Oilers v. Kings - Psalm 102:18-20
by Scott Reynolds on Dec 15, 2009 12:50 PM MST
in Game-Day Threads
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PrintLos Angeles Kings at Edmonton Oilers, Dec 15, 2009 7:30 PM MST
Let this be written for a future generation:
"A team not yet fully formed was blessed by Yahweh.
Yahweh looked down from the heavens
to see his hockey club being trampled.
He heard the groans of its fans
and he breathed life into a team that was condemned to death."
Los Angeles Kings (21-11-3) @ Edmonton Oilers (15-13-4)
Rexall Place, 7:30 P.M. MDT
Television: Sportsnet West
Visiting Team Scouting Report: I think for this game it's time to see how things have changed... since we just played Los Angeles not long ago, I think I'll update the scouting report and numbers from that day. What's going to be different?
The Los Angeles kings are a pretty good team this year. If it wasn't for suspect goaltending (Jonathan Quick's save percentage is currently .894 overall putting him ahead of only three goalies who have started at least ten games this year, bonus points for those who know the other three without looking it up) the Kings would likely have an Jonathan Quick has played well since these two teams last met, improving his save percentage from .894 to .903 in just a few games and thus the Kings have an even better record so far this year than the last time these two teams met. Someone really ought to let Dean Lombardi know that his team is too good to tank now and that he should get a decent goalie.
Expected Lineups:
Edmonton Oilers (15-13-4):
Penner - Gagner - Brule
Jacques - Horcoff - O'Sullivan
Moreau - Potulny - Cogliano
Nilsson - Stortini - Stone
Gilbert - Souray
Smid - Visnovsky
Grebeshkov - Staios
Deslauriers
Los Angeles Kings (21-11-3)
Williams - Kopitar - Frolov
Brown - Stoll - Purcell
Richardson - Handzus - Parse
Ivanans - Moller - Harrold
Scuderi - Doughty
Jones - Johnson
O'Donnell - Greene
Quick
Behind the Numbers:
- Anze Kopitar
leads theis tied for fourth in the NHL in points with3338. The next King on the list is former OilerRyan SmythJarrett Stoll with2325(in 22 games). - Ryan Smyth should have only played for 1 team over his career but is instead now playing for his 4th team in 4 seasons. It's also his 4th team in 15 seasons.
- Robert Nilsson is a team
worstbest +6 in the five games since he came back into the lineup-12 in only 12 games so far this season. Hisonlysecond goal of the year wasinto an empty netprobably one of the prettiest goals the Oilers will score all year. - Ryan O'Marra is having by far his best season in the AHL this year with 5 goals and 3 assists in
2024 games. - Alex Plante has played
1827 games so far in the AHL and has totaled34 points and2254 penalty minutes as well as a-4-6 rating. His 0% shooting percentage likely isn't sustainable over the long haul (though we've beenwere saying that about Ladislav Smidfor over 2 years nowuntil he potted the tying goal in Florida).
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Awesome in-depth pregame stats, Scott. Great research. :) Which reminds me, didn’t the Kings play like the second last game at Rexall? Let’s hope for a different outcome, that was one butt-ugly game.
Quick played in Vancouver last night, wouldn’t surprise me if he didn’t get rested on the short turnaround. If I were an NHL coach, back-to-backs would be where I would start when it came to an equitable split of goaltending duties. For sure Ersberg (.837, 4.10) needs work and I can’t think of a better place for him to get it than Edmonton. :)
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
Yahweh looked down from the heavens
Finland is heaven?
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
I resent the Kings.
I resent them because of Ryan Smyth playing there, and Wayne Gretzky having played there, and Matt Greene becoming a beast there, and Jarret Stoll re-learning how to score there, and the way they jerked around Lubomir Visnovsky to get those last two guys. I resent them because “Midnight Meat Train” is really the perfect nickname for Dustin Penner and those bastards at Battle of California beat us to it for some idiot named “Wayne Simmonds”.
I resent them because they’re going to kick the hell out of us and end this lovely little hope-is-a-dangerous-thing five game winning streak now that we’re back at home and Christmas is coming.
I resent them because they threatened the Victoria Salmon Kings with legal action over their original logo, which sounds like something so stupid I made it up but isn’t.
I resent them because Los Angeles is a shithole and these guys deign to exist.
Burn in hell, Los Angeles Kings. Burn in hell.
by Benjamin Massey on Dec 15, 2009 4:54 PM MST reply actions
C’mon Ben, tell us how you really feel.
I resent them because of Mike Krushelnyski and Marty McSorley. That was just old-fashioned piling on.
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
Sheesh – that was brutal. Not only was the flub brutal, but the failure to recover and get back was even worse.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
I wonder if the Cogliano – Potulny pairing just need a real NHL forward at this point? They are working well out there but the play seems to die with Moreau so often.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
He hasn’t, but Nilsson and Cogliano are showing well thus far.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
I hope Nilsson keeps this level of play up for the rest of the way even if the points stop coming. It’s really fun to watch him play like this. He’s all over the puck, he’s throwing his body around and his passing, as always, is the best. He makes a legitimate challenge to Hemsky for the best passer on the team.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Handzus
How has he not been beaten yet? That’s just sad. Quinn would accept an instigator here, right?
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Totally. thecaptain looked sorta effective for a few weeks there, but that looks to be all but gone.
That line manged to hem the Kings in their own zone again last shift almost in spite of Moreau. Little things that drive me nuts, he overcommitted and chased past the puck to the end boards. A little luck, good work from his linemates, and a nice pinch by Smid and the shift worked out nicely, but thecaptain isn’t helping things.
It’s the little things that a veteran like that should be owning every night. The touch pass from Potulny that surprised him is something that someone with a goal-scoring knack would bang home. Someone like a healthy Pisani.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Really nice little setup by Potulny there though. Been pleasantly surprised with what he’s bringing to the team.
His awareness out there seems to be his best quality. Might be enough to earn him a decent career in the NHL.
Potulny’s effectiveness may cost Pouliot his shot coming back from injury.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Man, Penner has it going tonight. He’s made two great moves to the net and is taking the puck around the offensive zone at will.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
And he had a really nice look to Visnovsky there.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Heh. It is fun to root for a guy that dominates the game. Between he and Visnovsky, the OIlers have two of them right now.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
lol..i cant remember when we last we had a player who could dominate day in and day out. Even in his off days he is sometimes the best player on ice
I did not get to watch pronger as an oiler!!! I started watching hockey after our cup run. I watched one playoff game…with no clue what was going on..lol
Ah, gotcha. You missed some impressive individual efforts. It was a pleasure to watch, which made his departure all the more brutal.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Between him and Visnovsky. Sorry, pet peeve. Much, much worse than “begs the question”
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 15, 2009 8:19 PM MST up reply actions
It’s not even in the same league. One is a simple grammatical mistake. The other is botching the use of a phrase in an effort to sound intelligent.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
STOP THAT RIGHT NOW
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 15, 2009 9:37 PM MST up reply actions
What Dustin is starting to realize is that on days that he hasn’t got his A game going is to just impose his big body on the game somehow. He needs to get pissed when things aren’t going well, and I’m starting to see it.
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
The two moves I love are the stiff arm, which is just amazing to watch, and the stick push. The stiff arm is the offensive version of Pronger’s one-armed throw when a defender would come in on him and try some dipsy move.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Here’s a stat for how awesome Lubo Visnovsky was on that play: -1
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
Yikes, Lubo and Souray both looked not good there.
And of course Kevin Quinn goes to the home goal / road goal breakdown for Brown. He’s obsessed with home/road splits.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
I read that as heinous at first and was inclined to agree.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
GAH! ROBERT!
Fake it and take that sucker hard to the net!
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
The linesmen took their sweet time coming in there … if that was an Oiler with the upper fist it would have been over earlier. Grumble, grumble …
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
Eh – I don’t think so. Jacques was still trying to work inside and had his helmet on.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Richardson
Who is the friggin’ Richardson plonk and why can’t anyone on the Oilers defend him?
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Maybe, except we can’t tell because Sportsnet is still watching replays.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Matt giveth and Matt taketh away
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 15, 2009 8:54 PM MST up reply actions
Tonight the play has been dying with O’Sullivan in our end
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
Everyone needs a nemesis, eh Bruce?
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
You’d think POS would be pumped against the Kings. So far he’s leading the game in one category: giveaways. Two of them in very dangerous spots in the centre of the defensive zone.
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 15, 2009 9:04 PM MST up reply actions
4th line
I like that no matter the lineup they are going to go with, someone on the 4th line is going to be making $2 million or more.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Blackbyrd, meet Bruce. Bruce, Blackbyrd.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
What I like is how they didn’t switch 2 centres, they switched 4 wingers. The “4th” line is Stortini’s line no matter what. His former linemates got promoted and Horcoff’s got demoted, simple as that. Now it’s Zorg’s job to get a couple other guys picking up their game. He’s the anchor of the fourth line, and I mean that in the best possible way. But he always gets saddled with the worst linemates, and it just happened again. At least it’s not Moreau again, I suppose I should be happy.
Nilsson and Stone celebrated their promotion by picking up immediately their first minus in 6 games. Tougher comp? Is Horocoff that bad?? Missing Zorg? Dice finally coming up snake eyes?? I think the last given the nature of the goal, but it’s interesting to contemplate.
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 15, 2009 9:10 PM MST up reply actions
I been watching hockey for half a cetury and I don’t remember ever seeing a puck frozen on end against the goal post like that.
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
That’s the kind of night that Quick is having.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Well thank goodness Hemsky is hurt. I mean the power play hasn’t suffered one bit, eh?
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Don't be silly
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 15, 2009 9:02 PM MST up reply actions
I used to say this back in the 80s and still do occasionally: You want to slow down the Oilers? Take a penalty.
That powerplay was brutaller than last weekend’s cold snap.
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
Very nice!
He sure gets himself set for a one-timer nicely.
I noticed that too, 77 really turned that play around fast. Bad change by the Kings … mark of a tired team.
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 15, 2009 9:29 PM MST up reply actions
The worst part about that was that L.A. killed 3 of the last 6 minutes in the process of scoring that goal. It felt like allowing a 95-yard drive in the dying minutes of a football game.
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 15, 2009 9:46 PM MST up reply actions
That hurts. Matt Greene AND Sean O’Donnell beat us late in regulation.
Matt Fucking Greene and Sean Fucking O’Donnell, ferfuxsakes. Two different, consecutive games. That’s hard to take.
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 15, 2009 9:57 PM MST up reply actions
L.A. is a ridiculously dirty team and Edmonton has yet to do anything about it.
They’re going to continue to get their asses kicked if they don’t kick someone’s ass for this stuff.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Hard to do when your two biggest hitters are stapled to the bench for the whole third period.
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 15, 2009 10:00 PM MST up reply actions
Since Doughty’s hit late last year – no one has responded.
Handzus ends Hemsky’s season – no one responds.
Tonight was the follow-up game and no one goes after Handzus. What follows? A bunch of dirty shit ending with Brown’s blatant dive and the ref fell for it.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
That isnt the reason we lost tonight……tonight was due to 2 defensive breakdowns and some amazing saves by quick
The breakdown on the 3rd goal was caused by Doughty’s leg on leg on Gagner and Gagner limping off the ice slowly. No call, no response.
Greene’s “big” hit on Stone was interference, not called, no response.
Horcoff got drilled from behind into the boards, not called, no response.
Stone got drilled from behind, not called, no response.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
I don’tknow man, that Doughty hit looked clean to me. The Greene hit was boarding, and Brown dove on that penalty, but the Doughty hit looked clean. I’m not sure what you wanted from your team, either; if they had responded to the Greene hit and gotten a penalty and still lost, would you feel better? Blame the refs, not the players.
The West Coast is the Best Coast.
Hey Nut, you need to bear in mind the history here. Your man Michal Handzus was responsible for putting Ales Hemsky out for the season last time through, and a lot of people remain pissed off about it. Handzus crosschecked Hemsky head first into the boards. He got a two-minute penalty, and Oiler fans lost the pleasure of watching our perennial leading scorer and highlight-producer for the duration. So folks are bound to be a little sensitive when the likes of Stone and Gagner are slow to get up after what can at least be fairly described as questionable hits by your Kings.
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 16, 2009 3:29 PM MST up reply actions
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