Sunday, October 22, 2006

 

The Hardest Button To Button

Fantastic game last night. I don't think the score indicates how lopsided this game was. Other than a flurry of shots in the 3rd, culminating in Jarrett Stoll's adherence to the Laws of Cartoon Physics and Datsyuk's dandy, the Wings didn't do a whole heck of anything. Other thoughts:

• MAB is going to seriously injure one of his teammates with his shot this year. He's turned into Boris Mironov. Jason Arnott better keep his head up.

• Are we at the stage where Chris Chelios is just allowed to do whatever he wants? Is there a separate Rule Book for him on the NHL webpage that I haven't stumbled across? I just want to know. The guy is literally hanging on to his career.

• That minute or so in the 2nd period where the Oilers just danced around in the Wings zone, ending in Hemsky's dipsy-doodling, was the most captivating minute of hockey I've seen all year. It was a cruel game of keep away.

• What was the motivation for Chopper going after Markov like that at the end of the game? Was it Markov's hit on Stoll? Moreau definitely went out his way to instigate something with Markov. Reasoner was already deep in the zone, so there was no need for him to join him behind the net.

• The penalty kill continues to look impenetrable. One goal given up in thirty-six chances, if you take out the San Jose game. Four in fourty-six, if you don't.

• The Oilers powerplay is 0-19 in the last three games, 1-25 in the last four. Two shots in five PP attempts tonight, as well as two missed shots. But the Calculators tell me I have to wait until the 42nd game before I can say it actually sucks, so I guess I'll reserve judgement until then.

• I was glad to see that the two third period goals came from the transition last night. More, please.

• Will the Sabres lose a game this year? 8-0 to start the year. 37 Goals For (4.88 Avg/G), 22 Goals Against (2.75 Avg/G). And ex-Flame Chris Drury already has 9 goals. Let's take a look at that series of trades, by the way.

Jul 3, 2003: Buffalo Sabres traded Steve Reinprecht and Rhett Warrener to the Calgary Flames for Chris Drury and Steve Begin.
Feb 1, 2006: Phoenix Coyotes traded Brian Boucher and Mike Leclerc to the Calgary Flames for Steve Reinprecht and Philippe Sauve.

Well done, Darryl. Well done.

Next up, Le GG's return. GOILERS!!!

Comments:

yeah, it sees that Moreau and then Staios were onto Markov due to the hit -- and that is supported by Steve's post game comments. that even if was a clean hit they want to send the message.

sadly, if Moreau is out for weeks due to a shoulder separation -- not a good thing. Stoll was on his feet and seemed okay later on.

plus, it wasn't as if some Oiler players didn't lay some licking on the Detroit players earlier in the game.

it was a hellacious hit, and it looked like Stoll got noodled, but it didn't look concussive.
 


Agreed. He popped right back up. Their still hasn't been a fight, sadly. Just a bunch of hand-slapping scrums.

If Moreau is out, does Traktor Boy draw in?
 


Ok, last night, I think about game 6 in 2001 against Dallas. Edmonton held a 1-0 lead from early, right through the 3rd period, trying to hang on and force a game seven. The Stars turn it on for the last 10 minutes, score 3, and Doug Weight is finished as an Oiler.

Flash-forward to last night's game. Oilers have 1-0 lead in a fairly uneventful game, Smith gives Moreau and uncharacteristic, Bergeron-esque suicide pass, and Datsyuk scores of the ensuing turnover. In the old days, that would be game over for the Oilers.

Resillient like no one's business though. The Oilers are the ones loaded with skill now. 2 quick breakaway goals, and the Oil are 5-2 without having played a "complete" game since opening night.

It's nice to be an Oiler fan....watching last night, I remembered the days when Dan Cleary, Detroit 4th liner, was once on the Oiler 2nd line with Brian Fucking Swanson. Brad Isbister is in the minor's somewhere. Chimera and Carter are the 3rd line on a bad Columbus team....

Times are once again good.

Oh, and that might have been Winchester's best game last night. Also, with Moreau perhaps out for a game or two, we might see a relapse to last year's playoffs with Torres on the 3rd line with Pisani, and Jarret Stoll playing the role of Mike Peca. Which is OK....Lupul is playing well enough that MacT might start to go "power vs. power" rather than throwing the 3rd line to the wolves against the Thorntons of the league.

PS: I think the Oiler PP is going to rip Phoenix a new one tomorrow night and break out of their slump. Because the Coyotes sort of, y'know....suck.
 


I missed this one due to company. Now, I wish I'd traded Tuesday's game for this one.
 


what is really cool is...

oilers are 5-2...no one in the press gave them a cats chance in hell...now theyre going great or at least pretty bloody well...

still no one seems to notice...

it would be awesome to be a sabres fan and all...but come playoff time...who wants to meet the oilers?

hunter1909
 


Could anyone have predicted the Oil would be one of the league's defensive juggernauts? - 14/7gp. Can't keep this up forever, but we'll take what we can get.
 


The Oilers are doing well defensively because the situation with the defensemen was overhyped and people were writing off Roloson as a one season wonder.
 


Markov seemed like he wanted no business with Moreau, and after Moreau's shoulder popped out it looked like Markov was veering away from him when Staios jumped in.

Just saying that it was pretty cool of Markov to let Moreau get to the bench (if he did, and it wasn't that he just didn't want to fight). Nice of Staios to come to his defence but it wasn't neccessary. And Markov did what anyone would have done to Stoll in that situation, they're really lucky that he didn't get Umbergered like some people have mentioned.

Personally I'd really like to see Mikhnov in there, after all this hype of the 'intrigue' this offseason I want to see what he can do.
 


Jacques would be the natural fit, I would think.

Move Torres up to play with Stoll and Pisani.

Jacques plays with Reasoner and Winchester.

Although apparently it may be Mikhnov.

Send Jacques down to play. I understand keeping Mikhnov around but Jacques should be getting icetime somewhere.

Roli has been great and Smid has been better then expected, I think.

But they still need one more good veteran Dman at least. MAB/Greene ain't going to get it done.

At least a good start puts Lowe in a position of strength.
 


dennis-iof

as an alternative, i say

94-10-15 - 2 ES vets
28-71-83
14-19-34 - 2 ES vets
Mik/JFJ-16-26
 


Dennis,

I was referring to some media articles and blogs that suggested Roloson was going to be shaky in net because he was "37 and coming off a knee injury" despite the fact it was a minor injury and he looked just fine at 36..

As for the defensive situation being overblown the Hockey News seemed to have thought we might as well have cancelled the season, conceded that we wouldn't make the playoffs and start waiting for next September to roll around as without Pronger and Spaceck we were FUBARED.
 


It looked to me like Markov was ready to go with Moreau (I don't think his gloves fell off by mistake!), and then backed off when he realized that Moreau was hurt.
 

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