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Edmonton Oilers - 05/06 Western Conference CHAMPIONS!!!

2006-05-28T18:42:00.000-06:00

Ladies and Gentleman....it comes with great pleasure to introduce to you all, the 2005/06 Western Conference Champions....
THE EDMONTON OILERS

I for one can't believe it myself...
After eliminating their opponents "The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim" with a 4-1 Series Win on Saturday night, the Oilers have finally accomplished what took them 15 years to complete...

a) Winners of the Campbell Conference Championship Trophy
b) The best team we've seen from Edmonton since Bill Ranford and Mark Messier days
c) Finally a "brand new" championship banner to hang from Rexall Place next season
d) and of course...heading to the Stanley Cup Finals!!!

Congratulations to my team...our team....The Edmonton Oilers (a.k.a. The Mighty Oil)

Photo taken May 27, 2006....Edmonton beats Anaheim in a close score of 2-1to win the Western Conference Championship and the Clarence Campbell Trophy!!

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Oilers prepared for game 3 against Ducks!!!

2006-05-22T23:58:00.000-06:00

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

VS

EDMONTON OILERS VS ANAHEIM DUCKS

(OILERS LEAD SERIES 2-0)

The Edmonton Oilers are quite frankly....kicking ass MOFO!!!!
I have always had faith in them...not because I am a season ticket holder, not because I yell at the playoff games until I lose my voice, but because I as a fan have Copper and Blue in my veins....just like the entire current roster of the 05-06 Edmonton Oilers.

Each one of these guys are playing night after night with the heart and soul it takes to win a championship.

OK I'm getting weapy-eyed here, but I am afterall a die-hard Oiler fan!

Anyway, I must apologise to any of my readers of my blog, as it is obvious I have not been writing. Thing is, I have been to busy with work and going to the games to even write. Well hopefully I can continue to write after each game and to the cup final. (It is going to happen!!!)

Anyway, I don't mean to be rude to fans of the Ducks, but you're team has about as much chance of beating the Oilers in this series, as the Trailer Park Boys TV show has of winning a national awards show for best acting of the year!!

Game 3 is tomorrow at Rexall Place and the Oilers will be victorious...I have no reason to doubt that!!!

I am off to work tomorrow and will have the Oilers flags blowing off the windows of the company truck!!!
I ask all Oiler fans in the City of Champions (Edmonton, AB) - my home town, to follow suit!!!

GO OILERS GO!!!

Oilers win Best-of-Seven 4-2 !!!

2006-05-01T22:33:00.001-06:00

OILERS ADVANCE TO THE SEMI FINALS!!!

EDMONTON VS. DETROIT
Edmonton wins the series 4-2

The Oilers defied what most hockey analysts wouldn't have bet 5 bucks on two weeks ago...that's right, the Edmonton Oilers dramatically defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 and eliminated their opponents from the playoffs.
This is the first time since 1998 that the Oilers have advanced to the 2nd round of the playoffs.

Honestly, I was shocked to see Ales Hemsky come out of his shell in the final 5 minutes, but he did just that and scored to late goals to give his team the victory and the series!!!

With that said....Hail ALES HEMSKY...Hockey God!!!

The boy can stick handle, that's all I gots to say!

But let's not forget who got us this far....the Oilers first star of the Detroit Series is DWAYNE ROLOSON....(Roli Rocks!!!)

Let's bring on our next opponents, likely our neighbors....the Calgary Flames! (Still undecided in that season as I type this!)

As it stands....the Oilers are Stanley Cup favorites this year!!!

2006-04-26T23:34:00.000-06:00

EDMONTON VS DETROIT

GAME 4 - Thursday, April 27/06
Puck Drops: 7:30 PM

OILERS LEAD SERIES 2-1

VS

Well after Tuesday's game going double OT to beat the nasty Red Wings (at 12:30 AM to be more direct!!!), it makes you wonder exactly what Detroit has up its sleeves as they desperately need a win.

What do I mean?
New logo for the sideboards....

Well, to be honest, Mike Babcock is a dirty coach who would likely diddle his own mother for a win.
As for Chris Chelios, what a scumbag. It's obvious he was born a dirty cheater all his life, as that seems to be the only way to win in his mind. I guess diving is not only an Olympic sport, but also a game method for the Red Wings to win a game. (Or should I say...Last Ditch Effort!!!)
The Red Wings are washed up fossils....plain and simple!!!

+ =

Yes, for all you scumbag Red Wings fans, your team only has one angle to beating the Mighty Oilers, and that is darn-right cheating....." I mean diving" !!!
My caption speaks for itself I think....Chris Chelios has the similarity of horse shit!!!

Whatever the case may be, you can surely expect lots of diving in game 4, and possibly a cheap shot thrown to at least one player on the Oilers. Something tells me Babcock tells Chelios to break someones leg, and he will probably oblige without hesitation....should be fun to watch as I'll be at the game cheering on the Oilers to another sweet victory over the Over-40 club..."I mean Red Wings".....

I plan to take a few pics at tomorrow's game and also get a pic of the Red Wings car that has been mutilated by the Oiler fans. I plan to plant my boot to the fender....Hope to get you all some pics of this by tomorrow!

Game 4: Prediction Oilers win in OT!!!!!

GAME 2 - EDMONTON at DETROIT

2006-04-23T07:54:00.000-06:00

PLOYOFFS ARE HERE!!!!

EDMONTON VS DETROIT

VS

RED WINGS LEAD SERIES 1-0

(SERIES RESUMES SUNDAY, APRIL 23/06 - 11:00 AM MST)

Well after game 1 was all said and done on Friday, with the Oilers losing by a slim margin of 3-2, it appears this is either going to be an easy series for the Red Wings or a hard fought battle to Game 7. Obviously I hope it is the latter, with the Oilers walking out victorious. But for this to happen, the Oilers are going to have to not only win Game 2, but need to learn to not let the Red Wings control the zone like they did in Game 1.

The Wings just seem to be able to intercept any pass and have two or more guys on one Oiler at any given time. The Oilers need to reverse this immediately and change their game from playing trap hockey to and taking every opportunity to shoot the puck. If the Oilers can be even or better yet ahead in shots-on-goal, they will beat Detroit. Anybody can see the Mighty Oil are just as talented as the Wings, they just need to find their opponents weaknesses.

The Wings being without Datsyuk obviously gives Edmonton some breathing room, but one of Detroit's weaknesses is they can take stupid penalties (ie. Chris Chelios). The more that players like Laraque and Smith get in the face of Wings players like this old timer, the better their chances are at beating Detroit at their own game.

As for the reffing, all I can say is they better start calling penalties that are freaking obvious. Plays in Game 1 such as the Lidstrom face plant on Bergeron that the refs turned the other cheek to, and the two diving plays that weren't called, need to be addressed by the league. The Oilers always get robbed by the Zebras during the playoffs, especially against cup contender teams which bring the NHL the higher revenues. IT'S A CONSIPIRACY THEORY I SAY!!!

Sunday's game is being offered to viewers on both the CBC (Crappy Broadcast Company) and NBC. After the CBC's amateur at best production of Game 1, I think I'll reluctantly watch NBC's version this afternoon. I mean come on CBC, you have the game called by an Olympics and Horse Equestrian broadcaster that sounds like he is reading a script. Too top that off, you broad cast the entire game without a powerplay clock, making fans guess when a powerplay/penalty is over! Oh and how can I forget, cutting to the Calgary game when the Oilers are in the final minutes of Overtime....CBC...You're pathetic!

Anyway, I'm happy to be able to sit in my PJ's for Game 2 Sunday morning, and watch the Mighty Oilers destroy the Wings!! Well, I'm hoping that's the case anyways!!!!

GO OILERS GO!!!

OILERS ARE IN THE PLAYOFFS BABY!!!

2006-04-13T23:13:00.000-06:00

Well after a gruelling week of worrying like a crazy man on meds, as to whether the Oilers were going to be in the playoffs, they got lucky on Thursday night against the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, defeating them 2-1.

Also, San Jose beat the Canucks, which literally sealed the deal!
Regardless, Ales Hemsky scored with 33.3 seconds left in regulation, to boost the Oilers 2-1 and into the post-season!

All this Oiler fan can say is.......F'N "A" MOFO!

Stupid pic, I agree, but it was the best I could do writing this still part drunk (celebratory drunk that is!!!).

All I can say is thank god the Oilers made the playoffs!
I have a good feeling that the Mighty Oil will beat the RedWings in the first round!

However, we still get one more regular season tilt against the Avs, so there is still one more barn-burner to go! Heck maybe Peca can score his tenth of the season. There still is hope! (I don't really care...really....just poking fun!)

See you all for the final game of the season!

POST GAME: OILERS & COYOTES

2006-04-03T23:08:00.000-06:00

COYOTES @ OILERS - April 3/06

VS

OILERS PUT DOWN THE DESERT DOGS!

POST GAME RESULTS:

OILERS 7
COYOTES 1

HAHAHAHA.....

Woohahaha...Woohahaha....

Whatever way you want to look at it, the Oilers kicked the Coyotes ass tonight, with a 7-1 barnburner at home ice! Fans at Rexall definitely got their moneys worth, and for PPV subscribers like myself, it was money well spent!!!

I could go on and on about how well the team gelled on the ice tonight, and what do ya know....Peca was the first star! This is the happiest I have ever seen this guy all year as he was grinning ear to ear!
Although, I would have to say Horcoff was the leader tonight. Maybe it was the fact that fans on the Oilers PPV got to listen to him with his attached mic all night, but he was so involved with his teammates and it was great to see!

To recap the scoring, here's how the scoring broke down in Monday nights game:

FIRST PERIOD:
EDM - POULIOT (1) PISANI (16), WINCHESTER (1) 3:30 EV
EDM HORCOFF (22) BERGERON (19), SMYTH (28) 3:56 EV
PHX - COMRIE (28) JOHNSON (36), BALLARD (30) 18:11 EV

SECOND PERIOD:
EDM - MOREAU (10) PECA (13), 6:08 EV
EDM - BERGERON (15) SAMSONOV (28), HEMSKY (55) 8:22 PP
EDM - PECA (9) DVORAK (19), MOREAU (16) 10:13 EV
EDM - SAMSONOV (23) PRONGER (41), SMYTH (29) 16:04 PP

THIRD PERIOD:
EDM - DVORAK (8) BERGERON (20), SAMSONOV (29) 15:50 EV

It was sure nice to see everyone on the team contribute. You know that the Oilers are beginning to get playoff fever when everyone including players like Dvorak and Peca score in the same evening.
Heck, M-A Pouliot scored his first NHL goal tonight for Edmonton, which was also the games first goal. Pouliot and Winchester look great on this team and it showed tonight after the first goal. And Horcoff scoring 26 seconds later pretty much sealed the deal early in this game, as Pheonix just looks like they have thrown in the towel....yes...even Gretz!

Oh, I got to say something here. We all know that Mike Comrie is the devil for leaving Edmonton a few years ago. He's been called names from crybaby to spoiled rich kid and even has had some bad stories tossed around forums nationwide about his apparent reasons for his past troubles with the Oil...Whatever the case may be, it was years ago and he has moved on with his career. I dont respect what he did to the Oilers, but people need to stop booing him every chance they get. Afterall, he is human and more importantly, one of the more talented players Pheonix has on its team this season.

That aside...Awesome game....let's just hope the Oilers can take this sweet victory as a sign of momentum and beat Minnesota next. As we all know, the Wild have had the Oilers by the balls all season. So hopefully things are going to change!

See you all Thursday!!!

OILERS WIN ROUND 3

2006-03-26T12:06:00.000-07:00

VS

OILERS VS CANUCKS (ROUND 3)

OILERS GET THEIR REVENGE!!!

Post Game:
Oilers 3
Canucks 2

Well the Oilers finally learned how to beat the Canucks Saturday night, and that was the result of not taking too many bad penalties and more importantly, getting on the scoreboard first!
The way the Oil played the previous two games, makes you wonder how such an outcome was even possible.

The best part was the goal was scored shorthanded, as Horcoff caught a bad Canucks pass at center ice and darted out on a 2-on-1 with Smyth on his wing scoring an amazing goal.

Ryan Kessler scored again for the Canucks in the second period (man this kid has talent).
But this rebound effort just wasnt enough as Sergei Samsonov proved once again he is a natural born talent, scoring his 20th goal of the season and continuing his point streak to 9.

Stevie Staios got the winner and boosted his clubs momentum for the remainder of the game, and allowed them to secure the win.

This win was critical for the Oilers but the team has no time to rest as they take on Colorado Sunday for a back-to-back game.

The Oilers are now tied for 7th with Vancouver with 82 points and trail the Avs by three points.
However, the biggest concern is the LA Kings trail by only 1 point and San Jose by two points (with 2 games in check!!!).

On a different note....what the hell is going on with Michael Peca.
The other night he puts up one of the best performances of the season, and then is quoted in the Vancouver media as saying he is basically not happy in Edmonton, playing in Edmonton has been hard on him and his family, he never wanted to be traded here in the first place, and oh yeah...will be looking at his options in the off-season!

What the hell are you talking about man? Your team has 12 games left in the season and holding onto a playoff spot by one point, and your saying, "Hey I don't want to be an Edmonton Oiler."

Peca in happier times (or was he happy?)

Isn't this news a little late there Mike? I mean, if you were so dissatisfied with coming to the Oilers this fall in a trade with Mike York, why not state it publicly at the trade deadline instead of now at Playoff crunch time...What a joke!!!

In essense, what we Oiler fans have to look forward to come this summer is this image?

"So, I can leave now Mr. Lowe?"

In the words of Joe Pesci...."Whatever....Whatever"

See you all Sunday....Oilers Vs. Avalanche!!! (FA-GET-ABOUT IT!!)

Oilers Vs. Canucks - ROUND 2 PRE-PLAYOFFS

2006-03-24T08:59:00.001-07:00

VS

OILERS ENTER CANUCK TERRITORY!!!
Post Game Report:
Oilers 3
Canucks 4
(Shootout)

Well the Edmonton Oilers went on the road Thursday to have a nice little rematch with their Western rivals the Vancouver Canucks, in this 3 game series. The Oilers were looking for revenge and almost got it, but thanks to our brilliant NHL referee's, that dream was ended thanks to a shootout that took almost 20 mins. Yes...not a misprint...
Ryan Smyth was one of the designated shooters and scored on Alex Auld. However, the puck was underneath Auld when it crossed the line. Luckily for video review it clearly showed it was in the back of the net after Auld sat up, but if the ref would have had it his way, he would have dissallowed the goal. The goal review took a whopping 9 minutes, and was likely the Oilers demise as I believe it did Roloson more bad than good (if that's possible because Roli sucks on shootouts!!!)
I hate these refs and every time the Oilers go to GM place, they always seem to get burned by these Zebra's on skates.

Well the OT goal counted and then Ruutu tied it again on an ice-cold Roloson. (conspiracy theory??? Maybe!)
Next up was Peca and he got one of the nicest goals of the shootout. OK maybe second nicest because Naslund went first for the Nucks and totally faked out Roli...nice goal Naslund style!
However, Bertuzzi was on his game and I guess Coach Crawford had that feeling he was going to win it for the team. If that was his vision, it paid off because Toddy beat Roloson like a red-headed stepchild on his shootout turn and looked stellar doing it, winning the game for the Canucks.

Game Notes:
Hemsky, it should be noted, was first to go in the shootout and missed the net. I think he was a bit intimidated as the shootout took awhile to start. This new stick measuring rule needs to be improved, because it takes too long to get the game back underway (something like 5 mins to prepare, which is ridiculous!!!) Anyway, if Hemsky would have concentrated a bit more he could have grabbed the momentum to win the game for his team.

Why MacT is not using Samsonov with Hemsky on the first line is still a mind boggler for me, as when they play on the powerplay they look dangerous together. I think the reasoning for this possibly may be Coach MacT is too scared to hurt Smytty's feelings and take him off the first line. On a flip-side equation to this, Samsonov is still quite effective playing with Stoll and Torres, as this line accounted for two of the Oilers goals.

Raffi Torres scored two goals for the Oil and broke a career record for goals scored in a season. He also has scored 7 times against the Nucks, three of them in the last two games!

Ryan Kessler for the Canucks is a pretty talented player and was an Oiler killer again, assisting on two of Bertuzzi's goals. That line is working pretty good, so don't see Crawford missing with this chemistry any time soon!

The Oilers were down 2-0 going partway into the second period but managed to take the lead before the period ended with three consecutive goals, which definitely took some of the wind out of the Canucks sail. I guess you could say Anson Carter is still an Oiler as he technically assisted on the Oilers third goal by accidently caughing up the puck near his own crease. Thanks man!

Anyway, to wrap up....Here is the scoring summary:

FIRST PERIOD:VAN - BERTUZZI (22) KESLER (10), COOKE (10) 9:47 EV

SECOND PERIOD:VAN - SEDIN (18) CARTER (21), SEDIN (43) 4:50 EV
EDM - TORRES (24) SAMSONOV (24), STOLL (42) 8:33 EV
EDM - TORRES (25) SAMSONOV (25), STOLL (43) 18:08 EV
EDM - PISANI (17) (Unassisted), 18:56 EV

THIRD PERIOD:VAN - NASLUND (30) BERTUZZI (38), KESLER (11) 11:36 EV

OVERTIME:No Scoring

SHOOTOUT:
Edmonton: Hemsky _ ,Smyth X, Peca X
Vancouver: Nasklund X, Ruutu X, Bertuzzi X

Well, that leaves the Oilers with a measly point and they hang on to 8th place like a rock climber is to an almost certain death!

Oilers have to face the Canucks again this Saturday and had better be prepared to shut down their rival Canucks as they are riding high right now! I have my fingers crossed!!!!

See you Saturday Oiler Fans!!!

Let the Playoffs Begin!!! (Well Sort Of....)

2006-03-22T04:55:00.000-07:00

VS

CANUCKS VS. OILERS March 21st

POST GAME RESULTS

CANUCKS 4
OILERS 1

Well the Oilers hosted the Canucks tonight in a 3 games straight series between these two teams, and the unthinkable happened...the Oilers tanked!!!!
I got to say the Oilers defense has been taking a vacation lately and in turn should be giving themselves a smack upside the head!

Oilers defense (in shame)

Actually, if players like Moreau, Staios and Pronger could learn not to take bad penalties at the absolute worst times, we actually might of had a chance tonight. I lost count how many 5 on 3 opportunities the Canucks had in this game, but it was a few if memory serves me.

Regardless, the Oilers have to take this bitch slap loss where it hurts and hop on a plane to play at GM place not once, but twice this week against the Nuckleheads! It's time to focus me thinks!
For those that don't recall, the Oilers don't exactly have a good win record in Vancouver.

Well, I'm not going to rant much further on this game, as it was a bad bad game to endure!!!
However, I do have one comment to add and that is, "MacT....will you please wake the #$!%& up and change your scoring lines please!!!!"

Why he doesn't have Hemsky Horcoff and Samsonov playing together on the 1st line is beyond me!

The Oilers need...and I repeat...need to win Thursday's game!

See you all next game!

THE BATTLE OF ALBERTA - March 16, 2006

2006-03-16T21:53:00.000-07:00

VS

POST GAME REPORT
FLAMES 2
OILERS 3

(OVERTIME WIN !!!!)

OILERS EXTINGUISH FLAMES IN OT!!!!

OK, Silly picture I agree, but what Oiler fan in this lifetime is not currently savoring this win like a glass of fine wine?

First off I have to say Dwayne Roloson looked quite impressive in net for his first Oilers home game. He made some crucial saves not only 5on5, but also during the what...seven Flames Powerplays....my hat's off to Roli tonight for securing this HUGE win!!!

Secondly, HOLY SCHNIKEY'S... is Sergei Samsonov ever a talented skater!

Not only did he set up Horcoff's overtime winner, but he dipsy-doodled around practically every Flamer on the ice, possibly angering Sutter (I actually hope he is extra angry at this loss....hahahaha).

This game was literally faced paced from the get-go and never stopped. And I think Oilerfans all agree that the way the Oilers killed their Penalties tonight not only angered the Flames with all the dump-ins, but coincidentally tired out their scoring lines with all the extra skating. (At least that was what I perceived).
To add to this, while the Oilers were killing penalty two back to back penalties in the last 5 mins of the game, and still outshot their opponents 11-4 in the final frame. Pretty impressive!

It was an amazing game no doubt and you can guarantee Jarrett Stoll's tying goal in the third will be on the highlight reel for sure. (If anyone has a pic or vid of him doing it, let me know!)

Here is the scoring breakdown for tonight's tilt:

FIRST PERIOD:
EDM - SPACEK (10) HEMSKY (51), SMYTH (24) 9:16
PP CGY - LOMBARDI (5) SIMON (10), KOBASEW (8) 13:36 EV

SECOND PERIOD:
CGY - LECLERC (10) DONOVAN (10), 9:59 EV

THIRD PERIOD:
EDM - STOLL (18) SPACEK (27), 7:12 EV

OVERTIME:
EDM - HORCOFF (20) SAMSONOV (22), 3:04 EV

All said and done, one of the most exciting games I've seen all year and definitely lives up to its name as the Battle of Alberta!!!

As for the Standings, this is how it looks in the West after tonights NHL games:
1. Detroit - 95
2. Dallas - 91
3. Nashville - 86
4. Calgary - 81
5. Colorado - 80
6. Edmonton - 78
7. Los Angeles - 76
8. Vancouver - 76
--------
9. Anaheim - 74
10. San Jose - 73
11. Minnesota - 69
12. Phoenix - 64
13. Columbus - 55
14. Chicago - 51
15. St. Louis - 51

All I can say is, watch out Calgary as here comes the Oilers!!!

Next game is on Saturday against the Red Wings...See you then!!!

The results are in.....OILERS FINALLY WIN!!!!

2006-03-15T16:05:00.000-07:00

VS

Oilers win!!! Final Score 2-1 (In Regulation)

Well, I asked Ryan Smyth to step up and he did, either by fluke or I'm actually honored to have him read my site (ok...I'm dreaming!!!)

Regardless, I'm not only finally happy to see the Oilers win but more importantly Dwayne Roloson's first win as an Oiler between the pipes!

I would go into detail into this win but its my girls birthday today. All I will say it was a crucial win to get, the players knew, as did the coaches and fans alike.

The Oilers are now tied with Vancouver for 7th place, but trail Anaheim by 2pts. Therefore, its way to early to celebrate...especially with the Flames coming to town on Thursday. Considering the team, I'd say a potential barn-burner is in store for us all to see.

Stay tuned for Thursday's gameday review...

Oilers vs. Wild (Round 2)

2006-03-14T10:40:00.000-07:00

Pre-Game Report

VS

Edmonton Oilers at Minnesota Wild - Puck Drops a 6:00 PM MST

Well the Oilers look to rebound against Sunday's loss to the Wild with a re-match win tonight. The only thing wrong with this "cross-our-fingers" anticipation, is the Oilers have a big problem lately taking way too many penalties, which was well showcased in their 4-3 loss. Whether they were justified or not doesn't matter. What does is they are getting called for any possible infraction....one which has popped up lately is the hooking calls. (You know MacT, a bag skate and a speed bike workout might cure this alltogether!).

Sergei Samsonov looks just awesome out there on the ice and is doing what Kevin Lowe brought him in to do....score goals and provide extra offense. Unfortunately the majority of the team is lost in neverland, especially the Oilers multi-million dollar defense.

MacT needs to be a little more strict with his players and bench underperformers, because quite frankly the players that are supposed to be stepping up to the plate and are being paid the big bucks, are simply not getting it done!!! And Roloson needs to come to grips that he is an Oiler now, and do what Kevin Lowe traded away his first rounder for him to do....STOP THE PUCK!

How the Oilers can win?
1. Stay out of the penalty box!!! Numero-uno on the list for sure.
*You can't expect to win against an offensively gifted team such as the wild, as their numero enemies are Gaborik and Rolston.
2. Pronger, Staios and Smith need to be in the face of Gaborik and Rolston all game.
3. Spacek and Tarnstrom provide forechecking offense and get the puck to their snipers.
4. Ryan Smyth...please step up!

The Oilers have also called up Bulldogs superstar centre Marc-Antoine Pouliot to provide a change up front.

Prior to his current stint in Hamilton, he captained Rimouski Oceanic during his amateur-pro experience. Obviously a gifted player, but has no NHL ice-time. On a positive side, he was Sidney Crosby's linemate last season for the Oceanic putting up almost similar offensive numbers, so from what I have seen of this guy he should be just as talented. It will be interesting to see what he can provide offensively with first game jitters and all!

With his call-up means one of the current roster center's will be benched, which most likely will be Rem Murray as he hasn't been playing all that well. Sounds like a panic move to me, but maybe there is something to this...we'll see. Probably a game-time decision by the looks of things.

Either way, the Oilers need a shakup as they have now allowed Anaheim to catch up to them and are now tied for 8th in the Western Conference. Plus Anaheim is 2 games up still. Man, this is starting to look like the 03-04 playoff drive all over again!!!

Oh, and if Roloson can let in 3 goals or less, we actually have a chance of winning. (that's sarcasm for Roli letting in 4 goals in each of the past 3 games !!!!).

Prediction
Oilers 4
Wild 3
(Overtime)

Post Game Report: Oilers / Jackets

2006-03-12T04:11:00.000-07:00

Oilers: 3
Blue Jackets: 4
(Overtime)

VS

OILERS SEE DUST IN OVERTIME VS THE JACKETS!

Well, pretty fun fast paced game for the most part.
It was great to see Samsonov get assists on the first two goals, scored both on the powerplay. Not a bad way to begin your career as an Oiler if I do say so myself. Hopefully he takes this as a sign of momentum on his part and it will be nice to see him play more on the Hemsky line.

The Oilers certainly played better overall in this game, especially in the first period as they outshot their opponents by a wide margin. However, when you play a new goaltender against the likes of Fedorov, Nash and Zherdev (just to name a few), you're defense needs to step in, which eventually they decided to take a coffee break.

I'm not sure if it was just me but it sure appeared the Oilers defense fell asleep in the second half of the game, which was obviously the teams downfall. Dwayne Roloson certainly looked more confident in net than the night previous, and made some very nice saves. One thing "Roli the Goalie" has going for him is his ability to see both ends of the crease and recover if out of position. Plus, he does not give those disgusting fat rebounds like the Conkannen duo is known for!

However, in two games with the Oilers he has now let in 8 goals. That has to be of some concern for the coaching staff. I sure hope Roli doesn't let it bother him as he has quite the task at hand Sunday as he faces his former team, the Wild.

In the third period, Roloson made a huge save onFedorov's shot from the point. However Roli made a mental error as he tucked the puck to the corner believing he had it secured. That wasn't the case as Zherev was able to tip it in near the post, tying the game up at 3-3. Honestly, the ref should have called a whistle as he did freeze the puck on the save only to let it dribble out of his pads.

The game went to Overtime again and almost a shootout as well. However, with 54 seconds left Klesla banked a cheesy goal on Roloson to end the game and give Columbus the two points Edmonton should have deserved and needed.

Scoring Recap:
FIRST PERIOD:
EDM - SMYTH (30) SAMSONOV (20), HEMSKY (47) 8:46 PP
EDM - SPACEK (9) HEMSKY (48), SAMSONOV (21) 12:15 PP

SECOND PERIOD:
CBJ - LETOWSKI (9) CHIMERA (6), MALHOTRA (19) 4:07 EV
EDM - PECA (8) TORRES (11), STAIOS (18) 14:28 EV
CBJ - FEDOROV (7) ZHERDEV (21), 15:45 EV

THIRD PERIOD:
CBJ - ZHERDEV (24) FEDOROV (24), NASH (15) 9:43 EV

OVERTIME:CBJ - KLESLA (5) ZHERDEV (22), FEDOROV (25) 4:06 EV

Going a bit of a rant here....
I get so sick of hearing my fellow Oiler fans say, "well at least we got the point".
Please take a moment to think about this for a second....the Oilers can only settle for Overtime losses for so long before they are on the outside looking in!
Anaheim is two games on Edmonton and only 4 points out of taking our playoff spot. (I hope MacT reads my blog, agrees with my rant, and gives the team another bag skate session.)

Or maybe I need to go on the road with the Oilers, paint my face, and swing some banners around. Just think, if I was at the Columbus game, I could have beat this fan senseless!

Yeah, that's right, I'm talking about you!!!!

Well anyways, the damage is done. Oilers face Minnesota Sunday and it will be extremely interesting to see how well Roloson fairs against his former team! I think he will be looking for redemption and will shine!
See ya then.....

Trade Alert - Edmonton Oilers make HUGE Trade!

2006-03-09T16:43:00.000-07:00

BLOCKBUSTER TRADE:

To Edmonton: Calder Winner Sergei Samsonov
To Boston: Marty Reasoner, Yan Stastny, and a 2nd round conditional pick

WINNER: EDMONTON OILERS!!!

It's official, the Oilers announce this trade right near the end of the trade deadline, but unmistakenly win the trade sweepstakes for 2006 with easily the most coveted player in the sweepstakes by far!
Edmonton is now a major threat in the West for sure!

For the Oilers, they not only get that speedy, tough to beat sniper on wing, but a Calder trophy winning player, who knows how to play the Oilers type of game with a blindfold on!

Wow...Wow....Wow!!!! What an awesome trade!

It's kind of disappointing to see Marty Reasoner leave, as he truly is a hard working player, who is no stranger to putting his well-being on the line to take one for the team! (See "shot-blocker" in the dictionary and Marty has his picture there!)

Best of luck in Bean-town Marty! We'll miss you!

As for losing Stastny, ya whatever!!! Probably a good player in a few years.
Who gives a shit....We got Sergei F'n Samsonov!!!!

Party at my house...BYOB!

Oilers Trade Alert!!!

2006-03-08T11:45:00.000-07:00

Oilers acquire Dwayne Roloson from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a first round pick in the 2006 entry draft, plus a conditional pick.

This announcement came moments after Morrison was waived. Many Oiler fans may not be 100% sold right now with this announcement as I think we were all expecting a bit more of a splash for a veteran goalie.

However Roloson played quite impressive in the 03-04 season with an 18-19-11 win/loss record, a 1.88 GAA, and a .933 save percentage.

Regardless of his stats, welcome to Edmonton Dwayne. We wish you much success now and in the playoffs!

So this poses a related question, Is this the end of the goaltender search? We still have four goaltenders (Conks and Morrison on waivers).
We will soon find out!!! Stay tuned!

Waiver Alert

2006-03-08T11:19:00.000-07:00

Waiver Update:

Mike Morrison has been put on waivers this morning!!!

First they waive Conks...then he returns as a #1 goalie, then they waive Morrison....no further comment as my head is likely to explode.

I guess this means this is the catalyst to a trade announcement....stay tuned!

Oilers and Stars go to a Shootout Decision!

2006-03-08T08:37:00.000-07:00

POST GAME REPORT: March 6, 2006

VS

Stars 4
Oilers 3

(Shootout)

"I didn't hear you....repeat....Morrison's on the shitter? Well tell him to put on his skates ASAP! "

You know, I wouldn't doubt for a second that the last minute call-up to bring in a cold Mike Morrison to take over for Conks for the shooutout, sounded somewhat similar to this mock.

The first question that must be asked is, MacT... what are you smoking?

Conklin has played his best hockey since the break and has given the Oilers 5 points in the last three games. He looked pretty good in net again last night, except for the penalty shot he had to face against Jokinen in the middle of the game.

Conklin helps the team get to the OT session, his confidence in tact, and MacT pulls a homer and yanks him out of net to put in an ice-cold Mike Morisson. What the hell?

I understand that Jussi Jokinen was 8 for 8 in shootouts going into tonights stint, but you pull your goaltender again like its part of the new NHL rules, and not only expect to win with a cold-backup goalie with a fairly respectable shootout win record, but expect your goalie and team to take it like a 5-year old getting his first booster shot?

Sorry, that's just not going to cut it for this team's confidence.

And what was MacT's excuse? As quoted in the Journal, this is what he had to say:

"The numbers are what they are. I know it's difficult coming in off the bench, but in practice, he's the guy stopping the majority of the pucks, so you try and guess right. I guessed wrong."

NO-SHIT Sherlock!!! I think someone needed to nudge the coach on the bench and remind him this isn't the practice rink and that this was a nationally televised NHL sanctioned game. YEEESH!!!!!

Anyway, to make a long story short, the number one line of Hemsky Smyth and Horcoff provided the team to rally in the third period and recover from a 3-1 deficit with goals by both Smyth and Horcoff respectively.

Tarnstrom got the Oil's first and only goal in the first period, while the Star's Boucher, Miettinen and Jokinen got the goals for their team (Jokinen got his goal on a penalty shot, totally fooling and schooling Ty Conklin.)

Then we get to the shootout (ahem...another pre-game prediction I should have put money on...darn)!

As soon as MacT put in Morrison for the Shootout, you could almost see the Dallas bench smiling ear to ear! Either way, that is precisely how they were feeling after the game, as Turco blanked Hemsky and Smyth on their shootout opportunities, while Sergei Zubov and shooutout sensation Jussi Jokinen blanked an ice cold Mike Morrison who looked like a pylon in net.

Well, there is a half empty pot of gold at the end of the rainbow as the Oilers still managed to secure one point and stay within reach of still moving up from 8th. Unfortunately, the Ducks beat the Sharks in OT last night and therefore are only 3 points behind the Oilers.

The Road Ahead...

The Oilers are now heading out on the road for a 4-game road-trip. Their schedule is as follows:

Thursday - San Jose

Saturday - Columbus

Sunday - Minnesota

Tuesday - Minnesota

* Going into tomorrow's game, the Oilers will likely be starting their newly acquired goaltender, whomever that turns out to be. The rumor mill still states Cujo is numero uno on the list, followed by Belfour and Biron as other likely candidates.

I will update you all on the trades as soon as I hear of them.

Oilers sign REM-THE-GEM !!!

2006-03-07T13:43:00.000-07:00

The Edmonton Oilers have announced that former Oiler Rem Murray, who played with the Oilers from 1996-2002, has signed a 1-year contract with the team and made his debut on Sunday against the Predators.

For those that know his story, Rem who played his last game with the Nashville Predators in 2003, was diagnosed with a rare muscle and nerve disorder called cervical dystonia, which caused his neck to be almost always tilted...some very scary stuff for any hockey player to have to deal with. Normally, the average person, yet alone a pro-athlete would be forced to retire from such a terrible handicap.

Amazingly, Rem battled hard to avoid the scepticism and possible hard truths that his career was over. "Rem-the Gem" as he is known by his fellow Oilers teammates and Oilers fans alike, took steady physio treatment since the problem got to its bad stages, which included regular botox injections to his neck....ouch! If that is not what you call dedication to one's own livelyhood, I don't know what is!

What a comeback since 2003....He then tried out for the Detroit Red Wings this season and was the last to be cut from the team (Detroit brass decided to go with former Oiler Dan Cleary...excuse me? That makes no sense whatsoever!)
Despite that slight letdown to his comeback, Rem never stopped to resurrect his career and signed with the Houston Aeros of the AHL, going 11-24-35 in 54 games this season and 8 PIM's.
Very impressive stats if I do say so myself!

Luckilly for the Edmonton Oilers and Murray as well, Rem was on Kevin Lowe's radar as of late, and was offered, without hesitation I might add, a second chance in the big league and with the team he started his career with and made a name for himslef.
If the Gem was going to play for another team in the NHL, the Edmonton Oilers is the team to do it with. It's kind of perfect for him really, as he is well respected by the team, the coaches and of course the fans of Edmonton!

As per the Oilers website stats, his former Oilers stats:

"From 1996 through 2002, Murray played 416 games, scoring 72 goals and adding 90 assists for 162 points with 121 penalty minutes. In 38 playoff games, he had five goals and eight assists for 13 points and 16 PIM."

When asked about his return to the Oilers, Rem was happy to admit he's finally back in good company. As an Oiler fan through thick and thin, I am thrilled to have him back on the team, as he was always one of my favorite Oilers for his dedication to the team and his game.
As a note, Rem will now wear the number 22 as his jersey, as opposed to his old 16, now occupied by Stollzie!

To conclude, if there is one player that has the best chance at this year's Bill Masterton Trophy for dedication to the sport, Rem Murray may likely be the recipient of this year's award!

Welcome back Rem!

Oilers Game Day: Dallas at Edmonton

2006-03-07T12:49:00.000-07:00

Game Day: Dallas vs. Edmonton

Puck Drops: 7:00 PM MST

VS

The Edmonton Oilers host the Dallas Stars for its fourth and final tilt of the regular season at Rexall Place Tuesday night.

Before the Oilers hit the road for a 4-game road trip, they will host the Stars for what they hope is a continuation of their great play as of late. Luckily that luck is what the team has going for them as they have yet to figure out a way to beat the Stars in a good way this season.

Who's in net?

Oilers - Ty Conklin is stated to get the start for Edmonton, making this his third start in a row. Either the Oilers brass have re-instilled confidence in Conks, or they are showboating him for the trade deadline. Either way, Conklin is finding ways to win hockey games right now and MacT loves to play his hot goalies until they fizzle. Let's hope good ol' Conks sizzles instead!!!

Stars - Marty Turco is apparently getting the nod tonight as he is currently on a hot streak. This guy reminds me of the way Belfour used to play for the Stars.... determined to win!

As far as Oilers players go, the team should be counting on taking advantage of every powerplay that comes their way, as Pronger is just dynamite right now on the man advantage.
Regardless...something tells me this game is going to the shootout and if so, the Oilers had better be prepared. Turco is currently 6-0 in shootouts and young rookie Jussi Jokinen has scored in every shootout he has been in this season.

Nevertheless, the Might Oil have their list of shootout heroes as well.
Should be an exciting game to watch. See it on Sportsnet tonight...or even better in person if available!

Oilers win huge game: Post-Game Report

2006-03-04T11:56:00.000-07:00

VS

POST-GAME RESULTS

SHARKS 2
OILERS 3

Hook....Line & SINKER!!!

The Oilers finally broke their losing skid on Friday evening at Rexall Place, by defeating the San Jose Sharks 3-2 and strengthening their 8th place spot in the Western Conference.
The first two periods were literally tooth and nail as the game went scoreless after the first two periods of play. Amazingly with no goals scored after 40 minutes, this game was well fought by both teams.

Scoring finally opened early in the third as Raffi Torres slapped a sweet shot past Toskala to make it 1-0 three minutes into the period. This marked Raffi's 21st goal of the season (a career high for him).
However, Patrick Marleau, whom earns the award as the Shark's Oiler killer, tied the game just 19 seconds later.

The game just got more and more exciting that pretty much everyone, including hockey anlaysts world-wide, beleived this game was going to go to Overtime. However, Joe Thornton made a suprise nifty shot on Conklin to move the Sharks ahead 2-1 in the last five minutes of the third.

Now on most nights, the Oilers lose gumption when this happens, especially this late in the game. But in the back of my mind, I kept thinking while seeing this devastating goal, that one memorable game against the Yotes which made me ever doubt the odds again!!

Just over a minute later, the Oilers applied enormous pressure as defensmen Tarnstrom and Smith made an offensive/defensive push and were able to get Horcoff in just the perfect position to fire a sweet wrister past Toskala to tie the game 2-2.

Oiler fans nationwide were on the edge of their seat (myself included). Then the amazing happened.....
With just over one minute left in regualtion Smith and Tarnstrom made another, almost similar defensive push to get the puck to Hemsky mid-ice. Now this is truly the defining moment for a player such as Hemsky, as he almost certainly opens up his skill-set (and bag of tricks) in these types of situations.

With centre-ice open, Hemsky picked up speed and made one of the nicest goals I've seen this year, by throwing an inside-out...dipsy-doodle deke on Sharks defensive rookie Josh Gorges, and sliding through the legs of Toskala to move the Oilers ahead 3-2....thus giving the Oilers the win.

Hemsky scores the game winner last night!

It's no doubt Ales Hemsky gets the first star in this game, but I think the defining presensce and return of Jason Smith (after his latest injury), proves literally how vital he is to this team. I agree Smith is not always in his zone some nights, but for a team that has a player like Pronger on the team, it goes to show that Smith is a loyal player to his team and most notably his fellow teammates, and no doubt wants to see this team win! Afterall, he is our Captain!

Oilers Source: 3 Stars
1. Ales Hemsky - game winner (and what a goal!!!)
2. Jason Smith - Got assists on both the tying and game-winning goals!
3. Shawn Horcoff - Got the tying goal and played gritty all-game long!

Next game:
Sunday, March 5th

Nashville Vs. Edmonton

See you then!!!

Oilers Post Game Report - March 1st

2006-03-02T08:43:00.000-07:00

Post Game Report

Blues 4
Oilers 2

WINNER:

What more to say, the Oilers were beat "again" mind you, by the St. Louis Blues.
In more appropriate wording, the were schooled like a bunch of monkey's...House of Blues Style!

I have to give props to Curtis Sanford, because this guy is either fluky, or has been perfecting his game since his 02-03 rookie year. Sinply put, this guy may be the next Belfour as he has eyes like a hawk! He played identical to his last game....just stellar!!!

As I anticipated earlier, Pronger blasted his famous missile from the point while on a Powerplay in the dying minutes of the second. But that spark to the team was quickly removed as the Oilers just couldn't protect their defensive zone for the rest of the game, literally frustrating Markannen in net.

What more can you say about this game....4th straight loss for the Oilers (last two losses courtesy of the Blues!!!)

As the trade deadline quickly approaches, K-Lowe had better be in the final stages of a goaltender deal, because the Oilers badly need a veteran goaltender that can backup this teams current shoddy defensive corps. Otherwise, the Oilers may be on the Outside looking in come playoff time!

Anyway, here is the updated trade possibilities:

Top candidates Incoming: Joseph, Biron, Raycroft, and J-S Giguere
Top candidates Outgoing: One of three Oilers goaltenders, Torres, Dvorak, Reasoner, Winchester and/or another prospect.

See you all next game....

GAME DAY!!!! (Yeeehaaa): Oilers vs. Blues

2006-03-01T13:33:00.000-07:00

Game Day: March 1st

VS

Well we have all waited for our respective teams to get back to action. That goes double for me as I'm pumped just writing this (wearing my Oilers hardhat as a type.....no shit!)

Well the Oilers have a few extra hours today to mend their bones as they host St. Louis tonight at Rexall Place, as the puck drops at 8:00 PM. (Sportsnet is showing the game!!!)

Apparently the Oilers are in a bit of a bind tonight as a number of their players are still nursing some injuries, most notably:

1. Michael Peca - Hip and groin pull
2. Raffi Torres - Groin *Questionable
3. Ethan Moreau (A)- Sprained Ankle
4. Igor Ulanov - Left Rib Contusion
5. Dick Tarnstrom - Upper respritory infection
6. Marty Reasoner - Chest Injury
7. Jason Smith (C) - Broken Toe

*Holy shit....that's not good at all!

Even Smyth and Pronger are still suffering from Olympics Jetlag...so hopefully they get lots of sleep prior to the game.

OILERS: Who's on their "A" Game?
*Brad Winchester has just been called up from the Minors and will be in the lineup for certain.
*Jarrett Stoll is about the only Oilers star that we know of with threat potential that should be ready to give 110%. Hopefully he has been practicing his slapshot the past couple weeks at practice. Now all he needs is a couple of powerplay's and Pronger to feed him a couple of fast and sweet passes from the point, and this team will be in control!!!

BLUES: Who's on their "A" Game?
Well fortunately for St. Louis, they beat Edmonton before the break and have the upperleg tonight as they will likely be targeting their scoring lines right from the start and try to take advantage of the lack of depth on defense that the Oilers are facing.

*Watch out for Keith Tkachuk as he is literally on a tear, and will be a force on the ice. And with the combinations of Young, Cajanek and old former Oiler Dean McAmmond, whom lead the team in combined scoring, should be unstoppable. If they can frustrate Pronger at the Oilers blueline, they will own the ice. But who knows....2 weeks off can change any team in any direction!!!

Other Game notes:

Apparently their are new rule changes tonight that the players must now adhere to, most notably if this game does go to the shootout, all players selected for said shootout will have to first have their sticks measured prior to taking centre ice. (The funny part, if they break the rule, they are punished by having to skate back to the bench and grab a new stick.....oooooh...those NHL officials just plain mean business!!!

It should be a good game anyways. So grab your six packs of Molson, call your buds and party hard to till' the end of night...It's Hockey Night In Canada!!!

Prediction:

Oilers: 5

Blues: 4

(Shoot-out)

Oilers Trade Rumors

2006-02-28T10:24:00.000-07:00

Well, after a two week hiatus from the Olympic break, The Oilers Source is back to give you all the goods on the Edmonton Oilers.

And with the news, comes some trade rumors that have been bouncing around the last couple of weeks.

So who is supposedly trading places you ask?

Well widely reported rumors we have heard in the pipeline that Curtis Joseph (Ye Ole CUJO) is on his way back to the Edmonton Oilers any day now for Oilers rookie winger Brad Winchester and a 4th round draft pick.

Now take it for what you will, but this rumor has been reported more than once on various sports radio talk shows in Arizona. As well, we all know that Coyotes brass have a very, very low tolerance level for their players and toss them around the league like a red-headed stepchild!

Cujo apparently likes it in Pheonix but I think with his veteran experience, you would think his top priority is to win a Stanley Cup. And let's face it, he has a better chance of doing that in Edmonton this year. Oilers fans will have already forgave him for bailing on Edmonton a few years back, so should he come to E-Town...he should just smile and bring his A Game.

If this trade does go down in the next few days as rumored, it is a win-win situation for the Oilers, as they get a previous all-star Oilers goaltender who will no doubt provide the veteran leadership they require to at least get past the first round of the playoffs. And all at a cost of practically nothing as that would mean one of our three goalies going somewhere as well!

Apparently K-Lowe has also told Pheonix that although they want Cujo and the offer is on the table, they will look at their other options if this situation drags on. It's obvious the Oilers want to be ready to go right now for a playoff stretch...not at the trade deadline.

Other options the Oilers are looking at is Martin Biron of the Sabres. However, Buffalo wants a high end player in return, which the Oilers may not want to consider as to not disrupt team chemistry with their core group.

Whatever the case, the Oilers will definitely be making a move in the next week or two for a veteran goaltender....or any day now for that matter!

I can already hear the rants in the bleachers...."CUJO"..."CUJO"...."CUJO"...

Mighty Ducks @ Edmonton: Post-Game Review

2006-02-07T00:46:00.000-07:00

VS

OILERS: 6
DUCKS: 5
(SHOOT-OUT)

OILERS WIN IN A BARN-BURNER!!!

Well it was a real back and forth game tonight, as the Oilers beat the Ducks 6-5 in the shootout, as Fernando Pisani got the game winner. Although the shootout was rather predictable, as the Ducks I think were not quite ready to take on Mike Morrison in the shootout.
Mike Morrison is now....5-0....in shootouts this season. WOW!!!
Morrison...you are our hero!!!!

On the topic of goaltenders by the way...Ty Conklin was finally placed on waivers today. What a freakin relief!!!
If only some team has room for this guy so the Oilers brass can use the savings to contribute to the proposed #1 they are still looking for. (Martin Biron I am still hearing....I can dream!!!)
I must say, I'm kind of surprised it took K-Lowe this long to realize that three young starters is just too many!!! Besides, Morrison is just quite amazing and is a future goaltending star in my opinion!

Anyway, back to the game review....
Smyth got two goals including one rebound off another Chris Pronger rocket shot...god I love those. Also...Jaroslav Spacek even scored a goal.

I got to say, SPAAAAA-CHEK (as Bryan Hall likes to say), has looked mighty impressive since recently coming here in the trade from Chicago.
I was at the game sitting behind the players bench and man...this guy can freakin skate!!!

In short, our offense and defense was again on the ball, although Markannen kind of got frustrated late in the third and had to be pulled. However, he still made some real nice saves. Morrison held the Oilers in this game, made some amazing saves in the third period, and practically gave the team the 2-point win.
Either way, as an Oiler fan...I'm extremely happy....Bring on the Avs!!!

OilSource Game Notes:
Mike Peca left the game in the third with a hip-flexor injury and may not make the trip to Denver now. Marchant was an Oiler killer giving the Ducks their 5th goal, but obviously it just wasn't enough. Teemu Selanne went without any points in tonights game (even getting blanked on his shootout chance) thus ending his point scoring streak at 14 games.
Jaroslav Spacek scored his first ever Oilers Goal and now has 1 point in each of his four games since coming here via trade Jan26th.

OILERS WIN BIGTIME !!!

2006-01-30T07:31:00.000-07:00

POST GAME REVIEW:

OILERS 4
YOTES 3
(Shootout) *My prediction was for the most part, bang-0n!

THESE DOGS WERE GOOD,
BUT STILL GOT SOAKED IN OIL!!!

What more can you say, Chris Pronger is GOD!
Well, he must be because name one person in that building or watching at home, who thought the Oilers would be able to even the score with only 2.2 Seconds remaining!!!

Well that is precisely how this story went down, as the Oil, who were trailing 3-2 in the late seconds of the game, were able to clear the puck to the Pheonix zone. Their persistence paid off in keeping it in the Pheonix zone, as CUJO was forced to hold the puck with 2.2 seconds left.

Even Ray Ferrraro, who I admire greatly for his knowledge of the game, said something to the effect prior to the faceoff, that it is basically impossible to score a goal with this much time left, even for a seasoned goal scorer. (something to that effect).

But even good O'l Ray couldn't have predicted what happened as Reasoner beat Ricci for the faceoff, sending the puck straight to Pronger, who blasted it from the point beating Cujo completely.

Even I had to look again to see the replay while thinking to myself, "Well the clock probably expired...just our luck." But the puck made it into the back of the net with 0.3 seconds left on the clock.

Hence my term, "PRONGER IS GOD!"

"UN-F&$KING BELIEVABLE!!!"
(If there was a microphone on the Great-One, that would have been his quote)

Even Gretzky couldn't believe his eyes as he had even taken the extra precautions to call a time-out, but it just wasn't going to stop the Mighty Oil !

SHOOTOUT

Off to the shootout, where this one had to go to extra shooters to decide things.
Four shooters Pisani-Comrie-Smyth-Nagy couldn't get it done.
Then Hemsky watched how his previous two teammates got beat low on the stick and realized...hey this guy can't stop my loft shot over the shoulder, so he did just that and beat Cujo to take the first goal. However, Doan beat Morrison cleanly tying it all back up.

Four new shooters....all who couldn't score....Stoll-Saprykin-Torres-Lundmark

Lundmark was about the only one who came close, but Morrison is a freaking genious with that stick of his.

It was then Radek Dvorak's shot and he took advantage of it by lofting it on his backhand and over Cujo's shoulder to seal the deal. OILERS WIN 4-3

GAME NOTES

The Sportsnet three stars were 1. Pronger 2. Morrison 3. Joseph, which was pretty accurate.
However, I read on the sportsline recap (CBS Sportsline...what do they know about sports) that Mike Ricci was one of the stars. SAY WHAT??
Now for all those that saw the final minutes of the game, Ricci cross-checked Bergeron with his stick right into MAB's mouth. And there was Ricci signaling to the ref..."what did I do?"... RICCI...YOU ARE A DIRTY SCUMBAG!!

I'm sorry but that kind of play is totally uncalled for and he should be suspended for that cheapshot. Eventhough the cameras showed MAB on the bench bleeding like a broken water main, he had a smile on his face!!! Damn that boy is tough!!! I just hope he didn't lose to many of his front teeth.

Morrison was just stellar in net, what more can one person say! I know he is not a seasoned goaltender, but he is clearly playing as a number 1 goaltender. I gained quite a bit of respect for him when he was asked if going to the shootout had him worried. He replied..."I just love shootouts!" If that quote and his play combined doesn't earn him player of the week nominations, I don't know what will!

Other notes:
The Oilers ended their three game roadtrip, going with a 3-0 record.
The Oilers improve their record in the standing to third in their division and now 7th overall in the Western Conference with 62 points. Calgary is currently in 3rd place with only three points in check

Peca was sick from a sinus infection and missed his first game of the season. Spacek and Tarnstrom played their first game as Oilers and basically took over Peca's job, plus their own in the defensive zone. During Spacek's 2nd period interview, he looked a little "Pre-season Tkachuk" ... aka FAT!!
However, Spacek looked good on the ice and even got an assist on Ryan Smyth's goal. The way he plays the Oilers game, he will burn off all that in no time!

Pronger's game winning goal was simply amazing and what probably could be compared to Marchant's overtime winner against Dallas in 1997, in terms of raising the bar on excitement.
MacT was quoted as saying, "It's a one-in-a-million play. I have never seen it. In 25 years of hockey I have never seen anything like it."

Well you heard it straight from MacT and just proved my point...Pronger is GOD!
Next game: Thursday, Feb 2...Columbus at Edmonton
See you then!!!

GAME DAY - Battle in the Desert - Round 2

2006-01-29T15:40:00.000-07:00

VS

Puck Drop: 6:00 PM MST

Well, the Mighty Oil are back for another tilt in Pheonix to take on the desert dogs. Hopefully this time they can make a different appearance and get a win in regulation and avoid another shootout. For those that have not been following this series, the Oilers have lost the last two games in both OT and SO respectively.

Oilers defense ready? Well it should be interesting to watch the Oilers new defensive improvement, with the recent additions of Tarnstrom and Spacek to the blueline. As a result, Ulanov and Green are scratches as they are nursing injuries (although they wouldn't have been playing regardless).

Oilers: Who's Hot?
Well Dicky T and Spatchy (yes, those are my opinions for official nicknames) will be looking to impress MacT and the fans, as they make their Oilers debuts tonight. Morrison will also be looking to impress as their is still rumors that an impending goalie trade is about to become a reality (although it is Conklin that has the most to worry about on that note!). Still, he has been pretty phenomenal in net this season and I just have a good feeling about his start tonight.
As for our offense, its hard to say really... It will be interesting to see how are new blueline will affect our scoring lines. As Dvorak is a good friend of Spacek and Torres was once teammates with Tarnstrom, I for one will be kind of watching that. Regardless, I would have to say that Stoll is going to shine tonight and score a clinching slapper off a feed from Pronger on the PowerPlay....(I just have that feeling!!!).

Coyotes: Who's Hot?
I would put my money on Comrie to achieve at least one point tonight, if not a few, as he has been on fire as of late. As much as I am NOT a Comrie fan, he fits in on that team every night.
Also, after seeing the last matchup between these two teams, I would predict CUJO will be a human wall again and shut down the Oilers top lines.

PRE-GAME PREDICTION:

OILERS 4
YOTES 3
(OVERTIME)

*As a note...I updated my rosters on NHL 06, and Tarnstrom has been one of the three stars in four games straight! (So that must mean he's a superstar....LOL)

Oilers Crown Kings

2006-01-26T23:28:00.000-07:00

POST GAME REPORT! (OILERS NOW TIED FOR 7th IN THE WEST WITH 60 PTS)

OILERS 5
KINGS 3

A Little Quote:

"Tell sad Stories of the death of Kings" - Shakespeare
"Mooohahaha.....Mooohahaha" - Oiler Fans Nation-wide

The Oilers had this game in the win column pretty much from the first minute when Garon let a huge rebound go from Pronger's slapper off the get-go of the first, allowing Smyth to easily notch his 21st goal of the season.

Pronger again was stellar tonight, and please don't blame him for the Conroy giveaway. It's pretty hard to stop an offensive player along the boards with the puck, when you are the #1 defenseman snapping his stick. It was hard to watch...yes...but not worth getting riled up over.

Although my prediction on the score was a bit off, I did predict a blowout as was the case. However, I did predict Dvorak and Torres would finally see the light. Heck, so did Laraque and Harvey. Actually, Harvey was fun to watch on the ice tonight. I think he knows he's playing for a contender.

OILSOURCE STARS OF THE GAME:

1. Mike Morrison - Quite simply...spectacular in goal. I still think he has been the Oilers "behind the scenes" starting goaltender! 25 Saves
2. Ethan Moreau - Got a shorthanded goal (4th shorty of the year) in the third period and was constantly on the prowl throughout the final frame leading in shots on goal.
3. Todd Harvey - Although Peca deserved to be on this list, Harvey just put in an amazing and rare effort. Although his first goal was disallowed, he blasted a slapper from the slot off of a behind the net pass from Pisani, basically sealing the deal for the Oilers tonight.

A kind of interesting note on this road trip:
The Oilers have played a back-to-back Anaheim/LA road trip 20 times in their lifetime, and this being the 6th time they have swept this road trip series for consecutive wins.

Again I would like to thank K-Lowe for swinging some trades today, as they were absolutely necessary and long overdue.
However, based on hints from the Oilers brass later today following their press conference, they are about to close a deal on a goaltender. Sources say Staios and a pick for Martin Biron.

Stay tuned tomorrow!!!

OILERS GAME DAY: EDMONTON @ LA

2006-01-26T18:49:00.000-07:00

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Puck Drop: 8:30 PM MST

Well after an amazing day of trading for the Oilers, Oil fans can now compliment their day with another road game this evening!

It's too bad we couldn't have Tarnstrom and Spacek tonight in the lineup, but we can all feel confident that it looks as though MacT is going to start Markannen for a 2nd tilt tonight, as he has stated how happy he was with his play last night against the Ducks.

Oilers: Who's Hot:
Well I am a little worried as I hear Ales Hemsky has a possible sprained ankle and may not play tonight. This means players like Horcoff, Smyth and Dvorak need to play with fierce offensiveness in mind. If they concentrate on shooting the puck on net as much as possible, they should be fine. I sure hope Torres snaps his funk.
Should Markannen get the start tonight, I'd say keep an eye on him. M-A Bergeron is likely going to get some more shifts tonight, and he has been nothing but spectacular so far this season.

Kings: Who's Hot:
Sounds like all their primary stars (Bure, Roenick, Belanger, etc...) are still on the injured reserve list, so I would have to say they had better be ready for the Oilers tonight!

PRE-GAME PREDICTION:

Oilers 4
Kings 1

2006-01-26T18:25:00.000-07:00

TRADE ALERT!!!!

In with the New....

Dick Tarnstrom

Jaroslav Spacek

And out with the Old (crap)

Jani Rita

Cory Cross

Tony Salmelainen

All I can say is THANK GOD we got rid of Jani "waste of space" Rita and Cory "Slow Grampa" Cross. Those two are probably the sorriest excuses for NHL players ever seen in a long time. Sure Cross could be a good compliment to a Over 40 men's league, but not much I can say about Rita as the Oilers gave him opportunity after opportunity, and he never took any initiative to succeed.

As for Tony Salmelainen who we got for Spacek, was great last year for the Edmonton Roadrunners and is burning up the Finnish league, but it appears he never really wanted to play for a Canadian team. I've even been wondering all season if he wanted to play in the NHL for that matter.

Picking up Tarnstrom and Spacek were huge as far as the Oilers are concerned as they both improve this clubs defense by a milestone, allowing Coaches MacT and Huddy to give their Top4 Defenseman a break for once this season.

I'd say its safe to say the Oilers capitalized on this trade BIG TIME!

Way to go K-Lowe.....you're my hero!

Oilers too slick for Ducks!

2006-01-25T23:10:00.000-07:00

Post-Game Review

Oilers: 6
Ducks: 3

Someone hold down that duck....cause he's gone mad!!!

For those that saw the game tonight got a bit of entertainment to go along with the scorefest.
J.S. Giguere literally lost it in the third period and helped the Oilers seal the deal with a 6-3 win.

As predicted earlier, Selanne was an offensive threat in the first two periods netting two goals. However, it all went down hill from there. Staios' goal late in the final second of the 2nd period definitely gave the Oilers some much needed momentum. Yet, the fun was just about to begin!

The Oilers succeeded in this game by simply playing the game they have been expected to all year and also working together as a team. Instead of taking endless penalties, the Oil enjoyed countless powerplays throughout the third.

It all started after Vishnevski boarded Stoll into the boards, receiving a five minute major and a game misconduct. In a chain effect, Rob Neidermayer added himself to the box, putting the Ducks on a 5-on-3 disadvantage. It was here where not only Pronger put on the pressure and firing a rocket slapper from a cross ice feed from Peca, but also seemed to somehow help push Giguere's buttons!

For whatever reason, Giguere flew out of his net and charged Ryan Smyth, therefore re-adding another 5-on-3 disadvantage for his team. Now you just know the Oilers are going to take advantage of this! Luckily, Giguere snapped again 28 seconds later and took another roughing penalty and 10-minute misconduct by hitting Smyth upside the head with a cheapshot. What is this guy thinking?

To top off the night for the Oilers, Pronger converted on yet another powerplay goal to mark his 6th of the season and 100th career goal. Pronger may have just added himself back onto the list for this years Norris Trophy!

Oilers win 6-3 and by the looks of it have finally found their scoring touch!

OilSource 3 STARS

1. Chris Pronger
*A total of two Powerplay goals and an assist made this win well deserved! Plus that bone-crushing check on Fedoruk was simply breathtaking!
If anyone knows a good chiropractor, please contact the head trainer of the Ducks!!

2. Ales Hemsky - A goal and an assist for the night. He's back...finally!

3. Ryan Smyth - Although he only got one assist, his devotion to being that pest at the net and pain in the neck to goaltenders everwhere, basically helped the Oilers seal the deal!

Oh...and a big thanks to J-S Giguere for being mean tempered and out of control.
If you happen to get waived tomorrow (i.e. see Sauve!!!), the WWE might be looking for a tough-guy!

Game Day: Edmonton Oilers @ Mighty Ducks of Anaheim

2006-01-25T12:18:00.000-07:00

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Puck Drop: 8:00PM MST

Well the Oilers finally have the chance here tonight folks to redeem themselves and pretend the last week has actually been a real, real bad dream!

The Copper and Blue sit in a still slightly comfortable 8th place in the Western Conference going into tonights game, while Minnesota, San Jose and Anaheim each trail 4 points behind for 9th place. As an Oiler fan myself, I for one am a little worried considering Anaheim is 5-1-4 in their last 10 regulation games; whereas the Oilers are 3-5-2 with a two game losing skid (and a loss of reality). Come on MacT, knock some sense into these guys will ya!!!

Therefore, I think its safe to say the noose is on pretty tight around the Oilers as they face the Quackers.

Oilers: Who's Hot?

Well, after Monday's game against the Flames I honestly don't know. The only offensive player I noticed that put any effort into the last game was Jarrett Stoll, whereas everyone else was asleep at the wheel. I am essentially praying MacT gave his team a bag skate session for their terrible performance. Usually that is enough to wake these guys up and heck...maybe, just maybe, the team will start playing .500 hockey.

Although the Oilers lost their last game against the Flames, the only star player on the team was in fact Morrison, as he made some crucial saves when the defense was asleep. In other words, he played goal and defense for that night....nice!

As it stands, tonights goaltender is 50/50, but I would assume MacT wants to play musical chairs and play Markannen. Watch out for Torres, Horcoff, and Hemsky as they will be on their A game.

There's a couple rumors flying aroun with one saying Rita for Spacek...but again...those are rumors! Some shake-ups are coming though...perhaps right after this road trip!

Anaheim: Who's Hot

Well Giguere is sure on a hot streak in net, but I don't think he will stand on his head. However, the Oilers defensive corps had better be ready to take on Temmu Selanne and his offensive prowess, as he is playing some all-star hockey right now registering 11-points in his last eight games.

PRE-GAME PREDICTION:

Oilers 3

Ducks 2

Game Day: BATTLE OF ALBERTA!!!

2006-01-23T12:44:00.000-07:00

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Puck Drops: 7:00 PM MST

Tonight is the night Oiler fans as we get to show them Flamers what we're made of.
I for one feel very confident in net tonight as Mike Morrison is expected to get the start tonight against the Flames.

The Oilers are currently ranked in 8th place in the Western Conference, trailing Calgary by 5 points for the Division lead. A win tonight will definitely be sweet for the Oilers as they are trailing the series 3-2 this year.

Players worth watching tonight:

Oilers:
Shawn Horcoff is on a tear with a team leading 49 points and is going to be a threat on the first line for sure tonight. Pronger, Smith, and Staios are going to be mean as a trio of junkyard dogs and it will be exciting to see them get in the face of players like McCarty and Phaneuf. Also, Peca seems to be getting better each game and he will be a force on the ice tonight.

Flames:
Kiprusoff will be on his "A" game for sure tonight and has a very impressive record against Edmonton this season and is 4-1-2 all-time against the Copper and Blue. Watch out for Kristian Huselius as this guy is on a point-per-game scoring streak since he was picked about a month ago.

Although the Flames are one of the best Canadian teams right now in the standing, the Oilers are only a few games in check and are looking to repeat their last showing back in December 19th, where they won 5-4.

Also, an interesting note: The Oilers currently have four players with 39 points or more on the season (Smyth, Stoll, Hemsky, Horcoff), while the Flames have none with Iginla the closest at 39 points. This will very likely be a high scoring game! Post Game wrap-up to follow later tonight.

GAME PREDICTION: 5-4 Oilers (Shootout win)

Coyotes HOUND Oilers !!!

2006-01-23T00:21:00.000-07:00

VS

Saturday, Jan 21, 2006 - Game Time: 7:00 PM

Well I must say Saturday's game was filled with some interesting surprises.
First of all, what in the hell is MacT thinking by placing a cold Markannen as the starter, when Morrison had such a great showing the night before. I for one am so utterly sick and tired of the "new goaltender every night" senario. Apparently our beloved coach believes it is best to not only rotate three goaltenders past the mid-season mark, but to just confuse them all-together.

As reported by R. Brownlee in the Edmonton Sun following the game, MacT was quoted as saying, "It's nice to have goaltenders sitting off wins rather than sitting off losses mentally. Then, you're putting in a confident goaltender every night."

SAY WHAT?

This reminds me of something Ricky would say in one of his logical statements on

the Trailer Park Boys! You know...Ricky!!
Possible Ricky Quote: "MacT's just smart at things like explaining things and getting people to do stuff, and I'm smart at playing hockey and shovelling snow." ~See the connection?

Anyway, so we start the big Juicy in net against the Yotes and he actually looked pretty good. One thing MacT was right about is his rant about the Oilers playing like shit the first two periods. You know you're playing terrible when Comrie is scoring and Gretzky is crying to the refs when someone even touches one of his players.

Here is a sample of Gretzky on one of his random rants about nothing....

Anyway, back to the game...
So after Comrie gets the first goal of the game on a nice assist from Lundmark, it was starting to look pretty bad. It seemed just prior and pretty much throughout the entire game, the Oilers would get a penalty just after getting a powerplay. Not smart!

Smyth tallied an awesome goal to make it 1-1 after 20mins of play, and it seemed to just go downhill from there in the second.

That leads us to the third, where the Oilers finally woke up and realized they might just lose this game. If it wasn't for Laraque's first of the year (actually it was a Phoenix player that kicked it in for old GL, but I'm happy for him), the Oilers would have probably lost this game, as it seemed to give them some momentum.

But the real savior was Jason Smith's blaster from the point midway through the third that woke the team up. Unfortunately 6-minutes later Sapyrkin tied it 3-3 to push this game to overtime once again.

As usual, Smyth gets another goal in the shootout (thank you Captain Canada) to keep his SO record in tact. Unfortunately that was the only goal we could get as Sanderson and Nagy both plugged it past Markannen for the win. And let me say, Juicy....did you at least try to stop the puck on Sanderson?
Ah...I can't really rag on the guy as he is still a great goaltender...well anyone is when they're lined up next to Conklin.

Fortunately for the Copper and Blue, it is said that Mike Morrison is indeed getting the start against Calgary on Monday. Therefore, I would have to say the team actually has a chance.
I'll be at the game pounding a few beers and listening to the usual idiots next to me yell "shoot....shooot" on every powerplay. I'd love to pour beer on them...but I may get kicked out. I'll update you all when I return to give you the net-net (get it?)

GO OIL! - Peace