(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...

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

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...

Don't Let It Hit You On The Way Out

This is one of Edmonton's prodigal sons. His name is Jay Bouwmeester, one of the most highly touted defenseman in his decade, let alone in his draft year.

I've decided to make a post of all the players who have ever avoided playing in Edmonton or wanted "out," either because the city had a bad reputation over things other people said about the city, the team, the hardcore fans, or the media here. Here is the list and feel free to comment if you feel I've forgotten some:

1. Chris Pronger

Pronger-gate was a fiasco that involved everything from illegitimate love affairs to conspiracy theories. More maddening was the fact that Chris Pronger wanted out days after a heated run at the Cup that had brought the city together in one giant circle of community identity.

What did we get out of it: Lupul, Smid, and some 1st rounders
What did we lose: 2 years to developing a new D-core
What that means today: Smid, Plante, Cole, etc., C.P. plays for the "Not-so-mighty" Ducks of Anaheim

2. Jay Bouwmeester

Edmonton's prodigal son has been quoted time and time again as having rejected any plans to play in Edmonton. This past summer some were circulating rumours that he has had a change of heart. I believe that to be more fiction than fact.

I watched him at practice at the U of A in September and he is a beauty of a player: crisp oulet passes, great skating, and always attentive. That being said, he's got great skills and all that, but if he can't handle the pressure of the media and fans in Edmonton (as some have suggested) then it is plausible to suggest he can't handle it in any major market like Montreal, Toronto, New York, Detroit, or Dallas, and will spend the rest of his toiling days in the bowels of the NHL - the Southeast Division (though the rejuvenated Caps would have something to say about that).

I believe that to be untrue. Anybody who wants to play in the NHL will undoubtedly be in the spotlight even if at a limited role. Perhaps it's his way of avoiding Lupul-syndrome or Daigle-disease or a bout of Legein-itis: he was highly touted coming in and perhaps he's still adjusting to a career in the big leagues.

Whatever the case, it would be great to get a quote directly from Jay-Bo about why he doesn't want to play here instead of hearing the same old Eklund-based speculations.

What did we get out of it: Speculation
What did we lose: Nothing
What that means today: The Oilers are 4-0 without Jay-Bo, imagine with him in the lineup!

I have class now, I'll post more tonight.

3. Jaroslav Spacek

With Pronger tee-ing it up for him, Spacek's one-timer was nasty - almost as nasty as Marc-Andre Bergeron's one-timer. He was a great passer, though a bit dangerous in his own end at times.

What did we get out of it: Nothing
What did we lose: Tony Salmelainen
What that means today: Tony plays for the Swiss-A league on Sevette Geneve, Jaro Spacek is one of the mainstays on the Sabres' blueline

4. Mike Peca

He wanted out of Edmonton - and who could blame him? His family (according to word of mouth) wanted to be in the Toronto area and he needed to oblige. This also was another nail in the coffin of the 05-06 team.

Mike Peca recently got suspended for "touching" a referee. Would he consider a return to Edmonton as our 3rd line center?

What did we get out of it: Nothing
What did we lose: Mike York
What that means today: Peca traded in his maple leaf for a bluejacket, Mike York is playing for the Syracruse Crunch of the AHL (CBJ)

5. Mike Comrie

Now here's a touchy subject. Another victim of conspiracy theories, combined with a contract dispute, meant Comrie was torn out of the pages of "hometown hero" and tossed to the wolves. How fair that is now is still a question in my mind. But if the rumours were true about what he did, then I'm all for it. Tommy Salo was my favorite, after all.

What did we get out of it: Jeff Woywitka and some draft picks
What did we lose: team chemistry, that season ended with a crazy 16-game run at the end of the year w/Petr Nedved that almost ended with us sneaking into the playoffs
What that means today: Jeff Woywitka, Rob Schremp, Ryan Potulny

6. Mike Comrie

Now here's a touchy subject. Another victim of conspiracy theories, combined with a contract dispute, meant Comrie was torn out of the pages of "hometown hero" and tossed to the wolves. How fair that is now is still a question in my mind. But if the rumours were true about what he did, then I'm all for it. Tommy Salo was my favorite, after all.

What did we get out of it: Jeff Woywitka and some draft picks
What did we lose: team chemistry, that season ended with a crazy 16-game run at the end of the year w/Petr Nedved that almost ended with us sneaking into the playoffs
What that means today: Jeff Woywitka, Rob Schremp, Ryan Potulny

7. Sergei Samsonov

He was a key addition for the playoff run that culminated in Hemsky's goal against Anaheim on the 2nd last game of the 05-06 season. Samsonov wasn't as equally effective in the playoffs but he was still a key offensive player. The question of intangibles always lingers around Samsonov and has followed him even after he left to play in Montreal, Chicago, etc.

What did we get out of it: Nothing
What did we lose: Marty Reasoner
What that means today: Reasoner signed in ATL, Samsonov was dealt to Carolina where he is restarting his career

Oilers Training Camp Update

After watching much of the Oilers' training camp, including rookie games and Joey Moss Cup, I thought it would be appropriate to think about some fun ways to refer to our players. Thus, I have some Oilers' jokes and nicknames.

Newest Oiler jokes:

1. What did the coach say when he wanted the rookie to be a better team player?
Answer: Make like the Cogs in the machine!

2. What did the coach say to the player heading to the press box?
Answer: Don't make me Paukovich!!!

3. Who in the Oilers' organization has the least funny name?
Answer: Phillipe Cornet

I have come up with some nicknames for some of the Oilers and Oilers' hopefuls:

David Rohlfs - Rohlfcopter (or ROFLcopter, for those of you familiar with Internet Lingo)
Erik Cole - The Slaw (as in Cole Slaw)
Geoff Paukovich - The Headhunter, or Highlander
Marc-Andre Bernier - A.L.I.A.B (At Least I Aint Bergeron!)
Toby LaFrance - The Revolution, or Viva Toby, or Wine and Cheese, or Cup of T, or French Fry
Phillipe Cornet - The Comedian (see Oilers' joke #3)
Glenn Fisher - The Apostle (refer to the gospel)
Ales Hemsky - Hemmertime
Shawn Horcoff - Tuberculosis (I don't want to explain this one... but jesting and jokes aside, I believe Horcoff is the future captain after Ethan Moreau)
Sheldon Souray - S-squared
Lubomir Visnovsky - V-Nov

...

I'm out of ideas.

Just a thought: If Gilbert Brule were female, and he married Tom Gilbert, wouldn't his name be Gilbert Gilbert?