Shawn Horcoff - Two Heads Are Better Than One

Well good afternoon folks.  With having this many days in between games a persons mind starts to wander (and not for the best).  I think I've looked at everything that is Oiler related in the last few days.  But something made me look twice when I was going over the Edmonton Oilers injury report today. 

I've always noticed that Shawn Horcoff was a different looking person and a different kind of player.  One minute he's on a hot streak.  The next he's on an ugly streak.  Plus on top of that, he's has the two different colored eyes and that always makes a person look different.  But as I looked at his picture, I started to see two different people.  So I thought...

What if I draw a line to see what happens.  What do you see?  Is there two guys there?

See.  Am I right or am I right?  This explains a lot on why he is such a streaky player don't you think?  I know, I know.  I'm a strange dude. 

But you think I could just leave it alone and move on to something else?  Of course not.  So I went one step further and made him into the two different people.  The right side of him and the left side of him. 

Here is Mr. Right Side.  He's handsome and confidant looking.  Maybe this is the side that's the 1st line center and $5.5 million dollar player?  Maybe this is the guy that gets 70 points a year?  Maybe this guy is an allstar?

Now I'm going to guess that Mr. Left Side is the 3rd line checker guy?  The back of the room drinking Pilsner by yourself kind of guy.  He may not be a ladies man, but he sure can kill a penalty and block shots. 

So there you have it.  The Two Horcoffs.  Are two heads really better than one?  I'd say Shawn thinks so.

Quinn Made A Promise To The Oiler Fans

Did you watch the video that I have had on the Jambalaya Home Page today?  Watch it again, it right above this.

When I first seen it at the beginning of the season I got goose bumps.  It was an amazing thing to see - remember last year and the MacT fiasco? So do I.  So when I came across it today, a few things he said stood out for me, other than the goose bumps I got again re-watching it. 

Quinn started off by saying, "Hello, I'm Pat Quinn, the head coach for your Edmonton Oilers." 

Sweet intro line.  He had me at hello.

"This is your team and everything we do, we do it for you, our fans."

I'm even more fired up and intrigued by what he is saying and strangely enough, I started thinking about Bryan Adams. "Look into my eyes.."

"I can't sit here and make any promises about the post season.  But I can promise you this..."

Now this is where is gets exciting.  Why is that you say?  Well, remember the coaching staff saying that the team was going to win the division that one year and didn't?  This is kind of where Quinn is going with this speech.  But it's a different promise.  Maybe an easier one we hope?

"We will play tough."

Ok.  That should be a easy thing to do right?  Oh yeah... the team is filled with smurfs.  Hmmm.  I don't know if he should have said that.

"We will show grit."

Ok.  Grit I can see before toughness.  What else you got Quinn?

"And we will highlight the skill on this team."

That was probably the most believable thing he said so far.  Skill we have, but toughness and grit?

"And on every night, even when we're tired, and it's cold, I promise you this."

More promises... the suspense is killing me.

"This team will compete"

That is one hell of a statement to make.  Especially when I have watched this team for as long as I have.  I wasn't sure if he knew this team's history to not show up for games in the past 3 years (or more).  But nonetheless... I believe him.

"And when we do this... everything else will fall into place."

 By this time, I'm ready to vote him into the PM's office.  Quinn for PM!  Finally a coach that gets it.  And he's our coach.  The Oilers have found their saviour.

"We will be taking on the world... starting October 3rd."

Bring it on world... bring it on.

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Fast forward to today.  How do I feel about it today? 

I feel let down.  The players seemed to buy into what Quinn was selling at the start.  The first 7 games I was in heaven.  We all were.  I was floating on clouds.  Then the hockey gods laughed and said no more.  Now all that stuff Quinn said looks like horse plop.  We lose two pluggers like Jacques and Stone and that's it.  No more toughness?  Where did the team grit go that we had going on?  Where is the highlighted smurf skill?  Where is this teams willingness to compete?  Yeah... where is it?

 Where is all the "talk" gone to?  Are the players way to comfortable now that all these injuries have happened?  Really, it's not like they are going to lose their spot on the team, unless your name is Steve MacIntyre *starts to cry again*. 

So I have to ask myself, why would the Oilers organisation do a promo like this?  Why would you go out on a limb and say what this team can and can not do?  I just makes no sense to say anything at all.  Because look, it's game 18 and this team is in some real trouble now.  They lost to many valuable points in the last 10 games and it's going to be hard to get some back.  And really, it's all because there is no team toughness or grit.

 He said it himself,  "And when we do this... everything else will fall into place."

It maybe a bold statement... but it's true.  No grit, no win.  And right now, nothing is falling into place.

I think maybe the team should re-watch this video.  Or this season could turn into a wash in a hurry.  I don't think the fans could handle that, again.

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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If I was Owner / GM / Coach... #3

The Panic Mode Button has been pushed.  Thousands of Oiler fans are crying out for Tambellini to make some sort of a trade/move.  Anything right now would appease these fans.  Well... almost anything.

IF I WAS OWNER I WOULD: If I was Katz, I'd suck it up and send Nilsson down to the minors.  The guy stinks and needs to be shown the door.  I'd probably do the same to Moreau as well.  He sure isn't helping the team either. And let's be real... who is going to take those two?  So much for having money.

IF I WAS GM I WOULD: The Oilers desperately need a guy who can win faceoffs in a consistent and winning manner.  As of right now, it's anyone's guess which Oiler will be the best of the night.  One day it's Gagner and the next it's Horcoff, the day after that it's Cogliano.  It's just crazy right now and it seems to be hurting this team. 

The other need this team has, is it needs players that can demolish the other teams better players.  We had that with Jacques and Stone, but Stone has not played in awhile and Jacques is now suffering from his bad back.  Without those two, the Oilers are a soft team.  Nevermind not having Souray back yet either.  Quinn wants this type of player in his lineup and if Tambo was smart, he'd find one.  So if I was GM, I'd try and shore up those two positions and give this team a better chance to win.

IF I WAS COACH I WOULD:  If I was Quinn, I'd be bugging Tambo and Katz everyday for a little help on the ice.  You know the team isn't in good shape when Reddox is called up.  There isn't much that Quinn and Co. can really do to improve.  It's up to Tambo and Katz.

This team is in trouble and there is some easy fixes.  But can it all be pulled off?

B&J #78 Edmonton Oilers Recap vs New York Islanders (11/02/09)

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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- I apologize for missing the Boston vs Edmonton game.  I moved this weekend into a bigger house and my internet provider sucks and I didn't get it going until today.  It doesn't really matter anyways because the Oilers sucked in that game getting shutout 2-0.  Not a good score at all.  Now that I have my lifeline (internet) back, I/we won't miss a thing.

- This team is like a revolving door.  Horcoff is out.  No wait.  He's playing now and Comrie is out.  See? It's hard to keep track.  What's the deal with Comrie anyways?  Smid had the H1N1 and never missed a game.  Comrie has the flu and he's out for 10 days. *meow*

- So... I'm paying for this PPV, and no Schremp?  What a rip.

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Pre-Game Records

Edmonton Oilers (7-6-1) vs. New York Islanders (4-4-5)

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TONIGHT'S STARTING LINES

Penner-Horcoff-Hemsky
Jacques-Gagner-Nilsson
O'Sullivan-Brule-Pisani
Moreau-Cogliano-Stortini

Visnovsky-Smid
Gilbert-Strudwick
Grebeshkov-Chorney

Khabibulin
Deslauriers

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

1st PERIOD

- The puck has dropped and it's a good pace to start. #Oilers vs #Islanders
- 5:00 minutes played and the Islanders are giving good pressure to the Oilers
- Halfway through the 1st and Gagne has the best Oiler chance. Grebeshkov has a giveaway. #surprise
- Oilers score. A cheap shot from behind the net by Moreau and it redirects past Roli. 1-0 Oilers
- 7:00 minutes left and the #Oilers are looking better.
- Damn! Islanders scored 1-1 Tie game
- Not all that of an exciting game. 1:30 left in the 3rd.
-  FIGHT! Jacques vs Sutton. Sutton wins
- The fight started because Gilbert was hammered by Sutton. Jacques came to help
- Period is over and the Oilers have to finish of the PK when the 2nd starts

2nd PERIOD

- The 2nd has started and the Islanders scored. I guess I missed it. Sorry for being crappy at this, PaqTwinn is stuck at work
- This is brought to you by @OilersJambalaya 's Smokin' Ray. #notpaqtwinnhesgoodatthis
- Horcoff hits the post with 14:20 left in the 2nd
- The Islanders 2nd goal was by Witt. 2-1 Islanders
- 14-13 the shots are in favor for the Islanders
- Oilers 1st line is looking hot right now
- Goals or no goals, this 1st half of the game is not something to write home about. But it sure is getting better #actualemotionnow
- Islanders are also now looking better. 9:00 minutes left in the 2nd
- UGH! Witt scores again. 3-1 Islanders
- 3:30 left and it's been all NYI. Oilers reeling bad. What is going on Oilers?
- 1:00 minute left and the #Oilers just had a good shift by the 1st line.
- Shots are now 17-13 for the Islanders. Grebeshkov shoots the puck over and it's a PP for NYI
- 2nd period is over

3rd PERIOD

- Let's hope the #Oilers come out flying in the 3rd. Puck dropped now...
- 1:00 left in the Islanders PP.
- The Oilers kill it off.
- PP Islanders. Chorney sits for two.
- Smid pushes down Tavares, Penner bowls over Roli and Horcoff gets nailed by Sutton. I tweeted these but they never tweeted. #wtf
- The Oilers kill it off. 8:22 left and it's 3-1 Islanders
- Why is this team so bad right now? #thefluisnotanexcuseanymore #Oilers
- 3:00 minutes left in the 3rd
- Sutton nails Hemsky 3 different timees in one shift. #playBigMac 3-1 Islanders
- Goalie is pulled
- 1:15 left in the 3rd
- O'Sullivan, Hemsky and Smid have looked good tonight.
- 40 seconds left
- Gagner gets mugged Okaposo and all hell breaks loose. #Ilikegagnersfire
- It's game over. 3-1 Islanders If you didn't waste your money on the PPV, you're smart. Thank you and good night.
- How did Moreau get 2nd star? And Witt is 3rd star with 2 goals?

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GAME HIGHLIGHTS




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FINAL SCORE

Edmonton Oilers - 1


New York Islanders - 3


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GAME STATS

- Event Summary

- Game Summary

- Scoring Chances (MC79)

- Post Game Reaction

- Full NHL Play By Play

- Oilers Time On The Ice

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BAD TIMING PENALTY

None - Jacques going to fight Sutton for no reason was pretty close to a BTP.  What are you thinking when it's a clean hit?

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GOAT WATCH

(Smokin' Ray) Ethan Moreau - The freaking guy scored.  What?

(Paq Twinn) Robert Nilsson - He sucked.  I bet he doesn't last the season here.

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BEERS

Ladislav Smid -  He was awesome.  I love the Spaz!  He tossed down Tavares and stuck up for himself and didn't look afraid.  I like the cut of this guys jib and so does Quinn (23:07 of ice time).  In a game where your team loses 3-1, and you end up +1, that's a good game for a defenseman.  He had 2 hits, two takeaways and 3 blocked shots.  Studly game Spaz.  Drink up, it's Miller time. Cheers!

Ales Hemsky - He really did look good.  For once he carried the 1st line and not Penner.  He did a lot out there but failed to score any points.  But that's ok, it's not his fault his line mates were crappy.  Good hustle tonight Hemmer.  Frosty beer? Cheers!

Lubomir Visnovsky - Him and his partner in crime (Smid) are turning into a solid duo.  Lubo never ceases to amaze me.  His stick work is unbelievable.  He can strip anyone of the puck (Tavares included).  He's just a great defenseman to have as an Oiler.  Beer Bong? Cheers!

HONORABLE MENTION(S): Nikolai Khabibulin (He was pretty good even though the guys in front of him couldn't score.), Sam Gagner (He also played better than his linemates.  I liked how he was willing to go to the net.), Patrick O'Sullivan (He had four shots and was creating chances.  He's better than the 3rd line.)

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JEERS

Denis Grebeshkov - What happened to the old Denis from the beginning of the year?  This guy stinks. And stinks bad.  -3 for the night and did nothing but bring down Chorney.  Sad dude.  Boooooo!

Robert Nilsson - Maybe you should just stay in New York.  If I was Tambo, I'd put you on waivers today.  But I'm not and I can't.  But I can boo you. Boooooooo!

HONORABLE MENTION(S): Taylor Chorney (It really wasn't his fault.  Everyone looks bad with Grebeshkov)

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OUR GAME SUMMARIES

Smokin' Ray - What a waste of money.  Do the NHL and the Oilers organization really think that people should have to pay for that?  I say bring on more free Internet TV and not make us pay more than we allready do.  This team sucks right now and it better turn around soon.  Are the players complacent now because the roster is somewhat set?  Where's the urgency?  Gagner was trying hard in the last half of the game and Quinn started to put him out.  Does the team really need Stone that much?  Can the Oilers bounce back from these losses and get back on track?  I hope we find out soon.

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NEXT GAME

New York Rangers vs Edmonton Oilers

Nov 5/09
7:30 pm MT
Sportsnet West

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B&J #76 Edmonton Oilers Recap vs Colorado Avalanche 10/27/09

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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- The Duffman is back!  Comrie kicks the flu and gets back in tonight.  That means that Peckham and MacIntyre are watching from the press box.  Staios, Souray, Pouliot and Pisani are still injured.  Pisani did skate today and word is he may play against the Bruins on Saturday.  With people coming back, it makes the cap issues tight.  The Oilers should have hired a juggler.

- Oilers.com Game Preview

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Pre-Game Records

Edmonton Oilers (6-4-1) vs. Colorado Avalanche (8-1-2)

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TONIGHT'S STARTING LINES

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

Smid-Visnovsky
Gilbert-Grebeshkov
Strudwick-Chorney

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 tonights LIVE Full Game *TweetCast* for the #Oilers vs #Avs
- the Oilers (6-4-1) are looking to halt a 2 game losing skid, they'll be in tough though as the Avs (8-1-2) lead the NW div.
- line up changes for the Oilers: Comrie-in, Peckham-out
- waiting for player intro's, anthems, and puck drop.
- here we go, Avs win the opening draw.
- Hejduk scores, on a spin a round shot. 1-0 Avs 19:35 remaining in the 1st
- Oilers respond to the goal, with some strong play
- Cogs get slammed into the boards head first. No call, WTF?! 4on4 after a scrum. 17:35 1st
- now Smid takes 2 for hooking. Oilers PK
- Khabi makes 2 quick great saves on PK
- Oilers kill off Smids penalty
- Oilers are looking better this game, more like the first few. Cogs is OK, taking a shift.
- halfway through the 1st its 1-0 #Avs
- Avs have a good cycle game, giving the Oilers problems.
- Chorney is havin another good game. the kid just keeps getting better
- the Oilers 4th line is looking better tonight. #gettingchances
- Oilers still handing out gifts to the opposition. #giveaways
- 2 min warning
- its been a fairly fast pace this period
- after the 1st, the #Avs lead the #Oilers 1-0
- despite giving up a goal in 25sec the Oilers played way better then the last 2 games.
- they're still giving away the puck too much, and getting outshot. Oilers need bury chances left a few out there in the 1st

2nd PERIOD

- 2nd period is underway, Avs win the face off
- Hemmer goes off for hooking Stastny. 19:15 2nd
- Oilers PK kill it off
- Oilers with a flurry of chances, after a 3on1.
- more good hockey here in the 2nd. 13:47
- Avs have been oppertunistic, always get shots off any turn over. #Khabistopedmost
- really good back and forth action 8:40 2nd
- Hannan rings one off the post, Brule takes it down and crashes the net.
- Oilers on the PP 8:00 2nd
- Quinn has Comrie and Patty-O on the PPpoints. #Balls
- Gallardi goes off fot 2. 6:12 2nd
- Oilers PP moving the puck well, but few shots
- Avs kill off their back to back minors.
- both Khabi and Anderson have been playing well. #scoringchances + #keysaves = #goodhockey
- 2 min warning
- crowd chants #LetsGOilers for 1st time. last min
- after 2 periods the #Avs still lead the #Oilers 1-0
- this has been a great hockey game so far. the Oilers cleaned up their game a bit in the 2nd
- The only thing that would make this more of a pleasant experience, is if the Oilers would score already.
- the Oilers have played good, just can't bury any of their chances

3rd PERIOD

- 3rd period is underway
- the Oilers 2nd line of 91-10-19 is getting better evey shift. #goodchance 18:00 3rd
- Pens has a great shift, gets dumped and no call. #twoblindmice
- Oilers get ornery after Avs crash their net. 14:12 3rd
- the 1st line continues to play well
- Wolski scores, on nice drive to the net. 2-0 Avs
- halfway through the 3rd, the Olers have steep hill to climb. #letsgetone #please
- Oilers pressing for a goal. #secondline
- with 5 mins remaing Oilers have a big draw in Avs zone. #needagoal
- great chances for the Oilers, but nothing
- Chorney is hit from behind, and is shakin up a bit. no call. 4on4 after the scrum. 2:50
- Oilers pull Khabi with 2:30 reaning in the 3rd
- Chorney saves a goal but it would have been penaltyshot... Wolski is awarded his 2nd goal. 3-0 Avs
- Oilers PP 1:12 3rd
- the buzzer sounds and the Oilers lose 3-0 to the Avs.
- Anderson(1) Hejduk(2) and Khabi(3) get the Stars for the game.
- for the 2nd game in a row the Oilers were shutout. is it the flu? is it the injuries?
- i'm not sure but the guys that ARE healthy and playing need to play better and capitalize when they do get chances.
- Oilers not shooting enough and again were out shot by about a 2-1 margin.
- hopefully they improve for the next one.
- Thanks for following this LIVE *TweetCast* of the #Oilers vs #Avs. Next up the #RedWings Thur. Oct. 29.
------------------

GAME HIGHLIGHTS





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

FINAL SCORE

Colorado Avalanche - 3

Edmonton Oilers - 0

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

GAME STATS

- Event Summary

- Game Summary

- Roster Report

- Faceoffs Report

- Shot Report

- Full NHL Play By Play

- Oilers Time On The Ice

- Avs Time On The Ice

- Post Game Reaction Video

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

BAD TIMING PENALTY

None - The only real BTP was the refs not calling any on Colorado.  Twice the Oilers should have had a PP.

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

GOAT WATCH

(Smokin' Ray) Ethan Moreau - Baaad!

(Paq Twinn) Robert Nilsson - Baaad!

------------------
BEERS

Zack Stortini - I liked his vigor tonight.  He played with passion and busted his hump.  If only the rest of the team played like him.  The stats don't reflect his actual play tonight.  I thought that he was good enough for a beer.  Frosty?  Cheers!

Nikolai Khabibulin - Solid, solid, solid!  He kept this team in the game and the team did nothing.  I sure hope we aren't wasting all his good energy on crappy games like this.  The Bulin wall was once again just that.  What else can we say about him?  Great game.  Miller time? Cheers!

HONORABLE MENTION(S): Shawn Horcoff (He actually played pretty good.  He was trying hard.  He did good at being defensive but was really bad on faceoffs.), JF Jacques (He was hitting people and causing a commotion where ever he went.), The 1st Line (Even though they didn't score, they played pretty good.  They just needed to shoot more.)

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

JEERS

The Entire Team - Two games in a row and not one goal.  WTF? Boooooo!

Denis Grebeshkov - One giveaway (bull crap! It was way more than that.) and two blocked shots and he was -1.  The worst of the worst two games in a row.  That must suck.  Boooooo!

HONORABLE MENTION(S): Robert Nilsson (Wow. You did squat out there and was a -2.  Does he get sent to the minors first? He's my guess.), Ethan Moreau (Are you our leader?  You could have fooled me.)

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

OUR GAME SUMMARIES

Smokin' Ray - Everyone played pretty average.  It's sick to watch.  The sickest part was the absolute worst referee's ever.  Twice there was a blatant hit from behind and no call.  I wonder if the Oilers could file a complaint?  Not that it's going to change anything.  After watching Pat Quinn in his post game conference he's mad.  And rightfully so.  What else did he say? One Oiler player (he won't say who) has the H1N1 virus and it's confirmed.  Crazy huh?  Who could it be?  Buck up for the next game boys, or the Rexall crowd is going to get pissy.

Paq Twinn - I'm going to make this quick. UNACCEPTABLE. I can handle losses but not like these last two. Injuries or illness aside, getting shutout twice in a row is foul. Get better soon, on and off, the ice.

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

NEXT GAME

Oilers vs. Detroit Red Wings

Oct 29/09
7:30 pm MT
Sportsnet West

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

LIVE Oilers vs. Black Hawks Play by Play TweetCast Here!!!

Welcome folks.  If your reading this post then you went past the TweetCast at the top of the page.  All game long, Paq Twinn is providing a LIVE TweetCast of the Oilers vs. Hawks game.  You just need to refresh the page every so often by clicking on the Oilers Jambalaya banner at the very top of the page.  If you have Twitter then you can also follow it there as well.  Look for @PaqTwinn and follow him for all the updates.

I know this isn't video, but it's the next best thing.  GOILERS!

Beers and Jeers #67 (Oct 8/09 vs. Calgary Flames)

There was a wind/snowstorm in Alberta today.  Very cold out considering we were at 30 degrees two weeks ago.  Brrrrrr.  What happened to Fall?  Are we not getting it? *shakes fist at Mother Nature for skipping Fall*

Rob Schremp is wearing 13 and didn't look very good tonight with the NYI.  I'm not really sad any more  and I'm kind of relieved that he's gone.

Just found out that Center ice is free right now.  Wish I knew and I wouldn't have paid for the last PPV.

Quinn shuffles the lines in practice to fool the fLames.  Crazy old fox.

Staios and Nilsson are out / Moreau and Strudwick is in

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

Tonight's Starting Lines

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

Souray Smid
Gilbert Grebeshkov
Strudwick Visnovsky

Khabibulin
Deslauriers

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

1st Period

- Good start.  All 4 lines look good.  Fast pace.
- The first 10 minutes went by fast.
- Bulin's looking good.  He's been making some great saves.  He seems confidant.
- It only took a game and a half period of this season for Kevin Quinn to say, "He has to get a new cue." for a broken stick.
- Gagner and Stortini belong together.  There's just something about them that seems right.
- PP fLames (Moreau at 14:18):  The Oilers kill it off with no real chances for the fLames.
- Moreau steps out of the box and gets a breakaway. SCORES!!!  1-0 Oilers (18-67-37 at 16:27)
- Moreau is now revved up and so is Gagner. 
- Bouwmeester rocks Smid and Smid gets pissy.  Iginla comes in and has words with Smid.
- PP Oilers (Bouwmeester at 19:28) Visnovsky SCORES!!! 2-0 Oilers (71-91-19 at 19:46)
- Great period by both teams.  Great action.

2nd period

- Souray and Iginla come together into the boards and Souray goes head first.  His head is cut and he leaves the game with a mild concussion.
- PP Oilers (Iginla at 0:18) The fLames kill it off with the Oilers not really doing much.
- At 5:50, Bulin comes out and plays the puck.  The crowd cheered. 
- Fight!  Moreau vs. Iginla at 6:09.  Moreau tosses a few, slips, Iginla doesn't kill him when he's down, Moreau gets up, Iginla chucks a few uppercuts while the refs break it up, it's over.
- PP fLames. (Stortini at 8:47)  Before you know it...
- PP fLames 5 on 3 (Grebeshkov at 9:14) What the hell man?  Talk about a killer.  This games BTP™.
- Smid takes a puck off the ankle (blocked shot) during the PK. Ouch!
- The Oilers kill off both penalties and somehow get some life.
- PP Oilers (Bourque at 11:54)  Just as the 5 on 3 is over, he takes a tripping penalty.
- The Oilers can't do anything on this PP.  They waste the 2 minutes.
- PP fLames. (O'Sullivan at 16:35) The Oilers keep the PK rolling and kill it off.
- Flames score. Boooooo! Another redirection by an Oiler.  This time Strudwick.  2-1 Oilers. (22-17-5 at 19:31)
- Good period by both teams.  It's a pretty close game.

3rd Period

- Another good start to a period by the Oilers.
- Regehr nails Gagner and then roughs him up a bit.  Stortini gets there quickly and gives Regehr an ear full.  At one point (I read his lips) he says, "Your dead Regehr".  How do you not love this guy?
- fLames score. Ugh! Boooooo!  Another redirection but by a fLamer.  2-2 Tie Game. (15-8-17 at 4:11)
- Intense game so far.
- Grebeshkov will a brutal giveaway at 8:10
- Oilers SCORE! Yeah!!!!  Hemsky with an easy slid in.  3-2 Oilers.  (83-10-37 at 13:30)
- In the last 5 minutes Quinn went with these lines: 1st, 3rd, 4th, 1st, 4th, 1st.
- With 30 seconds left, Quinn puts out the big boys to finish off the game. 27-10-18-43-77
- It doesn't work.
- fLames score. It looked like a high stick but it's called a goal. Boooooo! 3-3 Tie Game (17-4-3 at 19:58)

Overtime

- PP Oilers (Girodano at 0:35)  Quinn rolls with two sets. (89-19-91-71) & (10-83-27-37)
- Kipper is on fire and the Oilers can't score.  Penalty is over.
- What a Battle of Alberta.

Shoot Out

- Gagner - poke checked
- O'Sullivan - shoots and scores
- Hemsky - rings it off the post

-----------

FINAL SCORE

Calgary Flames - 4
Edmonton Oilers -3  SO

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

Bad Timing Penalty™

Denis Grebeshkov - With the Oilers already a man down, Grebs manages to take a stupid hooking penalty and turn the man advantage into a 5 on 3.  Not really a good thing to do to your team when you have a two goal lead. 

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

BEERS

Sam Gagner - Once again he was good.  He didn't score, but he was all over the place.  He was even playing like a big guy.  After a crappy pre-season, he's on fire so far.  He had 5 shots and was 67% on faceoffs.  That's huge for him.  Frosty beer Gags?  Cheers!

Lubomir Visnovsky - This guy is finaly getting better.  He also hasn't been great up until this game.  He was playing hard all game and stepped up even more when Souray went down.  He scores a goal and plays over 24 minutes.  He also had 3 hits and 3 blocked shots and took 8 shots with only 3 hitting the net.  Great game tonight Lubes.  Miller time. Cheers!

Nikolai Khabibulin - If we won he would be the hero.  But we didn't.  He was good tonight.  The best I have seen him in an Oiler uniform.  He made great saves and was burned/fooled on the last goal in the 3rd.  I can hardly fault him for it.  He made 25 saves and made me less nervous.  So why not?  Let's have a beer together.  Cheers!

Zack Stortini - Storts was a machine tonight.  He really blends well with Gagner and I hope he gets more time with him.  I would just put Cogs there with them. It's wierd he didn't get more stats but no matter, he was good enough for my liking.  Good job Storts. Frosty? Cheers!

Ryan Stone - I never liked this guy yet, but tonight I did.  He was trying for the big hit all night. He landed a few good shots and made people look twice to see when he's coming.  He had 4 hits on record.  Who knows... he may be better than I thought.  A cold mug o'beer? Cheers!

Tom Gilbert - He may have been the best defenceman out there tonight.  He just played really good.  he made solid, sound decisions.  He played over 25 minutes, with 2 shots, 2 take aways, and 2 blocked shots.  I hope this is the beginning of a great year for Mr. Gilbert.  Thirsty?  Sure you are. Cheers!

Honorable Mentipns: Patrick O'Sullivan (Had an assist on the Visnovsky goal.  Played well.), Mike Comrie (He still needs to work on his conditioning.  But he played ok.), Jason Strudwick (Not bad for his 1st game of the year.), Ales Hemsky (Needs to show up quicker in the game.  He can't wait till the end to bring it.  He scores his 1st of the year.), Shawn Horcoff (He did nothing special, but played good enough.), Denis Grebeshkov (Had 2 assists but had 3 giveaways.  That has to improve soon.), Ladi Smid (He played a solid game.)

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

JEERS

None worth complaing about.

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

That was a good game, I just can't believe that we lost to the fLames again.  And again to another crappy goal.

Next game is Saturday, so I see you all then. 

Don't forget you can be friends on Facebook with Smokin' Ray Burnt and Paq Twinn.  We are always talking hockey. Come join us.

Beers and Jeers #64 (Sept 27/09 vs. Vancouver Canucks)

It's funny I was reading various NHL stories today and I came across a story about the Oilers and the Preds maybe making a trade.  I threw out Jordan Tootoo maybe coming to Edmonton, while no one else has that I know of. I read a story about it (HERE) and it says it had good local sources that said it.  Could it be that I'm that source? *gasp while doubting it*

JF Jacques and Dustin Penner have been two out of three of the biggest surprises of the pre-season.  (Comrie being the 3rd.)  I've never been a fan of either one, but I'm starting to be now.  They have been very impressive.  Can they hold up for 82 games and then some?  How long does Jacques stay on the #1 line?  Can he score 20 goals?  Can Penner stay skinny?

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

Tonight's Starting Lines

Jacques Horcoff Hemsky
Penner Comrie O'Sullivan
MacIntyre Gagner Cogliano (Reddox replaced Big Mac after one shift)
Reddox Brule Stortini

Souray Staios
Smid Gilbert
Strudwick Visnovsky

Khabibulin
Deslauriers

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

FINAL SCORE

Vancouver Canucks - 4
Edmonton Oilers - 5   OT

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

Bad Timing Penalty™

none

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

BEERS

Mike Comrie - The mini Brick had two goals and was a +1.  He keeps playing well with O'Sullivan and continues to surprise the Oiler faithful.  I still keep thinking it's some crazy screwed up dream that he's back as an Oiler.  *deja vu*  Does little Mikey want a beer?  Of course he does.  Cheers!

JF Jacques - A goal and an assist and another solid performance on the 1st line.  This guy is unreal.  I think that he can do well this year as long as his previous injuries don't comeback to haunt him.  He was awarded 1st star tonight.  For tonight's excellent performance... a cold frosty Bud.  Cheers!

Ales Hemsky - 7 shots and 2 assists tonight for Hemmer.  This was his best game by far this pre-season.  About time I might add.  I was wondering when he was going to show up.  He just needed to wait until the last game I suppose.  How about a nice Harold traditional Czech lager?  Cheers!

Lubomir Visnovsky - +3 and an assist.  This guy also needed to have a solid game tonight.  And he did.  He made a sweet 4 moves before he slid the puck over to Comrie for an easy tap in.  Over 23 minutes of ice time showed that Quinn and Co. have faith in him.  We will need Lubo if the Oilers are going to be great this year.  How about a cold beer for Lubo?  Cheers!

Shawn Horcoff - Scored a goal and an assist and was pretty solid.  Nice to see him and Hemmer meshing with Jacques.  This may be a good year for Horcoff as it seems like the coaches are not going to skate his bag off.  Solid game Horc.  Beer?  Cheers!

Honorable Mentions: Gilbert Brule (He had an assist on the GWG and had a great fight.  Limited minutes, but a very solid night.), Sam Gagner (The little guy was pretty good.), Dustin Penner (Also pretty good tonight (1 assist).  Most consistent in pre-season.), Ladislav Smid (played very good tonight.  Ended up +2.), Andrew Cogliano (Seems to like to play with Gagner.  It is showing.), Tom Gilbert (Scores the winning goal and was excellent all game.)

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

JEERS

Nikolai Khabibulin - He had a real off start to this game.  He seemed really slow and kind of out off it.  He did play a little better as the game went on, but man he's starting to scare me.  4 years Tambo?!?  I'm hoping I wrong because I was fired up about the signing when it happened, but I might be getting buyers remorse.  For a pretty crappy game tonight... Booooooooo!

Sheldon Souray / Steve Staios - It's strange.  These guys suit each other in the styles that they play, but man do they suck as a pairing.  That was like watching a train wreck in slow motion.  They were the only Oilers that ended the game with a minus rating.  If I was Quinn, I would reconsider keeping these two together.  For a stinky game.... Booooooooo!

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

GOAT WATCH

Ethan Moreau - Did not play.

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

Well a good game for the most part.  Lots of action and thank god the Oilers pulled off the win.  The Canucks sure seemed hell bent to beat us.  But the boys pull out a stellar/lucky win.  Some jobs were secured in this game and some were lost.  As of this writing, Devan Dubnyk, Kip Brennan, Rob Schremp, Taylor Chorney and Jordan Eberle have all been cut from the Oilers.  Eberle naturally is going back to Junior and Schremp is going on waivers.  Good luck to Rob in the future as I'm sure that some team will pick him up.  ~He will no doubt turn into a star and we will have to debate it for the next 10 years.~ 

This may have been Big mac's final game as an Oiler.  :(   I've liked him from day one.  His story is awesome and one that I was glad to watch for the past year or so.  Thanks for the memories big guy. *once again I hope I'm wrong and he sticks with the big club*

Ok... next up is the regular season.  Who excited now?  *hand up*

Beers and Jeers #60 (Sept 19/09 vs. Vancouver Canucks)

First off, it's going to be nice to see Brad Lukowich a little more this season (traded to Canucks in the summer) as he has spent a lot of his career in the east. I've known him since Jr. High in Cranbrook and he's a real good person. Never in a million years did I think that he would be in the NHL, never mind winning the cup twice (lucky bugger). But when it's game time vs. the Oilers, he's a piece of trash. ; )

This game was real dry and not very exciting. At times it was painful to watch. There was no fights or hatred on the ice which is weird for a Canucks/Oiler game. I'm sure Quinn wasn't impressed. But going up against Luongo is always going to be difficult. Tonight wasn't any different. He was good. But so was Deslauriers. They had a good goalie duel. Unfortunately, Vancouver came out on top. Damn you Canucks!

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

Edmonton Oilers Starting Lineup

Brule— Gagner — Hemsky

Penner — Cogliano — Eberle

Moreau — Pouliot — Nilsson

McDonald — Reddox — MacIntyre

------

Smid — Souray

Motin — Grebeshkov

Taylor — Young

------

Deslauriers

Dubynk

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

FINAL SCORE

Edmonton Oilers - 1

Vancouver Canucks - 3

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

Bad Timing Penalty™

Robert Nilsson - Not only did he take a penalty in the 1st period, which the Canucks scored on to start the game off, he took the BTP™ at 7:27 of the 3rd period. The game was in a lull and either team needed some kind of spark to get going. Nilsson goes for tripping and the crowd really gets into the PP. The Canucks can't score but the crowd is involved and loud. A minute and change after the penalty expires, the Canucks ride the crowd momentum and score to make it 2-1. Crap!

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

GAME SUMMARY

STAT SHEET

EDMONTONOILERS.com RECAP

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

BEERS

Sheldon Souray - Big Sexy does it again. He blasted a beauty past Luongo in the 1st period with 6 seconds left in the frame. He played good tonight. He led the team with 25:45 and didn't look winded. The man is a leader. For doing you best Souray... Have a frosty beer. Cheers!

Jeff Deslauriers - After watching Dubynk play so far, I sort of dismissed JDD as the future of the Oiler goalies. But tonight he was rock solid. He covered the net well and did a good job at controlling his rebounds. The Oilers are going to have a tough decision ahead of them next year. I'm glad I don't have to pick. For a standout game tonight... It's (insert french beer) time. Cheers!

Ladislav Smid - The Spaz sure has changed since last season. He seemed calm and cool out there. He seems confidant in his playing ability. He's the one guy who I have waited to screw up and he hasn't. he's been good. He logged 25:39 of ice time and made a good partner for Souray. Your effort was beer worthy Mr. Smid. Can or Bottle? Oh... Big Bear. Cheers!

Honorable Mention - Johan Motin (He played well again. I can't believe he's only 19.), Jordan Eberle (He sure makes it look easy. He has been good.)

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

JEERS

Robert Nilsson - See the BTP™ section above. Nilsson was at fault for this loss. He seems to be playing himself out of a job with the Oilers. Sadly... I don't really care anymore. Boooooooo!

Marc Pouliot - Another guy who needs to shine and doesn't. Ending the night at +1 isn't good enough. Where's the desperation? Where's the fire? The lack of desire to be in the NHL is enough to drive a guy like me mad. Boooooooo!

Gilbert Brule - He wasn't all that bad. It's pretty clear that he suits a more 3rd/4th line type role. I just don't see him as a top six guy. Oh well... accept what you are and develop it. If you want to be in the NHL that is. Booooooo!

The Entire Team - You guys were stuck in a medium pace for the entire game. What a boring game to watch. I was really expecting some more guys trying their butts off to win a job. I guess I was expecting to much. *gasp* I bet the next squad will be fired up after watching that crappy game. Boooooo!

Honorable Mentions - Ales Hemsky (Needs to be better. Maybe he misses Horcoff?), Sam Gagner (Not meshing with Hemsky at all.), Ethan Moreau (Nothing more than a fourth line player now.)

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

Who Should Get Sent Down Next?

#57 Colin MacDonald, #81 Jake Taylor, #28 Brian Young

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

Oh well... new game tomorrow. Let's Go Oilers!!!

Beers and Jeers #59 (Sept. 18/09 vs. Florida Panthers)

Pre Season game #3. Woooooo! It's not like I'm fired up for PS. I just like to see the guys that we never get to see play play. Who is this Miroslav Laso you wonder? He fast and skilled. Is Robbie Schremp ready for the jump? No. Is Penner really that fast now? Yes. We wouldn't know any of this if the NHL didn't provide us Internet access to the games. I/We thank them for that. Plus it's made my hockey season start a little early. : )

-----

I really like the scoreboard view of the game on the computer. I always laugh when they show stuff like the Smooch cam and it flips to two dudes sitting there. Always a gut buster. And I always seem to get a little jealous when the $18,485.00 50/50 ticket is drawn. Damn you and your winning you winners!!! *shakes fist*

-----

Do you ever wonder if Rod Phillips dreads calling pre season games? All these new and hard to say names. Here's Smaosjrerf over to Michakakalla. And the numbers are always strange. 86 to 53 to 79. I bet he's glad when it's all over and the Regular Season starts.

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

Edmonton Oilers Starting Lineup

.

Jacques — Horcoff — Schremp

O’Sullivan — Comrie — Stone

Lazo — Brule — Linglet

Brennan — O’Marra — Stortini

.

Gilbert — Chorney

Staios — Arsene

Strudwick — Plante

.

Khabibulin and Dubnyk

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

.

Final Score

.

Florida Panthers - 0

Edmonton Oilers - 4

.

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

Bad Timing Penalty™

- None

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

Full Game Summary by Jen Sharpe

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

-----

BEERS

-----

Mike Comrie - The man made good on his promise to try and win the fans' appreciation and faith back. He played his ass off tonight. He was skating and back-checking like there was no tomorrow. He assisted on every goal in this game. Plus, he fought Eric Himelfarb, four minutes into the 3rd period. The man was on a mission. I don't think that one fan walked out of that building not liking Mike Comrie. The man deserves a beer. Cheers!

-----

Patrick O'Sullivan - Same goes for O'Sullivan. He was dynamite tonight. The chemistry that him and Comrie have is uncanny. It's refreshing to see a guy bust his hump for this team. I guess this is why we traded Cole away for him. This guy is a real damn good player. With a goal and an assist, and 8 shots... It's Miller Time. Cheers!

-----

JF Jacques - I'll be honest here. I've never liked JFJ. I did tonight though. He was fierce and devastating. He created a lot of emotion and stuck up for Schremp in the 1st. He managed a goal and 5 hits. He played Pat Quinn hockey. Expect a good look for him if he keeps this up. Don't beat me up, have a beer? Cheers!

-----

Zack Stortini - He was on the designated 4th line with O'Marra and Brennan (Which I'm sure Brule was with the two big guys midway though the game). Storts not only went out and did his thing on the 4th line, he was also on the PK and the PP. WTF? I know... that is what I said when I seen him on the PK. But he did good. The PK he was solid and the PP he was the Penner. The whole game for him was good. Very beer worthy. Good job Zack. Cheers!

-----

Taylor Chorney - Is he the new Gilbert? He sure looked like him all game. He was jumping up in the play. He was pretty solid in his own end. This guy is one of my biggest surprises of Training Camp. He can play in the NHL right now. But he won't. For a great game... have a drink on me. Cheers!

-----

Honorable Mentions - Nikolai Khabibulin (Pulls out a shutout. Didn't face many shots but was great when he was needed.), Ryan Stone (Played really good. Good hustle. Two assists), Alex Plante (Solid D man. I can see the potential.), Tom Gilbert (Flawless but not flashy. Logged over 24 minutes of ice.), Miroslav Lazo (Fast and offensively minded. I quite liked this guy. I want to see more.)

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

-----

JEERS

-----

Robbie Schremp - What was this guy doing tonight? After a nice 1st game, he panics tonight and plays bad. He was losing the puck and falling down. He only really looked good on the PP. Even then he looked shaky and really produced nothing. Your only screwing yourself Rob. Ding..Ding.. Last call. Boooooooo!

-----

Kip Brennan - What the hell man? Is fighting all you want to do? Get rid of this guy. With the rep he has, no one will fight him. So why waste time here? Even Big Mac tries to actually play hockey. Do we really need this guy at camp still? I don't think so. Send him on the next plane to Springfield. Booooooo!

-----

Shawn Horcoff - Now Horcoff wasn't stinky tonight. He was average. Just plain Jane average. He clearly looks lost without Hemsky. I'll give him the fact that Schremp sucked tonight. But really. Horcoff needs to be better on his own. The goal he did score was a pretty easy tap in that I'm sure even Schremp himself could've scored. With the Comrie/O'Sullivan show on the go, that is kinda bumping Horcoff to the #3 spot. Maybe it's for the best. But for tonight's whatever effort... Boooooo!

-----

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

Well that's it folks... until tomorrow that is. See you then. GO OILERS!

Beers and Jeers #58 (Sept 16/09 vs. New York Islanders)

Well folks... the Beers & Jeers is back. It's been a long summer full of crap that we don't need to speak about anymore (READ: Heatley). It's time to move on... I'm excited.

#1 Draft pick Jon Tavares is in town with his New York Islanders. This will be the first time he wears a real NHL uniform. It's pretty cool that he's here in Edmonton for this. But they didn't bring Roli for this trip and that's too bad. I'm sure the crowd at Rexall would have liked to cheer for him one more time. Let's hope we crush these guys. Go Oilers!

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

New York Islanders - 2

Edmonton Oilers - 3

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Tonight's Bad Timing Penalty™

Sheldon Souray - With :17 seconds left, he takes a Hooking penalty in the Oilers zone. The NYI don't score, but that still can't happen in the regular season. That is a excellent chance for a team to tie a game. That's pure Ethan Moreau style™. Leave it for him to do.

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BEERS

Devan Dubnyk/JDD - This is a hard choice for me. They are both solid goalies. The more I see them, the more I don't know why we took Khabibulin for 4 years. We are going to lose one of these guys next year due to waivers. Who do you keep? I call Dubynk. Beers to the both of you for tonight's win. Cheers!

Johan Motin - This is the first time I have ever seen this guy. He impressed me with his vision and smart playing. He had some minor bobbles, but overall looked close to being a NHL player someday. More or less a Honorable Mention, but still worthy of a beer. Cheers!

Sheldon Souray - Big Sexy broke the glass with his shot tonight. TWICE! That's right. Twice. By far the best Oiler on the ice tonight. He even manages to score the winning goal. If you ask me... Souray for Captain! But that's a topic for a new day. Have a frosty Big Guy. Cheers!

Jordan Eberle - He may be pushed off the puck a little too easy, but his knack for the game is evident. I'm sure he will stick around until the last cuts this year. He did way better than I expected. You can tell he's young, but mature in hockey wise. Are you even allowed to have beer? Ahh... Good game. Cheers!

Sam Gagner - He started the game off slow. By the 3rd period he found his legs. He started to want the puck more and even scored a goal and had an assist. I was thinking that the 12 89 83 line would be dynamite. But they weren't. Sam was the best one on that line and deserves a beer for the effort. Cheers!

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JEERS

Robert Nilsson - Not what I was expecting from a guy who really needs to impress. There was no flashy moves, no shooting it up like a gangster, no real pizazz. Maybe it was just nerves playing in front of the home crowd? Either way.... Boooooo!

Liam Reddox - Here is another guy that really needs to impress for a spot. As far as I seen, he didn't. The double minor penalty was a stupid blatant attempt to hit someone. You can't reach out like he did and be called with a clean hit. Unfortunately, Meyer was cut and Reddox sat for four. A little later on, he took another penalty. Not cool either. he did manage a breakaway. A 2 on 1 with Big Mac. Reddox loses the puck and that's that. (Big Mac most likely would have not scored, but you never know.) Not a good game Liam, worst on the team. Booooooo!

Ales Hemsky - No razzle... no dazzle. Hemsky wasn't bad, he was average. The words "Average" and "Hemsky" makes no sense together if he wants to be the "guy" on this team. He did have a good scoring chance, but somehow managed to hit the goalie stick at the line. After that, he was silent. I was hoping that the moody Hemsky would have left with MacT. I guess nothing happens overnight. I would expect a different guy at the next game he plays for sure. He's better than this. Booooooo!

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Smokin' Ray Burnt