SHOWDOWN IN THE DESERT

I will do my best to update this blog as the game is played live. I have never live Blogged before...so I thought I would give it a try...stay tuned. All times are listed in Mountain Standard time.


UPDATE 6:30 PM...


Just finished watching the second episode of "Oil Change" on TSN. this is a great mini-series! Alot of questions that i have had during the season thus far have been answered. Things like..."I wonder Tom Renney says during a time-out?" & "I wonder if the coach is pissed and letting players know during this intermission?" 


It's also really cool having the mic on different players and coaches during games and practices. It allows you to hear the stuff you never get to hear and gives you a real feeling of being that much closer to knowing what goes on with this team.


check out the episode at www.oilers.nhl.com


UPDATE 7:02...


Puck's about to drop. Hopefully we can get off to a good start. I would like to see Paajarvi get going tonight. GO Oilers GO!


UPDATE 7:10...


Hemsky makes a beautiful play to Penner for what looks like a sure thing, Penner misses and Gilbert and Penner fumble with the puck as it comes back into Edmonton's end and Hanzal scores with less than a minute gone in the first! UGHHH!!!!


UPDATE 7:16...


It looks like the Oilers are trying hard to establish a fore-check early. That's something we haven't seen much this year. That's a good sign. We look pretty shaky in our own end though...especially on that first goal. Hopefully we can tighten up from here on in.


UPDATE 7:23...


Dubnyk has had to be sharp thus far. He's made 3 or 4 nice saves already. My hopes that the Oil can tighten up in their own end seems like a bit of a pipe dream.


'Yotes just had 3 great scoring chances! Oilers have given up at least 2 odd-man rushes so far.


Horc takes first penalty for hauling down Belanger, holding call...here comes the PK...I'm scared! Our PK is clipping along at just under 69%. That's good for 30th in the league.


UPDATE 7:31...


Oilers kill the penalty as Cogs & Whitney make some nice defensive plays! 6:32 to go in the first. Shots on goal so far...10-3 in favor of Phoenix.


UPDATE 7:38...


Peckham flattens Bissonette along the boards, and they have a little chat after...maybe a prelude to a tilt???


UPDATE 7:42...


Oilers are allowing the Yotes to be all alone in front of Dubnyk. Hanzal had another beautiful chance...low slot. Dubnyk denies him.


END OF THE FIRST PERIOD


Outshot 16-4, the Oilers head to the room down 1-0. It could be 3-0 based on the defensive breakdowns. Coach Renney was giving his player the gears during the middle of the first, according to Ray Ferraro, who is doing the colour on the TSN broadcast down between the benches. Apparently Renney isn't happy, and is telling the Oilers to trust in the system.


The Oilers did have some opportunities and it looks like Paajarvi is responding to reduced ice time of late. He has looked dangerous down low in the corners.


If the Oilers come out and take it to the Coyotes physically in the second, I believe that they have a good opportunity to re-gain the momentum and get going, tie the game and take control. Maybe a good fight is what we need. Hopefully Peckham and Bissonette will square up and go. 


LETS GO OILERS!!!!


UPDATE 8:02...


Puck drops on the second period. Hemmer, Gags and Penner to start for the Oil.


UPDATE 8:04...


Right out of the gate the Oil gets two scoring chance and come out flying...keep it up boys!


UPDATE 8:05...


Wolski scores...beats Cogs off the half wall, walks out front and in the back of the net high blocker side on Dubnyk. so much for keeping it up... :(


UPDATE 8:10...


Paajarvi gets a nice chance on goal from rebound on point shot. Then Oilers put some pressure on and Whitney takes a nice shot, but is denied by Bryzgalov.


UPDATE 8:14...


Hemsky sets up two nice scoring chances and Gagner hits a post on the back hand. Bryzgalov gives up some juicy rebounds. 


Paajarvi draws a penalty Edmonton gets first PP opportunity.


UPDATE 8:18...


Phoenix kills the penalty...we generate only one shot on net.


UPDATE 8:27...


Oilers are out shooting Phoenix this period 8-3. Coyotes took some liberties on the Oilers down low along the boards. Should've been a penalty IMO...but not to be.


UPDATE 8:31...


Eberle gets two glorious chances! Bryzgalov played them well, but again giving up some nice rebounds.


Cogs takes a delay of game penalty...back to that 30th PK.


UPDATE 8:32...


Stempniak scores on the PP. Dubnyk made an all world save on the first chance, but Stempniak gets the puck back and just tucks it in. 3-0 Yotes. Just over two minutes left in the second period.


END OF THE SECOND PERIOD


Hemsky gets a late chance to score in the dying thirty seconds of the period, but to no avail. Oilers out shoot the Coyotes in this period 11-7. Coyotes are still winning the shot battle though, 23-16.


This was a much better effort for the Oil than in the first period, but...Phoenix scores twice anyways. Once on the PP and once at even strength. 


Stempniak now has two points on the night as he assisted on  Wolski's goal.


I guess it all comes down to the third for the good guys. We have come back in several games to tie, and to get to O.T. Let's hope this is one of those games! 


GO OILERS!


UPDATE 8:55...


Puck drops in the third. Penner, Hemmer & Gagner start the period again.


UPDATE 8:57...


Eberle set Horc up for a nice one-timer but again Bryzgalov stands tall. Some nice work along the boards by Paajarvi and Brule on their shift right after that.


UPDATE 9:01...


Phoenix takes a penalty and we get our second PP opportunity. Upshall gets a holding call. 


I'm feeling like it's now or never. We haven't scored on the PP though, in 5 games.


UPDATE 9:04...


Phoenix kills the penalty. Oilers generate two shots on the power-play.


UPDATE 9:09...


Half-way through the 3rd and the shot clock reads 27-19 in favor of Phoenix. Hocoff and Hall just teamed up for two great chances on net. Bryzgalov has stumped the Oilers tonight. we haven't found a way to solve him yet. If we don't win this game (which looks unlikely now) I would at least like to break the Shut-out! Lets go Oilers!!!


UPDATE 9:14...


Whitney hits the cross-bar on a wicked shot from the point. The shot deflects off Cogliano's face and Cogs heads straight for the bench. Ray Ferraro saying it didn't look good from his angle, and that it hit Cogliano in the mouth. Hopefully he's ok! Maybe will see Omark here soon, if Cogs is injured.


As I wrote the above...Hanzal scores his second of the night. Oilers make a bad change to leave him all alone. Scores by shooting from just near the face-off dot. 4-0 Phoenix. It's all over but the crying now as there is only 5:30 left in the game.


UPDATE 9:26...


With less than a minute to go, Stempniak blows by a sleeping Penner and scores to make it 5-0 and put a big fat exclamation point on this game.


END OF THE GAME SUMMARY


All-in-all a pretty poor effort by the Oilers tonight. While Bryzgalov played well posting the shut-out, Edmonton couldn't get a handle on the game in their own end tonight.


With Cogs going off in the third with an apparent mouth injury, we may have to make a call to the farm to replace him. I would love to see Omark here, but we need to shore up the third line and PK so it'll probably be Reddox that gets the call.


Both teams played a well disciplined game only allowing 2 PP opportunities each. 


The Eberle, Horcoff, and Hall Line was probably the best for scoring chances tonight. 


According to TSN, the Oilers only have 5 wins in their last 36 road games. Ouch! 


If you followed this while I pounded it out tonight...I thank-you!! Please leave a comment or two and let me know if you liked this. I will decide whether I should do it again based on your comments.


Next Game is at home on Thursday against Colorado.


GO Oilers GO!