Edmonton Oilers vs Calgary Flames LIVE TweetCast (12/31/09)

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Players Grades - Cult of Hockey - Oilers vs Leafs (12/30/09)

The Oilers get killed in the giveaway department.  30 for the Oilers and 13 for the Leafs.  That's a shocking stat if you ask me.  But other than that this was a grat game for the Oilers.  A win after that long feel nice.

The Cult of Hockey Grading System: 10-perfect game, 9 extraordinary, 8 great, 7 good, 6 above average, 5 average, 4 below average, 3 poor, 2 terrible, 1 deserves to be in minors.

#5 Ladislav Smid (6) - He had a hurt hand from the Iginla fight the other night so he played a more mellow, low key type of a game.  No face washes after the whistle.  He finished the night at a +1 and didn't look too bad out there.  Lucky for him he only had 1 giveaway. 

#10 Shawn Horcoff (6) - He had a real good faceoff game tonight.  He went 11W-7L-61%.  Not bad Horcoff.   He played a decent game and he didn't look like he was hurt tonight.  He picked up the assist on the first O'Sullivan goal and that should help his confidence out. He had 17:02 in ice time.

#12 Robert Nilsson (6) - At times he looks like a million bucks and at times he looks like an amateur.  Tonight he was floating in the middle somewhere.  I liked his game tonight but was still foolish with the puck at times.  I liked that he was hitting guys and he really tried to get involved in this game.  He only had two giveaways.

#13 Andrew Cogliano (5) - He started the game off like a hot potato, flying all over the place.  By the mid point he was getting cold.  He still played well, but he had more jump at the start.  On one hand he had 2 giveaways, and on the other he had 3 takeaways.  Does the good outweigh the bad?

#16 Ryan Potulny (4) - It looked like he played OK.  But did he really?  It's hard to judge him because while he didn't make any glaring mistakes (not including the tripping penalty), he really didn't do anything.  No shots, no hits, no nothing.  All he had was a blocked shot. I've seen him play better.

#18 Ethan Moreau (5) - I can't believe he made it through a game without screwing things up. *clap, clap* Mind you Quinn kept his minutes down by only playing him for 10:28.  He had two shots and one giveaway.  Not a bad night for him.  My wife was sad though... watching him play usually builds up our swear fund. EDIT: Why was he put out there in the last two minutes of the game? Is Quinn just trying to temp fate?

#19 Patrick O'Sullivan (8) - Well this was his best game in a loooooong time.  Good for him.  After his first (couldn't get more fluky) goal, he started to play with conviction and really came out strong for the last half of the game.  He handled the puck like it was meant to be on his stick.  He fired 5 shots and had two hits.  Guess what? No giveaways for this guy.  His second was a beauty and was a marvel to watch.  So maybe, just maybe, we have the "good" O'Sullivan around here now.

#22 JF Jacques (8) - His job is to hit people.  He did his job.  He flattened Komisarek twice and then fought him in a quick but decent scrap.  He had 5 hits but I swear it was way more than that.  Not only did he demolish the Leafs with his shoulder, he picked up an assist on Brule's goal in the 1st period.   He did have a giveaway but he also pulled off a takeaway. Even stevens there.  JF Jacques???  Not tonight. Tonight he was JF Great.

#24 Steve Staios (5) - He played OK but didn't deserve anything more than a 5.  On the night he had 3 giveaways.  That's not a great night. Especially for a defenseman.  But... he did show some testicular fortitude by blocking 5 shots.  He's fearless that way and I respect that aspect of his game.  But he was caught on the Kessel goal watching a Leaf go by him while Kessel was going to the net behind him.  Kessel scores and Staios looks around like he's going to sit in the timeout corner.  However, Staios did well and didn't take a penalty all game.  So I'm torn on his grade, so he gets a 5.

#27 Dustin Penner (6) - He had moments where you could see the dominant big guy in him.  You could also see the quiet, sit in the corner guy too.  He had 1 shot, 1 hit, 2 takeaways and 2 blocked shots.  Not really a banner night for Penner yet, he did take over shifts and look like an all-star while the rest looked like Pee Wee players.  I hope even without getting selected for Team Canada, he continues his great play.  His Dad was at the game and it got me thinking. Was he there on holidays or was he there to celebrate Dustin's Team Canada selection (which didn't happen)?

#32 Ryan Stone (7) - He's a strange guy to grade. When you think he's not really doing much, he pulls out a nice hit or makes a good pass that spurs on a chain reaction of goodness.  He's a good guy to have on this team even though I thought that we didn't need him.  I guess I was wrong.  He had 4 good hits and a couple led to good chances.  Including all that he had 3 takeaways.  So what does all this mean?  He plays a simple yet effective game. 

#37 Denis Grebeshkov (6) - He sure did look better than having Strudwick back out there.  Sure Grebs makes mistakes, but he can skate, and actually skate with the puck.  So having that aspect back in the lineup was nice.  He picked up an assist on the fluky O'Sullivan goal and really was not bad, except for the 2 giveaways.  He also managed two hits.

#38 Jeff Deslauriers (8) - The guy was a monster (you don't own this word McGuire) tonight. I was so rooting for him to get the shutout but it wasn't meant to be.  Who cares really, we won.  It was funny because a couple of the stand up saves he made tonight really reminded me of Bill Ranford.  Kicks the leg out and flops back on the net for support. Classic stuff, and in the orange and blue too.  Loved it.  He made no mistakes and played a heck of a game. If he managed to get the shutout, I seriously was going to give him a 10.  Maybe I shouldn't have thought about it? Maybe I was the jinx?

#44 Sheldon Souray (7) - He was a hard one to grade.  He played the most out of all the Oilers at 24:22.  He played not bad but had 3 giveaways.  All the defence were bad at giving the puck to the Leafs.  But Souray did shoot a lot more this game.  He had 4 shots and 4 were blocked (crazy fools).  He definitely wasn't a gong show out there. 

#46 Zack Stortini (6) - With limited time on the ice it's hard to get going.  He did a good job when he was called upon on.  He had 3 hits and 2 shots.  Not a bad night for Storts.  I'm a little surprised he didn't want to go with anyone.

#67 Gilbert Brule (7) - I liked his style tonight.  He was buzzing around right from the start.  He scores the opening goal and that got the Oilers going.  That was his 10th of the season and is the 2nd Oiler do reach double digits in the goal department.  To go along with the goal he had 3 hits and 2 blocked shots.  I don't know how, but the Jacques/Horcoff/Brule line worked tonight.  I think it was because they tried to play more physical rather than trying to be a finesse line.  Good on Brule for bringing it tonight.

#71 Lubomir Visnovsky (6) - He picked up an assist on the Brule goal and looked not bad throughout the game.  His penalty was the one that the Oilers were killing when Kessel scored his goal.  So in any other game lately, that would have caused a bad rash of consequences, but tonight it only made it 3-1.  He may have had 5 blocked shots (that's brave stuff), but he also had a team worst, 4 giveaways. Ouch. 

#77 Tom Gilbert (6.5) - Yeah that's right, a 6.5.  I can't decide between a 6 and a 7 so he gets that.  He was solid tonight.  Well, minus the 3 giveaways, but hey, who wasn't giving pucks away?  He only managed 1 shot in the Leafs zone but found time to block 3 shots in the Oilers end.  That Gilbert is a nice guy.  He also managed to pick up an assist on the last O'Sullivan PP goal.  Quinn sure has been giving lots of ice time and he's making the best out of it.  Is this a new and improved Gilbert?

#89 Sam Gagner (5) - He did his thing and it didn't wow me.  In fact, it's been awhile since he's made me go wow.  While he did have an decent night at faceoffs, he also had 3 giveaways.  He seems to do a stupid pass or two every game.  It's not that they are stupid passes, just weak wristed ones and they usually don't turn out good.  He didn't get a shot on net and other than the OK faceoffs, he had nothing else to show.  Could something be ailing him? EDIT: He did get rocked hard in the game but seemed to shake it off. But it hurt.

LIVE *TweetCast* Edmonton Oilers vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (12-30-09)

Welcome everyone to another fine TweetCast by Oilers Jambalaya.

Tonight Smokin` Ray is doing the player grades for the Cult of Hockey - Edmonton Journal. Feel free to tell us what grades you would give. He may just use them.

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You Picked Who? - Team Canada Olympic Roster

Listening to this team being picked... this is what my face looked like in the picture above.

Holy crap I am dissapointed in the Team Canada selections. 

Patrice Bergeron is on this team?  And (possibly) on the 1st line with Crosby? What the hell?  Drew Doughty and Brent Seabrook also made the team over Jay Bouwmeester and Mike Green? How is this possible?

No Ryan Smyth? I don't get it.  No Vinny Lecavalier or Marty St. Louis? *scratches head*

No Shane Doan either? Shocking.

Now the grand daddy of shockers for me... no Dustin Penner. Most of you don't care but I do.  He is awesome this year and he's doing it with slugs.  Imagine if he was reunited with Perry and Getzlaf?  But I don't understand why you would tell Penner he has a chance when it's clear they weren't going to pick him? I don't get it.  But then again, I'm an emotional guy and I had a different team than what Steve Yzerman picked.

So who did make it?

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

Goalies

Marty Broduer
Roberto Luongo
Marc-Andre Fleury

DEFENCE

Dan Boyle
Drew Doughty
Duncan Keith
Scott Niedermayer (Team Captain)
Chris Pronger (Alternate Captain)
Brent Seabrook
Shea Weber

FORWARDS

Patrice Bergeron
Sidney Crosby (Alternate Captain)
Ryan Getzlaf
Dany Heatley
Jarome Iginla (Alternate Captain)
Patrick Marleau
Brendan Morrow
Rick Nash
Corey Perry
Mike Richards
Eric Staal
Joe Thornton
Jonathan Toews

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

I like the Niedermayer pick for Captain.  I've known him for a long time and he's won everything there is.  He is by far the best choice for team Captain.

I don't mind the assistants either. Also good picks. 

They guys I didn't think should be on the team are: Bergeron, Staal, Morrow, Seabrook and Doughty.  But I don't pick the team so who cares what I wanted. Right?

Either way, it's a good team so let's just hope this team wins gold or the country will riot.  GO CANADA!!!


-Smokin' Ray-

WAKE UP PAT QUINN!

I'm sorry but the Beers & Jeers Recap is going to have to wait. It will be done but I can't stand this anymore. - The Oilers lost 4-1 in a game where they crapped themselves and lost again for the seventh time. Oh... and Kipper was pretty darn good. -

So what in the hell is Quinn thinking? It's funny that nobody is having an old fashioned freak out over the way Quinn changes the lines and still has no chemistry.  Well I'm going to. 

It's getting absolutely stupid.  At the beginning of the year he claimed that he liked to have pairs and the 3rd guy is interchangeable. OK. Fair enough. WHERE ARE THE PAIRS? What happened to Brule and Penner? What? Forgot that they are good together?  I suppose you like to score only 1 goal a game. WAKE UP PAT QUINN!

This coaching staff is starting to make themselves look stupid.  You keep throwing out these odd ball lines and "at the end of the day" they don't work.  You need to listen to yourselves.  Re watch your own damn videos.  Look at the stats and you see what? This is a team that only scores one goal a game now.  WAKE UP PAT QUINN!

Then you have a game like tonight where Cogliano drops the gloves and wants to go with Dustin Boyd. He does a good job and seems fired up. Then he starts flying around and gets some chances. But guess what Quinn does? He keeps him on the line with Stortini and Moreau. What the hell man? Two slugs and a speedster that's revved up? This does not make sense at all. Isn't this the kind of player that SHOULD be promoted DURING a game? Shouldn't Cogliano at least taken O'Sullivan's spot? WAKE UP PAT QUINN!

Game after game, time after time, Staios and Moreau take a Bad Timing Penalty late in a game. DO NOT PLAY THESE CLOWNS IN THE 3RD PERIOD. Should I say that again or did you u-n-d-e-r-s-t-a-n-d that? Moreau is the shittiest Captain that I have ever seen.  Remove his letter on his jersey immediately. Can you look at us right in the face and tell us that he really does deserve it? He's dragging this team down. Either the letter goes or he goes completely. WAKE UP PAT QUINN!

You pull Grebeshkov in favour of Strudwick? Is Strudwick going to even make the 6th squad for Team Canada? Yeah... didn't think so. If you want him in that bad, pull O'Sullivan or Moreau or Staios, they all suck balls. WAKE UP PAT QUINN!

Maybe I'm just over reacting, but I doubt it.  Why don't you re-read this and tell me if things have changed. I don't think they have.

WAKE UP PAT QUINN!  I/we are getting sick of this.  Pfft.  Saviour my ass.

-Smokin' Ray-