My OilersNation Work

by Jonathan Willis on Mar 13, 2009 11:18 AM MDT

I know there are a lot of folks out there who don't like OilersNation. Personally, I'm having more fun than ever over there; mostly because there has been a lot of great stuff to talk about this past week.

Here's the best of what I've done lately:

March 13 - Pragmatism: I think that scoring more goals than the other team is the greatest goal of hockey. I can't believe that anyone would disagree with that statement.

March 13 - Be Less Naive: Jaromir Jagr's KHL contract is valueless. Players signed to KHL deals are fair game for NHL clubs.

March 9 - A Quick Dustin Penner Question: Examining the first line with and without Dustin Penner, I find that Penner's the best option on the team. People question his effort, but his results have been just fine.

March 9 - Department of Obvious Statements - Ales Kotalik Edition: Taking a good, thorough look on where Ales Kotalik should fit on this hockey team. Powerplay point-man, bottom six forward. Pretty much the opposite of how he's been used so far.

March 6 - The Visnovsky Effect: A look at the Oilers with and without Lubomir Visnovsky. They're a far better team with him.

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Comments

Thanks for the links, jonathon, I love your stuff. But damn, that is some sad commentary in the thread of 'pragmatism' (which was as far as I got).

I haven't read at Oilfans.com or lowetide.blogspot in a long while, but I suspect that OilersNation is still far worse. I stopped reading as you were about to tear into Gregor. I'm sure that you were rational and pointed, and I'm sure that Jason Gregor (god bless him) was completely oblivious to any jabs you made, and was unable to follow your reasoning.

Ever watch Hard Core Hockey on The Score TV, jonathon? They have live fan internet chat rolling down the sidebar. Check that out, then check it out again in a month. And so on.

If you just let the wheel of the ship roll as it will, driven by the current on the rudder, then that's the way this is heading here too. Or so I suspect. I don't know, it seems inevitable, but that's fine.

No worries, some fucker will create a better space. It won't be me, I'm too busy right now and too lazy in general, but somebody will. It's human nature.

by Vic Ferrari on Mar 13, 2009 3:43 PM MDT reply actions

Thanks, Vic. I couldn't write half of what I do without the resources you provide - the Time On Ice stuff is critical, and I've read everything at IOF because you guys were way ahead of the curve there.

I know what you mean about OilersNation, but I'd like to see the kind of analysis that you guys do and that I do get closer to the mainstream. With folks like Mirtle and others, it's getting there, and the only way it will happen is if we're patient enough to put it out on display.

In other words, I think it's worth the headache, but sometimes there's quite a headache.

by Jonathan Willis on Mar 13, 2009 3:48 PM MDT reply actions

Just read the Kotalik post at ON, good stuff.

Funny thing, Tambellini talked about Kotalik being a PP point man on deadline day. It's batshit crazy because Hemsky plays the left sidewall.

It's strange too because RH point shots are harder to come by (for all Joe Thornton's harping, it took Doug Wilson a while to find so many hard shooting righties for the SJ power play).

Your goal by goal dissection shows what we all expect ... RH pp point shots score with passes from their right.

The whole Kotalik thing makes no sense. In the madness of deadline day, did Tambellini forget that he was a righty? That's the best I've got.

by Vic Ferrari on Mar 13, 2009 4:04 PM MDT reply actions

Vic: I had a similar line of thought, and I'd rather expected that Kotalik was going to bump Staios off the powerplay all together and form a killer second unit with someone (Gagner?) on the right boards.

Either way, I don't see why anyone would expect him to be a useful member of a power vs. power line, or play forward on the powerplay given what he's done this season - it just doesn't seem like his game.

It was a bad trade (if a 2nd round pick needs burning, burn it on Pahlsson or Moore, for crying out loud) but it's been made worse by MacTavish's use of that player.

by Jonathan Willis on Mar 13, 2009 4:10 PM MDT reply actions

Terrific stuff Jonathan, right across the board.

by Black Dog on Mar 14, 2009 8:27 AM MDT reply actions

by Kent W. on Mar 14, 2009 1:02 PM MDT reply actions

That's what a blog's got over an open forum, isn't it? If you like Lowetide or Jonathan or anybody like that but think their commenters are mouth-breathing imbeciles, you can simply read the posts and ignore the comments. Whereas, on Oilfans, if you want to see something an insightful fan says you've got to slog through all the dreck.

by Lord Bob on Mar 15, 2009 11:56 AM MDT reply actions

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Northwest Standings

	GP	W	L	OTL	PT
Vancouver Nucks Misconduct	54	34	15	5	73
Minnesota Hockey Wilderness	54	25	21	8	58
Calgary Matchsticks and Gasoline	55	25	22	8	58
Colorado Mile High Hockey	55	27	25	3	57
Edmonton The Copper & Blue	54	21	28	5	47

(updated 2.10.2012 at 1:26 AM MST)

21 - 28 - 5

Streak: Lost 2

Oilers Schedule

Next 5 Games

@ Ottawa Silver Seven	Sat 02/11	12:00 PM MST
Toronto Pension Plan Puppets	Wed 02/15	8:00 PM MST
Colorado Mile High Hockey	Fri 02/17	7:30 PM MST
Vancouver Nucks Misconduct	Sun 02/19	7:00 PM MST
@ Calgary Matchsticks and Gasoline	Tue 02/21	7:00 PM MST

Last 5 Games

@ Detroit Winging It In Motown	Wed 02/08	L 2 - 4
@ Toronto Pension Plan Puppets	Mon 02/06	L 3 - 6
Detroit Winging It In Motown	Sat 02/04	SO - W 5 - 4
Chicago Second City Hockey	Thu 02/02	W 8 - 4
Colorado Mile High Hockey	Tue 01/31	W 3 - 2