Beers and Jeers #29 (Feb 7/09 vs. Detroit Red Wings)

I hear that Shawn Horcoff isn't playing tonight and that Kyle Brodziak is taking his place on the 1st line. Tom Gilbert is playing tonight which is good. On a side note, Theo Peckham (D) has been called up and Ryan Potulny (F) has been sent down.

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1st Period

Roli gets the game going in the 1st minute with a stick to the balls to Dan Cleary. Nice move. But it resulted in a penalty. A short time later Detroit (Rafalski) scores on the same PP. 1-0 Wings. About 2 minutes later Detroit was breaking in to the Oilers zone. Pouliot looks at the guy (Lebda) he is supposed to be covering and then looks back to the shooter. Well, Lebda gets the pass and scores. Pouliot looks dumb. 2-0 wings. At 5:44 Detroit (Cleary) scores again. 3-0 Wings. They are making the Oilers look like the Oil Kings. For those who say the Oilers are a "puck possession" team, then I think they need to watch Detroit. They are a true puck possession team. Gagner then takes a questionable cross checking penalty and Detroit (Hossa) scores again. 4-0 Wings. In the last 2:00 minutes in the period Brodziak loses it and Detroit scores (Datsyuk) once more and makes it 5-0. Wow. What a bad period.

2nd Period

MacT seems to be switching things up. Deslauriers gets the nod. Sorry Roli. Maybe tomorrow. It also looks like Peckham and Strudwick are changing places. And if I was MacT, I would give Hemmer something better than a couple of 3rd liners to play with. Cogs and Moreau would be a better option than Penner and Brodziak. IMO. The game gets in a good flow for the first 8:00 minutes of the period. Hemsky takes a penalty. (He is playing very crappy this past few games. Wonder why?) And the Oilers kill off the penalty. Finally we kill one. But a short time later Detroit takes a penalty. This could be a jump start for the Oilers. But... it isn't. The Oilers do however get on a little momentum swing and start giving Detroit some serious presssure which results in another Detroit penalty. Sam Gagner has been the Oilers best player so far in this game (IMO). I really like his drive that he has to try and do something out there. But he's little and really when it comes down to it, he really can't do much. Yet. In time I can see him being really good. Better than Hemsky. But that's just my opinion. So with 5:00 minutes left in the 2nd, MacT has the MacBlender on at a medium pace. It's getting hard to keep up with who's with who. But the Oilers do look much better in the 2nd then they did in the 1st. But it's too little, too late. The score is still 5-0 Wings. *opens another beer* Oh wait. Detroit wants one more. Lidstrom scores this time with 7 seconds left in the period. 6-0 Wings. I guess I spoke too soon.

3rd Period

I am very optimistic for this period. I think we can at least score one goal. Right? Please? We will see... The period started off pretty good. Brodziak is back with the 4th line for a shift and had a nice breakaway. Didn't score, but nice. But the Oilers do score. All right Stortini! A crash to the net type goal and thank god. We needed that. 6-1 Wings. So with 15:00 minutes left... can a miracle happen? 5 more goals to tie. Well it happened. Another goal (7:01). Stortini to Penner. Storts is on a mission. 6-2 Wings. Detroit is maybe to comfortable right now. But the Oilers are a 3rd period team. We seem to like to do things the hard way. Oh My God! Pouliot scores! You read that right. Pouliot scores. 6-3 Wings. We are on a roll now. Watch out Wings. The deep fryer is on. Hold the phone I say! At 15:29 Samuelsson will score for the wings. Momentum is gone. Damn! 7-3 Wings. Wait... 14 seconds later, Leino scores to make it 8-3 Wings. That pretty much was the fat lady singing. Damn you Detroit and your awesomeness. Damn you.

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Tonight's Starting Lines (basically only the 1st period)

Penner Brodziak Hemsky (these guys were terrible. Two pluggers with our "star" player. Good thinking MacT.)

Nilsson Gagner Cole (This line stayed intact for the most part. They were not bad. Cole could have been more physical. Nilsson was not really an impact player. Gagner was quite good. Maybe the best Oiler?)

Moreau Cogliano Reddox (These guys were so-so. I personally do not like this line. When Horcoff is out, Cogs should be the guy. Not #51.)

Strudwick Pouliot Stortini (This is a useless line. No one to fight on Detroit. Pouliot has played bad in this game even though he scored. Strudwick was moved to defense. Storts all of a sudden in the 3rd became Hemsky. He was a machine.)

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Final Score

Edmonton Oilers - 3

Detroit Red Wings - 8

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BEERS

HAHAHA! Like there is going to be any. Well, lots of beers being consumed by the fans because what else do we have to do with the rest of a Saturday. We drink. Yay!

Honorable Mentions (but not worth a beer)

Sam Gagner (He was good even if the stats don't show it. He played hard, did his back checking and made some hits.), Zack Stortini (had 2 points and was a huge surprise in the 3rd.), Denis Grebeshkov (He played ok. He managed to be +1 at the end of the game.), Tom Gilbert (also finished +1.) Jeff Deslauriers (he came into a nightmare once again. He managed a little better this time. He was pretty good)

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JEERS

Ales Hemsky

- The guy looked like a floater out there. A cheery picking waste of a roster space. Ok. That may be a little harsh but I can't stand when one of our core guys are not even trying. He is a great player but sometimes he doesn't feel like playing. Today being one of them. Booooooooooooo!

Sheldon Souray

- I pick on him because he is the elder on the D line. He is our best guy now that Visnovsky is out. He needs to lead. And that didn't really happen this game. I expect tomorrow's game to be better. Boooooooooooo!

Ethan Moreau

- Completely non-existent in this game. No big hits. No 10 shots. No leading. If it seems like I am picking on the leaders of this team, your right. I blame them for having a team fall apart. They wear the C's and A's for a reason. Show up tomorrow please! Boooooooooooooo!

Honorable Mentions (because there is too many people who sucked)

- Marc Pouliot (made a few bad plays. Wasn't a factor other than his goal.), Steve Staios (no leadership from Steve. No fiesty play, no anything.), Dwayne Roloson (He was beat by some realy nice tip ins. Not all his fault, but he wasn't good either)

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Next game is tomorow at 1:00 vs. the Wild. That will be tough. But we will get the win. We better...

Beers and Jeers #28 (Feb 5/09 vs. St. Louis Blues)

Before the game starts I hear Penner is back on the 1st line. My 1st thought, "Why?". He was brilliantly average last game. He drives MacT/fans crazy yet when ever MacT panics he reverts to the 27/10/83 line. But whatever makes MacT happy I guess. I don't get to choose.

I was hoping that the game was going to be a gooder. I think that the fans really need a pick me up. We need something. Anything.

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1st Period

The game started with a good pace. St. Louis looked ready to play tonight. This looks like it going to be a tough/skating type of a game. The first 10:00 minutes of play were solid back and forth chances. With St. Louis gaining the edge. We killed a penalty, they killed a penalty. Then at the 13:00 minute mark Cam Janssen and Zack Stortini decided to drop the gloves. This was actually a really good fight. Storts was giving Janssen some nice rights. And some really nice jersey hold chin rabbit type of punches. No hugging. After the bombardment of shots the fighters went of to the box. Their knuckles looked broken, beat and scarred. (yeah... Metallica reference) A little while later St. Louis started crashing into Roli. By the 4th time that was it. Everyone snapped. Including Roli. Thank you St. Louis. You made him mad. We win. Haha. The period finished up and for the first time in a long time, I felt good about the period that this team just played. A full 20 minutes. End of 1st period: 0-0 tie.

2nd Period

The first 10 minutes in the 2nd were exciting back and forth hockey much like the 1st. Then at the around the 1/2 way mark, Nilsson gives it away and luckily enough the Blues don't score. Scary moment. But Roli is playing solid in the 2nd as well. He really is surprising me on how awesome he can be. Where was this last year? Not really sure why MacT decided to put Nilsson back on the 2nd line. I really thought that he was staying on the 1st line. Maybe Horcoff is the stinky one on this line? :) So with 3 minutes to go, Souray takes a nice drop pass from Nilsson and snaps it in the net. Oilers lead 1-0. Sweet. I always like to be the team that scores 1st. Always. Great period by the Oilers. Nothing like going to the 3rd with a lead. End of 2nd period: 1-0 Oilers

3rd Period

Ok, so the 3rd is getting under way and they announce that Horcoff and Gilbert are injured and will not return. (Shades of 2 years yonder...) Oh boy. Prepare for a rough 20 minutes. MacT moves Brodziak up to take Horcoffs place. The saddest part is... He looked no different than Horcoff. They play very similar and yet he's cheaper. It was weird watching him there. Although in a strange way, Penner looked more comfortable with 51, rather than 10. The MacBlender did come out a little. More out of nessesity than anything. The Oilers seem to really band together and finish the "job" as a team. Then the Blues score to make it interesting. It was 5:29 and they made it a 1-1 game. Damn! Gut check time. The tempo seemed to pick up a little after that goal. (BTW, it was a nice goal by McClemment) But both goalies continued their hotness all through the game, right up to the end of the period. The 3rd period ends in a tie. 1-1

Overtime

Overtime was also exciting. Lots of action but no real good shots by the Oilers. Well one. Souray nails the post with a hard shot. But that's it. I had that feeling that it was a shoot out night.

Shoot Out

Nilsson - Goes wide to the right and cuts in front and shoots it top left corner. Nice shot.

Gagner - Comes in fast and starts his magic hands. I think Mason thought he was going to do his full move but he didn't. He stopped at the second juke and finished with the backhand deke. Scores. Oilers win an over time shootout. Yeah!

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Tonight's Starting Lines

Penner Horcoff Hemsky - I thought that this line was going to do better than it did. Hemsky wasn't that great tonight. (I believe in Karma and superstitions and all that jazz, and I believe that MacT shouldn't make claims that are a little wacky. It may haunt a person. I mean look at him since this was printed. Hemsky hasn't been very good.) All in all, this wasn't the best line nor the worst.

Nilsson Gagner Cole - I thought this line was good at points and below average at points. Mostly good though. This was the line that really didn't change much. Gagner was playing better this game. Cole was a shooting and a hitting machine tonight. He played well.

Moreau Cogliano Reddox - A strange line choice. I may have put Penner here instead of Reddox. This was a not bad line, but not real great either. No real mistakes for these guys.

Potulny Brodziak Stortini - Hard to grade a line that isn't really a line. Storts did his job. Brodziak was moved around elsewhere. Potulny was sat for some reason? (Reddox probably scraped MacT's driveway before the trip. He now gets his reward. Ice time.) **probably not true. But you never know? Right?**

All the lines pulled their weight tonight. We pulled out an old fashioned team win. No hero's. Just some hard work and a little effort.

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BEERS

Dwayne Roloson

- This man is turning into one of my favorite drinking partners. He played a solid game. Made big saves when needed. Got physical when needed. Became a game breaker when needed. Let's drink a Molson Canadian Roli. Cheers!

Sheldon Souray

- When Visnovsky went down we as fans thought oh crap. But lucky for the Oilers we still have the other "big" guy. Mr. Boom. He scored a real nice one tonight. He played hardcore all over the ice. He was a leader for the team. He can have a big beer. Cheers!

Denis Grebeshkov

- I think that this maybe a first for Grebs. Finally on the beer list. Well I thought that he was really good. He looked really comfortable out there with Souray on the PP. He was a good defenseman, for the entire game. Amazing. So have a beer on me. Cheers!

Honorable Mention

Ladislav Smid (he played really good too. He didn't make to many mistakes.), Robert Nilsson (I thought that he was good except for that brutal giveaway. Scores the winning shoot out goal), Erik Cole (he may not get ponts but he shoots a lot and he hits a lot. I really hope he resigns with the Oilers before the trade deadline)

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JEERS

Ales Hemsky

- My wife wants me to boo you. It's hard to disagree. He hasn't been the same since MacT compared him to #99. Well horcoff has been a stink pot for awhile so it's hard to blame just Hemmer. But you know you are not really the "man" in a game when MacT chooses Reddox over Hemsky in a shoot out. Sorry dude. From the Burnt household. Booooooo!

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Not much else to say here. Good game by the Oilers. We were due. Next up... Detroit Red Wings, Saturday @ 1:00 in the afternoon. See ya then.

Beers and Jeers #27 (Feb 3/09 vs. Chicago Blackhawks)

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...

If I was the Owner/GM/Coach I would... #2

Well with all the passion for the Oilers at full steam ahead over at the OilersNation , I have decided to unfurl another Owner/GM/Coach. These are my idea's.

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OWNER

If I was the owner of the Edmonton Oilers right now I would be on damage control. I would be doing what ever necessary to keep the fans at bay. To keep them happy. Hmmmm... Smoke and mirrors? That works... sort of. The owner needs to step out and be there for the fans. He needs to be accessible. I want to see him at the games. Be visible. Mr Katz came in with a bang and since then... nothing. nothing. We need more Katz. Was he even real?

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GENERAL MANAGER

Let me figure this out. What exactly does a GM do with his time? Can't golf, it's winter still. No day in the park with family, too cold. Can't make any trades. What? I can? No kidding?

Ahhh... the almighty trade. Why not huh? The team is lacking in a few area's. And a trade would appease the fans. Me included.

#1 - A true 1st line center. Not Horcoff. Someone better. There has been a few rumors about Jason Spezza. I like him. I think he could compliment Hemsky quite a bit. Are the Oilers serious about this guy? Ok then. I'll take Doug Weight.

#2 - A true 3rd line. Maybe with Pisani coming back this may be solved. But in order for this team to be serious about winning the cup, the Oilers need a 100% all the time checking line. Moreau Someone? Pisani Maybe Cogs would be a good center with these two?

#3 - A better 1st line LW. Penner stinks. I would bite the bullet and put him on waivers and send him to Springfield for the rest of the year. No one would take him. That would teach not only Penner a lesson, but the entire team would learn a lesson. Play hard or your gone. That's my motto. Anyways. We need a new LW. I like Kovalchuk. I know... never happen. But that is who I want.

The Garon trade was good. But it wasn't enough. The Nation needs more. Please Tambellini... do something. What happened to the other deal for Sabourin?

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COACH

With Gagner coming back, the lines need some adjusting.

Nilsson Horcoff Hemsky

Cogliano Gagner Cole

Moreau Brodziak Potulny

Big Mac/Stortini/Reddox/Penner/Whoever

Honestly, I would try Big Mac on the 1st line pp. All he needs to do is screen the goalies.

1st line - Big Mac Horcoff Hemsky

2nd line - Cogs Gagner Cole

I think MacT needs go get serious soon. People are starting to notice your mistakes. Save yourself!

Beers and Jeers #26 (Feb 1/09 vs Nashville Predators)

Nothing like waking up and turning on the tv for some Oiler action. It makes for a nice reason to start drinking before the Super Bowl a little later on in the day. Isn't everyone drinking?

So the game begins. Nice flow. The play goes back and forth, with the Oilers with the most forth. The Oilers looked quite good. At first I was bummed right out that Big Mac wasn't in the line up. Then 30 seconds later Sportsnet reports that Tootoo is out for the next while. Ok. Redemption will be a little later in the season I guess. But Strudwick MacT? Why not Stortini? I guess he likes to keep us guessing. All in all the 1st period was entertaining. The 2nd line was the best line, while he 1st line was the worst. Pretty sad when Penner can bring down the whole line. End of period score: 0-0.

The 2nd period started and so did the MacBlender. Brrrrrmmrmm... By the time I realised that Mac had the blender on (I thought it was sloppy line changes) Nashville scores. Crap! 1-0. Almost instantly the Oilers turn up the intensity. That continues until the period raps up. The 2nd line was still the best line when together. End of period score: 1-0 Nashville

The 3rd started and I was curios what MacT was going to do. He did the obvious... he benched Penner. So Nilsson took his spot on the 1st line. Moreau moved up to the 2nd line in replace of Nilsson. About half ways through the 3rd Nashville scores again to make it 2-0. One minute later Hemsky scored to make it 2-1. Nice shot, top corner. The game gets more intense as the game wears on. It ended up being close but no cigar for the Oilers. They came close at the end but with no avail. I suppose the lines will be different for next game. I could see Penner on the 4th line. I mean, he should be on the 4th line.

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Tonight's Starting Lines:

Penner Horcoff Hemsky (This line is drastically dragged down by Penner and his half ass play. Hemsky deserves better than this. Expect Nilsson to be on this line next game.)

Nilsson Potulny Cole (I really liked this line. Potulny looked good playing with Cole. Even Moreau seemed to fit on this line.)

Moreau Cogliano Pouliot (Pouliot is dead weight to the Oilers right now. He hasn't contributed in awhile. Brodziak may be a better fit.)

Strudwick Brodziak Reddox (This line had one good shift where they were in a good puck cycling mode. Other than that a waste of a line.)

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Final Score:

Nashville Predators - 2

Edmonton Oilers - 1

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BEERS

Ales Hemsky

- He scored a nice goal from a nice feed from Nilsson. Hemsky did what he could tonight although we all know he could have done more. He can thank the old ball and chain Penner. He played 23:17, took 6 shots and had terrible line mates all while scoring a goal. You deserve a beer my friend. Cheers!

Erik Cole

- The man of hustle and hard work showed up again today. He could have been dynamite if Gags was playing today. But he didn't and life goes on. Even though he had no points today I though that Cole was very effective. He played 22:00, took 3 shots and had a team leading 6 hits. Good job today Cole and thanks for the stick tape secrets. Frosty? Cheers!

Ethan Moreau

- Chopper was a shooter today. He took 14 shots only to hit the net 9 times. Wow. When did he become a shooter? He was good today. Pretty mistake free. All that in 15:39 of playing time. I think that's worth a frosty cold one. Cheers!

Honorable Mentions

- Dwayne Roloson (I thought Roli was great again. He did what he could and that was a lot. But if the guys in front of you don't score then it's hard to win as a goalie)

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JEERS

Tom Gilbert

- The flub in the 2nd period cost the Oilers the 1st goal and quite possibly the game as the momentum shifted to Nashville. The Oilers played pretty solid up until that point. Gilbert did play a ton today however, and mistakes are bound to happen. But still... Booooooooooo!

Dustin Penner

- You must be some kind of a joke right? I know your a funny guy but come on. Try a little hard work once in awhile. I bet his report cards were like mine. "(Ray/Dustin) is a pleasure to have in class, but he needs to focus on better work habits in order to be sucessful." How MacT even let you play 13:26 today is beyond me. Your on the 1st line. The 1st line! Any other team and you are not. My patience is out on this guy. Boooooooooooooooooooo!

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Well I have to prepare for my own game tonight. It's a good thing I don't write B&J for my team. I would be Booed out of the arena. I hope I am not too bad tonight because the wife and kid are coming to watch. Yikes! I want to be a Souray but I'm more of a Smid. (but less spazzy)

See everyone one on Tuesday. Until then...

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%.)

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

FINAL SCORE

Minnesota Wild - 1

Edmonton Oilers- 3

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

BEERS

Dwayne Roloson

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

Steve Staios

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

Ethan Moreau

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

Honorable Mentions

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

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

JEERS

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

Ok. Just a little...

Dustin Penner

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

Liam Reddox

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

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

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

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

Beers and Jeers #24 (Jan 27/09 vs. Buffalo Sabres)

Well that was one of the most crappiest starts that I have ever seen. 1st goal in 10 seconds?!? 2nd goal a minute later!?! 3-0 by the 10:00 minute mark. This is the 1st period still. And it's Buffalo in the lead. Way to go guys! The Oilers couldn't even score on the couple of Power Play chances that they had. This team fell flat and it's going to be hard to get back up. The best part of the 1st period was when Roli was pulled and Deslauriers came in and actually made a save. (Although I don't pin the crap start entirely on Roli) The crowd responded with a cheer. So what went wrong? Staios was terrible. Falling and giving the puck away like a peewee hockey player. By far the worst Oiler. In fact that period alone is getting him a nice brand new shiny Boo. Hemsky was the best Oiler, if you can even say that.

And how do we start the 2nd? Pissed off and mean? Maybe a fight? No. Buffalo scores. Again. And again. And again. Well you get the picture. Not a good night in paradise. 7-1 for the Sabres after the 2nd. Erik Cole tried to give the team some life by scoring a nice wrister. But to no avail. Deslauriers didn't fair any better. Not a good night to be an Oiler goalie.

The 3rd was just as stinky. At points you wonder to yourself why am I still watching this? Because I have to. The team needs us. (I feel a little responsible here. We were 5w - 1 L since I bought my new hat. But... I had to cut my mullet because it was just to shaggy. I think I screwed the team. I should never have cut my hair.)

So all in all that was a terrible game. There was a few bright spots. Erik Cole was not bad. He did look a little lost without Gagner. Hemsky wasn't bad either. But I don't think that anyone deserves a beer tonight. But I am sure I can round up some Jeers though.

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

The Lines Tonight

Penner Horcoff Hemsky (Hemmer was a one man show. Horcoff won faceoffs but then that's it. Penner was Penner. Lazy)

Nilsson Cogliano Cole (Cole and Nilsson seemed good. Cogs seemed out of place with those two. Maybe Gagner is important to this team?)

Moreau Pouliot Reddox (The dynamic MacT shut down line. Awesome! But they didn't shut anyone down. So what good were they?)

Strudwick Brodziak Stortini (Stortini was the best on this line. Brodziak played an awkward game. He just didn't look comfortable. I barely noticed Strudwick)

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

FINAL SCORE

SABRES - 10

OILERS - 2

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

BEERS

There is none.

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

JEERS

Steve Staios

- This guy was a real terrible hockey player tonight. Bad plays. Falling all over the place. Chasing guys around. The stats don't really show what I seen, but Steve Staios was bad tonight. Very bad. Boooooooooooooo!

Shawn Horcoff

- At $7 million next season, a game like this isn't going to cut it. As a leader of this team you can not afford to have nights where you are not noticable. Unfortunately for the fans and the team, this has happened a lot this year. I hope a change is in order here. You suck Horcoff. (Except for your faceoffs tonight. That was good) Boooooooooooooooooooooooo!

The rest of the Edmonton Oilers

- BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

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

See you all Friday. If I pay for that game and it turns out to be like this one I... I... damn it. I will still get the next one. "sigh"

Oilers Jambalaya #3 (Random Thoughts)

Hello everybody. The All Star weekend is in full swing and lame as usual. Well, ok... only parts of it was lame. I just have a hard time seeing this weekend as a "showcase" weekend for the NHL. This (skills competition and game) is not really what the NHL is about. I get confused when I watch this stuff. Like why would you tell the public that the goalie that you brought in for the Breakaway Challenge was told "not to try"? That's just weird. I did however enjoy the final elimination shootout. And who wins that? The guy I said shouldn't be there instead of Hemsky. But what do I know right? The Hardest Shot was a good one. It's to bad Souray didn't connect like he can. But there is always next year.

Andrew Cogliano was the NHL fastest skater. Since when did they let the YoungStars participate in the Skills? I don't remember that from last year but I may be wrong here. Too bad Erik Cole couldn't have participated. But good job Cogs. You fastest skater you!

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

CBC really blew it when they decided to not re new the HNIC song. Sure the guy that won the contest was from Edmonton but, the song sucks. The only "hook" of the song is the bag pipe intro. But it is soooo quiet you barely hear it. Why not Stompin' Tom? That really would have been better. And did you notice that the 5 finalists were songs that were keyboard type songs. Think of all the people that did all that hard work to write, record and release songs (Rap/Rock/Alternative/Electronica) that CBC new fully well that they were looking for a "copy" version of the old song. Thanks for wasting peoples time CBC. Why not just say that that is what you were looking for? Get a new song for next year please!

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

Why is there not a cut off date for free agent signings? I mean really... Forsberg again? Neidermayer last year. Kind of Sundin this year. I think the NHL needs to change something here. This is getting ridiculus.

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

All this complaining about fighting in the game is starting to bug me. This isn't the NBA. We don't hug our "Homeys" after a game. There is no "Keep it real yo!".

No, the NHL is not like other sports. We do not need to compare this great unique sport to a pile of oranges. We fight to protect ourselves. We fight to spark our team. We fight because sometimes that's out job. (well not Me.) The NHL is different and that is a good thing. I see more damage to guys on icings. That my friends is the real problem. Not fighting.

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

My final question today...

Why are the Oilers locker room stalls not old guy/young guy/old guy/young guy? That may have some chemistry building mojo going on? I don't know. Just wondering.

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

Next Oiler game - Jan 27/09. That's Tuesday.

Beers and Jeers #23 (Jan 20/09 vs. Columbus Blue Jackets)

That was a good game to watch. Great 1st period by the Oilers. A nice hard bomb by Visnovsky. My two picks for having a good game today was Visnovsky and Souray. Lubo played well. Damn he's fast. Souray was ok. Not his best game. Maybe his mind is on the All Star game?

The 2nd period was one of those "I wanna mess with your mind" periods. One minute I'm pissed off. The next I'm in an euphoric state... then BAM! Sad and wondering where it all went wrong. We looked so good. And now it's catch up time once again.

The 3rd started off with good energy. Chances were had by all. Back and forth. Back and forth. Then Boll runs Roli and the intensity rises. People around the league should know by now that there is some players (Iginla is one) who play better when they are mad. Roli is another one of them. And that made him mad. Thank you Mr. Boll. Then comes a Blue Jacket penalty. Hemsky makes one of those crazy passes back door. But Horcoff wasn't there. Grebeshkov was. He Scores!!! Tie game.

Well now what?

So I say, "Ummm... Hello? Mr. Hemsky? Can you do something?" "Sure kid.", he says. "Can you score the Nation a goal?", I ask. "Well since I'm not busy going to the All Star game... why not. How about a wrist shot?" Well wouldn't you know it. The guy is magic. The Oilers win. All of the sudden we are 6th in the standings. Yeah! Life is good again. Way to go team. Enjoy the break. But not too much. MacT won't have that.

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

The Lines Tonight

Penner Horcoff Hemsky (they looked good. Penner was slow tonight. But Hemsky was magic.)

Nilsson Gagner Cole (Cole and Gags played good. Nilsson didn't look like he was back to normal yet.)

Moreau Cogliano Pouliot (These guys also played a solid game. Pouliot was the weak link on this line.

MacIntyre Brodziak Brule (I liked this line. I would probably make this a more usable line. I'd give Big Mac a little more ice. Not much. But a little.)

FINAL SCORE

Blue Jackets - 3

Oilers - 4

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

BEERS

Ales Hemsky

- The man is back. And back with a bang. A 4 point night. He was unbelievable tonight. He was everything that we want him to be. An All Star. Yeah... I said it. An All Star. Have a frosty beer. In fact have as many as you want Hemmer. Cheers!

Lubomir Visnovsky

- 2 point night for Lubo. I thought that he was great tonight. Good back checking. Good shooting. Good all around game. I say you deserve a beer Mr. Visnovsky. Cheers!

Ladislav Smid

- If you were watching the play you probably didn't notice him much. But I like to watch the corner of the screen to see what is going on behind the play. There was Smid. Digging and grinding. My wife calls him the "SPAZ". One minute he's all good. The next he's frothing at the mouth ready to bite. Maybe because I am a little scared of him, have a beer Smid. Cheers!

Honorable Mentions

- Dwayne Roloson (When Roli gets fired up... so do I. I love this guy. Tambo made the right decision.), Tom Gilbert (2 assists tonight. Jumped up in some plays. Finished +1), Shawn Horcoff (he played pretty good tonight. Threw his body around and was skating hard.)

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

JEERS

I don't have any. I've got nothing. I am actually happy.

Ok then. Well I guess I should go now. Hmmm. This is weird.

Beers and Jeers #22 (Jan 18/09 vs Phoenix Coyotes)

What a fun evening that was. Started with the Glenn Anderson Ceremony and ended with a Moreau Hat trick. The ceremony was good for the most part. Whoever wrote the Kevin Lowe speech really sucked. Lame jokes and re-used lines from past speeches. But all in all it was a good show. So #9 is gone now. Never again can it be used. Who's next? #4? #30? #27?

The game was a barn burner. Action right from the beginning. I must say the effort level was there from the get go. The team really had a shot in the arm when Hemsky came back to the line up. I think Penner and Horcoff showed their true colors when Hemmer went down for those games. Penner is overpaid and Horcoff is NOT an all star and overpaid. I would love to see a Penner/Cogliano/Hemsky 1st line. Shawn Horcoff can take the 3rd line position. I bet Cogs would be a 70 point guy too.

Kyle Brodziak had a good night in the faceoff circle. (12-2) 86%. But that's pretty much it for him. But, game after game I notice Erik Cole takes 3 or 4 faceoff's a game and usually only loses one. Why not try him out at taking the draws? He doesn't need to play center, just take faceoff's. Worth a try don't you think?

I couldn't believe that Steve MacIntyre wasn't playing. I really wanted to see him fight Carcillo tonight. For one, it would have been an easier test than say Boogaard. And two, I wanted to see him (Carcillo) get his ass kicked. I wonder if Big Mac was able to meet his hero Marty McSorley today? I hope so. This is the best season ever huh Big Mac? Lucky S.O.B.

Well let's hope that all this Oiler nostalgia and alumni guys being around for the last couple days really rubbed off on the team that we have now (young and old). I said at the beginning of the season that the Oilers are going to the SCF this year. I feel it. I believe it. And I still do. As of late, (since the closed door meeting) that the team seems to have changed. They have a hand shake clap thing that they have going on. Some guys are rocking mustaches. (Penner/Gagner). The lines are mixed now more old with new players. So I see that the team is starting to have fun again. And the ball will roll. Believe...

The lines tonight:

Penner Horcoff Hemsky (Horc/Pens suck without Hemsky. Tonight they looked great. Surprise!?!)

Reddox Gagner Cole (Are you serious? Reddox? I suppose that if you score like Schremp or Potulny or Brule you then go to the 4th line or pressbox. I just don't get it MacT? Anyone but Reddox please)

Pouliot Cogliano Moreau (the best line that played as a group. They all complimented each other nicely tonight. Nice to see Moreau play a good full game)

Strudwick Brodziak Brule (This doesn't even look right on paper. This is the line Reddox should have been on)

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

BEERS

Ales Hemsky

- I can not believe the impact that this guy has on his linemates, his team and his fans. He was amazing tonight. You could hear the crowd buzzing after he would do something. Very exciting to have him back. 2 goal night. +3. Solid all around. Welcome back Hemmer. Have a cold one. Cheers!

Ethan Moreau

- Quite possibly his best ever game as an Oiler. I cheered for him tonight. To think that that was his 1st hat trick. Good for him. Maybe this is the confidence that he was looking for? Let's hope we get the same guy for the rest of the year. Have a triple sized beer Chopper. Cheers!

Ladislav Smid

- The guy was an animal tonight. He drops the gloves again. He really is not bad at fighting. In fact, he looked like he knew what he was doing. Plus he ends up with an assist. Maybe he was trying for a Gordie Howe hat trick? At any rate he was fantastic. He was dumping the puck in and was the 1st one on the puck in the corners. At times I thought that he was a forward. One of our best d men tonight. Here's a frosty beer and an ice pack for the knuckles and the ass bone. Cheers!

Honorable Mentions

- Tom Gilbert (quietly picked up a couple of assists.), Andrew Cogliano (had a nice 3 assist game. He looked really good tonight), Steve Staios (had a 2 assist game. Played hard), Erik Cole (he really tried hard tonight.), Dustin Penner's mustache (that is one nice porn stash. Looks good.)

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

JEERS

Rob "Plugs" Brown

- He is slowly turning into my #3 behind McGuire and Crawford in the dipturd catagory. Do everyone a favor sometimes and shut up. He spits out random stuff so that hopefully he looks like he knows what he is saying. eg: 10:00 left in the 3rd. "I'm sure Roli will have to make another big save for the Oilers before this game is over." No kidding smart guy. Need I say more? Oh yeah... Your bald. Deal with it. Booooooooooooooo!

Beers and Jeers #21 (Jan 16/09 vs. Colorado Avalanche)

Well that was an interesting game. That must have been an impostor team that played the Wild. Maybe Springfield in disguise? Anyways the team that played tonight was pretty good. We won the 1st period and lost the 2nd. I was really digging the Cole/Gagner/Potulny line. I would still like to see a Cole/Gagner/Cogliano line. Maybe a PP unit? The 3rd period saw the team get into a little penalty trouble. That is a bit of a momentum killer. Especially tied 2-2. Then the old Horcoff side door trick to save the day. But great eyes by Grebeshkov. He made a great pass to Horcoff.

It's kind of strange. I am starting to like Liam Reddox. (don't worry...not that much) Not on the 1st line. Or the 2nd line either. But he plays with a lot of hustle. Seems to really try his hardest. Maybe he's a poor man's Cole? But not.

Garon didn't really look very sharp tonight. I guess we can hardly blame him. It's not like he's getting lots of starts. It's too bad that Garon probably won't be an Oiler next season. I do like him. It's just that Gramps (Roli) has been good this year. He may not be next year, but he is now. And in order to acquire a top 6 forward, I am sure a goalie will have to be moved. Garon is most likely the guy.

The Pouliot fight gave me a good laugh. He looked like Huggy Bear Jr. The guy really shouldn't drop the gloves. Save that for the other guys.

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

BEERS & JEERS

It's weird. I don't think that anyone really deserves a Beer or a Jeer tonight. Maybe it's that fact that I am still pissed off at Air Canada for cancelling my wifes flight after we drove 3 hours to the airport. Just to turn around and drive home. To go back tomorow. I hate Air Canada. Booooooooooooo!

Cole, Gagner, Potulny, Visnovsky, Staios, Horcoff, Cogliano, Souray all played pretty good. The rest were really unnoticable. But a win is a win and I can drink a beer to that. In fact I think all the Oilers fans deserve a beer tonight for all the dedication to a team that is as unpredictable as this team is. CHEERS EVERYONE!

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.

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

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!

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

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!

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

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.

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

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

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

http://www.oilersnation.com/2009/01/real-talk/

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

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

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

BEERS

Steve MacIntyre

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

Erik Cole

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

Kyle Brodziak

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

Honorable Mentions

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

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

JEERS

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

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

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

Reddox looked like a bantam player.

I only noticed Horcoff because he plays so much.

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

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

Penner. Did he play?

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

-----------

Next up... The Wild.

Beers and Jeers #18 (Jan 11/09 vs. St. Louis Blues)

The game that we just witnessed was a strange affair. At times I was screaming and yelling and was having a gay ol' time. The next minute I am searching for a bandwagon to jump on. All in all, we won the game. At the end of the day that is all that matters. (yeah. I just said that.) It was nice to see MacT put some of the lines back together. Duh! I was once again a little stunned that Schremp wasn't called up. But by listening to MacT we all might as well give up on that. I expect Schremp gone by the deadline. That's too bad. I really liked him.

Back to the game. The 1st period was kind of dull. I hate it when the other team scores 1st. Hate it. But thank god for the 2nd period. Gagner to Potulny and way long to Brule who went up stairs for the goal. Wow! But don't forget the couple of shorthanded rushes that swung the momentum the Oilers way just before that goal. Those made me stand up and yell. We need more of those. I need more of those. Then the Cole/Gagner reunion. These guys seem to find each other and having Potulny play with them made everyone play well. That was a good line tonight. That was enough to hang on for the win. I really hate it when an announcer starts talking about stats before the end of the game. I hate it even more when there is 5 minutes left. 4:38 left in 3rd in fact. "This will be Gagner's 2nd game winning goal". Are you retarded? Don't say that. But I guess I am a little superstitious.

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

BEERS

Ryan Potulny

- "Who is this guy?" That was my thought before the game started. I changed as it when on. He was pretty good tonight. He has pretty good hockey sense and a lot of hustle. 2 point night. Life is pretty good today now isn't it Ryan? However... knowing MacT, Reddox will probably take his spot with Gags and Cole. For a great 1st Oiler game and a welcome to the team. Have a cold one. Cheers!

Cole/Gagner

- Geez MacT. Do you like to look stupid? I defend you and you do the unthinkable and separate Gags and Cole. Glad to see you came to your senses. These two were good again tonight. I can't explain why they work so well but they do. Hopefully they stay together for the long haul. I think the team needs that in order to be consistant. Here a couple of beers for the dynamic duo. Cheers!

Steve Staios

- The guy that has taken tons of shots from me over the past while. (mostly bad ones.) Tonight he looked really good. Not just the couple of rushes but his overall game. 3 hits ans 3 blocked shots. That was the Staios that I used to love. The warrior. And he played simple hockey and that is all that I think he can do. So for playing well, have a frosty mug of brew. Cheers!

.

Gilbert Brule

.

-His best game as an Oiler. Glad to see him do well. He played pretty solid and ended up getting a pretty nice goal. His speed was on fast mode cruise control. I had fun watching him play tonight. So for a real nice effort tonight. How about a big beer? Cheers!

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

JEERS

Not much to jeer here except for the lackluster performance from the 1st line. Sad how much Penner and Horcoff rely on Hemsky. Reddox is not a substitute.

The team really needs to play a full 60 minute hockey game. It happens from time to time. Not recently... But it happens. I sure hope we can do it on Tuesday as we are facing the Capitals. That won't be easy at all. But until then...

Beers and Jeers #17 (Jan 9/09 vs. San Jose Sharks)

Well.

I don't feel like writing about this game. I am not impressed at all. Losing Souray is crap. Stortini I can deal with.

---------

I wonder if the moon was a true full moon?

---------

Why is this team awesome one game and bottom feeders the next?

---------

Why did Cole and Gagner not play together?

---------

Why is there no "jam" on this team?

---------

Why do we have to keep asking why all the time?

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

Anyways no Beers... just Jeers.

JEERS

To the Entire Team

- Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Beers and Jeers #16 (Jan 7/09 vs Vancouver Canucks)

Well...

What was that? The game was on the verge of becoming a classic but it never happened. This Oilers team is really starting to bug me. I compare them to crack. You know... you get a little taste of the good stuff. Oh man it feels great. It feels so good. You want more. OH MAN CAN LIFE BE SWEETER? (what feels like 30 seconds later...) Awww man. What's going on? Why does it hurt so much? Why can't I have more?

See what I mean? It sucks. The Oilers during the 1st period looked like a bunch of peewee hockey players. Falling down like their legs don't move. Pathetic. 3 PP's and 8 shots. Wow. Stellar.

The 2nd was almost boring to watch. Except for the Canucks kicking our ass. The 3rd at least was better. I am not sure why the Oilers insist on waiting for the 3rd before they start trying.

Top face off guy for the Oilers this game.... Sam Gagner. 5-3 (63%)

The worst face off guy... Andrew Cogliano. again. 3-5 (38%)

The most giveaways... Ethan Moreau a whopping 5 giveaways. Atta boy!

The most blocked shots... Staios and Visnovsky with 4 each.

The most hits... Erik Cole with 4 hits and multiple rub downs.

The most shots... Sheldon Souray with 5 shots and 3 attemps blocked. He out shot the forwards? Really?

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on a side note: Congrats to Souray for making the all-star game. Nice to have someone represent. What does Hemsky have to do to make an all-star game? Play in Montreal? Or Pittsburgh? The guy is an all-star that doesn't get the nod to go to the game. Bogus NHL. Explain how Doan is more of an all-star then Hemmer. (other than points) Or Dustin Brown? I don't know... Maybe I am a nut bar.

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BEERS

Erik Cole

- This guy is everything that I would want in a player. He never seems to give up. Seems like he is willing to try anything. And he can score the odd goal. He played a real good game tonight. Need I say more? Have a Beer Erik. Cheers!

Sheldon Souray

- The big boom was pretty good tonight. A couple of bad giveaway plays but more than makes up for it. His fight was nice. Seems like the Oilers are a bunch of one punchers. Your probably getting sick of beer by now? Ahhhh balderdash. Cheers!

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JEERS

The Entire Team

- Wow you guys sucked tonight. With all the trade talk, I wonder if this was the last time that we see Horcoff in an Oiler jersey? Something has got to give and I fully expect someone gone by Thursday morning. Just a bad game tonight. I am not sure the coaching staff understood you Tambo. Better say it to them one more time and a little sloooowwweeerrr. Boooooooooooooooo!

Dwayne Roloson

- Terrible game Roli. You usually play good when your mad. But not tonight. That wasn't the Roli from last game. That was the stinker Roli from last year. Sorry man but you deserve this. Boooooooooooo!

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Next up. San Jose Sharks. Hope we have the other team this time.

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

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

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

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BEERS

Jason Strudwick

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

Zack Stortini

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

Tom Gilbert

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

Honorable Mentions

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

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JEERS

Shawn Horcoff

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

Robert Nilsson

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

Liam Reddox

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

I Like the Cut of your Jib #2

This instalment of Jib Cutter is about the kid from the Czech Republic. The master of flash. The juke and jive king. The one the only... Mr. Aleš Hemský. (<---- I guess that is the proper way to spell his name)

This guy is an incredible player. His offensive skills are something you would have to sell your soul for. Most games he does something that makes me go...what?!? And I love him for it. The Oilers (IMO) were really lucky to land him at 13th in 2001. You would have to think that teams probably would have picked him sooner. I mean come on... Stephan Weiss at #4. Here take a look for yourself. I feel very fortunate to have this man as an Edmonton Oiler. I think we all should. Besides, he could have been a Bruin. (When we traded Guerin to Boston for Anson Carter, 2001 2nd rd pick and the option to switch 1st round picks in the 2001 or 2002 draft. In 2001 we chose to change the first-round selection (19th overall) for the Bruins' (13th overall). Thus giving the Oilers the 13th pick).

This season he has really been making strides in his game. He shoots a lot more now. I've noticed that we don't really have to scream at him anymore. "Shoooooot". Kinda nice huh Hemmer? He still has that deadly passing. He finds people in the strangest places sometimes. But then again, that is what makes him so special. He finally seems to be that point a game player that we all hoped for. I am very excited for him. He seems excited by it too. He has stated publicly that he want to be that guy. The "guy" the coach can look at to do something. Mind you Hemmer hasn't had all that much help this year, he is leading quite well.

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So for all the hard work and dedication it took to become and keep going as a great Edmonton Oiler. Here's to Hemmer... I like the cut of your jib young man.

Beers and Jeers #14 (Jan 3/09 vs. Dallas Stars)

Well, the curse is over. Thank god. I was starting to think that those jerseys were a bad idea. Glad I can move on. :) Pretty good game overall by the Oilers. The PK was better tonight. The overall team toughness was going strong. That is a good sign that this team is progressing into more of a competitive team. Still miss Hemsky though...

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BEERS

Erik Cole

- The man is quickly turning into my favorite Oiler this year. He seems to be more comfortable every game and his offence is starting to be more consistent. He can pick a pocket and make a play or land a big hit and this is all within one shift. He is just so big and fast. He can draw a penalty like a girl on 118th ave can draw Johns. That is pretty impressive. So for another whopper of a game. Enjoy a beer Mr. Cole. Cheers!

Sheldon Souray

- He really was the force behind the team as the game started. Nice goal to keep the train rollin'. He kind of did look like Paul Coffey. This very well could have been one of his best games this year. So for that, have a 40oz of Big Bear. Cheers!

Sam Gagner

- I thought that the little dude was pretty good tonight. Made some really nice passes/plays. He seems to have nice vision right now. Two assists again tonight. When it rains it pours I suppose. I think Sam deserves a frosty beer. Cheers!

Honorable Mentions

Dwayne Roloson (played very good tonight. Made great saves and was a rock again for the Oil), Kyle Brodziak (did pretty good on the draw this game), Shawn Horcoff (played pretty solid. Gave a good effort. Didn't really screw up to bad.) Bobby Nilsson (how did he get a +2? Nice pass to Cogs), The Fourth Line (played nice and physical. Couple of fights and some real nice hits.)

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JEERS

Not much to Jeer tonight. Well except Marc Crawford. I hate that guy. Booooooooo!