There are few things that were notable in this game that I would like to comment on.
It's been said that there is some symbolism, to which goalie gets the start in game one of a new season, this year Devan Dubnyk got that start. I am not sure what this is supposed to mean, but I am guessing it is some sort of nod to the Goalie, that they are the guy between the pipes going forward through the season?? Or at least that's the sense I get when I hear media types refer to this symbolism. I could be way off here, that's just the impression that I have.
Dubnyk played well against one of the premiere teams in the NHL, and got us the victory 2-1 in the shoot-out. Good call to put him in! I was hoping that he would get the start after Nikolai Khabibulin's brutal season last year. I think Dubnyk should get at least half the starts this year if not more, and I would like to see him start to move into the number one role in Edmonton.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins gets to play his first game in the NHL and scores his first goal! if you haven't seen it...
A great second effort by Hopkins to put it past Brent Johnson who was in goal for the Penguins! All in all, I thought RNH had a solid game and didn't look out of place at all in this league. We will have to wait and see how the next 7 games go to judge if he should stay up or go back to his Junior team in Red Deer.
Four years after the above picture was taken at Ryan Smyth's press conference when he was traded, Smyth played his first game as an Oiler again. As usual, we got a blue collar hard work effort from Smytty. He even through an old-school elbow on Chris Kunitz in the dying minutes of the third period and got a 5 min game mis-conduct for it. Fortunately our PK looked good all night and saved the game with Duby's help to get the game to OT and bail Ryan out.
In the shoot-out Jordan Eberle & Ales Hemsky both scored and Omark tried his YouTube sensation move, to lob the puck over the back of the Goalie when he goes down. Unfortunately missed the net and Dubnyk stopped Steve Sullivan's next shot to win the game.
A lot of people on twitter and radio, criticized Omark for trying that shot. Here's how it looks when successful... (sorry for the Swedish!)
Had he made that work in the game on Sunday, he'd be a hero and people would have been praising him as they did last year with that wicked spin move he scored against Tampa Bay.
Great and exciting game that had some momentous occasions to it, and an awesome game to be at if you are a fan of the Oilers!
Game Two: Thursday October 13th vs. Minnesota...
Going into this game there were some line-up changes made by Tom Renney. Omark was out as a healthy scratch for Lennart Petrell. This was touted as a move made due to the turn-over that Omark had in game one. There were quite a few. Not Omark's best game. I was upset about this as I feel that Omark gives ou PP a much fresher and creative look than when Hemsky is running it.
Omark aside, there was a bigger story unfolding with Khabibulin getting the start in goal, and the fact that we hadn't won a game in Minnesota sine 2006, the media was all over this in the pre-game interviews.
The game was going really well in the first period! it looked like the Oilers were going to dominate. Ryan Smyth scored his signature goal from two feet in front of goal, his first as an Oiler since his return.
Then the inevitable happened. Ales Hemsky was injured (again) and would not return to the game. Should we be surprised? Or should we start talking about how the injury bug continues to plague this team? After Hemsky's injury, the team seemed to revert to their playing style of the lat couple of years. No offence (one shot in the third period), lack of effort, etc...
I will say this, in two games our PK has looked outstanding! A total difference from last year. Hopefully this is a sign of improvement for the rest of the year.
We hung on to take the game to OT again, and another shoot-out. we lost the game but got a point.
Oilers fans should be happy that we have 3 points in two games! Think about it...Vancouver has played four games for a possible 8 points and are tied with us! I've said it before and I'll say it again, Vancouver Sucks
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.
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
