EDMONTON 4
vs.
PHOENIX 3
In a stinking shootout....
-------------------------
Tonight's lineup wasn't really as exciting as last game. This was more of a necessary lineup to sort out some lower lineup cuts and keep some vets fresh while trying out some line combos.
Phoenix was already cut down close to their opening day lineup as I understand it. I really don't think they'll be as good this year. They won't surprise anybody, and their old defence is just getting older. I'd totally forgotten how much of a jerk Keith Yandle can be...what a loser. Thankfully for them though, it appears as though Kyle Turris might finally be ready. He made some nice plays tonight and did a good job of skating to the open ice using his stride and reach, which is what he needs to do. Their goaltending will of course be solid, but that can only take you so far.
From an Oilers perspective, the main difference between last game and this one was simply execution; both in terms of the system they're changing to and capitalizing on chances. We had more than enough chances to have another highly productive offensive game, but there were a lot of misses tonight so that didn't happen. The Vancouver game saw our forward bearing down and finishing...this one simply didn't. I'll get into a little more detail in the player reports. That type of execution can be a little off early in the year, but while learning systems it is very important to stick with and even overemphasize the new one so that it becomes second nature. Too many times tonight, especially on the PP and breakout, the Oilers were using last year's system. It is just as evident now as it was then that this doesn't work. On the breakout this meant too many men in too small an area and no real transition game. On the PP the break-in was the point of error. We failed to gain the zone in situations where it was done easily last game.
I'm quite sure these issues will be addressed by Renney tomorrow. Part of the issue was likely the line combinations, which just didn't seem to work out. Everyone looked confused several times during the game, looking around to see where everyone was and where they could go rather than just reacting. This led to awkwardness.
Let's delve deeper in PLAYER REPORTS
--------------------------
Jeff Deslauriers
- He was okay...just okay and he needed to be good. One goal was mainly his fault due to a rebound kicked out way too far on his left side to set up Stempniak. Even very good reactive defence may have had a hard time there. The second goal wasn't really on him but rather Plante...he may still have been able to stop it. Jeff's game looks more controlled, but I'd have liked to see him more aggressive tonight.
Martin Gerber
- I liked the way Gerber played very much. He was calm and controlled but aggressive. This is an ideal combination for a goalie. Had it not been for Plante (again), he would have run his SO streak all the way. He made a couple very nice saves as well as all the ones he should have stopped. I'd give him a start and see how he does. There's nothing really stopping us from sending Dubnyk AND Deslauriers down if that's what play dictates. So far, it seems to.
Alex Plante
- It's great that Plante is having a solid offensive preseason and he certainly added to that tonight with a well-timed shot. He was okay positionally for most of the game and tried to be physical. The problem is that he still was directly responsible for 2 GA. He was totally outmuscled from a position of power on the second PHX goal, then got beat in a way he shouldn't have been on the third. It is one thing if you're trying to create offence and it doesn't quite work out, or even if you go for a check and an awkward bounce gets past you, but to screw up twice from the spots he was in, with his physical stature, is pretty unforgivable. I'm a fan, but this was not his best effort by any stretch.
Taylor Chorney
- He played a pretty interesting game. I remember earlier last year before he went in the tank, his best games were those where he seemed to concentrate on physical play. Tonight he did the same thing. The highlight was the beautiful hit he laid on Lee Stempniak (prompting an awkward fight and a PP). He didn't really make any noise offensively...and his inability to do this will probably keep him from ever becoming an NHL regular of any consequence. He's not solid enough defensively or a good enough hitter to take on either of those roles. He needs A's and G's. He's not getting them or coming close.
Kurtis Foster
- Very mixed bag from him tonight. I'm very concerned with what I've seen so far of his passing ability in that he seems to have essentially none. I don't remember a pass he made that I'd even call good, much less great. On the PP, with time, as the QB, you have to make solid passes and he doesn't. He's jerky, impatient, and doesn't pass with proper pace. This can hurt an otherwise dangerous PP. I didn't have a lot to complain about defensively, but he was no tower of strength. Also, for now I'll have to take everyone's word on the booming shot...as he had no appetite to let it go tonight and didn't even look interested in a one-timer. I'm hoping for improvement.
Richard Petiot
- I won't go getting all excited about a 6/7 defenceman, but this guy is at least better than Strudwick. He blew a couple defensive coverages but did a fairly good job of digging in the corners, maintaining position, playing physically and moving the puck. That's really what you need from a low end reliable dman. You can see his skill level is a little below playing on an NHL roster, but perhaps being here could help him improve. I don't know. It is guys like this however which make me even more annoyed with signings like Strudwick.
Smid
- Looks to be in solid game shape and his skating is certainly right where it needs to be. He also jumped into a couple rushes and probably took the best slapper I've ever seen him take. Good stuff for a vet we'll need to be really solid this year. Nice pass to Gagner to setup the break and get himself an A.
Gilbert
- He wasn't as good as he is when with Whitney, but Gilbert did a really solid defensive job and controlled the puck along the boards. Everything looked comfy for him tonight which is good because he is going to need to have a huge year. I have every confidence he's up to the task.
Alex Giroux
- They gave this guy first star for some crazy reason...I truly don't know what game they were watching. He finally showed off his offensive touch, scoring a very nice goal on a really good chance, but also blew at least 4 more mostly due to bad shot selection. I really want to like this guy but he doesn't skate...You notice how little effort he uses normally because it's so shocking when he actually applies himself. If anything you'd think he could be useful on the PP, but he didn't accomplish anything setting up with Penner and Cogliano on that unit.
Andrew Cogliano
- This was a game which I'm betting will divide people on Cogliano. Some people will no doubt say he created chances, skated hard, tried to hit and gave it his best. I disagree. To me it really looked like Andrew was pressing and it both cost him goals (he did have gift chances and blew them, didn't even come close) and put him out of position. He also got knocked around every time he tried to hit. His game is not hitting. it's hitting open spaces for passers and finishing. He's not doing either. They tried like crazy to give him offensive chances tonight, putting him in a great PP position the whole time, and he got nothing done. It is somewhat tragic because there's a good player in there but he's forgotten how to get out. I remember a play in the third that looked just like a goal Cogliano scored in OT a couple years ago, blowing by a Dman and setting thing up with pure speed...he didn't even beat the guy tonight. No PK magic to save him as a role player either.
Sam Gagner
- He scored a fairly nice, opportunistic goal and had what I'd view as an okay night. His line looked very awkward for most of it however, and most of all Gagner. He's most effective with players like these when he takes on the role of the trailer, but he kept trying to lead tonight and this led to confusion. Sam also got a couple more excellent scoring chances in close and took poor shots, which is too bad.
Gilbert Brule
- Brule distinguished himself with a solid game tonight by remembering what makes him unique; the fact that he brings much skill and a strong shot, but can also punish physically. He pressed hard on the forecheck tonight and made physical contact in smart places. He also got a really well timed shot away and would've scored if he'd managed to get all of it. He also made a very strong and quick play in the third, beating a PHX defender and getting a good shot on net. I've made no secret of the fact that I like what Brule brings to the table, and tonight was no exception.
Dustin Penner
- Quite frankly, this was one of his lazier nights. I don't know if he was mildly frustrated or what but I saw a whole lot of no fire from Dustin. I hope keeping him motivated once we're playing for points isn't going to be difficult. I doubt it will be, but tonight was a little alarming. At least he scored in the shootout.
Ales Hemsky
- Iffy game from Ales. He made some nice moves and coulda scored, but certainly wasn't in his top gear. I liked the puck control he had out there (a PP with Paajarvi and Gagner that everyone whined about in the building was actually a beautiful example of puck control) didn't take the dumb shots some of his teammates were guilty of. He and Magnus tried to occupy the same lane at times, and I'm not sure if Magnus' speed and Ales' neutral zone play suit them to being on the same line to be honest.
Colin Fraser
- I was wholly unimpressed with him. His physical game was weak and he was out of position a lot. Didn't help the defensive effort at all. I was expecting a lot more at the very least in the way of effort from this guy and was not satisfied. If I was basing it on tonight, he'd get cut.
Liam Reddox
- I've seen Liam play a lot better than this. He seemed obsessed with trying to be fast rather than smart and kept overskating his checker. This takes him off his game. I want him to be the new Pisani as much as everyone else, maybe more, but I haven't seen a lot of improvement over the last 2 years and right now he's just not good enough to be kicking around ahead of Cogliano and others.
Colin McDonald
- Rightfully awarded the goal after-the-fact I see. Colin can certainly fire it (though he doesn't have much control), played physically and even made a few nice defensive plays tonight. Overall I liked what I saw quite a bit. I'm just not sure he can take this and improve upon it enough to become an NHL hockey player.
Ryan Jones
- Really liked his effort tonight. He did exactly what he needs to do: he was a pain for PHX to deal with, hit people, skated hard and didn't make defensive mistakes. I liked him much more than Fraser. If he can keep this type of play up, he's legit top 12 (as opposed to arbitrary slot-based top 12).
Ryan O'Marra
- The best way to describe his game would be confused. He was trying to be an offensive guy in the middle, responsible early, and physical late. He needs to be all three, but it needs to be available at all times. I didn't see the improvement from last year translate into better results in this game. I was hoping maybe he'd be the guy who took the summer leap, but it appears that was Stortini.
Magnus Paajarvi
- Let us start with his one bad shift so that we can get that out of the way; with just under 4 minutes left he took a shift where he gave the puck away twice, lost 2 races and looked dog tired. He must have been just that. Other than that shift, Magnus was excellent tonight. His most impressive accomplishment was using his size and speed to generate 3 or 4 PPs by himself, including a play where he dragged the much-mentioned Ekman-Larsson to the net with him. He plays a really solid and reliable game with offensive flair on top. Two of the things that impressed me were his fundamental puck shielding skills and the way he took hits (PHX gunned for him a few times). He also rebounded from his one weak shift, with quite possibly his best, nearly winning the game almost on his own. He suffered from some of the previously mentioned awkwardness with Hemsky and Gagner, and also didn't seem to want to fire the puck tonight, but we've got ourselves a real good one here folks. I'd try him with Horcoff and Eberle.
--------------------
This was not as crazy-exciting as the last game, but it certainly was interesting and satisfying to beat a mostly-NHL team with basically a half roster. Interesting cuts coming soon. Should be a great game against CGY on Friday!
#1
9/26/10
Preseason Game Report - EDM vs. VAN
EDMONTON 8
VS.
VANCOUVER 2
In an old-school shellacking...
-----------------------------
Let me start by saying that I just love laying a beating on the Canucks. Doesn't matter whether it's preseason, regular season or post...hahahaha; who I am kidding, everyone loves the perennial whomping of VAN in the playoffs...
It's fantastic to be back watching hockey. Far from being less interesting, I find people like me often find this part of the year more interesting than several stages of the regular season due to all the possibility and interesting players that are out there on the ice. You never know who you're going to see that will become a star some day, shoot out of nowhere, flourish for another team, or spiral into the abyss. I can truthfully say I got more entertainment from that game than probably the entire second half of the last season. Let's put that time totally behind us and not address it any further. We are in a new world; and it might be the preseason, but boy does it look bright on the offensive front so far. The group of guys we've got looking like they are ready to step forward all at once have the potential to be very very special.
I missed seeing the Tampa game live of course; but the Honeymoon on Oahu for the last 2 weeks was pretty amazing for all those interested. I ended up watching a replay of it in the Buffalo Wild Wings with my wife. She was mainly playing Buzztime Trivia while I watched the game, so it worked out just fine. Totally random occurrence, as we were just looking for some decent wings that night.
This team we've got here is very interesting to me and it starts with the changes to coaching. I've already noticed a few distinct changes:
- For the first time I can remember, our PK has been told to stand up (usually 3 wide with a D in the middle at the back) at the red line. It was very effective tonight, and looks like it could really work. I love how aggressive it is and if we are able to play some of our more opportunistic players at forward on the PK, should generate some chances as well as slowing up the opposition substantially through using our strength (skilled forwards) to strip the puck.
- Our breakout now looks a lot more like Detroit's. We are set up for a transition game and there are never 3 players lined up across the ice in a straight line. This led to players entering the opposing zone with speed on numerous occasions tonight. This is what good teams do; plain and simple. Glad we seem to be on the trolley. We might not do it at the level they do just yet, but it is just as important to be on the path.
- The PP looks different. I need some more time to put my finger on it, and maybe it was just a case of watching some sublimely gifted offensive players go to town tonight, but it looks like again we're using our strengths (shifty players and solid scorers from down low) to generate reliable chances that can be easily finished (which is the goal of the PP).
All these things are positive and Renney should be commended on his logical approach. I hope he's able to keep the players buying in, as it will only help them in the long run.
Now let's get on to those players, shall we
PLAYER REPORTS
------------------
Giroux
- I wanted to like this guy; I really did. I love goal scorers and especially goal scorers that dominate with their shot. He clearly scores and clearly has a great shot (he got a couple away that could've gone in tonight). He also happens to be large, which would be a huge bonus. It appears though that what keeps him out of the NHL is terrible skating combined with bad positioning. If one of the attributes were even decent, he'd have value at the pro level, but it really didn't look like he had any of that. Utterly unimpressive and disappointing.
Aulin
- I didn't know what to expect from him and was pleasantly surprised. I was reminded of a young Pisani in that he has a very balanced overall game, skates well, is decent with the puck and fairly responsible. He covered for irresponsible defencemen on numerous occasions and broke up at least 2 scoring chances. I hope we're able to take the positive progress he's clearly made and develop this guy into a balanced forward who can contribute.
Ondrus
- Don't really remember anything about the way he played to be honest. Very blah type of player. I wasn't expecting him to get much of a shot anyway, but certainly nothing stood out.
Vande Velde
- You can see there's a pretty decent player in there. He scored a relatively simple goal that at least showed he can release a puck and beat an NHL goalie (in theory anyway). He seems to skate fairly well and the effort is certainly there. Despite his statistical totals so far I'd say he is certainly not ready for primetime as his game just isn't impactful enough yet, even against a roster as weak as the Nucks tonight.
Hartikainen
- What I liked about Teemu (other than having a guy kicking around named Teemu) is that he went into corners and fought for the puck very well. Again, I don't think he's ready yet (though more games could reveal otherwise of course) but it looks like he's a guy with a very good understanding of the fundamentals. I was expecting more of a pest-type; and especially so against VAN, but that didn't really come out tonight. We'll see if he brings that going forward. It could certainly increase his chances.
Stortini
- He looked leaner, fitter, in much better shape and like he busted his butt working on skating this offseason. Not only was he purely faster (especially the first stride), but he took better lines, turned more sharply, and even glided better. He looked much more like a hocker player and less of a galoot. It's possible that the skilled environment is putting demands on him to be more than just a quasi-goon. He already does an okay job at this but certainly looks like he added an extra gear. The utter shock of everyone in the building when he barged in and around a Canuck defender and nearly scored a beauty was amazing. He looks to have really brought it this year. His fight with Hordichuk also when pretty well too despite the blood. He landed some good shots. Solid in his own zone usually.
Penner
- Maybe the way we have to start looking at Penner is not so much that he doesn't look like he works hard, but that he instead just makes it look that easy. He scored two goals tonight that both looked brutally simple, but relied on a combination of smarts, timing, power and positioning. This was early last season Penner when he wanted to be. There was a specific play in the first where he just decided "my puck" and no one in the league could've take it from him. He could really be a force this year because other teams won't be able to key on him.
Brule
- Gilbert was the only top six forward who didn't really impress me tonight. His game was very blah and almost looked like a guy who knows he's on the team. I'm not sure he should have that comfort with the company he's currently keeping. It could be that between Penner and Omark there just wasn't a lot of puck left, but he could have gone to the shooting areas more to set up for either man to feed him the puck. To be fair, he was aggressively forechecking and dug some pucks out. I want to see him get a shot on the PK.
Omark
- This guy is just a beauty. You can tell he's a pro, and knows he's good. I say that not to imply arrogance but to say that when he has the puck, he dictates the terms. The most obvious examples of this were on the PP. When Omark gets the puck at the top of the circle, he essentially dares someone to come take it from him. He will go to the net (and did), make great passes forward or backward (and did) or just deke you out of your shorts and skate to a new spot (did this too). He's so calm then explosive. I've never really seen a guy like that. While his goal came later on and might not have meant much, it sure was pretty. He went through at least 3 Canucks and slid the puck around the goalie so quickly I think he's still looking for it. A brilliant pass from the boards to a Dman generated another goal and he was in on Penner's late tip-in. The guy is something to behold. I really think he could surprise a ton of people. He needs to be used correctly, though I didn't see anything truly horrendous in the defensive zone, but when this guy gets the puck, it's just magic. The move he tried in the second (burned the D, then tried to go straight up and missed NEAR post instead of far) was something only a truly gifted sniper would have attempted. He'll score on that play soon...and often if he gets the chance. I was thinking he'd have a little flash but not really be able to be consistent with it if anything...nope. Signs so far point to REAL DEAL. Showed some real effort chasing Mason Raymond and making a dive when the score was 8-2. Just doesn't quit.
Hall
- It's kind of an odd thing to say, but I think Hall almost has the least amount of pressure of all the rookies. He doesn't really need to make the team (though I'm sure he's driven) and if they're busy putting on a show (they all seem capable), he can round out his game and make a Stamkos-esque finish to the season. I say this because if he was eligible and based on tonight's performance, I'd likely send Taylor Hall down. It is true he made some excellent passes (including some from incredibly awkward spots that seemed impossible), worked really hard in the corners (never ever quits on a puck) and certainly can handle himself physically, but he does seem out of place at this point. He doesn't have the positioning of an Eberle, the wheels and size of Magnus, or the crazy hands of Omark. You can tell he'll be very good, but I was expecting a little more wow out of his game tonight. It should be noted that he had a couple excellent scoring chances and took subpar shots. One habit he will have to break from junior is the idea that a shot through three guys from the blue line will (a) get through; and (b) be a positive. That doesn't work in this league. I know he'll get it, you can see the pedigree, but we will have to be patient with him. Luckily, we have a bunch of shiny distractions (that appear to have substance as well) for now. I look forward to continuing to observe him.
Eberle
- The kid is magic and he will be something very special. I'll say that right now. For those of you who didn't get to watch the game or highlights, both his goals came on wrist shots; the first an absolutely sick roofjob from the left and the second from the right off the rush. Both were so textbook goalscorer it was sick; right down to the mini pause (which allows all the morons to yell SHOOT and reveal how bad a choice an early shot would have been) they all use to move a goalie followed by lethal finish. You were wowed by the first; and knew the second was money before it had even reached his stick. This man will score goals in the NHL. His assist may actually have been better than his goal as well; coming in with speed he schooled Keith Ballard with an outside in move that most NHL vets can only make work on plugs, then drove the net and got tripped, setting up a trailing Horcoff. It was absolutely stunning. After these plays everything cooled down a bit, likely due to the coaches having seen enough. He was truly superb. The only area where the line struggled was down low in its own end sometimes, but if you combine 2 rookie offensive wingers with 2 iffy defenders and the occasional offensive mismatch, this is bound to happen really.
Horcoff
- I saved him for last because he was excellent tonight and I did want to make a point of it. He does have the extra step some people have described (you must understand how a shoulder injury can impact skating, he's clearly more healthy) and he used it for excellent results. His goals were right-place-right-time, but credit to him for being smart enough to be there and finishing. That's really what matters and he did it. The play he made to Eberle, with a pass through a defender at high speed right on the tape, was sublime. It doesn't really get any better. I wish they'd take him off the PK because I still don't like his overpursuits, but offensively, 5-on-5 and PP, probably the best I've seen him play. Gotta love the early motivation from a vet too.
Khabibulin
- Decidedly Meh would be my verdict. It's understandable that he'd be rusty and he didn't really face much effort from a listless Canuck squad (this puzzled me), but he should still stop at least that second goal, and the first went in because he lacked focus (and Taylor Hall loves scoring so much he even puts pucks in his own net I guess). I wanted to see Gerber for the second half. If this is the low end for #35 though; he may play his way back into some people's hearts.
Whitney
- Loved that he came back from that puck in the eye to finish a preseason game. The guy is all business. He could've been more physical and I thought he played a decidedly average game, but that doesn't worry me from a vet in a blowout.
Petry
- I didn't notice many positives about him. He can move, but I didn't see a lot of outstanding puck movement (one really solid stretch pass though) and he got caught and was bailed out by forwards a couple times. He's certainly got some positioning work ahead of him. Not ready just yet, but that's perfectly okay.
Vandermeer
- Uh oh...do we really have to watch this guy all year? He's Strudwick 2.0 with a higher penchant for penalties for stickwork and a bigger salary. I didn't come away impressed by him at all and really hoped he show me something. Was behind the play and chasing all night. Heard a couple "he won't make the team" comments...sadly he will.
Peckham
- Unfortunately Theo still doesn't seem to be up to where he was 2 years ago. I liked the physicality he brought, but he was nervous with the puck, didn't get any real shots away, and made tentative passes. He needs to be better than this to be on the opening day roster. I'm really not sure why it's taking so long to click with him.
Strudwick
- Classic Strudwick...kinda frightening at times. He made a great diving catch on a puck and fell into the Canuck bench which was great for a quick laugh. Also attempted a rush in on the goalie. Didn't work out.
Motin
- Really don't get why people are holding out much for him. Nothing impressive in terms of positioning or defensive skill for me. Maybe I'm missing something.
-------------------
Well, I hope everyone had as much fun with that game as I did. I'm really happy to be starting fresh and able to enjoy these games and cheer hard for my team. Here's to a Stanley Cup! (a toast every season should start with)
#1
VS.
VANCOUVER 2
In an old-school shellacking...
-----------------------------
Let me start by saying that I just love laying a beating on the Canucks. Doesn't matter whether it's preseason, regular season or post...hahahaha; who I am kidding, everyone loves the perennial whomping of VAN in the playoffs...
It's fantastic to be back watching hockey. Far from being less interesting, I find people like me often find this part of the year more interesting than several stages of the regular season due to all the possibility and interesting players that are out there on the ice. You never know who you're going to see that will become a star some day, shoot out of nowhere, flourish for another team, or spiral into the abyss. I can truthfully say I got more entertainment from that game than probably the entire second half of the last season. Let's put that time totally behind us and not address it any further. We are in a new world; and it might be the preseason, but boy does it look bright on the offensive front so far. The group of guys we've got looking like they are ready to step forward all at once have the potential to be very very special.
I missed seeing the Tampa game live of course; but the Honeymoon on Oahu for the last 2 weeks was pretty amazing for all those interested. I ended up watching a replay of it in the Buffalo Wild Wings with my wife. She was mainly playing Buzztime Trivia while I watched the game, so it worked out just fine. Totally random occurrence, as we were just looking for some decent wings that night.
This team we've got here is very interesting to me and it starts with the changes to coaching. I've already noticed a few distinct changes:
- For the first time I can remember, our PK has been told to stand up (usually 3 wide with a D in the middle at the back) at the red line. It was very effective tonight, and looks like it could really work. I love how aggressive it is and if we are able to play some of our more opportunistic players at forward on the PK, should generate some chances as well as slowing up the opposition substantially through using our strength (skilled forwards) to strip the puck.
- Our breakout now looks a lot more like Detroit's. We are set up for a transition game and there are never 3 players lined up across the ice in a straight line. This led to players entering the opposing zone with speed on numerous occasions tonight. This is what good teams do; plain and simple. Glad we seem to be on the trolley. We might not do it at the level they do just yet, but it is just as important to be on the path.
- The PP looks different. I need some more time to put my finger on it, and maybe it was just a case of watching some sublimely gifted offensive players go to town tonight, but it looks like again we're using our strengths (shifty players and solid scorers from down low) to generate reliable chances that can be easily finished (which is the goal of the PP).
All these things are positive and Renney should be commended on his logical approach. I hope he's able to keep the players buying in, as it will only help them in the long run.
Now let's get on to those players, shall we
PLAYER REPORTS
------------------
Giroux
- I wanted to like this guy; I really did. I love goal scorers and especially goal scorers that dominate with their shot. He clearly scores and clearly has a great shot (he got a couple away that could've gone in tonight). He also happens to be large, which would be a huge bonus. It appears though that what keeps him out of the NHL is terrible skating combined with bad positioning. If one of the attributes were even decent, he'd have value at the pro level, but it really didn't look like he had any of that. Utterly unimpressive and disappointing.
Aulin
- I didn't know what to expect from him and was pleasantly surprised. I was reminded of a young Pisani in that he has a very balanced overall game, skates well, is decent with the puck and fairly responsible. He covered for irresponsible defencemen on numerous occasions and broke up at least 2 scoring chances. I hope we're able to take the positive progress he's clearly made and develop this guy into a balanced forward who can contribute.
Ondrus
- Don't really remember anything about the way he played to be honest. Very blah type of player. I wasn't expecting him to get much of a shot anyway, but certainly nothing stood out.
Vande Velde
- You can see there's a pretty decent player in there. He scored a relatively simple goal that at least showed he can release a puck and beat an NHL goalie (in theory anyway). He seems to skate fairly well and the effort is certainly there. Despite his statistical totals so far I'd say he is certainly not ready for primetime as his game just isn't impactful enough yet, even against a roster as weak as the Nucks tonight.
Hartikainen
- What I liked about Teemu (other than having a guy kicking around named Teemu) is that he went into corners and fought for the puck very well. Again, I don't think he's ready yet (though more games could reveal otherwise of course) but it looks like he's a guy with a very good understanding of the fundamentals. I was expecting more of a pest-type; and especially so against VAN, but that didn't really come out tonight. We'll see if he brings that going forward. It could certainly increase his chances.
Stortini
- He looked leaner, fitter, in much better shape and like he busted his butt working on skating this offseason. Not only was he purely faster (especially the first stride), but he took better lines, turned more sharply, and even glided better. He looked much more like a hocker player and less of a galoot. It's possible that the skilled environment is putting demands on him to be more than just a quasi-goon. He already does an okay job at this but certainly looks like he added an extra gear. The utter shock of everyone in the building when he barged in and around a Canuck defender and nearly scored a beauty was amazing. He looks to have really brought it this year. His fight with Hordichuk also when pretty well too despite the blood. He landed some good shots. Solid in his own zone usually.
Penner
- Maybe the way we have to start looking at Penner is not so much that he doesn't look like he works hard, but that he instead just makes it look that easy. He scored two goals tonight that both looked brutally simple, but relied on a combination of smarts, timing, power and positioning. This was early last season Penner when he wanted to be. There was a specific play in the first where he just decided "my puck" and no one in the league could've take it from him. He could really be a force this year because other teams won't be able to key on him.
Brule
- Gilbert was the only top six forward who didn't really impress me tonight. His game was very blah and almost looked like a guy who knows he's on the team. I'm not sure he should have that comfort with the company he's currently keeping. It could be that between Penner and Omark there just wasn't a lot of puck left, but he could have gone to the shooting areas more to set up for either man to feed him the puck. To be fair, he was aggressively forechecking and dug some pucks out. I want to see him get a shot on the PK.
Omark
- This guy is just a beauty. You can tell he's a pro, and knows he's good. I say that not to imply arrogance but to say that when he has the puck, he dictates the terms. The most obvious examples of this were on the PP. When Omark gets the puck at the top of the circle, he essentially dares someone to come take it from him. He will go to the net (and did), make great passes forward or backward (and did) or just deke you out of your shorts and skate to a new spot (did this too). He's so calm then explosive. I've never really seen a guy like that. While his goal came later on and might not have meant much, it sure was pretty. He went through at least 3 Canucks and slid the puck around the goalie so quickly I think he's still looking for it. A brilliant pass from the boards to a Dman generated another goal and he was in on Penner's late tip-in. The guy is something to behold. I really think he could surprise a ton of people. He needs to be used correctly, though I didn't see anything truly horrendous in the defensive zone, but when this guy gets the puck, it's just magic. The move he tried in the second (burned the D, then tried to go straight up and missed NEAR post instead of far) was something only a truly gifted sniper would have attempted. He'll score on that play soon...and often if he gets the chance. I was thinking he'd have a little flash but not really be able to be consistent with it if anything...nope. Signs so far point to REAL DEAL. Showed some real effort chasing Mason Raymond and making a dive when the score was 8-2. Just doesn't quit.
Hall
- It's kind of an odd thing to say, but I think Hall almost has the least amount of pressure of all the rookies. He doesn't really need to make the team (though I'm sure he's driven) and if they're busy putting on a show (they all seem capable), he can round out his game and make a Stamkos-esque finish to the season. I say this because if he was eligible and based on tonight's performance, I'd likely send Taylor Hall down. It is true he made some excellent passes (including some from incredibly awkward spots that seemed impossible), worked really hard in the corners (never ever quits on a puck) and certainly can handle himself physically, but he does seem out of place at this point. He doesn't have the positioning of an Eberle, the wheels and size of Magnus, or the crazy hands of Omark. You can tell he'll be very good, but I was expecting a little more wow out of his game tonight. It should be noted that he had a couple excellent scoring chances and took subpar shots. One habit he will have to break from junior is the idea that a shot through three guys from the blue line will (a) get through; and (b) be a positive. That doesn't work in this league. I know he'll get it, you can see the pedigree, but we will have to be patient with him. Luckily, we have a bunch of shiny distractions (that appear to have substance as well) for now. I look forward to continuing to observe him.
Eberle
- The kid is magic and he will be something very special. I'll say that right now. For those of you who didn't get to watch the game or highlights, both his goals came on wrist shots; the first an absolutely sick roofjob from the left and the second from the right off the rush. Both were so textbook goalscorer it was sick; right down to the mini pause (which allows all the morons to yell SHOOT and reveal how bad a choice an early shot would have been) they all use to move a goalie followed by lethal finish. You were wowed by the first; and knew the second was money before it had even reached his stick. This man will score goals in the NHL. His assist may actually have been better than his goal as well; coming in with speed he schooled Keith Ballard with an outside in move that most NHL vets can only make work on plugs, then drove the net and got tripped, setting up a trailing Horcoff. It was absolutely stunning. After these plays everything cooled down a bit, likely due to the coaches having seen enough. He was truly superb. The only area where the line struggled was down low in its own end sometimes, but if you combine 2 rookie offensive wingers with 2 iffy defenders and the occasional offensive mismatch, this is bound to happen really.
Horcoff
- I saved him for last because he was excellent tonight and I did want to make a point of it. He does have the extra step some people have described (you must understand how a shoulder injury can impact skating, he's clearly more healthy) and he used it for excellent results. His goals were right-place-right-time, but credit to him for being smart enough to be there and finishing. That's really what matters and he did it. The play he made to Eberle, with a pass through a defender at high speed right on the tape, was sublime. It doesn't really get any better. I wish they'd take him off the PK because I still don't like his overpursuits, but offensively, 5-on-5 and PP, probably the best I've seen him play. Gotta love the early motivation from a vet too.
Khabibulin
- Decidedly Meh would be my verdict. It's understandable that he'd be rusty and he didn't really face much effort from a listless Canuck squad (this puzzled me), but he should still stop at least that second goal, and the first went in because he lacked focus (and Taylor Hall loves scoring so much he even puts pucks in his own net I guess). I wanted to see Gerber for the second half. If this is the low end for #35 though; he may play his way back into some people's hearts.
Whitney
- Loved that he came back from that puck in the eye to finish a preseason game. The guy is all business. He could've been more physical and I thought he played a decidedly average game, but that doesn't worry me from a vet in a blowout.
Petry
- I didn't notice many positives about him. He can move, but I didn't see a lot of outstanding puck movement (one really solid stretch pass though) and he got caught and was bailed out by forwards a couple times. He's certainly got some positioning work ahead of him. Not ready just yet, but that's perfectly okay.
Vandermeer
- Uh oh...do we really have to watch this guy all year? He's Strudwick 2.0 with a higher penchant for penalties for stickwork and a bigger salary. I didn't come away impressed by him at all and really hoped he show me something. Was behind the play and chasing all night. Heard a couple "he won't make the team" comments...sadly he will.
Peckham
- Unfortunately Theo still doesn't seem to be up to where he was 2 years ago. I liked the physicality he brought, but he was nervous with the puck, didn't get any real shots away, and made tentative passes. He needs to be better than this to be on the opening day roster. I'm really not sure why it's taking so long to click with him.
Strudwick
- Classic Strudwick...kinda frightening at times. He made a great diving catch on a puck and fell into the Canuck bench which was great for a quick laugh. Also attempted a rush in on the goalie. Didn't work out.
Motin
- Really don't get why people are holding out much for him. Nothing impressive in terms of positioning or defensive skill for me. Maybe I'm missing something.
-------------------
Well, I hope everyone had as much fun with that game as I did. I'm really happy to be starting fresh and able to enjoy these games and cheer hard for my team. Here's to a Stanley Cup! (a toast every season should start with)
#1
9/23/10
Pre-Season Game #1 - Advisory
As much as I'd love to be there for the opening night show, there will be no game report tonight, as I am currently in Waikiki on my honeymoon. I arrive home Sunday and will be ready to roll for that night's game. Until then!
7/23/10
Returning Fire
Hello all,
I have been absent from the blogging world for some time now due to a number of factors but now seems like the correct time to jump back in. Needless to say this summer has been one of immense transition for Oilers fans and we look forward to what could be the most exciting season in years for many reasons.
I'd like to start the posting once more by re-visiting an earlier post and applying it to our young (possible) superstars in the making: Mr. Hall, Mr. Eberle and Mr. Svensson (you will not see me try to consistently spell that other name until I'm forced to). It's topic will shape how impactful they can be as offensive forces for our team in the coming years.
Clips from the original post "A Treatise on Shooting"
Shooting is one of the single most misunderstood parts of the game. The problem begins in that newcomers and casual observers seem to think it is the most simple part of the game. Gotta shoot to score right? Taking more shots is always better right? Just fire it at the net right?
WRONG.
These sentiments could not be more wrong. Shooting is one of the most complicated arts to master in the game. I've noticed that hockey moms are often the most guilty of the "SHOOT" disease in hockey rinks, but I don't really blame them for this as it does seem simple. The thing about shooting effectively is that it must be done in the midst of the entire fray of the game. With everything else going on, you must find enough physical room to deploy your selected shot, obtain the space to put the puck through, decipher where to put the puck so that it has the best chance of reaching the net (read: net behind the goalie, not "on net"), how to disguise your intentions, and many other internal calculations within the game if you hope to be an effective shooter. Those who do this well are those able to slow the game down in their own minds and see clearly. Shooters are not panicky. They are calculated. Though the shot often comes off in a fraction of an instant with an utterly violent motion, that motion is controlled and decisive. The best shooters have this procedure so programmed in that the process simply looks like an instinctual and savage movement.
Are these young guys we've acquired excellent shooters? None of them springs to mind instantly as a guy who constantly knocks water bottles off the net, but we do have a general sense of their tendencies.
Hall is seen as a good shooter and a scorer. He can either beat you with moves or by simply putting it by you. I watched his shooting fairly closely and honestly need to see him against pro competition to make a judgement. The way he was beating junior goalies was not particularly impressive when it was a shot-reliant goal. He was however consistent in not missing easy chances. He does miss high a little too much, but this is better than hitting the goalie's chest too much (which he does not). It could be that Hall will make the adjustment to beating NHL goalies easily because he has the hockey-sense for it; but we'll have to watch that. Get worried if he's suddenly hitting chests and doesn't change his shooting strategy.
I don't have that worry about Eberle. He's shown at both the junior and professional level that he doesn't have to rely on the physical aspect of his shooting very much. He's technical and smart about his shooting. He's efficient with his chances and this should translate well into the pro game. So long as he's not forced to rely on shots from afar too much (Gagner often runs into this difficulty), he should be able to beat NHLers. He has some of the Mike Comrie talent in him to vaccum up rebounds and patiently put them into the back of the net rather than WHACK WHACK WHACKING away as many unsuccessful pro scorers do. He just needs to be kept from developing bad habits and the goals should come.
Magnus is more of a mystery to me. I haven't watched enough of his play to make a conclusive judgement on his overall shooting ability, but if he can use his size with a strong forehand, this is an easy way to score in the NHL (or at any level for that matter). There have been concerns in the past about his finishing ability, so we will certainly have to watch that, but it does appear from his recent results that he is improving offensively and likely hasn't seen his ceiling as yet. Magnus could have the widest possible variance in his goal scoring. He could wind up a balanced 2-way guy or a scoring machine depending on how his development goes.
I maintain that Wayne Gretzky was the best shooter ever. His combination of accuracy and (when he needed it) power are unmatched from my eyes. Some older observers might dispute it, but he's the best I've seen because he understood when, how and where to shoot better than anyone. You didn't see Wayne Gretzky firing off stupid shots into defenders all the time, or getting checked because he was busy trying to shoot from a bad position. Also, from what I've seen, when he truly needed to score, he went to his forehand, which is another thing I've observed that great goal scorers will always do.
I'm a little concerned about Hall's tendency to go backhand (and for that matter, all modern players tendency to go backhand when the forehand move is available). Always prefer to go to your strength when you have the chance. It doesn't make sense to do otherwise. Too many junior players score all these backhand goals on weak jr goalies and then show up in the NHL and kindly place it in the goalies pads. Not too worried about Eberle and Svensson. Hall seems to exhibit a lot of the when/where knowledge, and only blasts iffy shots when stuck trying to drag Nazem Khadri all over the ice. He won't have that issue here as he'll likely be playing with Horcoff and Hemsky or Eberle and Svensson. They all appear to have a healthy interest in holding onto the puck.
To bring this discussion back to your favorite team and mine, it has been spouted by so many that the cure to what ails the Edmonton Oilers is simply to take more shots. More shots will magically equal more goals and this team will be fine. There are a number of reasons that this simply isn't true, but more on that later.
The fans that attend live games, many of them anyway, do not seem to grasp the intricacies of shooting. They call for shots on the Powerplay most frequently, missing the whole point of the 5-on-4 situation which is not to get more shots but to get BETTER shots that are of higher percentage chance to score. The point of all that passing it to create a lane to another player collapsing the defensive box and creating a situation where a forward (usually) has an opportunity to shoot at an undefended, possibly screened and hopefully out of position goaltender. Simply taking more shots accomplishes none of this and relinquishes the puck control that the 5-on-4 situation affords you. Your goal is not to blast 100 pucks in the general direction of the net and hope that 4 or 5 go in. If your team somehow manages to score 4 or 5 goals in half your games, you'll be a pretty great team in this league. Doing this requires better chances, not more pucks directed at the net.
Directing a puck towards the net accomplishes absolutely nothing in and of itself. It can in fact be a negative because if you do not score, create an offensive rebound or cause an offensive zone faceoff, you've turned the puck over to the opposition who can then break out on you. Odds are you're also out of position at this stage.
This is where I think the "young players don't help you win" can be remedied. If you can instill in these young guys an enhanced understanding of what they need to do with the puck (which is NOT simply slam it at the net), they will be contributors to puck possession and create opportunities. On the PP, all of these 3 have a chance to score many goals and rely on the situation as well as our skilled veterans to help up get a big special teams lead on the other teams. Please...do not yell at Hall, Eberle or Svensson to shoot. They know what they're doing in the offensive end.
If you gave a team a goal, and that was to direct 50 pucks at the net in a given game, I submit to you that this team would not win hockey games. The easiest shots to take are often the ones least likely to go in. An undefended shot from the blue line, even when you're Sheldon Souray, is of relative ease to take, but has a very low chance of success for many reasons. The shooting percentage that teams have is not simply because they direct pucks at the net, but is because they direct some of the right pucks at the net.
The Edmonton Oilers of 09-10 have many problems in the offensive zone right now. The desire to shoot is not one of them despite the howls of the peanut gallery. When this team has been in position to take effective shots, they have not been shy at all about taking them. Gilbert Brule is a great example of a talented shooter who's made a lot of his chances so far this year. I wish we had 3 of him (ideally one that was 6'3", but those kinds of guys go first overall). What has occurred lately is that this team is not getting itself into the positions required to take effective shots, and not corralling rebounds in high percentage areas where goals are had. There have been many games this year where we've had an obscene number of pucks blocked after they were poorly directed at the net. This needs to stop. Our game in the offensive zone has become much less fluid despite our roster which is structured to play a very fluid offensive style. There are teams that can play the table-top hockey style game, stay in place and fire shots. We are not that kind of team.
This process should be the focus of our efforts as a team. Simply focusing on directing pucks will not lead to wins, only to frustration.
We will again have a team that is oriented towards a flowing game. We'll actually have more weapons up front and should be better at this. Missing Lubomir to get the pucks to Hemsky and crew will hurt immensely, but we'll need to find a way to make it up. Hall, Eberle and Svensson all have a chance to be part in that.
See you again soon, as we tee up the coming Oilers season.
#1
I have been absent from the blogging world for some time now due to a number of factors but now seems like the correct time to jump back in. Needless to say this summer has been one of immense transition for Oilers fans and we look forward to what could be the most exciting season in years for many reasons.
I'd like to start the posting once more by re-visiting an earlier post and applying it to our young (possible) superstars in the making: Mr. Hall, Mr. Eberle and Mr. Svensson (you will not see me try to consistently spell that other name until I'm forced to). It's topic will shape how impactful they can be as offensive forces for our team in the coming years.
Clips from the original post "A Treatise on Shooting"
Shooting is one of the single most misunderstood parts of the game. The problem begins in that newcomers and casual observers seem to think it is the most simple part of the game. Gotta shoot to score right? Taking more shots is always better right? Just fire it at the net right?
WRONG.
These sentiments could not be more wrong. Shooting is one of the most complicated arts to master in the game. I've noticed that hockey moms are often the most guilty of the "SHOOT" disease in hockey rinks, but I don't really blame them for this as it does seem simple. The thing about shooting effectively is that it must be done in the midst of the entire fray of the game. With everything else going on, you must find enough physical room to deploy your selected shot, obtain the space to put the puck through, decipher where to put the puck so that it has the best chance of reaching the net (read: net behind the goalie, not "on net"), how to disguise your intentions, and many other internal calculations within the game if you hope to be an effective shooter. Those who do this well are those able to slow the game down in their own minds and see clearly. Shooters are not panicky. They are calculated. Though the shot often comes off in a fraction of an instant with an utterly violent motion, that motion is controlled and decisive. The best shooters have this procedure so programmed in that the process simply looks like an instinctual and savage movement.
Are these young guys we've acquired excellent shooters? None of them springs to mind instantly as a guy who constantly knocks water bottles off the net, but we do have a general sense of their tendencies.
Hall is seen as a good shooter and a scorer. He can either beat you with moves or by simply putting it by you. I watched his shooting fairly closely and honestly need to see him against pro competition to make a judgement. The way he was beating junior goalies was not particularly impressive when it was a shot-reliant goal. He was however consistent in not missing easy chances. He does miss high a little too much, but this is better than hitting the goalie's chest too much (which he does not). It could be that Hall will make the adjustment to beating NHL goalies easily because he has the hockey-sense for it; but we'll have to watch that. Get worried if he's suddenly hitting chests and doesn't change his shooting strategy.
I don't have that worry about Eberle. He's shown at both the junior and professional level that he doesn't have to rely on the physical aspect of his shooting very much. He's technical and smart about his shooting. He's efficient with his chances and this should translate well into the pro game. So long as he's not forced to rely on shots from afar too much (Gagner often runs into this difficulty), he should be able to beat NHLers. He has some of the Mike Comrie talent in him to vaccum up rebounds and patiently put them into the back of the net rather than WHACK WHACK WHACKING away as many unsuccessful pro scorers do. He just needs to be kept from developing bad habits and the goals should come.
Magnus is more of a mystery to me. I haven't watched enough of his play to make a conclusive judgement on his overall shooting ability, but if he can use his size with a strong forehand, this is an easy way to score in the NHL (or at any level for that matter). There have been concerns in the past about his finishing ability, so we will certainly have to watch that, but it does appear from his recent results that he is improving offensively and likely hasn't seen his ceiling as yet. Magnus could have the widest possible variance in his goal scoring. He could wind up a balanced 2-way guy or a scoring machine depending on how his development goes.
I maintain that Wayne Gretzky was the best shooter ever. His combination of accuracy and (when he needed it) power are unmatched from my eyes. Some older observers might dispute it, but he's the best I've seen because he understood when, how and where to shoot better than anyone. You didn't see Wayne Gretzky firing off stupid shots into defenders all the time, or getting checked because he was busy trying to shoot from a bad position. Also, from what I've seen, when he truly needed to score, he went to his forehand, which is another thing I've observed that great goal scorers will always do.
I'm a little concerned about Hall's tendency to go backhand (and for that matter, all modern players tendency to go backhand when the forehand move is available). Always prefer to go to your strength when you have the chance. It doesn't make sense to do otherwise. Too many junior players score all these backhand goals on weak jr goalies and then show up in the NHL and kindly place it in the goalies pads. Not too worried about Eberle and Svensson. Hall seems to exhibit a lot of the when/where knowledge, and only blasts iffy shots when stuck trying to drag Nazem Khadri all over the ice. He won't have that issue here as he'll likely be playing with Horcoff and Hemsky or Eberle and Svensson. They all appear to have a healthy interest in holding onto the puck.
To bring this discussion back to your favorite team and mine, it has been spouted by so many that the cure to what ails the Edmonton Oilers is simply to take more shots. More shots will magically equal more goals and this team will be fine. There are a number of reasons that this simply isn't true, but more on that later.
The fans that attend live games, many of them anyway, do not seem to grasp the intricacies of shooting. They call for shots on the Powerplay most frequently, missing the whole point of the 5-on-4 situation which is not to get more shots but to get BETTER shots that are of higher percentage chance to score. The point of all that passing it to create a lane to another player collapsing the defensive box and creating a situation where a forward (usually) has an opportunity to shoot at an undefended, possibly screened and hopefully out of position goaltender. Simply taking more shots accomplishes none of this and relinquishes the puck control that the 5-on-4 situation affords you. Your goal is not to blast 100 pucks in the general direction of the net and hope that 4 or 5 go in. If your team somehow manages to score 4 or 5 goals in half your games, you'll be a pretty great team in this league. Doing this requires better chances, not more pucks directed at the net.
Directing a puck towards the net accomplishes absolutely nothing in and of itself. It can in fact be a negative because if you do not score, create an offensive rebound or cause an offensive zone faceoff, you've turned the puck over to the opposition who can then break out on you. Odds are you're also out of position at this stage.
This is where I think the "young players don't help you win" can be remedied. If you can instill in these young guys an enhanced understanding of what they need to do with the puck (which is NOT simply slam it at the net), they will be contributors to puck possession and create opportunities. On the PP, all of these 3 have a chance to score many goals and rely on the situation as well as our skilled veterans to help up get a big special teams lead on the other teams. Please...do not yell at Hall, Eberle or Svensson to shoot. They know what they're doing in the offensive end.
If you gave a team a goal, and that was to direct 50 pucks at the net in a given game, I submit to you that this team would not win hockey games. The easiest shots to take are often the ones least likely to go in. An undefended shot from the blue line, even when you're Sheldon Souray, is of relative ease to take, but has a very low chance of success for many reasons. The shooting percentage that teams have is not simply because they direct pucks at the net, but is because they direct some of the right pucks at the net.
The Edmonton Oilers of 09-10 have many problems in the offensive zone right now. The desire to shoot is not one of them despite the howls of the peanut gallery. When this team has been in position to take effective shots, they have not been shy at all about taking them. Gilbert Brule is a great example of a talented shooter who's made a lot of his chances so far this year. I wish we had 3 of him (ideally one that was 6'3", but those kinds of guys go first overall). What has occurred lately is that this team is not getting itself into the positions required to take effective shots, and not corralling rebounds in high percentage areas where goals are had. There have been many games this year where we've had an obscene number of pucks blocked after they were poorly directed at the net. This needs to stop. Our game in the offensive zone has become much less fluid despite our roster which is structured to play a very fluid offensive style. There are teams that can play the table-top hockey style game, stay in place and fire shots. We are not that kind of team.
This process should be the focus of our efforts as a team. Simply focusing on directing pucks will not lead to wins, only to frustration.
We will again have a team that is oriented towards a flowing game. We'll actually have more weapons up front and should be better at this. Missing Lubomir to get the pucks to Hemsky and crew will hurt immensely, but we'll need to find a way to make it up. Hall, Eberle and Svensson all have a chance to be part in that.
See you again soon, as we tee up the coming Oilers season.
#1
4/7/10
LMHF Game Report #41
EDMONTON 5
VS.
COLORADO 4
-----------------
And so it ends, mercifully, painfully, briefly joyful, but finally. The 2009-2010 season is at a close.
No matter what people say about bottoming out, getting a top pick and rebuilding, it is far from guaranteed and very little solace to those who dished out the dough to see a chance at 41 regular season wins and hopefully a bunch more beyond that. This was not the year. This was the exact opposite of that year.
I'm not sure I could think of how this would be more anti-2005-2006. Everything went wrong. It wasn't even that the team was just bad on a lot of nights, it was also boring. Our best player sat with an injured shoulder. Our breakout star lost his motivation after trying to drag the deadweight behind him and you couldn't even blame him. Though 30+ ain't bad for Mr. Penner, we're talking about a guy who was hanging around people named Ovechkin and Crosby earlier this year. He showed no signs of slowing until the whole things went off the rails; there's only so much you can do after that.
PLAYER REPORTS
-------------------
Deslauriers
- Far from his best game tonight. For whatever reason he looked tentative. When Deslauriers is tentative, he doesn't make his saves aggressively, looking like he's trying to make the next save before he's done making the first, and gives out nasty rebounds. Tonight he was a nasty rebound machine, but his D held him in for a couple periods, which was long enough to result in a 'W'. Good for him. I cannot think of a decent prospect whose development has been more irregular and unfortunate than Jeff (even Mr. Schremp), yet he made the big-time this year. If this is a good squad, we're talking about how well he did this year. The quality of chances he had to stop on a nightly basis was just stupid.
Gilbert
- I'm not exactly sure what he was doing on the fourth (it was the fourth wasn't it?) Avs goal, other than possibly making a snow angel, he really blew his coverage. I liked his offensive game as he spent a lot of the time pushing the play, both into the slot and into the corners to create offense. He didn't have the shooting hand tonight or he would've scored multiple goals. He certainly had the chances to do so. Overall I thought his game was mixed. I differ from many, in that I thought Gilbert had an excellent year of growth. He found new life playing with Ryan Whitney, and our twin towers can be a dominant NHL pairing for several years if they are kept intact. Those who underestimate Gilbert do so at their own peril.
Whitney
- Loved that he got the winning goal; and even more that he scored it, skated to the boards with a giant smile on his face, and basked in the love of the crowd. The man gets it, he really does. He plays to win every single night and he gives a damn, period. You see it in everything that he does. He had a few odd adventures in the defensive zone tonight, more than usual, but still, he was good. I can't wait to watch this guy over a full season. I sure hope he's healthy next year. He changes this team, and I was a guy who was prepared to hate him because he came at the expense of #71 (watching Lubomir was one of the most singular pleasures I've had as an Oilers fan, the man is a master) and the foot injury thing. But if this last part of the season is any indication, we've got a winner.
Arsene
- Of the few feel-good stories of the year, his stood out. The man toiled in the minors for years, is still mistakenly listed at 295 pounds on the Oilers scoreboard, but he got to live his NHL dream and certainly did not bring any shame to himself whatsoever. Tonight he was a little more penalty-prone than we all would've liked, but he played pretty steady and did his job. If this really is a "lunchbucket town" (I don't think it is, but that's just me), then Edmonton should doff its work hat to Mr. Ar-seen-eee for a job well done. I don't think we'll see him again, but maybe OKC could use him.
Strudwick
- He probably took 3 of the weakest shots I've seen live at an NHL game tonight. They were putrid and had no chance of going in or even on the net. I didn't see much else from him to be honest and cannot access the game log to jog my memory at the moment due to internet issues. I hope, despite his reputation as a solid "team guy" and everything else, that Mr. Strudwick is put out to pasture next year. He's just not good enough to be taking time from either the young guys pushing up, or the next Aaron Johnson who just needs a shot.
Johnson
- Speaking of Johnson, he had a couple nasty giveaways tonight and I really didn't think this was his best effort. He must've been okay because there was nothing really ugly that I recall from the game, but usually he makes some positive plays and I didn't see those either. I really hope Johnson gets his due next season. He's a great story in that we got him in a lopsided trade, came out winners and gave a deserving guy a shot. He's making the most of it and has shown me no reason to believe he'd quit doing what he's doing. We can work with that. We can win with that.
Chorney
- Mr. Chorney started the year strong, and finished in the "not so much" bin. That's really too bad. It is upsetting that his development was interrupted and he needed to be called into service so early, but that's the nature of the beast. I noticed him a couple times in the offensive zone trying to make plays, but he doesn't look convinced of his own ability to perform there right now. I'm not sure where we go from here. I don't want to yet say that I was right on when I said "trade him now while he has value" earlier in the season, but we'll see I suppose. There are a lot of guys who will come calling for that job. Some Theo Peckham's, some Aaron Johnson's. I suspect that he'll be displaced in that manner.
Linglet
- I was certainly interested to see this guy after all the stats lines from Springfield this year. To say I was less than impressed would be a bit of an understatement. He seems to be a decently sized player, but one that cannot skate and does not play physically. I'd be prepared to accept either, but it appears he has neither. I don't expect him to be around next year and while I appreciate the rewarding of a job well done for the year, Mr. Eberle should have played these games instead of Mr. Linglet. Period.
Jones
- I haven't felt a lot either way watching Jones the few times I've been able to. Tonight, playing on a lacklustre line that had a BAD game, full of giveaways, Jones also had the dubious distinction of falling all over the damn place. He didn't look like a hockey player at all this evening. I suspect he'll be given a shot next year, but likely (and hopefully) beat out by a younger more talented player with some physical ability.
Pouliot
- This was probably the worst game I've seen him play in a while. He usually skates well and holds onto the puck effectively at the minimum. Tonight he gave it away a bunch and wasn't winning any races. I don't know if this was a function of his line or not, but he looked just terrible out there. I'm not sure just what the future holds for Pouliot; I don't see how he holds his spot. Then again, I haven't seen that for multiple years now. Rob Schremp and several others would've made my squad over Pouliot multiple times over now, yet he keeps coming back. For me, he symbolizes the type of player we need to learn to give up on in order to move forward. He's a low-end-tweener with the upside of decent defensive forward. You don't win with that. There's a difference between bit-part-Pouliot and bit-part-Johnson.
Comrie
- He was in the play tonight. It seems like he just has that gift. It would have been tremendous poetry and some small degree of happiness for me if Mike had managed to twist himself enough to bury the behind-the-back pass from Penner with a second left. For him to score two goals (I called him scoring at least 1 tonight) would have at least brought a little magic to the final home night of the season. He had many other chances including a flurry in the first, a ricochet that went past his waving stick but could have easily been a goal, and a weird angle shot that almost snuck by, but none of those were to be. His one goal was a well placed PP wrister with big help from Mr. Horcoff on the screen, past a weak goaltender. It was nothing to write home about but was a good, solid choice. It is no secret that I love the way Comrie plays hockey, and it would make me very happy to see him in the uniform again next season. He helps you win, and it'd be another chance at the great story that was not to be this season.
Stortini
- I think he broke up a few chances that O'Sullivan and Comrie generated together tonight. Not one of his better efforts and there was no physicality to his game. He wasn't annoying Colorado either, not that I think they would have engaged. They didn't look interested in that game I suppose, which limits how effective Stortini can be. The future for him? I honestly don't know. I really thought he'd get a rougher ride from Quinn than he did, but he stuck in the lineup so they must see something. I hope he comes to camp fired up, because he can be very effective. I want to see him score some goals. I want to see him piss people off every second or third game.
O'Sullivan
- He was alright tonight. He took a great shot around a defender that could have gone in but didn't, and generally generated some solid offence. Of all the guys who had the air let out of their tires this year, he probably suffered the most. I don't see how his story will end positively here which is sad. There's a maniac of a hockey player in there, with skill in all ends and a major-league shot. I can only think that he's really still fighting the battle inside. I hope he wins it one day, because we'll all get to see something pretty impressive. Good luck Patrick.
Horcoff
- He was good tonight. Really solidly good. He screened on the Comrie goal as noted, took an excellent shot from a good spot for a goal of his own, and was smooth the rest of the game. There are always going to be what I would call errors with Horcoff, missed passes, whiffed shots, overskating defenders, but at least on nights like tonight he covers them up. I think everyone knows what I think of Horcoff by now, but because he will in all likelihood be playing for this team next year, I hope he goes off this summer, works like crazy on his shooting and pass-taking ability, and learns an aggressive style of play that is calm with the puck. With those things he could be the guy we need. I just don't know if he sees that. He's got the right attitude, and he'll probably be the first guy (either him or Whitney) to say "it's about the Cup" if things go well, but he needs to be more than that.
Moreau
- A pedestrian game from Ethan in my view. I think enough has already been said about him this year. It is time that this time in an Oilers uniform end (somewhat) gracefully, and we get to remember the man who was legitly our MVP one year, had a monster slapper, and scored 20 goals.
Pisani
- I thought Fernando would score tonight, but he was rather invisible. I want him back next year if he's able. I could completely understand retiring if I were him. The man is clearly ravaged by a horrible affliction that struck down a blossoming talent when combined with injuries. Nothing can ever take that spring away from him, where we saw a hard-working longish-term minor leaguer from Edmonton go on a tear for the ages that was one goal from defeating guys named Pronger and Roloson for a Conn Smythe trophy. That was just a glimpse...and then it was gone. There are tragedies in sport. Not of the life and death variety on all but the darkest of days, but I'll always feel for Fernando, because he finally found it after a lot of effort, only to have it ripped away.
Penner
- Very solid outing for Dustin tonight. He earned that first star and the applause he received for a season well-played. He also made 2 no look passes to totally open teammates which was bloody impressive. I don't think there's any question that you bring him back next year. I don't think he could turn back now if he wanted to. This man is a player and has a 3-point-night like it's nothing. He's legit. Let's watch him grow further.
Cogliano
- A good solid goal tonight for Cogliano, and yes I thought his effort was generally good. It was interesting that he took so much time on his goal and still managed to finish. He'd missed a very similar chance earlier in the game and I wasn't sure he had it in him. That's been the story with Andrew this year, absolutely no finish. Is it bad luck or has he really headed down an alternate career path? I don't think anyone's screaming goal scorer anymore. I don't think we see him next year. I hope he does well with his new start, but that he's in the other conference doing it. Great play to help set up the winner. He was my second star over Gilbert.
Potulny
- Ryan did alright for himself tonight even if he blew a good scoring chance and got beat up a bit. He made a year out of nothing. No one called what he did in terms of making the most of chances, scoring goals and contributing even on a bad team. The guy was excellent and should be very very proud of what he accomplished. You absolutely must give him a solid look next year. I think this is the kind of guy that never would have made it under MacTavish, but did under Quinn. Potulny is much more a difference maker than a Reddox or a Petersen. It's important to remember that when thinking about our coaching.
-------------------
Random funny moment: the ice crew skated around with a bin after the game, raising it like the Stanley Cup.
Ryan Whitney loved the cheer he got at the end of the game, and waved for the crowd a couple more times than he was obligated to. I said it above, but keep this guy. Hell, give him a letter.
I guess, that's that.
No matter what happened this year, going to the games is still better than a lot of other things you could do on a given night. It still feels like an important event and a spectacle to be taken in. But when you can't hope anymore, and it is counterproductive for your team to show up, it gets hard. The hardest thing for me this entire season was watching and learning not to care for one season. I don't care what happens in the offseason, I will be back and my bumper sticker will read 'Stanley or Bust' as it always should. Hope will spring for our new stars and at least in theory, we should be entertained. I'm very much looking forward to a training camp that could see guys with namebars reading Hall, Eberle, Svensson, Lander, Hartikanen, Kabanov, and maybe others. It will hopefully see the names Hemsky and Penner reunited on the ice, ready to take on the world once more. Even our troubled #1 netminder could return to form. It is all possible once more. I look forward to watching a full season of Ryan Whitney, who proved himself more an Oiler in a quarter season than most did over a whole. I hope very much that Mr. Comrie will once again play for his hometown team, and get the chance to be the playoff hero that he didn't get this year. The sun will shine again...it was just rainy as hell this year.
VS.
COLORADO 4
-----------------
And so it ends, mercifully, painfully, briefly joyful, but finally. The 2009-2010 season is at a close.
No matter what people say about bottoming out, getting a top pick and rebuilding, it is far from guaranteed and very little solace to those who dished out the dough to see a chance at 41 regular season wins and hopefully a bunch more beyond that. This was not the year. This was the exact opposite of that year.
I'm not sure I could think of how this would be more anti-2005-2006. Everything went wrong. It wasn't even that the team was just bad on a lot of nights, it was also boring. Our best player sat with an injured shoulder. Our breakout star lost his motivation after trying to drag the deadweight behind him and you couldn't even blame him. Though 30+ ain't bad for Mr. Penner, we're talking about a guy who was hanging around people named Ovechkin and Crosby earlier this year. He showed no signs of slowing until the whole things went off the rails; there's only so much you can do after that.
PLAYER REPORTS
-------------------
Deslauriers
- Far from his best game tonight. For whatever reason he looked tentative. When Deslauriers is tentative, he doesn't make his saves aggressively, looking like he's trying to make the next save before he's done making the first, and gives out nasty rebounds. Tonight he was a nasty rebound machine, but his D held him in for a couple periods, which was long enough to result in a 'W'. Good for him. I cannot think of a decent prospect whose development has been more irregular and unfortunate than Jeff (even Mr. Schremp), yet he made the big-time this year. If this is a good squad, we're talking about how well he did this year. The quality of chances he had to stop on a nightly basis was just stupid.
Gilbert
- I'm not exactly sure what he was doing on the fourth (it was the fourth wasn't it?) Avs goal, other than possibly making a snow angel, he really blew his coverage. I liked his offensive game as he spent a lot of the time pushing the play, both into the slot and into the corners to create offense. He didn't have the shooting hand tonight or he would've scored multiple goals. He certainly had the chances to do so. Overall I thought his game was mixed. I differ from many, in that I thought Gilbert had an excellent year of growth. He found new life playing with Ryan Whitney, and our twin towers can be a dominant NHL pairing for several years if they are kept intact. Those who underestimate Gilbert do so at their own peril.
Whitney
- Loved that he got the winning goal; and even more that he scored it, skated to the boards with a giant smile on his face, and basked in the love of the crowd. The man gets it, he really does. He plays to win every single night and he gives a damn, period. You see it in everything that he does. He had a few odd adventures in the defensive zone tonight, more than usual, but still, he was good. I can't wait to watch this guy over a full season. I sure hope he's healthy next year. He changes this team, and I was a guy who was prepared to hate him because he came at the expense of #71 (watching Lubomir was one of the most singular pleasures I've had as an Oilers fan, the man is a master) and the foot injury thing. But if this last part of the season is any indication, we've got a winner.
Arsene
- Of the few feel-good stories of the year, his stood out. The man toiled in the minors for years, is still mistakenly listed at 295 pounds on the Oilers scoreboard, but he got to live his NHL dream and certainly did not bring any shame to himself whatsoever. Tonight he was a little more penalty-prone than we all would've liked, but he played pretty steady and did his job. If this really is a "lunchbucket town" (I don't think it is, but that's just me), then Edmonton should doff its work hat to Mr. Ar-seen-eee for a job well done. I don't think we'll see him again, but maybe OKC could use him.
Strudwick
- He probably took 3 of the weakest shots I've seen live at an NHL game tonight. They were putrid and had no chance of going in or even on the net. I didn't see much else from him to be honest and cannot access the game log to jog my memory at the moment due to internet issues. I hope, despite his reputation as a solid "team guy" and everything else, that Mr. Strudwick is put out to pasture next year. He's just not good enough to be taking time from either the young guys pushing up, or the next Aaron Johnson who just needs a shot.
Johnson
- Speaking of Johnson, he had a couple nasty giveaways tonight and I really didn't think this was his best effort. He must've been okay because there was nothing really ugly that I recall from the game, but usually he makes some positive plays and I didn't see those either. I really hope Johnson gets his due next season. He's a great story in that we got him in a lopsided trade, came out winners and gave a deserving guy a shot. He's making the most of it and has shown me no reason to believe he'd quit doing what he's doing. We can work with that. We can win with that.
Chorney
- Mr. Chorney started the year strong, and finished in the "not so much" bin. That's really too bad. It is upsetting that his development was interrupted and he needed to be called into service so early, but that's the nature of the beast. I noticed him a couple times in the offensive zone trying to make plays, but he doesn't look convinced of his own ability to perform there right now. I'm not sure where we go from here. I don't want to yet say that I was right on when I said "trade him now while he has value" earlier in the season, but we'll see I suppose. There are a lot of guys who will come calling for that job. Some Theo Peckham's, some Aaron Johnson's. I suspect that he'll be displaced in that manner.
Linglet
- I was certainly interested to see this guy after all the stats lines from Springfield this year. To say I was less than impressed would be a bit of an understatement. He seems to be a decently sized player, but one that cannot skate and does not play physically. I'd be prepared to accept either, but it appears he has neither. I don't expect him to be around next year and while I appreciate the rewarding of a job well done for the year, Mr. Eberle should have played these games instead of Mr. Linglet. Period.
Jones
- I haven't felt a lot either way watching Jones the few times I've been able to. Tonight, playing on a lacklustre line that had a BAD game, full of giveaways, Jones also had the dubious distinction of falling all over the damn place. He didn't look like a hockey player at all this evening. I suspect he'll be given a shot next year, but likely (and hopefully) beat out by a younger more talented player with some physical ability.
Pouliot
- This was probably the worst game I've seen him play in a while. He usually skates well and holds onto the puck effectively at the minimum. Tonight he gave it away a bunch and wasn't winning any races. I don't know if this was a function of his line or not, but he looked just terrible out there. I'm not sure just what the future holds for Pouliot; I don't see how he holds his spot. Then again, I haven't seen that for multiple years now. Rob Schremp and several others would've made my squad over Pouliot multiple times over now, yet he keeps coming back. For me, he symbolizes the type of player we need to learn to give up on in order to move forward. He's a low-end-tweener with the upside of decent defensive forward. You don't win with that. There's a difference between bit-part-Pouliot and bit-part-Johnson.
Comrie
- He was in the play tonight. It seems like he just has that gift. It would have been tremendous poetry and some small degree of happiness for me if Mike had managed to twist himself enough to bury the behind-the-back pass from Penner with a second left. For him to score two goals (I called him scoring at least 1 tonight) would have at least brought a little magic to the final home night of the season. He had many other chances including a flurry in the first, a ricochet that went past his waving stick but could have easily been a goal, and a weird angle shot that almost snuck by, but none of those were to be. His one goal was a well placed PP wrister with big help from Mr. Horcoff on the screen, past a weak goaltender. It was nothing to write home about but was a good, solid choice. It is no secret that I love the way Comrie plays hockey, and it would make me very happy to see him in the uniform again next season. He helps you win, and it'd be another chance at the great story that was not to be this season.
Stortini
- I think he broke up a few chances that O'Sullivan and Comrie generated together tonight. Not one of his better efforts and there was no physicality to his game. He wasn't annoying Colorado either, not that I think they would have engaged. They didn't look interested in that game I suppose, which limits how effective Stortini can be. The future for him? I honestly don't know. I really thought he'd get a rougher ride from Quinn than he did, but he stuck in the lineup so they must see something. I hope he comes to camp fired up, because he can be very effective. I want to see him score some goals. I want to see him piss people off every second or third game.
O'Sullivan
- He was alright tonight. He took a great shot around a defender that could have gone in but didn't, and generally generated some solid offence. Of all the guys who had the air let out of their tires this year, he probably suffered the most. I don't see how his story will end positively here which is sad. There's a maniac of a hockey player in there, with skill in all ends and a major-league shot. I can only think that he's really still fighting the battle inside. I hope he wins it one day, because we'll all get to see something pretty impressive. Good luck Patrick.
Horcoff
- He was good tonight. Really solidly good. He screened on the Comrie goal as noted, took an excellent shot from a good spot for a goal of his own, and was smooth the rest of the game. There are always going to be what I would call errors with Horcoff, missed passes, whiffed shots, overskating defenders, but at least on nights like tonight he covers them up. I think everyone knows what I think of Horcoff by now, but because he will in all likelihood be playing for this team next year, I hope he goes off this summer, works like crazy on his shooting and pass-taking ability, and learns an aggressive style of play that is calm with the puck. With those things he could be the guy we need. I just don't know if he sees that. He's got the right attitude, and he'll probably be the first guy (either him or Whitney) to say "it's about the Cup" if things go well, but he needs to be more than that.
Moreau
- A pedestrian game from Ethan in my view. I think enough has already been said about him this year. It is time that this time in an Oilers uniform end (somewhat) gracefully, and we get to remember the man who was legitly our MVP one year, had a monster slapper, and scored 20 goals.
Pisani
- I thought Fernando would score tonight, but he was rather invisible. I want him back next year if he's able. I could completely understand retiring if I were him. The man is clearly ravaged by a horrible affliction that struck down a blossoming talent when combined with injuries. Nothing can ever take that spring away from him, where we saw a hard-working longish-term minor leaguer from Edmonton go on a tear for the ages that was one goal from defeating guys named Pronger and Roloson for a Conn Smythe trophy. That was just a glimpse...and then it was gone. There are tragedies in sport. Not of the life and death variety on all but the darkest of days, but I'll always feel for Fernando, because he finally found it after a lot of effort, only to have it ripped away.
Penner
- Very solid outing for Dustin tonight. He earned that first star and the applause he received for a season well-played. He also made 2 no look passes to totally open teammates which was bloody impressive. I don't think there's any question that you bring him back next year. I don't think he could turn back now if he wanted to. This man is a player and has a 3-point-night like it's nothing. He's legit. Let's watch him grow further.
Cogliano
- A good solid goal tonight for Cogliano, and yes I thought his effort was generally good. It was interesting that he took so much time on his goal and still managed to finish. He'd missed a very similar chance earlier in the game and I wasn't sure he had it in him. That's been the story with Andrew this year, absolutely no finish. Is it bad luck or has he really headed down an alternate career path? I don't think anyone's screaming goal scorer anymore. I don't think we see him next year. I hope he does well with his new start, but that he's in the other conference doing it. Great play to help set up the winner. He was my second star over Gilbert.
Potulny
- Ryan did alright for himself tonight even if he blew a good scoring chance and got beat up a bit. He made a year out of nothing. No one called what he did in terms of making the most of chances, scoring goals and contributing even on a bad team. The guy was excellent and should be very very proud of what he accomplished. You absolutely must give him a solid look next year. I think this is the kind of guy that never would have made it under MacTavish, but did under Quinn. Potulny is much more a difference maker than a Reddox or a Petersen. It's important to remember that when thinking about our coaching.
-------------------
Random funny moment: the ice crew skated around with a bin after the game, raising it like the Stanley Cup.
Ryan Whitney loved the cheer he got at the end of the game, and waved for the crowd a couple more times than he was obligated to. I said it above, but keep this guy. Hell, give him a letter.
I guess, that's that.
No matter what happened this year, going to the games is still better than a lot of other things you could do on a given night. It still feels like an important event and a spectacle to be taken in. But when you can't hope anymore, and it is counterproductive for your team to show up, it gets hard. The hardest thing for me this entire season was watching and learning not to care for one season. I don't care what happens in the offseason, I will be back and my bumper sticker will read 'Stanley or Bust' as it always should. Hope will spring for our new stars and at least in theory, we should be entertained. I'm very much looking forward to a training camp that could see guys with namebars reading Hall, Eberle, Svensson, Lander, Hartikanen, Kabanov, and maybe others. It will hopefully see the names Hemsky and Penner reunited on the ice, ready to take on the world once more. Even our troubled #1 netminder could return to form. It is all possible once more. I look forward to watching a full season of Ryan Whitney, who proved himself more an Oiler in a quarter season than most did over a whole. I hope very much that Mr. Comrie will once again play for his hometown team, and get the chance to be the playoff hero that he didn't get this year. The sun will shine again...it was just rainy as hell this year.
4/5/10
LMHF Game Report #40
EDMONTON 4
VS.
MINNESOTA 1
-------------------
Feels like absolutely forever since I'd been to a game, but being that I went to work today, watching a win was an especially pleasant way to end the day.
There are so many members of this team right now that are simply not familiar, OR, who will be gone by next year. Combine that with the general lack of effort and it becomes rather tough to "feel" for this team. I expected more people and especially more enthusiasm for the second-last game of the season, but I guess not.
The place was rather empty, and quiet for much of the game. A loud cheer from the half of the building which stayed til the end was probably the loudest of the night.
No sense messing around, let's get right into PLAYER REPORTS
------------------
Everyone
- There was a point in the second where every single Oilers player seemed to give the puck away in a very short margin. It was UGLY!
Dubnyk
- Solid. I didn't think Minny really pressed at any point and didn't really have very many amazing chances, but Dubnyk was equal to the task that was presented and that's really all you can ask. He was in position an under control most of the night which was a plus. His puckhandling left a little to be desired, but didn't hurt him.
Arsene
- I must admit that while I hate the way his name is pronounced, I love the way this guy manages to just NAIL someone every game he plays. Tonight it was James Sheppard. Poor guy then had to deal with one of the giant Minnesota Goobs (Scott this time). I thought it was rather sad that Stortini didn't manage to prevent this, but nice that we got the PP.
Johnson
- The thing I noticed with him, aside from the usual simple and steady stuff, is that he likes to step up at the blue line and hit people. He's very aggressive this way. He's also good at only doing this when he's backed up, but he got caught once in the third tonight. Still really hope they give him a shot next year.
Chorney
- He made that solid slap-pass for sure, but aside from that I was fairly unimpressed. Twice in the third while in his own zone, he tried some funky behind the back pass off the boards thing to get around people...it worked once (barely) and didn't work the second time. I'm sad that he has dropped off so far, as he really showed some promise earlier this year.
Strudwick
- Boring but not terrible? That's about as good as he goes I suppose. Could have been tougher.
Whitney
- He gave the puck away a lot tonight and didn't really hit anyone. His game seemed to be off a fair bit. He's best when he's ornery and looking to make great passes. He seemed to be a lot less patient with the puck tonight and trying to force things as opposed to allowing the play to present itself.
Gilbert
- I didn't really notice Tom now that I think about it. There was a play in the third where he had a big hit lined up and didn't go for it, which was disappointing, but that's about all I really recall. Nothing bad about that, just a tad odd.
Stortini-Comrie-Jones
- Talk about a strange line combo. Stortini had a couple excellent chances to score (1 in the first that he should've left for Comrie who was also there, and one in the second where he banged instead of dekeing) which was a positive I suppose. He's best when living in front of the net. I didn't like that he wasn't more physically involved, as he could've driven Minny nuts and didn't. Comrie was okay, as he was decent effective distributing on the PP and worked with what he had 5-on-5, a couple of giveaways more than he should have had though. Jones I didn't really notice much. It's nice that he seems to get physically involved, but I don't think there's room next year.
Moreau-Horcoff-Pisani
- Talk about a weird night. He scores a goal on an iffy wrister after Horcoff blows a breakaway pass, but the defenceman makes it anyway; then he scores on probably his best power-forward play of the entire year (made the effort from the corner, protected the puck, beat the man, beat the goalie and stayed with it to knock it in). The man almost looked like a hockey player! He had a couple skating adventures, but you an certainly tell he's much more comfy with Horcoff and Pisani in tow. Fernando was invisible to me tonight. Horcoff was okay. He had moments where he passed the puck quite well, but other moments where the puck came to him and he couldn't seem to get hold of it whatsoever. It was very awkward to watch.
Nilsson-Pouliot-O'Sullivan
- Honestly, I barely even noticed these guys were playing as they just didn't create anything. Pouliot was "big" a couple times, O'Sullivan blew a chance or two and Nilsson got knocked around some I guess. I don't see the logic in this line, or much effort from its inhabitants.
Penner-Potulny-Cogilano
- Interesting combo. Potulny quietly had a very effective game. He tends to go to the right spot, which is what he was doing when he drew the 4 minute high-sticking call on that stupid play by Prosser. He took an excellent shot low on Backstrom's pad after taking a tough pass and spinning around, which found a wide open Penner coming back out. He was physically tough all night and generally pissed off the Wild. Always good to see. He disappointed me on the breakaway he got though; gotta deke with that kind of speed. Cogliano was pretty bad early on in that he kept giving the Wild the puck. He got better as the game went on, focusing on hitting and positioning, hustling on the backcheck, causing some havoc at the end of the second and contributing where he could. I didn't mind him but he's certainly not worthy of the top offensive unit. Penner I'm conflicted on, both of his goals were the result of good positioning and solid shot-timing, it's true, but he shouldn't have even scored on the first one as he missed the open net. He also gave the puck very easily to the opposition all night. It was pretty strange. It is however an important skill to be able to contribute even when things are going a little wrong for you on the night, and he certainly did that.
--------------
One more to go and the pain is over. Mercifully it will end. At least we can say that we were the best at something this year, and the boys seem to have saved their year-end wins for home (they are 4-1 in their last 5 at least) which is good.
I look forward to writing next year about how approximately 17 wins are left at this time.
See you Wednesday.
VS.
MINNESOTA 1
-------------------
Feels like absolutely forever since I'd been to a game, but being that I went to work today, watching a win was an especially pleasant way to end the day.
There are so many members of this team right now that are simply not familiar, OR, who will be gone by next year. Combine that with the general lack of effort and it becomes rather tough to "feel" for this team. I expected more people and especially more enthusiasm for the second-last game of the season, but I guess not.
The place was rather empty, and quiet for much of the game. A loud cheer from the half of the building which stayed til the end was probably the loudest of the night.
No sense messing around, let's get right into PLAYER REPORTS
------------------
Everyone
- There was a point in the second where every single Oilers player seemed to give the puck away in a very short margin. It was UGLY!
Dubnyk
- Solid. I didn't think Minny really pressed at any point and didn't really have very many amazing chances, but Dubnyk was equal to the task that was presented and that's really all you can ask. He was in position an under control most of the night which was a plus. His puckhandling left a little to be desired, but didn't hurt him.
Arsene
- I must admit that while I hate the way his name is pronounced, I love the way this guy manages to just NAIL someone every game he plays. Tonight it was James Sheppard. Poor guy then had to deal with one of the giant Minnesota Goobs (Scott this time). I thought it was rather sad that Stortini didn't manage to prevent this, but nice that we got the PP.
Johnson
- The thing I noticed with him, aside from the usual simple and steady stuff, is that he likes to step up at the blue line and hit people. He's very aggressive this way. He's also good at only doing this when he's backed up, but he got caught once in the third tonight. Still really hope they give him a shot next year.
Chorney
- He made that solid slap-pass for sure, but aside from that I was fairly unimpressed. Twice in the third while in his own zone, he tried some funky behind the back pass off the boards thing to get around people...it worked once (barely) and didn't work the second time. I'm sad that he has dropped off so far, as he really showed some promise earlier this year.
Strudwick
- Boring but not terrible? That's about as good as he goes I suppose. Could have been tougher.
Whitney
- He gave the puck away a lot tonight and didn't really hit anyone. His game seemed to be off a fair bit. He's best when he's ornery and looking to make great passes. He seemed to be a lot less patient with the puck tonight and trying to force things as opposed to allowing the play to present itself.
Gilbert
- I didn't really notice Tom now that I think about it. There was a play in the third where he had a big hit lined up and didn't go for it, which was disappointing, but that's about all I really recall. Nothing bad about that, just a tad odd.
Stortini-Comrie-Jones
- Talk about a strange line combo. Stortini had a couple excellent chances to score (1 in the first that he should've left for Comrie who was also there, and one in the second where he banged instead of dekeing) which was a positive I suppose. He's best when living in front of the net. I didn't like that he wasn't more physically involved, as he could've driven Minny nuts and didn't. Comrie was okay, as he was decent effective distributing on the PP and worked with what he had 5-on-5, a couple of giveaways more than he should have had though. Jones I didn't really notice much. It's nice that he seems to get physically involved, but I don't think there's room next year.
Moreau-Horcoff-Pisani
- Talk about a weird night. He scores a goal on an iffy wrister after Horcoff blows a breakaway pass, but the defenceman makes it anyway; then he scores on probably his best power-forward play of the entire year (made the effort from the corner, protected the puck, beat the man, beat the goalie and stayed with it to knock it in). The man almost looked like a hockey player! He had a couple skating adventures, but you an certainly tell he's much more comfy with Horcoff and Pisani in tow. Fernando was invisible to me tonight. Horcoff was okay. He had moments where he passed the puck quite well, but other moments where the puck came to him and he couldn't seem to get hold of it whatsoever. It was very awkward to watch.
Nilsson-Pouliot-O'Sullivan
- Honestly, I barely even noticed these guys were playing as they just didn't create anything. Pouliot was "big" a couple times, O'Sullivan blew a chance or two and Nilsson got knocked around some I guess. I don't see the logic in this line, or much effort from its inhabitants.
Penner-Potulny-Cogilano
- Interesting combo. Potulny quietly had a very effective game. He tends to go to the right spot, which is what he was doing when he drew the 4 minute high-sticking call on that stupid play by Prosser. He took an excellent shot low on Backstrom's pad after taking a tough pass and spinning around, which found a wide open Penner coming back out. He was physically tough all night and generally pissed off the Wild. Always good to see. He disappointed me on the breakaway he got though; gotta deke with that kind of speed. Cogliano was pretty bad early on in that he kept giving the Wild the puck. He got better as the game went on, focusing on hitting and positioning, hustling on the backcheck, causing some havoc at the end of the second and contributing where he could. I didn't mind him but he's certainly not worthy of the top offensive unit. Penner I'm conflicted on, both of his goals were the result of good positioning and solid shot-timing, it's true, but he shouldn't have even scored on the first one as he missed the open net. He also gave the puck very easily to the opposition all night. It was pretty strange. It is however an important skill to be able to contribute even when things are going a little wrong for you on the night, and he certainly did that.
--------------
One more to go and the pain is over. Mercifully it will end. At least we can say that we were the best at something this year, and the boys seem to have saved their year-end wins for home (they are 4-1 in their last 5 at least) which is good.
I look forward to writing next year about how approximately 17 wins are left at this time.
See you Wednesday.
3/26/10
Advisory - No Game Report
Hello again all,
Horrid timing at the end of the year. I'm headed to Calgary this weekend and will miss tonight's EDM vs. ANA game.
Horrid timing at the end of the year. I'm headed to Calgary this weekend and will miss tonight's EDM vs. ANA game.
3/23/10
LMHF Game Report #38
EDMONTON 3
VS.
VANCOUVER 2
--------------------
First off, congrats to Nathan Deobald who becomes part of random hockey trivia lore subbing for Dubnyk as backup. Random thought: how hilarious would it have been if Szabados would have been the goalie she could have seen even a shift against VAN and we win? They'd never live that down.
It seemed like I hadn't been to a game in forever, so I was really wondering what the vibe around the team would be like. I'd say in the first 2 periods they were a fair bit more confident than I recall. The third was a little hit-and-miss but the team was physical throughout the game. The minor lineup changes we've made, while not really improving the squad (save for Johnson for Staios) have certainly made us more physical and we are not at all afraid to show it. This really makes a difference against a team like Vancouver, who will try to run you out of the building with cheap play. For once, we took the physicality and pestering back to them pretty well and weren't victimized by reffing. I'd have loved to have seen what Peckham would have done in tonight's game because I think it would've been damn fun to watch him pound on Glass, Kesler, Burrows or whichever moron wanted to donate their noggin for that beating.
Random celeb sighting - Miss Duff was reported to be in the building this evening. Hope she likes Edmonton. Might be a nice change of pace?
Anyway, on to the PLAYER REPORTS
-------------------
Arsene
- It's really too bad that this guy has probably topped out because if he were a young developing defenceman we'd have a lot to work with. He gives it his all every shift and managed 15 pretty decent minutes tonight. Though he looked utterly twitchy on the only 2-on-1 he faced (seriously, this was nearly Raffi-head-bob-worthy) and took an odd penalty (I believe the Canuck player had just broken his stick with a slash and the fact that the visible break came on a Canuck's back got him called) he played a pretty solid game, dishing out some hits and making a key shot block in the second period. I'd try to keep this guy around next year as the sturdy AHL-but-emergency-callup-ready guy in a pinch. But, could someone alert the Oilers stats guys that he doesn't weigh 295 pounds and take that off the scoreboard?
Johnson
- Not as good as I saw his first couple game in that he wasn't so good with the puck tonight, didn't get any effective shots through and got caught out of position a couple times. Not a bad game, far from it, just not as impressive as others.
Chorney
- I've noticed some people really slagging this guy lately. I have to admit I was a little perplexed in that he wasn't doing too terribly in many games I'd seen. Tonight he did indeed look that bad. Gone was the puck poise, skating and confident passing I'd seen before. He hit a couple times but not as effectively as other games. I didn't really see anything positive from him. Worstly...watching Chorney and Strudwick try to defend the behind the net play is like watching the merry-go-round-from-hell. Somehow no one is ever covered, they never have the pass taken away and it is just a mattter of time before a quality shot gets through unless they're bailed out by a forward or the opposition screws up. As a fellow defenceman, that was painful to watch!
Strudwick
- What I remember most is what I noted in the Chorney description; certainly not one of Strudwick's better games.
Gilbert-Whitney
- I group these two because unless our management acts like complete morons over the summer, I believe we're going to see them playing together as they did tonight next season. Then after next season, for several more. Watching these two as a unit on D is just excellent. Whitney hit someone when he needed to, got a glove in a face or two when he needed to, jumped into the play a couple times and was quite solid defensively, especially on a couple of key pick-offs in the slot. Gilbert's goal was ugly as sin, but good for him anyway. Aside from the one goal the pair was on for where Gilbert got twisted up, both were solid defensively and moved the puck well. I do believe these are our horses for the foreseeable future.
Deslauriers
- Another deserved first star. He made several sublime saves, including robbing Kyle Wellwood after he'd made half the team look stupid, and several others in the first and second. Make no mistake, we gave up plenty of quality scoring chances tonight. This was not our best defensive effort, especially down low. Deslauriers really didn't have a chance on either Canucks goal, held his team in and then preserved the win. The only thing you could criticize about him was that he was a little awkward at times, but he got the job done. He certainly won the one-on-one matchup between himself and Luongo, which is always the biggest key.
Stortini-Gagner-Comrie
- I must admit that I'm pretty perplexed by this line combination. If it is a ploy to get Gagner to work on his physical game it certainly worked in that I counted at least 5 hits for him tonight. That's impressive work. He wasn't too bad offensively either. Stortini stirred the pot a tad. I was mildly amazed that he didn't get in a couple fights until I remembered we were playing the Canucks. Stortini had a great moment where he nailed a Canucks player, the play continued, the puck came to him later and the Canucks player took a run only to miss and look like a goof. Lovely work Zack. I felt bad for Comrie in that his prime offensive chance game on a 3-on-1 rush with Stortini and Whitney. Comrie made a nice little move to save time and space in order to give the option to shoot or pass, passed to Whitney and had that shot blocked. He might've been able to score but Whitney had an open net as well. Quiet game from Mike otherwise.
Moreau-Horcoff-Pisani
- These guys did the job of keeping the offensive hounds at bay quite well I must say. They were positionally solid, kept the Canucks to the outside and managed to control the puck (more Horcoff and Pisani than Moreau) and worked hard on the PK. There were some warts...Horcoff left his man on Daniel Sedin's goal and got caught guarding no one and nothing. Big mistake that could have been prevented. Moreau could've taken a couple third period penalties but luckily got away with some more physical stuff (which to be fair the Canucks did as well) behind the opposition net. Fernando wasn't particularly dynamic, but got the job done.
Brule-Cogliano-Penner
- I don't really like this line. I don't see what the point is exactly. Penner remains unmotivated. He held off 2 or 3 Canucks to make solid offensive plays, but not with near gusto he had earlier this year. He also got a bang-bang chance in the second and a clear break in the third (possibly the first too) and had absolutely zero finish. Poor shot choice and poor execution. Cogliano had a decent game in that he skated quickly, made a great pass to set up Penner for a shoulda-been-goal and was positionally solid. He looked better than he has, but man was that goal ever bad. I started laughing immediately. Right place to be of course but that shot was crap! As for Mr. Brule, if we would have lost this one I would've hung the blame on him. You don't get a glorious chance in the third period to grab a 2 goal lead and the game very often, deke a top goalie out cold...then kindly deposit the puck onto his pad when you have the entire FREAKING net to shoot at. What was that?!?!?! I would have scored on that play. Unacceptable, unfocused and WEAK!
Nilsson-Pouliot-Potulny
- I didn't notice Nilsson aside from his goal, which I'm still trying to figure out. Did Luongo simply think he was going to pass and cheat? I was stunned that went in. Potulny was a little invisible too. He whiffed on a chance in the second, and was ignored while wide-open for the home run ball pass in the third (by Pouliot), but he didn't make any particular mistakes. I think he's getting out of place on the PP though, in that he's not getting the shooting chances he usually would. Was he the one who got burned so badly by Wellwood too? Pouliot was really solid defensively and held onto the puck at important times. Lots of patience and execution. Other than ignoring Potulny, I liked his game.
-------------------
I like to see Deslauriers win, because as I have noted here before, he's really working hard for it and deserves some positivity to end his season.
There are few better regular season feelings than sending Canuck fan home a Loooouuuu-SER! (guy had a great Vancouver colored shirt with a 1 on the back and Loooouuuu...sssseeerrrrsss!, awesome!)
VS.
VANCOUVER 2
--------------------
First off, congrats to Nathan Deobald who becomes part of random hockey trivia lore subbing for Dubnyk as backup. Random thought: how hilarious would it have been if Szabados would have been the goalie she could have seen even a shift against VAN and we win? They'd never live that down.
It seemed like I hadn't been to a game in forever, so I was really wondering what the vibe around the team would be like. I'd say in the first 2 periods they were a fair bit more confident than I recall. The third was a little hit-and-miss but the team was physical throughout the game. The minor lineup changes we've made, while not really improving the squad (save for Johnson for Staios) have certainly made us more physical and we are not at all afraid to show it. This really makes a difference against a team like Vancouver, who will try to run you out of the building with cheap play. For once, we took the physicality and pestering back to them pretty well and weren't victimized by reffing. I'd have loved to have seen what Peckham would have done in tonight's game because I think it would've been damn fun to watch him pound on Glass, Kesler, Burrows or whichever moron wanted to donate their noggin for that beating.
Random celeb sighting - Miss Duff was reported to be in the building this evening. Hope she likes Edmonton. Might be a nice change of pace?
Anyway, on to the PLAYER REPORTS
-------------------
Arsene
- It's really too bad that this guy has probably topped out because if he were a young developing defenceman we'd have a lot to work with. He gives it his all every shift and managed 15 pretty decent minutes tonight. Though he looked utterly twitchy on the only 2-on-1 he faced (seriously, this was nearly Raffi-head-bob-worthy) and took an odd penalty (I believe the Canuck player had just broken his stick with a slash and the fact that the visible break came on a Canuck's back got him called) he played a pretty solid game, dishing out some hits and making a key shot block in the second period. I'd try to keep this guy around next year as the sturdy AHL-but-emergency-callup-ready guy in a pinch. But, could someone alert the Oilers stats guys that he doesn't weigh 295 pounds and take that off the scoreboard?
Johnson
- Not as good as I saw his first couple game in that he wasn't so good with the puck tonight, didn't get any effective shots through and got caught out of position a couple times. Not a bad game, far from it, just not as impressive as others.
Chorney
- I've noticed some people really slagging this guy lately. I have to admit I was a little perplexed in that he wasn't doing too terribly in many games I'd seen. Tonight he did indeed look that bad. Gone was the puck poise, skating and confident passing I'd seen before. He hit a couple times but not as effectively as other games. I didn't really see anything positive from him. Worstly...watching Chorney and Strudwick try to defend the behind the net play is like watching the merry-go-round-from-hell. Somehow no one is ever covered, they never have the pass taken away and it is just a mattter of time before a quality shot gets through unless they're bailed out by a forward or the opposition screws up. As a fellow defenceman, that was painful to watch!
Strudwick
- What I remember most is what I noted in the Chorney description; certainly not one of Strudwick's better games.
Gilbert-Whitney
- I group these two because unless our management acts like complete morons over the summer, I believe we're going to see them playing together as they did tonight next season. Then after next season, for several more. Watching these two as a unit on D is just excellent. Whitney hit someone when he needed to, got a glove in a face or two when he needed to, jumped into the play a couple times and was quite solid defensively, especially on a couple of key pick-offs in the slot. Gilbert's goal was ugly as sin, but good for him anyway. Aside from the one goal the pair was on for where Gilbert got twisted up, both were solid defensively and moved the puck well. I do believe these are our horses for the foreseeable future.
Deslauriers
- Another deserved first star. He made several sublime saves, including robbing Kyle Wellwood after he'd made half the team look stupid, and several others in the first and second. Make no mistake, we gave up plenty of quality scoring chances tonight. This was not our best defensive effort, especially down low. Deslauriers really didn't have a chance on either Canucks goal, held his team in and then preserved the win. The only thing you could criticize about him was that he was a little awkward at times, but he got the job done. He certainly won the one-on-one matchup between himself and Luongo, which is always the biggest key.
Stortini-Gagner-Comrie
- I must admit that I'm pretty perplexed by this line combination. If it is a ploy to get Gagner to work on his physical game it certainly worked in that I counted at least 5 hits for him tonight. That's impressive work. He wasn't too bad offensively either. Stortini stirred the pot a tad. I was mildly amazed that he didn't get in a couple fights until I remembered we were playing the Canucks. Stortini had a great moment where he nailed a Canucks player, the play continued, the puck came to him later and the Canucks player took a run only to miss and look like a goof. Lovely work Zack. I felt bad for Comrie in that his prime offensive chance game on a 3-on-1 rush with Stortini and Whitney. Comrie made a nice little move to save time and space in order to give the option to shoot or pass, passed to Whitney and had that shot blocked. He might've been able to score but Whitney had an open net as well. Quiet game from Mike otherwise.
Moreau-Horcoff-Pisani
- These guys did the job of keeping the offensive hounds at bay quite well I must say. They were positionally solid, kept the Canucks to the outside and managed to control the puck (more Horcoff and Pisani than Moreau) and worked hard on the PK. There were some warts...Horcoff left his man on Daniel Sedin's goal and got caught guarding no one and nothing. Big mistake that could have been prevented. Moreau could've taken a couple third period penalties but luckily got away with some more physical stuff (which to be fair the Canucks did as well) behind the opposition net. Fernando wasn't particularly dynamic, but got the job done.
Brule-Cogliano-Penner
- I don't really like this line. I don't see what the point is exactly. Penner remains unmotivated. He held off 2 or 3 Canucks to make solid offensive plays, but not with near gusto he had earlier this year. He also got a bang-bang chance in the second and a clear break in the third (possibly the first too) and had absolutely zero finish. Poor shot choice and poor execution. Cogliano had a decent game in that he skated quickly, made a great pass to set up Penner for a shoulda-been-goal and was positionally solid. He looked better than he has, but man was that goal ever bad. I started laughing immediately. Right place to be of course but that shot was crap! As for Mr. Brule, if we would have lost this one I would've hung the blame on him. You don't get a glorious chance in the third period to grab a 2 goal lead and the game very often, deke a top goalie out cold...then kindly deposit the puck onto his pad when you have the entire FREAKING net to shoot at. What was that?!?!?! I would have scored on that play. Unacceptable, unfocused and WEAK!
Nilsson-Pouliot-Potulny
- I didn't notice Nilsson aside from his goal, which I'm still trying to figure out. Did Luongo simply think he was going to pass and cheat? I was stunned that went in. Potulny was a little invisible too. He whiffed on a chance in the second, and was ignored while wide-open for the home run ball pass in the third (by Pouliot), but he didn't make any particular mistakes. I think he's getting out of place on the PP though, in that he's not getting the shooting chances he usually would. Was he the one who got burned so badly by Wellwood too? Pouliot was really solid defensively and held onto the puck at important times. Lots of patience and execution. Other than ignoring Potulny, I liked his game.
-------------------
I like to see Deslauriers win, because as I have noted here before, he's really working hard for it and deserves some positivity to end his season.
There are few better regular season feelings than sending Canuck fan home a Loooouuuu-SER! (guy had a great Vancouver colored shirt with a 1 on the back and Loooouuuu...sssseeerrrrsss!, awesome!)
3/21/10
Lack of Reports
Hello all, my apologies but due to shoddy internet this weekend I was unable to notify that I wouldn't be at the game Friday and will not be there tonight. Thus, no game reports. Reports resume Tuesday.
3/9/10
LMHF Game Report #35
EDMONTON 1
VS.
OTTAWA 4
---------------
...and with that our brief episode of winning ways comes to an end. Tonight wasn't like the games before the break though, in that you still felt for much of tonight's game that we had a chance to win.
The first period was both unique and entertaining. I'm not sure if you could hear it on tv/radio, but paper noisemakers were handed out before the game and they seemed to make a difference. These simple accordion-fold-style papers and back to back wins had the locals riled up for tonight's game.
In the first, our forwards passed up a storm. It was really nice to watch actually. Little plays that required a deft touch and great reads were happening with ease for the first ten minutes. For some reason we couldn't get anything on or in the net, but man did they ever make some nice passes.
Combine this, with the fact that Jeff Deslauriers played likely the best first half of a game I've seen an Oilers goalie play live. It was beautiful to watch. That man was locked on right in the middle of the zone and wouldn't let anyone else in. I thought he had another SO in him truthfully. He robbed Michalek from the slot, made an amazing reaction save off a bank off Chorney's skate, stopped Spezza in the slot then used superior size to cover up, then probably his best of the night was a stop off a Karlsson point shot and then stopping Fisher cold on an instant gimme rebound. It was amazing, he played ahead and his glove was already there when Fisher went to put it in, just brilliant. I agree he tailed off after the unfortunate first goal, but he gave his team every chance to win tonight. I think if Comrie scores on the penalty shot we win the game frankly.
It was a very interesting night for our defencemen. Chorney and Strudwick had very regrettable games, spending most of their time getting owned in behind the net and giving up scoring chances. It's unforunately that Chorney wasn't able to make more plays like the one I remember in the second; a simple play where instead of ripping the puck up the boards, he skated to the top of the circle, then banked the puck tactfully off the boards. That's the difference between a Strudwick, and someone who will be better than a 6/7. I remember on the goal during the 5-on-3, trying to figure out if Strudwick was doing his best fish out of water impression...that was an ugly sequence.
I really liked what Theo Peckham was able to do tonight, because he went at Tuomo Ruutu and wasn't goaded. He stuck with it and made an effective game out of it. The only thing I wish he'd done in addition is run some OTT star player on the shift he took while Ruutu was serving his stupid penalty. That woulda been the icing on the cake.
Speaking of mean bastards, take a look at Ryan Whitney. In addition to gliding up the ice with the greatest of ease and patiently stickhandling through traffic without even the slightest hint of danger (the play I remember was in the second, but there were others too), he also gets in people's faces and dishes out some rough stuff. This guy is looking more and more useful after 3 games. He also got himself back into position every time he got caught, often breaking up the play with remarkable ease. Lovely watching him play.
His partner Gilbert looked excellent too. He led us in minutes tonight and was responsible for seeing and hitting Comrie in-stride to generate the penalty shot. He ran the point like a true offensive defenceman and kept things simple otherwise. Well done.
As for Aaron Johnson; here's what I've been able to see him do in his first three games, but specifically tonight:
- He doesn't get beat wide
- He skates well backwards
- He gets shots on net
- He hits people and gets in their way
- He doesn't make stupid, panicked puck plays
If we were looked for a description of "prototype #5/6 defenceman, that's it right there. I think he might have just needed the kind of shot we're giving him. He's certainly on the SIGN list right now.
At forward the stories were less inspiring. Aside from the beginning of the game as I noted, we weren't very effective at all. No shots and no real chances.
O'Sullivan being out will further detract from the entertainment value for me. Even when he's not great, he'll usually do something worth watching.
I expected Stortini to get something done against an ornery OTT team, especially after last game but he came up short tonight. The "fight" was pretty weak and he could have saved that effort for another time. He also didn't make the offensive effort he did last game.
Comrie wasn't as good as he'd been the last two. He still got into some smart spots including generating the penalty shot, but not near as effective. We did seem to go downhill after he essentially stopped playing for a while in the third. That likely had more to do with PKs.
Potulny sure got a whack of icetime tonight. I see that he was winning faceoffs, but other than that it looked to me as though he was spending his time getting hit. Not exactly what our designated shooter needs to be doing.
I liked what Brule brought tonight a lot; and especially in the second. He rose to the occasion of a physical game by doing a lot of hitting. It's always good to see him be effective like that. Not much in the way of scoring opps.
Cogliano got a great offensive chance due to speed an positioning, then promptly threw the puck high and wide. Andy can't buy one this year folks. It's got to be frustrating for him.
Pouliot I noticed less than usual. On the PK he was doing alright as he seemed to always be around the puck, but I didn't notice him at all in the offensive corners.
Nilsson got knocked around badly. He's just not as solid on his feet as guys like Comrie and Potulny. This severely limits his effectiveness against a team like OTT.
Gagner made a really nice offensive play in the second that could have resulted in a goal, faking past an OTT defender then taking a solid shot. I wish he was a better shooter because he sure gets into position with the puck enough. I hope he works hard on that this summer. He also got our first shot, when we were making all those passes and getting nothing. Unfortunately, it was a nothing shot. Oh well.
Penner-Horcoff-Penner were largely as advertised plus 1 goal. They did a decent enough job on Alfie-Spezza-Michalek (right?), Penner was what I'd describe as medium-lazy. Horcoff was pretty solid in the defensive end, but did have 2 ugly giveaway passes and 2 missed passes from teammates that really stuck out for me.
----------
That loss combined with a Toronto win puts us firmly back into the Hall/Seguin lead. It's horribly sad that's all we have to look forward to in a year that should have included playoffs, but at least next year we'll (likely) get to watch the guy who will next score 50 goals for the Oilers (we hope, some point down the road).
VS.
OTTAWA 4
---------------
...and with that our brief episode of winning ways comes to an end. Tonight wasn't like the games before the break though, in that you still felt for much of tonight's game that we had a chance to win.
The first period was both unique and entertaining. I'm not sure if you could hear it on tv/radio, but paper noisemakers were handed out before the game and they seemed to make a difference. These simple accordion-fold-style papers and back to back wins had the locals riled up for tonight's game.
In the first, our forwards passed up a storm. It was really nice to watch actually. Little plays that required a deft touch and great reads were happening with ease for the first ten minutes. For some reason we couldn't get anything on or in the net, but man did they ever make some nice passes.
Combine this, with the fact that Jeff Deslauriers played likely the best first half of a game I've seen an Oilers goalie play live. It was beautiful to watch. That man was locked on right in the middle of the zone and wouldn't let anyone else in. I thought he had another SO in him truthfully. He robbed Michalek from the slot, made an amazing reaction save off a bank off Chorney's skate, stopped Spezza in the slot then used superior size to cover up, then probably his best of the night was a stop off a Karlsson point shot and then stopping Fisher cold on an instant gimme rebound. It was amazing, he played ahead and his glove was already there when Fisher went to put it in, just brilliant. I agree he tailed off after the unfortunate first goal, but he gave his team every chance to win tonight. I think if Comrie scores on the penalty shot we win the game frankly.
It was a very interesting night for our defencemen. Chorney and Strudwick had very regrettable games, spending most of their time getting owned in behind the net and giving up scoring chances. It's unforunately that Chorney wasn't able to make more plays like the one I remember in the second; a simple play where instead of ripping the puck up the boards, he skated to the top of the circle, then banked the puck tactfully off the boards. That's the difference between a Strudwick, and someone who will be better than a 6/7. I remember on the goal during the 5-on-3, trying to figure out if Strudwick was doing his best fish out of water impression...that was an ugly sequence.
I really liked what Theo Peckham was able to do tonight, because he went at Tuomo Ruutu and wasn't goaded. He stuck with it and made an effective game out of it. The only thing I wish he'd done in addition is run some OTT star player on the shift he took while Ruutu was serving his stupid penalty. That woulda been the icing on the cake.
Speaking of mean bastards, take a look at Ryan Whitney. In addition to gliding up the ice with the greatest of ease and patiently stickhandling through traffic without even the slightest hint of danger (the play I remember was in the second, but there were others too), he also gets in people's faces and dishes out some rough stuff. This guy is looking more and more useful after 3 games. He also got himself back into position every time he got caught, often breaking up the play with remarkable ease. Lovely watching him play.
His partner Gilbert looked excellent too. He led us in minutes tonight and was responsible for seeing and hitting Comrie in-stride to generate the penalty shot. He ran the point like a true offensive defenceman and kept things simple otherwise. Well done.
As for Aaron Johnson; here's what I've been able to see him do in his first three games, but specifically tonight:
- He doesn't get beat wide
- He skates well backwards
- He gets shots on net
- He hits people and gets in their way
- He doesn't make stupid, panicked puck plays
If we were looked for a description of "prototype #5/6 defenceman, that's it right there. I think he might have just needed the kind of shot we're giving him. He's certainly on the SIGN list right now.
At forward the stories were less inspiring. Aside from the beginning of the game as I noted, we weren't very effective at all. No shots and no real chances.
O'Sullivan being out will further detract from the entertainment value for me. Even when he's not great, he'll usually do something worth watching.
I expected Stortini to get something done against an ornery OTT team, especially after last game but he came up short tonight. The "fight" was pretty weak and he could have saved that effort for another time. He also didn't make the offensive effort he did last game.
Comrie wasn't as good as he'd been the last two. He still got into some smart spots including generating the penalty shot, but not near as effective. We did seem to go downhill after he essentially stopped playing for a while in the third. That likely had more to do with PKs.
Potulny sure got a whack of icetime tonight. I see that he was winning faceoffs, but other than that it looked to me as though he was spending his time getting hit. Not exactly what our designated shooter needs to be doing.
I liked what Brule brought tonight a lot; and especially in the second. He rose to the occasion of a physical game by doing a lot of hitting. It's always good to see him be effective like that. Not much in the way of scoring opps.
Cogliano got a great offensive chance due to speed an positioning, then promptly threw the puck high and wide. Andy can't buy one this year folks. It's got to be frustrating for him.
Pouliot I noticed less than usual. On the PK he was doing alright as he seemed to always be around the puck, but I didn't notice him at all in the offensive corners.
Nilsson got knocked around badly. He's just not as solid on his feet as guys like Comrie and Potulny. This severely limits his effectiveness against a team like OTT.
Gagner made a really nice offensive play in the second that could have resulted in a goal, faking past an OTT defender then taking a solid shot. I wish he was a better shooter because he sure gets into position with the puck enough. I hope he works hard on that this summer. He also got our first shot, when we were making all those passes and getting nothing. Unfortunately, it was a nothing shot. Oh well.
Penner-Horcoff-Penner were largely as advertised plus 1 goal. They did a decent enough job on Alfie-Spezza-Michalek (right?), Penner was what I'd describe as medium-lazy. Horcoff was pretty solid in the defensive end, but did have 2 ugly giveaway passes and 2 missed passes from teammates that really stuck out for me.
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That loss combined with a Toronto win puts us firmly back into the Hall/Seguin lead. It's horribly sad that's all we have to look forward to in a year that should have included playoffs, but at least next year we'll (likely) get to watch the guy who will next score 50 goals for the Oilers (we hope, some point down the road).
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