Sunday, December 02, 2007
California Love
San Fernando returns. Pinto is out. Mägni Thöroson the Ëlectric Nörseman is in.
Let's be honest. With Hemsky out, it is going to be difficult for the Oil to win the next two games, even with Pisani and Thoresen in the lineup (it appears that Smytty has at least done his part in helping us out against the Kings). But the return of San Fernando overshadows all, really. I'm getting goosebumps just writing this. Plus, as unlikely as it seems, if the Oilers do win tonight, they pass the Flames (who lost in overtime last night to the Blue Jackets). It will also pull them to within three of the Ducks, Blue Jackets, Sharks and Predators. The Western Conference is a weird place right now. Firing off three or four wins in a row can vault a bottom feeder into a playoff position. Will that happen with the Oil? Mmmm, no. But with Fernando's return, one can be forgiven for having some hope and a dream. GOIL!!!
***Bonus Sunday Treat***
"If you want to say the team was in a little bit in a lull, I'd say it's because the goaltending tonight wasn't as good as it should be, and the team expects more, and we didn't get it."
"Let's call a spade, a spade — we should have better goaltending. Period."
Watch Mike Keenan talk about Kiprusoff Superstar in the video section here. It's really a must. Iron Mike goes out of his way to criticize Kipper. When asked what the Superstar can do to better his game, Keenan responds, "increase his save percentage." Beautiful.
# posted by andy grabia @ 1:13 pm 
Comments:
I assume you're excepting the Pinto (Hemsky) injury from the "whole post"=happiness angle. Yeah, I'm too literal. Still, I couldn't resist. :-)
Pisani skates again! Woo hoo!
Hate is what I feel for both teams from Alldirta!! But good for Pisani. I'm hopin that he gets well and resumes his life with no complications...
WTF!!? Can you believe the camera lines in Anaheim? How far away is the damn thing, you can't even see the puck. It's almost like watching the game on TV. Go Oilers!!
I thought I was the only one wondering about sight lines. Horrible. I thought my sight was going on me.
Nice to see Pisani back! And Thoresen!!
4-0 Oilers.
Hot Doorknob sure not playing like it.
The Oilers are really gelling out there tonight.
Don't ya love it when Ducks shoot themselves?
Goilers!
Fernando Pisani's touch heals crippled children. His tears can cure the Israel-Palestine conflict. He has the power to bring back a vintage 1989 Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier to play for the Oilers for the league minimum salary, but thinks that would be cheating.
Pisani, who was already my favourite Oiler and the best former St. Albert Saint since Mark Messier, is now also the man I have a huge mancrush on. Even if he doesn't get on the scoresheet, the mere fact that he's there makes me happy.
White is black, black is white.
Interesting how the PP slowly improved after Souray went out and how its two for four tonight with Hemsky out - they are keeping it simple and not a) keying on the one play and b)forcing Hemsky to be the one and only focal point.
Twp straight games thumping the Anaheims - doesn't get much better then that.
Interesting how the PP slowly improved after Souray went out and how its two for four tonight with Hemsky out - they are keeping it simple and not a) keying on the one play and b)forcing Hemsky to be the one and only focal point.
It didn't improve when Souray went out. It got better when Hemsky and MacT had that conversation after practice. I swear they decided right then and there to stop shooting from the point all the time. It's looked way better since then. They take the shot from the point when it is there, but there is so much more variety now.
Granted it really took off after that conversation but when Souray went down I believe they were 0'fer, mostly because the entire plan was to have Hemsky feed Souray while everyone else stood around.
After Souray went down it got better. Of course anything is better then 0'fer.
A win tonight and they already have their best ten game segment, with three games left to play.
BD: Not sure I buy one game out for Hemmer as a sign he was the problem on the PP. Was Hemsky playing the entire powerplay prior to his injury? If he was dragging down the other unit from the bench, why not the same tonight? Besides, didn't the PP get 3 vs. Vancouver about 2 weeks ago...after MacT and Hemsky consulted on the PP (yet MacT remained dumbfounded why it performed better). Also don't forget Anaheim has the third worst penalty killing in the league.
OK, OK. This post is too defensive. Just saying Hemsky makes a PP more dangerous, and effective.
Not sure I buy one game out for Hemmer as a sign he was the problem on the PP.
Agreed. I'm still convinced it's mostly a matter of strategy, not personnel.
How the hell did Bertuzzi not score there?
That save with the blocker was sick. And I've never seen a guy get sent off from the bench with a 10 minute misconduct. What the hell was Parros saying?
Oh no, having Hemsky in would be far better then having Hemsky out, don't get me wrong.
My point is that with him out of the lineup (hopefully for only a couple of games) it opens up more possibilities for the PP. This has been happening the last while and the results have been there.
Maybe the coaches and players will see a few more options then throwing it to Ales at the half boards. I think it would make things better still.
Terrific win tonight - who saw thos one coming?
I think we all agree it will be a long difficult season. With that framework in mind, I'm not sure anything could be more satisfying then thumping the hell out of burke and pronger twice in a row. Go Oilers!!
3-0 against the defending SC champs!?! And how stupid is it that after December 27th we won't see the Ducks again till next October sometime (unless hell freezes over and we both make the 2nd season!?)
We're finally playing to our potential. This is the team I've been hoping for all year.
I wouldn't bat an eye if Gilbert got a contract in the 4M+ range.
Pretty impressive for <40 NHL games.
Goilers!
ChrissyT, actually, I think it's great that we finish up with Ana so bloody early, lest we face a Ducks team bolstered by the Good Neidermayer and even perhaps Selanne;)
In a strange way, having Hemsky out of the lineup means everybody else realizes that they have step up their game. That sentiment combined with the morale boost of having Fernando back might have been a whole shitload of inspiration for such a young team.
I've said it before. As a group, these guys have to exceed themselves to have a chance. Thus you get the emotional swings and the resulting inconsistencies from trying to play to that level every night. But I tell ya what. This will be one helluva team a couple of years from now. Uhhh...unless anybody gets too good, because we all know what happens then. *sigh*
Post a Comment
<< Home
I assume you're excepting the Pinto (Hemsky) injury from the "whole post"=happiness angle. Yeah, I'm too literal. Still, I couldn't resist. :-)
Pisani skates again! Woo hoo!
# posted by 
: December 02, 2007 5:53 pm
: December 02, 2007 5:53 pm Hate is what I feel for both teams from Alldirta!! But good for Pisani. I'm hopin that he gets well and resumes his life with no complications...
# posted by : December 02, 2007 5:59 pm
: December 02, 2007 5:59 pm WTF!!? Can you believe the camera lines in Anaheim? How far away is the damn thing, you can't even see the puck. It's almost like watching the game on TV. Go Oilers!!
# posted by : December 02, 2007 6:44 pm
: December 02, 2007 6:44 pm I thought I was the only one wondering about sight lines. Horrible. I thought my sight was going on me.
Nice to see Pisani back! And Thoresen!!
4-0 Oilers.
Hot Doorknob sure not playing like it.
The Oilers are really gelling out there tonight.
Don't ya love it when Ducks shoot themselves?
Goilers!
# posted by : December 02, 2007 7:19 pm
: December 02, 2007 7:19 pm Fernando Pisani's touch heals crippled children. His tears can cure the Israel-Palestine conflict. He has the power to bring back a vintage 1989 Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier to play for the Oilers for the league minimum salary, but thinks that would be cheating.
Pisani, who was already my favourite Oiler and the best former St. Albert Saint since Mark Messier, is now also the man I have a huge mancrush on. Even if he doesn't get on the scoresheet, the mere fact that he's there makes me happy.
White is black, black is white.
Interesting how the PP slowly improved after Souray went out and how its two for four tonight with Hemsky out - they are keeping it simple and not a) keying on the one play and b)forcing Hemsky to be the one and only focal point.
Twp straight games thumping the Anaheims - doesn't get much better then that.
Interesting how the PP slowly improved after Souray went out and how its two for four tonight with Hemsky out - they are keeping it simple and not a) keying on the one play and b)forcing Hemsky to be the one and only focal point.
It didn't improve when Souray went out. It got better when Hemsky and MacT had that conversation after practice. I swear they decided right then and there to stop shooting from the point all the time. It's looked way better since then. They take the shot from the point when it is there, but there is so much more variety now.
Granted it really took off after that conversation but when Souray went down I believe they were 0'fer, mostly because the entire plan was to have Hemsky feed Souray while everyone else stood around.
After Souray went down it got better. Of course anything is better then 0'fer.
A win tonight and they already have their best ten game segment, with three games left to play.
BD: Not sure I buy one game out for Hemmer as a sign he was the problem on the PP. Was Hemsky playing the entire powerplay prior to his injury? If he was dragging down the other unit from the bench, why not the same tonight? Besides, didn't the PP get 3 vs. Vancouver about 2 weeks ago...after MacT and Hemsky consulted on the PP (yet MacT remained dumbfounded why it performed better). Also don't forget Anaheim has the third worst penalty killing in the league.
OK, OK. This post is too defensive. Just saying Hemsky makes a PP more dangerous, and effective.
# posted by : December 02, 2007 8:07 pm
: December 02, 2007 8:07 pm Not sure I buy one game out for Hemmer as a sign he was the problem on the PP.
Agreed. I'm still convinced it's mostly a matter of strategy, not personnel.
How the hell did Bertuzzi not score there?
That save with the blocker was sick. And I've never seen a guy get sent off from the bench with a 10 minute misconduct. What the hell was Parros saying?
Oh no, having Hemsky in would be far better then having Hemsky out, don't get me wrong.
My point is that with him out of the lineup (hopefully for only a couple of games) it opens up more possibilities for the PP. This has been happening the last while and the results have been there.
Maybe the coaches and players will see a few more options then throwing it to Ales at the half boards. I think it would make things better still.
Terrific win tonight - who saw thos one coming?
I think we all agree it will be a long difficult season. With that framework in mind, I'm not sure anything could be more satisfying then thumping the hell out of burke and pronger twice in a row. Go Oilers!!
# posted by : December 02, 2007 8:33 pm
: December 02, 2007 8:33 pm 3-0 against the defending SC champs!?! And how stupid is it that after December 27th we won't see the Ducks again till next October sometime (unless hell freezes over and we both make the 2nd season!?)
We're finally playing to our potential. This is the team I've been hoping for all year.
I wouldn't bat an eye if Gilbert got a contract in the 4M+ range.
Pretty impressive for <40 NHL games.
Goilers!
# posted by : December 02, 2007 8:37 pm
: December 02, 2007 8:37 pm ChrissyT, actually, I think it's great that we finish up with Ana so bloody early, lest we face a Ducks team bolstered by the Good Neidermayer and even perhaps Selanne;)
In a strange way, having Hemsky out of the lineup means everybody else realizes that they have step up their game. That sentiment combined with the morale boost of having Fernando back might have been a whole shitload of inspiration for such a young team.
I've said it before. As a group, these guys have to exceed themselves to have a chance. Thus you get the emotional swings and the resulting inconsistencies from trying to play to that level every night. But I tell ya what. This will be one helluva team a couple of years from now. Uhhh...unless anybody gets too good, because we all know what happens then. *sigh*
# posted by : December 02, 2007 10:58 pm
: December 02, 2007 10:58 pm Post a Comment
<< Home
