Mr. Overtime

Oops, he did it again. In fact, he did IT three times in a row. Andrew Cogliano (aka Cogs) scored in overtime last night to lift the Oilers over the St. Louis Blues. Yes folks, that is his third overtime goal. Even more impressive, it's his third overtime goal in as many games. Yes, an NHL record.

Aside from blowing a 3-0 lead (let's not get into that yet), the Oilers held on and took the game to overtime. Cogs scored with 5 seconds left in OT with a beautiful pass from Gagner (Gags). Earlier in the season, I was shouting to put these boys together. Along with the addition of Nilsson lately, they are the dynamic trio. The kid line isn't kidding (yes that was bad). They have so much chemistry and even better, are scoring lots of goals.

Okay, let's get to this blowing leads. You know what? This team is young and yes, they're going to cock things up. But they are not blowing leads and losing like they did in December. I believe they lost 6 games in a row and were tied or leading heading into the third period. Fast forward a few months, and now when blowing a lead, the Oilers come back in OT or the shootout. Obviously we'd all like to see more regulation wins but this is a team in transition. They are developing (faster than we all thought) and becoming an Oilers team of old. Filled with physical play, using their speed and grinding out wins.

It's too bad their 7-1 run hasn't helped make up much ground. They are still 7 pts out of the playoffs. But it sure gives this fan some hope for the future.

Standing Pat

Kevin Lowe did not make any deals today as the Edmonton Oilers was among a few teams that made no moves. I figured he'd be very quiet today but not this quiet. Go listen to Lowe's press conference to get his take. I think the players he wanted to trade (ie: Roloson) had no takers and maybe nothing significent in return. I mean look at Huet; he was traded for a second round draft pick. So if a starting goalie only gets a second rounder, I can't imagine much was offered for a backup goalie with a cap hit over 3 mil.

Anyways, here is a list of all the moves today. As mentioned already, Huet was probably the most surprising considering that was the only move from Montreal today. No one even mentioned he was on the block, he went for only a second pick and Montreal is now going with a 20 yr old goalie. Hmmm it'll be an interesting playoffs for the Habs.

Toronto did as expected: no one waived their no trade clause or there was no interest in the big ticket items (McCabe). They did move Kilger, Belak and Gill for draft picks. It's almost no fun laughing at the Leaves anymore. Seriously, Ferguson really hampered this team with all the no-trade clauses. This team is a mess and will be for the near future. Time to start buying out contracts if you can't trade them. Too much money is tied up in such poor talent.

Anyways, back to our Oilers. The good news is this team could be in much worse trouble (see the Leaves). The bad news is another missed playoffs, too many injuries, and a mediocre coach. More good news is the kids: they're developing faster than most of us thought and the future looks pretty good. Yes the Oilers need to get someone to play with Hemsky, resign our RFA's, unload some contracts (Roli) and stay healthy. So we have hope.

UPDATE: Good win in the shootout (shocking, yes) for our Oilers over Detroit. Oil blow a 2-0 lead and go down 3-2 late in the third, but score with 20 seconds left to send the game to overtime. Good gritty win....seriously nice to see. Oh yes, Pitkanen went down with an injury early in the third. Not sure how bad it is....is it broken?? If the Oilers' luck continues, of course it is. We'll find out tomorrow, maybe.

Let's Make a Deal

So, who is getting traded tomorrow? There will be a couple big trades (Brad Richards and Marion Hossa will be on the move) and the rest will be salary dumps (basically for a bag of pucks).

A few names are already off the list:

-Sundin has refused to waive his no-trade clause. I'm Switzerland on this issue. He's showing his love for his team OR he's absolute lack of motivation to actually win the Stanley Cup. Maybe a bit of both? More about Toronto in a minute.

-Forsberg has signed with Colorado after weeks of indecision. Fuck, it felt like a lifetime. Bad news for Colorado; they just signed Peter Forsberg in 2008.

-Boyle has resigned a monster deal in Tampa Bay (6 years, 40 million which is a $6.66 million cap hit). Not sure this is a good signing....TB still needs an actual goalie especially since they've also just traded Prospal to Philadelphia for some pucks.

So, we know Hossa and Richards will be traded tomorrow but where will they end up? There is a story floating that Montreal is after Hossa. I'm not that high on Hossa; he's one of those types of players (ie: Europeans) that disappear in the playoffs so you'd better be careful with what you give up. However, Montreal could be a very big threat in the playoffs if they get him and he remembers to keep playing past the middle of April.

If Montreal stocks up, what will Ottawa do? The Sens just got their asses kicked by Toronto 5-0 (true sentence folks, I know this seems like a set-up for a joke, but it is not) so they must be getting worried. One problem with this team is defense (aside from starting Emery in net for five straight games. Gerber relieved him in the third after he gave up 5 goals on 21 shots. Why was he still in net after 3 or even 4 goals? Coaching is another issue in Ottawa). They traded Corvo away for Stillman and Raggaty-Ann (Commodore). Sure a bit more offense, but damn, they need more than that.

One note to Toronto: what a mess. Sundin, Kaberle, Kabina, and Tucker have all stated they will not waive their no-trade clauses. McCabe says he will think about it. How the hell can Fletcher make any changes for the better when his stupid predecessor handed out no-trade clauses like candy? He won't. Their best bet is to either buy out a couple of those guys (Kabina for sure) or sit their asses in the pressbox until they waive their no-trade clause. Also, what is TO doing? They should be tanking the rest of the season and trying to get that lottery pick. They are 6 pts out of the playoffs, and seriously, they aren't going to make it. TANK!!!!

Oh and Bryan McCabe? YOU ARE THAT BAD!!!

"I don't think we're that far off," McCabe said. "We had a ton of injuries again this year. You guys make this out to be like the worst team in the world....We're one or two players off, I think, from being a good team......I don't think we're that bad."

BAD.....VERY BAD!!!

Now we get to the OILERS. I am not expecting a trade of note tomorrow unless Lowe unloads Staios or Stoll. Those are basically our only two big trading chips. Maybe a Roloson if someone wants to take on his salary for next year. Otherwise, maybe a couple dumps (Reasoner, Sanderson) for some pucks/picks.

There is the rumour that the Rangers are after Robbie Schremp. So what is Lowe going to do? We keep hearing that Schremp is not a MacT-type player. Screw you MacT.....not every player needs to be a two-way forward. As much as everyone loves the Pisani's of the world, you need the Schremp's too! I'm not sure if you know but scoring goals is important.

I've always floated back and forth on the Scremp drama, but this kid has earned a real chance. Since Moreau is a broken piece of china these days, bring up Robbie and let him play the rest of the season. Give him huge ice time and let's see what he can really do. We can always trade him in the summer but come on, you've put so much time into this kid so give him a real shot. It's too bad he was injured late last year. He came into training camp recovered from his injury but had very little training time. So yes, he got passed by Cogliano, Gagner, Brodziak, etc. He's ready to go so give him a shot. I think there is room on the team now.

Anyways, not sure what will happen to our Oilers tomorrow but I doubt it will be as shocking as last year.

Zach Attack....

The Oilers are in Nashville tonight and what are we to expect?? They have won 4 of 6 games but more importantly, they are a scrappy team again. Yes, they are intense, emotional, physical and gritty. This is the Oilers team we all know and love. Yes they had gone missing for awhile but in the past couple weeks, they have found their way home. When you even have Gags fighting, you know this team has gotten their edge back. I am lovin' it.

The Oilers have lost to the Predators six times in a row (I have no explanation....they're like Minnesota. They have our number and it's unexplainable). BUT, I think tonight is the night to end the losing streak. The Oil are going to bring the heat tonight!!

And this brings us to Zach Stortini. A few months ago, I (along with most Oiler fans) questioned his place on this team. He had trouble skating, couldn't fight (huggy bear or Sir Hugs A Lot) and seemed lost out there. Fast forward a few months, Zach has become an integral part of this team. His fourth line (with Brodziak, whom I absolutely adore, and Glencross) are lighting it up, not only in the hits department but on the scoreboard. They're actually carrying this team at times. They're taking the lead, and the rest of the team is following. They've all stepped up their intensity and physical play. This is Oilers hockey!!! I think we're all loving it! While they lost the Vancouver game, damn it was fun to watch. Aside from some shitty refereeing, it was a damn good game. We need this to continue!

Oilers win tonight 4-1 with the Zack Attack line scoring 2 goals along with Hemmer and Gags.

Are you ready to rumble??????

The Oilers are in Calgary today for the Battle of Alberta. We won the battle on Monday, can we repeat and win again? I think hell yes!

Sure Calgary will be gunning for our kids after getting their asses kicked several times this week (by Chicago and our Oilers). But the Oilers seem to finally be fighting hard and competing. That is all I have really wanted all year. This team has been soft most of this year. They've forgotten their gritty style of play that catapulted them into the Stanley Cup Finals in 2006. Sure the team was down Moreau, Souray at times and Pisani. BUT....as we saw on Monday and Wednesday, this team is capable of playing the tough, forechecking and hitting style.

So the Oilers bring their swords (sticks) to Calgary, ready to pummel the Lames into contrition. Stortini will hopefully bring his fighting style from Chicago's game (he actually threw punches) instead of his usual Sir Hugs A Lot or Huggy Bear style!

Other news: Souray had surgery this week and it was suggested he might be ready to return in March. This has to be extremely wishful thinking but you never know. The Oilers are 7 points of the playoffs and while I'm not counting them out like many others are, the reality is that the Oilers have a very outside chance of making it. However, the chance is still there. They need to run the table, leap over some teams (St. Louis has four games in hand on us so that's one issue) and hope for some of those loser teams to start losing. If nothing else, we just want to see a good fight for the playoffs. I can handle another non-playoff year if they show some fire and play hard.

Will Kevin Lowe make any deals at the trade deadline? Will Pitkanen and Gilbert get signed? I am quite nervous about all the damn rumours of Pitkanen getting traded. I hear he's asking for a huge contract which is odd since sure he's a good d-man but really hasn't had a breakout year yet. He has 16 pts in 39 games this year (43 pts last year in Philly). So are his high demands his way of trying to get out of here? Does he truly believe he's worth that? Someone must be reading the blogs! We waited a whole year to get that puck-moving defenseman so I'd hate to see them trade him so quickly. He has such potential !!

One hour until gametime: I foresee a great win by the Oilers. Stortini punches Phaneuf so hard, he begins singing Celine Dion songs! 5-2 Oilers with goals by Hemsky (2), Gilbert, Cogliano and Reasoner.

To Suck or Not to Suck....that is the Oilers' question!

Oilers are officially screwed!! Yes Shawn Horcoff is now out with season-ending shoulder surgery. All together now: FUCK!!!

So are the Oilers doomed to finish in the bottom five and give that dick Burke a lottery pick? All signs are pointing to that very scenario!! I suppose there is an outside chance that the team will rally together, led by Hemsky (sorry Horcoff-lovers, this team is Hemsky). Maybe Schremp will finally get a call-up but I'm not holding my breathe. We all know how much MacT 'loves' Robbie. And of course by love....I mean hate.

Tonight: Oilers vs Lames/Shames. I won't even venture a guess as to how badly the Oilers lose this one.....maybe they'll surprise me?

Update: CUJO starts tonight for the Lamers.....looks like Edmonton has a chance in this game!

Update: Well well well, did I call this or what? Cujo gets his ass kicked tonight and the Oilers win 5-0. Yes that is the correct score! Oilers were physical, dominant, and full of energy. Hemsky, Gagner, Garon and Moreau were fantastic!! I haven't been to such a great game in weeks. Good job Oilers....Rexall was rocking tonight especially during that mini-brawl in the third period. And refs....if the goalies wanna go, let them next time. We almost got a Joseph-Garon fight. Damn refs wouldn't let Joseph near Garon.

GOILERS!!!!!!

See you Dick!

BIG TRADE!!!! Okay it's not but still a trade actually occured in the NHL. Yes that is big news. Anyways, Dick is gone to Columbus and in his place is Curtis Glencross. Who? Exactly....who the hell is this guy? A winger with 12 points. Yes that is exactly what this team needs: more mediocre talent. I love the "assets" from TSN that he can "score goals on occassion." I wonder what kind of occassion? Maybe leap years? Christmas? Birthdays??

So we basically got a 26 year old prospect who has spent the majority of his time in the minors. Oh well, salary dump.

The Dallas Stars are in town tonight and all signs point to another embarrassing loss. With Horcoff and Hemsky banged up with shoulder and wrist problems, and Souray on the IR, this team will be hard-pressed to scrape out a win tonight. I'd just love a good hard-fought game. Wins are not important anymore, just compete!!!

Almost an NHL Owner.....

Well it looks like the deal is almost done! Katz will be the next owner of the Edmonton Oilers. Although a few may still hold out, it matters not! Katz is one step away from owning this team; he will be the majority shareholder. He may have 70 % when this is done or more. But the others will have no say if they don't end up selling. Also, the internal bid by some of the EIG is now off; it has been taken off the table. Can we all say one thing? YES!!!

First, we should all recognize and show our appreciate for a group of Edmonton businessmen led by Cal Nichols who banded together a decade ago and saved this team. I remember those days when it seemed like a forgone conclusion that this team was very close to being sold to a Texan and relocated. However, this group got together and kept this team in Edmonton.

BUT.....let's not feel too bad for these boys. They'll be getting back twice their initial investment (probably more than half) so they made out damn good. However, it is time to move on. Katz is the man for this team; the man to take this team to the next level. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt but I do expect changes to be made when necessary. No more hanging onto ineffective management. I'm willing to be a loyal comrade through this rebuild but it should have been a true rebuild from the start instead of flip-flopping between rebuilding and contending (ie: Souray signing). It'll be interesting to see how involved he will be.
Thank you EIG. Time to pass the torch!!!

American Teams Suck!!!

Well I'm watching the Oilers play right now against Tampa Bay on PPV. Well it's early in the second period and they are already down 2-0. Wait, it's now 3-0.

A couple notes on this game so far:

-get new sticks Jarret Stoll
-Roli is playing like crap tonight. Wait, that's an insult to crap. It's been bad and he just let in a short-handed goal (still in net too)
-Greene is crapola as usual. Either he rings it around the boards or gives the puck away. Seriously...Tarnstrom is not a better option?

Okay, powerplay goal for the Oilers and now it's 3-1 with a goal by Cogs.

-kids are buzzing tonight: Cogs and Gags (with Nilsson) are great together. Only took MacT 50 games to figure that out.
-the veterans are NOT. Where are they??
-nice to see Pitkanen back
-not a good game for Gilbert either (giveaway lead to a goal already)

Anyways, with the All-Star break almost upon us, the Oilers are only 6 points out of eighth spot. BUT....this team is most likely not making the playoffs. The Oilers had to win at least 4 of this 5 game road trip but with tonight's game, this is now doubtful. They lost a shootout to Washington, humiliated in Carolina, a good win in Atlanta and already down 3-1 tonight in Tampa Bay. I really did believe this team could fight for a playoff spot but that is sure not the case recently. The team has more troubles defensively than they do offensively. I don't have enough room to list all the problems with this team but I point the finger first at MacT. From keeping goalies in too long to questionable defensive zone coverage, this man should not be the man anymore.

One final note: I hate Oilers PPV. Rob Brown is a dreadful color man. In fact, I don't believe he should be called a color man. How about a black n'white man? Yes, he's that bland and colorless.

GO OILERS!!

Oh yes, one more final note: SELL SELL SELLLLLLLL!!!!! With articles noting Katz may have 68% of the shares willing to sell to him, let's make this happen and why not all 100%? Great article by John Mackinnon. This is the point I've been making for weeks:

Let's be clear, the choice here is between the financially flush Katz and a re-constituted EIG that has to borrow money to buy out those who are prepared to sell and borrow again to help finance a downtown arena for which Katz already has pledged an infusion of $100 million cash.

Why that almost makes sense?!?!

And looks like Sid the Whiney Kid is out for 6-8 weeks. I danced a jig of joy. If he hadn't been so intent on diving and trying to draw a penalty, he would never have been hurt. Yes, I know this might come as a shock but little baby Sid likes to dive. He really should do that in a swimming pool....

What Goes Around......

Am I totally evil to have enjoyed this beautiful hit by Hatcher? That look on Lupul's face was basically the same look he had all of last year in Edmonton. Dazed and confused oh yes!