The Injuries...
In the game tonight against Minny, we saw three of our D-Men go down to injury. Taylor Fedun (right leg), Taylor Chorney (right knee), and Ladislav Smid (right shoulder).
When your infested with the injury bug, it seems impossible to kill the little bastard. Enough's enough already. It would be one thing if the injuries this team suffered were little things that lasted a few games and we could recover from them, but most of the injuries weve suffered in the last few years are of the season ending type. Case in point, Taylor Fedun tonight.
If you haven't heard yet, Taylor Fedun broke his leg in a foot race with Nystrom for an iced puck. Nystrom managed to get his stick caught up in Fedun's feet and Fedun crashed heavily into the boards and had to be taken out on a stretcher as he suffered a complex fracture to the femur. The NHL seriously needs to implement no touch icing!
We actually finished the game with only three d-men and Ryan Keller who filled in due to the injuries.
The Win...
Anton Lander gets a penalty shot and absolutely lets a bullet fly past Wild net minder Backstrom, to start the come back. With the shortened bench and down 3-1, Linus Omark decided that it was time to take the game back. Omark sniped a goal after Lander wins the face-off in the offensive zone, with a one-timer to make 3-2. Then he blows the doors off the Minny defense from behind the net and finds Ryan Jones in front and made a great pass that Jones puts away to tie the game. In over-time, Anton Lander again with a bullet, rifles past Backstrom for the game winner.
This finally ends the dreaded Minnesota curse where the Oilers haven't won a game since January 2007! Definitely a reason to celebrate. The positives that we came from behind against a team we have been snake bitten against on the road, and where they are playing basically their NHL roster...are paramount. Enough said.
Devon Dubnyk looked good again tonight and I can no longer find a good reason to let Nikolai Khabibulin get the start in game one on the 9th of October.
The Swedish Connection...
Anton Lander and Linus Omark were by far the reason we won this game tonight. Lander did get called for three penalties tonight and I was worried he was going to be the catalyst for losing the game. But in the end was one of the best players on the ice!
You all know how I feel about Linus Omark, tonight he made everything I write about him true. I feel very justified now. He was protecting the puck with his body along the boards as usual. And he was creating dynamic offense with his skill and vision. My only concern is that it didn't seem to come for him until the middle of the game. What am I saying?? he got a star tonight and was awesome.
Final Thoughts...
I hope Taylor Fedun can recover quickly from his injury and that he will be able to get back to the level of game he was having this year in camp. Let's face it, he was on the cusp of making this team.
Tomorrow in Vancouver, I pray that the kids play together again and that they let both Lander and Omark into this one as well.
I personally feel that Gilbert Brule is probably done as an Oiler. He didn't do enough, consistently to make a case for himself.
Darcy Hordichuk scored (sort of). The goal was eventually called off due to a penalty that was taken by Brule. It would've been a nice goal too.
Cant wait for tomorrow!
Go Oilers Go!
Showing posts with label Anton Lander. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anton Lander. Show all posts
Friday, September 30, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
MY THOUGHTS ON TRAINING CAMP SO FAR
Anton Lander...
As I wrote two weeks ago, I was firmly on the band-wagon for Anton Lander to make the Oilers team this year. At the time, I was convinced based on they way he was playing that this the right decision.
Since then I have tempered my enthusiasm somewhat on Lander, and now feel like he might benefit more from a short stint in OKC for the Barons. Part of my reasoning for this, is due to the lack of production he's shown when not playing with really skilled guys. Maybe that's more of a knock on the coaching staff than the player as the coaches decided he should play a 3rd & mostly 4th line role in the game on this past Tuesday againt the Phoenix Coyotes. I am not sure this is the right role for him. On the flip side, he should be able to adapt as he may have to play this role if he makes the team.
To be honest, I didn't notice he was even dressed in the game until nearly the end of the first period. The rest of the game was no better, I was aware he was on the ice, but he was not "noticeable" all game long. Personally I think Lander getting more accustomed to the smaller ice in North America and the game style that is played here, is more important for him than getting limited minutes as 4th line centre in the NHL. He will likely get 20+ minutes in OKC and will be used in all aspects of specialty team play as well. This experience will be invaluable for him when he inevitably gets the call when the injury bug hits us this year.
Goal Tending...
I heard Jason Gregor on the Team1260 in conversation with Mark Spector of Spotrstnet, a "train wreck" when reffering to Khabibulins season last year. I tend to agree with this sentiment. Not to mention, in my opinion, this has been the one glaring error the GM Steve Tambellini has made since taking over this team.
Nikolai Khabibulin has been surprisingly better thus far in camp. He's won 2 of the 3 games he's played in. The one night that was rough for him, he let 3 goals in on 7 shots in the first game he played in first pre-season in the split squad game at home.
Since that game he's been much improved and is likely to get at least one more start in the two remaining games this weekend.
Dubnyk on the other hand...has looked like he's ready to take the next step and be the starting Goalie for the Oilers moving forward.
In edmotn the MSM is all a a-buzz with who should start the home opener on October the 9th vs. Pittsburgh. I say start Dubnyk and boost the kid's confidence, and give him 45 games this year and see if he can handle the load.
I guess there's some sort of un-spoken tradition / meaning to being the starting Goalie for the home opening game. If Khabibulin is a team player and a professional, hopefully he will not be offended or upset if Dubnyk gets the start. Having said that, I hope that Khabibulin is listening to media here in Edmonton and will push for the start and make it a more healthy competition for the start.
The Kids...
One word...Unfreakinbeleivable! In the game against Phoenix this past Tuesday, Tom Renney let Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle play on the same line for the first time in exhibition competition. And good thing he did. We all have been dreaming about it and drooling over it since July 1st. But we saw it come to fruition on Tuesday.
Nuff Said!
I am curious to see if this will be the same line in the game against Vancouver on Saturday on CBC's HNIC, but until then...I am just going to watch this video over and over
GO Oilers GO!
As I wrote two weeks ago, I was firmly on the band-wagon for Anton Lander to make the Oilers team this year. At the time, I was convinced based on they way he was playing that this the right decision.
Since then I have tempered my enthusiasm somewhat on Lander, and now feel like he might benefit more from a short stint in OKC for the Barons. Part of my reasoning for this, is due to the lack of production he's shown when not playing with really skilled guys. Maybe that's more of a knock on the coaching staff than the player as the coaches decided he should play a 3rd & mostly 4th line role in the game on this past Tuesday againt the Phoenix Coyotes. I am not sure this is the right role for him. On the flip side, he should be able to adapt as he may have to play this role if he makes the team.
To be honest, I didn't notice he was even dressed in the game until nearly the end of the first period. The rest of the game was no better, I was aware he was on the ice, but he was not "noticeable" all game long. Personally I think Lander getting more accustomed to the smaller ice in North America and the game style that is played here, is more important for him than getting limited minutes as 4th line centre in the NHL. He will likely get 20+ minutes in OKC and will be used in all aspects of specialty team play as well. This experience will be invaluable for him when he inevitably gets the call when the injury bug hits us this year.
Goal Tending...
I heard Jason Gregor on the Team1260 in conversation with Mark Spector of Spotrstnet, a "train wreck" when reffering to Khabibulins season last year. I tend to agree with this sentiment. Not to mention, in my opinion, this has been the one glaring error the GM Steve Tambellini has made since taking over this team.
Nikolai Khabibulin has been surprisingly better thus far in camp. He's won 2 of the 3 games he's played in. The one night that was rough for him, he let 3 goals in on 7 shots in the first game he played in first pre-season in the split squad game at home.
Since that game he's been much improved and is likely to get at least one more start in the two remaining games this weekend.
Dubnyk on the other hand...has looked like he's ready to take the next step and be the starting Goalie for the Oilers moving forward.
In edmotn the MSM is all a a-buzz with who should start the home opener on October the 9th vs. Pittsburgh. I say start Dubnyk and boost the kid's confidence, and give him 45 games this year and see if he can handle the load.
I guess there's some sort of un-spoken tradition / meaning to being the starting Goalie for the home opening game. If Khabibulin is a team player and a professional, hopefully he will not be offended or upset if Dubnyk gets the start. Having said that, I hope that Khabibulin is listening to media here in Edmonton and will push for the start and make it a more healthy competition for the start.
The Kids...
One word...Unfreakinbeleivable! In the game against Phoenix this past Tuesday, Tom Renney let Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle play on the same line for the first time in exhibition competition. And good thing he did. We all have been dreaming about it and drooling over it since July 1st. But we saw it come to fruition on Tuesday.
Nuff Said!
I am curious to see if this will be the same line in the game against Vancouver on Saturday on CBC's HNIC, but until then...I am just going to watch this video over and over
GO Oilers GO!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
SPLIT SCREEN PRE-SEASON MANIA!!
First Pre-Season Games Tonight in a Split Squad Frenzy...
As a Die Hard fan of the Edmonton Oilers, tonight was pretty much a dream come true, even though I couldn't be at the game myself.
To see two Oilers games at the same time, split screen on my PC was a first for me. I found my self torn between the two tilts as there was a ton of intrigue in both games!
Edmonton Vs. Minnesota...
In this game I was most interested in the all Swede kid line that was Omark-Lander-Paajarvi. I was not disappointed! Lander scored a goal that was assisted by Omark, and all night Paajarvi was dangerous and fast!
There was another element to this game that I was intrigued to see, I wanted to see Khabibulin's first game back after a tumultuous summer to say the least. I was surprised to learn that it was 3-0 Wild after the first period when I finally got back to my computer and turned on the game! Unfortunately I did not see the those goals and therefore can't comment until I see the highlights when they get posted later on the Oilers site, but I will say this...I was disappointed that we were down by 3 goals and was blaming Khabibulin even though it might not have been his fault.
When Tyler Bunz was brought into the game, I thought he looked outstanding. His glove is unbelievable! I shouldn't be surprised though as he did post the shut-out in Penticton last week.
Taylor Hall looks like a different guy this year. He looks stronger, faster and harder on the puck than at the end of last year. I noticed this too at the Joey Moss Cup game on Sunday. The only way I can truly describe it is...he looks really hungry. Like he's not going to take no for an answer in any situation, and that he's going to be better this year if it kills him. This is awesome to see!! I can't wait to watch him get 40 goals this year. (that's right I said 40)
It's hard to comment here on the intangible stuff as I was paying attention to both games and missed alot of that kind of thing.
It sucked that we lost this game 4-3, but we came back to tie 3-3 and lost in the dying minutes of the third. Unfortunately, I am not a bandwagon jumper like I used to be, and I do not have unrealistic expectations for this team to make the play-offs. But, if we can compete in games and lose the way we did tonight, this season ticket holder will be a happy camper.
Edmonton Vs. Chicago...
There was a ton of intrigue for me in this game as well. the obvious stuff like, RNH playing his first pro game, Ryan Smyth in his first game back for the Oil, Jordan Eberle etc...
But to be honest, I was really looking forward to watching the boys play in those new white retro uni's. When I saw the team take the ice on Sunday for the Moss Cup...I was blown away by the look. It was like watching the 80's Oilers take the ice. I wanted to see what they looked like on TV and I wasn't disappointed.
But, as far as the game goes, Ryan Smith was up to his old tricks in front of the net picking up the rebound from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins who shot from the point. Smyth scores of course!
Jordan Eberle, who has been so clutch in his short career...scores on a 2-1 break with 1:30 left in the game for the winner to make it 3-2. It was a beautiful snipe! I would post the video here, but it has not been uploaded to the Oilers site yet.
All in all a very good night to be an Oilers Fan. I can't wait for my first in-person game on Saturday against the Flames. Unfortunately...I am travelling for business (to help pay for my seats) and can't be there Thursday either, but if you are going to be at the game Saturday...I will be telling Kiprusoff just exactly what I think of him all night long!!
Stream Was More Like a Trickle...
In this day and age of high speed internet, the stream tonight on the Oilers website was pretty choppy! I am not sure if it was my connection from here in Fort St. John, BC or what...but there was a hell of a lot of buffering going on.
There was a lot of complaints on twitter tonight from viewers as well, so I tend to believe that there wasn't enough bandwidth from the broadcast to go around. I hope the Oilers fix this for Thursday night as it was pretty frustrating tonight for sure.
GO Oilers GO!!
As a Die Hard fan of the Edmonton Oilers, tonight was pretty much a dream come true, even though I couldn't be at the game myself.
To see two Oilers games at the same time, split screen on my PC was a first for me. I found my self torn between the two tilts as there was a ton of intrigue in both games!
Edmonton Vs. Minnesota...
In this game I was most interested in the all Swede kid line that was Omark-Lander-Paajarvi. I was not disappointed! Lander scored a goal that was assisted by Omark, and all night Paajarvi was dangerous and fast!
There was another element to this game that I was intrigued to see, I wanted to see Khabibulin's first game back after a tumultuous summer to say the least. I was surprised to learn that it was 3-0 Wild after the first period when I finally got back to my computer and turned on the game! Unfortunately I did not see the those goals and therefore can't comment until I see the highlights when they get posted later on the Oilers site, but I will say this...I was disappointed that we were down by 3 goals and was blaming Khabibulin even though it might not have been his fault.
When Tyler Bunz was brought into the game, I thought he looked outstanding. His glove is unbelievable! I shouldn't be surprised though as he did post the shut-out in Penticton last week.
Taylor Hall looks like a different guy this year. He looks stronger, faster and harder on the puck than at the end of last year. I noticed this too at the Joey Moss Cup game on Sunday. The only way I can truly describe it is...he looks really hungry. Like he's not going to take no for an answer in any situation, and that he's going to be better this year if it kills him. This is awesome to see!! I can't wait to watch him get 40 goals this year. (that's right I said 40)
It's hard to comment here on the intangible stuff as I was paying attention to both games and missed alot of that kind of thing.
It sucked that we lost this game 4-3, but we came back to tie 3-3 and lost in the dying minutes of the third. Unfortunately, I am not a bandwagon jumper like I used to be, and I do not have unrealistic expectations for this team to make the play-offs. But, if we can compete in games and lose the way we did tonight, this season ticket holder will be a happy camper.
Edmonton Vs. Chicago...
There was a ton of intrigue for me in this game as well. the obvious stuff like, RNH playing his first pro game, Ryan Smyth in his first game back for the Oil, Jordan Eberle etc...
But to be honest, I was really looking forward to watching the boys play in those new white retro uni's. When I saw the team take the ice on Sunday for the Moss Cup...I was blown away by the look. It was like watching the 80's Oilers take the ice. I wanted to see what they looked like on TV and I wasn't disappointed.
But, as far as the game goes, Ryan Smith was up to his old tricks in front of the net picking up the rebound from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins who shot from the point. Smyth scores of course!
Jordan Eberle, who has been so clutch in his short career...scores on a 2-1 break with 1:30 left in the game for the winner to make it 3-2. It was a beautiful snipe! I would post the video here, but it has not been uploaded to the Oilers site yet.
All in all a very good night to be an Oilers Fan. I can't wait for my first in-person game on Saturday against the Flames. Unfortunately...I am travelling for business (to help pay for my seats) and can't be there Thursday either, but if you are going to be at the game Saturday...I will be telling Kiprusoff just exactly what I think of him all night long!!
Stream Was More Like a Trickle...
In this day and age of high speed internet, the stream tonight on the Oilers website was pretty choppy! I am not sure if it was my connection from here in Fort St. John, BC or what...but there was a hell of a lot of buffering going on.
There was a lot of complaints on twitter tonight from viewers as well, so I tend to believe that there wasn't enough bandwidth from the broadcast to go around. I hope the Oilers fix this for Thursday night as it was pretty frustrating tonight for sure.
GO Oilers GO!!
Monday, September 12, 2011
FINALLY A GAME TO WRITE ABOUT!
At Last...
After a very long summer, the draft, free agency, and the dog days...last night we saw a wicked game at the young stars tournament in BC hosted by the Vancouver Canucks.
I was not prepared for what I witnessed on the ice at all. I expected a bunch of nervous, rusty kids trying to find some chemistry with one another. Instead, I saw a fast, skilled, tough hockey game that kicked ass!! Not to mention it's always awesome to beat the Canucks. And we didn't just beat them...we beat them down, in a 7-2 drubbing.
Firmly On the Bandwagon...
After Anton Lander scored his second goal of the game, I tweeted out that I hope this kid will make the big club this year.
Seconds later Jason Gregor tweets "Lander with his 2nd PP goal... This one a quick snapper upstairs. Cue Oilers fans claiming he has to start season in Edmonton."
I have a question, why shouldn't he start the season in Edmonton? I get it's one game in a rookie tournament, the first game in fact. But I know what I saw last night. When he scored on the PP last night coming off the half wall and driving the net...I saw the future PP possibilities. The Oilers power-play couldn't get much worse than it has been in the last couple of years.
If Lander has a good tournament in Penticton, and shows well in main camp next week...I say give the kid a few games and sit Brule, and see if the big Swedish pivot can cut it in the bigs. We all know what Brule is capable of...not a whole lot IMO, but if Lander can play in the NHL, I think Brule's spot is up for grabs.
There were lots of other guys that had good games too...but for my money, Lander was the best player on the ice.
Next Game...
It'll be extremely cool to watch the Oilers take on the Winnipeg Jets for the first time tomorrow night!! I am totally pumped for that. Not only are the Jets back, in a new logo, we only get to see them once in the regular season this year in February. It'll be nice to get a glimpse of their Rookie corps as the divisions will inevitably change next season and its good to see what we may be up against in a couple of years. I have never followed the Thrashers, and don't know a great deal about their depth chart or farm team.
Can't wait until the puck drops tomorrow!
Tell me what you thought of the game last night.
GO Oilers GO!
After a very long summer, the draft, free agency, and the dog days...last night we saw a wicked game at the young stars tournament in BC hosted by the Vancouver Canucks.
I was not prepared for what I witnessed on the ice at all. I expected a bunch of nervous, rusty kids trying to find some chemistry with one another. Instead, I saw a fast, skilled, tough hockey game that kicked ass!! Not to mention it's always awesome to beat the Canucks. And we didn't just beat them...we beat them down, in a 7-2 drubbing.
Firmly On the Bandwagon...
After Anton Lander scored his second goal of the game, I tweeted out that I hope this kid will make the big club this year.
Seconds later Jason Gregor tweets "Lander with his 2nd PP goal... This one a quick snapper upstairs. Cue Oilers fans claiming he has to start season in Edmonton."
I have a question, why shouldn't he start the season in Edmonton? I get it's one game in a rookie tournament, the first game in fact. But I know what I saw last night. When he scored on the PP last night coming off the half wall and driving the net...I saw the future PP possibilities. The Oilers power-play couldn't get much worse than it has been in the last couple of years.
If Lander has a good tournament in Penticton, and shows well in main camp next week...I say give the kid a few games and sit Brule, and see if the big Swedish pivot can cut it in the bigs. We all know what Brule is capable of...not a whole lot IMO, but if Lander can play in the NHL, I think Brule's spot is up for grabs.
There were lots of other guys that had good games too...but for my money, Lander was the best player on the ice.
Next Game...
It'll be extremely cool to watch the Oilers take on the Winnipeg Jets for the first time tomorrow night!! I am totally pumped for that. Not only are the Jets back, in a new logo, we only get to see them once in the regular season this year in February. It'll be nice to get a glimpse of their Rookie corps as the divisions will inevitably change next season and its good to see what we may be up against in a couple of years. I have never followed the Thrashers, and don't know a great deal about their depth chart or farm team.
Can't wait until the puck drops tomorrow!
Tell me what you thought of the game last night.
GO Oilers GO!
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