Move 1: Nikolai Khabibulin

Nikolai Khabibulin is an Oiler.

4 years @ 15 million (3.75/year).

Roloson signs in NYI for 2 years for 5 million (2.5/year).

TSN is on Crack; Roli makes 51 saves

TSN is on crack.

And in other news, Dwayne Roloson is playing like God again, making 51 saves. Thank God for Holy Roli the Goalie. Wait, thank Roli for Roli... ?

Oilers / Canucks Pt. III

Roloson starts in goal.

Strudwick in for Reddox.

Will the Oilers rebound?

Will the Canucks rebound?

Will the game be exciting - or more peewee hockey?

We'll have to wait and see.

Jeff Drouin-DesLauriers

Roloson gets the start tonight, and he probably deserves it right now with the way he is playing.

However, DesLauriers is no longer the future - he's the present. I think we should give him the ball and run with it. Who knows, he might just prove that Garon is expendable.

Saint Roloson & Fire MacTavish

The Power of Christ Roloson Compels You

The Oilers always play well against the San Jose Sharks. Okay, I lied, our Edmonton goalies always play well against the San Jose Sharks. The Oilers have become really adept at killing Sharks' winning streaks. Good for Gilbert Brule who played hard enough to draw the penalty for that game-winning powerplay.

Last season, it was the Oilers who snapped a Sharks' winning streak at 11 games in a 2-1 SO victory. This year, it's the Oilers who snapped a Sharks' nine game winning streak. The common thread? Dwayne Roloson was in net. 48 saves on 49 shots plus the SO last year; 41 saves on 43 shots this season.

Now, some credit could be given to MacTavish for his 60 minute penalty kill "keep em to the outside" style but let's be honest here. If Roloson doesn't stand on his head all night -- there's no win.

Hopefully the Oilers come out of this one realising how badly we got outplayed though. Without our stellar goaltending, where would our Oilers be now? We have 3 goalies on the roster and they have all played well with a few bad games here and there. But for the most part, all 3 have looked like legitimate starters at some point. What is a team to do?

The consequence of watching a game like this has converted me from a MacBooster to the Let's Fire MacTavish camp. I am now officially convinced that we have the tools to make this a good team but the coaching staff is inept, whereas before I was waiting on Tambellini to make a move. Roloson is 39 and he's a Saint, but can he do this for the rest of the season? Even Tim Thomas probably couldn't go through 42 games of being outshot 40-something to umpteen. Surely we're not going to keep this 3-headed monster heading into the playoffs, should we qualify for them?

The reliance on goaltending on this team is amazing. How can Oilers fans make fun of the Canucks for relying on Luongo, the Flames for relying on Kiprusoff, or the Stars for relying on Turco? Their reliance on goaltending is imcomparable to ours, because our team can't even get more than 20 shots a lot of games.

To be fair, it is the San Jose Sharks we're talking about and we did outshoot Los Angeles last night and we did play back-to-back games that went to extra time. It's true. But I think it's time to realise that this team needs a new direction.

Fire Craig MacTavish.

Oilers @ Stars - Jeff Drouin-DesLauriers Starts

The good thing about a big goalie is that he can follow the play from above all the other players' heads. Another good thing about a big goalie is that he can be in the butterfly position and still cover a lot of the net. A bad thing about "dinosaur" goalies is that they have limited mobility. The good thing about Jeff Drouin-DesLauriers? He's not affected by limited mobility.

Lowetide suggests here that one of the goalies could be traded this week of Jeff Drouin-DesLauriers plays well. He probably meant Roloson, but right now I'm not so sure that it's not Garon. People speak about the showcasing aspect of playing Roloson a lot but we'll have to see about that.

Any way we look at it though, its the DesLauriers who stared down the Rangers we want to see today, and not the one who stared down the Leafs. Hopefully, the team can make it a two game winning streak and get some momentum for the home half of the home-and-home with Dallas.

Goaltending Prospects + Garon/Roloson

Oilers prospects update here, here and here.

Suneil Parmar ran some stats on the league vs. Oilers goaltending stats here.

Devan Dubnyk (not shown) is finally starting to round out in the AHL and is showing the same turnaround that DesLauriers did in his debut as Falcons #1 goalie - arguably better, thus far. Having our own farm team really helps.

Will Mathieu Garon extend? If so, I think 2 years will be ideal. One season to gauge his usefulness as a tutor or protector of DesLauriers, and one season to evaluate whether DesLauriers is ready for full time action with Garon, Dubnyk or someone else as backup. If not, further extension or looking for goaltending help from elsewhere at that time will be options. Locking down goaltenders to super long deals is not such a great idea in a league such as our NHL - given the nature of their injuries and their fluctuations in performance.

There is talk among fans that Garon will be peeved over this latest goaltending fiasco and will want out of Edmonton. Who knows? He's still in his prime and he could be a valuable asset for Edmonton. But anything longer than 3 year deal in any subsequent extension could end up being in the range of the "how-will-we-trade-him-now" situation experienced with Roloson due to his fluctuating degrees of usefulness to the team.

I'm starting to think it's not impossible to see the Oilers move forward without either Roloson or Garon and pick up a temporary goalie until DesLauriers or Dubnyk are ready to step in for themselves. Either that or Garon will be resigned but to a shorter term deal than most people feel he will be extended for.

Yes, Roloson is old. And yes, he can't play forever. But his performance has shown that he's still got it and that's not something anyone can deny easily.

The truth is though, neither Roloson or Garon is getting younger and at least one of them will eventually get the heeve-ho this season. And not because they're playing poorly, by any measure. It may be because Tambellini/Lowe are slowpokes at these kinds of matters and the fact that all of the goalies are playing so well that is making this decision even harder.

Speaking of goaltenders, after DesLauriers and Dubnyk have both made their debuts into the NHL (of course DesLauriers has that impressive head start), it could mean that the Oilers will soon draft some competition for Pitton and Perugini on the farms.

I would suggest drafting Jonathan Roy or Mike Lee.

Here's Dean Millard's description of Mike Lee:

Mike Lee-Fargo-USHL
The only goalie from the US version of Junior A, Lee was brilliant for team USA at the World Junior A Challenge in Camrose earlier this month. He was 4-0, with a minuscule 1.75 goals against average and a .933 save percentage. Lee used his 6.01, 185 pound frame well and bailed out his D-man anytime they got in trouble. While Canada West didn't mount a massive attack in the gold medal game, Lee was there at key times to snuff out any momentum. Lee follows the puck through traffic really well and for his efforts was named a tournament all star.

I don't know about you, but that sounds a lot like Dwayne Roloson, that traffic part. And critical of Roloson you may be, but that is one of the things he does do very well.

As for Jonathan Roy, I would argue anybody who was raised in the mold of Patrick himself has more of a good foundation in goaltending than most people do, though it doesn't guarantee that he'll be any good. It would help to get a guy like Patrick Roy involved in the organization though - and say what you will about his role on the Remparts and his reputation as a blockhead.

Genius is genius.

But regardless of the elder Roy's reputation and the younger's own as a ruffian, if it came down to picking between two skilled goalies and one of them fights while the other doesn't - I would take the figher. A competitive fire is hard to develop. Just ask Ron Hextall.

Fire is fire.

Too Little Too Late - Red Wings Hold Off Oilers in Win

This is an image from this website which sells sports merchandise. It's Bobby Orr's famous "DIVE." Kris Draper dives too, but that's because knows a thing about drawing penalties dishonestly. Bobby Orr would frown on you, Draper.

The exaggeration from Samuelsson and Draper, combined with the officiating at tonight's game whioch was plain atrocious, made for a gong-show, phantom penalty filled afair. Most of the Oilers actually played really well tonight except for M.A. Pouliot. Best Oilers tonight were Souray, Hemsky and Staios. I was at the game courtesy of Suneil Parmar of Addicted to Oil. David Staples was there, and so was Danny On, Jermine Paglicauan, and Travis Yano (alphabetically).

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Suneil Parmar, David Staples, and myself all agreed right before the game that Roloson would not play well and it was Garon's turn in net. It took a while, but our prediction came true. The long-established rules of (1) don't give the same team two consecutive looks at the same goalie and (2) don't play Roloson more than 3 or 4 games in a row were not dutily followed by MacTavish. Not that we doubt Roli or anything. But common sense would indicate that Garon should've got the start.

The story of the game was that the officiating was horrendous. Phantom calls were made everywhere and calls that should've been made weren't. And don't tell me there were 7 penalties for each team - just because the numbers are even doesn't make the officiating fair. Save that for the NFL.

Here's a quick summary of the officiating B.S. tonight:

Stuart cross-checking on the back of someone's head NOT CALLED

Detroit D-man boarding on Hemsky NOT CALLED

Penner's "slash" on the Detroit D-man's hockey stick nowhere near his hands, gloves, or body, which resulted in Penner's stick exploding and not the opponents CALLED SLASHING

Draper holding the stick on Reddox CALLED HOOKING

Draper interfering with Moreau and holding him down away from the play CALLED ROUGHING

Not to mention the Oilers had bad luck tonight. Dump-ins were hitting linesmen. The puck had two bad careems off the boards - one that barely missed the Detroit net and one that ended up right on an open Hudler's stick for a goal.

Roloson had 7 saves and despite the poor save percentage had no chance on some of the goals. Not to mention the wicked glove save he made through traffic despite being screened.

The Oilers need to MOVE GUYS OUT FROM IN FRONT OF THE NET. Yes, I'm talking to you Strudwick. First the Samuelsson goal on Monday and now the Kopecky goals tonight.

The Oilers have a bad habit of being too nonexistant on penalty kills. I know MacT and Huddy have the "let them pass it around the perimeter" strategy going strong on most nights, but it's simple hockey to get into passing lanes and to not let guys get set up in front of your net. Even if you let them stand there, it should just be the illusion of a passing lane.

Watch the Detroit PK and learn.

Another thing is that Detroit is really good at staying on-side. It's not something that involved great skill to do. After you pass it to a guy trailing the play (because you're getting forechecked in the neutral zone) skate laterally and stay behind the blue line until the puck crosses the line. The little twirl the Oilers do near the blue line actually puts us off-side more often than not.

Ryan Smyth was good at this: he'd pass it off, skate parallel to the blue line, then turn and crash the net hard after the puck gained the zone. This way, he could keep his speed but stay on-side at the same time.

It was a particularly good perforance from Hemsky and Souray, but they too had some bad plays during the game.

Souray lets too many guys skate around him on icing plays and without communication to Gilbert allowed an icing call to be beat by a forechecking Detroit player. He needs to be aware of the guys coming down the wing behind him and communicate with Gilbert.

Hemsky, during the extended powerplay late in the third, had a chance to dump it deep and make a safe play. I understand that the Oilers had come storming back and he was feeling it, I suppose. But that was a poor decision trying to dangle the puck through 3 Detroit Red Wing sweaters. He did make Niklas Lidstrom look foolish a couple of times though.

Another thing: turnovers. The Oilers need to simplify their game. For a team that can barely get out of their own zone the last thing they need to do is make cute passes to nobody and turn it over to the Detroit Red Wings - of all teams.

Simple rules for dumping the puck into the opposition zone not being carried out by the team:
(1) no puck support: dump it into an empty corner where there aren't any players
(2) with puck support: dump it into an area where your supporting man can fight for the puck and then support him back the way he supported your puck dump by getting open or trailing him along the boards

In neither case should the puck go straight to the opposition D-man. This happened several times tonight. And when we dump and chase, there is little to no puck support. How is a cycle supposed to start up with everyone along the same half boards? We need the team to start helping their fellow teammates out.

When the puck goes straight to the opposition D the puck comes back the other way instantly and your man gets caught chasing a puck dump that doesn't exist.

Simple rules for dumping the puck out of the defensive zone not being carried out by the team:
(1) do not ram it around the boards with a man pinching on the point (Reddox is particularly good at following this rule)
(2) do not pass it up the middle in front of the net out of your zone
(3) do not make a cute backhand pass towards the middle high slot when on the half boards

These simple turnovers can kill any team's momentum, especially in your own zone.

Simple rules for playing on powerplays not being carried out by the team:
(1) cycling the puck down low works - cycling the puck when there are opposition guys along the boards doesn't
(2) do not pass it back to the point when the D-man is getting hounded by a backchecker (Penner needs to be aware of this)
(3) (if you're not Souray or Visnovsky) shoot the puck low so that there are more rebounds

These are all simple things that I thought everyone who watched hockey knew. But Horcoff, Gagner and Nilsson, though they played decent games, did not execute simple plays when the opportunity presented itself. They choose to do little spins and cycle it forever until the Red Wings cleared their zone.

The Red Wings are so fearless of the Oilers forecheck and backcheck that even Hossa tried to lay a big hit on Brodziak. They are that unconcerned about their defensive zone coverage.

Props to the Oilers for making it close against the defending cup champs. But "too little too late" is a tune that gets old fast. It's time to start coming through on games where you need to make a statement as a team.

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Pictured above are Suneil Parmar and David Staples. I was surprised too when I found out in real life they were really Zdeno Chara and Chuck Norris, respectively. Who woulda thought.

Keep it a secret between you and me, though.

Goaltending, Getting Outshot, and "Scoring at Will"

Since last season (even before the shoulder injury), Shawn Horcoff has found a new home on the right side faceoff circle where he one-times everything Ales Hemsky throws at him. And apparently, he's pretty good at it.

It's mid-November and by now we're familiar with the fact that the Oilers get outshot in most games. Our goaltending has not been a problem this season thus far but the goaltending rotation has been - with 3 guys raring to prove their worth to the organization and each having played well and played poorly in separate stretches.

Will Garon start against Detroit in the rematch? Roloson has been playing well as of late and he will undoubtedly want a chance at redemption but traditionally when you play a team twice in a short time span you alternate goaltenders.

But now I must pose the question of whether getting outshot all the time is a "good thing" for the Edmonton Oilers, or whether its a "bad thing."

Good goaltending and timely goals
VS
Good goaltending and scoring at will

Edmonton @ Columbus - 11/18/08 w/ 7-2 WIN
The Oilers handed the Blue Jackets their own livers on a plate yesterday night when they beat them 7-2. Regardless, we were outshot 39-19 in this game - a total of 20 shots difference. This is an example where we simply outscored the opponent and featured superior goaltending. Penner was unleashed and the rest of the team including Pouliot and Gilbert came around and played great hockey.


Colorado @ Edmonton - 10/12/08 w/ 3-2 WIN
This game was considerably closer and the Oilers beat the season opener against the AVs with a heckuva performance from Penner. Garon played great in this game and simply kept the Oilers in it, being outshot 33-19. The secondary scoring was not around in this game, as Penner and Garon singlehandedly won this game.

Edmonton @ Detroit - 11/17/08 w/ 4-0 LOSS
The Oilers were outshot 41-21 - a total of 20 shots difference, in this game against the Red Wings, the night before the Columbus game. Except in this version, they don't score 7 goals - in fact, they don't manage one. Perhaps getting shut out by Conklin was enough, or whether the ass-whooping itself was enough to let set the team free. Who knows. The fact is that Roloson was hung out to dry against the defending champs in this game.

Two other links:

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=256461

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=256416

Conclusions:

The Edmonton Oilers are outshot in most games

The Edmonton Oilers play better when Dustin Penner has a good game

The Edmonton Oilers have good goaltending (given consistency as a prerequisite to personal success)

The Edmonton Oilers cannot afford to allow the Detroit Red Wings the space to outshoot them by 20 or more

Good goaltending doesn't always win games

That being said, there is still no answer as to whether the Oilers have been scoring timely goals or whether they are starting to finally "score at will." The next game against the Detroit Red Wings and subsequent games, whether or not we outshoot or get outshot by our opponents, will determine the answer.

Let's hope that this Columbus game is a sign of things to come.

GOILERS!

Redemption: Oilers score 4 unaswered but lose 5-4

Okay Penguins online webmaster... you didn't win by that much.

I know the criticisms. The Oilers dropped the ball and started slow in another 1st period outing and let the game get out of hand. Falling behind 5-0 is 2.5 times worse than falling behind 2-0, so it is understandable that the Oilers couldn't repeat what they did in Columbus. Just when I thought I couldn't take it anymore, when I was about to rip my shirt up and kick some unlucky inanimate object that was nearby... the Oilers woke up.

And then they won me back. To see them come back from 5-0 took a lot of guts.

Maybe they need some red bulls or cold showers or something, but whatever MacT is doing to motivate them before the game, it aint enough. Whatever he said between periods or perhaps the realization that this team finally made that it is leaving Roloson and Garon out to dry on most nights... perhaps that is what woke them up.

Whatever the case, it will be interesting to see how the Oilers fair in New Jersey. It has been an interesting week for both teams: New Jersey lost their goalie god and the Oilers are realising that Garon and Roloson are neither of them omnipotent. Both teams have been average offensively but Edmonton is in the opposite ballpark in terms of defense - giving up 41 goals in comparison to the Devil's 30.

We redeemed ourselves this game. We didn't win, but we sure made them work for it. Hemsky and Gilbert are keeping up the good work (sick goal by Hemmer) and MacIntyre continues to improve his overall game.


And also, if Tambellini is listening: Peckham's a keeper. Now let's get someone who can win a faceoff already!

God hates the Oilers

I don't believe in God. For those of you who do, you are starting to realise that God doesn't only hate Flamers like Marchment: God hates the Oilers too.

Oilers lost the game 5-4. The Oilers led 4-2 at one point, and the Jackets 2-0. Torres lead that last rush on the Malholtra goal. I was hoping he wouldn't burn us in the end. I hoped wrong.

Evidence that God hates the Oilers

Evidence 1:
Raffi Torres leads the rush to the winning goal, capping a counter-comeback win by the Columbus BlueJackets. We didn't deserve to win this one outright, but coming back with 4 straight goals from a 2-0 deficit - wasn't exactly a game we deserved to lose either.

Evidence 2:
Injuries. Injuries. Injuries. Strudwick is playing hurt. Smid has a concussion. Grebs has a mild concussion. Roy is unavailable. And that's just the blueline. When are we going to get Jean-Francois Jacques back?

Evidence 3:
We can never have good overall special teams. We're good on the PK one season, but horrible at the PP. We're good on the PP one season, and horrible at the PK. Why can't we be good at both or at least in the middle of the pack for both. Why? WHY?

Anyway ...

... it's gonna be a tough game in Pittsburgh tomorrow and we better come up with a gutsy effort or we will end up where we started on this roadtrip. 2-2 is not bad on a 4 game road trip. 2-2 is considerably sketchy on a 7 game road trip though, and following a 5 game losing streak the Oilers need to prove something.

Sure, we're fans and we don't get a say in how the team runs or contribute to making the team better by our criticisms. But I'm darn sure we want the team to win as much as they do and we know that even if we come out of this road trip 4-3 we'd still be only 0.500 on the year in a tough conference and division.

This is not the right direction to be heading in - considering the team started 4-0.

Other News:

Brodeur's out for 4 months. Roloson is very likely heading the other way because Khabibulin and Fernandez are not necessariliy better options. I would also bet my bottom dollar that Lamoriello chooses Roloson over Theodore or Gerber, even if they were available.

Considering that the NJ Devils have a few UFA's of their own, I would imagine that Tambellini makes a push for either Madden or Holik. However, with Lowe as his overbear, he may try to make this into some sort of weird massive trade for Parise, which wouldn't realistically happen.

Anyway, Madden would fill some of our needs and make at least one major forward expendable along with Roloson. Perhaps that would help us acquire a D-man to fill in for all the injured bodies. Colin White or Paul Martin, perhaps?

(OT) Bruins - 1 @ Oilers - 0 (Rexall Place / PPV); Brent Sutter speaks out about Brandon/Doug Weight incident

According the the Boston Bruins PPV announcer, they have SUPERMAN in net. Apparently its true, because the Oilers were shut out this game - with a little help from Sam Gagner and the Bruins PP. Roloson played markedly well.

In this photo, Tim Thomas watches the puck fly by him. For the longest time, the former Oilers goaltending prospect thought he would watch his career fly by him as well. As you are all probably familiar with by now, the Thomas story involves a lot of perserverance, determination, and patience. In the last few years Thomas has established himself as the #1 in Boston. This year, it's not so etched in stone as Fernandez has come in to Boston as the #1b, perhaps to push Thomas to play better, who knows.

The only thing worse than watching your career fly by is watching PPV that is not worth your time. For those of you who were not at Rexall Place, tonight's game was on PPV and I've got to say I wasn't too impressed with the team's uninspired coverage last year on the PPV. But as a result of my unwillingness to commit to feeding the profitable yet lacklustre Oilers PPV machine, I decided to stream the game online from a popular P2P streaming forum. To be fair, I haven't watched an Oilers PPV game yet this year so I will be curious to see how they have changed it for this 2008-09 season.

To be fair, the shots were pretty close by the end of the 3rd but the Bruins still outshot the Oilers by a considerable margin. Still, it was an entertaining game and the 1-0 score is misleading.

Turns out the Boston Bruins have poor PPV coverage as well. Not only are the announcers heavily biased in their coverage of the Bruins they also get excited (they sound like they peed their pants) over seemingly unimportant plays which confuses listeners/watchers when the play is actually worth getting riled up for (think 630 CHED but on crack and from Boston). Furthermore, the Boston announcers called our rink Rexall Center. Come on buddy, you're a professional - get it right. This is down the same school of the announcers who have poisoned the airwaves with mystery players such as "Sam Cogliano" and polluted the press with the likes of the infamous Ladislav "Smead."

The Oilers performance tonight:

The Oilers started the game getting heavily outshot in the 1st period due to some spirited D coverage by the Bruins. Once the Oilers got into the flow of it, Hemsky and Cole were starting to zip around in the 2nd period. Grebeshkov and Gilbert looked great again.

3rd period: Roloson keeps the team in it and Cole, Moreau, and Cogliano make a lot of great plays going into the Bruins zone. Hemsky beginning to play a bit more of backchecking, stripping Nokeleinen of the puck at one point. The announcer did not feign to describe the great goaltending on this night. Roloson robs Savard at one point. Sam Gagner was mostly unoticable but he did pull of some sweet moves in the last minute of play. More on Sam Gagner's play later. All examples point to one thing: team chemistry and consistency are starting to find its way into the Oilers play.

OT: Sam Gagner's play leads to some mayhem in the D-zone. Oilers fail to kill off the subsequent penalty. Sigh.

At least we got 1 point, eh?

The D in the Oilers defensive zone is still a bit worrisome in terms of challenging shooters, though. I don't know if anybody else notices this, but we just let people cycle around the outside forever and ever and ever... this is like a PK, except it lasts the whole game. Sure, we haveMacT and Huddy who know all about playing defensively. But there has to be some time in the D-zone when someone has to pull a Regehr or Smith and strip a guy of the puck with strong physical play? Otherwise the opposition is going to tee up one-timers from the slot all game, and that sure caused us to bite the bullet in the Vancouver game. I'm sure a small change to the D-zone coverage could prevent the Oilers from being outshot every game.

Boston Bruins Announcement Gems:

(1) OH MY GODDDD.... SUPERMAN!
(2) Coming straight to you from Rexall Center...
(3) Steve Staios was coming in the back door HARD...

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Brent Sutter speaks out:

Brent Sutter, a hockey pseudo-legend, spoke about the Doug Weight hit on his son here. Here is obviously peeved about it, and relates the following quote:

It was a hard hit, a legal hit ... but something has to be done about players being hit in the head while in a vulnerable position.

Sutter nails it on the dot. Also quoted:

If a player got hit in the head, whether it was clean or dirty, you knew what was going to happen. It was going to be a long night for the guy who did the hitting. And the next time, it would be a long night.

The game today is better in a lot of areas. But in some areas, it's not and it's troublesome. There is a lack of respect for opponents' players. It's the way the game is played today, and there are significant injuries. It is what it is.

Unfortunately, the league is better at wiping out one thing and not the other. One thing is a deterrent to the other thing (aka big hits draw revenge so thus prevent stupid plays) but if you remove the balance then there will be too much of one thing. In a weird kind of way, the senseless violence balances out the senseless violence: revenge brawls or fights send a message about decking vulnerable guys on the ice. Not that I would suggest the Canes go and target Doug Weight, but it is a pretty effective deterrent to on-ice headshots. And obviously more effective than anything the league has tried recently...

Dwayne Roloson

Dwayne Roloson: starts in goal tonight

We're all familiar with the story - Dwayne Roloson is acquired from our NW division rival, the Minnesota Wild in return for a 1st round pick (Trevor Lewis, LA) and a 3rd round pick (Michael Forney?, ATL) which were pieces of the jigsaw puzzle that helped Minnesota acquire Pavol Demitra that following draft.

Dwayne Roloson then went on to play 19 games for the Oilers, going 8-7 with a 2.42 GAA and a .905 SV%. Decent numbers. But people were shocked that Edmonton had give up so much to a NW division rival to acquire what they thought was a questionalbe #1. Boy were they wrong.

In the playoffs, the Oilers, with the stellar goaltending of Roloson, knocked off one giant at a time. First it was omnipotent Detroit Red Wings. Then it was the come-from-behind thrashing of the San Jose Sharks, another cup favorite. Lastly, it was the domination of the powerhouse Ducks.

We'll never know what would have happened if Marc-Andre Bergeron, Andrew Ladd, and Dwayne Roloson never got tangled up that day. We'll never know what would have happened if Jason Smith hooked down Rod Brind'amour or if Ty Conklin would have shot it up the ice instead of leaving it behind the net. We'll never know what would have happened if Jussi Markkanen had replaced Roloson that night.

What we do know though, is what did happen. The Oilers fell behind 3-1 and became one of the few teams to come back to force a game 7, with the help of some ballsy goaltending by a certain Jussi Markkanen. We didn't make history as the third team to come back from the 3-1 deficit, but we sure gave had a hoot trying. The Oilers Cinderella story of a cup run was over and we all felt drained. It was beautiful, but no cup.

A couple rough-and-tumble seasons later the team is looking up and the career of the soldier who saw us through the whole mess is looking down. The emergence of Garon as #1 and DesLauriers as a legitimate option in the future has raised questions about Roloson's role on the team.

As I had predicted, he is slated to start tonight in Chicago (PPV) or though there's a chance it's tomorrow night in Colorado (TSN) instead. Hopefully he gets to wear the Grant Fuhr replica mask soon. Why? Because, as always, there are rumblings about his future in Edmonton and about whether it his time here is limited.

I think Garon and DesLauriers have some valuable lessons to learn from Roli's bag of tricks from the spring of '06, for their own future Oilers' cup runs.

Memorable Dwayne Roloson Moments:

1. Spring 2006, 2nd round - Game 3 - 2 OT, Sharks @ Oilers view

Dwayne Roloson robs Jonathan Cheechoo on a one-timer, point blank. Maybe it was coming on Cheechoo's forehand side, and he suggested he let up on the shot. I think Dwayne Roloson's glove disagrees mightily.

The save prolonged the game, and in 3 OT Shawn Horcoff scores the goal that ends the game. Instead of going down 3-0, the Oilers are back in it at 1 games to San Jose's 2. Oilers go on to win 4 straight to take the series.

The Game 3 recap has conveniently disappeared from the Oilers website and I was forced to link it to Game 4 instead.

2. Spring 2006, 3rd round - Game 2, Oilers @ Ducks

Roloson conveniently shakes off his mask a few times in Game 2 of an Oilers 3-1 win. This peeves the hell out of Randy Carlyle as Roloson goes on keep his crease clear. Oilers go on to win the series 4-1.

3. Spring 2006, 1st round - game to be determined, Wings @ Oilers

Dan Cleary wraps it around the net and Roloson, standing erect and hugging the post - keeps it out somehow! He never gives up on the play and because he squeezes his pads, hugs the post and turns his skates, he keeps it out. That's right DesLauriers - that's how you keep the Bertuzzi's of the NHL from scoring from that area!

4. Spring 2006, 1st round - Game 1, Oilers @ Wings

Dwayne Roloson makes 54 saves in a 3-2 loss to the wings in 2 OT. Maltby deflects the puck past Roloson and it's probably a lucky goal. The Red Wings take home the win - the Oilers take home the message: we can beat the Wings. MacTavish adapts the "trap" in order to make Roloson the center of the defensive system and forces the offensive threats out to the brinks of the defensive zone. Works like a charm. Strangely enough, Roloson performs so well with the system that his SV% is better without Pronger on the ice!

And take home the message they did indeed. Edmonton won the next 2 games on route to eliminating the President's Trophy winners in 6 games.

5. Spring 2006, 4th round - Game 1, Oilers @ Hurricanes

Andrew Ladd steams into the Oilers zone with the puck. Marc-Andre Bergeron, unable to control him, attempts to derail him by pushing him into the post. Unfortunately, Ladd falls gratuitously onto Roloson's blocker arm and right leg, effectively knocking him out of the rest of the playoffs.

Have more Dwayne Roloson moments? Drawing penatlies on Red Wings? Batting pucks out of the air? Complaining to refs? Post 'em and leave 'em in the comments section!



We'll never know.

Afterthoughts on Game 4, plus New Features!

Afterthoughts on the Game

(1) Physicality - The CBC Hockey Night in Canada crew noticed the same thing I noticed: Erik Cole still hasn't quite fit in perfectly with the top line as of yet. But regardless of this, he led the team in hits tonight and was a presence all over the ice.

I don't think it would matter so much where Cole plays as much as he keeps it up until he find some chemistry somewhere on the team. THE SLAW HAS ARRIVED AND HE'S GONNA HURT YOU!

Speaking of physical play - great fight between Prust and MacIntyre. Calgary's BP has got some balls and it has nothing to do with spaghetti, trust me. To go up against a guy who's got 75 lbs on you is something else. Standing in there just so he can pummel your innards is another. If BP evades the IR after this one, kudos to him. THE CAVEMAN HAS ARRIVED AND HE'S GONNA HURT YOU!

(2) Missing Sheldon - For the first time this season, Visnovsky looked very human. Grebs looked a bit shaky last game and he looked very shaky to start this game. Him and Tom Gilbert got out with their skins intact though. (phew!) For the first time, we saw what Lubo plays like without that physical presence that Souray provides. Smid played decidedly well; he made safe plays, didn't overcommit to any pinch and was sound in his own end. I think he showed why I always say he plays better without Staios. Staios and Strudwick, with the exception of the own goal (that Strudwick put through Garon's 5 hole - and then proceeded to bank off his skates into his own net...) looked good tonight from the 2nd period onwards.

(3) 3rd line versatility - The core of the Oiler's depth showed why this Oilers team was missing a beat without the Captain and Fernando Pisani in the lineup last season. Even without Gagner in the lineup, this pesky pair has forechecked the business into bankruptcy in opposition defensive zones and wrecked havoc on their outlet passes. The ability for either Penner, Pouliot, or Brodziak to slip into that 3rd line RW slot has shown how valuable this pair is to the team. What does this mean? It could mean that Erik Cole is headed to the 3rd line if he doesn't find chemistry within 2 or 3 games. If the 3rd line can find chemistry and ignite the flame under Pouliot and Penner, they can definitely do it for a crash-banger of Cole's quality.

(4) Roloson dressed over DesLauriers - As I predicted the other day, the decision to get JDD dressed as a backup could indicate that he was starting his NHL career. It happened.

This time, I'm guessing that MacT plans to start Roloson either next week in Chicago or Colorado in one of the back-to-back nights. MacT might keep going like this until one of the backups establishes themselves over the other. And plus, you can't make a move with the goalies unless they get some evaluation time.

Plus, it would be a shame if Roli didn't get a chance to don that Fuhr replica mask!

(5) Holy speed Batman! - Is it just me, or did Nilsson and Cogliano actually get better this game than they were in the previous 3? If they can play this well without Gagner, I can't wait til Samwise gets healthy and plays on the kid line again! Backchecking. Forechecking. Playing 4-on-4. Nilsson's ninja breakaway skills were wasted as he almost lit it up too. Cogliano breaking in on the RW and making Kipper look like a fool was reason enough to cream one's pants. Candy is dandy - but Cogliano's speed is godly. Move over, Matthew Lombardi!

New Features:

- Team Extra (this week, it's Minnesota and Buffalo)

- (+/-) Gold Award

- Goalies for Poolies



It's the Minnesota Machine - Move outta the Way!

Anyone who doubted that the NW division was the toughest division in hockey - has not been paying attention to the Wild starts to the season (pun intended) for the Canucks, Oilers, and the Wild. Though the Flames and Avs didn't have such a hot start, they sure put in some real battles in the last few games as well.

The amazing part is that the Wild have done this much so far without some key players. Thus far, the Wild have seen injuries to Marian Gaborik, Marek Zidlicky, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, John Scott, Owen Nolan, and Kurtis Foster. Tonight, the Wild shutout the Lightning and won in a shootout - a tight 1-0 decision. Technically the Bolts shutout the Wild too - but all that matters is who won the game.

How are they doing this?

Like always, the Wild have a tight team game based on a tight defensive system. The fact that Antti Miettinen and Mikko Koivu are on pace for career years doesn't hurt, either. Koivu has 9 points and Miettinen has 7 points and a shootout winner. The only tandem doing better right now is the dreaded Dubinsky-Voros combination, who have also come straight out of nowhere. But back to the Wild: I love the fact that I picked Koivu in my pool. I traded Cam Ward so I could pick up Garon and Koivu - and it's worked out dandy.

The question now is - what happens when the injured players return? I would anticipate that Jacques Lemaire will not get the itch to fix anything that aint broken - meaning he will make the most minute changes to his lineup. That could mean that Gaborik will not restart on the top line. Won't help Gaborik to sign any long-term contracts, mind you.

I wish Minny all the best because they have shown that a good team game can overcome adversity. But when it comes down to the NW division title and playing against them - I hope they goddamn well lose to us. Pretty please?



Guys who you want on the ice - even if they won't score

(1) Michael Komisarek (+6) - 1 point
(2) Dennis Wideman (+6) - 1 point
(3) Andrew Ference (+5) - 2 points
(4) Colin (John) White (+4) - 1 point
(5) Willie Mitchell (+4) - 3 points

And the winner of the very first Bi-weekly (+/-) Gold Award goes to...

Michael Komisarek
1st (+/-) Gold Award

Just because he's not gonna beam down on you on the breakaway, just because he's not gonna outskate Marty St. Louis or deke out Mathieu Garon - doesn't mean he's not gonna HURT YOU.

That's right, MK is one TOUGH CUSTOMER.

You can't hurt him, either. That's because he's GOD ON SKATES and he's gonna SMITE YOU WITH HIS DEFENSIVE PLAY.

Check us out again in a coupl'a'weeks for the next (+/-) Gold Award.



Lindy Ruff's Team Turning Heads

While Minny and the NY Rangers were ripping it up last week in the limelight, the Sabres and Oilers were slowly giddying-up for a quick start - that nobody expected!

The Sabres have lost a game now in the shootout to the Atlanta Thrashers. They're still unbeaten in regulation, but at least that proves the Oilers are better. (Take that, Darcy Regier!) Ignoring the fact that I wouldn't touch someone named Darcy with a ten-foot-pole (Tucker, Regier, Hordichuk...) I must admit that Lindy Ruff is one of the best coaches in the league. The Sabres surprise is due in no small part to him.

Credit is also due to both goaltenders, the re-emergence of Thomas Vanek, and the scoring of Kotalik and Pominville. The veteran defenseman Teppo Numminen has also found his game.

Now the question is: can they keep it up?

The disappearence of Derek Roy and Jochen Hecht is rather worrisome, but the fact that guys like Afinogenov have picked up their games means that Roy and Hecht cannot be far behind. Why do I know this? Because Roy and Hecht are historical performers.

My guess would be that this is signs of things to come for the Buffalo Sabres. When your secondary scoring is Derek Roy, Jochen Hecht, and Maxim Afinogenov, I think you're gonna be in fine shape.



Established #1's get De-established

The first couple of weeks have been a dandy. We've seen quick starts by surprising teams followed by slow starts by supposed contenders. Brodeur is looking to toy with Roy (yes, I realise it doesn't rhyme) and his wins record, and no wonder people are asking: how many shutouts would a Sawchuk get if a Sawchuk played today? Regardless, the once-thought-untouchable record of Mr. Terry God-of-Goalies is now being challenged by none other than Mr. Devil himself. Luckily, the hockey gods were kind to me in the auto-draft and they blessed me with Mr. Devil. Combined with Mathieu Garon, I'm wrecking havoc with only two goalies in a three goalie league and the extra forward Mikko Koivu is making me grin from ear to chin.

Now, who's on the way up, who's on the way down? Furthermore, what can we expect out of some goalie tandems that have faced some controversy or adversity? Read on to find out!

On the Way Up/On the Way Down



(1) Philadelphia

In a tough sports city like Philly, you cannot, I repeat, CANNOT drop the ball. When you're the goalie and the team leans on you like an old man on his crutch, you can't let the team down.

Martin Biron is letting this team down. The season's early, it's not a problem, right?

Wrong.

The Flyers have a backup in Antero Niittymaki who's stellar play in the past, who has seen some decent time since coming up from the AHL has been set back by injuries in the past. Recent play has shown that he is more than just "an option" to the team. This indicates that, at least for the time being, Biron may be backup.

If you have Biron, expect him to lose some minutes to Antero.

(2) Colorado

Thus far, Peter Budaj has been atrocious and expect him to get worse, with the Canucks and Flames clawing onto the Wild and Oilers. Surprisingly, Raycroft did pretty decent in his duties and his Avalanche debut. Until Peter Budaj can shake the questions of his #1 status, expect Raycroft to get some more starts.

(3) NY Islanders

Rick DiPietro has shown to be injury-prone in the past. Whether this is due to Wang protecting his assets or legitimate injuries - who knows eh? All that can be determined is that Joey MacDonald has made it to the NHL and he's making some noise to boot.

In 2 games, McDicks has a .889 SV % and a 3.25 GAA. Yeah, I know: it's not stellar. But neither is Rick DiPietro. Until the Islanders can get their 15 year man in the plans, they're gonna play MacDonald.

(4) Ottawa

Yikes! Auld is already working on making my prediction come true. When I heard that the Senators had signed Auld - my first thought was "watch out Martin Gerber." He didn't perform well in Florida, it's true. But my oh my, he has shown in Vancouver what he can do if he's given a chance to shine.

And shining is what he's doing now. Expect him to take the #1 spot in the rotating door of Senators' goalie tandems.

(5) Edmonton

We love Dwayne Roloson. He took us to the Cup dance in 2005-06 and with a little bit of help from Jussi Markkanen we almost tasted the sweet victory. Darn those 'Canes. That being said, if you go to SportChek or any other place, it would seem that the managers have overstocked #35 jerseys and t-shirts. Coincidence? Hardly! We all know he's making the most money in the crowded crease and we all know that Roli the Goalie is up against the ropes.

We love Dwayne Roloson. But love doesn't win games and it doesn't ease salary cap burdens. Somebody's gonna get cut and I'm gonna bet it's Roloson eventually. It's fine and dandy that we have an experienced duo but when the team is not willing to give you the starting or backup job outright - you know something is up.

We can't blame Roli though: he's a victim of timing. He showed in the latter half of 2007-08 that he's still got the skills to pay the bills. But the stellar play of Garon and the emergence of DesLauriers means that there's not going to be much room for him in the future plans of the team. Hopefully, he gets to wear his Fuhr mask before we say goodbye.

We love Dwayne Roloson. That being said, my future-telling teddy bear says pick DesLauriers over Roloson in the long run.

Going Steady



Ranking of the steadiest goalie tandems in the league

(1) Evgeni Nabokov / Brian Boucher

The Vezina nominee has a reliable backup in Boucher. Boucher has plenty of NHL experience and knowing his role behind Nabokov will mean his brief experiences will be stellar. Ownage will ensue.

(2) Carey Price / Jaroslav Halak

I decided at the last minute to pick the Sharks' tandem over the Habs' tandem. This is due to experience points alone. Price's rise to fame last year was no fluke, and Halak has also regained his form. The Habs have always been skilled at scouting and drafting goaltending prospects and this tandem is the envy of many teams in the league.

(3) Henrik Lundqvist / Stephen Valiquette

The journeyman Valiquette has found his home - backing up Lundqvist, one of the busiest and most skilled goalies in the league. Lundqvist has had some injury problems before, so having a guy who plays well but knows his role on the team is a bonus. Thankfully, it's a good team. And Valiquette isn't a passive contributor to the team's success. He's out there stopping pucks - occasionally. The Rangers are smart enough not to let their goalie get worn down by the regular season grind.

(4) Ryan Miller / Patrick Lalime

Patrick Lalime is making a comeback in Buffalo. The season is young but he's off to a good start backing up Miller. He's already played 2 games and as of this moment is leaguing the league in save percentage (not counting Boucher, who has played only 1 game). Ryan Miller is #2.

(5) Vesa Toskala / Curtis Joseph

There are no questions who is #1 in Leaf-land, but due to the dire situation that is the Maple Leafs' season, expect CuJo to get some respectable playing time. Toskala is human, too.

Situation Pending



(1) Detroit

I've always been a believer of Ty Conklin's. I was mad when he was pulled in favor of Mike Morrison in a shootout against Phoenix a few years back. Then I was mad when Ty and Jason Smith fumbled the winning goal of Game 1 against the 'Canes in the spring of 06. But all the indications are there that this is his time.

Roberto Luongo - Schlumertoluongo: Ty Conklin has already done that whole "I'm a goalie and I'm a captain at the same time" thing. He was captain of his college team. Been there, done that. Goalie captains were SO nineties.

After leaving Edmonton with his career in shambles, he flirted with success in Columbus. It was fleeting. He had a chance in Buffalo. The time wasn't right and Miller was on a roll. He was a force along with Malkin until Fleury took his job back. It's a shame with how well he played in the Winter Classic and all. Could have been the hangover from the better version, the Heritage Classic. Bygones are bygones. For Ty Conklin, the time is now.

This doesn't guarantee that he will take Chris Osgood's job in any way. But what I'm saying is, his chances are infinitismally higher now than they were in Edmonton, Columbus, Buffalo, or Pittsburgh. No way jose, this means I think Ty Conklin, if he keeps his nose to the grindstone, may actually emerge as Detroit's #1. He is the younger and better half of the Detroit tandem and only time will tell if the gods of hockey will be kind to him - finally.

(2) Boston

The team overall - is great. The goalie tandem - not so stellar. There is no clear cut boundary between Manny Fernandez and Tim Thomas (one of my favorites). Neither of them have the age advantage (both aged 34), though Fernandez has more experience being in a 1A/1B system whereas Thomas loves calling the shots. Will Thomas retain his job? Or will Fernandez wedge his foot in the door and steal in the neighbourhood of 35-41 games?

(3) Chicago

What in the name of Jesus H. Christ is going on in Chicago anyway? Doesn't anybody want an overpriced backup who is slightly outplaying the goalie they brought in to replace him? God, the NHL can't appreciate Buhlin walls when they see them.

(4) Atlanta

Let's be honest, so far, Lehtonen has sucked. When are we supposed to see the superman version of the goalie the Thrashers drafted instead of this pretender in his place? So far, he has been outplayed by Johan Hedberg. He hasn't done anything this season to indicate that Hedberg shouldn't get more starts. Could this be bad news in Atlanta?

(5) 3 headed monster (aka 3 way tie between Tampa Bay, Anaheim, and Florida)

On none of these 3 teams have we seen any starters or backups establish themselves. The teams are hanging on by a thread and the goalies have been dragging them down. Avoid these goalies at all costs.

Expect the Nod



Due to start a game soon:

(1) Dwayne Roloson
(2) Kevin Weekes
(3) Erik Ersberg
(4) Danny Sabourin
(5) Pekka Rinne