Tuesday, March 31, 2009

~Great Job Oilers!~ You're #1... twice over.


This is how I feel at the moment. I will post the Beers and Jeers tomorow. I am just to angry to type.
BTW: Ethan Moreau. Was that really your teams best game? You know... like you said it was going to be? Donkeyhole.
*rips off shirt and smashes everything in sight*

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Beers and Jeers #52 (Mar 29/09 vs. Minnesota Wild)


Well folks. This game is just like the rest of them. It's another must win. I mean come on. At this time of year, every game is a must win. Even for the top teams. Detroit and San Jose are 2 points away from each other. The have must wins too. The Oilers should have treated all the games this year as must wins. Maybe then we would be fighting it out with the Wings and Sharks instead of the Ducks and Blues.

Roli starts again...

This is the 1st of six consecutive home games for the Oilers until the end of the season. The Oilers play their last game on the road. They better play well or the fans are going to be quite vocal. Go Oilers!

The Oilers were 8th this morning but are now in 9th thanks to a win by the St. Louis Blues. Hope we move back into a playoff spot after this game is over.

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1st Period

The game has a good pace to it. Penner fires the 1st shot at 3:51 and it was a good one. O'Sullivan to Penner. They end up playing for 4:14 with out a whistle to start the period off. But wouldn't you know it... Moreau takes a tripping penalty by sticking out his leg and trips up Belanger. PP for the Wild. The Oilers do kill it off but the Wild score after it expires. Gaborik whiffs on a shot and Brunette picks it up and puts it by Roli. That was Souray's guy and he was just standing there. WTF?!? *shakes head* 1-0 Wild at 7:01. Not cool guys. The 1st line comes out and has a great shift. The 2nd line comes roaring out and gets hemmed in in their own zone. O'Sullivan gets nailed from behind and there is no call. Gagner takes exception and tries to fight Miettinen and he pusses out. At that second the Wild fire a point shot and score. Damn! 2-0 Wild at 8:52. What is going on here? The defense corps are not looking all that hot right now. At 11:34, John Scott (6'8" 250 lbs) drops the gloves with Stortini. Good fight. Scott lands some hard punches but Storts takes him down. Pretty even. Weller takes down Hemsky and the Oilers go on the PP at 14:06. The Wild kill it off although Gagner had some great chances. He sure is buzzing in the 1st. Smid is also playing good so far. 8-8 are the shots.

2nd period

19 seconds into the 2nd the Oilers get a PP opportunity. O'Sullivan has a great chance. There was a scrum after the whistle and somehow Cogliano gets a roughing penalty at 2:05. The Oilers do a good job and kill it off. Around the 5:30 mark, Smid goes into the boards awkwardly and hurts his left hand. He goes off and into the dressing room for further examination. Hope it isn't to bad. MacT has changed the centers. 21, 89, 83 and 27, 10, 19. The other two lines don't change. There was another non-call as Scott hits Grebeshkov from behind. There sure is some nice hits being thrown around. With 7:45 left the score is still 2-0 Wild. The game play is still flowing well. At 17:26 Hemsky gets a partial break and can't quite stop and runs into Backstrom. Penalty for Hemmer. Come on refs. So the Wild get another PP and the Oilers kill it off again. With the period over the shots are still tied at 17-17.

3rd Period

My wife is predicting Stortini to score here in the 3rd. Yeah! Pisani scores. 2-1 Wild. (Pisani from Moreau and Grebeshkov at 1:04) Moreau takes the puck and goes coast to coast and as he is skating behind the net he throws it out front. Pisani whacks at it and it goes in. The crowd is fired up now. It was announced 3 minutes into the 3rd the Smid broke his left hand. Ouch! Poor guy. *edit: He may require surgery on his wrist* Souray takes a Wild player down and the ref puts up his arm. Damn it Souray. We were gaining momentum. But with the refs arm still up, the Wild have 6 guys out and they (Gaborik) score at 4:13. Damn!!! 3-1 Wild. Booooooo! The 4th line comes out and rocks a good shift and they draw a penalty. PP time for the Oilers. During the PP Hemsky gets into a punching in the face match with Zidlicky and open a cut on his nose at 6:23. He looks pissed about it. But it was nice to see him actually stick up for himself for once. Maybe it will fire him up now? MacT seems to be rolling Horcoff back on the #1 unit as Gagner is getting pushed around a bit and they don't need him and Hemmer as softies on the same line. All 4 lines seem to be getting shifts in the 3rd. Kotalik rips one in. Yeah! 3-2 Wild. (Kotalik from Hemsky and Horcoff at 15:08.) Let's Go Oilers!!! They are really pressing now. The 1st line gets another good chance and crash the net. What an exciting period. With 2 minutes left the 3rd line has great chances but can't score. 1:00 minute left and the Oilers pull Roli. 21, 10, 83, 89, 44, 37 are all out there. The Oilers have 3.1 seconds left to try and it win it after an icing call. Timeout Oilers. The Oilers win the faceoff but it hops out of the zone and the game is over. Boooooooo!

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Tonight's Starting Lines

Kotalik Horcoff Hemsky
Penner Gagner O'Sullivan
Moreau Cogliano Pisani
Jacques Brodziak Stortini

Souray Staios
Grebeshkov Gilbert
Smid Strudwick
Roloson

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FINAL SCORE

Minnesota Wild - 3
Edmonton Oilers - 2

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BEERS

Ales Kotalik - He took 7 shots and did score a nice bomb of a goal. He played a pretty good game but kind of disappeared in the 2nd. But he was back in the 3rd and helped the Oilers charge for a win. For having a great game... Have a frosty. Cheers!

Ales Hemsky - Hemmer had a fine game. He was in a scuffle, he was crashing the net, he was making nice passes (Kotalik goal) and he was trying to make a difference. And he stuck up for himself. That made smile. About time. For a great game and a fantastic effort... It's Miller Time. Cheers!

Zack Stortini - I thought that Storts was great. Sure he didn't score like the wife had wanted him to but he did his job well. He agitated the Wild. He fought. He hit guys. What else can we ask of him? A Budweiser for Storts? Cheers!

Honorable Mentions - Sam Gagner (Sure he was out muscled a few times but he played good. Smart plays but needs to shoot more. I liked how he tried to fight and stick up for O'Sullivan.), Patrick O'Sullivan (He had some great chances and had 5 shots.), Shawn Horcoff (Played well earning an assist and also took a few of shots with 5. He had a good night on the dot as he was 68% on the faceoffs), Kyle Brodziak (Had a great night on the faceoff dot. 6 and 1 for 86%.), Ladislav Smid (He was one of the best guys on defense untill he was hurt. We will miss the Spaz.), Ethan Moreau (He led the team with 4 hits. He played pretty good tonight.)

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JEERS

Sheldon Souray - BTP. Bad Timing Penalties. Him aand Moreau are getting really bad for this. We score and get it to 2-1 and you take a lazy crap penalty. The Wild score before you even get to the box. WTF?!? That was a bad meltdown for Souray. That happens in the playoffs and the game/season will be over. Shape up man. Booooooooo!

The Entire Team - Where is that 3rd period game during the whole game? The playoffs must be over rated huh? Don't really want to get there? Time is running out and there is no "off periods". Chalk up another "must win" in the loss coloum. Booooooooooo!

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We started in 8th and now we are 10th. Great going guys. I guess you all would rather be golfing? Next game is Tuesday against the Ducks. See you all then.

I Like The Cut Of Your Jib #4


When I think of Jib Cutters, I think of Dwayne Roloson. What isn't to like about Roli? He's a true professional 100%. He does what is asked of him without complaining. He shows up ready to play every game. And he rarely takes a night off.


At first I didn't know what to make of this "career back up" when he first came to the Oilers in 2006. I thought that Kevin Lowe lost his mind. Why did we pick up a non proven player? It made no sense to me. But...


The 06' playoffs made me a believer. I seen a guy that could not only be composed in all situations, but a guy that was ready for a chance to show his stuff. There was no doubt in my mind that Roli would have won the Conn Smythe if a certain someone didn't push Andrew Ladd into Roli and caused the injury. (That still to this day, pisses me off.) With Roli down and out so was the Oilers guaranteed Stanley Cup. Carolina wins in the 7th and final game. *tear rolls down face*


Fast forward to this year. He went from being a hero, to being the team goat (07/08) and now today, back to hero. I love Roli. He has good "game" as MacT puts it. He is what he is. A capable goalie that will do anything for his team. My favorite part of Roli is when he gets pissed off. He plays better mad. The other teams should know that by now and should just leave him alone. But they don't and when that happens he excels. Another favorite of mine is when he does his patented baseball swing, where he bats the puck down the ice instead of shooting it. It's freaking great. (as long as he doesn't miss it that is.) He has also started using his mask/head this year. He hits the puck soccer style. It really does look cool and it has been effective. His real only major weak spot is his 5 hole. He gets burned there at least once a game. His other weak spot... Glove high. The other team goes for there as well.


Weaknesses aside, Roli is the man. This very well may be his last season with the Oilers. And if it is... we thank you. We thank you for coming into our lives. We thank you for being a professional. We thank you for the commitment when others wouldn't. (Spacek, Samsonov, Pronger, etc...) We thank you for putting the Oilers 1st and family 2nd. (Roli has seen them only 3 or 4 times this year as they are back in Ontario) WE JUST THANK YOU FOR BEING AN OILER. Roli, Roli, Roli!!!


Dwayne Roloson, I like the cut of your jib... you jib cutter you.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Beers and Jeers #51 (Mar 27/09 vs. Anaheim Ducks)


Well folks, last night's game was a gooder. I freaked out a little and cheered a little. And then I freaked out some more. The Ref's were terrible. Most of the calls were penalty worthy, but some were called for no reason. What happened to the good refs?


Roli started once again and it looks like he will until the Oilers secure a spot. In other words, he will play right up to the last game of the season.


Stortini finally draws back in to the lineup after missing eight games. About time MacT. And if anyone really cares... Jacques was also in the lineup.

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1st Period

The game gets going in a hurry. Penner scores right off the hop. Yeah! 1-0 Oilers. (Penner from Horcoff and O'Sullivan at 1:11) Nice start. Holy crap! Pisani scores. Yeah! 2-0 Oilers. (Pisani from Cogliano at 1:48) At this point Giguere gets pulled. For 2 seconds. Then he's back in again. WHAT?!?! Never seen that before (that I can remember anyways). Jacques and Parros decide to drop the gloves. Good quick tilt. Parros wins that one and gives Jacques a tap for a good fight. Damn! Getzlaf scores. 2-1 Oilers. The line of 21, 89 and 83 were on for that goal. Moreau takes a hi-sticking penalty at 8:04, but luckily the Ducks don't score. Marchant and Smid mix it up and they go sit for 2 minutes. With 6:36 left, Gagner coughs up the puck in the Oilers zone but nothing really comes of it. Bad Gagner... Bad. The Oilers as a whole are looking really sloppy with 5 minutes to go. Stortini and Parros decide to go now. Really good tilt as Storts out punches him. Storts with the win. Remind me again why 46 was sitting for 8 games and 85 was playing??? At 18:09, Horcoff takes an interference penalty has to think about it for 2 minutes. Aw man! Staios clears the puck out of the Oilers zone. Problem is, it's over the glass. 5 on 3 for the Ducks now for 1:20. MacT calls a timeout to go over the PK plan. The Oilers do a good job at killing the penalties but as the period winds down, Souray and Perry will start off the 2nd with a penalty each. 15 to 4 were the shots for the Ducks.


2nd Period

15 seconds into the 2nd, Getzlaf scores his 2nd and ties up the game. Damn! 2-2 Tie Game. But one of the Ducks takes a penalty at 1:07 and the Oil go on the PP. Big Dustin Penner scores on the PP. Yeah! Penner's on fire. 3-2 Oilers. (Penner from Gagner and Hemsky at 2:40) Momentum Oilers. Yeah!!! Brodziak scores for the Oilers. 4-2 Oilers. (Brodziak unassisted at 2:49) Stortini was key on that sequence. Well Giguere is pulled again. Poor guy. He was lit up tonight. At 5:17 the Oilers take a too many men penalty. They kill that off. And at 7:16, O'Sullivan sits for 2 minutes for tripping. Then at 8:06 the rough stuff and all the penalties start to happen. Staios, Moreau and Souray were involved. How come the vets never do that for the youngsters? Just asking. Roli gets a penalty and Staios gets one as well. Then a 10:43, Kotalik gets a penalty. But you can't fight this one as he shot it over the glass. Tough luck. He did save the puck from crossing the line though. Better a PK then a auto goal. At 17:48, Getzlaf takes the last penalty of the period. This was a good and intense period. It was nice to see some real emotion. Too many damn penalties though.


3rd Period

MacT sure has been messing with the lines. It is getting kind of hard to figure out what is what. It appears like he is swapping the centers around. 35 seconds into the 3rd the Oilers go on the PP. It would have been nice if they scored but they don't. At 3:25 the Ducks score on the line of 18, 10, and 34. Horcoff was standing there and Moreau was wondering around looking lost. Terrible guys. 4-3 Oilers. The Oilers are feeling the pressure now. At 5:31, Kotalik takes a turn in the sin bin. The call... cross checking. The Oilers do kill that off but the Ducks seem to want to get back in this game. Roli robs Pronger with a huge glove save on the PP. Roli, Roli, Roli!!! What a game. At 9:35, Jacques hi-sticks a guy and gets a double minor. The Ducks get 6 shots on Roli in the 1st two minutes of the PP. Shortly after, Gagner gets nailed and Roli does his patented baseball swing and bats the puck out of the zone. Nice. The game is rockin' and rollin' all the way till the last minute of play. The ducks have pulled the goalie to try and tie the game. But Kotalik puts it in the empty net for the Oilers. Yeah! 5-3 Oilers. (Kotalik from Hemsky and Souray at 19:48) The Oilers WIN!!! The 2 points are in the bag. WOOOOOOOO!!!!

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FINAL SCORE

Edmonton Oilers - 5

Anaheim Ducks - 3

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Tonight's Starting Lines

For complete ratings see Oil Droppings. He did a really good job on them. Plus the lines changed throughout the game. Damn you MacT and your fancy blender.

Kotalik Gagner Hemsky
Penner Horcoff O'Sullivan
Moreau Cogliano Pisani
Jacques Brodziak Stortini

Souray Staios
Grebeshkov Gilbert
Strudwick Smid
Roloson

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BEERS

Dwayne Roloson - Roli the goalie was awesome. He made 51 saves for the win. Now do I really have to say anything else? Frosty Roli? How about two? Cheers!

Dustin Penner - The flying fridge was great. He had 2 goals and was a +2. He did his thing out there and had 4 shots and 2 hits. All this and he ony played 12:14. What a heck of a game. Pilsener for the Fridge? Cheers!

Zack Stortini - I really liked his game. He did was he is supposed to and played well. He fought. He caused a screen on the Brodziak goal. And he was hitting people. All this and he only played 4:10. Good job Zack. Glad your back. How about a cold one? Cheers!


Honorable Mentions - Jason Strudwick (He played not bad. He still isn't great but he did what he had to. +1 and 2 shots.), Shawn Horcoff (had a good night on faceoffs. He played a ton and was moved around quite a bit.), Patrick O'Sullivan (I really liked his play. He was on the PK and had some good moments on the offensive side.), Ales Kotalik (I also liked his game as well. I said from his first game as an Oiler that he needs to work on the cardio. I think he has as he played 16:54 and didn't look tired.)

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JEERS

Ethan Moreau - I have no idea what I have against him. I just didn't like the way he played. He just doesn't act like a captian. His fall at the boards all alone was slick and that made me laugh out loud. That's how I must look sometimes. lol. But seriously, he really needs to step up and become more of a leader in order for this team to be successful. We need an action type of a leader. God knows that it isn't Hemsky. So for a lackluster effort at even stength... Boooooooo!

The Entire Team - You guys really need to cut it out with all the penalties. Sure the refs were a little over happy with the whistles but come on. Way to many careless penalties. The elite teams don't take that many penalties in a game. Booooooooo!

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A win. About time. That's all I can say. About time. Next game is at 6:00 pm tommorow against the pesky Wild. Big Mac should draw in for Jacques I would suspect. Let's hope for another 2 points. Go Oilers!!!

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Beers and Jeers #50 (Mar 26/09 vs. Phoenix Coyotes)


This game has must win all over it. The Oilers can not afford to lose. It's anyone's guess what squad comes out on the ice. I hope it's the contenders, not the pretenders. Let's Go Oilers!

Roli will be starting his 30th consecutive game tonight. Surprise!

Reddox is drawing back into the lineup since getting knocked in the noggin'. Pouliot will be back in the press box. What did Stortini do to piss off MacT? Sleep with his wife once to often? What? I just don't get it. I just think that Reddox should have a few more days off before playing.

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1st Period

1-0 Coyotes at 3:42 by Lombardi

2nd Period

2-0 Coyotes at 11:38 by Klee

3-0 Coyotes at 14:46 by Hanzal


3rd Period

3-1 Coyotes. (Kotalik from Hemsky and Horcoff at 10:01 on the PP)

3-2 Coyotes. (Hemsky from Staios at 10:44)
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Tonight's Starting Lines

O'Sullivan Horcoff Hemsky (This line was a little better than average. Horcoff did what he had to do tonight. And he did it well with one assist and 2 shots. O'Sullivan had a takeaway, a hit and two shots. Hemsky was the best of the line. He scores... He gets an assist... And 4 shots and 2 hits. Not a bad game for Hemmer.)

Nilsson Gagner Kotalik (The line was pretty decent. Not their best game that's for sure. I liked Gagner. He tries to be bigger than he is. He just really needs to shoot more. Nilsson disappeared at the middle of the 3rd. MacT must not have been liking his jib. Kotalik scores the first Oiler goal of the night with a little luck from the puck fairy. He had 7 shots on goal and won both faceoffs he took. MacT might make him a center.)

Reddox Cogliano Pisani (I thought that in the 1st half that this line looked good. But then they would get scored on. Reddox tried hard but did nothing. Cogliano looked good but also did not much. Pisani was probably the best on this line. He had 1 shot.)

Moreau Brodziak Penner (This line was also a non factor tonight. Moreau didn't lead this team like a captain should. (Need New Captain) Brodziak was ok. He had 1 shot and was *team best* 58% on the faceoffs. Penner was decent tonight. He maybe should have had a shot with the 1st line for a bit on the PP. Just for shits and giggles.)

Souray Staios (They played good. Staios finished the game +1 and had 2 shots and 3 hits. Souray was a hitting machine tonight as he had 5 hits and played 29:20.)

Gilbert Grebeshkov (They were ok. Not great like they have been but not bad. Gilbert did block 3 shots tonight. One of them was off the ass. Grebs only really had 2 shots but otherwise made no real big mistakes.)

Strudwick Smid (Oh boy. They stunk it up today. Strudwick was beat on the 1st goal by the quick speed of Lombardi. And he just looked lost for the entire game. Same with Smid. 2 hits. That's it. Where was the spaz?)

Roloson (Definitely not his best game. He sure didn't look sharp at all. Maybe all the playing time is finally getting to him? Does JDD play tomorrow? Doubt it...)

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FINAL SCORE

Edmonton Oilers -2
Phoenix Coyotes - 3

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BEERS

Ales Hemsky - Hemmer was good tonight. When he tried that is. He really needs to put in a full game no matter how frustrated he gets with his linemates. He was mind blowing at times tonight. He scores a beauty of a goal and picks up an assist. He was the best forward for hitting and that says something about these Oilers. For a good game today, have a nice cold frosty Hemmer. Cheers!

Sheldon Souray - The man was great tonight. His hitting was hard and well timed. He played a pretty good defensive game and he played a ton. He did fire 5 shots but only 1 actually hit the net. Shelly was a leader tonight and he deserves a frosty. Cheers!

Ales Kotalik - The other Ales is looking more fit now that he has been here for awhile. He doesn't seem as winded anymore. He scores a huge goal to get the rally going and manages to get bumped back up to the #1 unit. Score every game and we can drink a lot together. Budweiser? Cheers!

Honorable Mentions - Steve Staios (Steady Steve played a solid game. Sometimes the pace gets out of his hands but tonight he did well.)

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JEERS

The Entire Team - Can you guys actually lose a bigger game? Good lord guys. That was the Coyotes. An easy win. Or so we thought I guess. I figure that the fans (and me) are maybe expecting to much out of you guys. I am one of the glass half full guys and even I am thinking it's half empty now. The Ducks are tomorrow. Will the real Oilers show up please? Boooooooooooo!

Ethan Moreau - A captain should be a guy that can take a team and help them go to the promise land. He should be able lead the team into battle. He should be able to provide a spark somehow. Ethan Moreau. You let the team down. Am I being too harsh? I don't think so. I think we need a new captain. For a where was Chopper type of game. Boooooooo!

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That was a BS game. It was boring for the 1st half. The Oilers waited way too long before trying to score. Now they are in 10th. Wow! Way to push for the playoffs. We are starting to act like the fLames. And that's pretty gay.

See you all tomorrow. Duck hunting season is open. The limit: 25 (get it?)

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Beers and Jeers #49 (Mar 24/09 vs. Detroit Red Wings)


Hemsky's statement sure caused some feathers to be ruffled. I just can't find a reason to say anything at this moment. Nevermind saying that you are being used as a checker. You don't kill penalties. You barely come into the defensive zone, so who are you kidding? A checker? Really? That's the best you can come up with? If you want more ice time then be good. Every shift. Every time you step out on that ice, score. Make something happen and MacT would have you out there all game. Instead, I have seen you give up in the 1st 5 minutes of the game and not give a crap for the rest of it. This is simply fixed. Play good = play lots.

Roli will be playing his 29th straight game for the Oilers this year. The man never ceases to amaze me. He truly is awesome.
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GAME VIDEO HIGHLITES


GAME SUMMARY


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Tonight's Starting Lines

O'Sullivan Horcoff Hemsky (Very good line. Lots of quality chances. But were on the ice for 2 goals against. Hemsky and O'Sullivan are ok together. Horcoff seems to be lost lately.)

Nilsson Gagner Kotalik (Had a good game. They were on the ice for a goal for and against. Nilsson didn't register a shot though. Gagner was sharp for most of the game and Kotalik scored a nice one.)

Pouliot Cogliano Pisani (Played pretty good. They didn't get worked over often. Pouliot was a non factor. Cogliano is starting to work well with Pisani. Pisani had 3 shots.)

Moreau Brodziak Penner (Another great game by this line. They are really gelling lately. Plus Penner has been good on the PP and Moreau is playing smart hockey. No penalties.)

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Souray Staios (Not the greatest night for this pair but not all that bad either. Staios was -3. While Souray took a ton of shots.)

Grebeshkov Gilbert (A pretty average game for this pairing. Gilbert had 4 blocked shots and Grebs had a goal and 3 shots. He did have 3 giveaways and that's not good.)

Strudwick Smid (They were good. Strudwick played somewhat smart hockey. Smid seemed to really play above average tonight.)

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Roloson (The MVP was stellar once again (except for a few seconds). The team would be a lot worse without Roli.)

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FINAL SCORE

Detroit Red Wings -3
Edmonton Oilers - 2

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BEERS

Dwayne Roloson - Roli was fantastic for 55 minutes. Then he had a strange goal beat him to tie the game. But regardless, Roli was good just like any other game in the last while. His lateral movement was working well. He was pelted with 44 shots and tried his ass off to win this game on his own. But the team came up short. So for another fine effort... Have a frosty Roli. Cheers!
-
Ales Hemsky - After the statement I was expecting a standout game from Hemmer. He kind of delivered. He did manage one assist and had 2 shots. But he was also -2 at the end of the night. He did display some razzle dazzle that we have not seen in weeks, maybe months. He showed a confidence with the puck that we haven't seen in some time. He hustled, he didn't give up. He had a fairly strong game. That was Hemsky trying to be somebody. That wasn't MacT doing anything different. That was just Hemmer being good. Like I have said before, "Leadership is action... Not position" What we seen tonight was action. Not position. Heineken? Cheers!

Patrick O'Sullivan - I really liked his game today. He played like he is adjusting to this team and his teammates. I love how he shoots from all over the place. He had 2 shots tonight and they were from good area's to shoot from. It's just too bad that he ended up -2. I personally thought that he had a good game. Have a cold one with me Sully. Cheers!

Honorable Mention - Dustin Penner (The Fridge had a good game. He created that 1st goal by drawing two guys to him then he passed it off to Hemsky who passed to Grebs.), Ales Kotalik (Scored a nice goal to bring it back to 3-2.), Andrew Cogliano (He played solid. Bad on faceoffs but played solid.), Ladislav Smid (The Spaz had 4 blocked shots and 2 shots. His defensive game was good too.)

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JEERS

Denis Grebeshkov - I'm on the fence with him tonight. On one hand he scored the Oilers 1st goal. He played pretty good with an average of 1:01of ice time, but he ended up with 3 giveaways on the night. That's just too many for me to ignore. For that alone, here's a little one... Booo!

Steve Staios - Staios has good games and bad one's. Well he was not so good with a bad -3 rating. That just can't happen when you are on the #1 pairing. Maybe all the ice time is wearing him down? Maybe Smid should get a chance with Souray? So for the -3 tonight and a so so game... Booooooooo!

The Entire Team - For losing a game that was attainable... Boooooooooooooooo!
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Well that was the one that got away. We had it in our palms and poof! Gone in 60 seconds.

Next game is Thursday against the Coyotes. A must, must win. See you all then.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Beers and Jeers #48 (Mar 22/09 vs. Minnesota Wild)



Well here we are, playing the Wild and it's a Sunday afternoon. The Oilers have been on a roll and we should expect them to continue that trend today. Steve MacIntyre will replace Liam Reddox tonight on the 3rd line. Boogaard vs. Big Mac tonight? And while in being informative, Gaborik will return to the Wild line up after missing quite a bit of time (Dec 3???).

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1st Period

The Oilers come out flying to start the game. Nilsson gets a nice breakaway chance but gets denied. O'Sullivan rings one of the post a short while later. Wow! Oilers get a PP chance now. Right at the end of it Kotalik hauls down a Koivu (?) and no call. The crowd goes wild. Lucky for the Oilers there. Good pace to the game but the Oilers need to cut out the giveaways. It's going to bite them in the ass. Fritsche nails Smid and takes a penalty for his trouble. Boogaard and Big Mac are out there for that but it's just some talking. No punching. The Wild kill that penalty off and not much happens for the rest of the period. The Oilers have 15 shots and 9 scoring chances after the 1st. The Wild have 2 shots and 3 scoring chances. Oilers were 0 for 3 on the PP.

2nd Period

Minny starts the 2nd on fire. In the first minute and a half the Wild have taken 5 shots. They had 2 all last period. The Oilers better beware. Big John Scott hits Moreau and Moreau gets injured. No word on what it is. The Wild really are keeping the pressure on the Oil. Aww... Hemsky takes a holding penalty at 3:40. The Oilers manage to kill it off and look ok doing it. Souray slams Gaborik's stick and it breaks and that becomes a penalty. I hate that rule. In the old days when there was wood sticks, that was a valid penalty. Anything breaks those sticks now. So now it's a 5 on 3 for 1:25. Horcoff seems to get into a "conversation" with Koivu. I wonder what was said? The Oilers do a great job and kill off those penalties. Let's Go Oilers! This period definitely has been all Minnesota. The Oilers need to pick it up. At 13:40, Staios nails Gaborik and goes and sits for 2:00. Or does he? The Wild score at 14:26 to end the PP. Damn you Owen Nolan! Boooooooo! 1-0 Wild. Now it's the Oilers turn to get a PP. But the Oilers can't convert once again. Nilsson sure has had some crazy passes today. He needs to play with a little more control. I'm not really liking his game today. So much for Roli being bored after all. After 2 shots in the 1st, he was peppered with 23 in the 2nd. However the Oilers were buzzing at the end of the 2nd and that gives me some hope for the 3rd.
3rd Period

The first 3 minutes was all Oilers. 27, 51, 33, 44, 24 had a great shift and held the Wild in there own zone the whole time. Great work by Penner and Brodziak as they did the bulk of the work. Aww... Booooooo! The Wild score again at 4:19. 2-0 Wild. That was against the 2nd line. Big Mac is sure seeing more ice early in this 3rd period. Yeah! Hemsky hits Clutterbuck. But no fight yet in this game. It's a little strange for sure. The Wild take another penalty and give the Oilers some life. Well they take it back and manage to kill the penalty off. Owen Nolan sure is trying for the hat trick. Another old guy playing younger than he is. Awww... son of a... Gilbert tries to pass it cross ice in front of Roli but it hits Gagner in the foot and re-deflects into the net at 12:43. *hands in the air* 3-0 Wild. WTF?!? Just not the Oilers day. As the time winds down, the Wild just seem to be sucking the life out of this game. Awww... Game Over! Boooooooooooo!

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

Tonight's Starting Lines

O'Sullivan Horcoff Hemsky
Nilsson Gagner Kotalik
MacIntyre Cogliano Pisani
Moreau Brodziak Penner
-----------
Souray Staios
Grebeshkov Gilbert
Smid Strudwick
-----------
Roloson

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

FINAL SCORE

Edmonton Oilers - 0
Minnesota Wild - 3

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

BEERS

No Oiler really deserves a beer tonight. But a few were close. Dwayne Roloson did a fine job but wasn't at Beer form. I can fully expect him to rebound next game. Tom Gilbert played a pretty good 1st half of the game but finished -2. Dustin Penner also played pretty good but couldn't get anything done on the scoresheet. Ales Hemsky fired a ton of shots. But he didn't score. Everyone else was average or below average.

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

JEERS

The Entire Team - That was one heck of a blah game by you guys. That was sad. You had the game in your hands in the 1st and you let the Wild take over in the 2nd. Then you still had a chance in the 3rd and you failed to capitalize on that as well. That was a waste of time to watch. ~Thanks for the memories.~ Booooooooooooooooo!

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

Well that sucked. It's like this remote controlled helicopter that I bought. It's cool for a while but then the novelty wears off because the battery dies and you then sit around waiting for it to get recharged. Because recharging it makes it cool again. The Oilers always seem to poop the bed every few games. So was I surprised? No. Disappointed? Yes. I just hope that we can win next game. What? Oh crap. It's against Detroit on Tuesday back at Rexall. See you all then. *fingers crossed*

Saturday, March 21, 2009

What I Want in a Captain


For those of you that didn't like my comments about Ethan Moreau fighting with a visor should read this story about Sidney Crosby. This is great!




Here is the quote;

"Rumor has it that last night Savard challenged el Sid to a fight, but Savard wouldn't drop them as long as Sid had a visor on. Supposedly Sid went to the bench and unscrewed it from his helmet. Savard did nothing afterwards. Not sure if it's true (as this was told by a buddy of mine who works for the Pens) but it makes an interesting story if it is." -- Eric from Pa.
The incident referenced above between
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and Boston Bruins star center Marc Savard is now the stuff of hockey folklore. We've received about three dozen variations of this e-mail since the Penguins' 6-4 victory over the Bruins last Sunday.
The basic premise is the same: Savard challenged Crosby and talked smack about his visor; Crosby had it removed on the Penguins bench; and when he reengaged with Savard, the Bruins player didn't back up his words. Bangin Panger had, perhaps, the first and most complete telling of the tale, even if the Chuck Norris-level of toughness that would have been Crosby unscrewing his own visor for a fight was later reconsidered as inaccurate.
Now, Crosby isn't exactly known as a model of physical intimidation: His two altercations this season involved
jumping a guy after a face-off and punching another player in a sensitive area from behind. That history begged the question: Did this situation with Savard really happen?
The mainstream media in Boston and Pittsburgh didn't pursue the story for days, leaving some lingering doubt. That was until
Chris Kunitz, Crosby's linemate with the Penguins, went on Mark Madden's radio show on WXDX in Pittsburgh this week (.mp3) and was asked why Crosby removed his visor:
"I hear him and one of the other Boston players had some words after one of their goals, and then came back to the bench ... I didn't know whatever happened, if it was scratched or whatever. But I noticed the next shift he had it off and was letting the other player know he wasn't intimidated. I guess the guy made some kind of remark, and Sid went and took it off, and maybe challenged the guy a little. Obviously nothing had come about it, but obviously you see the heart and the grit that Sid has ..."
Yesterday on his blog, Madden added further clarity with a literal blow-by-blow of the Crosby/Savard Fight That Wasn't.

Madden said Crosby claimed he had a scratch on his visor, saying it with a broad smile. Here's how Madden claims things went down on Sunday:
Bruins center Marc Savard taunted Crosby after a Boston goal, and the taunting continued until both players neared their benches. Crosby challenged Savard to fight, and Savard responded: "Take off that [sissy] shield, and I'll be glad to."
So Crosby handed his helmet to equipment manager Dana Heinze and told him to remove the visor. Crosby took the ice for his next shift sans shield but Savard backed down, thereby looking like the [sissy] he accused Crosby of being.
Score one for Sid in the mind games department and cue a verbal beatdown for Savard, who took a brutal aural blistering from the Penguins bench throughout the rest of the afternoon (and no doubt lost a little respect in the eyes of his teammates when his bluff got called).
Madden writes that Crosby had the visor reattached during the first intermission.
Sure enough, Crosby was wearing the visor again when the Penguins scored an empty net goal to clinch the game."


That is freaking awesome. This brought up my respect level for Sid the Kid up to a whole new level. This is the kind of a captain that the Oilers need. Simply awesome...


And I apologize that this isn't 100% Oilers related. I just needed to share this.

Beers and Jeers #47 (Mar 20/09 vs. Chicago Black Hawks)




Well folks last night was a gooder. A 8-1 stomping of the Avs. It was sweet. Then this morning I received a message from the Oilers on Twitter, (yes the Jambalaya is now on Twitter) and it said that the Oilers didn't skate today. I'm hoping that that wasn't a bad decision.

It seems like MacT is going to roll with the same lines again today. And Roli was a last minute decision.

The good people of the OilersNation are whooping up tonight down at Hudson's on Bourbon Street. I'm sure that the party is good and I hope they raise some good money for Kids with Cancer. One of these days I'm going to have to make it to Edmonton to attend one of those Nation parties. I need to get some shirts.

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

1st Period

Well the game gets underway and the Oilers seem to be clogging up the neutral zone. Is this the trap? MacT you crazy man you. Well the PP gets to work early. 89,27,83,44,37 are out there for the Oilers. Penner scores! Yeah! 1-0 Oilers. (Penner from Grebeshkov and Hemsky at 3:12) Nice start boys. A short while later at 7:41, the Hawks do score. Boooo! 1-1 Tie Game. Then the dreaded 3rd line of 13, 34, 85 are out for the Oilers. Cogliano scores are another Oiler goal. Yeah! 2-1 Oilers. (Cogliano from Reddox and Pisani at 10:07) Well here we are in maybe another goal fest for the Oilers? Let's hope so. Last night was fun. For the last 10 minutes of the 1st, the Hawks are killing the Oilers. Come on guys... The 2nd line gets stuck in their own end and Grebs takes a holding penalty shortly after. But the Oilers do kill it off. With 1:30 left in the period the Hawks score. Damn. 2-2 Tie Game.
2nd Period

Good flow to start the 2nd. This game is really picking up the speed. Nilsson gets rocked near center ice with his head down by Campbell. Ouch! The 4th line comes out and starts rockin' it up. Ethan Moreau scores! Yeah! 3-2 Oilers. (Moreau from Penner from Brodziak at 6:03.) This is how the "good" teams become "great". Secondary scoring. In this case, 3rd and 4th 'dary' scoring. Awesome! Oh no. Smid was chasing down Havlat and clipped Roli and he goes down. It takes Roli quite a while to get up and ready to go again. But he will continue. Somehow on that play, Gagner takes an interference on the goalie penalty. Not sure where or when??? But the Oil kill it off. But the Hawks score again to tie it up. Boooooo! 3-3 Tie Game. An Oiler and a Hawk take penalties back to back and that makes a 4 on 4 situation. Just as Nilsson is rounding the ice behind his own net he spots Gagner at the other blue line. Bam! He fires a hard long pass to Gags. He busts in and shakes off a Hawk player and scores. Yeah! 4-3 Oilers. (Gagner from Nilsson and Roloson at 18:19) Great period by both teams. This sure has been fun to watch.

3rd Period

To start the period, O'Sullivan takes a slashing penalty. But the Oilers manage kill it off. With the 2nd line out, the Hawks score to tie it up. Again. Booooo! 4-4 Tie Game. Shortly after that Reddox gets hammered with what looked to me like a cheap shot to the head. This is the reason why we need Stortini in the lineup. Of course it goes unnoticed and without a penalty. The pace of the game really picks up now. LET'S GO OILERS!!! Staios hooks Toews and he is awarded a penalty shot. But Roli comes up huge again and the game is still tied. With 7:00 minutes left, the action is fierce. End to end action. So much for the trap. MacT seems to be going with 2nd line, 1st line, 4th line, 2nd line, 1st line, 4th line. What is the 3rd line chopped liver? **Reddox is out** Right at the end of the period, Gilbert gets hammered into the Oilers net and Seabrook takes a penalty. The Oilers will have about 1:40 of PP time in the OT.

Overtime

Well the Oilers send out 83, 27, 44 and 21. They have great passing and a few shots but don't manage to score. The overtime is very exciting but neither team scores. MacT sends out 10 & 34, 89 & 19, 12 & 13. This game is off to a shootout.

Shootout
O'Sullivan - scores glove high.

Kotalik - scores low glove. With that goal the Oilers WIN!!!

Gagner - no shot

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

Tonight's Starting Lines

O'Sullivan Horcoff Hemsky (The 1st line was good for most of the game. I expected them to be clicking by now but maybe we need to be a little more patient. O'Sullivan looked good. His speed and his willingness to shoot from anywhere is a huge bonus for Hemsky. Hemsky looked ok. He still isn't like the same Hemmer from the 1st half of the season. But he's coming around. Horcoff was average. He did way better on the faceoffs this game. But this line wasn't really a game changer and the Oilers need them to be.)

Nilsson Gagner Kotalik (I am starting to like this line. Except they kind of suck in their own end. A few times tonight they were struggling to keep their head above water. But when they get out they are really dangerous. Nilsson seems to be on a roll since the press box sitting. Gagner had a good game. But 0 for 8 on the faceoff dot sucks. He tries like mad, but couldn't do anything there. Kotalik played well. He isn't looking as slow to me as he did the 1st few games. He does make Gagner look fast though.)

Reddox Cogliano Pisani (MacT treats this line like it's the 4th line. They saw limited ice in the last half of the 3rd (mostly because Reddox was hurt). But Cogs and Pisani saw the ice in OT. Reddox played ok. He played just under 6:00 and picks up an assist. Cogliano scores a nice one and ends the game with 4 shots. He also stunk it up on the faceoff dot (25%). Pisani has flashes of the old Pisnai. Then he goes back to average Pisnai. Tonight we seen both.)

Moreau Brodziak Penner (I really like this line. They play tough, yet they can move the puck. Moreau has played two good games in a row. Good on him. 3 shots and a goal is a nice way to help the team win. You don't need to try too hard in order to play well. Brodziak also played well. He does what is asked of him and tries his best. He was out for a lot of faceoffs tonight. Penner had another strong game. Keep this guy on this line. He seems to be a better player on the 4th line. He has a two point night and a couple of hits. He was great.)

Souray Staios (I don't mind this pairing. Souray is one of my faves this year. He plays like he wants to win every game. He always seems to show up. Staios has had a few good games lately. Tonight was another one. I had him written off at the beginning of the year, but he sure is making me change my mind.)

Grebeshkov Gilbert (I thought that this pairing was good as well. Grebs was played pretty good. The mistakes he did do, didn't really cost the Oilers that much. Gilbert played well. He
played over 23 minutes and blocked 3 shots. He had one slight hiccup but whatever, he has been good lately.)

Strudwick Smid (I don't like this pair at all. Smid is good. I like his game. Nothing wrong with him. It's Strudwick that freaks me out. I wish we had an answer for that. Peckham? They are about equal. IMO. But MacT loves Struds.)

Roloson (Roli was good. I am really liking the cut of his jib. He has showed that he is a pro and he comes to play. He rarely takes a night off and tonight wasn't one of them. Good game Roli!)

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

FINAL SCORE

Edmonton Oilers - 5
Chicago Black Hawks - 4

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

BEERS
Dwayne Roloson - Roli was rock solid again for the Oilers. Sure he had a few not so great moments, but was otherwise fantastic. The guy faced 43 shots. That's 39 saves. At first I thought that JDD was finaly going to start. But once again MacT makes the right decision. *ducks for cover* For a heck of a game Roli, you deserve a frosty. Cheers!

Sheldon Souray - I really like what he brings to this team. IMO He should be the Captain. He plays his butt off every game and is chnaging his game to make himself more effective. And it's working. 28:56 of ice time and he blasted 5 shots at the net. I think he deserves a nice cold one. Cheers!

Dustin Penner - The big guy was good toight. Maybe the 4th line mentallity is giving him the advantage of less pressure to perform? What ever it is I like it. He has played his best games as an Oiler lately playing with Brodz and Chopper. A goal and an assist tonight to lead the team. Good on you Penner. The big guy wants a Big Bear in a Brown Paper Bag? Cheers!
The Entire Team - Two huge games in a row. KEGGER!!!

Honorable Mention - Patrick O'Sullivan (scores a nice SO goal and plays a pretty decent game.) Sam Gagner (He continues his points streak by scoring again this game.) Ales Kotalik (He scores another SO goal. Plus he seems to be fitting in with Gagner)

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JEERS

No one player really deseveres a boo. Am I wrong?

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Well that was a great 4 point two nights. All very quick and exciting. A good two days for Oiler Hockey. The next game is Sunady at 1:00 in the afternoon against the Wild. Big Mac or Stortini should draw in for that game. See you all then...

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Beers and Jeers #46 (Mar 19/09 vs. Colorado Avalanche)


Well folks, I am very excited for this game. I am hoping for a 2 point night. Let's go Oilers!


As far as I have heard (lately) MacT is going with the same line's as last game. I really thought that Stortini would draw in for Reddox. It only makes sense. Right? Anyone? The Avs will play Laperriere so who do we have?


Why is it that MacT always rolls with the 4th line after an Oiler goal? The other team is pissed and want nothing more than to score on us and we send out the 4th line? Really? Oh well...


Let's Go Oilers!


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

1st Period

The man that has been in my bad books scores the 1st goal of the game. Yeah! 1-0 Oilers. (Moreau from Brodziak and Penner at 4:02) Good start by Chopper. We needed that. But the Avs storm back and score one of their own against the Oilers 1st line. Damn! 1-1 Tie Game. Ryan Smyth takes a penalty and Horcoff pots one in the net. Yeah! 2-1 Oilers. (Horcoff from O'Sullivan and Gilbert at 9:38) Alright. A PP goal. I quite like that new 2nd PP unit of 10/19/12/21/77. Great period so far by the Oilers. The period ends with the Oilers out shooting the Avs 12-7. Yeah!!!

2nd Period

The 2nd started out looking good for the Oilers but they couldn't really muster much. Colorado was winning this period in the 1st half. But the Oilers started to maintain some momentum and started to really get going. All the lines look good tonight except for Strudwick/Smid. Struds may be tired. Maybe Peckham should have been given a chance. Out of nowhere Pisani pops one in the net. Yeah! 3-1 Oilers. (Pisani from Reddox and Gilbert at 14:35) Way to go boys. A minute later Gagner scores. YEAH!!! 4-1 Oilers. (Gagner from Nilsson and Kotalik at 15:39) *That was Ales Kotalik's 1st point as an Oiler* Holy crap. So this is what it feels like to be on the other side of the fence. Yeah! You can see the team relax after that goal. That period started out not looking good but ended up fantastic. 16-11 were the shots after the 2nd in favor of the Oilers.

3rd Period

All we have to do is hold them off and it's an easy 2 points. Well the Kotalik/Gagner show is in full swing in the 3rd as well. Kotalik scores. Yeah!!! 5-1 Oilers. (Kotalik from Gagner and Nilsson at 9:22) The flood gates are open now. With one of the Avs players in the box, the Oilers have another PP. Gagner scores now. Yeah!!! 6-1 Oilers. (Gagner from Kotalik and Souray at 12:31) This game is all Oilers now. I feel bad for the Avalanche fans because we have been there. Lots. With just under 5 minutes to go, Souray fires a bomb and scores. Yeah! 7-1 Oilers. (Souray from Staios and Penner at 16:43) He didn't even look like he was trying. But it went in anyways. Holy crap. Gagner scores a hat trick. Alright! Yeah! 8-1 Oilers. (Gagner from Nilsson and Kotalik at 17:20) Well that was fun to see all the goals. All the lines looked good. It was nice to be happy. :)



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

Tonight's Starting Lines

O'Sullivan Horcoff Hemsky (This wasn't the Oilers best line. It wasn't the worst either. O'Sullivan wasn't quite as sharp as last game but still looked good with Hemsky. Horcoff was ok. 3 shots and 2 giveaways. Shots good. Giveaways bad. Hemsky wasn't all that flashy either. But he needs to be the #1 guy.)
Nilsson Gagner Kotalik (This line was on fire. They were our #1 line tonight. Kotalik and Gagner have really seemed to hit it off. Nilsson was ok. He really didn't have many mistakes and played a simple game. It worked for him as he earned 3 assists. Gagner scores a hat trick and gets an assist. It really seems to me that he is going to take Horcoff's spot sooner than later as the #1 center. Kotalik had a goal and 3 assists. Nice way to get your 1st points as an Oiler. He seemed to match the style that Gagner plays. I hope it works out for the both of them.)

Reddox Cogliano Pisani (They played an ok game. It appeared to me that MacT was using them more as a 4th line rather than a 3rd line. Reddox was ok. He gets one assist and registers nothing on the stat sheet. Is that even possible after playing 13:18? Cogliano was ok. He did what he could with only playing 10:49. He seemed to be the MacT whipping boy tonight. Not sure it was deserved. Pisani scores and takes 2 shots. Glad to see him score.)

Moreau Brodziak Penner (I actually like this line. I wish it was the 3rd line. Penner played very good. He seemed like he wanted to do something out there. He showed some will out there. That was nice to see. Brodziak played another Brodz type game. He was good at what he does. Moreau has been in my bad books for a whle. But he played a real good game tonight. He scores a huge goal to start the game off. He plays a whole game without doing something dumb. He played like we all expect him to play every game. Good.)

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

FINAL SCORE

Edmonton Oilers - 8
Colorado Avalanche -1
--------------

BEERS

Sam Gagner - The little dude had a 4 point night. He played like a 1st line center. He played like he wants to be in the playoffs. In my books that is worth a beer. Enjoy a frosty Gags. Cheers!

Ales Kotalik - Tonight he played like he belonged here. He showed some oomph. His vision for Gags was sick. Cole who??? JK Great game tonight Kotalik. Enjoy your 1st OJ Beer. Cheers!

Robert Nilsson - He rode the train we call Gagner and was able to play smart hockey. His passing was on the money and his plays were good. A Bud for Bobby? Cheers!

Honorable Mention - Dustin Penner (I liked his game. He played like a big guy. What? He is?), Ethan Moreau (Chopper was able to play a smart game as well. He scores a huge goal in the 1st.), Sheldon Souray (Our un-officail captain was solid. A goal and an assist and 3 takeaways.) Denis Grebeshkov (The man was good again. 24:41 of ice time to lead the Oilers.)

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

JEERS

There are none. We won 8-1.

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

That was a fun game to watch. I was surprised to see an outcome like that. Like I said, it is nice to be on the other side of the fence. 8-1 Yeah!!!

See you all tomorow when the Oilers take on the Chicago Blackhawks on Oilers PPV.

Let's Go Oilers!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Beers and Jeers #45 (Mar 17/09 vs. St. Louis Blues)


Thanks to Telus, the internet in my area was down last night just as the game was starting. I know... another excuse. But seriously, the Telus internet is good but it keeps cutting out every once in awhile. It's driving me crazy.

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Hello folks. Happy St. Patricks Day!!! Before this game starts the Oilers are sitting in 9th. I'm sure it will change a bit tonight. Hope it's up for us.

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There has been some changes in the lines and we shall see if they pan out. Mr. Irish, Patrick O'Sullivan is now playing with Horcoff and Hemsky. I don't mind this at all. He is a shooter.

Kotalik will be with Gagner and Nilsson. I actually feel bad for Gagner. Nilsson has been not helping him at all all year. Can't imagine that Kotalik will help much either. So, why did we pick him up?

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

Tonight's Starting Lines

O'Sullivan Horcoff Hemsky

Nilsson Gagner Kotalik

Reddox Cogliano Pisani

Moreau Brodziak Penner

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

FINAL SCORE

St. Louis Blues - 1

Edmonton Oilers -2

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

BEERS

Dwayne Roloson - Roli the goalie came through once again. He was almost caught a few times (like the play where he was at the top of the circle). But he did what he does best. He stopped pucks. The guy is unbelievable. Frosty beer Roli? Cheers!

Patrick O'Sullivan - Sully was great on that 1st line. He seems like a fit for Hemsky. Thank god. He had a few great chances and was creating his own. At times though, he and Hemsky looked out of sync. But I'm sure that after a few games they will be rollin'. Have a frosty green mug o' beer Sully. Cheers!

Denis Grebeshkov - This guy has really became a fantastic player. He has made a believer out of me. I really hope the Oilers can retain this guy in the off season. He is slowly becoming one of my faves. He picks up an assist on the PP goal in the 1st and he led the team in hits with 3. All in all he was superb. Have a beer on me Grebs. Cheers!

Honorable Mention Sam Gagner (The little dude was good today. He even had a good day on the faceoff dot. 71%) Sheldon Souray (He was playing with an edge and I liked it. He scores a huge goal and unloads lots of bombs.) Tom Gilbert (5 blocked shots. Nice.) Ales Hemsky (He played good and seemed interested in playing tonight. Hope to see more of that.)

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

JEERS

Ethan Moreau - I have two reasons why he gets a boo. First, now that you wear a visor that is fairly large and covers a lot of your face. You either can't fight anymore or you have to show respect and take off the helmet. I thought that it was cool to stick up for Hemmer but puching a guy while your face is covered made me boo you right then and there. Second, the penalty in the 3rd. What the hell man? Again. *hands in the air like I just don't care* Need New Captain. (NNC) Boooooooo!

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Well folks, let's hope the next Beers and Jeers goes smooth so I'm not making any excuses about where it is. So please... no more hate mail. jk

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Beers and Jeers #44 (Feb 14/09 vs. Colorado Avalanche)


Happy 43rd Birthday to my Sister Wendy!!!

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Congratulations to my two Cousins (Dan and Mike) and my Uncle who won the Coy Cup in BC with the Williams Lake Stampeders. They played great and deserved to win the Championship. Yay! Here is video link. CLICK HERE

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Well here we are in the middle of March and the Oilers are sitting in 7th. Still... edit @ 9:51 pm :Dallas wins in OT. Oilers are now in 8th. I hear that MacT is changing up the lines tonight. I wonder for how long?

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

1st Period
Good pace to start the period off. The Oilers are flying early. The 2nd line has a good rush and with a little bit of luck they score. Yeah! 1-0 Oilers (Nilsson unassisted at 3:09) Shortly after the goal at 6:34, Peckham drops the gloves with Colorado's Stewart. Good tilt for both guys. A lot of good punches thrown. Hemsky has had a few good chances early in this game. He is really on the ball tonight. Gagner is also looking sharp. Pisani takes a penalty at 13:19 and Colorado scores on the PP at 15:02. Crap. 1-1 Tie Game. Come on Oilers. Pretty good period for the Oil. It could have been 3-1 Oilers. But it's not. We shall see what happens in the 2nd.

2nd Period

Well it's all Colorado in the 1st half of this period. The Oilers didn't carry any of the momentum that they had in the 1st. At 8:59, Pisani sits again for 2:00 minutes. Luckily enough the Avs don't score. The Oilers really need to get going here. Stastny takes a penalty at 14:47 and the Oilers have the chance that they were looking for. Good puck movement but no goals. At the end of the period the shots are 17-12 for the Avs. Let's go Oilers!!!

3rd Period

This is a period where I hope that the real Oilers show up. It seems as if MacT has switched things around. Here are the new lines (19 89 83, 27 10 34, 12 13 78, 18 51 21) I think?!? Let's see how this plays out. Well Souray takes a brutal penalty and wouldn't you know it. The Avs score on the PP. 2-1 Colorado. Damn! The Oilers are not making a lot of clean passes. It's going to bite them in the butt if they are not careful. At 11:02 the Avs take a penalty. The Oilers have 19 89 83 44 37 out. They do a real good job at moving the puck around but can not score. Damn guys. The crowd is starting to get impatient and frankly, so am I. The Oilers need more shots. Way more shots. 22 (Avs), 15 (Oil) is not good enough. **As of right now the Oilers have been bumped down to 9th in the standings.** The OILERS SCORE!!! Sheldon Souray. Yes! 2-2 Tie Game. (Souray from Brodziak and Staios at 14:40) Awwww... Penner high sticks a guy and sits for two at 14:50. But the Oilers kill it off and apply some pressure to the Avs. The crowd is chanting "Let's Go Oilers!". With a buck forty left, the Avs call a time out.

Overtime

Well he we go again. The Oilers playing in an overtime? No way! 10 and 34 start out for the Oilers. Out comes 83 and 19. And just like that. The Avs score and it's over. Good lord boys. *shakes head* It's always five hole on Roli. 3-2 Colorado. Final shots. 30-20 for the Avs.
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Tonight's Starting Lines

Kotalik Horcoff Hemsky
Nilsson Gagner Pouliot
O'Sullivan Cogliano Pisani
Moreau Brodziak Penner
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FINAL SCORE


Colorado Avalanche - 3

Edmonton Oilers - 2

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BEERS

Sam Gagner - Gags was playing bigger than he is tonight. Well sort of. He still gets knocked down but he was playing huge. His vision and awareness has been really sharp these last few games. It's just to bad Cole's not here to enjoy it. For a pretty good game tonight you deserve a frosty. Cheers!

Shawn Horcoff - Horc was pretty crafty tonight. He was hard working and creative but couldn't manage any points. But for him trying hard and not really looking bad, he can have a frosty mug o' beer. Cheers!

Sheldon Souray - Other than the untimely penalty in the 3rd he was great. He was blocking shots (5) and firing pucks (5) and scores the tying goal in the 3rd. He even showed his nasty side a few times. Good game tonight Shelly. Beer? Cheers!

Honorable Mention - Denis Grebeshkov (he blocked a few shots and played pretty good.), Dwayne Roloson (Roli faced a lot of shots again. He really is the MVP of this team. Maybe he should be the captain?), Patrick O'Sullivan (The speedy new guy was pretty good. I liked his game tonight)

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JEERS

The Entire Team - Just for losing another game. Boooooooo!

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Well that was an ok game. We did manage the overtime point, but it wasn't the 2 that was needed. After this game is over the Oilers are back up to 8th. Let's hope the Oilers can actually pull out a win next time. Maybe they should start a 2 points handshake or find a new song or something? Let's Go Oilers!!!

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