Thursday, February 9, 2012

RNH SHUTDOWN FOR REMAINDER OF SEASON!

That's the headline that should be on every website, newspaper, any other media outlet and most importantly, from the lips of the Oilers management.

Last season the Oilers management made a decision that they knew full well, was going to be extremely unpopular. With approx. 20 games remaining and they're prized 1st overall pick freshly on the shelf with a sprained ankle, Tambellini and company SHUTDOWN Taylor Hall, rather then risk any further injury that could jeopardize the future of the Oilers and Hall. It was brave, bold and something no Oilers fan has come to expect, SMART.

Which brings me to here and now. When drafted anyone and their dog would tell you, "He's too small to play with men."

Well after bringing the Oilers faithful and most of the NHL out of there chairs on a nightly basis for half the season, maybe we are now seeing that he may have been too small. His HOF hockey sense and vision were almost enough to overcome his waffer thin body, but after suffering one and then two, shoulder injuries it makes no sense to me to bring him back into the lineup.

The Future...
The 'Nuge has nothing left to prove when it comes to his abilities. Anyone with an ounce of intelligence can clearly see he was the rookie of the year. None of the other rookies captivated the league the way 'Nuge did. Besides, the Oilers have how many Hall of Famers...6....and how many Calder Trophy winners....0. Sure it would be nice, but if Gretz, Mess, Andy, Kurri, Coff and Fuhrsy didn't need it to be great then the 'Nuge doesn't either.

This is also a great chance to both reward Anton Lander for being the good soldier on the 4th line all season, and to see just exactly what he has to offer if given top six minutes and PP time......and Paajarvi too for pete's sake! I mean why not give them a shot with Ebs or Hall???!!!

In the end the Oilers should do the right thing for their and Ryan's future. Here's what should be said...

"Ryan we are shutting you down for the season. Heal up, rehab the shit out of that shoulder, hit the gym and come to camp ready to go at 178-182lbs. See you in September."

So come on Tambo, K-Lowe, or Katz, make that same BOLD, BRAVE, UNPOPULAR, and most impotantly, SMART decesion again. Hopefully it's the last time it will have to be made.

-WRITTEN BY PAQ TWINN-

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

And The Winner Is...

The NHL Awards
With approx. 30 games to go, I wanted to take a look at the front runners for the NHL's hardware.

The Art Ross Trophy

E. Malkin (61) is the leader right now but with, C. Giroux (60), S. Stamkos (57), P. Kessel (57) and 9 more players within 10 points, Malkin is not a "shoe in" by any stretch.

The Rocket Richard Trophy

S. Stamkos is once again proving he is one of the NHL's best snipers, leading the way with 34 goals. E. Malkin and P. Kessel are close with 29 each and you can't discount J. Toews with 27. I believe Stamkos will hold on for the win barring injury.

The Hart Memorial Trophy

My top 3 candidates for MVP are E. Malkin 61pts, P. Kessel 57pts and H. Lundqvist 24W 6SO and a .939 save %. Its my belief that Malkin will win this year, he has carried the Penguins all season with Sid on the shelf, though its hard to discount Lundqvist's importance for the Rangers.

The Vezina Trophy

Here are the 4 goalies I think will be in the running.

H. Lundqvist (24w,6so,.939s%), J. Quick(22w,6so,.934s%), P. Rinne(30w,4so,.925s%), J. Howard(32w,5so,.924s%). I'll give an honorable mention to T. Rask and B. Elliot, I don't feel they have or will play enough games when compared to the other candidates. In the end I give the nod to H.Lundqvist, this guy is responsible for the NYR perch atop the NHL standings.

The James Norris Memorial Trophy

This has been a bit of a transitional year on the NHL's backend. There are more young defencemen stepping up into the spotlight which makes for a cluster of candidates. Here's who I feel are the best D-men in the league.

Z. Chara (30pts,+27), M. DelZotto (26pts,+26), S. Weber (35pts,+19), E. Karlsson (48pts,+7), N. Lidstrom (28pts,+25), I. White (25pts,+30).

It really is a crap shoot when picking a winner out of this group but I'll give the edge to Chara based on track record, team role/importance and both his point totals and plus/minus are both among the league leaders. Is Ian White this good or is it a product of playing beside Nik Lidstrom??????

The Frank J. Selke Trophy

As defensively reliable forwards go these are the best in my opinion.

T. Seguin +33, P. Bergeron +27, M. Hossa +21, T. Bertuzzi +22, J. Franzen +21. The Bruins could have this locked up as there are a few more on the +/- leaderboard. Going solely on the numbers this is Seguins to lose I'm just not sure of the calibre of players he goes up against on a nightly basis. I'm going with M. Hossa for this one. He plays on a team that is among the leaders in goals aloud and is still +21.

The Lady Byng Trophy

Again there are a half dozen players I see as having a serious shot at winning this award. They are as follows....

J. Eberle(54pts,8pim), P. Datsyuk(54pts,14pim), P. Kessel(57pts,12pim), J. Tavares(53pts,14pim), M. Hossa(53pts,16pim), P. Elias(51pts,16pim). Another mix of young and old and I say Eberle should be able to hold on for the win. Datsyuk can't win every year....can he?

The Calder Memorial Trophy

I think there are only 2 players in the running and even then I still see a clear cut winner based on age, pro experience, and team importance. R. Nugent-Hopkins (35pts-40gms) wins over A. Henrique (34pts-44gms) and the rest of the sophomores.

The Jack Adams Trophy

I give this one to K. Hitchcock. The job he has done with the Blues is amazing. They're challenging for the Central Division and Western Conference lead after looking like a non-playoff team before he took the reins.

The Bill Masterson Trophy

J. Lupul wins hands down! Coming back from back injury and a blood infection to be among the league leaders in points while putting up career best numbers. Best come back story of the year.

The Mark Messier Trophy

I put a bunch of Captains names in a hat......shuffle, shuffle, shake, shake....and the winner is.....N.Lidstrom. Couldn't have picked a better candidate if I tried.

So there you have it, my 2/3 point of the season award winners.

-WRITTEN BY PAQ TWINN-

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Sunday, February 5, 2012

Hemsky gets "Kronwalled"

Midway through the 1st period in last nights Edmonton oilers / Detroit Redwings game Niklas Kronwall put Ales Hemsky into his sights and took Hemsky out with a devastating hit. Questions have arose in Edmonton whether this hit was clean or suspension worthy. It is worthy to note that no penalty was called on the play.



I will break this down the best that i can. Hemsky was coming off a corner with his head down. At the last second Hemsky looked up and to his surprise Kronwall's elbow was the first and only thing he saw. Hemsky was forced to leave the ice and moments later was lead to the dressing room for observation. Hemsky did return to the game.

I have reviewed this play many times and i can safely say that Kronwall came into the hit leading with his shoulder not his elbow. Kronwall does appear to leave his right foot for a millisecond but i feel safe in saying that was only a result of preparing for the hit, not for the intent of leaping into Hemsky. All in all i have to feel that this was a clean head. Hemsky needs to keep his head up when making a play, Kronwall needs to make that hit every time he has that chance.

I have said many times that the new rules in the NHL are bad for the players. With the rules how they are a player feels safe with his head down knowing nobody can touch him. The problem with this is when a player does get hit the hit is much worse that what it would have been if he had his head up.

To put it best Hemsky got "Kronwalled" and will learn from it.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

What to do with Hemsky....

To trade or not to trade, that is the question.

Personally I have always been a Hemsky supporter. I remember coming out of my seat along with 17,000 other fans, when Hemsky scored those 2 magical goals to clinch the 06 playoff spot. However I also believe the time has come for the Oilers to trade him. No need to negotiate, just trade him. Here's my opinion why.

He is always injured or hurt.
He does not have the "Oiler" work ethic.
He is one of the best UFA's coming up, he knows it, his agent knows it, 30 GM's know it.

The Oilers need cap space for the kids 2nd deals and for a PP QB D-man and maybe for Dubnyk too.

I don't believe the Oilers want to get into a bidding war for a player that in all honesty, you just don't know what you're getting in return. He could become the superstar I thought he would be by now or he could be forced into retirement with another shoulder injury.

By no means do I think he will be easy to replace. Maybe Omark? Maybe Cornet? Maybe a top pick from this years draft? Who really knows. Anyway I look at this, the Oilers would be best served to trade him. Bye Hemsky, its been a nice ride.

-WRITTEN BY PAQ TWINN-

TWITTER: www.twitter.com/paqtwinn

Friday, February 3, 2012

Apples and Oranges or a Juicy Steak?

There have been many comparisons done between the Oilers and Blackhawks rebuilds. Here's my take on which pieces the Oilers have in place. These are not position for position but more player type and role analogies.

Blachawks(Cup Winners)     Oilers(Now)

Toews                                       Eberle

Kane                                   Nugent-Hopkins

Hossa                                        Hall

Sharp                                      Gagner

Keith                                        Smid?

Seabrook                                    ?

Niemi                                     Dubnyk?

I believe those were the key pieces to the Hawks Stanley Cup team. There were other guys that stepped up and had big games and/or moments that also helped, but these guys were the keys.

I also believe the Oilers have most of these pieces in place. Providing Smid continues to progress as a shutdown d-man and Dubnyk can continue his recent play on a more consistent basis. I also think Gagner has an important role on this team. He has really come into his own over the course of this season and I personally think the Oilers Nation has Mr. Pat Quinn to thank. If it wasn't for that rough ride he gave Gags back in 08, would Gags be the multi dimensional, "crusty" player that he is today? I don't think so.

We still need that PP QB, maybe he's in the system, maybe not. Either way, this team looks like a great steak. Just needs one more spice and some marinating time. The more patience the better the flavor. Enjoy Oilers fans!

-WRITTEN BY PAQ TWINN-

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