Friday, December 07, 2007

 

Hallelujah! Holy shit! Where's the Tylenol?

As Matt noted below, Torres and Stoll are watching from the press box tonight. I'm assuming this is more fallout from the Crosbies game Wednesday. Here's some background. I just have three questions:

1) Why do this now?
2) How does Zack Stortini escape responsibility?
3) Shouldn't MacT be putting himself up in the press box after failing to matchup Horcoff, Hemsky and Pisani against Crosby on Wednesday night?

Again, here's the shift chart from Wednesday's game, as well as the head-to-head 5v5 time. How Horcoff and Pisani, in particular, don't get more time against Crosby is beyond me.


Now, it's granted by all that Stoll and Torres haven't been playing well this season. Torres started off great, but has since cooled. Stoll's been fighting it all year. But you could add Roloson, Penner and about nine other guys to the list of Oilers deserving some time in the corner this season. So what gives? I'm all for bringing Thoresen back into the lineup. But why L Column and Reddox? The Oilers are 6-4 in their last ten. They win tonight, they move that to 7-3. They are playing some good hockey, despite having an average team. They are facing a Blues team that is 7-2-1 in their last ten. Fortunately for the Oilers, they caught them when their starting goalie, Manny "Head Case" Legace, is out with an injury (the Blues actually brought in two goalies from NAIT to practice with them in Edmonton, that's how short on goaltending they are). But instead of dressing two proven NHLers to play against a hot team that is currently vulnerable, or asking himself what part he played in Wednesday's loss, MacTavish is going to dress my nine-year old nephew and a goon who likes to hug his opponents for the game? Are there no other possibilities? I'm not pleased with having to defend Torres and Stoll here. Let's call it like it is: they've sucked ass. But I fail to see how Liam Reddox and Zack Stortini deserve a spot over them, especially at a time when the team is desperately short on established NHLers. Is this really an attempt by MacT to improve his chances at winning tonight, or just him punishing a couple of guys (and ultimately his hockey team) for challenging his wisdom Wednesday night?

p.s. Who is playing in net for Edmonton tonight?

***Update***
It's Garon. Good.

Comments:

Stortini sucks...he make Stoll and Torres look awful yet he escapes the MacT pressbox...must be a lot of manlove between those two...never put Stortini on a shutdown role...especially against the opposing teams best line...
 


i'm not a stortini supporter in anyway but stoll and torres do not need any help looking awful. they do a great job of it themselves. torres has played 10 good games all season (i think i'm even being generous). stoll has picked it up as of late but if it wasn't for his ability in the faceoff circle, i think you'd be hard pressed to point at any part of his game that is truly clicking. stortini will likely play a lot fewer minutes this evening and i expect the hammer of thor will move around a bit and get a chance on more than just the fourth line.
 


Sure, but he could have sat Torres and Stoll weeks ago. Why wait until now, other than to say "don't second-guess me on Stortini"? Why not wait a few days for that matter, until Sanderson, Souray and Tarnstrom are back?
 


Maybe they are sitting out because they'll be traded by game's end?
 


I guess Blender's trying to send the message that nobody's safe...borrowing a move from Keenan's playbook, unfortunately.

On an unrelated note, did any see that goal Stepniak scored where he was in midair and then checked over the goal? When can Raffi start doing that.
 


Why wait until now, other than to say "don't second-guess me on Stortini"?

i think you may have answered your own question by asking the question in the first place. if these two are going to blame their personal performance on stortini, they should be riding the bench in springfield never mind sitting in the press box with the big club. they have both played on lines with almost every player on our roster and always came out looking as the weakest link. the stortini - torres - stoll "checking line experiment" went alright for a while but clearly blew up in mact's face last game. i have a feeling that this was the last straw for these two. it's time they sat and watched the game...it's not really a change given the fact that they've been watching the game while on the ice anyways.
 


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this might not be giving stoll and torres much credit, but, well...
i wouldn't have scratched them at the same time if you wanted them to get their heads straight. 95% chance that, as buddies (i think torres is the bad influence here) they sit there and convince themselves that its not their fault, mact is out of it, and stortini was holding them back, etc., etc.. 5% chance this is an actual wake up call.
 


Penner=Horcoff=Hemsky
Nilsson=Gagner=Pisani
Cogliano=Reasoner=Brodziak
Reddox=Thoresen=Stortini

Well Lord
You can take me home now
I've seen enough
 


it's time they sat and watched the game...it's not really a change given the fact that they've been watching the game while on the ice anyways.

It's a cute thing to say, but of course it's not true. The coaches job is to win hockey games. You do that by putting your best players on the ice. Despite their difficulties, their shittiness this season is still relative. Even bad Torres and Stoll are a better option than Stortini and Reddox. And if you are suggesting that Stortini not sit because there's nothing to actually wake up--which I think you are and with which I'd agree--then my suggestion is that he be on the next train to Whereverotherthan heresville.
 


It's a cute thing to say, but of course it's not true.

you called me on it. it is perplexing that stortini / reddox suit up while torres / stoll share beer and nachos in the pressbox (ps there is also free ice cream up there, i've had one and ice cream tastes better at that altitude). mact is clearly trying to send the "no one is safe" message which probably would have had little impact if stortini sat the game out. i really don't know what the solution is at this point. i'd prefer to make jokes because my "oilermares" are keeping me up at night. i wish this was a joke...i really, really do. one can only hope that this means a trade or recchi.
 


Don't worry. The Blues are due for a Stempniaking delivered by the PreTeen Destroyer, Liam "I forgot my ID in the car" Reddox.
 


Penner=Horcoff=Hemsky
Nilsson=Gagner=Pisani
Cogliano=Reasoner=Brodziak
Reddox=Thoresen=Stortini


A year ago, wouldn't you have been totally confused by this "Oilers" lineup?

"lets see here....;
when'd we get him?, ok. ok.
who? who? ok.
who? we still have him? who?
who? who? who?
wtf is going on!?!?!??!"
 


instead of dressing two proven NHLers to play against a hot team that is currently vulnerable, or asking himself what part he played in Wednesday's loss, MacTavish is going to dress my nine-year old nephew and a goon who likes to hug his opponents for the game? Are there no other possibilities? I'm not pleased with having to defend Torres and Stoll here. Let's call it like it is: they've sucked ass. But I fail to see how Liam Reddox and Zack Stortini deserve a spot over them, especially at a time when the team is desperately short on established NHLers.
----
100% agreement Andy. As I've posted at LT, L Column should be in the press box, with Thor drawing in:
14-16-34
28-89-12

Is it really that hard to try an ice the best possible lineup for a victory tonight?
 


I think Dennis at Lowetide nailed it.

As to why not pull Stortini as well--it is irrelevant to MacT's move here, which is a psychological one. Besides, even if he was over developing the plugger, we don't have enough guys to sit 3 forwards.
 


The obvious thing for Stoll and Torres to address is their right winger. Whoever said "they were good until the PIT game" is off their fucking nut. Unless near misses count for nothing at all.

I would guess that MacTavish is showing them who's boss. This is the coach of the $50 million team who is currently the oddsmaker's favourite to finish 30th in he NHL. I'm not in the room, but my theory is that the few veteran NHLers on the squad aren't exactly in awe of the guy.
 


I'm not in the room, but my theory is that the few veteran NHLers on the squad aren't exactly in awe of the guy.

There's been the Staios incident, the Hemsky meeting about the powerplay, and then the Torres incident on Wednesday. I'd love to know what is going on, if anything.
 


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"if these two are going to blame their personal performance on stortini, they should be riding the bench in springfield never mind sitting in the press box with the big club."

Well put. I couldn't agree more.
 


Would you want to play your way out of a slump with Stortini on your line? The moment Pisani got back, he should have been put on that line. If L Column is so awesome defensively, he can protect Gagner and Cogliano. Any takers? I thought so.
 


OH MY GOD. Shawn Horcoff must have gotten all the bad luck done with last year so he could be awesome for this year.
 

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