Monday, December 10, 2007

 

Retool? I'll retool you!

Five reasons to be unhappy about today:

1) It's Monday;
2) The Flames won last night;
3) The Oilers have lost two in a row;
4) Craig MacTavish is losing his marbles;
5) We're playing Sergei Zubov, Alyssa Modano, and the rest of the Dallas Stars this evening.

FIve reasons to be happy:

1) Christmas is only 15 sleeps away;
2) The Flames are in 12th place;
3) Raffi Torres, Jarret Stoll and Patrick Thoresen are in the lineup tonight;
4) The L Column is not;
5) We're still only five points out of a playoff spot.

Comments:

poor l column, no love at all.

contrary to my defence of mact, i am happy to see torres and stoll back in the lineup and hopefully thoreson is here to stay as well. i'm hoping that the linked article is more than just talk and these guys start to play.
 


MacTavish hasn't come completely unglued. Before the STL game, when the press were reporting that 14/16 were scratched, and that Thoresen - Reddox - Stortini would be playing the tough opposition, that's when I thought that the coach was off his nut.

I know I'd already called for the cookie truck, and booked a room for him in the Hotel Silly, but that looked like rational bench management in that game. A lot of kids, and you can only hold so many corks under water at once, but sensibly that's about as good as can be done I think.
 


I know I'd already called for the cookie truck, and booked a room for him in the Hotel Silly, but that looked like rational bench management in that game.

Sure, except he put himself in a situation that would leave him with only three lines. That's just dumb, as far as I'm concerned. He would have been better off dressing 14/16, and then just leaving their asses stapled to the bench if they played bad. At least he'd have options. I'm not going to congratulate him for figuring out guys he dressed and who were on the ice for the first goal shouldn't actually be playing.
 


Nice work by San Fernando, Nilsson and Gagner West leads to a beauty goal.
 


What is with this team giving up quick goals? Jesus. Roli looked awful on that second goal.
 


Absolutely Flabulous! Maybe we should change his name to Tommy. That's three pinball goals in the past two weeks.

And there's the third goal by Dallas. Pull Roli. Terrible. Damn Zubov.
 


3-2 9 minutes in?

This is great!
 


Just terribly sloppy hockey. The Oilers apparently forgot their brains on the plane.
 


Gilbert Gilbert. I love you so.

This has actually been a good game. Could end up 10-10 and in a shootout.
 


That's three empty net goals by Dallas. Anyone on Edmonton ever heard of taking the body, or playing defence? This is just ugly.
 


Did that just happen?
 


Yup. Penner is playing great tonight, too. What a crazy game.
 


Good wanted to be sure that I wasn't the only one seeing the madness tonight.

I also love how Pisani instantly makes the line he is on NHL calibre. Nilsson on a 4 game points streak?

And Garon may not have much of a glove hand (ala Rolli) but the man has to have an elastic groin. And his pads make him look like Luongo.
 


I thought I was the only one watching. Whew.

Overtime. Versus Dallas. Shudder.

I love Garon. And Pisani is like fresh air.
 


How the hell is that a penalty?
 


I fear to look yet I cannot turn away. And beats me, they're trained professional referees in the National Hockey League they must know more than me.
 


Craptastic, crapfreakingbloodytasticfreakingtastaculastic.

So close to the shootout. Mike "I got freaking traded for 20 games of Ninimaa" Ribeiro.
 


Zubov. Always Zubov.

Pretty bad call, but Stoll was just lazy, too.

Smid got beat up something bad tonight. He and Staios were on for three Dallas goals, and they looked brutal all night long.
 


Yeah, Smid didn't have a great game at all. Not great timing considering the imminent return of a couple guys from the IR. The sandpaper Smid's added in front of the net is a welcome addition, but I'm thinking he's back on Mass Transit shortly. Some more playing time in the A might help him sort out positioning decisions and such.

Not that Staios looked good tonight either. On the final goal a couple issues for 24:
- 5 and 24 failed to clear the zone after Horcoff won the draw
- Staios chased a Star behind the net...as if he'd score from there. From that point on, Staios and Smid were on the wrond defensive side (unless it's their plan to have both their sticks in the middle...). Smid then bit too far from the front of the net and didn't get back to cover Morrow...

BTW, why didn't MacT put 25 and 77 out there for the remainder of the PK after the timeout? With all that open ice 4 on 3, I'd think your most mobile pair is the best option.

Anyway, enough bashing. The Oil got a point--a very sloopy point--in Big D. I'll take it.

Ah, one last thing. Garon--best goalie on the ice for either team tonight--is tagged with the L. Sometimes stats just lie.
 

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