Alex Plante Recalled To The Oilers

Plante is on his way to join the Oilers in Edmonton after being recalled earlier today. Sounds like Andy Sutton will be suspended for a few games (5?) and that's why there has been a recall.

I'm a little surprised that he's the choice. Is this his last kick at the can? Is he doing more for the Barons than I know? I just don't get this call up.

Me personally, I would have recalled Colten Teubert.

-WRITTEN BY SMOKIN' RAY-

Game Day "Blues"

Here we go again. Only question for me, 'when will we see a outburst of goals?' This team is learning to win by keeping with the systems play, working hard and relying tough on the goalies. Let's hope the young guns find that early chemistry that was not as evident against Colorado. (In all fairness, I am sure they were dog tired against the Avalance)

Hearing Petry should be back in the lineup, which will help in moving the puck up, but Peckham will need to play better and more reliable if this is not going to become another scramblefest on defence. If anything, this game is going to be a good indicator of exactly where it looks like this team is going. They will be on the road trip from hell real soon, thanks to the rodeo coming to town, so every win at home becomes vitally important. Seeing the team even winning more at home is a great sign of development, not to mention great for fans who pay to see the team live.

My predictions for tonight's game at Rexall Place. Gametime 6:00pm CHED630am/Sportsnet-West

REV'S Edmonton Oiler

Gameday Predictions Oct 30th/11

1. Someone from the line of Hall/RNH/Eberle will net another goal tonight. You know the saying "Can't keep a good man down!"
2. The Oilers will be walking away from this game with another W in their stats.
3. After a tough last game on FO, I fully expect Belanger and Horcoff to recover from their poor FO % and both post a min of 50%
4. With Smyth on the prowl looking to have a career year, I expect to see him gain yet another point in what is fast becoming a NORMAL thing to see each game.
5. Potter will be at 20 mins or more playing time again tonight with the changes on the blueline happening.

(EV'S PREDICTIONS TO DATE: 15 FOR 30)
two games in a row Belanger failed to produce in the FO dot. All I am asking is for 50%, is that really bad? Had the amount of penalties right but predicted winning goal on PP and was wrong. Also could not believe the little amount of time Paajarvi was played. Looking at my batting average of 50% now, I seem to be about as good lately at predictions as the Oilers are at FO's.

As the great Ed Whalen used to say "In the meantime and in between time, that's it, for another edition of...REV'S PREDICTION" (bolded words are not Whalen's words)

For continued information on Oiler and Baron news and 2012/13 NHL draft watch, you can follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/revingev

OILERS 'Rant & Rave" Oct 29th/11

Ok, normally I am a very positive, see the glass half full kind of person. However as each game passes and I see different things taking place, I have come to the conclusion, I should probably balance that out, not only with rave reviews but also some rants. Why? Because I am probably not alone on some of these things I want to rant on about or rave about. So I thought to myself , 'Self, why not write a blog on your Rant and your Rave?' So that is how this blog of mine has transpired. Granted I will have some of your disagreeing with me on either, but I am fine with that. That's what makes sports so exciting. We don't have to agree to have a opinion.

Because I like to have a feel good ending to most my posts I blog on, I am going to start with my 'Rants' and then end with my 'Raves'

RANT

Granted the Oilers are winning games but in doing so, there are some trends that I am seeing that has me cautious about long term success. Being outshot and still winning games when you have little puck possession time is not a good thing to be excited about. Yes, to win a game here or there is a great example of teamwork, dedication and heart. What it is not though, is sustainable. No team in the history of the NHL has ever had a winning season by winning games like the Oilers have won a few this year. Win a couple here or there like this, great. Eventually it will come to catch you and nip you in the backside.

Let's say for those who are ok with how ice time and zone starts are managed right now, we break this down a little. The young stars are being protected is what I am hearing and what I am seeing. We don't want to lose important faceoff draws at crucial moments of the game. We don't want to line match with the young guys like Nugent-Hopkins, Hall and Eberle so as not to expose them to failure. We want to bring them along slowly. I get all those reasons and understand the reasoning behind it all. At points I even agree with it. Heck, I am even excited about winning and being in 1st place in the Western Conference after 10 games, even if it will only be for one night.

Following the win over Colorado, I realized something. I wasn't excited and happy I watched that whole game. In fact, I felt somewhat ripped off, of the time I invested into my evening. Why, I started asking myself. Yes, parts of the game were exciting, but all in all, I was not that impressed and in no way feel like the Oilers are as good as a team as some are starting to think they are. I will say this one thing though. Renney is showing he is a good coach in the decisions he is making to win games for the Edmonton Oilers. If the whole goal of this season is to win games and get into the playoffs, then I believe what we are seeing could very possibly get us there. BUT if this season is about continued development, then it is starting to look like they might be going off the rails.

Looking at the ice time of the young stars of this team you can see, they were protected by the veterans like Horcoff and Smyth. I am fine for the most part, but not every single time there is pressure should we be playing the veterans on the ice. How else do these young players grow and learn? Maybe by watching you say? Granted that can help, but there is nothing like actually maybe playing the kids under pressure? RNH loses important faceoffs? Have you seen Horcoff on those IMPORTANT faceoffs? In fact on the PP he seems to lose the draw more often then not and then is on the ice for the remainder of the PP time with the young stars. The play is usually dying with him, not the kids. Belanger brought in to help with those all important faceoffs in the defensive zone right? Well when I watch and see, he loses more crucial draws then he wins. Like I said, I am fine with using them sometimes out there, but let the kids learn by experience. If RNH loses draws, he will have to work harder to win more. All great stars are that way. If a player is making mistakes I am fine with sitting them some of the game and playing the more responsible veteran but that is not what is happening. Our veterans make mistakes, yet dont have to sit?

Right now it is very noticeable the team is learning the systems play well. What does have to happen however, is allow them to be equally as creative on their own in the offensive zone as well. Development means giving the kids opportunities to succeed and fail. When they fail, sometimes it may mean a game in the press box or some time on the bench. They will learn, but being babied is not how these great young players will learn.

 

RAVE

Having said how frustrated I am with how much time the veterans are being put on the ice by Tom Renney, I want to state that I am pleasantly surprised how well our veterans players are doing. Props to Horcoff and Smyth as they truly are showing they are the veterans on this team. Smyth especially has impressed me not only with his relentless forechecking and backchecking but with ability to still put up some points.

Nice to see when Hall/RNH/Eberledefenceman were pushing up on the play. Also nice to see Smid continuing to show how valuable he is as a shot blocker on this team. The guy bleeds Oiler colours for sure. Would be a shame to see him leave should he ever be considered in a trade someday.

Goaltending has been superb! To be honest, I was not expecting Devan to have a game like the one we saw last night against the Avalance. He is showing such good promise and with Khabby pushing him even more this year, it has to be a boost to the rest of the team to feel confident in their goaltender should a mistake happen.

JORDON EBERLE

This guy has got to be one of the biggest steals the Oilers have found in the NHL draft in a long time. Not enough credit is given to the scouting on him. Remember he was drafted before his FAME with the world Jrs. Eberle is always mentioned in the untouchables yet few and far between find a gem this far in the draft. There are some, but don't forget the teams that passed him by, thinking he was too slow, maybe to small. I like what I am seeing from his game this year and how patient he is with the puck and without the puck.

That's all for today, but look to post a few more of these posts every once in awhile. Should be a good game tomorrow again. How do I know? They are playing at home, we get the benefit of line matching. Imagine, last year some of you thought Renney did not know the meaning of line matching. Cheers everybody!

For continued information on Oiler and Baron news and 2012/13 NHL draft watch, you can follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/revingev

Game Day "Avalance"

7 Days before the 2011 NHL Draft, I photo shopped this picture of RNH into a picture inside Rexall Place and added the Oiler emblem. Once that was completed I had this picture put onto the front of my white NHL draft shirt with Nugent-Hopkins name on the back and his number 93. Turned out I was right and the rest for me was history. It was no secret that I was a believer in this young hockey player's success this year and that he would not be returning to Jr. I had predicted he would get anywhere between 8-10 points in his first 9 games. No word on the official call from the Oilers brass, but who are we fooling? Nobody, that's right.

 Taylor Hall tweeted on the plane trip to Colorado

@hallsy04Taylor Hall

New equipment guy for the year

.

My guess? While there was no announcement made to us the fans, he has been told and Hall was teasing him about his new job for the YEAR. Like I said last blog, this team makes things so much nicer to follow, cause they are just being real. Living life as it should be, playing in the greatest sport to you and I in the world.

Now, with RNH receiving so much attention due to being a rookie this year, how about say we talk some about Hall and Eberle? Umm..nope! Going to save that for next game day post on Sunday. Exciting year in Oil Country, hold onto your hats! Or should I say 'get ready to throw some more hats this year?' Personally I am expecting a game real soon where not only our new 'Pipeline' is scoring but also the rest of the crew not named Ryan.

My predictions for tonight's game in Denver. Gametime 7:00pm CHED630am/Sportsnet-Edm

REV'S Edmonton Oiler

Gameday Predictions Oct 28th/11

1. RNH will once again post at least 1 more point to make it a point a game through now 10 games and officially kick off a incredible season. (unless he gets sat out, since they have not officially said he is staying up for the season..lol)
2. Dubynk will post the win fighting hard to keep pace with Habby his mentor.
3. Belanger should not have been schooled by the Capitals in the faceoff dot so will yet again predict him with yet another 57% or better % when the game is done.(don't let me down Eric, or that's two in a row)
4. A minimum of  8 penalty calls will come into play as the winning goal will be on a PP.
5. Paarjarvi See's at least 13 minutes of ice time this game. (here is hoping he gets a point as well).

(EV'S PREDICTIONS TO DATE: 14 FOR 25)
Can't believe Belanger only got 50% in faceoffs last game and Potter played less. Could have really brought up my %. I am  now batting 56% on my predictions but to be a true predictions guru I need to see that around the 75% mark.

As the great Ed Whalen used to say "In the meantime and in between time, that's it, for another edition of...REV'S PREDICTION" (bolded words are not Whalen's words)

For continued information on Oiler and Baron news and 2012/13 NHL draft watch, you can follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/revingev

Game Day "Capitals"

Tonight is a BIG night for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. According to this pic taken by Jordon Eberle, it looks like the 'Nuge' has put on some weight. What do you all expect? Everyone wanted him to weigh more, did they not? Well, looks like he did his best in the buffet line to do his part and make sure the other team's couldn't just push him around. (haha!) Ok, enough with the silly talk, we all know this pic was just another example of what we are loving about this team.

It's so fresh to see this youthfulness in display. There is nothing worse then that feeling that everything has to appear as perfect. I love to see the guys relaxing, enjoying their job of playing hockey and just being 'good ol boys playing hockey'.

(ie: Ryan Whitney ribbing Eberle on spelling)

ryanwhitney6Ryan Whitney

by ebs_14 Everyone give a warm welcome to the gap toothed Canadien world junior legend Jordan Eberle who finally gave in to twitter

followed by a response from Jordon Eberle

ebs_14Jordan Eberle

@ryanwhitney6 dude u chirp me and @hallsy04 about our hangman game and u can't even spell Canadian

Anyway, I love the fact we get to see the authenticity of this team. Real people who are hockey players with great skill playing the game in front of millions of viewers worldwide. So let's continue to enjoy this ride for all it's worth. These guys WILL have some bad nights but they also will have nights that will have you on the edge of your seat throughout most of the game. And if were lucky? Maybe standing in our seats come playoff time in a year or two?

 

My predictions for tonight's game at Rexall Place. Gametime 7:30pm CHED630am/TSN

REV'S Edmonton Oiler

Gameday Predictions Oct 27th/11

1. RNH will make the most of his 9 games and finish this game with at least 1 more point.
2. Hall will be a beast out there and be driving the puck so hard we should definitely look at a point from him as well.
3. Belanger will school the Capitals in the faceoff dot with yet another 57% or better % when the game is done.
4. The Oilers will slow the Capitals down tonight on offense to no more then a max of 3 goals allowed in regulation time. (Let's hope even less)
5. Potter will continue to play higher minutes and be above 23 minutes ice time tonight yet again.

(EV'S PREDICTIONS TO DATE: 11 FOR 20)
not bad. I am batting 55% on my predictions but to be a true predictions guru I need to see that around the 75% mark.

As the great Ed Whalen used to say "In the meantime and in between time, that's it, for another edition of...REV'S PREDICTION" (bolded words are not Whalen's words)

For continued information on Oiler and Baron news and 2012/13 NHL draft watch, you can follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/revingev

Game Day "Canucks"

 

As much as we want to make this game and next about the Oilers playing a team game and winning, is it not more about how well Ryan Nugent-Hopkins plays? As much as the Oilers try to take the spotlight off of RNH, it continues to shine and the question looms. Maybe 10% of people actually believe it is in the best Interest of Nugent-Hopkins to go back to Jr and maybe 10% that believe it is in the best interest of the Oilers to send him back to Jrs based on ELC. Bottom line? Does he continue to shine or does he start to find it harder getting to the open ice as these last two games play out? I tend to be the believer that he will be fine. Time will tell, and that time continues tonight at Rexall Place against the Vancouver Canucks.

 

Not sure how I am feeling about tonight's game against those hated rivals to the west. The difference between Vacouver and the other teams we have played is there potent offence. Tonight will be a true test to see where the Oilers are at in regards to goaltending and defence. In order to hold the Canucks to 2 goals or less will be a accomplishment worth bragging about. (besides , I need the Sedins shut down, so my hockey pool doesn't get hit as bad from those dreaded Sedin Sisters)

 

I expect a pretty good game will be taking place tonight, you won't want to miss this one. If you can not catch the game live, make sure to record it, or have a buddy do so, cause it will be a high speed game of thrills. (Are the hockey gods going to curse me and now have them play a slow and uninspiring game?)

 

 

My predictions for tonight's game at Rexall Place. Gametime 7:30pm CHED630am/Sportsnet-West

REV'S Edmonton Oiler

Gameday Predictions Oct 25th/11

1. The Oilers will create more chances tonight and the puck will find the back of the net more then usual (3 goals or more tonight)
2. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins knows his 9 games are closing in and will be near the top of his game tonight. RNH will at least be on the ice for 1 goal that is scored for the Oilers
3. Hall will be gunning for some goals tonight to break out of this funk he is in. (He is in a funk? Not really but he thinks he is) I expect to see Hall on the scoresheet once again tonight.
4. I expect to see a fight of some short tonight , let's just hope it's not another staged fight that the NHL has come to be known for
5. Belanger has been a beast in the faceoff dot. That won't change and he will be over 55% tonight again but against a much tougher team who does win faceoffs.

(EV'S PREDICTIONS TO DATE: 7 FOR 15)
Unfortunately I was unable to blog the last game day predictions for the Rangers game, however I was 5 for 5 on my predictions (haha!) Of course I can't prove it, so my % is still needing a comeback as I can not include that in my numbers. As long as the Oilers continue to win, no problem.

As the great Ed Whalen used to say "In the meantime and in between time, that's it, for another edition of...REV'S PREDICTION" (bolded words are not Whalen's words)

For continued information on Oiler and Baron news and 2012/13 NHL draft watch, you can follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/revingev

Oilers 2012 Draft Watch "Ryan Murray"

Today we examine the #3 ranked player from REVS 2012 Prospects List . Each player is unique in their own right and full of talent. The ranking does not reflect a mock draft of who a team may actually pick but rather who I would place as the best player available in that spot.

2.Ryan Murray

Pos: D
HT:6'1 ft
WT: 195 lbs
Born: White City, SK


Season:

2011-12	Everett Silvertips	Games 10	G 3	A 3	Pts 6
2010-11	Everett Silvertips	Games 70	G 6	A 40	Pts 46
2009-10	Everett Silvertips	Games 52	G 5	A 22	Pts 27

WHL fight video

Without question Murray is considered the top defenseman available for selection in the 2012 NHL Draft. Ryan is an impact player who plays for the Everett Silvertips of the WHL. At times in his rookie season he even averaged over 30 minutes in ice time a game. Quite the workload for such a young player.Ryan is noted for his great puck moving ability, and has been considered as a player in the mold of Scott Niedermayer.  Murray is not as much about being a point maker but rather has a bigger future as a two-way defenseman in the NHL.

Could you imagine a incredible all around defenceman manning our blueline in a couple years who can play like this guy? Another defenceman may move up the ranks by draft time, but hands down he is the best all around defenceman available that is a genuine puck mover. The concern at this moment has to be the injury he sustained recently.

'Dreaming'
-- Whitney/Murray
-- Gilbert/Smid
-- Petry/Potter

Of course that is only putting Murray into the lineup with players that are currently playing or have been playing on the roster. With other prospects that could be ready to go soon enough from the minors or Jrs in the next years you may have a far different look. My point is, I like that first pairing we could actually call a potential top defensive pairing in the NHL

For continued information on Oiler and Baron news and 2012/13 NHL draft watch, you can follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/revingev

Nikolai Khabibulin / Old Balls Is Good

I have been openly critical of Khabibulin since his time with the Oilers began. Not only have I been critical of his "trouble" off the ice, but I've also been on him for his shoddy play on the ice as well. Outside of a few stretches where he's played well, he hasn't been that good as an Oiler.

Now before I praise the hell out of old balls (I call him that cause he's old for a hockey player at 38 years old), I'm reminded of those longer stretches of bad play and I kind of want to hold my tongue.

But I can't. Right now after 4 games played, he has a goal against average of 0.72 and a .969 save percentage. His last game played resulted in a shutout. Overall so far, those are pretty damn good numbers. He's currently one of the top goalies in the NHL. Wow! How is that not impressive?

But, all good things come to an end at some point. When is his time ending? Hopefully for Oiler fans, not too soon. We need him to play well this year.

-WRITTEN BY SMOKIN' RAY-

Gagner To Play Tonight On The Wing / Tonight's Line Combos

It's getting reported right now that Sam Gagner will be back in the lineup tonight vs the NYR. It sounds like he will replace Linus Omark and Gagner will play on the wing. Should be interesting to see how he does. It's been a few years since I seen him on the wing. If I remember right, he played wing occasionally with Cogliano and Nilsson.

OTHER OILERS NEWS:

Nik Khabibulin will get his second consecutive start tonight. It appears the goalie rotation is over. For now...

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will play tonight. There was a loud out cry from fans yesterday complaining that he was going to sit out. Ok, ok. It was just me bitching about it.

Hall-RNH-Eberle
Smyth-Horcoff-Jones
Paajarvi-Belanger-Gagner
Eager-Lander-Petrell

Whitney-Potter
Smid-Gilbert
Barker-Sutton

GOILERS!!!

-WRITTEN BY SMOKIN' RAY-

A Real Wild One! The Oilers Lose In Fashion. Again

What a game that was!

I was absolutely blown away that this team lost yet another game after winning nearly the entire game. I'm not going to pick apart the game (there is enough blogs that do that already), but I am going to talk about what I liked.

- The kid line has been a thrill to watch. They buzz all over and created chances like no other. As they get older and wiser, these three are going to score at will. Oiler fans are lucky to have them wear the blue and orange.

- The crowd was buzzing right from the get go. Every play, every pass, they were on the edge of their seats and were loud. That was one of the best crowd responses I have heard in a long time. Well, except for the booing of Dany Heatley. That was rather annoying.

- Belanger and Horcoff were once again studs on the faceoffs. Horcoff was 50% and Belanger was 67%. Lander was also pretty good too at 46%.

- Andy Sutton and Ladislav Smid had 4 hits each. Big bodies banging the opposition is never a bad thing.

- Paajarvi, Smyth and Eberle each took 4 shots on goal.

- Ryan Jones scored the only goal for the Oil and was setup by Ryan Smyth. Beauty pass for a nice tip in goal or as I called it, 'the give and flow'. I didn't think those two would have chemistry. I was wrong. Now only if they could convince Horcoff to grow a mullet.

- Smid blocked 5 shots. FIVE! That was the team high tonight.

-Horcoff was a takeaway machine. He did it three times.

- Anton Lander impressed me. He took a beating and kept on going. He was on his game for sure. He played like he wants to stay.

MY STARS OF THE GAME

Ladislav Smid
Ryan Smyth
Nik Khabibulin (up until the tying goal)
Tom Gilbert
Shawn Horcoff
Ryan Jones
The kid line
Anton Lander

-WRITTEN BY SMOKIN' RAY-

Ryan Keller Has Been Recalled?

Dan Tencer is reporting that Ryan Keller is listed on the Oilers game notes. So one would assume that he's been recalled.

I'll report more on this as we find out.

Interesting.

EDIT: Keller has been recalled for precautionary measures. Not for an emergency.

RIGHT BEFORE THE PUCK DROPPED, IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT HE DIDN'T GET RECALLED AFTER ALL.

-WRITTEN BY SMOKIN' RAY-

Game Night "Wild"

We all know how much we are looking forward to seeing our beloved Oilers take on the high flying, free wheeling Wild. Or should I say the feisty but boring Wild?

I will be at Rexall Place for this game myself and not too bad of seats I must say. For what it is worth, I just have this feeling we may see more goals scored tonight that will send Oiler Fan into a frenzy! The Wild may not be the defensive team they used to be, but they still do know how to play with a lead, so it's important the Oilers get out to the lead first and don't look back. Here is hoping we get to see the Hall/Nugent-Hopkins/Eberle line back at work tonight.

Grab your favourite beverage, maybe something to snack on, book the TV all for yourself and sit back and enjoy as the Oilers are back in action tonight. Unless of course you are going to Rexall Place like myself.  You will  want to beat the traffic and arrive shortly before gametime so you can grab yourself something to drink and munch on,  before watching your favourite team take to the ice yet one more time this early season. Here is hoping for a big Win tonight!

My predictions for tonight's game at Rexall Place. Gametime 7:30pm CHED630am/Sportsnet-Edm

REV'S Edmonton Oiler

Gameday Predictions Oct 20th/11

1. For 2 straight games I have said at least 3 goals will be scored on the Oilers. I was wrong both times and won't let that happen again. Tonight the Oilers will give up no more then 2 goals in the game.
2. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will once again get a point tonight. After the Flames pushed him around somewhat, Ryan will be wanting to play even harder to show he needs to stay up (Just in case there was any doubt)
3. With Horcoff getting all kinds of ice time each game (including PP time) I am predicting he will pick up yet another point tonight when they play the Wild.
4. Lander will be the only player on the 4th line to see more then 7 Mins total ice time. Last game, I said no one on the 4th line would see more. My mistake? Not realizing we were down a forward and Eager ended up getting a 10 min penalty so Lander got bumped up in mins and played in a few other spots. Won't make that same mistake again.
5. Belanger was a easy prediction (or so I thought) to shine in the faceoff dot and record at least 60% average in faceoff wins against the Flames. That did not happen, and he caused a bad prediction. I was wrong. However, I am going to give him a chance to redeem himself and once again make the same prediction. 60% or better in the faceoff dot for Belanger against the Wild.

(EV'S PREDICTIONS TO DATE: 4 FOR 10)

As the great Ed Whalen used to say "In the meantime and in between time, that's it, for another edition of...REV'S PREDICTION" (bolded words are not Whalen's words)

For continued information on Oiler and Baron news and 2012/13 NHL draft watch, you can follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/revingev

GAME ON!!! Oilers vs Wild Tonight At 7:30pm MT

Tonight brings us another game to be excited for. Or does it?

The Oilers take on the Minnesota Wild tonight at 7:30pm MT and it should be a boring game to watch. It's painful for me when I watch the Wild play. It's like going to the dentist. But hockey.

But there might be some good things that come from this game.

- At least we know we can beat them in our arena. No stupid records to try and stop this go around. Rexall is our place. We can win here.

- Sam Gagner might return to the lineup tonight. If he doesn't play tonight, it sounds like he will by Saturday.

-Ryan Whitney will play his second game today. Watch for him to improve this game. He's just getting his legs under him.

-Nik Khabibulin should get the start going by the way Renney has started his goalies. I know it's only been 2 games, but he's looked solid so far.

- Is Theo Peckham the odd man out again? Or does one of the other guys like Cam Barker take a turn watching from up above?

- Jason Gregor talked about Lander possibly playing on the wing when Gagner returns. Will that happen tonight, or does Sam take a turn on the wing? This might be Lander's last time to impress.

Don't forget to join me on twitter tonight for the usual Oilers banter.

Enjoy your day... cause it's GAME DAY!!!

-WRITTEN BY SMOKIN' RAY-

Jeff Petry Is Assigned To The OKC Barons

Moments ago the Edmonton Oilers have assigned Jeff Petry to the Oklahoma City Barons. He's going to get good ice time down there and it's not going to help him develop playing with the Oilers as the 7th guy.

-WRITTEN BY SMOKIN' RAY-

Game Night "Flames"

It's the land of our enemies, our arch nemesis to the south. It's the city that likes to boast of their great success. It's the 'tale of two cities'

 

Both of these franchises are headed in different directions but don't tell that to GM of the Flames, Jay Feaster. Calgary still has enough veteran experience and enough grit and skill to still beat the Edmonton Oilers on any given night. The difference now? Well as far as our forward crop of players, Edmonton can stand their ground and battle toe to toe. In goal, that is a toss up on any given night, Edmonton is never really sure what they have til the night's done. On defence, the Oilers are lacking, but don't tell that to the defence who has allowed only 7 goals against in 4 games (I don't count the shootout loss that counts as a goal).

 

Tonight I expect will not be a low scoring affair as these two teams seem to bring both the worst and the best out of each other. Question is, which does it bring tonight, and for whom?

 

 

My predictions for tonight's game at the Saddledome. Gametime 7:30pm CHED630am/SportsnetWest

 

REV'S Edmonton Oiler

Gameday Predictions Oct 18th/11

1. Edmonton can't keep teams to less then 3 goals for much longer, so I am saying at least three goals find the back of the Edmonton net tonight in Calgary.
2. Tonight is the night where 1 goal is scored by Edmonton where a RYAN is not awarded a point.
3. There will be a minimum of 1 fight tonight between the Flames and Oilers
4. No player on the 4th line will see more then 7 Mins total ice time.
5. Belanger will continue to shine in the faceoff dot and record at least 60% average in faceoff wins.

(EV'S PREDICTIONS TO DATE: 3 FOR 5)

As the great Ed Whalen used to say "In the meantime and in between time, that's it, for another edition of...REV'S PREDICTION" (bolded words are not Whalen's words)

For continued information on Oiler and Baron news and 2012/13 NHL draft watch, you can follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/revingev

Game Night - "Predators"

Well, another game coming up tonight against the Nashville Predators. They are always a team, I dread to see play the Oilers. Playing these guys is like playing the Wild. (oh yeah, we play them Thursday don't we?) What I mean to say, the Predators play a very defensive style of hockey that makes you become disinterested in the action. They wait for you to make a mistake and then pounce on you!

While it was exciting to see RNH score the hat trick, it really has people asking where the offence is going to come from. After all, is this team not supposed to be loaded with skill up front? It will come, I am sure of that, but in the meantime, I am fine with RNH running the show. I predicted a strong possibility in a earlier blog that RNH could win us a Calder Trophy this year in Edmonton. Of course I will be cheering for him to rack up the points. I expect we see someone, not named Hall, Eberle or Nugent-Hopkins show up for this game tonight to score.

My predictions for tonight's game at Rexall Place. Gametime 7:30pm CHED630am/SportsnetWest

REV'S Edmonton Oiler

Gameday Predictions Oct 17th/11

1. Ben Eager will dress tonight for his very first as a Edmonton Oiler. He will receive at least 1 penalty tonight and receive no more then 7 total min time on ice.
2. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will get at least 1 point tonight as he continues to get the very best linemates to play with.
3. Ryan Smyth will rise to the occasion of 'Bobblehead' man. Instead of 'bobbling' the puck on the ice, he will let his doll do the 'bobbling' in the crowd. Ryan comes out tonight with a big game, one fans will be proud of.
4. The Edmonton Oiler defence will make some kind of miscue, causing a goal at a important time when they were just making strides offensively.
5. The Oilers will need to score at least 4 goals to have a win cause the puck will find the back of their net a min of 3 times tonight.

As the great Ed Whalen use to say "In the meantime and in between time, that's it, for another edition of...REV'S PREDICTION" (bolded words are not Whalen's words)

For continued information on Oiler and Baron news and 2012/13 NHL draft watch, you can follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/revingev

A Kids First Game / The Contest Winner

Last night on twitter I gave away two tickets to the Oilers vs Canucks game on October 25th. I did a random draw (pieces of paper in my lucky Oiler hat) and the winner turned out to be a 13 year old boy (I won't say his name cause he's a minor) from Edmonton who has never been to an Oilers game before.

He's pretty excited about the opportunity to be going to a real NHL game. He can't stop thanking me. Hell, I'm excited for him too. I bet he didn't sleep much last night after winning. Haha!

It got me thinking about my first game. I can remember that day like it was yesterday. Well, sort of.

My dad, my uncle Ted, my brother in law Randy and myself all piled into uncle Ted's car and drove to the PNE in Vancouver. I remember being excited the whole ride there. I couldn't believe it really was coming true. I remember seeing all these cool buildings and we even passed the amusement park. All I could think about was the game I was about to watch.

I finally get to see my hero's. Gretzky, Messier, Coffey, Fuhr (although I'm sure Moog started), Kurri, Semenko, the list goes on. It was going to be awesome!

And indeed it was. Uncle Ted had seats at the glass opposite of the players benches and he had seats on the 4th row dead center just to the left of the glass seats. I sat with my dad and we watched the first half the game in row 4 and the last the half (switching seats with uncle Ted and Randy) we sat there to end the game with my face plastered to the glass.

I was mesmerized the entire game. I didn't bitch or complain, I just sat there in awe surrounded by a sea Canuck fans (probably was the beginning of my hate for that club). This was my team. The Oilers are my team. There was no doubting it after that game.

I was a fan before this game, I was hardcore fan for life after it.

I don't recall the year this happened (I think 1986 but I'm not sure) and I don't remember who scored the goals. However, I do remember the Oilers won 7-5 and I'm sure I was one of the only happy people on the way out the doors.

So this brings me back to the winner of last nights contest.

I hope he goes to Rexall and has as good of time as I did, when I was a kid. It changed my life that day when I went for the first time, I hope this does something similar for him too.

Have fun young man, this is your first game.

GOILERS!!!

-WRITTEN BY BRENT HUSKA-

Opening Night For The Stockton Thunder and 3 Oilers Prospects

LINEUPS: The Puzzle Completed
Friday, 10.14.11 / 1:27 PM

By Mike Benton

Welcome to Opening Night!

The night that Thunder fans have waited for is finally here and for many, it couldn’t be sweeter. The offseason was filled with anticipation. There was heavy changeover on the roster.

When the pieces were finally laid into place, the finished puzzle presented your way features a collection of promising rookies (see: Ryan Martindale, Colten Hayes, Gabriel Levesque, Olivier Roy, etc) and established veterans (Jason Morgan, Kevin Baker and Matt Foy).

You’ll see many of them tonight, who will face a Colorado team that carries in plenty of Central Hockey League crossovers – and plenty of motivation. Tonight is their first game in the ECHL after spending eight seasons in the Central Hockey League.

We’ve still yet to find out about who Colorado is putting out. Here’s who the Thunder have slated to go in uniform:

THUNDER LINE COMBINATIONS
Cameron – Morgan – Baker
Fulton – Martindale – Foy
Hunt – Levesque – Shelast
Abney

THUNDER DEFENSIVE PAIRS
Ringwald – Hayes
Pederson – Little
Deck – Brodie

GOALTENDER:
Roy

Get your questions in tonight for us to respond to during the second intermission. As a heads up, San Jose Sharks assistant GM Wayne Thomas is expected to join us in the booth for the first intermission. We’ll see you on the radio!

Oh, and be sure to wish Garet Hunt a happy birthday today.

-WRITTEN BY MIKE BENTON OF THE STOCKTON THUNDER-

Edmonton Oilers vs Minnesota Wild Video Highlights

The game started out good for the Oilers, but once the Hemsky injury happened, that was it for the mighty Oil.  While they did manage to keep themselves in this game and make it to overtime and ultimately the shoot out, it was a stinker to have to sit through.

Khabibulin played pretty good tonight.  He sucks puck handling, but in the actual goal crease where you stop pucks, he played well.  1st star for the Oilers. 

Magnus Paajarvi was also pretty good.  He plays with wisdom. In his own right, he's a special player.

Ryan Smyth scored the Oilers only goal in regulation. His first of the season, and his first back as an Oiler.

Oilers - 1
Wild - 2  SO

GAME SUMMARY SHEET

EVENT SUMMARY SHEET

Ales Hemsky Hurt. Again.

You would think this was a picture from tonight. It's not. But it sure is the same shoulder.

In the first period of the Edmonton Oilers 2nd game of the season, Ales Hemsky hurt his shoulder once again. He's left the game and its been reported that he won't return.

The Oilers forward has had injuries before to his shoulders, so this isn't surprising. So much for a stellar year for #83.

We will keep you updated on this story.

EDIT: It appears like he hurt (right shoulder) it while making a cross ice pass near the end of the 1st period.  Nobody knows for sure when it happened or how (that pass or a hit), but after that pass, he didn't return. 

Tom Renney said after the game was over that his shoulder is just sore.  He also said not to speculate until it's checked out tomorrow.

-WRITTEN BY BRENT HUSKA-

Don't BS Me. Do We Really Have A Game On Tonight?

What seems like an eternity, game day is finally here. Oilers vs Wild tonight in Minnesota.

There is a couple of stories today for the Oilers that makes this game interesting.

- The obvious. 2nd game of the season. The Oil haven't played since Sunday, and with the shootout win over the Pens, the fans want more. It just took to damn long to get to today.

- Sure does sound like Linus Omark won't play tonight. He's being benched for playing with little fire in the opener. Some say Renney is also pissed off with his shootout attempt.

- Lennart Petrell makes his NHL and Oilers debut tonight. In sure he's buzzing this morning and he's ready to go. He's good defensively and apparently a stud on the penalty kill. I'm interested to see him in action.

- Darcy Hordichuk and his :59 of playing time is in the lineup. WTF? If that's all he's going to play, I'd rather have Omark on the 4th line. Wasn't signing Hordichuk was because he can play 7 minutes a night? Play Hordichuk, or the press box. Pick one Renney.

Hall-Nugent Hopkins-Hemsky
Smyth-Belanger-Eberle
Paajarvi-Horcoff-Jones
Petrell-Lander-Hordichuk

Sutton-Gilbert
Smid-Peckham
Barker-Petry

Khabibulin

-WRITTEN BY SMOKIN' RAY-

What's In A Name? The Real Smokin' Ray?

I'm sure some of you have noticed that my friends that know me outside of the Oilogosphere, call me Brent once in a while. Well that's my real name. Brent Huska.

WHAT?!?

When I started up the blog, I needed a name to use - using a real name never occurred to me for some reason- so I went with Smokin' Ray Burnt. I've been known as SRB for quite some time, long before blogging about the Edmonton Oilers.

I am a musician in my spare time and if you know the blues genre, everybody has a cool name. So I chose Smokin' Ray Burnt.

Here's how I came up with it.

Ever since I was a little gaffer I've been called Burnt by my immediate family. Brent... Burnt... I guess you can see the connection. So in reality, I didn't make Burnt up. It was given to me whether I liked it or not.

While I was in my 20's, I wore 77 for a slo-pitch team and Derek, one of my buddies from back home, started calling me Ray Burnt in reference to Ray Bourque. Not sure why, - remember this was a ball team and not a hockey team -but he did. The Ray Burnt part stuck with me after that season and beyond.

Shortly after I was called RB by Derek, I started to record some of my blues music and I was going to post it on various music sites to get my music out to the masses. Like I said above, every blues guy has a cool name and I needed to come up with something catchy. BB King isn't BB King. BB stands for Blues Boy King. That's catchy. I needed that too. I smoke, so naturally I came up with the name Smokin' Ray Burnt.

Long story short, I put out some music and the name stuck, and to be honest, I really like the name. It has staying power and people seem to remember it.

Shortly after all the music stuff happened, I started posting on the Oilers message boards and at OilersNation.com and I stayed with the Smokin' Ray name. It became my posting handle. Everybody has one.

Once I decided to go ahead and create OilersJambalaya.com, I also decided to continue to use the SRB name. I was hoping some people would recognize the name from those sites and it would draw readers to this site. I wasn't trying to hide anything, I just took a name and I ran with it. For the most part it's worked.

There is some people who have known my name for a long time like David Staples, Scott from OilFieldHockey.com and Eric Rodgers as examples. It's funny, cause even they know my real name, and they still call me Ray.

I figured at some point a fake name would get me into trouble. Like the time David invited me to a game and I had to go to the Edmonton Journal office to get my tickets. I walked up to the security office and asked them if they had any ticket pick ups for Brent Huska. Nope. Oh... I mean Smokin' Ray Burnt. He just snickered and shook his head and passed me the tickets. I'm so glad I didn't have to prove ID. Haha!

So now I'm at a crossroad. Look around the Oilogosphere and you will see that there is a small handful of people that don't use pen names and I'm thinking that maybe I should too. It's not like I'm ever going to get accredited, but if I ever did, I sure as hell couldn't use SRB.

Plus, I have nothing to hide. I write from my heart and I'm just your everyday normal guy who's slightly obsessed with the Oilers. It doesn't matter what name I use, I'll still mouth off my opinions.

MY QUESTION TO YOU: What should I do?

Should I continue on as Smokin' Ray Burnt like you know me now?

Or go by the name I was born with, Brent Huska?

Or Does it even matter at all?

Voice your opinion. Vote in the poll above or comment below. Or just tell me to shut up.

-WRITTEN BY SMOKIN' RAY BURNT OR BRENT HUSKA???-