To start the night off, I'm relaxing and I'm playing with my daughter. I better check out OilersNation tonight. What? Someone says it's a PPV. I look on my wallpaper made by the Edmonton Oilers. It says it's on Sportsnet. Can the well oiled machine we call the Oilers make a mistake like that again? (I say again because they did this last month too.) Surprise! You have to pay to watch them lose. I wonder what the PPV record is? I think I have only been satisfied 3 times this year. Whatever, they better win or they should have the team come door to door and hand me/us a refund for every crap game that I/we pay for.
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1st Period
- The game started off with some great action and massive amounts of intensity. There was some big hits from the 4th line. Stortini even managed cause a bit of emotion by throwing a couple of real nice hits, which Matt Walker to exception to. The two fought and it was a draw. 10 seconds later Moreau goes down behind the Hawks net and flicks it. It deflects of a stick and over the net and knocks of of Huet and goes in. Talk about lucky goal. Try and do that one twice. The halfway mark poses a bad time line for the Oilers. This is when the defensive blunders begin and never really go away. Chicago slowly picks up the momentum and pace. This can't be good. The Oilers escape the period with the lead 1-0. Lucky us. So far so good. Well... Roli was good. One of the main reasons the Oilers are leading.
1st line-Not Effective, 2nd line-Effective, 3rd line-somewhat effective, 4th line-Effective
2nd Period
-Started out pretty good. Came out hopping. But wouldn't you know it. Who takes a penalty? Moreau (surprise!), and Chicago scores (double surprise!). Tie game and the momentum has changed. I guess this nullifies the fluke goal he had in the 1st period. Now he's back to being just average. Hmmm. From this point on the Hawks had their way with the Oilers like they were in prison and the Oilers were newbies. At the (approx) 13:00 mark of the 2nd period, the PPV crew just so happened to show the shot clock. 27-9 in favor of the Hawks. Nice. Good thing for Roli. But 3 minutes later Chicago scores and makes it 2-1. So much for the 1-0 lead after the 1st.
1st line-Not Effective, 2nd line-Effective, 3rd line-Not Effective, 4th line-Effective
3rd Period
-Of course, Chicago comes out of the gate firing like a old guy from the old days. You know... the guys with guns. Chicago was owning this period as well. I really thought that this was going to be an Oiler period. I guess I was wrong. (what's new?) At about the 5:52 minute mark Visnovsky goes in to throw a hit to one of the Hawks but doesn't really get all of him. Boom! Shoulder pops out. Damn that's gotta hurt. I suppose he will be gone for a couple weeks. (unless he is like Mr. Gumby Stortini?) That sucks. The team really needs him. However the Hawks take a penalty and the Oilers go on the PP. MacT sends out Gagner / Horcoff / Hemsky / Souray / Grebeshkov. They look good, but do nothing. And wouldn't you know it... the Hawks score 2 minutes later after they kill off the penalty. Son of a gun. 3-1 Hawks. Chicago continues on dominating this game. The Oilers do get a chance at the end of the game with a PP. MacT even pulls Roli. But no deal today. Hemsky even gets a nice feed and goes in on a breakaway. But doesn't score. And that's the final buzzer. Thank god!
1st line-Not Effective, 2nd Line-Effective, 3rd line-Not Effective, 4th line-Effective
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Tonight's Starting Lines
Nilsson Horcoff Hemsky (This line sucked tonight. They had zero chances and were out played all game. Hemsky was rocked a few times and made him puck shy. He wasn't the same all game. Maybe the concussion is back? But what's Horcoff's and Ricky Bobby's problem?)
Potulny Gagner Cole (I quite liked this line. Gagner seemed to fall down a lot in the 1st. I wonder if his ankle isn't quite as good as they say it is? Potulny is a great player. He compliments Cole and Gags quite nicely. I would expect these guys to do well on the next 3 game roadie.)
Moreau Cogliano Pouliot (Moreau was going good in the beginning and then petered off half ways through the game. Pouliot started sucking from when the anthems were played. Cogliano wasn't noticeable tonight. That's not really a good thing.)
Penner Brodziak Stortini (This line was quite good. Lots of energy (I know... Penner and energy sound weird together) Lots of Jam as MacT likes to say. They created good scoring chances and were providing all the big hits. Maybe this is the new 3rd line?)
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FINAL SCORE
Chicago Blackhawks - 3
Edmonton Oilers - 1
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BEERS
Dwayne Roloson
- If anyone on this team is deserving of a beer it's Roli. The man does what he can every single game. He is everything a team looks for in a goalie. (except his age) Roli made 41 saves tonight. In fact, have two beers Roli. One to drink and one for the bruises. Cheers!
Honorable Mentions
- Ryan Potulny (I liked the way he played tonight. Good all around guy. Smart decisions.), The 4th Line (A great line tonight. see above)
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JEERS
Marc Pouliot
- You only played 12:45 and you managed 3 giveaways. Nice. Pouliot was a big reason why the 3rd line sucked tonight. 0 shots and 0 hits. Not good stats for a checking line guy. I would have to think that Mr. Poo will be sitting out the next game. Silly rabbit... tricks are for kids. Booooooooooooooooooo!
Ales Hemsky
- Look, I understand that your linemates were very crappy this evening. But, after taking those couple hits you seemed to fold like an accordion. Or maybe more like a disappearing magician? Either way, if you want to be counted on to be the "guy" then these are those times when you need to shine. A time to step it up. And you didn't. Maybe if Big Mac was in the line up you may not have had such a rough night. But you were MIA. Until the last 30 seconds. Sorry, but I have no chioce. Booooooooooooooooooo!
The Entire Team
- Quit wasting my god dang hard earned money. Booooooooooooooooooooooo!
The Kevin "What?" Quinn / Rob "Plugs" Brown Broadcast team
- Nice work tonight ladies. Rob Brown was on top of his game tonight. "Kent Nilsson makes a nice pass here... I mean Robert." Wrong decade Plugs. or "he almost scores on the 7 hole" My Wife and I both said "what?" at the same time. I can tell you what hole I would shove a puck in for Mr. Brown though. Rob Brown is a moron, and he gets paid for this?
- Kevin Quinn is no different. He likes to change words. "Oh...it looks like he needs to get a new twig" A twig Kevin? or "he's off to the bench to get a new cue." Wrong sport. Oh these guys are quite a pair. Such a crappy pair of crap. The Oilers seriously couldn't find anyone better? So for the two morons that take a pay cheque to be unprepared for every PPV... Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
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Well that was another dollar wasted. And I'm sure I'll do it again. But until next time...