Smid Scores! And Other Important Things, Like The Game Tonight...

If I put my physical attraction to him aside, I still love this guy in the context of a purely unromantic fan-player relationship, and when he scored on Saturday I wanted to leap for joy and screech in happiness. As only life would have it I was at work at the time, and was unable to do either of the aforementioned behaviours as they are not appropriate for a place of work. I did, however, kind of yell 'YES' in a rather high pitched voice that I was not aware could be produced by my vocal cords; all in all it was a triumph for my self-control.

Ladislav Smid is my all-time favourite player, and I would wager that this is because I pick players that I like on some other scale than high-scoring offensive talent. I've liked him ever since we got him in the Pronger trade, and the Oilers are lucky that they didn't trade him this past summer. Combined with the underwhelming performance of the team, the absence of Smid would have meant I would be even less invested in this team than I have been of late. I still love them, don't get me wrong, but last week I just about went to the movies in place of watching the game, something that wouldn't have even entered my mind in previous years.

To the matter at hand: The Oilers are in Florida tonight to take on the Panthers, where they have a chance to put together a three game winning streak. It will be important not to take the Panthers lightly, as even the worst teams in the NHL are still good hockey teams by other standards, and when the Oilers are at their worst they don't look like an NHL-caliber team either. Hell, we were in last place in the West just a few short games ago. Also, I'm kind of hoping Smid will score once or twice more. I know, it's a tall order, but in his first season I seem to remember him scoring a couple more before the season was out.

If the Oilers can keep it together and show up as the same team that was in Detroit this should be a win. If it's the team that showed up in Vancouver we're in trouble.

Go Oilers Go!

This Just In: I'm Lazy.

And University is fricken hard.

I had this whole post planned out last night before the game, thinking I'd post it talking about how the team wasn't playing well enough for me to write anything nice about them anyway.

While that's still the case, despite their success last night, I'm going to try and find some positives, and though we haven't been winning, the positives for this team aren't hard to find.

Positive Improvements:
Dustin Penner: Does this need some explanation? I don't think so. The funny thing is that he was never really that bad. was he worth his contract? No, but near-top of the team scoring every season since he's been here is nothing to sneeze at. He's been a Jack-of-all-Trades this season: winning faceoffs, PKing, PPing, Even Strength Scoring...

Ladislav Smid: YES. I am so freaking happy that he's doing so well this season, it's unbelievable. I love this guy, and he's now playing the way that I knew he could.

The Goaltending Duo: While the team has some issues; I think we've established that goaltending isn't one of them. Say what you want about the two games prior to last night of JDD's, he was awesome last night, and he has been dependable in other games as well. Besides; he just wasn't as bad in the Chicago game as some were saying. I don't think I need to say much about Khabbi... He's a monster. That is all... Rest that back... Now that is all.

Return of Lubomir Visnovsky: Incredibly impressed with his play this year. He has his odd off game, but overall he's easily the best overall defender on the team. I am shocked when people suggest we trade Lubo over Souray. I completely disagree.

Some Negatives:

Faceoffs: This was a problem last year, and it's a problem again this year. What ever happened to Reasoner? Oh yeah... We let him walk.

Tom Gilbert: What the hell is up with you? Granted, you're not a favourite of mine and you never have been, but come on. You're better than this.

Secondary Scoring: Our first line is out-producing other lines on the team by a long shot, which wouldn't be a problem if the other lines were actually producing on a semi-regular basis... But they're not... This needs to change.

The Occasional Return of Last Year's Team: Some games the team looks like they simply don't want to be there. They'll have no energy, they'll turn the puck over every 30 seconds, they'll have trouble scoring and no problem letting the other team score etc. The effort level isn't there sometimes, and it's confusing because unlike last year it's not all the time. Perhaps it's just a case of old habits die hard... I hope so, because otherwise this could be a much more serious issue.

This team is not where I wanted them to be come this point in the season. However, injuries and illness have been factors, not to say that they're to blame, because the negatives I chose to talk about here are not a result of injury or illness.

Team Meeting:

I'm not saying that there was a team meeting following last game's poor effort, because there probably wasn't. Mostly because this is still early in the season, and way too early to be either sulking or gloating about standings and win/loss records. Here is my issue: In all of the games we played prior to this past weekend we made an effort. We stayed in the game and we didn't give up, even when down 4-1 to Columbus. The team that I saw, and I'm sure you did too this past weekend, was last year's team. Last night's game was the worst we've played thus far, and the weekend combined had me looking for MacT behind the bench.

That was the excuse, was it not?

Alright, listen, I'm not saying that I don't think that was a major contributor to the problem last year. MacTavish was a grudge holder, from what I could tell, and in sports that can't happen. As a coach you cannot favor a player simply because of who he is, and you certainly can't hate on one. These are the methods of second rate coaches who are too comfortable with their positions, and are likely on their way out the door, or so that has been my experience in my meager time as a hockey and football fan. By holding grudges against a player on a team you're running you could very well be overlooking things that said player does particularly well, and possibly better than the person you've got doing that job. In favoring players you can be blinded to shortfalls and bad habits that need to be dealt with, and that's detrimental to the player itself as well as the team.

What I'm saying is that I was running the streets chanting for MacT's head too, but what the hell happened this past weekend? I understand, the flu has been ripping through the dressing room kicking ass and taking names, and we seemingly have been unable to stop it. But seriously? Some of these guys who had terrible games this past weekend aren't those rumoured to have flu symptoms.

Guys I've heard have the flu and/or symptoms: Gilbert Brule, Dustin Penner, Ales Hemsky, Ladislav Smid, Tom Gilbert, and Mike Comrie.

Guys who were brutal this past weekend: Practically the whole freaking team. Exceptions: Dustin Penner, Ales Hemsky, Khabilulin, Deslauriers, Ladislav Smid, Lubomir Visnovsky. There might be others, but the good performances in losses are rarely those that stand out.

I don't think that flu symptoms can explain away the quality of Gilbert's game, as he has been playing poorly from season's beginning. In fact, though I've never been a fan of his, I don't think I've ever been so frustrated with him. Grebeshkov has been okay, but it seems like the first 10-20 minutes of any given game he forgets how to play hockey. Nilsson, not that I want to beat a dead horse, but Nilsson just is not cut out to play the game. I'm not saying that he can't, because he wouldn't be playing the the NHL right now if that were the case, but he has no drive. A player who is unable to motivate himself when he needs it will not succeed in this league. Plus, if he gave the puck away any more I'd think he was conspiring against us. And I won't even comment on Ethan Moreau, because at this point I'm just too damned biased to discuss his play through a lens that even remotely resembles an objective one.

Please tell me that this was a weekend that sucked because of the flu bug, and not because of some underlying issue...

I still love you guys, but please stay at two meter's length until you're all healthy again, okay? I'm almost at the point where I'm thinking of watching the games in one of those 'SARS' masks...

Dallas @ Edmonton

So, now that we've got the first loss of the season dealt with, should we not also get the first win of the season? I mean, that's the way it goes right?

In all seriousness I was pretty happy with the Oilers' game on Saturday. For the first period we were less than perfect, but the rest of the game we battled hard and did a lot of things right that I liked. The one thing that we managed to do in the first that we slowly stopped doing as the game went on was be physical. If the Oilers want to win games against teams that are faster and/or more skilled than they are, they're going to have to make a commitment to burying as many guys into the boards as they can manage without getting too many penalties. I haven't seen Dallas play yet this year, in preseason or regular season, so I don't have much of an idea as to what kind of game they want to play, but a physical game is never a bad idea.

Cogliano moves to play with Gagner tonight, and Nilsson is in and Moreau is out. This means that my normal goat isn't playing... I'll find a new one to sub in I'm sure.

Khabibulin will also be looking for a chance to redeem himself after a brutal play to end Saturday night's game. I really hope he can bring it together because if he can't we may be a tad bit screwed here guys...

Go Oilers Go!

Finally!!

Today it all begins. The season is fresh and new, and it's time that the Oilers get into the action.

The Calgary Flames will be entering Rexall Place tonight with a 1-0 record, thanks to the Vancouver Canucks, and I'm hoping to see that same record from the Oilers come about 10:30-11:00 tonight, which of course means that the Flames will then be 1-1.

Lines aren't posted yet, but I'm looking forward to seeing a few guys play:

The Comrie-O'Sullivan pairing - These guys seemed like they were dynamite in the preseason, and I hope to watch them continue dominating in the regular season.

Penner: I love this guy, and it sounds like a coaching change might have been just what this guy needed, because in the preseason games he played in he was easily one of the best guys on the ice.

The Kid line (or parts of it): While Nilsson for the most part was entirely disappointing in the preseason, he seemed to get a fire under him once the Kid line was reunited. While these guys are a legitimate option for a line, it's difficult to say whether they'll play due to lines that are already existing, and fitting other players in. Considering that we already have lines (presumably) of Horcoff centering Jacques and Hemsky, and Comrie centering O'Sullivan and Penner, where does the Kid line fit? The don't check, and they're not terrible good defensively. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

Ladislav Smid: His preseason wasn't the best, but I'm holding out hope that he's improved. I'm almost positive that this will be a good year for him, just like the last. However, I think that pairing him with Staios is a mistake of monumental proportions. Stop it Oilers, now.

I'm so excited!

Go Oilers Go!

I Can Taste It...

The hockey season is so close I can practically taste it. I'm unbearably excited for a new season despite the lack of change on the roster from last season. Here are a few things that I think will be interesting to see play out over the season:

The Return of Lubomir Visnovsky: I was really impressed with Lubo last season before his injury. I'm hoping that he can come back and continue to dominate like he was last season. I missed his breakout passes at the end of last season, and I'm pretty sure Ales Hemsky missed them too. Looking forward to seeing #71 back on the ice.

Is Penner The Player I Think He Is?: I have a lot of faith in Penner. It's a bit strange because there isn't much to go on as far as fuel for my belief, but I've always had a feeling that this guy was something more than what most seem to think he is. I've seen glimpses, and I'm hoping that Quinn will be a good motivator to get the player I think Penner is out of the player that Penner has been.

Will Ales Hemsky Step Up?: For several seasons past the question has always been, 'will Hemsky break out this year?' I don't think that's the question to ask this season. Phrase it a little different and I think the question that more accurately portrays what we're looking for from Hemsky is whether or not he will step up. This team is his for the taking, but if he doesn't grab it soon; Gagner isn't too far behind.

Will the Kids Start Out Right?: It seems like the kids; Gagner in particular, have an issue with starting the season off on the same foot that they left the last one on. Now, granted, the sample size for such an assumption is a small one, but if the Oilers are hoping to be successful with the same roster they had last year then the kids need to start the season right.

Will the Powerplay be Resurrected?: New personnel behind the bench will hopefully take the ugly system that we iced last year on the man advantage. Lack of diversity on our attack was almost sad to watch last year, and hopefully we won't be watching what will seem like reruns of last season.

There are others to think about, and I'll post my thoughts more as the season nears. One thing is for sure: I can hardly wait until the first preseason game this coming Tuesday.

P.S.: Nice job Esks. Way to blow your lead in the last minute of play.

It Seems Like Every Season...

Or should I say off-season?

Either way, there is this threshold that I have. It details just how long I can go without Oiler Hockey before I bloody well go crazy. Every season that we miss the playoffs this 'threshold' of mine seems to become shorter and shorter. This off-season is no different.

I've been running around the Oilers' blogging community brushing up on everyone's opinions, options, ideas, and general nattering about the team, and I've got to say that it isn't helping a whole lot. In fact, I'd say it's making it worse. I'va already begun watching old youtube highlites, checking out next season's schedule, and taking preliminary scrutinizing looks at our division rivals.

This is bad.

Why is this bad? Because this is exactly the kind of hype that lets me down more often than not. The Oilers haven't been a great team out of the gate for some time now, but year after year I get myself so worked up that I can hardly stand myself.

You know why that is? Because in actual reality my love for the game over-rides the Oilers' game when they're playing poorly. When they're playing well it's irrelevant, but boy does it help when the boys are dragging their butts in the mud.

I mean, let's be honest here: this offseason has not been exciting. Free Agency was a let down, and the only change we've made is swapping Roli for another aging goaltender in Khabibulin. The changes behind the bench? Yeah, it will be interesting to see how that plays out, but it wasn't exactly shocking, was it? We all had a feeling that MacT was on the out, and though Quinn and Renney were a bit of a surprise, they were both on the fan base's radar for a new coach.

Oh, and the Heatley thing. Kill me now.

There are rumblings about other possibilities, in say Kessel for example, but as this goes on it looks like we're going into TC with essentially the same team we left the season; minus a 35 and plus a 39.

I'm dying here. I need hockey. Two months? Hope I make it that far....


Okay, so that was a little over-dramatic, but you get the point.

Loose Ends...

There are some players that were here last year that may not be here this coming year, and it won't be because they're traded.

UFAs: Ales Kotalik, Dwayne Roloson, and Jason Strudwick.

There are some players here that were key pieces of last year's puzzle. And unsuccessful puzzle, but a puzzle nonetheless. Ales Kotalik had some pretty decent chemistry with Hemsky last season, especially heading towards the very end; once they seemed to get the hang of each other. A lot of people like to point out the fact that Kotalik apparently had a lot of goals and assists that 'meant nothing' because they were late in a game where we had barely any chance of coming back. Since when is a goal meaningless? If the whole team itself was better than it is possible that perhaps that goal wouldn't have been meaningless. Goals are goals, and on a team that had trouble scoring last year I don't see how the Oilers think it's alright to not even send an offer his way. If we end up letting another guy go because we're chasing a 'big fish' and then coming out with nothing I will not be impressed.

Dwayne Roloson... What to say about Roli... Here's my issue: He will probably want a contract at around the same value as his last contract. I just don't know that he's worth it at his age. Say what you want about the 'lack of miles' on his engine, he's getting up there in age. I don't know that I'm comfortable with Roli as our starter next year, though it seems that the organization has a different idea because rumour is that they've already offered him a contract. I think the money could be better spent elsewhere; there are other options on the market.

About Strudwick: If we sign him as an occasional player I'm fine with it, but god damnit if he takes a starting spot out of camp I'm going to kill someone. End of story.

RFAs: Liam Reddox, Ladislav Smid, and Denis Grebeshkov.

As far as Liam Reddox is concerned I'm not sure if there's a place for him on this team. He is a hard worker, so that's a major plus that he's got going for him, but if we're going to retain him then he has to be comfortable with the role that he fits into: and that most certainly is not a top 6 spot, no matter what MacT thought.

It seems like we don't have much to worry about with Grebeshkov, although the fact that this is going a bit late is a little strange. There was a rumour a while back that we had already signed him to a contract, but clearly this isn't the case, as there weren't any official releases on the matter. It would seem that he's a top priority, but I suppose we'll have to see how it plays out.

If Ladislav Smid is not on the Oilers roster next year I will be splitting my loyalties between the Oilers and whatever team he signs with. That is all.

Bye, Bye, Brodziak.

During the Draft we did a few interesting things: We somehow managed to draft Paajarvi, also drafted his linemate, and then we traded Brodziak and a late pick for two other late picks.

Now, Pajaarvi is a great choice. Great choice. I've heard nothing but good things about him, and he's got some size on his side, which is something that the Oiler organization has stayed away from in past years. Particularly in the first round it seems. Lowetide has a good quick glance at Paajarvi here.

In the second round we drafted his team mate and friend Anton Lander. This creates a bit of concern for Oiler fans. These Euros occasionally decide to make certain requests if they are to come to play in North America. One of those requests can, and has been to come across and play with a friend/desired team mate. I'm not too concerned at the moment, as the organization has stated that their team mate and/or friendship status is a coincidence. We shall see, Oilers, we shall see.

Then, out of the blue, we trade Brodziak for a couple of late picks...

From what I've read around it seems like people are expecting Gilbert Brule to come into Brodziak's empty slot next season. Our PK was brutal enough last year with a PKer as skilled as Brodziak, and I can't recall Gilbert ever taking a major role as a penalty killer. He's also yet another small young forward with little to no NHL experience. In exchanging Brodziak for Brule we lose 4 inches in height and about 30 lbs of weight. Personally I was under the impression that we were attempting to head in a new direction: one that involved a team that could compete physically and didn't need to rely on it's speed and it's production off the rush. A team that could cycle down low and crash the net.

Also we've got how many guys with contracts that just aren't being met production and/or performance wise, and we decide to toss away one of our value contracts? Unless Brodziak was expecting too much money I don't see how this makes sense. If they wanted to make room for the up and coming, then there were more viable options out there in my opinion. Pouliot anyone?

Now, clearly there's more to this. There has to be someone else coming to town, or at the very least a player that management is chasing after.

And if the player booking a flight to Edmonton this coming season is Dany Heatley then this club is in trouble defensively.

Part 2... Following Major Delays With No Known Cause.

Man... This would be so much easier if the Oilers had just made the playoffs... Inspiration! I've got very little.

Anyway, so here's installment 1 of the forwards. Feel free to comment on your own take; really, I don't know everything after all.

The Top Six-ers

Ales Hemsky (Cap hit of 4.1M for the next three seasons)

In my eyes there's no way Edmonton trades Hemsky. He's one of the few talents we've managed to develop, and I personally would really like to see how he does under a new coach. He had more than his usual flashes of brilliance last season, and then his production dropped off completely. Sure, his comments in the paper weren't the greatest, but under all of the sore spots that people seemed to take out of it was a message we've all been wanting to hear: Hemsky wants to be that guy. He wants to be Edmonton's top gun; our go-to star player. Granted, he didn't do that last year, and there was a considerable dropoff in his production leading up to and following the statements, but I'd still like to see what Quinn can do with him. The best part about Hemsky is that he's a finesse player with a toughness that isn't often matched with his skillset.

Shawn Horcoff (Cap hit of 5.5M for the next four seasons)

Despite his brutal extension Shawn Horcoff is a player that you want on your team... Just not at his cap number. However, that fact is not one that we can change. The contract has been signed, and the only way out is to trade him somewhere else, which is not an option that most other teams will like, and it leaves us with a lot of holes that need filling. Shawn Horcoff is a complete player, and he's a type that's not easy to come by. If he can get his scoring touch back from two seasons past he'll be a force, and he'll be worth the money, but for now he's on the books as an awful contract that will most likely be underperformed. Unfortunately we have too many of those.

Dustin Penner (Cap hit of 4.25M for the next three seasons)

A lot of people would like to see Penner in another jersey next year. I am not a member of that school of thought. Yeah, he makes a lot of money, but he's got incredible potential. And don't say that he never delivers, because then you're just a liar. I think Penner could be an incredible force, and I also think he *will* be one eventually. I just think the problem was that we expected him to be and do too much too fast. Look at Ladislav Smid for an example, he's in his fourth season this upcoming year, and he's just now beginning to be the player we all wanted him to be. Quinn is known to be an excellent motivator, and I want to see Dustin Penner under Quinn before we give up on him completely. One more year, please; or at least half a season.

Robert Nilsson (Cap hit of 2.0M for the next 2 seasons)

Oh dear... Yeah, I think this guy's on his last legs here in Edmonton. He's not consistent enough to make a real case for staying, and his salary is money that is definitely better spent elsewhere. I don't see Nilsson back here next season, and if he is I would think he'll be taking frequent trips down to Springfield or the pressbox. Unless Quinn can find a fire in Nilsson that no one else has been able to I see Nilsson in another city early in the season if not before season start.

Andrew Cogliano (Cap hit of 1.133M for another season)

When reading trade possibilities around the Oilers Blog and Message board communities it seems that Cogliano is a popular player for people to involve in big name trades. It's not hard to see why: He's young, he's got some serious skill, he's one of the fastest players in the league, and his cap number isn't bad. In Edmonton he's not going to hold a place higher than one on the third line. It's just the way we're built right now. If he's switched over to wing they might have him side Gagner, which would be a good situation I think. Personally I'd rather keep them both, but then again I'm not completely sold on the idea of a star player anyway.

Sam Gagner (Cap hit of 1.625M for another season)

If the Oilers trade Sam Gagner they're flat stupid. That's the end of the story in my eyes. This kid's gonna be good, and it would be in our club's best interest to keep him at all costs. There's not much else for me to say.

Ales Kotalik (UFA)

Personally I liked the look of Kotalik with Hemsky. Especially once they seemed to warm up to eachother's styles. I don't think another year of Kotalik is out of the question. Let's see if this chemistry with Hemsky was a fluke or something that could last. We made a mistake with Sykora; a huge freaking mistake, I want to see how this plays out. Don't give up on this too fast; if Hemsky stays then Edmonton should look into keeping Kotalik.

Patrick O'Sullivan (Cap hit of 2.925M for another three seasons)

Here's another name frequently mentioned in possible trade options. Mostly as a 'one of Cogs/O'Sullivan' piece. If I'm choosing between the two, and I don't want to, then I'm choosing O'Sullivan. He's got more experience, and he's got a scoring touch. Granted, that was a scoring touch that disappeared completely when he came to Edmonton, but he's young, and I would imagine that kind of thing happens sometimes. O'Sullivan is further along on the road to 'complete player' or something like it. If we decide that we are in need of another 'complete player' then we should look at O'Sullivan, because his skill sets are pretty diverse. He's a player I keep for next year.

Yeah... Top sixers and I've got 8 players listed... That doesn't even include some of the guys that got occasional shots in the top six, like Reddox or Pouliot. We've got too many guys for too little jobs with too many holes. Changes have to be made, but I thin we've got more problems with the bottom six than the top six. That said, the bottom six weren't responsible for out lack of scoring last year. I'm glad I'm not the GM, because I don't want to make these choices.

Edmontonians should be glad I'm not the GM too, because I seem to have an attachment to some players... That's not good when you're running a business.

I'm just sayin'...

Been a While Since I've Talked 'Bout You...

Yes indeed, it has been a while. In fact, I haven't talked about you here since the playoffs started... Well, unless I was making a snide remark about your three year absence.

Many things have happened since our season was cut off in... Well, not it's 'prime', but you get the idea. My point is that the season once again ended too soon, and once again Calgary continued on, and unfortunately so did Vancouver. Now, yes, Calgary choked as per usual, and Vancouver lost to the very same team in the next round, but still. I've almost forgotten what it feels like in this city when the team's playing really well; let alone when we win a playoff series. Hell, I'd settle for a win streak beyond four games at this point. Oh, and a couple less blowouts where we come up on the wrong end; especially the kind where our goaltenders let in 4 or 5 goals a piece.

Any way, like I said there have been a lot of things that have happened. MacT was fired, Pat Quinn and Tom Renney were hired, several free agents have been topics of hot discussion, and big name players have been rumoured to be available. My, my, but aren't we a regular gossip train?

First I'd like to go through a superficial analysis of the players we *do* have. I'll start with the defensemen today, and move to the forwards next. After which I'll browse through our goaltending situation.

Let's get this train moving, shall we?

The Boys on the Blue (and sometimes the other team's red line, but that's beside the point...)

The way I see the defense situation is this: We've got three proven offensive defensmen, two defensive defensemen and one guy who's not entirely sure what he is. This is excluding Peckham, Chorney and Strudwick, who are all guys that I don't see in a full time position on our current roster. The three offensive guys are Vishnovsky, Gilbert, and Grebeshkov; two defensive guys are Staios and Smid; and the guy who's confused is Souray. I'll explain a little more in each of their respective sections.

Sheldon Souray (5.4M cap hit for 2 more years*)

There's one thing that complicates the issue of discussing the idea of trading Souray, and that's his No Movement Clause. What a b---- that thing could potentially be. Regardless, if I had my choice of which defensemen to ship out in hopes of either landing a top 6 forward in trade (i.e.: Heatley) or shedding salary in hopes of signing a valuable UFA (i.e.:Bouwmeester) Sheldon would be my choice. What's he got going for him? Let's see: He's got one hell of a slapshot from the point, and when he gets angry you best not be the pest who's angered him because you'll be going down; and you'll be staying down. He's also, from what I can tell, a good leader and a possible future captain of a club. But when I think about it, I think we've got players who can cover his upsides without having to add another player to fill the hole he'd leave.

Lubomir Visnovsky (5.6M cap hit for 3 more years*)

If I'm choosing between getting rid of Visnovsky and getting rid of Souray there's no way I'm choosing Lubo. First of all, his nickname is Lubo. Come on, now that's just plain awesome. But seriously, they're the same age, so I can't argue anything regarding age, but Lubomir is a character guy, and he's also got a bullet of his own from the point. He makes breakout passes like a champ, and if I had to choose one of our Dman to go one on one against Zetterberg it would be Lubo. Yes, he is more expensive (but a whole 0.2M), but we've got him for another year, and he seems to like Edmonton, and if I recall correctly there haven't been any reports of him requesting a trade. But really, I don't know that many players coming from L.A., where they would have issues selling out playoff games, would complain about our city. Unless they can't handle the cold. Poor babies.

Tom Gilbert (4M cap hit for 3 more years*)

If told that we had to trade a defender, and it couldn't be Souray, then I would take a serious look at the market for Tommy. Now, I wasn't the biggest fan of Gilbert this season, but there are some decisions he makes sometimes that just aren't NHL calibre decisions. Granted, he is still young in terms of NHL experience, but he is not young age wise. He has a very good understanding of the offensive side of the game, and he's one of the best breakout passers on our backend, but his defensive skills are lacking, and when we're icing a lineup that doesn't consist of a lot of defensively responsible forwards his lack of defensive prowess is a liability.

Denis Grebeshkov (RFA)

Here's the issue I have: We have a defensive core that seems to be too good for any one new to penetrate it. And 3/4 of these guys are offense first-defense second type of players. In my mind Grebeshkov and Gilbert are virtually the same. Grebeshkov traditionally starts out slow and gets better through the season, and I think he's a bit more defensively responsible than Gilbert is, but they're both third-year offensive defensemen who make their share of mistakes. If I had to choose between the two of them I'd likely see what the market is for both of them first. I tend to lean towards keeping Grebeshkov though.

Ladislav Smid (RFA)

Now, granted, I tend to be rather biased towards Smid, but with a lineup full of offensive guys I think we can stand to all have a little bias for Laddi. The issue here is that he's getting to the point where he's ready for some big responsibility; top four kind of responsibility. I'd also like to see him on the penalty kill. For that to happen though, we have to lose one of our top four and we have to leave that spot open. If we're looking at Bouwmeester, then we'd have to trade two of our top four defensemen to fit Laddi into the top four. Smid has grown a lot since his detrimental sophmore year, which followed a brilliant rookie year. He makes more smart plays, he's calm under pressure, he sticks up for his team mates, and he protects the goaltender's crease like no one else on our team. He's also got size *and* weight to his advantage; he's a big guy, and that's something you can't teach.

Steve Staios (2.7M cap hit for one more year*)

I'm traditionally very hard on Steve. He's a guy that I could see the team getting rid of in the near future; his prime has long gone, and he's not really benefiting any one any more. Despite the fact that Smid really likes playing with him. I think his 2.7M could be better spent elsewhere.

Theo Peckham

From what I saw of him last season he looked like he might be ready to take a spot on the big club; should the opportunity arise. I'm not one to keep up with the farm generally, but I've heard a lot about this kid, and he's another player with size, which is always a plus. He's not one to put up points, but most of the defensive guys, and I'm willing to sacrifice a bit of goal scoring for some goal prevention.

Taylor Chorney

Speaking of kids I know nothing about... Well, maybe not nothing, but very little. I tend to feel that if I don't hear a lot about a kid, he's probably not worth looking at that much. And when most of what you hear is all: potential, potential, potential; and no: performance, performance, performance, then you have to wonder if he's worth clearing a roster spot for. In my eyes the answer is no.

Jason Strudwick (UFA)

When MacT benched Ladislav in favor of this guy I wanted to kill someone. Who benches a youngster with promise for an old guy who isn't the kind of guy who holds a regular spot on a team? Of course, eventually Laddi was playing again, and it seems to be that everytime Ladislav is benched he plays better directly following; more fire I think. Regardless, is it worth it to have a guy signed to play occasionally to spark another player? I mean, sure, when Ladislav got injured it was kind of nice to have him there. At the same time it became plainly evident as to why it is that he shouldn't hold a regular spot on the team. He is; however, one heck of a fighter.


Summary:

So, how does this all play out? Guys I'd prefer to keep: Visnovsky, Smid, Grebeshkov. Bubble guys: Gilbert. Guys I wouldn't mind see get on a plane: Staios and Souray. I think that if the team finds itself in a position where they need to shed salary they shouldn't be afraid to get a bit lighter salary-wise on the back-end. Peckham can come up, and Laddi's been rumoured to have already expressed a want for more responsibility. I think we're in a really comfortable position regarding our defense, and providing we don't gut what we've already got completely I don't think we'll screw this up going into next season.

* All contract information taken from nhlnumbers.com

What a Game Tonight, Eh?

Following the game tonight I wrote the following email to the Pittsburgh Penguins:*

Dear Pittsburgh:

Osgood sucks. How the f*** did you get shutout by him?

Better luck next time,
Becca Jane


I received the following response:**

Dear Becca Jane:

Quack Quack Quack Quack *middle flipper*

Quack,
Sidney

To which I responded:*

Dear Sidney,

You're a whiner. Perhaps you should've focused on scoring instead of slashing Zetterberg; maybe you would've gotten something done offensively that way.

P.S.: Clever with the middle flipper bit. Real clever.
Becca Jane

I'll keep you updated.

Disclaimer:
* I wrote no such emails.
** I received no such response; fictional response provided by Ontario Oilfan. I'm pretty sure Penguins don't quack, but it's funny nonetheless.
*** uck

*Sigh*... Boredom.

Why did this have to end up this way? The exact same SCF as last year?

"Yawn."

Okay, so who will win?

I don't like either team. Crosby and his golden-child routine are old news; Pittsburgh and it's, 'we sucked for a long time, and now we're back with avengence and some somewhat-newly-come-of-age first rounders.' Detroit and it's, 'yeah we've just been good for so long that we've forgotten how to be bad. It's just not something we can do anymore.'

Blech.

Give me a break. Wake me in time for the Entry Draft, will ya?

Thanks.

Oh, and I'm gonna take Pittsburgh. They took away some valuable lessons from the SCF last year, and they'll use them this year. It'll be close though, as most SCFs are.

*Gag*

A Plea to Someone... Anyone...

I don't want to see a rematch of last year's playoffs. I just don't. There's no Cinderella story, no real adversity for either team. Pittsburgh's been a powerhouse for the past couple years, yeah they had a bad patch this season for a bit, but I hardly count that as adversity when you have a team that boasts Crosby and Malkin, not to mention other quality players that, though they're not quite at superstar stature, they're pretty freakin' good. Detroit's been good for as long as I can remember. I mean come on. They're in the conference finals with Osgood in net. That says something.

I personally think that's boring.

So this is a plea to Carolina, and to Chicago. To the fans, and the players. Let's make this interesting shall we? I'd like nothing more than to watch a Carolina/Chicago final. I think that'd be great.

But Pittsburgh has been pushing you around Carolina, and that needs to change. Hey Erik? Yeah, let's get some stuff done, kay? I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'...

And Chicago? Yeah, you're getting better, but if you want to come back you've got to win those OT games.

I know, it's harder than I'm making it seem right? But you're both down 2 games to none, and this is definitely gonna be an uphill climb. Neither of you have home team advantage, and if you want it you'll have to win a game in the opponent's rink.

Round 3; Fight!

... Okay, so that was what I remember being the intro to Round 3 in Mortal Kombat (Thanks OntarioOilfan... :P ) for SNES. It was a pretty sweet game, but I wasn't all that good at it. I'd win sometimes though, and usually by hitting my opponent with repetitive flying high kicks... Or whatever that move was called... I think it was the Y button.

So here we are, one round away from the Stanley Cup Finals. I only got one prediction right last round, but most of the teams that won were in fact the teams I *wanted* to win. Chicago, Detroit and Carolina; Pittsburgh being the team that I wanted to lose... Damn you Crosby. So, let's get into it shall we?

Eastern Conference Final:

Carolina Hurricanes vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

Okay, so here's the way that I see it. Ward is a better goaltender than Fleury, and some of you may disagree, but this is the way that I see it, not the way you see it. Ward has a cup, in his rookie year no less, and Fleury doesn't, and Ward was amazing in the finals against the Oilers. So Carolina has the advantage in goaltending in my eyes. Pittsburgh relies quite heavily on their offense to get things done, because their defense isn't that skilled. That said, their defense didn't seem to have to hard of a time dealing with AO... I haven't had the chance to watch much of the second round because I work evenings and weekends, and the games are usually played at a time when I'm at work. If I'm lucky, sometimes I'll catch the last five minutes of the third or some of an overtime period. Every time that I've predicted against Carolina they've won (yeah, all of two times...), but the question is whether or not I think they have a chance against a Penguins team that has a high-powered offense that will give *any* team's defense a headache. I think they've got a shot, but it'll be a long one...

Pittsburgh takes it in 7.

Western Conference:

Detroit Red Wings vs Chicago Blackhawks

Oh what an entertaining conference final this is going to be! Chicago has surprised many people with how far they've come. Myself included, not that I didn't want them to do well, that's not what I'm saying here. I like Chicago's team, they're young and they're exactly what the Oilers *wanted* to be, but we just couldn't seem to get it to click into place. I'm not bitter about it, though I am a little jealous I think I can look past it, because these kids are fun to watch. I'm not a fan of Detroit, and I want Chicago to kick them around the block a few times. And then maybe a few times more. Detroit is going to be a tough opponent for Chicago, though. I look at Detroit and I see a team with few weaknesses, which could definitely be a problem for the young Blackhawks. Detroit's defense doesn't just come from their defensemen; we are all well educated in the defensive prowess of Datsyuk and Zetterberg. That said, their first two playoff opponents were not easy ones, and I think they've learned some valuable information on how to persevere. I also think Chicago is faster, and if they can kick their speed into gear they'll be able to take this series.

Chicago wins in 6.


Oh dear that second one is a risk... But hey, I only got one right last round, so if I go 0 for 2 here I won't be too upset.

Should be some exciting and entertaining hockey coming up, that's for sure.

Second Round: Better Late Than Never...

Alright, I'm blogging from my phone today. As this goes on I find that
my lack of emotional dedication to any teams is seriously affecting my
will to post on a regular basis. I'd say I'm sorry, but well... I
guess I'm really not ;)

Here are the short versions of my predictions, if I feel so inclined
I'll elaborate later...

Western Conference:
Van vs Chi:
I want Chicago to win it, but Vancouver is the more physical team in
this series. I think Van takes it in 6 or 7, but Chicago could easily
change that; they're way more skilled.

Det vs Ana
I hope Detroit can take this one, and while I recognize that Anaheim
is much better than first thought, I think Detroit will take it in 6.

Eastern Conference:

Wsh vs Pit:
What do you think Bettman did when he saw this coming? Yeah, you're
right, let's not think about that.... I think Washington takes it in
7, but Pittsburgh won't go quietly.

Bos vs Car:
Ugh! This is a sucky matchup for Carolina, really sucky. I'd like
Carolina to win it, but I think Boston comes away with the series in 5
or 6.

Maybe I'll talk to you later.... Maybe...

It's Been a While

I've not been posting all this time because of two reasons:

1. The Oilers are not in the playoffs, and as such I don't feel the need to post daily about other teams' success, or lack thereof.

2. My exams were all in three days of hell, so I had no time in between studying and wasting as little time as possible eating and sleeping, and if I don't have time to eat, then I guarantee you I don't have time to blog. Twitter is a different story ;)

So I thought we'd check up on my predictions, see which ones are still good, which ones are failing and which ones failed miserably; I know there's at least one.

SJS in 6 or 7

The latter half of this is still possible, but the Sharks are going to have to pick it up if they want to take this series, which at this point seems unlikely. Series stands at 3-2 Ducks.

DET in 6

Detroit won this one easily in 4. Columbus didn't put up much fight, and Rick Nash hardly even showed up, save for the last game. That said, it was their first ever playoff run, so at least their fans got to see some playoff hockey, and the team earned some valuable experience that will do nothing but help the club moving forward.

STL in 6

*sigh* Van swept STL. I hate Vancouver, but St Louis clearly did not have the tools to match Vancouver's goaltending or their scoring prowess; despite the fact that Matts Sundin cannot seem to help the team offensively for some reason. If I was a Leafs fan I'd say it was because he left his heart in Toronto, but I'm not so I won't ;)

CHI in 5

Won't be CHI in 5, but it may be in 6. I hope it is, because truth be told Chicago is the better team, even with all prejudices aside. Calgary just doesn't have the pieces to take on the well-balanced and well-planned roster of the Chicago Blackhawks.

BOS in 4 or 5

Was Boston in 4. Montreal never had a chance in this series, and I think every one, save for Habs fans, knew that going into the match-up. Better luck next season Montreal.

WSH in 6

This has been an interesting series. NYR was up 3-1 on the Caps, and they've managed to battle back to tie the series at 3. Game 7 will be in Washington's building, and with the kind of momentum they've got going their way at the moment I can't see New York pulling this one out. Could happen though.

NJ in 7

Game 7 goes tomorrow. Has been the closest and most interesting first round series bar none. Save for the first and sixth games (4-1 NJ and 4-0 CAR respectively) the series has been incredibly tight, all of the games in between having been won by a single goal. In one case the game ended up at 1-0 for NJ. Ridiculous. I hope CAR pulls this out, but it will likely be close.

PIT in 6

Was Pittsburgh in 6. Wooo! I got one right! What do I win? Oh, the chance to predict the second round? Awesome! Good times!

Last possible games go Wednesday, so I'll see you Thursday to talk Round 2. It should be a good time!

Playoffs! Let's Get The Run Down!

Wait. Do you smell that? Ah, yes; the playoffs are here! Sans-Oil, but I’ve already dwelt on that for long enough.

There are several teams that I’m cheering against, and a couple that I am cheering for. But let’s go over the matchups and my initial reactions, because that’s fun... Well, at least for me!

The Western Conference:

1. San Jose Sharks vs 8. Anaheim Ducks
This should be interesting. With San Jose’s injuries and Anaheim’s physical style of play this could actually be close. If San Jose can pull their offense from the beginning of the season out of a hat then Anaheim’s in some serious trouble, which is good for me because I’ll be rooting for San Jose this round; I want the Ducks to lose.
Prediction: San Jose in 6 or 7. Long series, but San Jose was picking it back up at the end of the season, and I think they’ll overpower Anaheim.
2. Detroit Red Wings vs 7. Columbus Blue Jackets
This matchup should be tons o’ fun. Columbus is a team that I’m cheering for, but they’re in tough against a well-built Detroit team that hasn’t deteriorated in my history of watching hockey, which I’ll admit is not that long. That said, Detroit hasn’t always had the best success in the playoffs, and Columbus is making the playoffs for the first time in their history this year, so that should add some pretty good fire to their game. The first time we all get to see Rick Nash in the playoffs? Should be great fun!

Prediction: Unfortunately I’m going to have to say Detroit in 6. I really want Columbus to prove me wrong. Really bad.

3. Vancouver Canucks vs 6. St Louis Blues
I hate the Vancouver Canucks. So I’ll be cheering for St Louis here. I think it should be an interesting series, though I’m not sure what to expect from it. I’m hoping that St Louis’ momentum from the last couple months carries them through this series, but Vancouver has been playing well of late as well. That said; Vancouver has never had any kind of playoff success, so that’s a plus for St Louis.
Prediction: St Louis in 6. This is a shaky prediction, but I think that Matts Sundin’s lack of production comes back to haunt Vancouver, and their lack of playoff success plants doubt in their minds when they don’t have success early.
4. Chicago Black Hawks vs 5. Calgary Flames

As with most Oiler fans I have a serious hatred for the Flames. That said it is a respectful hate, unlike my hate for Vancouver. I do think that Calgary’s lack of success down the stretch is going to be a problem come tonight, especially with Chicago’s speed and offensive prowess. Chicago is a team that I think has a decent shot at the cup this year if they can pull it all together. Khabibulin is going to have to be unbelievable.

Prediction: Chicago in 5. I think the Flames are outmatched here. Chicago will make short work of the Flames and their Regehr-less defensive corps.


Eastern Conference

I don’t have a lot of ties to the eastern conference, so I don’t have a lot of teams to cheer for or against.

1. Boston Bruins vs 8. Montreal Canadiens

I'm pretty sure the Habs haven't got an ice cube's chance in hell of beating Boston. This is going to be short and one-sided, the closest series to a sweep as far as I'm concerned.

Prediction: Boston in 4 or 5.

2. Washington Capitals vs 7. New York Rangers

I love watching Ovechkin play, so I'm hoping the Capitals can pull it out for a couple rounds so we can watch him more often. Green is also a treat to watch on the back-end. Lundqvist can be a beast in net though, so this could be interesting.

Prediction: Caps in 6.

3. New Jersey Devils vs Carolina Hurricanes

I want to see Erik Cole do well, so I'll be cheering on Carolina for this series. That said, New Jersey and Brodeur will be a diffucult hurdle to jump.

Prediction: Unfortunately, I'm gonna have to say Jersey in 7. I want Erik to prove me wrong though. Prove me wrong!

4. Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers

I'll be cheering for Pittsburgh here, because I'm in love with Sykora, and I like Garon, though he probably won't get playing time unless Fleury goes down. *knock on wood* Philadelphia won't take this lying down, and I'll be looking for some solid physical hits. That said, we've seen in the past that this kind of play tend to ger Flyer players suspended.

Prediction: Pittsburgh in 6. Should be a good match-up, I hope Sykora scores a lot!

Alrighty, all set for tonight.

Unrelated Note: Tambellini meets with the press in three minutes, watch it live here.

Oilers @ Flames; Frustration

Alright, so.... The Oilers won last night. 5-1 actually, in a most decisive way might I add. Yes, the Flames were majorly short-handed, but we're a non-playoff team, and they're on their way to a post-season. This implies that they're much better than us, and, while perhaps winning wasn't as easy as it could have been, keeping it close should have been relatively simple to do. It wasn't, and that's not because the Flames were worse than they should have been, it's because the Oilers played much better than they have in the majority of the season. I'd say the exceptions being just before the all-star break and a few games here and there, like the last Vancouver game.

I'm glad I'm not one who pulls their hair out when they're frustrated, because I'd be balder than Messier right now.

If that's possible.

Why? Why is this the way it goes? We were in a playoff spot, then we dropped out; managed our way back in, then tanked until it was virtually impossible for the team to make it. Now, I remember saying yesterday that if Anaheim or St. Louis gets a point in any of their last two games that it doesn't matter any way; and both did and have since clinched a playoff spot. But I lied, it does matter.

I'm tired of having the Oilers be the butt-end of jokes for the past three seasons. I'm tired waking up and wondering which Oiler team is going to be on the ice that night. I'm tired of reading articles entitled something like, "What Went Wrong in Edmonton This Season." I'm SICK and TIRED of listening to cynical fans who consistently want to believe the worst, and will broadcast it to any one with ears.

I'm glad I love hockey as a game and not just the Oilers, because that at least means that I'll watch the playoffs any way, and I'll watch the World Championships, and I'll join in speculation about who will make the Olympic team, both Canada and USA.

There was one comment, said in passing, by one Sheldon Souray yesterday on Sportsnet that really bothered me. It went something like this:

-Broadcaster asks question regarding the difference between home and away performance this season-

Sheldon Souray answers some of the regular jargon and then throws in something along the lines of, "I guess we just don't feel like we have to put on a show [when we're on the road]."

Here's the thing, Sheldon. You do have to put on a show. Because you're a professional athlete, and once you're an athlete at this level, and people pay hundreds of dollars per game to see you play you better be damn certain you're putting on an effing show. I don't think I hear professional musicians complain about how when they go on stage the people in the audience expect a show; I've never heard a theater actor complain about it either. We pay to see all of you play. So, yes, Sheldon; we do expect a show, and that's true of any NHL arena or fan base. Why don't people go to see the L.A. kings play in their home barn? Because they don't think it's entertaining. It's not a show to them.

Of course, that's before people get an emotional attachment to the team. At which point we can't stop watching even when you've stopped performing for us.

There are rumors today that the Edmonton Oilers are close to signing Denis Grebeshkov to a two-year deal that is a considerable raise over his current contract. Alright, so this means we've got to be shipping someone out the door on the back-end, but who is it? Personally I'd like to see Gilbert AND Staios find new homes. I'd then bring up Chorney and Peckham full time and move Smid up to either first or second pairing duties. I've stated before that I think Ladislav and Sheldon together would be a monster pairing, but I don't think the coaching staff would want to move Ladislav up so quickly. That said, he did play on the top pairing in his rookie season if I remember correctly. I do believe that Ladislav is ready for some serious responsibility, and this gives us room to think about moving some other, perhaps more expensive, pieces to someone who needs them. Gilbert is a nice bargaining chip, and no one can deny that fact, so I'd package him with someone who would be a little harder to move, say a Staios or a Moreau.

It'll be an interesting off-season. That's for sure.

As Always: Go Oilers Go.

Author's Note: I should make mention that I only used L.A. in the above example because of the value of hockey as entertainment, this was not an attack on the team.

Flames @ Oilers; Playing for Spite

Tonight we have an opportunity to put wrenches in the plans of Calgary. The Flames are looking to be first in the North West division, thereby insuring themselves home-ice advantage in the playoffs.

There are a few problems with those plans:

First, the Flames have not been playing well. They've also had some late season injury issues that no one wants to deal with.

Second, the Canucks won last night. This puts them in first in the NW and 2 pts ahead of CGY.

Thus, if we win these next couple games we can screw Calgary out of home ice advantage.

Hoo. Freaking. Rah.

This would also be a kick in an undesirable area for Oil fans, because that would mean that had we not lost against LA, we might've had a chance. But we won't know that until the standings are set in place, and if STL or ANA win either of their final two games it won't matter anyway.

As Yukon Jack reminded us all: club ABC. A.B.C.

As Always: Go Oilers Go!

Oilers Vs Kings.

I think Dan Tencer said it best this morning on Twitter:

"#Oilers could be mathematically eliminated tonight if they don't get the job done. They get what they deserve if they lose to LA."

Will we be put out of our misery tonight? We'll see.

I'll likely be missing some, if not all, of the first period.

I hope that I can receive some good news on the Oilers front when I get home for the second and third.

As Always: Go Oilers Go!

Ales Hemsky: A Defense

I don't particularly want to drag this on or anything, but I can't help it.

I wrote a post on March 25th entitled: Hemsky Frustrated; Gets Berated By Fans For Being Vocal. The general purpose of said post was essentially to get people to realize how ridiculous they were being about the whole Journal article thing. Turns out that a lot of Oiler fans have taken the issue personally, and not with me but with Ales Hemsky himself.

Now, these people have not explicitly stated that they now have an issue with Hemmer, but from the kinds of things that they say and/or write one can certainly draw this conclusion, and with relative ease.

I'm not going to single people out. I don't want to pull people out of the pack for a number of reasons:

• First: I don't want this to become a personal thing against me, and if I were to pick on a few individual people then feelings could be hurt, tempers fanned etc.
• Second: Taking a few people's quotes out of a body of people who have said the same thing or agreed with the speakers would be unfair.
• Third: I don't have permission to use people's quotes, nor do I want to seek out permission. People are less than inclined to allow quotes when the writer wants to criticize them.

Alright, deep breath, and let's get started.

I'm sick and tired of hearing people call Ales Hemsky selfish. Until the article came out I was under the impression that every one thought that Hemmer was clearly one of, if not the most unselfish player on the team. The fact is that Hemsky was frustrated, and riddle me this, "What do you do when you're frustrated?" Well, if you're healthy in the head you probably talk about it. It's not selfish, it's not immature, it's healthy. That said, was the Edmonton Journal the best outlet for that frustrated energy? I think we can all agree it wasn't. This makes the outburst ill-advised, not selfish.

I read a post on the OMB that talked about how many times the article said me, my, we, or the team etc. Okay, first let me help you off that horse because you aren't a very good rider. Second, the article was about him, what pronouns would you use when you're talking about yourself? Not to mention that that analysis strategy is incredibly superficial. If you want to analyze based on pronoun usage you are also required to analyse the context within which each pronoun is used. And of the I/me/my pronouns this is what I got out of the context:

In regards to his own play: 14

In terms of the team's success: 3

Talking about his own benefit: 18

Speaking about coaching strategy: 7

So that makes it 18/42 uses that are only about Hemsky, which is not even half. That said, this kind of analysis can be subjective, and I support any one else's efforts towards analyzing the article themselves with their own categories if necessary.

Another thing that bugs me is when people seem to place some sort of blame on Hemsky for lack of powerplay production. Here's the thing, Hemsky is not the only guy on the ice, and when a goal is scored on the PP it is rare that Hemsky didn't have a hand in it. Hemsky is responsible for the majority of PP production, but this doesn't mean that he is responsible for the lack there-of. How so you ask? I shall answer this with more questions: Does Hemsky coach the powerplay? When the Oilers practice does the coaching staff leave the ice? "See ya later Ales, be back in a few hours for the game." Yeah, I'm sure that's exactly what happens. If anything is the issue it is the focus on the point-shot, and that is a coaching strategy not Hemsky's decision.

Anything related to the following schemas drives me insane: "Hemsky should've had that if he wants to be our go-to guy" "That's the kind of play Hemsky should have if he wants to be our star player" "Hemsky should've done _____ if he wants to be our go-to guy". Yeah, because all go-to guys make alll plays perfectly. It seems like any time Hemsky makes a single mistake some of the fans are on him like a pride of lions stalking a gazelle on the Serengeti.

I get it, they think that the article was a bad idea, they think it makes Hemsky look selfish, or that his real colours are starting to show. Bad timing or not when was a good time to bring it up? After the season ends when you're damn near ready to kill someone? Hemsky is a quiet person from what I've heard, and quiet people don't speak up about things unless they're already unbearable for said person. But I digress . . .

Call me a fan, call me biased, call me whatever you want but there's one thing you won't get to call me, and that's disloyal.

Vancouver@Edmonton; Paper vs Ice

I don't have that much to say about this game. The fact is that all I can think about regarding the team these days is that one more loss can just put us all out of our brutal misery. The Oilers sit at 81 points and we only have four games left, meaning that at the most we end up with 89 points which would require the team to run the table. The team's longest win streak this season was a four game streak to start the season, and that was almost pure fluke.

I really don't want to say too much about the alleged 'Katz Text', however I will say this: After a season like the one we just experienced, and by we I mean both the organization and the fans, changes have to be made. The problem with this team is not small, if it had been we would've seen a solution put forth by now. The majority of people that I've spoken to think that the change needs to be MacTavish, and I am inclined to agree with them; not because I think he's a bad coach, because he's not, but because this team has clearly been slowly drifting away from the kind of team that MacTavish has the arsenal to coach. We're a small team that uses skill, speed, and finesse to win games. MacTavish has shown that he shines best when he's got a gritty team with size that's willing to work its ass off every second of every shift of every period of every game. The team we iced this year either did not have the drive or did not have the parts to be cup contenders. Neither of which do I place solely on MacT or Lowe's shoulders.

The fact is that when I look at this team we sound good:

Souray, a defensemen with an insane point shot that works incredibly well in powerplay situations. He's also got one hell of a mean streak, and who doesn't like players with a mean streak?

Lubomir Visnovsky, who before his injury was proving all of the people in LA wrong with his defensive responsibility. He had 31 points and was a +6 before he got injured.

Sam Gagner, Patrick O'Sullivan, and Andrew Cogliano who are all filled with skill and have a great head for the game. I haven't seen enough from O'Sullivan to be able to confidently classify him in a certain role or player type, but I like what I've seen thus far, despite the lack of production. Gagner, though he struggled earlier in the season, has been working hard all season and that's paying off now. Cogliano, who has struggled a little, and I stress the little, over the past week or so; but he's been solid for us this season, and he was the only one of the kids not to have to deal with the offensive slump of the dreaded sophmore season.

Ladislav Smid, who has come into his own this season as a solid stay-at-home D-man with some offensive flair that has been showing up more often as he feels more comfortable with his own place on the team.

Denis Grebeshkov, who has come a long way from a couple of seasons ago, when we thought we had basically exchanged one MAB for another.

Zach Stortini, who has been gradually improving to a point where I don't cringe when I see him engage in a fight, in fact he's had a couple good ones this season.

Kyle Brodziak, who I feel doesn't get near enough recognition on the team, he kills penalties effectively, hardly ever takes penalties, plays a physical type of game, and if last season was any indication he can also become a legitimate scoring threat with the proper linemates.

Shawn Horcoff, who despite his oversized extension that kicks in next season and his lack of production this season, has worked his ass off for this team and never looks like he's coasting or being lazy.

Ales Kotalik, who's been unbelieveably good for us of late. He's got chemistry with Hemmer and I'd like to keep him if possible. He's a forward that plays the point on the powerplay, kind of like Stoll used to, and he's got one hell of a one-timer.

I think I'm forgetting somebody... Oh yeah:

Ales Hemsky, who has been unbelievable at times this season. Say what you want about his comments in the Journal earlier this season, but the fact is that he's our best player, and his contract is one of the best in the league. No way I'd trade him and I've been appalled at the ammount of people who have suggested it. Hemsky seems to get better as his career wears on, and I think he likes the city. He's now scored 20 goals in back to back seasons, and he's become the face of the franchise, and while he may not score as many goals as Ovechkin or Crosby he has just as many highlight reel-ers.


So then the question is: What the hell happened?

I don't know, but after reading Lowetide's Ch-ch-ch-Changes article I'm kind of frightened of what may actually occur this offseason.

From the article:

What we now have is an old fashioned dog-and-pony show, with everyone but Ziggy Stardust and Iggy Pop getting involved. Ethan Moreau told us today there will be changes and the kids are different now and the special teams weren't helped and if you read between the lines he's saying don't trust anyone under 26.

A fine mess we have here. A little while ago I suggested that if MacT stayed we could predict a few of the players heading out (Penner, Pouliot, Nilsson). After today I think we might be looking at something deeper here, something resembling a really big mistake.

Really big.

Yikes.


As Always: Go Oilers Go!

San Jose @ Edmonton; Probabilities.

So, here's the situation.

The Oilers are sitting at 81 points with 5 games left.

The last two playoff spots are held by Nashville and Anaheim, each with 84 points.

That is 3 points ahead of Edmonton.

Anaheim:
Home Win%: 48.7%
Away Win%: 52.6%
Home games left:2
Away games left:3
Proportional home wins: 1
Proportional away wins: 1-2
Probable point total come end of season: 88-90

Nashville:
Home Win%: 59%
Away Win%: 39%
Home games left:2
Away games left:3
Proportional home wins: 1
Proportional away wins: 1
Probable point total come end of season: 88

St Louis:
Home win%: 55%
Away win%: 40.5%
Home games left: 1
Away games left: 4
Proportional home wins: 0-1
Proportional away wins: 1-2
Probable point total come end of season: 85-89

Minnesota:
Home win%: 52.3%
Away win%: 41%
Home games left: 3
Away games left: 2
Proportional home wins: 1-2
Proportional away wins: 1
Probable point total come end of season: 85-89

The Oilers:
Home win%: 43.2%
Away win%: 50%
Home games left: 4
Away games left: 1
Proportional home wins: 1-2
Proportional away wins: 0-1
Probable point total come end of season: 85-89

Take away from that what you will; but what I take away is this:

If the Oilers want to make the playoffs they better start breaking some of their patterns that they've established.

No more excuses boys.

As Always: Go Oilers Go!

Sad Puppy Dog Face

See, this is what I mean when I say that the Oilers are like a dog to me. Because my dogs can do nothing that will make me hate them forever and ever.

I already feel bad for saying the team didn't try.

Like really bad.

In The End: They're My Team.

Last night I was choked. Probably the most angry I've been at the team in my history as a fan. In the playoffs we tried hard despite the end result, in 06/07 we traded Smyth and had a multitude of injuries, in 07/08 we had a bit of a miracle run that just couldn't be sustained for as long as the team needed it. But, what's our excuse this season?

The fact is that there isn't an excuse that the team can come up with that will be sufficient to cover the disappointment of this season. Not when we were told that we were going to ice a cup contender in October, not when we were supposed to challenge for the NW division title. Not when the team that took the ice every night looked like they were half-asleep and coming off a night of binge-drinking and cocaine. I thought we got rid of those guys?

The Oilers, as an organization, not the team, should really learn a lesson here. You see, if they hadn't have gotten all of our hopes up in October - if they hadn't hyped the team til we were all buzzing in anticipation - the disappointment that we are feeling now as fans would be much less. No doubt it would still be there, but it would be severely minimized, and we wouldn't be feeling this other strange emotion: betrayal.

The game last night was a joke. A slap in the face for fans, that until this morning was a monumental p--- off. This morning, it's just comedic. The Oilers come out and score first, and then they take their foot off the gas, as per usual, and allow the opposing team to tie it up, then we start taking stupid penalties. Cue up the second period where the visitors score early on the PP and then add a couple more for good measure throughout the period. The third period comes up and the Oilers go down further, allowing another goal. Less than five minutes to go in the game and someone makes a point of mentioning to the team that they are, in fact, playing a hockey game here, and they may want to pick it up if they want to win. So the Oilers turn it on and score a few times, only to come up short by at least one goal.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

And all of this after asking us for our support, because it really mattered to them. Yeah, looks like we made a huge difference last night. I have news for you: we've been here all season supporting you and making excuses for your butt. Where have you been?

As much as I am frustrated with this team this year, I still love them. I guess they're like a dog who didn't do what I wanted it to do; as a dog lover, I'll still love it tomorrow. I was just angry at it for not doing what I asked of it.

What we all asked the team to do.

Try.

Ducks @ Oilers; Fan Support

What else is there to say here except that if the Oilers don't win tonight I don't expect to see them playing come the 15th of April?

Nothing.

It's strange. Hearing the Oilers come out and ask for fan support. Part of me agrees, Rexall has not been hospitable to the Oilers this season, and the crowd has been no better than a funeral gathering in the noise department for the most part. But the other part of me wants to bear my teeth and yell at the players: How dare you come to us for support? Where have you been all season? Playing your best hockey at some other Ho-City's rink, and you come crawling back to us?

I sound like a wife who's been cheated on.

I hope the Oil can pull it through tonight, because this could be the last time they play with any hope for a post-season.

And for a team that was toted as a team that would vie for the division lead this season this is beyond disappointing.

As Always: Go Oilers Go!

Looking For A Silver Lining

Team	GP	W	L	OT	PTS	Opponents Remaining
Columbus	76	39	29	8	86	Predators (X2), Blackhawks (X2), Blues, Wild.
Nashville	76	38	30	8	84	Blue Jackets (X2), Blackhawks (X2), Red Wings, Wild.
St Louis	76	37	30	9	83	Blackhawks, Red Wings, Stars, Coyotes, Blue Jackets, Avalanche.
Anaheim	76	38	32	6	82	Oilers, Canucks, Sharks (X2), Stars, Coyotes.
Edmonton	76	36	31	9	81	Ducks, Sharks, Canucks, Kings, Flames (X2).
Minnesota	76	36	32	8	80	Canucks, Flames, Red Wings, Stars, Predators, Blue Jackets.

Looking at every one’s games remaining I am not convinced that the Oilers are completely out of it just yet. While our own schedule doesn’t look like something we would’ve designed if given the chance, the only team competing against us that does have an easier, and I stress the ‘er’ part because it’s still not easy, is the St Louis Blues, and I only say this because they play the Coyotes and the Avalanche; not that these teams should be taken lightly.

Everyone has a tough schedule coming into these last six games. Nashville should be a little worried: their team seems to be falling apart at the seams; there are two ways this could go:
-Realize that the team just couldn’t bear the burden of the injuries, and that next year will likely be very impressive.
-Find out that the team is a lot ‘deeper’ than first thought, and become very proud of the team for stepping up.
And let’s face it, while the first of the two is more likely, the team is actually on the track heading towards the latter.

I want the Oilers to step it up, but I’m not going to cry about it if they don’t. It will be interesting to see what the off season excuses are this go around if we don’t make the playoffs.

As Always: Go Oilers Go!

Wild @ Oilers : The Apocalypse

I was watching 'Independence Day' earlier and I was thinking, do we have a pilot that would go into an alien ship's tractor beam to save the world? In context of the Oilers the question is actually 'do we have a player who would sacrifice himself in order to save the team?'

I think the easy answer is yes, obviously the team blocks shots and we have a few guys that are willing to step in when our skill guys are getting pushed around. But then there have also been a few incidents this season that simply weren't taken care of, and I'm sure you can think of a few yourself.

It's no secret that the Oilers have lacked a certain motivation that up until this season had always been found in the Oilers game. Even at the tail-end of the 06/07 season I still watched all of the games, and I have been this season too, but I've been watching them for a different reason; in 06/07 we were playing with heart and the team showed up to every game. Now I'm watching because we may actually win, and the team is in the mix for the playoffs, and I'm noticing, as I'm sure most of you are, that the heart that has always been beating relentlessly on the Oilers' jersey sleaves has seemingly taken a vacation.

The team has shown flashes of their brilliance at multiple points throughout the season, but rarely has it been consistent. Most times it only lasts for a single period, let alone a whole game or a few games together.

The Oilers take on the Minnesota Wild tonight at Rexall Place, and that building has been terrible this season. I've attended six games within the last few months, and the only one that was enjoyable was fan appreciation night against the Thrashers. Yes, the team has to show us that they want to play and that they want to be in the playoffs, but we as fans have to show that we want them to play for us, and we want them to be in the playoffs, and that we support them. Quit with the 'boo'-ing at Rexall, unless it is at the referees or the opposing team. I'm tired of hearing Rexall punish the Oilers. Cheer and chant with wild abandon, because we're lucky we have a team. We are lucky we get to cheer on the Oilers every second or third night, and if we don't come to appreciate that then I don't think we deserve an NHL team.

Perhaps we can return that 'heart' that's been on missing for about 90% of the season thus far.

As Always: Go Oilers Go!

Sunshine and Rainbows! - Edmonton @ Anaheim

Okay, so rather than get all hot and bothered and complain ruthlessly about the Oilers' loss last night; I have decided to be positive. Because the game is more enjoyable this way, and because I don't want to be in a bad mood.

I found a couple positives last game and I thought I'd share them with you:

1. Dustin Penner. Penner, despite criticism that he receives on a daily basis, was doing a lot of things last night that we've wanted him to do for the entire season. He was backchecking, he was hitting, he was battling for the puck and winning, and most importantly he was using his size to his advantage. No one could get Penner off of the puck last night, and that's awesome.

2. Our PK was abnormally good. I don't want to hear about how the Coyotes' powerplay is already bad, because bad PP or not our PK looked good. And that is something that we'll need to have working going forward. Can you imagine where we'd be if our special teams were in the top quarter of the league? Top 5 teams in the West I guarantee you.

3. Hemsky had a good game. He had less turnovers, chipped in with a goal and an assist, and he was hitting people (he was tied for third in the team last night with 2, Laddy and Brodz also with 2). I am already sick and tired of people and their comments regarding Hemsky since the article that came out, and I've reserved to not posting on the OMB because I'd likely get banned for some of the things that I'd want to say in reaction to some of the posters. All I'm gonna say is that people need to learn a little empathy and step down from their high horse before they fall off and break their backs.

I could discuss negative things but, like I said, I'm deciding to focus on the positives. Sunshine and Rainbows all around!

I just hope there aren't any clouds in the forecast for, say, 7:30 PM tonight.

As Always: Go Oilers Go!

Oilers @ Coyotes

Long story short the Phoenix Coyotes are a team that the Oilers need to, and should, defeat this evening.

Hemsky's frustrated and I'm glad he spoke up, but now may be the time to show us what he means. The team hasn't been scoring in the last two games, and if we want to win the game tonight scoring is essential.

If I was ten I'd follow this up with, "DUH!"

I want to see Hemsky have a good game, and it's not because I think he needs to prove anything, but it is because I love seeing him happy and excited to play; and he hasn't shown either of these in the past 7 or 8 games, maybe more. MacTavish pretty much stated in the article that he wasn't going to change anything, so I think it may be up to Hemsky to take his enjoyment into his own hands. If the coach won't let you play the way you want to maybe you should just ignore him. When you were producing really well, after the concussion, you were focusing on offense, and I seem to remember us winning those games, so perhaps try pushing the envelope a little.

But that's just what I'd do.

Love ya either way Hemmer.

As Always: Go Oilers Go!

Hemsky Frustrated; Gets Berated By Fans For Being Vocal

First let me say this as a bit of a disclaimer: I love Hemsky. I think he's an excellent player, and I don't think that these comments reflect badly on him at all. I have read a lot of comments from people who think it does, and I'll be addressing some of those comments here, not by name of course, but they're all found on the OMB and other blog posts. I won't paraphrase, I'll take quotes directly.

If you haven't already read the article it's located here.

Let's get into it then shall we?

First: Posts from the thread "Hemsky Wants a Bigger Role" from the OMB.

"Another reaction I have here is to say to Hemsky, hey, let's see the brilliance that you're telling us about. I'm not as geeked-out on Hemsky as most on this board, and I don't think we see the brilliance as much as we should. Put a couple pucks in the net, set up a few great goals, and it seems like everything should work itself out. We all know the skill is there."

Here's the thing: Hemsky stated in the interview that he performs better and produces more when he feels like he's needed. This is completely understandable, and it also explains his lack of production lately, not to mention his burst of offensive genius coming back from injury. While Hemsky was out with a concussion everyone was pretty worried, for how would the team get by without its leading point scorer? The focus was on him to get back, because the team needed him. And they did need him, they came out at about .500 in that ten game span, but the team was not scoring goals. I would assume that during this time span people were looking for Hemsky, focusing on Hemsky; Everything was about Hemsky. Now; however, it isn't. And All Hemsky is trying to say here is that he needs the attention. Who doesn't perform better when they feel like the project/company/team needs them? Who doesn't do well when everyone is talking about how important they are? Right now Hemsky is not the focus, and yes he hasn't been producing but he has been making plays; his line just can't seem to put them in the net. But don't take that as me blaming his line, because there's enough of that blame going around already.

So he liked it better when he was the only guy putting the puck in the net and the team was losing...so now that the team is playing better with more balanced scoring and he's upset because he's not the man.

It appears that his real personality is starting to "shine".

Not what he said; come back and try again when you've learned to read.

Not what happened either when he was producing - talk to me when you've watched those games.

"no Hemsky, we don't want you to check, when you give away the puck we just want you to cruise around at the blueline and wait for your defencemen to bail you out

geez "

Again, not what Hemsky was saying. He doesn't have a problem with the defensive responsibility: it's the fact that the defensive responsibility comes in place of offensive production. That is his objection as I understand it.

"How does wanting someone to be reliable in their zone mean they should be checker. He's on the top line and the top powerplay. He's playing with Horcoff for a reason, and that is so that the can have the freedom to make mistakes and not have it backfire. If any other player on this team made as many turnovers as Hemmer they'd be benched in a second. To be honest I think this is only about 1 thing and that is the shootout. He is not in the shootout order anymore and I don't think he likes that very much."

See comments 2 and 3.

"Personally, what i think, i think Hemsky doesn't like winning when he didn't have a big part in it "

Can I kill you now? Because now you're just trying to be hateful. Nowhere in that article does Hemsky even allude to this, in fact he states the polar opposite at least twice by my count.

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

This all said and done I have not brought up the posts defending Hemsky, and they are there, but from what I can tell the majority of the posts/comments are against Hemsky, and against what he's complaining about. This is something I find completely ridiculous because for a lot of that article Hemsky is just confirming what we, as fans, already suspected:

"I'm just trying to do exactly what they want. I'm becoming a checker," he said with obvious displeasure after Monday's practice. "We're just doing what we have to do to win games. I'm not complaining. It's important to win the games. I just don't feel as important as I did before when they were riding me. I don't feel they use me as much as they did before. If they don't give me the confidence or trust me, I will never be playing the way I was before, the way they want.

We already blame MacT for turning scorers into checkers, and trying futilely to turn checkers into scorers; so Hemsky talks about it publicly, agreeing with what we say and we get angry about it.

"It was exciting to be back. They were riding me. Now I just don't feel it's the same. I want to do more. Ask me to do more. I have to feel good. I have to feel I am in the game and I am going.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this exactly what we wanted Hemsky to say? Isn't the bolded part exactly what we want from him?

Here are a few other Blog posts and forum threads on the topic:

MotherPucker at MotherPucker.ca

OilFans MB

HFBoards

I get it, I'm a tad bit biased, but Hemsky doesn't deserve half of the SH-- he's been getting from our fan base.