Oil Change Underway

Mike Comrie - According to Larry Brooks of the NY Post,  the New York Rangers are more than just one piece away from being Stanley Cup contenders, he suggests the Rangers could use a few players but don't expect Phaneuf or Kovalchuk. Sather needs to let the team play it out. If he wants to make a move, maybe acquiring a Centre like Comrie for a small price would be worth a shot. If this is the case Mike would likely play on line 1 with Marion Gaborik.

Bobby Ryan -  Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com suggests that Ducks GM Bob Murray will not trade Bobby Ryan and is confident they can get him re-signed.

Petr Sykora - The Minnesota Wild sent Petr Sykora down to there farm team however, Petr did not report and both sides have agreed to terminate Petr's contract and let him become a UFA.

UPDATE: The Anaheim Ducks have re-signed Goaltender Jonas Hiller to a 4 year deal worth 18 mil/ 4.5 a season.

As always all comments are welcome.

Follow me on twitter @ ToddNHLTALK2

The Big 100 - Beers & Jeers Oilers Recap vs Wild (12/23/09)

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? No player changes as the roster stays the same as last game. The lines change but not the roster.  Strudwick is the only healthy scratch.

- This is the 100th Beers & Jeers that I have written.  I'm happy to make it to 100.  It's a huge accomplishment for Oilers Jambalaya. YAY! *balloons fall*

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Pre-Game Records

Edmonton Oilers (15-17-4) vs. Minnesota Wild (17-16-3)

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TONIGHT'S STARTING LINES

Edmonton Oilers

Penner-Potulny-Brule
Jacques-Horcoff-O'Sullivan
Moreau-Gagner-Cogliano
Stone-Stortini-Nilsson

Smid-Visnovsky
Souray-Gilbert
Strudwick-Staios

Deslauriers
Dubnyk

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**These are Re-Tweets of Paq Twinn featuring Smokin' Ray, during the LIVE *TweetCast* at http://twitter.com/OilersJambalaya/edmontonoilerstweetcast  You can also follow/join along at our LIVE interactive *TweetCast* right here at Oilers Jambalaya during every Edmonton Oiler game.**

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FINAL SCORE

Edmonton Oilers - 1

Minnesota Wild - 3

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GAME VIDEO REPLAY



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GAME SUMMARY SHEETS

(click to enlarge)

(click to enlarge)

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BAD TIMING PENALTY

Shawn Horcoff - The dumbass took a lazy hooking penalty and cost the Oilers some momentum. In fact all it did was give the Wild momentum.  Terrible leadership on his part.  How come the younger players never take any BTP?

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GAME STAT SHEET

(click to enlarge)

(click to enlarge)

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BEERS

Robert Nilsson - All in all Bobby played pretty solid.  I liked his goal and he didn't really make many mistakes.  He played limited minutes but managed to make an impact. Good for him. He's been good since returning from injury.  Good game Bobby. How about a cold beer? Cheers!

Jeff Deslauriers - Jeff came in and played a heck of a game.  He was the Oilers best player and kept them in it right up to the end.  It's just too bad that the Oilers just couldn't score tonight or this could have been a win.  Stand up job Jeff.  It's Miller time... Cheers!

Sheldon Souray - I liked how he played.  He was a lot better this game rather than the last one.  He ended up +1 and played 20:06 despite sitting for 5 for fighting.  I liked that fight as well.  It was a couple of old balls slinging the knuckles.  I always love it when Shelly shows his emotion.  I like the way he leads. How about a frosty mug of Stella? Thought so... *high five* Cheers!

Tom Gilbert - Gilbert has been pretty good for the last while and he hasn't got much credit.  I liked they was he's been playing and I guess so has Quinn.  I was a little surprised that he led the team with 25:15 of ice time.  Wow! That says a lot from a guy like Quinn.  He picks up an assist and blocks 3 shots. The guy even had 2 decent hits.  Who the hell is this guy? Care for a Budweiser and a new pair of shoes Gibby? Cheers!

HONORABLE MENTION(S): Sam Gagner (He was pretty good.  He had 4 shots and went 7W-4L=64% on faceoffs.), Ryan Stone (Had a good fight and ended +1),

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JEERS

Patrick O'Sullivan - Were you expecting two other guys to be here?  Yeah your right O'Sullivan... it's not your fault. Booooooo!

Shawn Horcoff - No shots? A -2? No hits?  Umm... I think you need to do more than that in order to not get booed.  Brutal bad game by Horcoff.  He topped it off by taking a stupid hooking penalty with 5:00 minutes to go.  How is the team supposed to build momentum when they have to kill off you penalty? Boooooo!

HONORABLE MENTION(S): None

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OUR GAME SUMMARIES

Smokin' Ray - What a crappy way to start Christmas.  Thanks for the loss guys.  And here I thought that this game would be a good one... you know... it's the 100th Beers & Jeers.  The Oilers played well enough to win but couldn't score.  It's too bad because I really thought that they could do it.  But they didn't and now it's time to focus on our own families.  Let's just try and not be depressed.  so let's all get drunk and have a great Christmas.  Happy Holidays everyone.  See you all on Boxing Day.

Paq Twinn - Hmm....uuuhhhh.....well......ummm, how do put this delicately?. For the 2nd game in a row, the Oilers were out played by (no disrespect) a team that should be below us. When I say should be, I mean ideally. This team just proved that everyone, that has said how inconsistently brutal this team is, was RIGHT. Like really, how do you win 5 in a row on the road then come home and absolutely shit the bed and wind up losing the next 5 games. Only in Edmonton could you possibly say that you weren't surprised. It really is unfortunate that Mr. Tambellini has some SERIOUS thinking to do, during the holidays. But its time to fish or cut bait, sir. Game Grade: D

Merry Christmas everyone.
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POST GAME VIDEO REACTIONS



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GAME STATS

- Scoring Chances (MC79)

- David Staples/Player Grades (Cult of Hockey)

- Game Summary

- Event Summary

- Full NHL Play By Play

- Oilers Time On The Ice

- Opponents Time On The Ice

- Faceoff Report

- Shot Report

- Roster Report

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NEXT GAME

Edmonton Oilers (15-18-4) vs. Vancouver Canucks (21-16-0)

Sat, Dec 26/09

8:00 pm MT

CBC

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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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You can comment below without signing up! Pick Name/Url or Anonymous

Beers & Jeers #71: Edmonton Oilers vs. Minnesota Wild (10/16/09)

Welcome to Oilers Jambalaya. 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? Ales Hemsky has a fever and will not be playing tonight.  Robert Nilsson will take his place alongside Horcoff and Comrie.  Go figure?  He's out for 4 games and POOF! On the 1st line.  Staios, Souray, Pisani, Pouliot and Peckham are injured.  Steve MacIntyre is a healthy scratch even though the big idiot, Derek Boogaard is playing.  Too bad.  That would have been a good scrap.

- I'm hearing that Robbie Schremp may be put on waivers once again. Apparently, even the New York Islanders (a really bad team) don't even need him anymore.  After 4 games he has 1 assist and is a -2.  So if they do put him back on waivers, the Oilers have 1st dibs on re-claiming him.  Would they do it? It's possible.  If I'm correct, I do believe that the Oilers can then send him straight to Springfield at that point.  But do the Oilers really need him back?  Not really.

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Pre-Game Records

Edmonton Oilers (3-2-1) vs. Minnesota Wild (1-4-0)

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TONIGHT'S STARTING LINES

Comrie-Horcoff-Nilsson
Penner-Gagner-O'Sullivan
Jacques-Brule-Stone
Moreau-Cogliano-Stortini

Strudwick-Visnovsky
Gilbert-Grebeshkov
Chorney-Smid

Khabibulin
Deslauriers

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

1st Period

- Here we go, the Wild win opening draw.
- The Wild are dealing with some injuries, same as the Oilers, most notably, Martin Havlat
- The Wild's starting goalie, Josh Harding, takes a delay of game penalty a minute and a half in. Oilers PP
- My "goat" Nilsson, screws the Oilers PP pressure, with a bad pass.
- The Oilers have a good pace going early in this game.
- Oilers looking good in this game. so far Minny has 0 shots. 13:45 1st.
- side note: Mike Comrie's girlfriend, Hillary Duff is in the crowd tonight.
- Oilers controlling the play, Harding looks sharp.
- Storts lays out Shepard with an open ice hit. 8:00 1st
- Boogaard nailed Lubo. Everyone's hitting now
- Oilers end up with a PP, after a scrum. 6:00 1st
- Oilers PP ends with little success. 0-0 still.
- Oilers 2nd line of 27,89,19 is looking good, same with the 1st of 91,10,12.
- Brule with a great shot, but it goes off the post.
- Wild getting pressure for the first time, in the last minute.
- 1st period ends tied at 0. Oilers hit 2 posts in the period.
- This was the fastest pace period I've ever seen the Wild play. No more trap.
- Oilers looking better than the last game. they're playing a smarter game.

2nd Period

- 2nd period about to begin. Oilers vs Wild 0-0 tie game
- Oilers all over the puck early in 2nd.
- Comrie scores! pass from Nilsson, 18:11 2nd. 1-0 Oilers
- Lubo makes back to back shot blocks.
- Oilers playing their game. Hit and skate, the crowd starts chanting "lets go Oilers" for the first time tonight.
- Strudwick blocks a shot. takes a penalty shortly after. Wild PP. 13:34 2nd
- Wild rank #6 on the PP.
- Oilers doing a good job on PK
- 2 face offs outside the zone on the PK. 1-0 Oilers 11:17 2nd
- Wild get some pressure, Khabi makes some saves.
- Patty-O hits Boogaard.
- Penner scores! thanks to the hit by Patty-O. 2-0 Oilers 8:01 left in the 2nd.
- Last 5 mins are dragging by in the 2nd
- The Wild's Pouliot (Benoit) scores. 3:18 2nd 2-1 Oilers
- Last min in the 2nd period.
- Stone scores! 3-1 Oilers A last minute goal
- That goal may go to Brule. After 2 periods the Oilers lead 3-1.
- Stoner says he didnt score, during interview at intermission.

3rd Period

- Getting ready for 3rd period action.
- The Oilers 3rd goal is credited to Brule.
- Oilers take a penalty right out of the gate.
- Patty-O doing a great job on PK for the Oilers. 17:17 left in the 3rd
- Horcoff takes 2 for holding.
- Brunette scores on the PP. 3-2 Oilers
- Oilers looking sloppy and slow early in the 3rd.
- Shepard takes a hard low wrister, Save by Khabi
- The pace is starting to pick up again. 13:25 3rd
- Hilbert goes off for high sticking. Oilers PP.
- Patty-O takes 2 for slashing. PP over. 4 on 4
- Wild get :55 of PP half way through the 3rd period
- Wild out shooting Oilers 28-14 Third game in a row
- Penner scores! a great pass from Gags leads to a butey tap in by Penner. 4-2 Oilers 7:47 left in the 3rd period
- Brule scores! off a scramble rebound. 5-2 Oilers 6:01 3rd
- Penner and Brule both have a 2 goal night going. A possible hattrick maybe?
- Chorney's having another solid game. 3:00 left in the 3rd
- Boogaard hammers Patty-O late in the game, Penner takes exception. Cheap hit.
- Oilers PP looks for revenge.
- Last min of the game
- Everyone's looking for Pens or Brule for the hatty's
- Game Over. Oilers Win 5-2.
- Patty-O(3), Brule(2), Penner(1) get the stars tonight.
- Overall a good game by the Oilers tonight. But with all due respect to the Wild, this was a game we should have won.
- Next up, the Canucks on Oct.19. hope everyone enjoyed this Live **TweetCast** brought to you in part by oilersjambalaya.blogspot.com

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FINAL SCORE

Minnesota Wild - 2

Edmonton Oilers - 5

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GAME STATS

- Event Summary Link
- Game Summary Link
- Video Highlights Link
- Oilers Post Game Comments Link

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BAD TIMING PENALTY

None - None that changed the outcome of the game.  O'Sullivan's slashing penalty was as close as it got for a BTP. But lucky for him the Wild already had a guy in the box and it only made it a 4 on 4 and then only gave the Wild a 55 second PP.  Plus no momentum was lost to the Oilers because of that penalty.

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GOAT WATCH

(Smokin' Ray) Ethan Moreau - He was his usual goat self.  He did nothing to contribute to the game.  Even though he didn't take a penalty late in the game (wow! amazing!), he still didn't do squat.

(Paq Twinn) Robert Nilsson - Can you believe it?  He was good.  He sits out for 4 games and looks better than Hemsky has on the 1st line.  Not much of a goat tonight.

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BEERS

Dustin Penner - The temporary Assistant Captain was a real force out there tonight.  I still can not believe how fast he is this year.  It's nothing short of phenonimal.  This was his 3rd multiple point game. He had 2 goals and was a +2.  I'm kinda thinking that he's earning his money this year (so far).  Enjoy a big frosty beer.  Mmmm.  Cheers!

Gilbert Brule - This guy is slowly making me into a huge fan.  Raffi who you say?  He nails the post, scores twice w/ 4 shots and goes 7W-6L 56% on the faceoff dot.  He played his best game as an Oiler tonight.  I hope there is more of that.  *Two thumbs up*  Good job Brew.  Have a cold Kokanee.  Cheers!

Nikolai Khabibulin - The wall was solid again tonight.  So far this year it looks like the Oilers may have a solid duo.  With Bulin being an Oiler (and doing well), we at least have some hope for the playoffs.  I wasn't huge on his signing but I'm getting there now.  For another great game... It's Miller Time. Cheers!

Ladislav Smid - I love this guy.  He's playing tough and is not making very many mistakes.  He finished the night with a +3 rating.  Very solid.  Glad to see him step up this year.  Quick Ladi... slam this beer. Cheers!

Lubomir Visnovsky - Just when you thought that Smid had a good +/-, Lubo comes out with a +4.  He started out the season in a fragile state, he's good now, just ask Boogaard.  He played with fire and passion tonight.  He's a stud and Paq Twinn made a good call when he picked him as his "star".  How about a good cold mug of Budweiser?  Cheers!

HONORABLE MENTION(S): Sam Gagner (He didn't play much in the 2nd, but once he got back out, he was buzzing like a bee.  He was +2 and had 1 assist), Patrick O'Sullivan (+2 and 1 assist.  He needed to shoot more), Zack Stortini (He kept the Boogeyman at bay and was a hitting machine.), Ryan Stone (Picked up 2 assists and played pretty good.), JF Jacques (Survived a hit from behind and made a few hits of his own.  He played tough.), Mike Comrie (Maybe he should bring Ms. Duff more often.  He scored a beauty.), Robert Nilsson (Where has this guy been all season? Oh right, the press box. He did ok tonight as he picked up an assist.), Jason Strudwick (How is this guy getting points? Add another assist to the list.)

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JEERS

The Entire Team - Do you like to be outshot every game?  Is it fun to rely on your goalie?  SHOOT! Shoot lots.  I just don't get it. It's a simple concept.  SHOOT!  We're just lucky that the Wild stink right now.  Booooooo!

HONORABLE MENTION(S): None

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GAME SUMMARY

Smokin' Ray - I am always worried when it's a PPV.  The Oilers are classic for pooping in the bed when I'm paying for it.  But tonight we got out money's worth.  The Wild killed us in shots and that's not a good thing even if your goalie is ripping it up.  I really didn't miss Hemsky tonight.  Isn't that strange to say?  But it's true.  But all in all I enjoyed myself.  I'm liking this "new look" Oiler squad.  I like it when we win. GOILERS!
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NEXT GAME

Oilers vs. Canucks
Monday Oct. 19/09
7:00 pm MT
Sportsnet West

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

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

Roli starts again...

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

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

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1st Period

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

2nd period

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

3rd Period

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

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Tonight's Starting Lines

Kotalik Horcoff Hemsky

Penner Gagner O'Sullivan

Moreau Cogliano Pisani

Jacques Brodziak Stortini

Souray Staios

Grebeshkov Gilbert

Smid Strudwick

Roloson

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FINAL SCORE

Minnesota Wild - 3

Edmonton Oilers - 2

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BEERS

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

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

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

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

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JEERS

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

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

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

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

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

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1st Period

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

2nd Period

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

3rd Period

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

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Tonight's Starting Lines

O'Sullivan Horcoff Hemsky

Nilsson Gagner Kotalik

MacIntyre Cogliano Pisani

Moreau Brodziak Penner

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Souray Staios

Grebeshkov Gilbert

Smid Strudwick

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Roloson

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FINAL SCORE

Edmonton Oilers - 0

Minnesota Wild - 3

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BEERS

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

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JEERS

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

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

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!!!

Beers and Jeers #30 (Feb 8/09 vs. Minnesota Wild)

As you can see, I have made some changes (header and font) to the site. I figured if i could change... why not the Oilers?

Ok Oilers. It's a new day. Time to get fired up and take on those trap style Wild team. I don't like their style. It's very boring to watch. But it works so who am I to judge? I have a much better feeling about this game than I did yesterday. I vented already today (click here) and I am feeling positive now. I am expecting another Big Mac vs. Bogeyman fight. It should be a gooder. That should help wake up a game in the afternoon.

I am wondering what MacT is up to for this game? Who plays with who? What is the plan of attack? Are we going to win? hmmmm.... questions.

It's 12:57 pm and I'm fired up. Let's Go Oilers!

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1st Period

And it's Roli that gets the start. Figures. I guess he will play every game for now on? I thought Deslauriers was pretty good yesterday. Not great, but good enough for a start today. Oh well, another MacT what?!? However, he does have the correct lines IMO. We will see how these work out.

Well we get a good pace right off the hop. Big Mac and Bogey managed to come together but nothing happened. Oilers were looking really good in the opening 5:00 minutes. Then the Wild take a penalty. This is a great time to get a goal. Let's go Oilers! Another penalty to the Wild. This is a gift guys. A quick 5 on 3 here. And MacT uses his timeout to try and plan something. Will it work? You bet it will. Smart move MacT. 1-0 Oilers. Souray with the bomb from Grebs and Hemmer. And there is still time on the 2nd penalty left. But Minny kills that off. Oh well... 1-0 lead anyways. A little while later Stortini lands a beauty of a hit on Clutterbuck. Good way to gain some momentum. But Boogaard tries some dirty tactics on Storts and he lands himself a slashing penalty. Haha! Seconds later Souray gets himself in penalty trouble so things went to 4 0n 4. Damn! The game has good flow for the rest of the period. Oilers look like a different team today. With 1:41 left Minny (Belanger) scores to make it 1-1. Damn Roli. That was soft. But the line that was out there wasn't exactly our #1 line (5, 43, 51, 85, 78). Ouch. End of period score. 1-1 tie game.

2nd Period

The Oilers come out flying. Even the 4th line gets a shift. But the Oilers take a penalty at 3:43. Souray again. Oilers respond well. Good kill. So here we are at 12:37 remaining in the period. Where is Hemsky? Why is he invisible? Is he coming back? At 8:59 left Boogaard puts the puck in the net after the whistle. Stortini takes exception and the anticipation of a Bogey vs. Big Mac/Storts builds. The period ends up being a being more of a Wild period then an Oiler one. Right in the last few seconds Gagner breaks to the net and crashes into the goalie. That results in a penalty. Good on Gagner for going hard and taking a hard shot for his troubles. I don't get all the hoopla over Gagner not producing offensively when he is such a good player without the puck. He plays way older than he is. (He is only 19). Anyways the Oilers have to come out with some of that JAM that MacT speaks about. 1-1 tie game still. Take no prisoners now!

3rd Period

Well, still no fight in this game. (When I expect it, I get impatient) But the Oilers have to kill off Gagner's penalty. And they do. Then the 2nd line (12/89/26) come out and provide great pressure. Cole draws a penalty and the Oilers go on the PP. Not much later the Wild come flying down into the Oiler zone an Miettinen nails a one timer past Roli to score short handed. Damn it I say. So much for a good start to the period. But Minny kills off that penalty and continue the momentum that they earned. 2-1 Wild. The 2 guys trying to do something are Gagner and Cogliano. I am looking for some veteran presence but I can't see any. Just these young guys trying to get something going. I can respect that. So we are now at the 1/2 way mark and here is the Jayman Homes Hit Counter. 7 hits. 7. Well that is just sad. (Oilers-7, Wild-29) The only good part is Jayman is saving themselves some $$$ today. How many Stanley Cups were won with only 7 hits delivered? WAIT: HOLD THE PRESSES! Holy crap! Gagner scores a beauty from Smid and Nilsson. Just in time. 6:00 left and it's all tied up at 2-2. Let's go Oilers! With 32 seconds left in the 3rd, Bouchard takes a penalty. This is it Oilers. Gut check time. Well the Oilers get some good chances (Gagner) but can't end this game yet.

Overtime

Overtime starts and the pace is fast. Souray gets a few shots off but they are swallowed up quick. The Wild kill off the penalty and overtime continues. This was a pretty exciting OT but I am puzzled as to why Moreau and Pouliot are out out there together. There was a couple of Oiler giveaway's and Roli came up HUGE. Real game breakers. This is off to the Shoot Out.

Shoot Out

Gagner - Makes his usual move and it's stopped. Nice try little dude.

Nilsson - Goes wide like last game and also doesn't score.

Hemsky - His usual slow skating, fast stickhandling move with a shot at the end. Stopped.

Gilbert - Tries a forehand shot. Misses.

Wild score. Game over.

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Tonight's Starting Lines

Moreau Cogliano Hemsky (This line really didn't do much. They lacked the punch that I had thought that they were going to have. Moreau was average. Cogs was a little above average. Hemmer was invisible again. 4th game in a row.)

Nilsson Gagner Cole (The best Oiler line. The 3 played well together. Nilsson was not bad. Cole was struggling a bit. Gagner was a man playing possessed.)

Penner Brodziak Stortini (The Big Guy line was good today. I liked this line (2nd best). Penner was trying. Brodziak looked comfortable. Stortini was making the best of the extra ice time.)

MacIntyre Pouliot Reddox (Not a line that did much. I think I only seen them out as a unit 4 times. Big Mac didn't fight. Pouliot was ok. Reddox was a non-factor.)

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Final Score

Edmonton Oilers - 2

Minnesota Wild - 3

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BEERS

Sam Gagner

- He was real solid today. During the 1st half I thought he was really good defensively. But in the 3rd he scores his 5th of the year. He deserved that goal. Way to go Sam. Have a frosty cold one on me. Cheers!

Dwayne Roloson

- As always a rock. I wasn't sure what he was going to be like after getting shelled by Detroit. But like every other time he bounces back with a real solid effort. He was our leader today. Beer Roli? Cheers!

Sheldon Souray

- Had 7 shots on net today. He scored on one. He had a good game except for the 2 penalties. I wish he was on a roll again. But for today you deserve a beer. Cheers!

Honorable Mention

- Zack Stortini (he played well. Not much stats but a couple of hits.), Dustin Penner (the guy takes faceoffs now? And he's good at it so far. 7-2 for 78%. He played pretty good as well), Kyle Brodziak (seemed more comfortable playing with 27 and 46.)

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JEERS

Tom Gilbert

- He sure isn't worth the money that KLowe was sure quick to give away. What does that say for Grebeshkov who is going to get a raise since he has been better than Gilbert? For a not good effort tonight. Boooooooooooo!

Ales Hemsky

- Same with Hemmer. Where was he? Where is the magical man we call Hemmer? 4 games in a row with a no show. If he wasn't so damn good I would put him on the 4th line next game. But that won't jhappen. Bad game today Hemsky. Boooooooooooo!

Ethan Moreau

- Our captain was also not good today. He had a great chance to get some points playing with #83. But having only 1 shot and 1 hit means you were not playing your style (crash and bang). If you can't do that then you get booed. Booooooooooo!

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Well that game was exciting yet frustrating. No big fight with the Bogeyman. Maybe next time. A point is a point but we needed a win. Next up... Wedsnday vs. Montreal Canadiens.

See you next time...

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.

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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%.)

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FINAL SCORE

Minnesota Wild - 1

Edmonton Oilers- 3

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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?)

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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!

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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!

Beers and Jeers #20 (Jan 15/09 vs. Minnesota Wild)

That was one of the worst games that I have seen this year from the Oilers. On one side, Minny sucks to watch. Probably my least favorite team to watch. On the other side, the entire Oiler team looked scared and timid. Until the 3rd of course. But to little to late. Penalty after penalty can't really help the cause. Plus it makes it hard to make any type of a comeback. Then the bakery opens and turnovers are served to everyone wearing a Wild jersey. (not sure why the stats were not picked up) That was a pathetic game. Just pathetic.

There was two moments that really got me going. The two fights (Smid/Sheppard fight and Souray/Weller fight) I loved how Moreau tried to steal Souray's thunder by trying to get in the fight. Loser. Learn to be a Captain. If anyone should demand anything (firing/trade/demotion) ... it should be the removal of the 'C'. It's not on the right person.

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BEERS

I am giving a beer to both Smid and Souray for their respective fights. They were both entertaining and made me actually excited about something. Smid made his fight look good by throwing the bombs. Good to see him do something. Souray absolutely killed Weller. massive lefts to the skull. A real dandy of a fight. And people really want fighting removed from the NHL? If that fight didn't entertain you then maybe hockey isn't your sport. Cheers to the both of you!

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JEERS

The entire team sucked tonight. I am surprised that I am even writing anything. Horcoff sucked. Moreau sucked. Cole sucked. Penner sucked. Gagner sucked. Cogliano sucked. Roloson sucked. Gilbert sucked. MacT sucked. Everyone sucked. Even Reddox sucked. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

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I really hope that tomorrow's game is better. I'd imagine that Garon gets the start. But you never know... Could be Deslauriers.

With my wife and daughter going home to B.C. for a week, I suppose you will see a little more content on here to read. Maybe a new Mr. Belvedere? Maybe something new all together. Ohhhh.... exciting. Stay tuned.

Thanks to everyone for all the support.