Showing posts with label Liam Reddox. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Liam Reddox. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Liam Reddox Heads To Sweden; Martin Gerber Rumors

Announced earlier today, Liam Reddox has signed a 1-year contract with the Vaxjo Lakers of the SEL. From the Lakers website:(Google Translated)

Liam Reddox comes from the Edmonton Oilers organization in which he played since
2007 and during four seasons there has been a total of 100 NHL games.
This past season, played 25-year-old 44 NHL games, recording a goal and nine assists.
In 37 AHL games with the Oklahoma City Barons was a total of 33 points
distributed on 18 goals and 15 assists.
- Liam is a Canadian who can play both center and outer forward and who thrive as both, "said sporting director Henry Evertsson on the new acquisition.
- He is good on skates and I work really hard, but also has offensive talent and technology. He is a two-way player who will run at maximum speed all the time. We fell for his drive in the game. He will do a lot of points, but he is primarily an engine of the team, a player who can draw with the team every night.
Was it important to get a driving player?
- We'll play three games a week throughout the season as the
smoothness will be important, and which will contribute to Liam. The difference
between hockey league Elitserien and is quite large, and we need players who can
deliver in every match. Liam Reddox, who signed for one year, will make his
first spell outside North America.
- That he has played in the NHL is a good routine, but he is no savior for it which is important to note. He has not been able to play for an NHL spot in full, so he sees this as a good start because the Elite Series is a great series.
The Oklahoma City Barons played Reddox the season with the Lakers second transatlantic acquisitions: Brad Moran. It has obviously facilitated the recruitment of Reddox.
- We have a good history with Transatlantic. Liam has played with Brad so they know each other, and we know what is important for Transatlantic and how to make lay-ups in order to fit them. I think we are an attractive option for those who still strive forward in their career, "says Henry Evertsson.
Henry Evertsson also announces that one
goalie, one of two defenders and a forward to be in the squad.

As the article mentioned, Vaxjo is the team that Brad Moran signed with right after the Barons season ended. Vaxjo has been making a big push with signings this offseason after winning their way into the SEL last season. In addition to Moran and Reddox, the Lakers also signed former Texas Stars defenseman Dan Spang earlier this month and it's been rumored that Peoria Rivermen's T.J. Hensick will be joining the team as well.

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I've been wanting to mention this for awhile, but didn't really want to make a post just for rumors, so I'll just leave them here. Earlier this month, a Swiss website, sport.sf.tv, asked Martin Gerber about playing in Switzerland this season. To which he responded "At the moment everything is possible". Skelleftea AIK of the SEL and the Malmo Redhawks of HockeyAllsvenskan(the tier below the SEL) have both stated they have a big interest in acquiring Gerber for next season.

-Written by Eric Rodgers-

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Barons In Trouble Offensively; Oilers Call Up Top Point Scorers

Within the last few days, the Oilers have made a couple roster moves involving call ups and call downs. Ryan O'Marra and Shawn Belle were sent down on Sunday and Liam Reddox and Linus Omark were called up to replace them on the Oilers active roster. It's no big secret that Reddox and Omark are the big guns in the Barons offense, but just how much?

Reddox is going to be on his first stint with the Oilers this season. The Barons are 18-14-1-4 so far this season. When Omark was on the team from the start of the season and the two games this last weekend, the Barons are 15-9-1-3. In the 9 games while he was in Edmonton, the Barons were 3-5-0-1. Reddox registered 8 points(3G, 5A) in those games, but they only came in 4 of the games. With Reddox and Omark being the 2nd and 3rd Barons leading goal scorers respectively, their call up takes a huge chunk out of the Barons offense. The Barons have scored 120 goals this season, Omark and Reddox account for 32, or 26.2%, of them. And of the 313 points the Barons players have registered, Omark and Reddox account for 64, or 20.4%, of those. Then, the Barons Power Play, which has had it's struggles at certain times of the season but has come back recently. They're currently 11th in the league. Omark and Reddox have 7 of the 38 PP goals scored by the Barons, 18.4%.

It doesn't end there either. Jeff Petry was called up to the Oilers on Dec 27th. When you add Petry's stats to Reddox's and Omark's numbers, it becomes an even bigger blow to the Barons. Petry's 7 goals bring the percentage up to 32.5%, his 19 points bring that up to 27.1%, and his 2 PP goals take that up to 23.6%.

With the Oilers having a quarter of the Barons offensive production on their active roster right now, it'll be interesting to see how the lines will look and if there are any signings in the future of the Barons. The first line of Giroux-Moran-McDonald will really have to step up to cover any of the loss. Hartikainen is coming along nicely but he's had trouble scoring when Reddox and Omark aren't on the ice too. This weekend will be a huge test for them as they have 3 games in 3 nights. Peoria comes in on Friday and Saturday, and they take on Lake Erie on Sunday.

-Written by Eric Rodgers-

Monday, January 3, 2011

Red Bull? Pfft! We Have The Redd-Ox!

Liam Reddox was recalled earlier today (along with Linus Omark) to play with the Edmonton Oilers for the next couple games (or more?). I know that this is old news as it happened this morning, but this makes me happy for Reddox for two reasons.

1 - He had a great camp and deserved a spot with the team at the start. Even though Ryan Jones did raise the level in his game in the last 15 or so games, he was clearly beaten straight out at camp by Reddox. Reddox finally gets his shot he earned at camp. I say good for him!

2 - The second reason? He went down to OKC and he shut his mouth when sent down. He busted his ass down in OKC and proved he was worthy of being an Oiler. As of right now, only Alex Giroux is beating him on the team in points.

Reddox has scored 18 goals, 15 assists, for 33 points in 37 games. In those 37 games he's taken 143 shots on goal. He dominates games by firing off more shots than any other Barons player. He's a shooting machine and at times, he just can't be stopped. He takes an average of 3.86 shots per game or that's translated to 12.5% of the OKC Barons total shots. He's a +14 and he's been solid on the PK with 4 short handed goals. He's not only proved he was ready at the start of the season, he's proved that he's ready now too. And he's done it with class.

It's a great story that's developed about this little Redd-Ox fellow over the past little while. He's won the hearts of more people than just MacT's. I too like him now. But is there more to this story?

Yes there is. He's on a two way contract, but since he's not an entry level contract guy and he's passed the requirements (games played, years of service, that type of stuff), if and when he gets put back on waivers, he will need to clear them on re-entry waivers. Meaning another team can claim his services and the Oilers get nothing in return. Bum deal. For us only.

I suppose there are only two options where this may lead Reddox and his future with the Oilers.

1 - The Oilers see a future for him with the team for the rest of the season. Maybe they have decided that no matter what, he's going to stick around and finish out the season in E town? Possible.

We do know that someone will have to go when the injured guys are ready if they plan to keep Liam around. Is there a trade on the horizon and room will be made for him with the Oil? That's possible.

Will they waive another player (ie: Jacques) instead of Reddox? Also possible. If they want him to stay, they can arrange it to happen. They can. Multiple scenarios at hand, but is this what they want?

2 - Or the other option. He's here as a quick fix and nothing more. A time filler. He will be put back on waivers and let the chips fall as they may. If he makes it back to OKC then fine. If not, also fine?

Do they know or have confidence that no other team will claim him? Can he clear waivers?

Looking at it from the outside, he does deserve a chance with another team if the Oilers don't want him to stick around. If the Oilers are not willing to give him a shot here long term, maybe a chance with another is possible? Maybe another team is interested?

THE SUSPENSE IS KILLING ME!!!

What do you see happening to Liam Reddox?

-Written by Smokin' Ray Burnt-

Monday, November 8, 2010

Making The Call / A Choice Among Choices

It's no secret that Shawn Horcoff was hurt last game. It's no secret either that the Oilers only have 4th liners as backup (including Jacques). So what to do and who to call?

The man that currently stands out is Linus Omark. His 5 goal game yesterday (plus he scored in the shootout) has made him the talk of the hockey world. This is a kid that wants to score goals and it looks to me, like he has something to prove. See below



So now that he's 3rd in the AHL in scoring, is he the automatic call up? Can his AHL game translate to the NHL game quickly? Can he fit right in and produce?

All good questions when considering him being the call up for the Oil. As of right now, he's played 15 games and has 10 goals, 7 assists for 17 points (a team high). He's a +5 and has 40 shots on goal.

So is he the guy you choose?

Looking at the stats page, Alex Giroux (15 points) isn't really all that different in the stats department. But he clearly doesn't have the hype that Omark has right now (or the foot speed). Does that put Omark ahead of Giroux? I would think so. Scratch Giroux off the list.

Now only one other guy on the Oklahoma City Barons has a shot at filling a top 6 position while Horcoff is out. That guy is Liam Reddox. He has the speed, the will and the smarts to fill in. He's less flashy as Omark and he's a few points behind -- Reddox has 7 goals, 6 assists for 13 points and 66 shots -- but since the season started, Reddox has been the most consistent Baron right from the get go. Some nights Reddox fires off 7, 8 even 9 shots at the goalie. Nobody compares in that department. He busts his ass of every game and always seems ready to go. Reddox can play center and wing, can Omark?

Out of Omark and Reddox, who's more ready for the NHL? Obviously you could say Reddox based on his previous NHL experience. Who knows about Omark? He could be? Only one way to find out I suppose.

So if the Oilers do indeed need a fill in for Horcoff, my heart says pick the scrappy kid in Reddox, but my brain says Omark has the hype and that's what the Oilers want to give the fans.

-Written by Smokin' Ray-

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

B&J #82 Edmonton Oilers Recap vs. Sabres (11/11/09)


Welcome to Oilers Jambalaya - An Edmonton Oilers Hockey Blog. Beers & Jeers is a dual collaboration between Smokin' Ray and Paq Twinn. We hope you enjoy our Edmonton Oilers full game recap.

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- Who's Out? Who's in? Hemsky draws back in tonight so that means O'Marra is out.  O'Marra is a healthy scratch but, Horcoff, Souray, Nilsson, Chorney, Pouliot and Jacques are injured and will not play tonight.

- The last time (Jan 27/09) the Oilers faced the Sabres, it was a 10-2 victory for the Sabres.  Let's hope that never happens again. Ever.

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Pre-Game Records

Edmonton Oilers (8-8-2) vs Buffalo Sabres (9-4-1)

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TONIGHT'S STARTING LINES

Penner-Gagner-O'Sullivan
Comrie-Brule-Hemsky
Moreau-Cogliano-Stortini
Reddox-Potulny-Pisani

Smid-Visnovsky
Grebeshkov-Gilbert
Strudwick-Staios

Khabibulin
Deslauriers

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**These are Re-Tweets of Paq Twinn's LIVE TweetCast© at www.Twitter.com/PaqTwinn **

1st PERIOD

- Welcome to the Oilers @ Sabres LIVE *TweetCast*.
- Tough SO loss for the Oil last night, Buffalo will be a tougher test, standings wise.
- Waitng for anthems and puck drop.
- Here we go, Oilers lose the draw.
- fast pace to start the game, 18:30 1st
- Khabi making big saves early.
- Oilers PP. Kennedy goes off for 2. 15:53 1st
- PP is moving the puck well, Miller keeps good postioning
- Sabres kill off the penalty.
- Oilers getting outplayed a bit, Sabres have edge in scoring chances by a few.
- Staios is having a good game early.
- Some how the crowd is not into this game. i think i heard a mouse fart.
- Sabres with lots of pressure just past halfway in the 1st
- Khabi is sharp tonight.
- With 6 mins remaining, its tied at 0.
- Khabi makes a save, and a scrum insues. #gettingrough
- Stafford scores, on rebound off Vaneks shot. 1-0 Sabres 4:27 1st
- Gags goes off for tripping. Oilers PK 2:14 1st
- Oilers kill off Gags penalty
- After 1st period its 1-0 Sabres
- Oilers didn't play too well in the 1st, need to pick it up to pull off a win.

2nd PERIOD

- 2nd period is underway, Oilers lose the draw
- Sabres with lots of in zone pressure, Oilers get it out but can't get any pressure of their own.
- Storts gets robbed by Miller. Oilers picking up the pace.
- Montador scores on a shot through traffic. 2-0 Sabres 12:22 2nd
- Vanek goes off for slashing. Oilers PP 11:40 2nd
- Staios takes down Vanek, after he comes out of the box. Staios-tripping, Vanek-diving. 4on4 9:31 2nd
- Patty-O gets absolutely ROBBED on a 2on1.
- Oilers PP, too many men for the Sabres. 7:46 2nd
- Oilers PP gets chances but cant score. 2-0 Sabres 5:40 2nd
- Hecht goes off for 2. Oilers PP 3:49 2nd
- Gaustad crosschecks Comrie. 5on3 Oilers PP.
- Patty-O scores, 5on3 PP. One timer from Hemmer. 2-1 Sabres 3:08 2nd
- Sabres kill off remaining penalty.
- After 2 periods its 2-1 Sabres.
- Oilers starting to gain some momentum, had a good period.
- This game could easely be 5-4, Miller and Khabi have been awesome.
- I had to double and then triple check this stat: Oilers outshot Sabres 14-5 in 2nd period.

3rd PERIOD

- 3rd Period is underway.
- Sabres getting early period pressure.
- Roy undresses Staios but Khabi gets a piece
- Sabres PP 16:12 3rd.
- Oilers get a big kill, then go on PP. 14:13 3rd, 2-1 Sabres
- Oilers fail to capitalize on extended PP pressure. 2-1 Sabres 11:57 3rd
- Moreau goes off for holding the stick.
- Oilers PK 10:23 3rd
- Oilers kill off the penalty. 8 mins to go
- *#@!?* Gilbert goes off for 2. Oilers PK again. 7:42 3rd #needaBIGkill
- Khabi forced to cover the puck, after Sabre PK rush.
- Check that: Sabres PP rush, lead by Roy.
- McArther runs Reddox, gets 5 and a game. Reddox is down, Ken Lowe and the crew are attending.
- Oilers need 2 on this 5 min PP. GOILERS!
- Oilers are moving the puck well. 2 1/2 left in PP 3 1/2 left in game
- 1 min left in PP for Oilers
- Khabi goes to the bench 1:20 left in game.
- Oilers don't score on 5 min PP.
- Quinn calls a TimeOut. 2-1 Sabres 0:31 3rd
- Hecht scores an empty netter as Patty-O gambles and misses Hemmer on a stretch pass. 3-1 Sabres
- Sabres beat the Oilers 3-1.
- Oilers played well, but looked like they played last night. They just didn't have that next gear.
- Oilers out shot their opponents for 2nd straight game, 29-26.
- Faceoffs were dominated by the Sabres, 35-19
- Thanks for following this Live *TweetCast* of the #Oilers @ #Sabres, Next up the #Thrashers on PPV, at noon on Sunday.

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GAME VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS



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FINAL SCORE

Edmonton Oilers - 1

Buffalo Sabres - 3


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BAD TIMING PENALTY

Ethan Moreau - At 9:37 of the 3rd Period, Moreau goes into the offensive zone and grabs the stick of a Sabre player.  WTF?  Why would you do that? Dip stick! 

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GAME STAT LEADERS

Goals - O'Sullivan (1)
Assists - Visnovsky, Hemsky (1 each)
Points - O'Sullivan, Visnovsky, Hemsky (1 each)
Best +/- - 10 Players tied at -1
Worst +/- - Reddox, Pisani, Potulny (-2 each)
Most Penalty Minutes - Staios (4 mins)
Most Time On The Ice - Penner (24:13)
Least Time On The Ice - Stortini (6:28)
Most Shots - O'Sullivan (5)
Most Hits - Reddox, Stortini, Moreau (2 each)
Most Giveaways - Comrie (2)
Most Takeaways - Gilbert, Penner (1 each)
Most Blocked Shots - Strudwick (5)
Best Faceoffs - Brule (7W-4L=64%)
Worst faceoffs - Penner (0W-11L=0%)

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BEERS

Patrick O'Sullivan - He played hard and tried his ass off.  He seems to like to ring them off the post.  But after what seemed liked a million chances, he finally scores on a nice play by Visnovsky and a nice pass by Hemsky.  He was good enough to deserve a beer.  How about a frosty glass of Pilsner? Cheers!

HONORABLE MENTION(S): Gilbert Brule (He's getting the total snub right now.  He's the best at faceoffs this game and only plays 11:50.  He had 2 shots and 2 blocked shots plus the 64% faceoffs.  Sounds like a good game to me.), Sam Gagner (He played well again.  He tried his ass off and Quinn kept putting him out there.  The good, he had 3 shots and created chances.  The bad, 18% faceoffs.), Lubomir Visnovsky (He looked way better than yesterday.  He made some good plays and had 2 shots and 2 blocked shots.  His assist was a lucky one that you need to see on the game highlights.), Ales Hemsky (He looked pretty good.  He had flashes of brilliance, but that's all that it was... flashes. He made a nice pass to Sully for the Oilers only goal.), Steve Staios (He was decent two games in a row.  What's going on here? His only black mark was his penalty in the 3rd.), Dustin Penner (I liked his hustle. He had a few chances but had a standout 0% faceoffs. What?)

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JEERS

The Entire Team - A 5 minute Power Play and you don't score? What hell guys?  That's like a free all you can eat lunch buffet and you forgot your plate.  I didn't count the chances you guys blew on that, but I'd bet it wasn't that many.  Nice passing, but shoot the puck.  Boooooo!

HONORABLE MENTION(S): Ryan Potulny (He looked lost and confused.  He ended up on the -2 line.  Yet he gets more ice time than Brule. Go figure?), Jason Strudwick (His best part of the game was his 5 blocked shots.  Unfortunately, that's all he can do well.  Not a good game by him tonight.)  Ethan Moreau (He takes the BTP and I guess we shouldn't expect less from him.)
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GOAT WATCH

(Smokin' Ray) Ethan Moreau - He was not good at all.

(Paq Twinn) Robert Nilsson - He's hurt and never played.

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OUR GAME SUMMARIES

Smokin' Ray - I was bored for most of the game and I was waiting for some great action to happen. Even after Reddox was nailed there was no emotion.  The team looked flat and was possibly tired. But no matter, the effort could have been better.  Grebeshkov hurt his knee on the collision late in the 3rd and he's flown back to Edmonton for examination.  How many more people are going to get hurt?  Stop the madness hockey gods.  STOP IT!  With some rest and a few practices, I'm sure the Oilers will be a little better on Sunday.  *fingers crossed*  GOILERS!

Paq Twinn - That was a game, it wasn't good, it wasn't bad. I'm starting to get tired of hearing " I hope so and so is going to be ok". MacArthur should be suspended for his cheap hit on Reddox. When are players going to stop running each other. Being sorry afterwards just doesn't cut it anymore. Nice to see Patty-O bury one. The Oilers need more from him. He's been playing well, just limited goal production. I can't wait for Souray to come back, maybe then the PP will be more consistant. Average 1st period, good 2nd, and an average 3rd. Outshot the Sabres but needed more hits. Overall game grade: C-.

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POST GAME REACTIONS



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GAME STATS

- Game Summary

- Event Summary

- Scoring Chances (MC79)

- David Staples (Cult of Hockey) Player Grades

- Full NHL Play By Play

- Oilers Time On The Ice

- Opponents Time On The Ice

- Faceoff Reports

- Shots Report

- Roster Report

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NEXT GAME

Edmonton Oilers vs. Atlanta Thrashers

Sunday, Nov 15/09
12:00 pm MT
Oilers PPV

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Thanks for stopping by and reading the Edmonton Oilers Full Game Recap. Don't forget that you can agree or disagree with us on Facebook and Twitter. Just look for Smokin' Ray Burnt and Paq Twinn. We will see you all next game. GOILERS!

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Saturday, February 28, 2009

Beers and Jeers #39 (Feb 28/09 vs. Minnesota Wild)


Well it looks like Bobby Nilsson is going to sit out this game and Pouliot is getting the nod. Is this really the best plan? Pouliot? on the 2nd line? Really? I wonder what Towel Boy has to say about that?


I hope the crowd can get into this one. They really need to get chanting. Come on folks. The team needs the help.


No Bogeyman... no Big Mac. Too bad. I wanted to see a gooder tonight. Maybe next time. I guess we can always count on Gagner to fight someone.


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1st Period


To start the game the Oilers had a contest (not tonight) and the winner was given a chance to sing the anthem before the game starts. The kid (Justin Wack) came out and did a heck of a job. He seemed pretty thrilled by the experience. Good flow in the game until Pisani takes a tripping penalty at 5:19. As the Oilers are killing the penalty off, Mark and Marc (M&M) start talking about how great the Oilers have been lately on the PK. Why talk about it guys? Seconds later the Wild score at 6:14. Thanks M&M. 1-0 Wild. Let's go Oilers! At the 10:00 minute mark this game is way better than the last one by a long shot. A little while later, Grebeshkov nails Brunette and he gets hurt. The whistle should have been blown but it wasn't. Gilbert takes it and passes to Horcoff who finds Hemsky. Scoooorrreeeessss! 1-1 Tie Game. (Hemsky from Horcoff from Gilbert at 12:47) That was a lucky break for the Oilers. Finally at the 14:00 minute mark the crowd starts to chant. Bout time folks. At 15:42 Smid hits the puck into the netting and sits for 2:00 for delay of game. A short while later at 17:46, Staios takes a penalty and the Wild score on the man advantage at 19:25. 2-1 Wild. Crap. Not the best way to end a period. But it isn't like last game. We actually look good tonight.


2nd Period


The period starts off once again with good flow. But the Wild get careless and take a penalty. Good time for the Oil to score a PP goal. But... they don't. Good passing but they can't capitalize. But the 4th line comes out and puts on some great pressure. Stortini scores!!! 2-2 Tie Game. (Stortini from Reddox at 5:03) Yeah!!! The 4th line does it again. And that's #5 for Storts. **knock, knock. Hello? Storts is catching Gagner** This game really is not bad considering we are playing the Wild (a trap team). With 6:00 minutes left, MacT is rolling a Hemsky/Horcoff/Reddox line. It's tied MacT. No need to panic yet. So with the Oilers buzzing, the Oilers have some slick passing going on. Gilbert scores! Yeah! 3-2 Oilers. (Gilbert from Reddox and Grebeshkov at 15:22) Now we are looking like we want to see some ice in the spring. With Reddox on the 1st line now, Penner is rolling with Brodziak and Stortini on the 4th. As the period winds down, it's great to see some real life in this Oilers squad. The Wild take a penalty with only 32 seconds left and that will give even more life to the Oilers when they start the 3rd with a PP. The shots are tied at the end of two periods with 27 each.


3rd Period


The 3rd sure started with some jump. Minny had some chances. Oilers had some chances. Roli has had to be sharp tonight. Twice in the first 7:00 minutes, Roli has had to make some HUGE saves. The crowd gets fired up and the Roli, Roli, Roli chants break out. Roli really has been the MVP of this team this year. Hemmer is close... but Roli is king. Wow the action is all out now. It seems weird that the Wild are playing this way, but they are. Real back and forth action. The crowd is really into this one now. Chants keep popping up. Horcoff has a real bad stinker of a giveaway and the Wild ring it of the post. Your lucky Horcoff. Lucky. The play continues to be fast paced and exciting. Hemsky takes a tripping penalty and Zidlicky goes for diving. 4 on 4 for two minutes. With 20 seconds left, Miettinen sticks Moreau in the eye *ouch!* and takes a double minor. (That didn't look good for Chopper) So much for the Wild comeback. That's the game folks. Oilers win!!!


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Tonight's Starting Lines


Penner Horcoff Hemsky (The 1st line was average in the first half. Reddox replaced Penner and they seemed to play a little better. Did you really need to eat that extra chicken breast at lunch Penner?)


Pouliot Gagner Cole (The 2nd line was a real solid unit tonight. Lots of grade A chances. They seemed like they were trying hard, but faded near the end of the 3rd.)


Moreau Cogliano Pisani (Moreau and Pisani played well. Cogliano just wasn't quite the same as he has been playing as of late. This line needs all three to be rolling or it just isn't going to be a shutdown type line. But still, all in all they were good.)


Reddox Brodziak Stortini (This line was smokin' when it was still this line before Penner was switched. Stortini seems to be on a streak lately. Good for him.)


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FINAL SCORE


Minnesota Wild - 2

Edmonton Oilers - 3


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BEERS


Dwayne Roloson - Gramps was stellar once again. The Oilers MVP was doing it all tonight. (other than score) He was making those acrobat style saves all while being that silent leader for the team. Again. You deserve a nice cold one Roli. Cheers!


Tom Gilbert - The guy that has been making mistakes the last few games, was really good tonight. He seemed to do a lot while looking like he wasn't. He had 1 goal and 1 assist with a +2 rating. A pretty solid night for Gibby. Have a beer? Cheers!


Denis Grebeshkov - For not playing in a while he sure was good. He had a huge hit, an assist and was +2. His only real knock was his giveaway's. But his effort was good enough to deserve a beer. Frosty beer? Cheers!


Honorable Mention - Liam Reddox (He played a good game tonight. He even managed to sneak back up to the 1st line. A 2 assist night for Liam.), Ales Hemsky (He scored and was ok. Still not back to normal), Zack Stortini (His momentum changing goal was huge for the team to get going. He's been very good for the past few weeks.)


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JEERS


A win is a win and I don't have much of a reason to jeer tonight. Penner was questionable but I still think that MacT just needed to bench someone. The Hamburglar was the one today.


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Well that was a good action packed game. Not like the boring crap of a game we had to watch last game. The Oilers pick up the almighty 2 points and move up to seventh tied with the Ducks. Who's next? The Predators of Nashville. We need two wins on this 4 game roadie. If we can come home with 4 points the team will still be in it. If we don't than it's only going to get harder from here on out.


See you all next time... Until then. GO OILERS!!!

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Beers and Jeers #36 (Feb 21/09 vs. Calgary Flames)


Well folks... As we sit around our TVs and celebrate Hockey Day in Canada, we are fortunate enough to have that team from the south (the Calgary fLames) playing against us instead of some other Canadian team. Why you ask? Because I love a good Battle of Alberta. Nothing can compare to a game like this. (I hope) I predict a 4-2 Oilers win. Gagner, Cole, Hemsky, Stortini scoring the goals. MacIntyre, Stortini and Peckham all fight tonight. Maybe even Gagner. (Maybe Andre Roy? jk) Let's go out there Oilers and kick some Calgary fLame ass.


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Due to me having company over, I won't be going as hardcore with the period summaries. Sorry, but I need to drink with my friends tonight.


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On a side note: we need to win tonight because the Nucks won in a shoot out (Damn you Sundin!) against the Leafs. The Leafs can't do anything right. :(


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1st Period


Boy the Oilers looked fired up tonight. Sporting the retro jersey's once again. MacT started the game with some line changes. Cole with Horc and Pens. And Hemmer with Gags and Nilsson. They really do look sharp so far here. All 4 lines look good. Smid nails Iginla and gets the crowd roaring. Yay Smid! The 4th Line gets a good chance with Big Mac crashing the net. But... the Oilers take a penalty. Guess who? Moreau for cross checking. But lucky for him the Oil kill it off. At 10:19, Smid drives to the net and draws a penalty. PP time for the Oil. But they can't convert. But shortly after the penalty expires, Erik Cole scores!!! Yeah! 1-0 Oilers. (Cole from Souray and Horcoff at 12:26) This is turning into a great idea by MacT. (about time) The Oilers do get another chance on the PP at 15:29 but once again they can not convert. 0 for 2 on the PP. Roli has made some great saves already in this game. But at 19:02 Gilbert takes a holding penalty. All in all, it was a good period by the Oilers. Let's see how the 2nd transpires.


2nd Period


Oilers get out of the gate quick. Brodziak gets a nice chance in the first few seconds. (We are on the PK still.) Through the first 8:00 minutes of the game there has been good flow with both goalies making some good saves. At 8:14, Hemsky takes a lazy penalty and puts the Oil down by a man. But the Oilers manage to kill it off (fLames are 0 for 3 so far) and next thing you know the fLames get nailed with a Too Many Men penalty. They manage to kill that off but the 4th line comes out again and again causes havoc in the crease. (Why not play them more MacT?) But wouldn't you know it... Iginla scores at to tie it up. Damn! 1-1 Tie Game. MacT now has Cole with Horc and Hemmer and Penner with Gags and Nilsson. For the record... Smid is AWESOME tonight. He is doing everything right. With some exciting play the period ends. Let's Go Oilers!


3rd Period


The Oilers have the peanut butter and jam tonight. The 3rd starts off much like the 2nd ended. Fast and furious. Holy crap! Hemsky scores! 2-1 Oilers. (Hemsky from Horcoff and Strudwick at 1:46) Well this gets everyone fired up. Cole gets a breakaway and Iginla takes a penalty. Not sure how that's not a penalty shot? But whatever... the Oilers are on the PP once again. I'll tell ya! The MacBlender is rolling tonight. Every shift is a little different than the last. Oh MacT... you and your crazy mind. Shortly after the Iggy penalty, Phaneuf takes a penalty. 5 on 3 for the Oil for the next 50 some odd seconds. They manage only one good shot from Souray. Boooooo! Cole sure has been great tonight. (I'm trying to enjoy his last few games with us. I am hoping he doesn't get moved.) With very little time left in the period, Calgary's Boyd and Moss collide in their own zone. The crowd goes wild. So with one minute left, the crowd chanting for the Oil, Mark and Marc mention that the crowd is anticipating an Oiler win tonight. A second later, Lombardi scores to tie it up. 2-2 Tie Game. Why in the hell can't people keep their mouths shut until the game is over? But Lombardi takes a penalty at 19:09. Overtime now with a little bit of a PP. Go Oilers!


Overtime


The fLames kill of the penalty and it's back to 4 on 4. With 2:30 left, Souray nails Adam Pardy and sends him and his helmet flying. Why do these guys have their straps so friggin' low? Are you guys retarded? Are you? So with the time winding down, Cammalleri busts in on a breakaway and Roli makes a HUGE save to keep the game tied. Shootout time.


Shootout


Gagner - loses the puck in the slot area. No goal.


Nilsson - gets poke checked by Kipper


Hemsky - also gets poked checked by Kipper


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


Tonight's Starting Lines


Penner Horcoff Cole (Penner was pretty good tonight. Horcoff was great tonight. Cole was great tonight.)


Nilsson Gagner Hemsky (Nilsson was above average. Gagner was pretty good. Hemsky was good.)


Moreau Cogliano Stortini (Moreau was below average. In fact rather stinky. Cogliano was average but fast. Stortini was below average.)


MacIntyre Brodziak Reddox (MacIntyre was limited to 3:25. Brodziak had some good shifts. Reddox was good tonight as he ended up taking Stortini's spot on the 3rd line.)


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


FINAL SCORE


Calgary Flames - 3

Edmonton Oilers - 2


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


BEERS


Shawn Horcoff - The guy was fantastic tonight. He played 26:07, had 2 assists, 4 shots and 2 hits. He seemed to do everything right. He was 23 wins, 9 loses for 72% on the face off dot. He was on fire. So to put out the fire, have a cold frosty Horc. Great game... Cheers!


Ladislav Smid - The Spaz was good again. He made smart and reliable plays. He was laying the body whenever he could. And he managed to log 19:26 of ice time. He even found time to block 4 shots. Good job Smid. Have a beer with me. Cheers!


Erik Cole - I am missing him already and he hasn't even left yet. He was good tonight. Scored a nice goal to get the game going. He made some good body checks. Heck, he even warranted 22:50 of ice time for all the hard work. Erik Cole... you have been a great Oiler. Enjoy another beer with me. Cheers!


Honerable Mentions

Liam Reddox (He was good tonight. He did what he could to help this team. I know. I feel wierd even saying it.), Dwayne Roloson (Gramps was a force tonight. Even I was chanting Roli, Roli, Roli from home.), Strudwick/Peckham (this was a pretty solid defence group. I liked them a lot tonight.)

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


JEERS


To be honest, I don't want to boo anything tonight. We did good. We just had a bad relapse with the time running out in the 3rd. Ok. Just a little one for that. Booooooooo!


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


Well what a great game that was. Tons of action and lots of speed. A true Battle of Alberta. It's just to bad that we ended up on the losing side. Damn fLames!


Next game is Tuesday vs. Tampa Bay. Is this Vinny's last game with the Lightning and his first as an Oiler? Stay tuned...

Friday, January 30, 2009

Beers and Jeers #25 (Jan 30/09 vs. Minnesota Wild)


Well, was that the Edmonton Oilers? I couldn't believe my eyes. The puck just drops and Staios absolutely nails a Wild player. Then drops the gloves and backs up his actions. Nice veteran move. That instantly moved the momentum to the Oilers side. 4 minutes later Hemsky scores a lucky one. Yes! Great start. Take that Flames fans... Anyways. The guys that I have been hardest on lately we very good in the 1st period. Sure they wanted the "young" guys to take ownership for their actions. But with out the strong veteran leadership group taking charge and leading this team much like they did in this game, we would be a much better team for it. Am I wrong?


Big Mac vs. The Bogeyman #1

- This was a good fight for Big Mac. He looked really nervous at the start. But excited. The dukes went up and the waiting game began. Once the fight started it was a pretty good one. No real "big" punches that did any damage. But shots were felt. It ended a draw. Then as Big Mac was skating off you could see him grin. He felt good. He wasn't broken. And that fight did a lot for the rest of the game. Bogey was not a factor at all tonight. Mission accomplished.


Period 2 was also great. Lots of action. The play was pretty back and forth. Visnovsky scores a beauty. The Oilers PP was not great. 1for 5 for the game. This could have been a 7-1 game instead 3-1. I'm not really complaining... but I am.


The 3rd period started and wouldn't you know it. I go out for a smoke (What? you smoke Smokin' Ray? *pause* oooooooooh.... I get it, Smokin' Ray.) and the Wild score. What the hell? I know, I said the same thing. But the Oilers stared to play a tight game and really held off the Wild. Roloson was a monster (screw you Pierre MacGuire) in this game. He deserves a lot of credit tonight. He played great. Oilers hang on to win the game. All is good in the Oilers Nation once again.


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


Tonight's Lines


Penner Horcoff Hemsky (This line was kind of a dud line. Hemsky was good. Penner was a blob of blue and copper. Horcoff... he wasn't bad tonight. Not great. But not bad either.)


Nilsson Potulny Cole (Nilsson is a ticking time bomb with the puck. It may explode. It may be a gift for the opposing team. Potulny was average as he only played 11:02. Horcoff and Cogliano took his spot on occasion. Cole was good tonight. Admit it Cole... you miss your little buddy Sam.)


Moreau Cogliano Pouliot (This line and the 4th line changed throughout the game. MacT was trying to get things going. But yet last game, the lines never changed. Go figure? Moreau - Good, Cogliano - good / he belongs on the 3rd line, Poulot - 4th line guy / average.)


Strudwick Brodziak MacIntyre (This wasn't really a line that did anything. Big Mac fought, but only played 2:13. He did mange 2 hits, and they were good ones. Strudwick was a puzzling choice. I was thinking more along the lines of Stortini in the mix tonight. But once again... what do I know? Brodziak was a faceoff machine. He was out for a lot of the "big" draws. He did ok at 6-4 for 60%.)


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


FINAL SCORE


Minnesota Wild - 1

Edmonton Oilers- 3


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


BEERS


Dwayne Roloson

- I will be the first to admit that I didn't think it was a good idea to put Roli in for this game. Ex team, they know his weak spots, losing record against Wild. But like I have said a million times. What do I know? He was brilliant tonight. He made huge saves when needed and was a fierce competitor till the end. I have always liked Roli, but tonight he raised my respect level for him. His mental toughness is second to none. He knows how to be a real professional. He has been since he has become an Oiler. Good days or bad days... the man is class. Have a beer Gramps. Show these kids how to drink. Cheers!


Steve Staios

- I want to say that if Steve Staios could play like that every game, he could be a real high level NHL defenseman. He did everything right tonight. I have had a huge mean streak for Staios lately, but I can say that tonight he made me stand up and cheer. He made me believe that this team is the team that I say they are. A team of champions. Hard hitting. Shot blocking. The knuckle breaking dedication that it is what it takes to get to the show. (That didn't make sense to me either.) To win the cup. Hopefully he maintains this and we continue towards that silver lining. Mr Staios sir. Enjoy a frosty. Cheers!


Ethan Moreau

- The captain came through tonight. He played the same way as Staios did. Well, except he scored. Chopper provided everything that he has lacked in the last while. The penaz. Or swagger. Whatever... he was damn good. In fact. Have a Mountain Crest Chopper. Cheers!


Honorable Mentions


- Andrew Cogliano (I think he belongs on the 3rd line. That just may be his niche. Horcoff Jr., but better. 2 assist night with great play making. Solid game for Cogs), Lubomir Visnovsky (How good is he? How many dmen take a shot and continue into the slot and bang in their own rebound? Lubo does. And he does it well. He played a real solid game.), Sheldon Souray (When doesn't he play good?)


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


JEERS


I could complain about a few little things but what the hell? We won. YAY!


Ok. Just a little...


Dustin Penner

- This guy is a slug. I really think MacT should bench him again. And again in 15 games. And repeat, until he can produce in a consistent manner. The guy is lazy. The guy drives me mad. Hello? You play on a 1st line. With Hemsky. And you do what? Lolly gag? Moron. Shape up. Booooooooooo!


Liam Reddox

- This is only because it makes me feel good, and you suck. Booooooooooooooooo!

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


Sunday is the next game. 12 noon vs Nashville. Tough game. Hope the same Oilers attend that game. Until next time...


REMEMBER: You are only as good as your last game... and we were freaking awesome!

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Beers and Jeers #19 (Jan 13/09 vs Washington Capitals)


That was a better game than last game. I still don't like to be out shot but the win is good. There were a few guys that looked like this was their team. There was a few guys who were tweeners. And of course there were the last few that were stinkers.


I am a little amazed that with all the inner troubles on the team, our Captain Moreau isn't more of a captain and has dealt with it. I have been the captain of a few teams. I have had to be the middle man lots. No big deal. That is part of being a captain. But he hasn't been doing that. Sure there was a closed door meeting. That doesn't mean that Chopper shouldn't have already dealt with this. As a captain. On his own. There has been talk that MacT is to blame for this mess. Wanye Gretz over at Oilersnation.com wrote a nice piece about this. I still blame the leaders (Moreau, Horcoff, Staios) for the sub-par play but it's a good read and a different point of view. Plus he has inside info and I don't.




Back to the game. The Oilers were good tonight. I really didn't think that this game was going to go well. I guess I was wrong. The 2nd line was clearly the 1st line tonight. As the games go on MacT is starting a love affair with Cole. Bout time. I still do not understand the Reddox situation. I feel embarrassed almost when fans from the other teams ask me what is going on. I don't even want to answer them. I shrug my shoulders and smile. I don't make the lines.


Anyways it was a fun game to watch all around. Let's get on with the booing and beer drinking.


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


BEERS


Steve MacIntyre

- Well Big Mac scored his 1st ever NHL goal. Awesome. I bet that is what he said too. One shot, one goal. Not bad. I was a little sad that he didn't fight, but oh well. We win. He played a whopping 3:40 and even though he really didn't contribute a whole lot... He deserved a beer. Not any old beer but a big beer. Cheers!


Erik Cole

- This guy is getting my vote for MVP of the team. Hemsky is good but no one puts out an effort like Cole does. The guy gives his all. When you play with Cole you can't help but bust your butt as well. That is one of the main reasons why Gagner is excelling right now. It's like a yawn... it's contagious. Cole had the most shots on the team tonight. He also had 2 takeaways to go with the 3 goals. Once again I sit and drink with Cole. Frosty mug time... Cheers!


Kyle Brodziak

- A great all around game from Brodziak. He was the old Horcoff. (geez, I hope he doesn't ask for $7 million too.) 2 assists, +4 and 3 blocked shots. Now I am not a real big Brodziak fan, but if he could play like this every game he would be a favorite of mine. Good game tonight. Have a beer. Cheers!


Honorable Mentions

- Gilbert Brule (He played a solid game. 2 point night.) Steve Staios (excellent shot blocking on #8. He played well too.) Dwayne Roloson (Another beauty from Gramps.)


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


JEERS


Not much to really boo here. That was a pretty good game. Lots of hustle. Not quite a 60 minute game but real close. The team really does need to get more shots. To see Ovechkin blast them from all over, he really made it look easy. Why can't an Oiler do that?


There was however a few players that were not playing above par. These players were not very good IMO. Shawn Horcoff, Ethan Moreau, Liam Reddox, Dustin Penner, Tom Gilbert and at times MA Pouliot were all pretty stinky.


Gilbert made some bad passes. In fact I think somewhere Robin Brownlee is laughing

Reddox looked like a bantam player.

I only noticed Horcoff because he plays so much.

No real physical jam from Chopper. He did however have 0 hits. Awesome.

Pouliot didn't look right all night. Except for that one PP where he was with Cogs and Gags.

Penner. Did he play?

Now that I think of it all six of you deserve a jeer. Boooooooooo!

-----------

Next up... The Wild.

Monday, January 5, 2009

Beers and Jeers #15 (Jan 5/09 vs New York Islanders)


Wow! Canada played a heck of a game tonight. Exciting as ever. I think it topped the last game for excitement. Good job Eberle and Team... The drive for 5 is done. Now on to #6.


The Oilers started the game out pretty crappy. The crap that Horcoff was doing was horrendus. Not sure why he decided to play tonight? The 2nd period was much better. The 4th line was hopping. Roli was getting better as the game wore on. The 3rd period started off good. And then it just rolled on. Cogs scored though. Made it 3-2. The faceoffs were much better tonight. Cogliano and Horcoff were the 2 worst. They need to get better. ASAP. You know it's kind of sad when your #4 line is your #1. Hurry up and come back Hemmer.


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


BEERS


Jason Strudwick

- The man was an offensive dynamo. Well one goal may not make him a dynamo, he sure played well. He was hitting and doing all the small things right. I felt bad for him when everyone is high fiving him and them the goal gets changed. Ouch. But my wife said it was ok. He had the momentum to do it again. Don't tell her this, but she was right. The 4th line was a force to be reckoned with and Jason Strudwick did his share and more tonight. Great game. Have a frosty beer. Cheers!


Zack Stortini

- The big guy looked like a hockey player tonight. His improvement in the last couple of weeks is nothing short of a miracle. I said a couple of weeks ago that if Huggy wants to keep his spot then he best improve before Big Mac returns. By golly he did. He really did. I thought that he played his butt off tonight. So for a snazzy effort. Have a nice paper bagged Colt 45. Cheers!


Tom Gilbert

- Even though he didn't really put up any numbers. He was in my opinion very effective. He played the man/body very well. His decision making was very quick and correct. Overall I just really liked what he brought to the game. Have a Heineken Gilbert. Cheers!


Honorable Mentions

- Erik Cole (played a solid game. No points but a great effort.) Dwayne Roloson (good game. Made the stops that were needed.) Sam Gagner (Did very well on the faceoffs and was shooting up a storm.) Mathieu Garon (I'm sure he did a great job opening the bench door. jk)


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


JEERS


Shawn Horcoff

- Why did you decide to play tonight? Nice cough up in the 1st period. How did it feel to see that puck go in the net? Probably pretty crappy I suspect. Shawn's off beat game continued throughout the entire game. Penner looked like the only one trying to do anything tonight on that line. So for playing and playing very badly... Boooooooooo!


Robert Nilsson

- I think Ricky Bobby was trying to hard tonight to look like a playmaker instead of a shooter. That is what Gagner is there for. Shoot the puck. Please. So for doing nothing but bring down your line mates. Booooooooooo!


Liam Reddox

- Not sure why Robbie Schremp isn't in your shoes right now. MacT said when a top six guy goes down then Rob would be the next call up. But they called Brule. Ok. Fair enough. But tell me why is Reddox playing on the top line? I don't understand what it is that I can't see here. I don't know... maybe it's just me? Boooooooooooo!

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Beers and Jeers #13 (Dec 30/08 vs Ottawa Senators)


Well. That game was a so-so match. Kinda fun at times. Kinda sad at times. The outcome was a little predictable. I mean come on... Why put in Garon? (didn't work). What? Reddox as a 1st line RW? (it worked/sort of) I sure hope that things look a little better against the Flames.


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


BEERS


Shawn Horcoff

- Yes you are reading this correct. He played pretty good last night. He actually looked like the old Horcoff. Maybe playing without Hemsky was a good thing for him and Penner. Horcoff was all over the ice tonight. Amazing. That guy was worth the $$$ tonight. However, I don't know if he can continue that when Hemmer comes back. But for the good game tonight. Have a cold one Horcoff. Cheers!


Erik Cole

- I may get slack for this one but I thought that Cole was pretty good. He had lots of shots and a 4 hits. He played his role and I think it is really starting to pay off for the guy. Since he didn't really produce tonight. Have a half of beer. Cheers!


Honorable Mention

- Bobby Nilsson (had 3 hits), Liam Reddox (he was the poor man's Hemsky, although he was on the ice for just about every goal. For us and them)


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


JEERS


The Entire Team

- Geez you guys... Just when the train was rolling. And the bed goes to poop. Sad really. I was actually thinking that we were going to keep this going. I guess I was wrong. So for losing this game... Booooooooo!


Mathieu Garon

- My opinion was that he looked bad tonight. He made a spectacular save and then the next minute gets burned. Terrible. I can't believe this was the same guy from last year. Sorry man... Boooooooooo!


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


Calgary on New Years. Better win. Nuff said.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Beers and Jeers #3 (Dec 5/08 vs. LA Kings)


BEERS



Robbie Schremp

- Not a bad game for Mr. 88. 3 points in 2 games. He was fore checking, back checking and laying out some hits. (They weren't huge but hits nonetheless) This was the only guy to get me excited tonight. It looks like he is making a case to stay with the big club. I am very happy for him. Oh yeah... Nice move in the shoot out. I still say that was over the line. Two beers in a row Schrempy. Cheers!


Erik Cole

- Really not a bad game. Still not the guy we traded for but he is getting better. I will give him one thing. He DOES try hid butt off. Half a beer Cole? Cheers!


Marc Pouliot

- Pretty decent game from the Pou. Nice shootout move. Still not sold on his play. But I do remember him and Schremp playing very well together last year in the minors. I bet they stay together for awhile even after the other guys comeback. Have a beer Pouliot. Cheers.


JEERS


Liam Reddox
- Why are you still here again? 1 point in 9 games and a -1. Seriously. Demotion. Booooooooo.




The Entire Team


- You guys blew a 3 goal lead. No effort, No hard work. Pretty sad guys. No sugar coating here. YOU GUYS F**KING SUCKED tonight. Overtime win or not. You sucked. Try that crap against San Jose and the score will be 8 to 3. Boooooooooo...





Be better tomorrow Oilers. or else....

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