he's the Natural.
--
Ryan Whitney could return, but which of the six D do you take out? It's to laugh that we even ask the question after all these years. What a sweet reversal of fortune, if only for one night.
--
The Preds sure noticed the Oilers and they're definitely not pleased. Jerred Smithson: “We don’t work, we don’t skate, we don’t forecheck, we have a hardworking team that doesn’t work hard. I’ve never been a part of something like this. It’s gotta change right now, or we’re going to be on the outside looking in (the playoffs) — December we’ll be out of this. We have to change it right now.”
Coach Trotz said "back to the basics" after the game which probably means many hours of hard labor (Cool Hand Luke reference here).
--
I never, ever assume the Oilers will show up in Calgary with a "W" on their mind. It's been ages, maybe since that 1-0 win by Calgary on a Marc Savard goal around the turn of the century (I think it was an opening night). The Flames have been a death trap, a suicide rap since that night.
But if they managed to win tonight, and especially if the kids wheel during a win, then I think this town will explode. To hell with worrying about the fake derricks, the real ones might be in danger if the Oilers win tonight.
Remember when the biggest fear about RNH was that he seemed to only produce on the PP, and that he didn't score enough goals? Seems pretty ridiculous 4 games in.
ReplyDeleteRyan Whitney could return, but which of the six D do you take out?
ReplyDeleteBarker, Barker, Barker.
Odds are good that Dubnyk gets the call. Flames have been an easy team to play against since they sent their best defenseman to Buffalo and have injuries like the 08-11 Oilers.
ReplyDeleteAll that stands in the way is a former Oiler with something to prove, an Edmonton boy who got picked by the wrong team, and a Russian who either isn't as good as some people think he is, or much better than others think he is.
Thought of the day:
This team is winning games without 1RW, 1D, 2C. Dangerous thoughts lay down this road.
Coach: But you're losing all that speed!
ReplyDeletei'd like to see Eager get a little more ice than 3 minutes...someone needs to throw a hit out especially against the Flames...
ReplyDeleteI'm worried about the whole go to 3 lines in the 3rd. Once Gagner is back and Belanger is on our 4th line I hope he rolls 4 lines. the kids will tire down the stretch, so keep em spry by limiting their minutes.
ReplyDeleteEager-Belanger-Jones is a solid 4th line. Kind of like a 2nd checking line.
Yeah its got to be Barker unless politics gets in the way.
ReplyDeleteInteresting to see how they do on the road on a back to back. Has been a pleasant start to the season.
The Oilers have made moves this year designed to ice the best team rather than "politics as usual":
ReplyDelete-waiving Chorney instead of Petry
-waiving Brule instead of Lander
Now Renney is running 10's line (whoever he's with) at 22% OZ and giving the kids 70%+ OZ.
-Renney then makes 24 sit after a terrible game and plays Potter
If this script continues, the I expect Barker to sit as he was the weakest link yesterday.
If that happens, it truly is a new morning in EDM.
The kids got a steady diet of Weber and Suter yesterday.
Tonight it will probably be Giordano and Hannan.
That's a significant drop off, hopefully they can make some hay.
10's line should be attached at the hip to Tanguay, Iginla and Moss.
I'd guess that Gilbert-Smid still do the heavy lifting on the back end, especially if Whitney is with Petry.
I can't wait to see this team with 89,83 in the line up and opposing coaches can't run their top pair against the kids all night.
Go Oilers!
I like best that the Oilers beat the Preds the same way the Stars used to beat the Oilers - play loose all game then send in Modano/others to steal the third. Preds were totally pissed after the game, which is another great sign.
ReplyDeletememo to Katz: Great work replacing the crap muzak with a real organ. Keep the organ until you find a seriously 21st century media team.
: Offer Barry Trotz all the money he can't resist to come and coach - Trotz's noticing RNH coming off the ice last night highlights the fact that with Trotz's coaching of a Pred style defence, with the Kid Line etc - and we fans can dream of multiple cups, as in more than two.
Best of all Calgary media urging the Flames fans to cheer for the game of hockey tonight, as they prepare to witness the unveiling of their worst nightmare.
Best comedic storyline this season so far: Take a look at who's leading the NHL goalie race.
ReplyDeleteWent to game last night to watch the kids and Weber/Suter. Trotz was trying real hard to get them on angainst RNH,Eberle and Hall. Magnificent defense pairing. Weber is, well, Weber and came away greatly impressed with Suter
ReplyDeleteIt's early but not sure but that Oilers are going to have to trade some of their prospects for a D man way sooner than they planned.
Do not believe we have any chance at a top 3 draft pick and it's quite possible that with continued solid PK and developing PP that we could get to 18-20th overall. If we had last nights roster and one of Weber or Suter, barring injury, we would fight for playoff spot.
Forwards-young to old were just better than I expected
For goalies that have played at least 2 games (100% bigger sample size than 1!!) NK is leading the NHL in SV% with .975
ReplyDeleteMVP,MVP!!!!
Smytty has the orb. It's in his hands.
ReplyDeleteGreat game last night.
Easy win tonight, if the passing keeps up.
Watch for some cheap shots tonight...
Lowetide: I dont remember the beginning of the dynasty, but didn't they used to have a team with a dynamite kid line(meaning Gretzky with anyone), followed by a lot of good young kids coming up who; being sheltered behind the sensational first line ended up developing far faster and better as a direct result?
ReplyDeletewoodguy: agreed. I really wonder what the lineup will be. Hemsky and Gagner instead of Lander and Pettrell increases our skill, but not our two way play. I'll take it. i would sooner see us roll 4 lines, 2 pure offensive, 2 with grit and two way play. I expect Omark to go back and forth from the PB once everyone is healthy. Biggest thing is Gagner gives Renney another centre he trusts more then Lander (who will be solid next year).
ReplyDeleteHall-RNH-Eberle
Smyth-Horcoff-Hemsky
MPS-Gagner-Omark
Eager-Belanger-Jones
Love it that one of our top 2 lines is going to kill opposing teams and their weaker lines. I think most teams will run top D and checkers against the kids, and go PVP with the Horcoff line.
Sutton is the oldest D-man and he might be the one who sits, so he can rest.
ReplyDeleteThat's my guess. Him or Potter maybe both and Peckham dresses with Whitney.
@ O: could be fireworks tonite.Calgary's mindless goon is dressing for the first time this year.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I want to be cautious and negative, but all of the signs are pointing stratospheric.
ReplyDeleteThe last time the Oilers had this good of a start to the season was 2009/10 and the only player in history to have as strong a start to his NHL career as RNH was Alexandre Daigle.
Plan the Parade route baby!
Best comedic storyline this season so far: Take a look at who's leading the NHL goalie race.
ReplyDeleteI am just fine with that, I hope Khabi proves me wrong and is an outstanding backup for the last two years of his contract. I also hope DD fullfills all of our hopes and becomes a top goalie for years to come.
It was a good game for the veterans last night. Smyth and Horcoff looked great despite constantly facing Nashville's top line and taking most of the defensive zone faceoffs.
ReplyDeleteRenney is protecting the kids and pressuring the veterans. Its good to see him coaching again after last years charade of 'trying to make the playoffs'.
Daigle wasn't a bust prospect in the way we normally use that term.
ReplyDeleteHe was on his way to becoming a fantastic player, a perennial 25-30 goal, close to PPG guy, but he just didn't give a shit. He even admitted as much. He's a unique case and should be left out of all comparisons.
And the good news this year is not that we've won or scored, it's that we're doing very well with the chances battle and the shots battle. That's a good sign for wins in the longterm.
IMO.
Very enjoyable night of hockey last night. I think it's telling how cautious the optimism is at this point. Speaks to how psychologically damaged this fanbase has been in the last couple of years. Definitely looks like better days are arriving sooner rather than later. Just need this team to stay relatively healthy for once. Obviously, goaltending will return to the mean at some point, but perhaps this is where having a 2 headed monster will help to mitigate?
ReplyDeleteThought Omark and MPS were quite impressive in the 1st/2nd and in the 3rd, the kids and the HSJ line took over. Find it amusing that despite the fact those lines are working, some are still obsessed with moving Jones down. If it ain't broke...?
On Comrade Horcov, it is just me or has he seriously lost a step? I don't want to blight what was a very nice performance from him last night (sublime play on the Smyth goal), but what I'm seeing is a very savvy veteran player making strong positional decisions to stay effective. His lack of closing speed on loose pucks was really noticeable to me last night. TO be fair, if this is the worst you can say about a player (i.e. he's evolving his game as age/injuries take their inevitable toll on physical skills), that's probably not a bad thing.
Finally, I've sent an email to a friend of mine who works on the events execution side for the Oil re: the derrick snafu. Will await his response, but for the conspiracy theorists out there (derrick threatens lives of Oil fans and players, Alan Watt summarily dismissed). Highly doubt the two are related but that certainly had the potential for serious disaster.
Wow, we might have to rename this Hightide with all this (unwarranted) optimism.
ReplyDeleteNashville sucked. They were missing two of their top 6 and are clearly in a funk.
I think Whitney will get another night off vs CAL. He will play Thursday and Petry will get farmed. Petry looked good at times last night but would benefit most from playing 25 minutes a night in all situations.
That will leave Whitney, Gilbert, Sutton, Smid, Potter, Barker, Peckham. Not a bad group.
Ducey
ReplyDelete"Hightide"....agreed. Felt bad being so positive.
Once you take Petry out, that is a bad defence. Clearly a bottom 10 defense and the forwards are MUCH better than that. Think Sutton is a noticeable improvement over Foster
Hunter:
ReplyDeleteIIRC the Oilers had good veteran support who played the toughs until Gretzky and Messier came along (Messier had to move to centre as well before things really got rolling). Even still, there was always a good 3C and other players.
If you run two rookie top lines and a bunch of rookie D, to compete down the stretch you need experienced players somewhere in each grouping.
This year is going to be interesting in terms of personnel changes (there has to be some movement unless everyone is staying down an extra year), and standings.
The next year or so is going to shape the franchise, and it does need shaping.
I hope they don't finish out of the lottery. It would be typical Oilers to lose out in a good draft year and not get in the playoffs either. Another good trading chip or two would be nice to help do the deals to round out the lineup and retain enough talent. It is going to cost talent to land a top D, and they definitely need to get somebody.
Next year.
"Ryan Whitney could return, but which of the six D do you take out?"
ReplyDeleteWoof!
WG....
ReplyDeleteWith Trotz double teaming Suter & Weber most of the night against K1 & K2, I think that pairing got run ragged and it showed in the 3rd.
Add a 4th line and that pairing gets to take a break.
I don't think you're theory of rolling 4 will necessarily help the line-matching. It will against deep top half of the conference teams but might not against the thinner teams around and below us.
This is a game where Peckham uisually shines, so i wonder if he draws in. Also, this is exactly the reason we got Eager. i hope last night they were just easing him into the lineup and tonight Renney lets the 4th line run a bit more and stir it up.
ReplyDeleteWith Potter's success on the PP, it may allow us to take Barker out a bit, especially if you are having MPS and Horcoff playing the point on the PP. You can then add peckham's nastiness, along with Sutton and eager and Pettrell's truculence we will have the Flames off their game and allow the kids to run wild.
Who knows, but it'll be fun.
Jones' empty-netter in the 250th minute of the season marked the first time all year that there was as much as a two-goal margin on the scoreboard. Close, tense games are the new normal.
ReplyDeleteAnything's better than the 6-1 holy shitkicking we took last time out in the Saddledome. I hope there's a few guys in the line-up who remember that shellacking and take it to heart.
I'm with Ducey on the optimism front. Nashville was icing a near-AHL calibre offence last night. Even when they're healthy, they're just not very good up front. That's not to say the win isn't encouraging, but let's consider the competition.
ReplyDeleteOn that subject, I think it still makes sense to look for a F for D deal sometime around December. Get Hemsky and Gagner healthy and into the lineup, perhaps package one with Peckham and see what we can get. If we sign Hemsky to a reasonable extension, I wonder if Gagner + Peckham could get us Blum? I liked what I saw out of him last night.
I think I heard somewhere (or read - don't remember) that R. Whitney was supposedly playing tonight.
ReplyDeleteshould be good!
I know it's pie in the sky, but I still think trying to pry one of Suter or Weber out of nashville is an option. Dollars talk, and they have none.
ReplyDeleteI also wonder if trying to get someone out of Dallas is an option. If they resign Souray it may allow us to try and get Robidas (who would fit nicely). They have to resign Grossman and Goligoski, and maybe SOuray so Robidas could be available. he is a solid two way dman who may be available for not as much as Weber and Suter.
"The Flames have been a death trap, a suicide rap."
ReplyDeleteLove that song LT and love how you worked it into your article.
We must have Teddy Peckman in the Line-up vs Calgary, I'd say the weekest link is Barker.
Born to Run!!!
ReplyDelete@Bruce: Have you read the Calgary papers today? They're selling The Kid Line like they're the second coming of The French Connection, if not better.
ReplyDeleteFlame fans, many who know hockey well get to enjoy their neighbours from up Highway 2 and their shiny new Formula One car; while hoping beyond hope their moribund team of "veterans" can still win the Stanley Cup.
On that subject, I think it still makes sense to look for a F for D deal sometime around December
ReplyDeleteI can't see many GM's wanting to dump a current top 2 or 3 defenceman in December. If the Oilers want to add a Dman this season they will need to target a team that needs help now and will give up someone who will be a stud in a year or two.
Guys like Dougie Hamilton, Ryan Ellis, Erixon, Merrill, Bredan Smith, Ryan Murphy, Despres, Oleksiak.
Ducey,
ReplyDeleteWhile your list of Dmen looks like some promising young men, they are all 3-5 years away (if not more) from being able to be relied upon in the NHL.
None of them play in the NHL right now.
Very few Dmen help right away and most develop by sundial.
Ocassionally you get a Doughty or Larsson, but they are not common.
I think they need a guy with +200 NHL games under his belt and who is currently playing top 4 competition. And RH too.
Dougie Hamilton has something like 17pts in 6 games in the OHL so far this year. That guy might be ridiculous in a few years.
Just checked, its 17pts in 9 games.
ReplyDelete5g 12a 16PIMS
He might not spend too much time in the AHL next year.
I'd say Chiarelli did ok in the TO trade.
Brownlee stated that Ryan Whitney will be back in the lineup tonight. I'd hope for Barker to come out of the lineup but I would bet it's Petry or Potter.
ReplyDeleteWhitney-Petry
Gilbert-Smid
Sutton-Potter
I'd be okay with those pairings. Heady times.
Duce/WG
ReplyDeleteReally went to game last night to watch Weber/Suter.
Came away very impressed by how far along our forwards were. Much further than I expected. Hall's line, PRV and Omark attack incredibly fast in transistion. Absent Khabby playing to last years MVP level we could be hard pressed to stay in lottery
I know pie in sky but Nashville cannot keep all three of Weber/Suter/Rinne. They simply do not have the $$. If we could get either D man (contingent on a signed contract) I would be prepared to trade an awful lot of our non core assets/prospects and it would be very very expensive. Also think after last night both Suter/Weber would look at Edm fwds and would think these guys could be very very good to play with.
Poile is in a terrible position because he needs to sign at least 2of 3 and we could give them a very lucrative package for either 20/6
Word verf: mugable....would not want to try to mug Weber
Whitney in, Petry out.
ReplyDeleteBah!
Toj,
ReplyDeleteThe price it would take to get either of them is formidable.
I'd prefer the cost/results of a Scuderi/Orpik type.
Line up as per Tencer:
ReplyDeleteTaylor Hall - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Jordan Eberle
Ryan Smyth - Shawn Horcoff - Ryan Jones
Magnus Paajarvi - Eric Belanger - Linus Omark
Ben Eager - Anton Lander - Lennart Petrell
Ryan Whitney - Tom Gilbert
Cam Barker - Ladislav Smid
Andy Sutton - Corey Potter
Devan Dubnyk
Nikolai Khabibulin
Barker and Smid?
I like Laddy's game with Gilbert, but Lordy, I don't know if he can carry Barker.
Whitney and Gilbert better play 30min.
Bah!
I am pleased as punch about the return of Smytty to our line up - my favourite Oiler.
ReplyDeleteBut I can't help but be a little offended on his behalf that they let the guy go not so long ago and are now marketing the heck out of him.
He is the feel good story - judging by the chants of the crowd.
You can have Suter for dollars at the end of the year. He is going to UFA. No need to trade for him. However, I don't know that the ROI on a 7 million dollar contract with his name on it is acceptable. If it could get done for 6 or under I would be all for it.
ReplyDeleteRenny says the'll probably run with 7D and Whitney will get less than 20 minutes of ice time.
ReplyDeleteProbably means Eager comes out.
Not sure how I feel about that. Gives Renny even more incentive to only run with 3 lines, which is not a good idea on the second of back to back games.
I just hope that the Oiler's medical staff is up to par. There is no use having guys in the line-up before they are 100% healthy this early in the season. I realize as the season drags on that guys are playing at a lot less than where they started but Whitney better be healthy or you know he's going to reinjure himself. Same with Gagner and Hemsky (although his health is getting close to a lost cause), don't clear them until they are truly ready.
ReplyDeleteTaylor Hall is a game-time decision for tonight. Under the weather.
ReplyDeleteAs per OilersNow/Stauffer.
That may turn out to be very unfortunate.
Found an item on Brule buried deep in the heart of an Oil Spills post (blog that Matheson and Ireland share). Apparently he has been missing games due to a rib injury. Apologies if this has already been mentioned.
ReplyDeleteWhen one player gets the flu...
ReplyDelete... the whole world smiles with you?
ReplyDeleteI know pie in sky but Nashville cannot keep all three of Weber/Suter/Rinne. They simply do not have the $$.
ReplyDeleteThere is some pie there.
NASH might try and keep these 3 guys as their core. At 7 million each its not that unreasonable. They seem to be happy to draft big forwards and puck moving D and then school them in defensive play on the farm. Its unlikely to result in a Cup, but neither is trading Suter/Weber.
While your list of Dmen looks like some promising young men, they are all 3-5 years away (if not more) from being able to be relied upon in the NHL.
A few are in the AHL (Ellis, Smith, Despres. Erixon has to be close). My point is that you can give up Hemsky/ Gagner/ Omark now for a servicable 3-4 Dman or you can trade them for a guy who will be a 2 or maybe a 1 in two/ three years.
As much as things seem swell in the afterglow of yesterday's win, the Oilers young forwards are in for some rough times this year. There is no rush. This is not a playoff team, even with an extra D man.
Take advantage of other GM's need to succeed this year. It will pay off in spades in a few short years.
A buddy of mine mentioned that they may dump Rinne because of their depth in goal with the young Lindback available.
ReplyDeleteThen it would be much easier to sign the two dmen. A good strategy I would think given the Bryzgalov $$$ and a limited budget in NAS.
That said, how much ill will is there between the Poile and Weber camps right now due to the off season failed negotiation of a contract ?
I shook my head plenty when they signed Barker, but I might rattle the thing right off my shoulders if Petry/Potter end up getting sent to OKC (and possibly lost to waivers in Potter's case) because of him.
ReplyDeleteDucey: the reason I targetted December (or maybe mid-late November is better) is because teams like Nashville that are hurting for offence will need at least a month to come to grips with that. Top 3-4 D-men are important enough that a team's not going to part with that unless they're really concerned about their scoring. I think it was Woodguy who suggested Blum (apologies if it was someone else) and I think that's an interesting target.
ReplyDeleteMisfit: no point sending Barker down/sitting him for at least 10 games. The Oilers signed him as a reclamation project and they'll want to see him as much as possible. Petry is part of the future for sure - they need to figure out definitively if Barker is at all.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDucey
ReplyDeleteDo not disagree with you re keeping all three. It is just very very expensive for them to do so and they cannot compete for a Cup with those 3 and their existing roster. And they need to convince them that they want to stay.
With elite defender to play with Whitney we have a shot at 8. I was very impressed with what I saw up front and our defensive help is a LONG ways away
Hard pressed to stay in the lottery?
ReplyDeleteForget the lottery, I look forward to when a decent defender is available for a 2nd rounder.
There is some real traction here.
The guy bleeds copper and blue
ReplyDeleteYou're going to have to get used to saying "Orange and Blue" there LT ;)
Lee,
ReplyDelete10's speed has been falling off for a few years now. He certainly doesn't move like he used to. I think it has had an impact on the defensive side of his game in the last two seasons. Perhaps he has made an adjustment to his game to compensate (better positioning because he can't cover the same ice).
You probably missed my comment to you in the last thread, but perhaps you'd like to comment:
"This is for Lee:
17-11 - Scoring chances
75.9% - Starts in the Defensive zone
And all you've said is that he (arguably) misplayed a 3on1.
Shame."
I see too that Czerwonka has been named Captain of the Ice. Again apologies if this has already been mentioned.
ReplyDeleteSo the Calgary Herald is apparently on the Oilers bandwagon now:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/Oilers+special+player/5565985/story.html
If Khabi's numbers continue, there will be a 59 player waiting list at that Arizona off-season training facility. Maybe 58 if Nik friends Devan on his Facebook memoirs.
ReplyDeleteWhy did it have to be this year that Winnipeg got its team back? Just when the kids are turning heads I get my Oilers broadcasts blacked-out because the Jets are my "regional team".
ReplyDeleteAbsolute fucking garbage that because I have a geographical relationship to one team, I have to pay ludicrous amounts of money to watch another. And there's probably not a fucking thing Sportsnet can do about it.
Really wish I could watch this game, and the one last night to boot. Enjoy guys.
@Marc
ReplyDeleteWe sure that this guy isn't an Oiler fan? Great article, it made me smile.
Dorito Grande, Center ice has a free preview right now (dont' know when it ends), don't know your cable/satellite package but check into it. I watched the game last night, they showed the Sportsnet feed...I am in the Senators "region"...at least there is the excuse you have an NHL team in your province (assuming you are in Manitoba)....my nearest NHL team is the Bruins so....figure that out. It's the league/team decisions on the blackouts, not the networks.
ReplyDeleteDorito I have paid the price for my Oilers allegiance here in BC.
ReplyDeleteUsed to follow free feeds, but gritted my teeth and got the NHL.com centre ice online package.
Because much to the chagrin of the Canucks PR department, We are not all Canucks.
I was happy to see a lot of Bruins supporters here in Victoria during the cup finals. They were far from a majority but everyone at my work that knew anything about hockey was cheering for Boston. I don't understand why Victoria isn't an Oilers town, to be honest. Vancouver is kind of... meh...
ReplyDeleteThe kids will get a real test tonight. There wasn't much hitting going around last night surprisingly but they won't get off that lucky with a vet Flames team that's been taking heat for their start.
ReplyDeleteWish Eager's head was back to 100% because I'd like to see him run with Smyth and Horcoff. Big falloff from Jones? Not likely and faster than both of H & S. A few Flames D run through the boards in their own end and the composure would change a little.
Scratching my head at the Barker out / Peckham in wishes. Why? So we can watch Teddy toss it up for grabs the second the forecheck gets amped? Barker might have played quieter minutes last night but he didn't make a single mistake. We'll likely never be able to say that about 60 mins of Teddy.
dorito: I'm in Ile-des-Chenes just south of Winnipeg and I was able to watch the Oilers game last night on shaw HD channel 218. I'm not sure if that will continue...
ReplyDeleteWho's your provider?
Renney can't protect the kids as much on the road, nor necessarily get Horcoff and Smyth out against the toughest line.
ReplyDeleteThe road is where a healthy Hemsky would really help, forcing teams to choose between stopping the kid line or stopping Hemsky.
Cabbie, agreed on the level of physicality tonight. If our lads are suffering from the flu, it doesn't bode well for the outcome. The Nucks and Wild can both play the hitting game and when they turned it up, we did poorly in response.
ReplyDeleteI expect the Flames to trap tonight, to hit, and to slow the game down with lots of whistles. An early Oiler lead would nullify that strategy though.
The kids will get a real test tonight.
ReplyDeleteI dunno, I think playing against the best Dpair in the entire league in Weber and Suter was a good test.
As for the physical stuff, they'll be fine.
2 have big heads and the other has a hard head.
Scratching my head at the Barker out / Peckham in wishes.
ReplyDeleteI think you're misreading them - most of us who want Barker out are saying that that should happen if Whitney's ready to come back, which he apparently is. If Whitney isn't ready, I'm largely indifferent between Barker and Peckham. I don't want to see either draw in in favour of Sutton, though, who I think has been our third or fourth best defenseman so far this year.
delooper: I was surprised and disheartened when I heard about the Flames bar here in Victoria.
ReplyDeleteI am still unaware of a committed Oiler pub which is a shame.
Shouldn't be long given the relative state of the two Alberta franchises however...
Bendelson: heard the Shark Club has Oiler leanings.
ReplyDeleteI've heard that as well but I have unfortunately been 'underwhelmed' by The Shark Club on a couple of occasions... but good for them if its true.
ReplyDeleteI've heard the Flames bar advertising as such on the radio and haven't heard the same in regards to the Oil.
Nice to see there is a solid 'F*#! the Nucks' hockey crowd in town nevertheless.
If anyone is in and around Vancouver, The Black Frog in Gastown is an Oilers bar. Food is not that good but the atmosphere is great.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking for MPS to get off the shnid/schnied/schnide (?) tonight.
ReplyDeleteHe has a nice track record vs Kipper and those Flames if I recall...
I needed to know:
ReplyDelete"Schneid" is actually short for "schneider," a term originally used in the card game of gin, meaning to prevent an opponent from scoring any points. "Schneider" entered the vocabulary of gin from German (probably via Yiddish), where it means "tailor." Apparently the original sense was that if you were "schneidered" in gin you were "cut" (as if by a tailor) from contention in the game.
Bendelson: yeah, there's a decent number of Oilers fans in town. I work at U.Vic and notice that the majority of my Alberta-origin students come from Calgary. Edmontonians tend to move to less froofy towns than Victoria, I suppose!
ReplyDeleteI'm hopeful the Oilers will crush Calgary tonight -- spectacularly -- so that I can proudly gloat over my Calgarian students tomorrow morning...
Unfortunately my girlfriend is a Canucks fan. She even has a Kesler jersey. I'll have to fix that somehow.
Looks like Hall will be a scratch with the flu. Tencer tweeted he was not on the team bus to the Saddledome.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the easiest way to find Edmontonians in Victoria is to go ice skating. The public skate at the U.Vic rink on Thursday nights tends to have a bunch of Edmontonians. The local hockey leagues, too.
ReplyDeleteOuch.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with that delooper.
I would think RNH has a little work to do to impress the ladies in that 'Kesler' kind of way...
Hall not on team bus to rink, as per Tencer tweet.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Petry dresses as 7th D.
Terrible they have no forward option at all.
Hall gets a lot of attention when on the ice, might make 14 and 93's job a little tougher tonight.
Well Hartikainen would have been a nice option. I know it's too late for recall but he's better than the 15th best forward so he should be in Edmonton.
ReplyDeletejmo.
I'm watching the Sabres/Habs game and I have to say at this point I would trade Hemsky for Pacioretty.
ReplyDeleteFPB. Le ferais tu encore?
No worries about Hall. Since Whitney's probably only getting 10 minutes tonight, we need the extra D.
ReplyDeleteI'd also like to see the Swedes get a shot at some time on the Kid Line.
LT,
ReplyDeleteAgreed.
Perhaps 89 is close enough they thought they'd roll the dice for this game and/or MIN on Thurday.
If 89 isn't playing by Saturday, then I have no idea why they wouldn't have recalled Harski.
Hall has returned to Edmonton with a throat infection.
ReplyDeleteColumbus about to start the season 0-5-1 with Carter on the shelf for a month.
ReplyDeleteNot having The Wiz hurts too but Mason is awful and having Dekanich get a high ankle sprain didn't help, but there has to be a Howson punt watch going now.
Souray with his 5th point in 6 games. +5
ReplyDeleteNice of the Oilers to be picking up the tab.
Steve Mason = Jim Carey
ReplyDeleteSouray with his 5th point in 6 games. +5
ReplyDeleteNice of the Oilers to be picking up the tab
None of the Stars tab, he was bought out, not claimed on re-entry.
Nothing like a healthy hate for your former employer with motivation to prove them wrong and a contract year to bring out the best in a player.
Peckman is a forward tonight!
ReplyDeleteLink?
ReplyDeleteHall not only didnt get on the bus, he's not on the bloody ice either for the skate. Was hopin he had took a cab.
ReplyDeletewow. that flames music before was beyond ridiculous.
ReplyDelete'Piss up a rope' and 'Fluffy' are also some great country songs.
Exactly WG. It wasn't like Souray was lighting it up in the AHL, forcing the issue on a trade or waiver claim. The whole league had a shot at him at half price and passed.
ReplyDeleteBarker lost position on Glencross there. Could have been dangerous.
ReplyDeleteRNH with some nice hand-eye there.
ReplyDeleteRNH hauls ASS!
ReplyDeleteInstead of calling him, "RNH," how about: "The NUGE!"
ReplyDelete- Chris
Looks like:
ReplyDelete5-77
6-44
25-13
That's not bad given the players.
Like it a lot better than what Tencer tweeted as pairings.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteJackman. Man he's a smart player. All about the thinking.
ReplyDeleteMore like Tim Jackass
ReplyDeleteboom!
Im so lame
http://www.justin.tv/tnaloveey#/w/1931869952
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen 23 take a shift, but 37 playing with 20 & 91.
ReplyDeleteAny word?
23 was one of the best Oilers yesterday.
The Nuge has mad skills. I hope he can bulk up as quickly as possible, performance enhancers be damned. I don't want to see our golden goose get gooched.
ReplyDelete23 took first shift with Ebs and RNH, replaced by Lander on 2nd shift.
ReplyDeleteGIBBY!
What the hell is Gilbert doing? Everyone knows he can't shoot!
ReplyDeleteOmark is on the top line with Eberle and RNH.
ReplyDeleteHe's fallen on his ass twice already and still barely lost the puck.
Looks like Gilbert worked on that shot after all.
ReplyDeleteWoodguy: I read somewhere that Omark is having skate problems.
ReplyDeleteGilbert. Loser.
ReplyDeletePetrell has weird offensive instincts. He could have beaten that defender to the puck but faded for position. I wish he'd be a little more creative there.
ReplyDeleteHaven't seen #6 since he fell awkwardly on the shift before EDM drew a penalty. Are they rolling 7 or is he hurt? Fuuuuck.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sportshunter.me/watch/86779/1/watch-calgary-flames-vs-edmonton-oilers.html
ReplyDeleteI've actually liked Sutton thus far this season. A lot better than I expected. Barker is still a question mark, but that was expected.
ReplyDeleteGilbert not getting the memo. Lot of that lately.
He's back. Maybe he just missed one shift or maybe they really are rolling 7. Sorry if I made anyone else panic.
ReplyDeleteRenney really has the. Osterizer goin.
ReplyDeleteOilers having a ton of trouble connecting on passes in transition and the neutral zone. Most of it is unforced.
ReplyDeleteIf anyone is ever looking for a link to any game - including all Oilers games - go to www.firstrowsports.tv. I've been using it for over a year now and it works every time. Soccer, UFC too.
ReplyDeleteWhen does the "saw Barker good" part come? Any time this season? Guy is getting every chance to fail this year, which is extremely frustrating as a fan.
ReplyDeleteThey're real sloppy since the first 2 minutes of the game.
ReplyDeleteGotta tighten it up.
Omark is no Taylor hall. nearly handed the flames a scoring chance with that pass.
Sutton is playing well but he sent a bomb over to Barker with a forechecker tracking him. Poor decision.
ReplyDeleteBarker is playing his way out of the NHL
ReplyDeleteBeauty subtle plays by Sutton
ReplyDeleteA lot of unforced turnovers tonight...cutesy passing at or just inside their blue line.
ReplyDeleteBarker's been super-weak so far. Gilbert is twice the defenseman he is.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Omark needs to stop cherry picking in the defensive zone. Sad that he's getting outworked by a 18 year old.
anyone have a streaming address?
ReplyDeleteLowetide, do the Oilers keep running Barker out if he keeps playing like this? I understand they are hoping that he develops into a top 4 dman, but does not one see Potter and Petry and how they are performing and go "these players we were looking for, not Barker"?
ReplyDeleteJust signed up for the NHL gamecenter Live.
ReplyDeleteStreaming the game on an LCD tv via apple TV2. Awesome quality. Highly recommend for anyone that's wondering if it's good. It is.
@danny
ReplyDeleteSweet! I was going to do that myself, once the free preview of Center Ice is over.
Danny: Did you ever get help on that thingy? I forgot to email.
ReplyDeletemattwatt: I think they'll run Barker out there a long time before calling uncle. It would help imo if Sutton wasn't paired with him. They're both so slow.
View from the cheap seats:
ReplyDeleteA ton of pucks in the skates or just behind target, really tough on the flow. Did they push the bus here? Very little puck support, forwards deserting too early. Some real stupid passes into the middle of the ice in our own zone.
Other than an early mishap, Barker has looked okay. Surprised Petrell got the push up to the 3rd. After the 1st period, I'm still surprised. Little fancy dancing behind the net at the end of the period by Sutton.
Whitney looks fine. So calm out there.
Vet1 has been the best line so far.
Hotdogs here suck.
;op
Geez, if Potter keeps this up, he's going to be a steal for V.04527.
ReplyDeleteOmark made a handful of stupid plays in his own end that period. I really like his skill set and his confidence but he needs to simplify his game in his own end with the puck.
If Gagner is ready to come back, does that mean Lander is headed for OKC? Maybe Petrell and Lander go down and Harty comes up?
Turnovers are on special though. All kinds.
ReplyDeleteWow, this is underwhelming. The Oilers keep passing the puck to the Flames and the Flames are pathetic with it.
ReplyDeleteLooks like Gilbert was working hard in the off-season to plug some of the "holes" in his game.
ReplyDeleteIf he adds a wicked slapshot and some increased physicality to his arsenal he could turn into a possible #2 Dman.
Looks like your development doesn't just stop.
This team gets more too-many-men penalties than every team combined.
ReplyDeleteor so it seems
Spoiler,
ReplyDeletetry the pocket dog
Nice save by Dubnyk there.
ReplyDeletePetrell seems to be getting a lot of ice time. He good defensively BUT...
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't look like he's going to be able to generate any offense at all.
LT, so far a couple people have offered, I emailed them but no responses. I posted in one of your blogs last week, asking if we could do a temp blog post on here with the details of what needs to be done and my email address for anyone that can handle it to contact me.
ReplyDeleteIf that's cool, I'll email you the copy and you can paste/post
It's an easy thing to do for people that know the tools.
It looks like they're in hang on mode already.
ReplyDeleteGonna be a long last 25 minutes
Blogger danny said...
ReplyDeleteJust signed up for the NHL gamecenter Live.
Streaming the game on an LCD tv via apple TV2. Awesome quality. Highly recommend for anyone that's wondering if it's good. It is.
Same here.
It is.
That... what? Jesus that last PK chance was a comedy of errors.
ReplyDeleteAbout time the Flames got called for that. It's been happening all game.
ReplyDeleteDanny: Sure, send it to me and I'll do a post on it. I think we have our first customer!
ReplyDeleteSite sponsor ?
ReplyDeleteYes. Although I don't want to blow it so forget I said anything. :-)
ReplyDeleteDanny,
ReplyDeleteIf you need help, you can email me:
admin[@]hivehealthmedia.com
LT, I serve over half a million monthly page views on my 2 main sites. I can give you some great advice on filling your ad inventory if you want it.
Is this the worst homer announcers in the history of hockey, or is it just me?
Haha ok. I'll send you the info tmw morning when I get to my PC at work. I'm guessing once someone offers, it will be a day or so before its ready to launch.
ReplyDeleteI think the Oilers are a little tired or conserving energy and cheating a little to the defensive side of the puck. That's probably okay given the mixed lines and it seems like a good opportunity to keep their defensive structure. They haven't been allowing too many grade A chances (but for the Jokinen break/rush).
ReplyDeleteThe PP's at the end of the period looked okay though. Movement, chances.
Ryan, this is about transferring a large blogger XML archive to a Wordpress blog. It's too bigot convert via noob tools, so it has to be accomplished via a couple alternative methods. I have the info on what needs to be done, just not handy inside the software thats used to handle it.
ReplyDeleteSound like something ur able to handle?
Bigot?
ReplyDeletebig to
View from the smoke pit...
ReplyDeleteThe "Lets go Oilers" chant is even stronger out here.
Danny,
ReplyDeleteSure, I can probably help.
Question though, what type of hosting are you setting up for Lowetide? I can tell you Lowetide can't be run on a $5-$10 per monthly shared hosting plan. You'll overload the server about 5 seconds after people find out about the new blog. Bluehost would be the only shared plan that might work--but the throttling will be excessive and make the site run super slow.
I'm aware of Schneider from the German game of Skat, which goes back a long ways, originated 1810.
ReplyDeleteDie hard nuckleheads of a vintage age are so deeply traumatized that if Vancouver won the cup, their expression would resemble Cool Hand Luke in the final frame when the bullet hits him. When you see them in the pubs watching the games, you can hardly tell the difference between a cheer and a moan. It's 40 Year Virgin crossed with Sideways and a dash of After Hours. I feel for those old guys.
For me, it's the Keenan/Crow years and that generation of fans that mark the low point. Linden was a class act. Messier was a pretty much a dork on this side of the Rockies. Naslund later credited Mess as a positive influence on the room. It sure wasn't apparent in the media or on the ice.
delooper: Good luck with your Keslercism. I fear you're in Eyes Wide Shut territory. Nearest Oiler bar probably in Campbell River. The island is pretty much segregated by latitude, with all the froofy sediment at the bottom.
Ryan, email coming.
ReplyDeleteGilbert, Smid and Dubynk look like the only players that don't have some sort of sickness of body and/or mind.
ReplyDeleteOkay Danny, sounds good. I've been a long time reader of this blog, so I'd be glad to help.
ReplyDeleteSmid continues to look good.
ReplyDeleteGilbert and Smid seem to be two of the only players that aren't lost at sea in their own zone tonight.
Derek, yeah this is super boring game.
ReplyDeleteWhy didn't Tambo call up Hartikinen? Hm, 12 forwards on the roster running through this schedule, sounds like a great idea.
Potter doing his best Foster impression.
ReplyDeleteMissing the net multiple times
This announcer tries to make every Calgary shot from beyond the blueline seem like a grade A chance.
ReplyDeleteIt looks to me like this team is nearly related to a Mactavish team. Defense first opportunistic offense
ReplyDeleteIt's great isn't it? Oh look we're winning.
ReplyDeleteHorcoff gets whacked in the mouth and the Flames announcers say he's faking it...classy gents
ReplyDeleteOmark sits the next game on that play alone.
ReplyDeleteOilers have been running around for hours, CGY finally makes them pay.
ReplyDeletenice backcheck Omark
ReplyDeleteOilers haven't deserved this game at all.
ReplyDeleteJon - you're effing kidding me...
ReplyDeleteAnd there's the game.
ReplyDeleteSmid sleeping in front of the net...
I'm afraid they don't have the legs to get that one back.
ReplyDeleteWhat a horrible goal.
ReplyDeleteI hope we can claw one back.
Omark sitting between the hash marks near the blue line watching Bouwmeester take the shot? Yes, I must be effing kidding.
ReplyDeleteOmark has been garbage all game.
ReplyDeleteneed saves late in games Dubey. And guys, it's not a hot potato.
ReplyDeleteI hope the god-awful defense this period is due to the back-to-back...
ReplyDeleteThey didn't deserve this one anyway
ReplyDeleteI don't think that was Omark's man. There were three Flames and four Oilers between Bouwmeester and the net, stands to reason Omark's man was the second Dman.
ReplyDeleteBoth Flsmes' goals off of some broken plays/bad bounces. Sometimes so it goes. Too bad they didn't capitalize on one of those PPs, they had their chances.
Fuck Kiprusoff looks like the man of old here at the end.
CGY are the 2nd oldest team in the NHL. They haven't made the playoffs in consecutive years. They are against the cap for the foreseeable future.
ReplyDeleteIt ain't so bad being an Oilers fan you know.
I'm so annoyed I missed yesterday's game and ended up watching this awful game instead.
ReplyDeleteBDHS: Could be, but he wasn't really near anyone. By my recollection he was drifting and watching the play. I could be mistaken though.
ReplyDeleteFrustrating loss but they looked gassed.
I imagine the chances at ES will favour the Pseudo-Cowboy-Douches by at least 3 to 1.
ReplyDeletePP and PK looked okay, but ES was horrible.
kris, itsaleaf -- despite the fact they couldn't hang on, I thought that up and until then they played a pretty safe game. There were some great segments of good structured play that was better team defense than we saw almost all season last year.
ReplyDeleteBah - not a great game. Take away Hall, Hemsky, and Gagner and the offensive power of the Oilers starts to look pretty weak. Nuge looked more like hoppy out there as the Flames could really focus on him.
ReplyDeleteDamn, Lander had that and missed his shot. So close.
ReplyDeleteDanny
ReplyDeleteIs the Tv set up you referred to better than digital SN? Know little or nothing about signal strength etc but I have a fairly decent TV I could hook up
Just my opinion. Let's see how Dennis counts the chances.
ReplyDeleteThe upside to this game is Potter looks like a feasible 3rd pairing guy and a much better option than Peckham.
Mistakes all over the ice tonight. Definitely a far weaker team on the road where they don't get the last change. Bad luck on the bounce off Smid's glove. I agree that Omark had a poor game.
ReplyDeleteEasy to make excuses for them (Hall, Hemsky out), back to back games, etc. But they had a 1 goal lead with 6 mins left against a team with a poor record. These are the kind of games that mentally tough teams find a way to win.
I liked Potter again. And the captain has been steady. But somebody needs to tell the Swedes the season has started. Omark looked weak compared to his strong game last night and Magnus needs some confidence. Eager better not turn down a flame ever again. What was that. And to finish my rant......HIT THE NET BOYS!!
ReplyDeleteIt looked like the Calgary Stampede in the last minute there. Smyth got whipped into the boards and no fucking holding call! It might not have made a difference but what the hell was that?
ReplyDeleteWell I don't think the Oilers are going to be much on the road this season. Poor play, not many men tonight imo.
ReplyDeleteOne last question. When the hell are we ever going to be a healthy team? Who are our trainers? Ricky and Julian?
ReplyDeleteThe upside of this game is that we probably had an early chance to see guys like Petrell and Omark with a nice chunk of icetime. Petrell seems to have the knack for where to be and where to go, but the puck seems to die on his stick a lot offensively unless the cycle is already well established. Omark hasn't been producing and he's still really inconsistent from game to game. It's probably a matter of time before he's labeled as lazy and sent off for a pick.
ReplyDelete