LMHF Report - Game #5

EDMONTON 2

VS.

NEW YORK 0
----------------

So...as I'm driving after the game tonight, they announce that Tortorella's going to be on the radio...I laugh and say to LMHF #2 that he'll just say "We SUCKED!" and storm outta there...then he did. I laughed pretty hard.

While the Rangers weren't exactly world-beaters tonight, to give no credit to the Oilers after that effort was a little bush. His team didn't give away the game we're clearly not last year's squad, so to act that way is a bit much.

Which brings us to our discussion...what is this team we've got in front of us? Seems like we've got some strange sort of responsible team playing hockey that verges on cautious and just beat one of the better teams in the eastern conference in a game we pretty much controlled. It wasn't exactly supposed to be this way. Are we "riding the percentages" right now and getting breaks in the defensive zone? Or are we building a strong 6-man effort from the goalie out and stuck with a bunch of talented forwards that are overdue. To put this in perspective, Jordan Eberle is nearly PPG right now and can't buy a goal to save his life...he's had a ton of chances...seems to me we may very well be on the favorable side of this equation and set to reap some benefits of our building...but only time will tell and a sterner test awaits us this week.

As has become standard practice this year, we controlled the opening period. It was quite impressive as we were very calm and passed the puck very well. It was unfortunate that we didn't come out of that period with a lead and felt a little like we might have let too many chances slip away.

The Rangers came out stronger in the second but we didn't get overwhelmed. There were a few bad shifts but our squad kept pushing and one wicked wrister later we had a familiar lead. Oddly, going up by one stirs a bit of dread for many fans at the moment.

In the third we were more forceful than last game. We didn't score on the powerplay right out of the shoot (in fact it was horrid), but kept after it and that bargain bin #3 defenceman we've managed to grab ourselves rifled one past one of the better goalies in the league. It was incredibly odd as a fan of this team to feel so secure when "holy crap we're leading by TWO!". The boys proved that notion right tonight, and took us safely to a 2-0 win including drawing a penalty while the Rangers had an extra two guys on the ice. That's exceptional hockey right there.

Tonight was a very complete game you felt very content watching. I know many people hate low-scoring games, but when they're played that way I can enjoy them very much. I'm glad we got the two points mostly, but also glad we did it on national TV, against a strong and high-profile opponent, playing a complete game, and forcing another coach into a hissy fit.

I'll take about 90 more of those please!
-----------------

Khabibulin
- DId all that was asked and was helped by another strong defensive effort from his forwards and defenceman. Made a couple really nice saves including Gaborik on a breakaway which is certainly not anything to sneeze at. I'm not sure we've seen two games in a row that were in control like that from Khabibulin since he got here.

Sutton
- I know he made a nice block near the end of the game, but when I hear people praising his effort after a night like tonight it makes me want to vomit. He was terrible. He let Brandon Prust make him look like a scared child in their fight (after taking a dumb penalty), took another dumb penalty later because he got caught standing still in the offensive zone, lost multiple races where he started with a BIG advantage and could have very well cost us this game tonight by the scoring chances he generated. Gross.

Barker
- He was kind of all over the place tonight. In the first specifically and slightly less so the second, he was really solid. He made an excellent breakaway pass that wasn't cashed, played physically and took his time with the puck. In the third he was a disaster half the time, including an utterly horrible pinch late in the game that created an odd man rush and again could have cost us big. I had a lot of optimism for him early tonight and then to see the way he finished was very disappointing. He managed to successfully cut in front of his own net twice late...but man that was scary!

Potter
- So at this stage we've got to be asking, what can't he do? The guy played 5v5, PP, and PK and did well with all of them. He was in position, kept his check at bay and scored on a lovely slapper to put this one out of reach. He was really fired up after that goal too, and not in an "I was desperate" kind of way but instead an "I've worked my ass off for this and it feels amazing" kind of way. He's looked even more at home since he's gotten to play with his old teammate Ryan Whitney. What a difference he's made over the alternative.

Whitney
- Despite a pass from behind his own net that eluded Hopkins and nearly wound up in our net, as well as another rather ugly giveaway I can't recall the specifics of, Whitney had a pretty strong game. The D and the passing are mostly there, with the aggressiveness at about a 75% level compared to normal I'd say. He made two excellent slap-pass plays that both could have ended in goals and showed tonight that he's pretty well back. He steadies things back there so much.

Gilbert
- He's just playing excellent hockey right now and that continued tonight. In one sequence I recall, he hit his man to delay him near the blue line, looped back, got the puck and made a great pass to start a rush. I haven't seen that play from him in a long time. He's also confident enough right now that on several occasions tonight he took that all important extra second to find the shooting lane and got great shots toward the net, where in recent years he would've had them blocked. Confidence is a tricky thing for some people, and I think Tom finally has it back because he was a rock tonight and looks to be in for the long haul.

Smid
- Paired perfectly again with Gilbert tonight. Smid was tough on the puck, made solid passes and even made a great little power forward rush and took a really nice slapshot. Not much else to say because he was plain excellent.

Petrell-Lander-Eager
- They were effective and responsible with limited ice time. The one thing that was a little off from past games with them is that they spent a little more time chasing the puck and wasted a bit of effort on some chase skating. While I felt Eager had a fairly good game and could've gotten some offence out of this one, he was the biggest culprit in this regard. Petrell doesn't really seem to make mistakes, but did get caught a little too slow for the play on a couple of occasions. With his role on the PK seemingly reduced, I'd be in favor of taking him out of the lineup at this point to try to give this line a little more pop and give him some motivation. Lander continues to impress with all the little things he does right and by (for whatever reason) making the other team's players quite angry with him. What is it with these swedes and drawing penalties?

Hall-Hopkins-Eberle
- The thing about these guys is they don't need to set the world on fire to be effective. They're moving the puck in the right direction all the time. Hall especially is a puck transporter and when he gets that extra bit of motivaion (as he did on multiple occasions tonight), he's something to see. It might seem an odd reference, but there was a point when NYR had their goalie out that Hall just kind of decided to blow by the guy who had several steps on him and proceeded to do it...very impressive. He also set up Hopkins again and I'm glad to see he's got his passing going this year. I still fail to understand why he'd go backhand-fivehole on that breakaway he got out of the penalty box when he had blocker shelf the whole way...but that's somewhat nitpicky. Eberle didn't score again, but again played a tremendously solid positional game and made a ton of excellent passes. He's just the kind of guy who never seems to have a bad game and that's why I like watching him play so much. I didn't know that Hopkins could shoot the puck like that...I don't think we've had an Oiler beat a good goalie that cleanly with a plain shot in a long time. He just made it happen...*SNAP*. Hopkins also made a really nice defensive stop in the first and generally had a solid game. These guys work together against solid opposition which is amazing to see at this point. The way they came out with so much confidence and nearly scored again right after #93's goal only serves notice that once these guys get in gear, it is very tough to stop them.

Smyth-Horcoff-Jones
- A quiet but very effective night from this trio. I'm starting to worry if we're overplaying Smyth some...he looked really tired near the end of the game. With that said he still managed to skate into traffic and draw a penalty with the NYR net empty. #94 didn't get a lot of great offensive chances tonight, but he doesn't really need to get them to be effective. This was probably one of Horcoff's best games in quite a while. In addition to an utterly perfect screen on the Potter goal, he was big on the PK and really efficient with his skating. He's not overskating checks like he used to on so many nights and the best way I can describe his game right now is healthy and comfortable. Healthy for obvious reasons but comfortable because he's not being asked to play a role that overwhelms him.

Paajarvi-Belanger-Gagner
- I must admit that Belanger is growing on me. He makes so many little plays that make a difference and you can tell he too is going to start scoring some before too long. I can see that it will often be tough to point to a specific instance in his games, but tonight the theme was that he was just always where you needed him to be. We haven't had a guy like that in a while. Magnus got a couple offensive chances and made his obligatory rush around a defenceman, but didn't have a lot of pop to his game tonight. In some ways that's okay because he's an effective regular already anyway (and this line's puck transporter. So far this year every line has one and that's making our D's job so much easier), but I wonder if he's not pushing himself hard enough as there's a lot of hockey player in there. I also still have an issue with the length of his hockey stick, as it really seems to be making him slower with the puck that he would otherwise be. Gagner was just okay in his first game back. He didn't make too much happen offensively and you could tell he has some settling in to do if he's going to be an RW. I wouldn't have minded at all if he'd played as 4th line C tonight, because some of his best games are playing with the bangers and crashers, but I see why he played where he did. Hopefully he finds his legs again quickly.
------------

So, by my count we've already had two teams captains/coaches throw hissy fits over how bad they played against us after we stymied them...I like that a ton more than the "they're talented and getting better!" prattle that we get after someone beats us. Big tests coming this week...I hope we're ready. Scarily enough...we might just be. There's a glimmer there.

LMHF Report - Game #4

EDMONTON 1

VS.

MINNESOTA 2

In a freaking shootout...
-------------------------

Sorry in advance for the shortness tonight guys...I'm exhausted today for some reason and this will be a little less in-depth than usual.

Well, that was pretty tough to take. It's bad enough to lose that way when you don't play very well...but tonight we put forth a pretty solid effort and came up short. We deserved a win and didn't get it. It wasn't luck, but inches and some coaching decisions that cost us tonight. We were very very close to having a very good game.

I have to call out Tom Renney's decisions in the third period tonight. Not playing the kids and not trying to make this 2-0 was a bad move that ultimately played a part in costing us the game. They weren't lighting the world on fire, but they also weren't playing badly and had generated some excellent chances.

We obviously hit some posts tonight which stinks...we made some really strong plays and did not finish. On one hand that's upsetting as we need to focus and make the most of these...on the other...we are certainly generating more than I thought we would at this point.

Our team is playing solidly defensively as a five man unit right now. We kept Minnesota to the outside of our zone for most of the game, even on extended possessions and that is impressive. We'll need to keep that up while finding a way to improve our transition game.

Offensively...well...we're seriously overdue...but so were the Generals right?


Smyth
- He played a solid game other than that stupid goaltender interference penalty that negated a dangerous looking rush. Lots of solid plays, passes and checking. Continued to have an edge which is certainly something we need to see from him.

Horcoff
- Also played a solid game until late in the third when he made some fairly perplexing puck decisions. Horcoff seems to be healthy and that's making a big difference right now.

Jones
- Much better game from him tonight. He wasn't getting caught gawking or standing still and moved into much better offensive positions. I'm still looking forward to him going down the lineup some, but he held his own tonight.

Hall
- Not one of his better efforts as he had limited rushes and wasn't all that great at puck retrieval in the corners. He still set up Eberle and had a couple dangerous shots, but the fact that he's ill showed somewhat (and not just in his goofily unshaven look).

Eberle
- The poor man can't buy one right now. He was given a gift by Hall and couldn't cash, made a great little play late in the second and caught jersey, is just missing shots and no one could finish his passes tonight. I'm worried he's getting a little down on himself...he even changed up his shootout move and missed because he didn't go high like usual. Jordan's still playing some excellent hockey, but he needs to see some positives right away or we might be in for a prolonged slump.

Hopkins
- Not his best game, but he got a couple chances and broke up some plays in the defensive zone. Good to see he can contribute even when he's not on fire offensively.

Paajarvi
- Really liked his game tonight because he used his speed so well. Beat every defender he had to on the rush and kept the puck in the offensive zone with beauty reads and pure speed on at least 5 broken plays. A really veteran-looking effort from Magnus tonight.

Belanger
- Speaking of can't buy one...hits goalie pad...post...the SO disaster...it was a painful night for him, but he played some very good hockey, showing a lot of speed and adapting to the position of the swedes better than in the other games.

Omark
- Very solid game from Linus as part of a very solid line. Omark made some really veteran decisions late in terms of either dumping the puck or putting it on net when that was appropriate. Also set up a couple glorious chances for Belanger and Paajarvi that just weren't cashed. This line deserved much better tonight.


Eager
- I continue to be impressed by Eager. In addition to his keeping the Minnesota agitators occupied, he broke up a strong minnesota rush with a nice backcheck in the first, and got himself into good offensive position many times. I hope he's growing as a player and we don't see a regression, because he's very useful right now.

Lander
- Gave it his all in what might be his last NHL game for a while. Some really good offensive and defensive efforts, and also took a beating and kept at it. He'll be back soon and for a long time.

Petrell
- Simple and effective defensive game, as usual.

Whitney
- Showing really well in his return so far. Tonight he played a focused and sound defensive game with some well timed and judged jumps into the rush. Some of the dynamic offensive skills aren't back just yet but the fundamentals are there.

Potter
- Just keeps on impressing. Despite some small signs of nervousness early tonight, he settled right back in and played quite well.

Gilbert
- Aggressive physically and offensively tonight...another guy who probably should have scored. He gave the puck away a couple of times but other than that was excellent.

Smid
- Skated the puck out of some really difficult spots flawlessly and played a solid, physical game.

Sutton
- Quite good tonight actually, as he made some good puck choices other than 1 pass to absolutely no one, played physically and kept things sane around the goalie.

Barker
- He's playing like a very talented guy with absolutely zero confidence. He's getting by, playing simple with checking and some decent passing, but that's nowhere near all that he is. Good enough tonight.

Khabibulin
- The best I've seen him for almost the whole game tonight. He was aggressive, loose and active the whole game. I didn't think Minnesota had a chance with him playing like that, which is what made it all the more shocking to see him leave his five hole exposed with 2 seconds to go by cheating to the other side of the net with one leg and not covering with his stick...we found a way some how. Other than that 2 seconds, he was sublime.
-------

Another thing that didn't help us at all tonight was the pathetic reffing. We should have drawn at least 4-6 extra powerplays with the hard work we were doing and got nothing. It was pathetic right down to that moronic linesman screwing up so many icing calls.


Frustrating night guys...this team should have at least 4 wins by now.

EDMONTON 3

VS.

NASHVILLE 1
----------------

*I almost forgot to add this* In what was nearly another freakish injury that only the Oilers could suffer...as the oil derrick was being raised to the rafters, something went wrong and it went swinging into the bench. Only quick thinking and players either getting out of the way or stopping it with their hands stopped someone from likely getting hurt. No idea what happened but boy were those ever a few tense moments as it wobbled up to the roof.

Alright, I'm hoping that through this report and the subsequent discussion in this thread that we can figure out exactly what went on tonight. I'm torn between two possibilities: that the Oilers were simply taking their time and waiting to be dominant in the third period, or were rather average for two period then simply played a little bit better and Nashville was bad most of the game. Which was it?

The thing is, and we've been on the wrong end of this way too often, sometimes good teams just lay in wait. They play iffy, within one or two goal hockey for 2 periods, or maybe even 50 minutes, then they crank it up and beat you before you knew what happened. We had a string of about 9 consecutive shifts where our top 3 lines battered Nashville in wave after wave like they'd just arbitrarily decided to crank up the volume. It was something else to watch because those lines aren't even the best we can throw out there and they sure looked good for a while. We'd also managed to keep ourselves in the game to that point and allow Nashville about 1 grade A scoring chance the whole game. That's not something I'm used to. The evidence seems to be pointing to the fact that we might actually be starting to become a good hockey team...scary I know.

As I watched, I kept thinking that maybe Nashville is just horrible. They were indeed missing Erat and Fisher, but the other skilled players they have, as well as their pests like Tootoo (who I didn't even realize was playing until seeing him getting ready for a faceoff in the third period) were completely invisible. We certainly negated them to a great extent tonight with an excellent puck-control game from many of our forwards, but did we really outplay them or did they just have absolutely nothing? I kept expecting our lack of offence in the first and second to bite us in the butt, but then there's the 2-1 and we're not letting up...what happened?!?!

The D were pretty good in one of the bigger turnaround games I've seen in some time. Looks like having Petry in on Saturday might have been enough to get us the win. They were not superstars, but they made the plays they needed to and really only got beat badly once (and even that was on a good choice pinch by Gilbert that caught a bad break).

Our forwards in the third period were simply something else. I could watch most of that any night of the week. The scary thing is, there are still a bunch of guys stuck on zero. We have at least 4 guys who are due for a breakout. That means that if we can hold the line on D (and with Whitney coming back the chances of that improve greatly), we should be able to string along some wins.

It is true that we're still not scoring a lot of goals and that maybe finishing is a bit of an issue for this team at present, but you saw the pieces of the tumbler start to click into place tonight. Things started happening with lanes and passes and angles and it looks like the door is about to swing WIDE open. This could get very fun in a big hurry. Here's hoping that third period was just the start.
-------------

Hall-Hopkins-Eberle
- For two periods these guys were the main positive piece. They weren't setting the world on fire, but they were moving the puck well and getting decent chances. Eberle specifically should have scored before the 40 minute mark. I really hope he's not getting frustrated and is able to take solace in the fact that aside from plays he's forcing to try and make offence, he's still playing excellent hockey. He's moving the puck, skating well and getting in position for goals. Once he gets just one (which is why they tried to feed him with the EN and Hall gave him a bit of a pick me up chat on the way to the bench), he's going to get a bunch because he's still ahead of just about every play. What Hall did much better tonight was add more side-to-side skating to his game, choose better shots, give Hopkins more of the puck carrying duties, and used his speed in the offensive zone to make puck retrievals rather than wasting it on skating down the wing and taking harmless shots. It was great to see him get the powerplay goal on a sublime feed from Hopkins after a great shot-sell with Horcoff in position to screen, but it was actually more important that he was keeping plays alive in the offensive zone and making passes to his two gifted linemates, This is one of the things Hall can to at an absolutely elite level and yet sometimes he gets away from it. I hope he sticks to it. When it comes to Hopkins, I've come around fast. Even though he wasn't spectacular in the same way as the other night, he looked so much like he was in the right place. NSH really adjusted to cover him and it just didn't matter at all. He made the plays anyway. He nearly forced his way into goals at least twice and made some excellent little defensive plays. I knew it would take some time to see what this guy has, but didn't think it would go this fast and this obviously. Make no mistake, Hall and Eberle will be excellent, but I think Hopkins is the first guy I'm looking at and saying "he'll be a 100 point man. Period". He just pulls the play into him and makes things happen. Awesome that we have a #1 C.

Paajarvi-Belanger-Omark
- Belanger seemed to pick up a lot more of what the Swedes want to do on the ice tonight. It's great to see he can adapt quickly and go to the right positions and lanes. He's certainly not operating at that skill level and never will, but he did what he could and provided adequate support. Magnus was able for the first time this season to really crank up his skating and drive the net a couple times which was great to see. I think he's overdue for some goals at this point and will do some good things very quickly. Omark had his best game of the season. Aside from two very short one and a half shift stretches where he was a little iffy and got pushed around a bit, he was just excellent. There is no one besides him on this hockey team who can do what he did to Weber in the corner in the first period. Watching a man that small take Weber to school and make plays like that was just absurd. Then later on he makes a through the legs saucer pass to almost set up a goal, gets an excellent one-timer off, and makes a few other really excellent plays and at least two very solid safe dump plays in the third period. The man gets the little things right.

Eager-Lander-Petrell
- Ben Eager's first game as an Oiler was a positive for sure. He skated well, tried to be physical even if the chance didn't really arise, should have drawn a penalty and held up on two occasions where he could have taken a penalty (one a hit he had lined up but the player was in a vulnerable position, the other a play where he'd been wronged and though about kneeing the guy in return). I liked what I saw from him to the point where I would have given him a shift or two with Smyth and Horcoff to see if that would work. His speed and style is more suited to them than Jones. Lander held his own for sure. I think it is a foregone conclusion that he's soon headed to OKC, but he is certainly not making glaring mistakes or looking out of place; he's just not quite up to speed yet and thus can't seem to create much. Petrell is doing his job and made some good defensive stops and a couple hits tonight, but he's not finding the extra gear he needs to find if he wants to stay. You have to be a very very good specialist to have the job he's auditioning for in the NHL, and he's just a good one.

Smyth-Horcoff-Jones
- Let's start with Jones and I really hate to be the guy bagging on him because I'm not a stats guy and that's who was all over him last year, but I have to be honest and say he's making way too many mistakes out there. The most glaringly obvious ones are the numerous times tonight where he got caught standing still as the puck passed him and he wound up WAY out of position, usually at our defensive blue line. He also make a huge mistake late, sending a free puck up the boards from behind his own net and allowing NSH to set up the attack. He made this same kind of play, always while he had time to make a better one, on a few occasions tonight. He also wasn't in good enough offensive position to take advantage of the game Smyth and Horcoff were playing. Sure he called for the puck a bunch (you could really hear him yelling out there) and it is good that he wants to be involved like that, but he was a stride off the rush and couldn't capitalize on too much of anything. He's too impatient with the puck and also isn't hitting people. I really don't want to be this negative, but I'm not seeing a lot of good from him. I'd also like to address the EN goal, which nearly gave all of us heart attacks...why Smyth passed I have no idea. He had a clear net and no excuse not to finish the thing and have it over with. Instead, he makes a risky pass to Jones...who makes an even riskier pass to the only forward who's nearly being checked (Horcoff), who thankfully doesn't smack it into the defender's shin pads and finds Jones to end it. That was a weird sequence that I hope will never be repeated. In the end it looked pretty, but it had all the makings of the famous Smyth icing vs. LA disaster and the last thing I need is that flash back. Horcoff's pass to Smyth to set up the second goal may have been the pass of his life. For once he tried something different, and connected on a saucer perfectly. To a man, absolutely everyone was wondering why he was slowing down because he never makes that pass...but he did. That's my favorite video game move BTW...to hit the streaking winger like that. Smyth scored as only he can and the party was on. There can be no doubt, these guys are the minute-eaters and when re-joined by Hemsky we are very likely to have 2 excellent forward lines, a solid supporting line and a very very very good 4th unit. If Smyth and Horcoff can keep things up as they did tonight and be that reliable and simple (despite some usual Horcoff awkwardness), we'll be alright up front. I also want to tip my hat again to #10 for the screen play he made before Hopkins' pass to Hall for the first goal...that was very very smart. Very good game for 94 and 10. As an aside - the crowd thought Smyth was the obvious 1st star choice and had begun chanting for him.

Khabibulin
- He did what was asked of him tonight. The goal wasn't great but it was also mainly caused by a defensive breakdown and there wasn't much he can do. Not enough shots to say he was great, but it does take a decent amount of focus to play well in such a quiet game.

I'll be honest BTW, I had a night where I was preoccupied with the forward units and might have missed some D stuff. Feel free to fill in.

Gilbert-Smid
- Our best pair again despite the GA. Gilbert is really pushing the offence and hitting right now...almost to a fault as one of his pinches went into our net (mostly bad break though and could very well have been a goal for us) and he hit his way out of position at least twice. I would much rather he not worry about the hitting and stick to strong positioning while being aggressive on the offence. He makes a positive difference when he's not required to be the defensive stalwart, which is what Smid was doing for him tonight.

Petry-Barker
- Petry showed why he needs to be in the lineup, as he had a strong night on the puck and made a couple strong, key defensive plays late in the game. He's very smart and skilled at using his body to break up the play in key instances and rarely makes a subsequent bad decision with the puck. Very valuable guy. Barker probably had his best game in that he made some good passes, hit some people, was generally mean and only got caught out of position a couple times. Good stuff.

Sutton-Potter
- I'm not sure you can find a way to send Potter down at this point. Even though he wasn't as good as in game 1, he moved the puck well, went to the right spots and absolutely wasn't a liability. That's good stuff from a bottom pairing dman. Sutton...I still have problems with him even on his stronger nights. He made at least 2 ill advised pinches and got beat to some pucks in races he should have won very very easily. I hope it is he they take out when Whitney returns...but I'm doubting it.
--------------

Lot of fun at the rink tonight and great to come away with a win despite some uncertainty early. Hoping the scoring floodgates open for Eberle, Paajarvi and Omark tomorrow in Calgary!

LMHF Report - Game #2

EDMONTON 3

VS.

VANCOUVER 4
-----------------

I think we learned a lot about our team tonight, which is probably a good thing so early in the year. If we were intent upon competing, we'd know a lot and be able to adjust already. I'm not too sure that we're even at the stage of coaching to compete yet (though it certainly isn't so blatantly coaching to lose as last season) and we're definitely not managing to win, but we could make adjustments at this stage.

What has become abundantly clear is our D is terrible. Utterly terrible. I know we were already fairly convinced of this but a game like tonight shows it big-time. In addition to struggling in the defensive zone on several occasions tonight, there were so few solid breakout and rush passes made by the D, that the forwards had to do all the legwork and were worn out by the third period. Most of the efforts from our forward crew tonight were excellent and yet it was for nothing because of the effort of the guys defending our goal.

I really hate losing to those jerks and we didn't deserve that tonight. In addition to our shots there were a large number of chances generated that we just couldn't pull the trigger on. I suspect that several of our forwards will be more angry than disappointed tonight and that's part of our evolution as a team.

Looking at the goals Vancouver was able to score isn't particularly pretty. Dubnyk struggled with bad rebounds all night, creating many extra chances for the opposition including Salo's first. It's no excuse for the cover team not having their man, but he can't be letting the puck bounce out into prime territory and that happened on several occasions. The first goal also had another theme we'd see later: Sutton and Peckham standing around doing a whole lot of nothing.

On the second goal things weren't pretty either, but again Dubnyk had a chance to end the play and whiffed on an attempt to glove the puck, leading to an easy goal. Normally despite what's going on around him, he traps those pucks.

The third goal was created through multiple mistakes by Andy Sutton again. Where on the first goal he blew a faceoff win, then spun around, then missed a puck, on the third goal he nearly took a penalty, took his eyes off the play and a hand off his stick, then totally blew his coverage. The man in more useless than a pylon...Horcoff was also beaten badly on this play, but it shouldn't have mattered too much.

The fourth goal began with a completely boneheaded turnover by Theo Peckham. Even if he'd made the pass he was attempting, it would likely have been directly onto a Canuck stick and the best we could have hoped for would've been a big save. Cam Barker was in on this one too, losing his stick, standing around not knowing what to do, not getting it when he had the chance, then diving in front of a puck and hindering Dubnyk's efforts to stop the winner. Straight out of a horror film.

So the unfortunate reality we face is that three of our defencemen need to be sat...great...

-------

Dubnyk
- As noted, this was not a strong night for him and that's pretty tragic with #93's hat trick and being on HNIC and everything. He's played so well so far this year and I really don't know where all the rebound issues came from tonight, but the Canucks really could have had some more goals on those rebounds combined with a half-horrid D. I'm hoping he bounces back soon and doesn't let this game get in his kitchen. On the plus side, he was pretty strong on the puck tonight, and has become more confident and aggressive in this area lately.

Gilbert
- I was amazed he's only listed at just over 26 minutes tonight because Gilbert was everywhere. Without him they get absolutely thrashed tonight. GIlbert passed well (though even he struggled at times with hitting players in stride out of the defensive zone), hit a bunch of people, positioned himself well in the defensive zone and pushed the offensive side of things harder than I've seen him do in a LONG time. This kind of game is what he's capable of and he was excellent. Really sad that we can't have him hitting #3 in a strong defensive order. His pass-shot on Hopkins second goal was a really nice shooting choice and something that Tom hasn't done near enough of lately.

Smid
- Very ably supported #77's very strong night by being a very steady and defensively strong partner. I didn't see as much with the puck out of Smid as I would've liked, but nothing really to complain about. Smid always bring a little extra physicality to the games versus VAN and tonight was not exception, as he was always right in the face of their forwards in front of the net. He's been really solid so far.

Potter
- A very pleasant surprise tonight. As advertised, Potter was really solid in terms of passing, getting shots away and moving with the puck (including probably the weirdest looking shot fake I've ever seen) in the offensive zone. He really brought a dynamic that we were lacking in previous games. He was also very solid in his defensive zone for much of the night as well, which was more than I expected of him. He blocked several shots and passes, as well as staying in very solid defensive position throughout almost all of the night. If things operated solely on merit, he'd have passed several Oilers defenders tonight and be a lock for the lineup and significant minutes on Monday.

Peckham
- Theo is away from the strengths of his game right now in that he's not lining up big hits and sticking to simple defence and good skating. Instead he's trying to be perfect, unaggressive and make better plays with the puck than he's currently capable of. Though he wasn't playing with a strong partner tonight, there's still no excuse for missing assignments, turning the puck over, and not taking any shots at the Canuck forwards. I've let Theo slide for a time now because I thought he'd find his way again rather easily, but the thing is that I'm not really seeing any positive signs in his game these days. He's looking like a #7 and that's it...which would be very disappointing.

Sutton
- At least Theo isn't playing as bad as Mr. Pylon. The biggest impression you're left with from Sutton when watching him play, and especially after a night like tonight, is that he just isn't very smart. He gets into situations where he needs to react quickly and instead loses focus, panics or seems to be not paying attention at all. He did his best ballerina impression around the puck several times tonight including at least two plays that cost us. We probably have no choice but to play him right now, but he is hurting the team with both his defensive play and his complete and utter inability to move the puck effectively. At least he had a half-decent fight I guess...though I will always remember him as the pansy who wouldn't fight Laraque and went after Eric Brewer instead.

Barker
- He's also not showing any positive signs. He pinched several times tonight, but did so with no urgency or focus and thus came up with no result. He also almost caused a goal by getting caught on a pinch...then got caught again the very next rush. He's not getting his shot through, isn't hitting people and isn't making strong passes save for a couple each game. Is it possible for talent to just rot away in such a young player, never to be seen again? It might just be all gone right now. Marc-Andre Bergeron sure would look good in his role right now...

Hordichuk
- Well, he's got his first truly embarrassing Oiler moment under his belt after taking a goofy-looking run at a Canucks defenceman and getting sidestepped and injured. I liked what Hordichuk did in the preseason, but he can't be acting silly. He's effective when he makes in-position hits to get the puck or send a message, not when he tries to turn the whole tide by charging at some guy.

Lander
- He was okay and showed strong fundamentals like he always does, but I will be very happy when Sam's ready because #57 just isn't quite ready. He's still a little bit behind every play, can't break away from checkers and while he slows the game down very well, he doesn't make a ton of effective puck olays at the NHL level just yet. It will come.

Petrell
- While he struggled a bit early with positioning and a bit too much excitement, he settled down and made his time count. Canucks players knew they were going to get hit when he was chasing the puck, and he was generally strong defensively. It is a little bit weird watching such a specialized player, but the fact that he's big and can skate makes up for a lot. What you see on the ice in games like this is a talent player that could be molded into a specialist who's effective at the NHL for a few years. Whether we are up to that task is an open question.

Omark
- Linus had a really nice game tonight despite fairly limited ice-time and was unfortunately not rewarded. Whether it was his lovely flip pass to spring Paajarvi, his drag-and-shoot move that nearly fooled Luongo in the second, the jump out-skate-to-stick-and-pass-out-front play he made from behind the Canucks net, or the myriad of other offensive plays he made, it was very impressive. He also won corner battles as is par for the course when he's playing, but also did so in his defensive zone on a couple of occasions. This is a very positive sign because I'm quite convinced that #23 could become a truly excellent winger in the defensive zone by combining his great corner work with improved defensive awareness and positioning. Great first steps to bigger things if that's what was happening tonight. Other than a couple wonky passes, very nice game.

Paajarvi
- Renney shows that he is comfortable with Magnus by playing him a ton of minutes already. I understand this because he's such a solid hockey player, but I wonder if it is hurting his offensive game a little but. I didn't see any creativity from him tonight in the offensive zone, and he started to look very tired in the third period. I also think #91 has the tendency to get locked into an overly simple game and stray away from attempting to generate and capitalize on offence. This often meant that Belanger was in more opportune offensive position than Paajarvi, and unfortunately he's not exactly a finisher. So, I don't really think there's an issue with how Magnus played, but how he is being played. He needs to be reminded to attack, especially if they're going to keep him pasted to Omark, because the chances will come.

Belanger
- It's becoming clearer that he is indeed the type of player that winning teams have on their roster. He's very positionally sound and while not offensively gifted, he makes smart decisions and that was all on display tonight. I have a feeling most of my reports about him will be short because he doesn't even make spectacular defensive plays...but on nights like tonight that's because he didn't have to make them. That's good. I will be relieved though when he is our fourth line C with significant PK time instead of trying to be pivot for an offensive line.

Jones
- In way over his head tonight. He gave the puck away too much, was too slow to be effective on the rush and often got caught not knowing where to go, standing still, or even facing the wrong way waiting for a pass that would never come during one weird sequence in the third period. I don't mean to bag on the guy too hard, but he needs to get back to the basics of his game and start hitting some people and being aggressive on the forecheck. When he is elevated in the lineup he tends to get away from this and his play suffers, which is what happened tonight.

Smyth
- While I appreciate both Smyth's defensive efforts and the fact that he did indeed move the puck ahead on the ice tonight, there are some areas in which he needs to improve. These penalties need to be less frequent and he especially needs to control his stick. Including tonight that's already a couple times he's taken that penalty and there could have been more tonight. He's not skating enough and is using his stick too much. With that said, really good effort to control the Van players he was up against tonight. That was his job and he did it. I bet if they've got Hemsky on the wing, they get a goal or two.

Horcoff
- Some very good moments and some not so great moments for Horcoff tonight. As noted, he totally blew his coverage on one of the goals, and he really wasn't generating any offence 5-on-5 tonight. He did make a nifty (even if awkward) play that led to a goal on the powerplay point, and seemed to survive in that role going back and forth with Eberle. Like Smyth, Horcoff took on a big defensive assignment tonight and was most quite good with specific kudos to his work in the faceoff circle.

Eberle
- While most of the attention tonight will go to Hopkins, Jordan Eberle somewhat quietly had one of his best games as an Oiler. He stirred the drink out there tonight. He was the guy that identified very early on that #93 looked on and made it his mission to get him the puck for the rest of the night, doing so beautifully. He set up the first goal directly and the second through a sublime little play along the boards that got the puck to Gilbert. It was unfortunate that he couldn't pull the trigger on some of the goal scoring chances he got for himself including the one right near the end of the game that slid just past his stick. Eberle was positionally perfect, moving his feet like crazy and physical all night as well. Just a sublime effort.

Hall
- He was certainly better than he's been on other nights and especially in the passing department as he finally connected on some tonight. There was a little less rushing down the wing and a little more loop and look to his game. I still don't know why he keeps shooting five hole though...these are NHL goalie Taylor and you're a top shelf shooter anyway. Great driving to the net though and much better positioning from Taylor tonight. Anyone got a read on why he's falling so much though? It's awkward to watch such a talented player do that. He'd be served well if they set him up in a shooting position a little more in the offensive zone than is going on right now. One thing I really liked from him tonight was that he took an absolute beating from the Canucks and just kept coming back for more; he does not quit. Ever.

Hopkins
- Well wow, I must admit I didn't see this coming so much. Hopkins isn't like a lot of other dominant players you'll see in that he doesn't really come at you like a freight train. In some ways he was like Mike Comrie when he was really really on his game tonight...he just went to the exact, perfect area, set up shop and the puck came to him. It usually happened quite quickly and didn't look like it, but I bet it felt that way. He had so much time and space even after his goals, it was amazing to watch. The puck came towards him like a magnet and his moves were always quick and deft. Aside from the goals he made some excellent passes and read specifically well off of what Eberle was doing tonight. There were even some defensive plays in there and a couple missed chances including a break he passed up in the second when he only had 2 (still don't understand the decision to go to Hall there, I would smacked him on the side of the helmet and said FINISH KID! if I were his coach or linemate in that instance. Don't dish when you're on fire like that...shoot it. It'd be great if we had a guy who is already in Luongo's head. While you can't expect this from him every night, the thing I really noticed is that Hopkins is very very difficult to contain. Even after that Canucks had identified him as having a great game and assigned extra priority checking, he still got free and made plays. That's dangerous. His is a subtle game that I'll miss on some nights, but boy is he ever good and especially with Eberle. If you could get Hemsky onto that line as well and let Hall run with another line that's more north-south, I think we'd be in the money big-time. What a joy to watch #93 make it look so easy tonight.
------------

If I had to pick another issue besides the personnel on D I'd have to go with the coaching. Renney made some odd decisions late in periods and in defensive situations, as well as not getting some of his offensive guys out as much as he should. Jones playing with 94 and 10 was a total miscue...that winger has to provide supplementary offence and be somewhat dynamic whereas Jones is a puck-pusher when he's at his best. We need to be in this to win. I absolutely hate losing to the Canucks, all the more when we deserve better. So close folks...

LMHF Report - Game 1!

EDMONTON 2

VS.

PITTSBURGH (The Pengs according to the scoreboard...ECH!) 1

In a freaking shootout....
----------------------------

For those of us who have forgotten somewhat, the point is to win the game. You PLAY to WIN the GAME. We did tonight and it really would've felt bad otherwise. Not only because the game wasn't particularly spectacular, but because we seem to be really really solid in season openers and for a while I thought this one might not turn out that way. I must confess that despite our abundant offensive talent, the lack of scoring is starting to worry me some. It looked as if they were having a difficult time in the preseason, but I was thinking that wouldn't carry over. The Pens D wasn't THAT good was it? We had a really hard time getting anything into prime scoring territory most of the game other than powerplays.

Speaking of the Pens for a moment...Kris Letang is one heck of a player. Anything the Pens did tonight he seemed to be in on. Sure don't remember him being that amazing last time we played them.

For those who are interested in these things; they went light on the pre-game show this year, sticking with player intros and the like rather than freaky acrobats or strange music. I thought that was a solid choice. Not having Paul there to sing the national anthem just isn't the same; I don't mind Samantha King but I don't see her voice as even somewhat iconic, whereas Paul singing O Canada IS my national anthem.

In the first period we had a pleasant surprise...ORGAN MUSIC! I actually requested it on my survey. Combine that with the NO ACROBATS in bold letters and maybe they actually read mine and took a shot? hahaha

The game didn't start out with a lot of pop, which was kind of disappointing. If Ryan Smyth had managed to put his patented World's Ugliest Slapshot top shelf on the first real rush, it would've been something special. The reaction to his return was deafening and the fans made him tear up a bit. Allowing the first goal of the year on what looked like a pretty harmless play was unfortunate for Dubnyk, who was on his way to a simply excellent evening of goaltending. It was great to see him start on merit and play solidly without any signs of nerves. The crowd was dead at this point though. It was a game without a lot of flow and Renney didn't seem to be able to get his effective units on the ice in any kind of a sequence that would allow them to make a difference. I'm guessing he was frustrated. The combo that showed immediately that it will work is the 4-93-83 unit on the powerplay; they were very good from their very first shift and will terrorize opposing PK units if allowed to remain together. When Whitney returns to QB that, they're in the money. Speaking of the D...frightening...but to the home fans. We had some scary times behind our own goal line tonight.

In the second it became apparent that this season may include a lot more stickwork. I don't know if it was just the Pens but there was a ton of hacking and slashing tonight almost to the point of it looking like a university game. This occurs because fighting isn't allowed down there, but I'm wondering if toning down the amount of allowable hitting will result in more stickwork. It sure looked that way tonight. For anyone interested...they still have that stupid ESSO race promo...though less people cheered thank gawd.

The third period was a little bit better than the first two. We seemed to be getting more cracks 5-on-5 even if they weren't great ones, we tied the game and we killed off Smyth's "5 minute major" (which was an utter load of crap, I've just seen the replay now. No one in the building had any idea what happened) thanks to some excellent efforts.

SO was fairly predictable. They seemed to identify Johnson's glove and attack. Omark woulda made it three-for-three but the puck stuck to his blade a touch too long.
------------------

Dubnyk
- He was excellent tonight. Calm, composed, positioned himself well and just let the play come to him. While the Pens weren't exactly buzzing, they did get some good chances and he shut them down. He'd better start the next one.

Sutton
- Made at least three horrible plays tonight. One was an own zone giveaway in the second that nearly result in a goal, another was a terrible dump up the boards in his own zone to absolutely no one while he had time (this was in the third), another was an ill-advised pinch and I'm guessing there were more. The problem I see in Sutton's game that was evident tonight is that while he positions himself well initially, he is unable to use that position to his advantage through skating, power, or puck access. He just can't capitalize for whatever reason and I don't quite understand. Most guys can't set up and then try to chase the play to make up for it, but he seems to have a problem with the play. Also chases too much, but ALL the Oilers D were guilty of that tonight.

Gilbert
- While Tom didn't make glaring defensive mistakes in terms of missed coverages tonight, he did also give the puck away a couple times in less than pressured circumstances and managed to get away with it thanks to teammates and goalie. This was not the more confident Tom we saw late in the pre-season which was unfortunate. He didn't have a lot of offensive confidence and thus didn't make the difference we need him to on the opposition blue line. What Gilbert almost always manages to do though is be solid enough...losses are very rarely on him.

Smid
- The most notable thing from Smid tonight was the game-saving extra effort shift he gave right near the end of the long PK. He gave everything he had, succeeded and the crowd gave him a huge ovation for it. Also, despite taking a couple shots and a puck to a rather sensitive area, he forged on and finished what was a pretty solid and complete game. This could really be the year he shines.

Barker
- I was worried Barker wouldn't get away with the mistakes he was making in the preseason when the games mattered and I think I was proven right in my worry tonight. Barker just isn't disciplined enough with the puck or his positioning and that causes trouble many times over for him. It's very weird to watch because you know you're looking at a talented player, then he does something kind of incomprehensible with the puck or an attacker and you're just baffled. He also didn't push the play on the powerplay, which will need to be his main asset to this team. Hopefully he finds whatever he's looking for, but there were some times tonight when his play was downright scary.

Peckham
- Fairly quiet game from Theo. The Pens were really hitting and sticking and I thought guys like Theo would respond with a big hit or six, but none were to be found really. He also tipped that puck into his own net...oops. I liked that he got the puck to the opposition net and created chances a couple times, which is something he needs to do more of (his shot is underrated). Theo will always be a bit of a chaser on the blue line, and it's all about how focused he is when we're talking about whether he has a good game or not. I'd rate him at medium tonight because of the aforementioned, and because he wasn't strong behind his own net.

Petry
- Had a great chance to win the game and rang it off the bar (which was even sadder because it was a beauty play, read and shot). He had what I'd describe as a very mature game tonight in that he sure didn't look like the least experienced member of the D-crew. He was in his position for the most part and fairly confident/aggressive most of the night. Whenever he stays confident he's a positive contributor to the games. It's never really a question of talent.

Hemsky
- Ales is still the best offensive player on this team. Tonight he made a number of excellent passes and reads to put his teammates in position to score, cashed in on the SO and probably should've opened the scoring on a nice little rush that ended in a stick lift. Ales made himself the rusher a few times tonight and that worked out. He also moved around on the powerplay and made things work from behind and in front of the net, which is where he's most effective. What Ales will have to get used to is having fast linemates who can think as quickly as he can. There were times tonight where Ales' natural reaction to slow down and wait for the slow-pokes who can't read offensive rushes kicked in, only to see 4 and 93 hurtling forwards. Once he picks that up, knocks off a little rust (he lost the puck a few times tonight and looked a little like he hadn't played enough yet) and locks in, that line is going to be tremendous. They're already elite-looking on the powerplay.

Hopkins
- He looked a little overmatched or nervous early on, getting knocked around a bit, making a couple defensive mistakes with the puck and taking a penalty (along with another play or two that could have been as well) but after that he settled in. I hope his goal (which at first it didn't look like he knew he'd scored) locks him in and makes him realize he just has to play his game. On the PP, you can see the magic, but it may take him some time to settle 5-on-5 and I'm not sure he's going to be able to play with strong linemates for that time because while Hall and Hemsky have strong shoulders, that could be a decent bit of carrying. I'm not saying I didn't like his game because you can certainly see a lot of skill and strength there (the goal, drawing a penalty, moving quickly on reads and being in the right places) but he will of course have to put in a bunch of work this year.

Hall
- Taylor is doing one of the things I find rather difficult to assess in that he's creating a bunch of chances but not taking advantage of them and not looking particularly dangerous when he attempts to. He's also shooting 5-hole far too much, which is apparently something Fredric Chabot told them last year (and a horrible piece of advice) and this is leading to harmless shots on net that also aren't generating rebounds. So...he's playing...well, but not actually creating goals. It's strange. What I do like is that he is making a point to attempt hits, get in people's faces a little bit and put others on notice that he won't be pushed around. This is something he's very capable of and needs to continue doing.

Hordichuk
- Didn't see enough of him tonight. He should have either been out there early setting the tone or responding when the Pens upped their physical game. I don't really understand putting him on the bench when you're not going to play him. He could have been useful tonight.

Lander
- Kind of stuck under the 3 offensive lines tonight which is perfectly fine. You don't really want Lander to have to have a great game in order for us to win. I thought he was just a smidge off the NHL pace in terms of reads, but he made up for it with talent and positioning smarts. Renney trusted him with a late PK shift tonight and he didn't disappoint which was good to see. I was kind of surprised he didn't get a chance in the SO as I believe he has a reputation as a solid shooter there.

Jones
- Not bad and not great. He was chasing the puck more than controlling in, but also made some chances happen and wasn't too bad on the PK. Workmanlike effort and I liked that he got back to some of the hitting and agitating that sometimes go missing from his game.

Smyth
- Where he makes the most difference seems to be on the PK. I didn't much like his powerplay line even if we finally have someone in front of the net, and his 5-on-5 was smart but not exactly dynamic, but on the PK he's so much better than the rest of our scrap that he probably helped in a big way to get the win tonight. You can imagine the terror we all felt when it was he who missed the 5-minute PK at the end of the game. I don't know what the refs thought they were doing...but they were inconsistent all night anyway and this is sadly par for the course. One thing that's completely true is that the fans love having #94 back...it also seems that he will help us win games...which is good for us who've been suffering for several years now even if we aren't exactly massive Ryan Smyth fans.

Belanger
- I'm going to have to watch his game a little closer to get a read...I suspect he's kind of like a defensive defenceman in that if your main recollection is not really having noticed him then that's probably not a bad thing. Belanger got some offensive chances too; some that ended in ugly and sad attempts while others were okay, but he will be judged by his faceoff prowess and his D, and it appears he did okay with that as well as his PK tonight. I'd like to see a move to make him clearly 4th line C though, as he did seem to be holding back some of his offensively talented linemates tonight.

Eberle
- He should have played more, pure and simple. His line also didn't seem to fit his game, either on the PP or 5-on-5. He was the main person I was thinking of when I said that Renney struggled some tonight. Eberle's a big moment guy and didn't really see the chance to grab many of them tonight. I hope he's on a line more suited to his talents shortly, and if not, I hope he starts getting double-shifted some. Did I miss any great chances he had or was there really not much of anything from him tonight? As always though, his "off games" are simply games where he's not excellent. He's almost never bad.

Horcoff
- I see he did really well on the faceoff dot tonight, which is of course great. Positionally he was solid and made a difference that way. He still cuts into the middle and messes up his offensive rushes though. I really don't know if he'll last with the Swedes as it's just such a different style of game. I also don't like Horcoff on the PK as he tends to misplay his position and that happened again tonight. Overall though, he was a positive force in the game. Is it possible we could use him only at 5-on-5 where he seems to succeed?

Omark
- Kind of like Eberle, he didn't get enough of a chance to show his game tonight. What time he did play was pretty solid, and it was interesting to watch how smoothly he and Magnus interchange positions on the PP, but he needs some time to work his magic during a game. His trademark board play was certainly on display, including a lovely sequence where he got knocked down, gloved it to himself and made the play anyway. Linus is almost at the stage where he could be added to a line above his weight class at strategic points during the game just to mix up the offensive look.

Paajarvi
- I'm not a fan of him on the PP point and that didn't change tonight. This is because he's an up-and-down skater rather than a lateral movement guy and sometimes struggles to play the position because of this. Elsewhere, I can only really think to say he was solid. He didn't do anything flashy, but he was in position, held the puck, made passes and skated well. No complaints.
-----------

So, one down and we're undefeated. I would have picked us to win tonight with the Pens lineup as it was, but that doesn't make it any less satisfying.

Random tip - If you're looking for a solid new beverage to try, Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey has arrived in Canada; mixed with Coca-Cola (or Pepsi Throwback) it is tremendously delicious.

See you all next game! Sorry for the lateness today...actually went out for a bit after the game for a change.

#1

Advisory - No Game Report Tonight

Good day all,

Sadly I won't be at the game tonight for Ales' return and what looks like a really interesting lineup, so no report tonight.

LMHF Report - Preseason Game #3

EDMONTON 2

VS.

CALGARY 1
-------------

I was a little worried early on that this was going to be just like the Vancouver game all over again. We weren't generating a ton of dangerous offence and were a little lazy. The difference tonight was how the defence played. They moved the puck much more smoothly, effectively and with purpose. They didn't struggle to make simple plays, and coupled that with solid D. They certainly were not perfect, but they were much better and good enough that Khabibulin really only had to make maybe 3-5 good saves. The rest of the limited number of shots he faced were quite weak. Some of the pairs seemed to balance out pretty well and that served to make this a pretty simple win so long as we got some goals. Thankfully we did.

When it comes to Calgary, we didn't get to see much of what they have to offer tonight. Bourque scored on us because he always does, and Sven did some interesting things, but other than that they're a pretty bland squad. I imagine they'll have a decent squad on the ice tomorrow night.

It was interesting that Yann Danis is still here but doesn't appear to be set to play another minute. I'm assuming this is so that there are goalies for two practice squads worth of teams possibly? I would have liked to have seen him get some time tonight.

As a unit, the forwards generated more chances and were in more useful combinations than in the previous two home games. Gagner's injury screwed things up a little bit but the coaching staff seemed to manage. What I don't understand is why they just run the same old lines out on the powerplay as 5-on-5. That's never acceptable, yet we've done it now all of last season essentially and during the preseason. Tonight that meant that we kept seeing guys like Jones and Belanger on the PP. Not effective and serves no purpose whatever.

There should be some cuts after this, and I really hope they are the appropriate ones.

-----------------

Khabibulin
- I have to admit he was good tonight; he controlled his positioning and made the saves he needed to make. The goal he allowed was pretty bad but thankfully it didn't kill us. I have to give him credit, but the scout in me who watches a lot more than one game knows that while he has these games in him, they are few and far between. There aren't any indications that he's either changing his approach or improving in any way. We can always hope (but I'm not optimistic, even though I'm always optimistic).

Tulupov
- He was paired with Barker tonight and he could certainly have had some trouble playing with such an offensively aggressive partner and been excused for it. He really didn't. He stayed in position (almost to a fault) and provided a steady defensive game and steady puck movement. I wish he'd pinched in and taken a run at somebody, because he had forwards covering for him a couple times. I appreciate the attention to detail and desire not to get caught, but you also need to learn to harness your aggression and take a shot once in a while. He was steady on the PP blue line as well. You might have seen him get knocked down from time to time, but don't be fooled; this doesn't always mean you're getting overpowered. Sometimes it is honestly easier to just bounce back up again than fight to stay up. I used to use this to avoid getting tangled and quickly get back into the play. There's a future ahead for this guy. We should really make room for him.

Barker
- He did some stupid things tonight. He took that strange penalty and at times looked to be skating a fair bit more slowly than he should be. On the other hand, he keeps taking chances and keeps not getting caught. This may be a function of his opposition, but if it isn't, then we have something really handy because he'll be able to be aggressive; especially late in games when we're behind. One thing he's going to need to do is not shoot so much on the PP. He often rushes the shot, leading to a lot of blocks, missed passes and easy stops for the opposition goalie. The stupid fans among us who yell SHOOT will love him.

Peckham
- Theo is struggling a little bit. He's not landing a lot of big hits, is getting caught out of position a bunch and isn't making solid moves with the puck. It didn't cost us tonight but he's really going to need to watch it because his spot is not completely assured going forward. He progressed last year but really needs to keep his foot on the accelerator. His skills are somewhat limited and it will always require attention and hard work for him to be good. He can't be coasting.

Petry
- He had almost the exact same game as he had last game, just amplified. In the first period he was running around some, getting caught out of position and gave the puck away multiple times. It really wasn't good to watch. But it seemed like for the second and third a switch flipped and he locked things down and just made plays. This is certainly the story of most young and talented defencemen, just in different degrees. I'm not worried about Petry, but I do tend to wish we didn't need him on the squad so badly. He's still developing.

Gilbert
- Improved again tonight. He was engaging in some of the physical play that people always knock him for and was excellent with the puck save for one mistake early. He was exactly what we needed with Whitney out. It helped that he once again had a defensively focused (mostly) partner of course, but make no mistake, Gilbert was very solid.

Sutton
- I'm going to preface my comments for the year on Sutton by saying I really don't like him. I find him to be the worst type of pansy much of the time when he has to answer for his play; a big guy has no excuse. Tonight he was decent enough defensively and certainly pushed some people around. His giveaways were pretty few and far between and the only thing I can fault him for really are some ill-advised pinches. He doesn't recover well enough to attempt the aggressive plays he sometimes attempts.

Jones
- For the first 39 minutes he was not very good. He gave the puck away a bunch, looked lost at times positionally and was a contributor to Gagner's injury due to an awkward interaction with a Calgary defenceman. After that he scored his goal, and was a much better player. He is being outplayed though by someone further along on tonight's roster, and not by a little.

Keller
- Again, I'm not really sure why he's still here. We know what he is; and he showed again tonight that he's just not far enough along to play in the NHL. He's a little too slow, not quite sturdy enough, and makes some positioning mistakes. Certainly not a bad or untalented player, just not really worth the icetime they're giving him right now.

Martindale
- He's a big, rangy guy who can really move out there and certainly knows where to go. You can tell he's got the tools, but he's still a ways away from being an NHL player. Not having seen enough of him, I don't know if he can correct the mistakes he was making tonight (which were very typical rookie issues and nothing we'd worry about if he weren't surrounded by SO MUCH talent) quickly, but I certainly get the sense he will correct them. He shows sparks and makes some really intelligent plays every now and again.

Lander
- He wasn't really playing in a feature role tonight, which is appropriate because he wouldn't be doing that in our lineup at the moment anyway. The one thing you notice about Lander that he doesn't do is hit people. He had several opportunities to get some guys tonight and always turns away. He doesn't NEED to be laying people out, but it would certainly complete him as a player. He's certainly consistent though in that he makes smart plays, positions himself well, and supports the play well. One unique skill he has in the ability to shoot through the opposition defence very well and have his shot reach the net. Not many guys are great at this, but he seems to be. At the very least, this means he's made a safe play in a situation where some make fairly bad attempts and the puck goes the other way quickly.

Tyrvainen
- He never lets up. There's something about these Finnish and Swedish guys and getting after the puck. They're really pesky and give the opposition nothing but fits. Not only did he do this with his stick, but he hit people and got I think 3 chances at the empty net tonight. He got a decent amount of icetime and made good things happen with it. I think he'll be a strong contributor in OKC and could challenge seriously for a spot in about a year. There's talent and desire there, combined with a strong shot and good stickhandling.

Pitlick
- Of the secondary crop of talented forwards, he's standing out quite a bit because he gets in on the forecheck most effectively and can really really skate. He's not a step behind right now like most of these guys are. He's MAYBE a half-step off. There's a lot going on in his head on the ice but I think as soon as he focuses and has a role, he'll really fly. He made an excellent and smart play during the first people in the neutral zone, but I've honestly forgotten what it is despite making a mental note and trying to remember...damn. Where does he go this year?

Gagner
- Was playing a pretty decent game before he got hurt, which was good to see. Still showed his extra gear, though he didn't hit people in the way he usually does when he's placed on a more checking-oriented unit. Early on both teams were actually backing off of hits which was very strange to see. Sam's in a really strange spot right now and has to play well this year to keep up with what is a wave of talented forwards, most of whom happen to be bigger than he is (which is why the skating power improvement was so important.

Green
- Of all the people I expected to see at Oilers camp this year, Josh Green might have been the last. I'm sure most of us remember him from his previous go-round as the latest "we hope he's what Brad Isbister was supposed to be" kind of guy. I can't say anything bad about him...he played a positionally solid game and drove the net when he got a chance. He certainly didn't do anything special with the puck but he wasn't bad either. If we didn't have all these junior guys and euro depth, he might be needed, but he hasn't shown any real improvement other than maturing, so he's not really relevant to conversation on our roster at the moment. I'm strongly in favor of offering tryout agreements to as many vets wanting another chance as will come though. They push the rooks.

Belanger
- Other than one of the saddest rush plays I've seen that he ended with an incredibly weak backhand on the net, he was quite solid tonight. You can see his positioning is his strong suit and it wins a lot of battles for him. I don't have a lot to say about him, which is probably good because that would mean he's being pushed for too much offence or having to bail us out defensively if he was getting noticed.

Hall
- He was certainly better tonight, even with a couple sequences in the first where he did nothing but turn the puck over. He got a little annoyed and showed some real edge tonight, lining up several hits. Even if he doesn't nail anybody, the assertiveness creates room and he can use it for offence. He's still making the mistake of shooting wide side and missing off the rush...which doesn't generate offence and can lead to rushes for the other team. I was very glad to see him use a combination of positioning, quick reflexes and the strength to direct the puck with a fully extended stick to get the goal he did. He needed it and so did the team, so that's great to see . We haven't got to see Hall with Hemsky yet this preseason and I'd like to see that soon. Hall also tried to run the PP from the half wall a couple times...that's not his thing.

Hopkins
- He was better tonight in that he was more involved with the play, especially in the offensive and neutral zones. There were times he really looked like a kid though...for instance he seems to crouch over when he's trying to hit people. Though I admire the effort, it doesn't work and is a waste of skating energy. He's also reacting a little too slowly in terms of reading the play and heading there. In the offensive zone though, he moved the puck solidly, supported his linemates and made a nice power move and got the puck on net to set up the winning goal. I'm still not sure what the best place for him is...actually that's not true. The best place for him right now would be the AHL. The fact that we are unable to send him there is a problem that should be addressed (but won't any time soon). You can see that he's capable of being elite, but he's not the impact player right out of the hopper that Eberle or Hall were. Appreciate the solid defensive plays he made.

Hartikainen
- First off, the radio guys have it wrong; he shouldn't be in competition with Omark, he should be in competition with Jones...and he's kicking the crap out of him. Teemu had a shift tonight where he made 5 marvelous plays (if I recall right, a hit, a corner play, two passes and a scoring chance of his own out of the corner). He made at least 3 excellent power plays out of the corner to either set up a shot or a pass. He also showed at times when they were side by side and both trying to get to the play, that he can now skate quite quickly, beating out Hopkins. I've said that he's a better hockey player than Hopkins as of RIGHT NOW, not that it's all that relevant but I'd really hate to see him not make this team. He outplayed a first overall pick on the same line and looked just excellent. His upward trending is tremendous. He also laid at least 2 very nice hits that created offence and made some defensive stops. Fully and completely deserving of his first star selection. If you like hockey, you love the way this guy plays and he seems to be only getting better. I think there's another gear in there too. He shows hints of it from time to time. Try him on the other wing to verify that he can play there, and the versatility should absolutely salt it for him.
---------

Lots and lots of individual positives tonight that thankfully weren't ruined by a loss. We've got some really interesting decisions going forward and I really wish I was more confident in management.

LMHF Report - Preseason Game #2

EDMONTON 1

VS.

VANCOUVER 2

---------------------

Well, I'd really hoped not to have to resort to this so early on in the year, but that was incredibly boring hockey. I was worried when I saw the lineup that we'd either win and it would totally ho-hum, or we'd lose and look silly as a bunch of regulars couldn't beat the Canucks D team. We were unmotivated and in this game and got beat by a bunch of hungry semi-pros fighting for scraps. That's kind of sad considering the talent we had in the lineup.

Our problem tonight was one that was very common last year; we did a very bad job of getting open, and skating with and without the puck to get open. This was why we had no shooting lanes on our powerplay and offensive chances were so scarce all over the ice. We didn't have either that extra jump required to get into the gaps or that strategy to break down what was not a strong Canucks D.

A lot of that started from the back end. They were not strong with the puck and often simply sent it in a direction aware from where trouble might have been. They were not pressured, they were just in a sloppy rush. It was unfortunate to see. I'd send out a couple of these guys tomorrow if I were part of the coaching staff.

Unfortunately I don't think the 91-10-23 combo is going to work out. I know that's a quick read, but they really didn't follow each other's instincts. Horcoff can't process mentally what these guys are going to do, and the Swedes have trouble adapting to playing with a "stuck on the rail" kind of player.

Ultimately we should have been more motivated tonight. We lost and it was rather disappointing.

I had a different view of the game tonight, as my sister was able to get some tickets in row 4 behind the Oilers defend twice net, so some of the observations might be a little different than usual. You see more of the small plays and personality of the players at this level, but it is more difficult to see the flow of the play and the depth of the players and puck. I've found the best spot seems to be either in the top row of the lower deck or bottom row of the top deck.

And of course with this being a game against the Canucks, it wouldn't be complete without random Canucks fans causing a ruckus...today it was three of them bothering 4 girls, being asked to stop, then threatening to fight several Oilers fans. Bad idea. Sometimes, you really wish they would follow through before security arrives and they'd get what they deserve...


Smyth
- They really didn't do too much to highlight his return to Rexall, which kind of surprised me. His game tonight didn't feature a lot of direct offence, but he did showcase his unique forechecking and defensive skills and gave that Canucks some serious trouble as puck carriers. I'll preface the year of commentary on Smyth by saying I don't much like his style of play. He often plays well, but I'm constantly left feeling like he's not doing all he could be. From his crappy uncurved stick that I maintain has cost him a boatload of goals to his ugly slapshot, I just don't enjoy it much. Doesn't mean he's ineffective.

Hopkins
- I have strange expectations for Hopkins (which is what I will be calling him btw; I loathe hyphenation) in that I don't expect him to blow me away. Even though he's a first overall pick, I just haven't gotten the impression that he's ready to come in and make a pronounced difference right away. That impression was built upon with tonight's performance. You can see he's good - he goes to the right areas, is solid with the puck and chooses good skating lines. He is not, however, an electric player. I liked his assist as a quick and smart play to a well positioned teammate, and he made some good things happen. He wasn't the puck-retrieval machine I'd heard about though. I see good things coming from him of course, but was not blown away (as I expected not to).

Eberle
- Great little goal during an otherwise quiet night. When he gets room and a chance to make those moves he almost always finishes. I was quite surprised that he missed his two chances right by the side of the net; one in the second and one near the end of the game. He certainly didn't play badly (he almost never does), but he didn't jump right out and make himself noticed. I don't know if he and Smyth are appropriate linemates. Smyth needs a "get it to the net" kinda guy and Eberle isn't that; Eberle needs someone who can hit him in stride or find him in the open and Smyth isn't that. I guess we'll just have to see.

Hall
- I know he generated some offensive chances and went to important areas with speed, but I still wasn't all that impressed with his impact on the game tonight. His shots were off the mark again and he wasn't making that one last move that's required to score goals. He's also not making many passes thus far; and needs to do this in order to make a full impact. He was at his best on the PP in the second, but when we needed a game-changer, he wasn't there. It's preseason so I won't bug him too much, but some talented players eat preseason squads for breakfast and I kind of expect that out of Hall.

Gagner
- I've seen people musing that it looks like he's got an extra bit of speed this year and I can indeed confirm that Sam looked to be skating in a much more powerful and somewhat faster way out there tonight. It will be interesting to see what he's able to do with that added asset. He was staring at the puck rather than looking ahead a little too much, which is probably a rust thing. He did have a more confident manner about his game, so I'm optimistic that he'll show a jump forward to start the year. I hope for his sake he doesn't take his spot on the team for granted. I liked that he did a lot of talking to his teammates during the game, trying to explain the intricacies of the gameplan to some that might not have it just yet.

Pitlick
- Tyler again looked like a relatively skilled guy who knows what to do on the ice and acts like he deserves this opportunity. There aren't a lot of nerves or unfocused plays being made by him at this stage, which is impressive. He's certainly not ready, but tonight he showed that he's certainly part of the conversation as we move forward. He should develop into the kind of depth player that good teams either have, or trade for something valuable down the line.

Omark
- I heard a lot of people dogging him after this one; some even blaming him for the loss and I don't get that at all. Did he tear it up offensively? No. Did he make a bunch of mistakes and cause pucks to wind up in his own net? No. Linus doesn't have to be an offensive dynamo to be effective. He wasn't good or bad tonight, but he's not a liability when he plays a neutral game. People really need to get over that. It had more to do with flow and line chemistry anyway.

Paajarvi
- He used his speed to get to some open areas and get the puck, but wasn't really dangerous in the offensive zone. I've said before here that I don't think a mostly offensive game is Magnus' strength at this stage anyway, but tonight his game felt unfocused to me. He especially didn't seem to mesh well with Horcoff and it resulted in awkward turnovers where there wouldn't normally be any, and very few of the passes we usually see from the 23-91 and whoever combo.

Horcoff
- Individually I can't really fault Horcoff for much other than making one of the worst breakaway attempts I can recall (it wasn't a Scott Ferguson Special, but he did go completely the wrong direction and then PASS). He played an okay game and was pretty solid on the PK but didn't mesh well with his linemates and gave us a unit that simply wasn't all that dangerous. End the meddling and get him back with Smyth and Hemsky, or send him out with Hall and Eberle as before. Both of those were okay, this wasn't.

Hordichuk
- I truly hope he continues to do his job as he did tonight. He hit people and he fought; all while from a solid hockey position and being responsible with the puck. I had low expectations for him and he's beating them by miles. We'll see if he can stay focused and keep it up; especially if the team starts losing in the regular season.

House
- Meh. He was okay on special teams but I really didn't notice him at all 5-on-5.

Petrell
- This guy on the other hand, I quite like. If you're going to have a positionally strong, defensive minded forward, he'd better be solid with the puck and BIG. He's both. When you watch him closely, you can see how many different things he's able to read at once and it is impressive. He knew where to go and what to do faster than most, but with a defensive focus. If we'd picked up a defenceman of his ilk; he'd make the team (if I were Renney I'd try that by the way, but he won't). This will be an interesting guy to watch, as he gives yet another example of a guy who can contribute in multiple ways. I know he's older, but I hope we get some use from him in OKC and that he's one of the guys who shows well enough to be considered for callup.

Smid
- He was really a calming influence on Gilbert tonight and played a solid defensive game. He didn't do anything great but he certainly gave a different look that allowed his partner to play his game.

Gilbert
- A much more focused and mistake-free effort. The errant passes were gone. The standing still was gone. The lack of desire to drive the net and/or shoot the puck was gone. This was proper Tom Gilbert and certainly thought he was our best defender tonight. He didn't do anything crazy, but he played a solid game.

Peckham
- A very mixed bag from Theo tonight. He threw some lovely hits and had a solid scrap, but he was weaker with the puck than usual and struggled some with his positioning including on the Nolan goal. He's got to be disciplined in his skating and positioning in order to be effective.

Petry
- He was looking really good early and tailed off late. I was prepared to write a very strong positive review after two. He looks much more filled out this year and was making decisive puck moves, but that performance didn't continue for all three periods as it looked like he either got frustrated or unfocused and made some mistakes with the puck. Glad to see a mostly strong night, but he needs to finish things off.

Chorney
- Chorney doesn't have the physical gifts that a guy like Plante has. He must exploit the fact that he's good with the puck in both ends to be effective and improve to the level of NHL player. He isn't showing signs that this is occurring and hasn't improved his positioning or gotten much bigger either. It may seem rash, but I'd ship him out right now. I've actually been a fan of trading him for some time now, but I think his value is even lower these days.

Plante
- I'd cut him tomorrow. He was too bad with the puck, moved too slowly and was out of position too much. Is he ever going to realize the potential of his frame? I doubt it highly. He was required when we were very very thin on the blue in terms of prospects (even though he shouldn't have been drafted by us) but he just isn't now.

Dubnyk
- He was pretty solid and looked to be very in control tonight. He really couldn't do too much on the goal he allowed and other than that he did his job. Devan looked much more composed, ready and focused than Khabibulin did on Tuesday.

Danis
- The goal he allowed was an ugly rebound. He did this a couple more times and wasn't punished as severely. He also half-whiffed on several saves made on shots that weren't actually that dangerous. I was really hoping that he would surprise, but Bunz looked about 10x as good.

--------------

I hope Saturday is much better than this one, which just wasn't very entertaining. Time to try some different combos as well.

LMHF Report - Preseason Game #1

EDMONTON 3

VS.

MINNESOTA 4
--------------------

Well, here we are again finally. Back to the rink we march as in every September. Last year I missed the preseason games on my honeymoon (though I actually caught one from the Honolulu Buffalo Wild Wings location, which was awesome), and this is one of my very favorite times of year to watch because there's just so much to learn about these new players we've got on our hands.

I didn't really do much/any hockey writing over the summer. It was a very busy time including a new house, a new car and whole lot of life, but it sure is good to be back in my seat again watching the team.

First things first: the price of popcorn went up (though I think the size is bigger), the hot dogs are still lacklustre (have been since '06, but their price is still the same), the program tonight was lacking and didn't include a full listing of all players on the ice, most everything else seems to be the same in price and not much has really changed in seems.

I thought our squad looked really really solid in the second, rusty in the first, and kind of disorganized in the third. It isn't anything to raise a stink about of course because it is just the preseason, but I would've liked to see a more consistent effort. There are a lot of guys trying to win jobs at various levels and they should really be giving it all they have. Some did, some did not.

Minnesota's roster really isn't that intriguing. They have some BIG guys on their team but not much else. They got some great breaks on behalf of the Oilers tonight but were otherwise quite pedestrian. Anyway, on to the good stuff:

KHABIBULIN
- UGH...he didn't look like he was ready to play at all. On the third goal he was down way too early, the second he let out an ugly rebound and the first wasn't great either. It is very sad that he is likely being handed the #1 G job AGAIN, because he bring his total focus so seldom that there' s no way for it to be worth the shot. I thought maybe we'd see a changed man...so much for that theory. It would've shown in some way.

BUNZ
- Looked really solid. He was in control of himself, very calm, made the saves he needed to make look really easy and was robbed of a clean slate by an unfortunate play from a guy who will be back in junior shortly. In addition to noticing that he does a great job of making himself very large in the net, he seems to play the puck fairly well and direct it to the corners when he has the chance. He really did seem to know exactly what he's doing. I think you have to give him a full game start...but I'm not running the show.

FEDUN
- Before he got hurt being run into the end boards, he was one of our best players tonight. He made several plays that were just excellent. There was a long multi-line pass, a nifty saucer to set up a breakaway, several defensive stops and a drag-then-shoot-between-the-man-and-the-stick play for an assist. I really wasn't expecting much and he blew me away. He was always moving his skates when he had the puck and used this asset well. The class of the defensive field this evening. I hope he's okay.

MARINCIN
- Before the third period, he had the problem of standing still or skating backwards when he got the puck. You can't make good plays from the positions he was putting himself in. I'm chalking it up mainly to nerves because he was certainly better in the third and used his skating to do more of the initial work. Was that a slap pass or just a slightly miffed shot that got him an assist? I had a hard time telling. I can certainly see the potential in his game, but he didn't show tonight that he's ready for the pros. Hopefully he relaxes quickly.

TULUPOV
- He showed a lot of talent tonight. Still very raw talent, but talent nonetheless. For a guy who was a little nervous, he still usually made the right play, only bobbling a couple. He took a couple nice runs at people but could've been more aggressive. I got the impression from watching him that the coaches told him to throttle it back a touch and focus on his positioning. He still needs some work there, but again, potential. This is a guy the Oilers should spend some time on. I disagree vehemently with Tencer and Stauffer (who both dismissed him in a tone that indicated they hadn't even watched him tonight) that he should be sent to OKC. Give him another game. Tell him to go out there and HIT. Once he calms down a bit, he's actually pretty good with the puck too.

MUSIL
- ROUGH night. He looked overmatched from the very first shift. Positioning was off, decisions were late and he got knocked around some. I was expecting at the very least for him to lay some hits but we did not see that. Having not seen him play before, I'll chalk this up to nerves for the time being, but I hope he's not THAT nervous about an exhibition game. The awkward attempt to play goal that screened Bunz and cost us the game was just the icing on the cake. Ouch.

BARKER
- Loves to pinch. A lot. He joins the rush and plays with a very free flowing style. When he's on it is great to watch and leads to some chances where he seems to be able to get an excellent shot off, but I can see it going wrong as well and he's not the type that can skate his way back into the play (think Pitkanen or Visnovsky). I see a lot of potential for him this year, but not playing with Gilbert. That pair really didn't work out, which led to a lot of confusion and several goals scored against us. Get him with a different type of defender and maybe we're in business. He certainly didn't allow himself to be pushed around, which was nice to see.

GILBERT
- He had a really rough first couple periods before he settled in. There were errant passes, giveaways and some running around. It wasn't pretty. I'm not sure whether to just chalk this up to a weak game from a vet in the preseason (which happens all the time) or to be worried here. I'd really hope he still doesn't have the confidence issues that are stifling him, but he may.

HORDICHUK
- I have to admit I don't really want to like Darcy Hordichuk. He was always a bit a goof on the Predators and the Canucks. He did his job tonight though: hit people, fought Kassian, got in on the forecheck and managed to play some decent positional hockey as well. I hope he sticks to that and making the Canucks' lives hell.

ABNEY
- He's just not a very good hockey player. He's big and he skates okay, but he can't see open men to make passes to, doesn't land the HUGE hit and isn't strong positionally. Maybe I'm comparing him to his draft position too much, but I just don't see him as worth a contract. I did like that he went right after the guy that hit Fedun and I hope he continues to improve.

PITLICK
- I'm really not sure why he seemed to get so little icetime. Perhaps they just didn't have a line for him? I liked what I saw after about the first two shifts (nerves), because he gets in on the forecheck, accelerates past the line of defenders to enter the zone, and seems to know where to go positionally. He certainly looks to be a talented guy and I'd like to see him play again but would understand if they sent him down purely because of how many players they've got.

HOUSE & KELLER
- I group these two together because honestly we know what we're getting: two AHL forwards. They played okay and had some almost moments including some nice stickhandling, but you just don't see any evidence of the higher gear that our other prospects have.

PAAJARVI
- It took him almost a period to get going. He missed a bunch of pucks and wasn't really moving that fast in the third. He was much better at driving the play up the wings come the second and third. If someone can teach him to turn the corner on the defender and turn some of those rushes into goals or tap-ins for Omark, we're in the money. Still don't see the value of him on the PP because he just isn't that great with the puck. I would also love to see him on the PK and was pleased he got a bit of time there tonight. They should be training him there.

OMARK
- Aside from his penalties (one was lame, the other very confusing as to what he was trying to do) he played a pretty solid game. As usual, he owned the boards like only he can, fighting off one or two Wild as the need arose. He also made several of his trademark no-look passes and had a high percentage work out. His high level of skill is what creates the opportunity for players like Paajarvi and Lander on a line that really looked like it knew the plan tonight. I just hope Linus stays focused and motivated, but believe he will because he seems to want to win more than most.

LANDER
- He's going to be a dream for people that love simple hockey. He's in the right positions right now, he makes simple passes and when in doubt he puts the puck on the net (but not in the chest). All the fundamentals are there. They're complimented with a nice sprinkling of skill and some ability to keep up with dynamic players. There's every chance he's a regular by year's end, and depending on how things go with Mr. Hopkins, I could see his development driving Gagner away for a defenceman. Really looking forward to watching more of his game. Think Jarret Stoll but with more initial skill and better positioning.

JONES
- He was bad tonight. For a guy who by all rights should be fighting for a job to spend his evening losing pucks and making bad passes is rather weak. I don't like the way the organization seems to be positioning him as a guy who has "nothing to worry about" either. You really get that impression from the promos and such. He needs to focus and play simple hockey, rather than thinking he's a lock and trying to crack the top six. Don't get me wrong, I like the personality and approach he brings to the game, but he needs to bare down.

TYRVAINEN
- I liked the way this guy played a lot actually. He was as advertised; gritty and unafraid but with some skill to go along side. Seems like a decent enough skater and didn't have the jitters of the other players on the ice with his level of NHL experience. This could be a guy who sees a callup at some point this year. Perhaps the path to Stanley includes a boatload of Swedes and Finns?

BELANGER
- I know he won faceoffs, but aside from that it looked like a typical "rusty veteran" sort of game to me. That's fine, I just wanted to see what he could do right off the hop. I think he has the chance to make a pretty big difference to this team and nothing tonight convinced me otherwise, but to be honest I was expecting a little bit more.

HALL
- I'm not worried about Hall so I didn't really watch him away from the puck or when he wasn't getting offensive chances. He showed his outside speed is fine and seemed to be cornering as well as every, so the ankle looks good. He also got the faces of a couple opponents which is good to see. I didn't like the shots he took very much though; all low and all right at the goalie. He probably should've popped at least one tonight.
-------------

Well, I hope that's helpful for those of you who didn't get to see the game in Edmonton tonight. I hope there aren't many split squad games because I'm sure they just lead to mass confusion on the blogs and boards. Looking forward to another great year and HOPEFULLY devoting some more energy to this blog.

#1