Edmonton - Los Angeles post-game: Jon be nimble, Jon be Quick
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 16, 2009 12:36 AM MST
in Game Reports
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PrintHaven't we seen this movie before? Oilers battle the Kings to a standoff for 55 minutes and then some big palooka who hasn't scored since before The Flood manages to find twine to decide things in regulation? Screw Hollywood and its corny endings anyway.
The good news is that the Oilers outshot, outchanced and even out-Corsied the Kings, and found a way to come from behind for the fifth consecutive game. The bad news was they started and finished poorly, and weren't even able to carry the tie to the 60-minute mark. Arrgghh, losses like that really hurt, especially in a year where Bettman Points are being given away like unwanted pennies on Halloween.
This was one game that you could put a little bit on goaltending. Jonathan Quick was outstanding in the Kings goal and Jeff Deslauriers wasn't able to match him. He didn't get a lot of help on the first two goals, both odd-man rushes after Denis Grebeshkov and Lubo Visnovsky, respectively, got burned at the exact same spot on the ice (the offensive blueline in the first period, the defensive in the second). The killer third goal came after a long possession in which the Oil couldn't touch the puck let alone clear the zone, but JDD got beat on a 60-footer along the ice, which is supposedly his strength. On a play like that the goalie needs to make himself big, and that didn't happen. Beaten by Sean O'Donnell, for Schremp's sake.
Stats of note after the jump:
EV Corsi by line (listed in order of EV TOI):
Penner +8, Gagner +6, Brule +5
Nilsson +10, Stone +9, Horcoff +6
Cogliano +7, Potulny +7, Moreau +5
Stortini -3, O'Sullivan -5, Jacques -6
Smid +7, Visnovsky +6
Souray +5, Gilbert +5
Staios +6, Grebeshkov +5
Pretty consistent outshooting across the top 3 lines and all 3 defence pairs. The "new fourth line" consisting of Stortini anchored by Horcoff's old linemates POS and JFJ had a tough night, especially O'Sullivan who committed a game-high* 3 giveaways, 2 of which were very bad ones in Oilers end. (* Worst among skaters but tied with JDD and Quick of all people) The trio spent the third period stapled to the bench, on demerit judging by those shots totals. They did create some havoc physically, or at least JFJ and Zorg did. I'm frankly wondering what it is Patrick O'Sullivan brings to this team right now.
* * *
Faceoffs (2 or more)
Stortini 5/6 = 83%
Potulny 7/14 = 50%
Horcoff 5/10 = 50%
Gagner 4/8 = 50%
Penner 2/5 = 40%
Oilers 25/46 = 54%
New faceoff ace? :)
* * *
Cogliano: 4 shots, 7 attempted shots
Potulny: 1-1-2, +1
Jacques: 3 hits, 5 PiM
Deslauriers: 23/26, .885, L
Souray: 1-1-2, +1, 4 shots, 7 attempted shots
Brule: 3 shots, 3 hits
Quinn: 1 profanity-laced post game outburst
* * *
Matt Greene: +1, 2 PiM, 6 hits, 2 blocks, 1 goal line save (see picture)
* * *
* * *
Next up: vs. Nashville, Thursday, 19:30 MST
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Man, nary a mention of the new dirtiest team in the NHL?
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Nah, I saw it different. I was pissed with Brown’s dive more than anything, and with the utter lack of accountability of Handzus who had a Get Out of Jail Free card near as I could tell. But that’s on the Oilers. Greene’s hit on Stone was suspect but it was one of those things where the hittee turned just as the hitter got there, I thought the Doughty hit on Gagner was tough but legal (and so did the refs), and that play where Greene decked Nilsson and Grebeshkov in rapid succession was just good old-fashioned hockey which didn’t bother me at all other than the fact that Matt was doing that stuff for the other guys now.
Btw, that was the second straight head-to-head game where Greene >>> Visnovsky. Lubo has been playing well of late but he doesn’t ever seem to burn his former team the way some guys do.
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 16, 2009 9:01 AM MST up reply actions
I thought the Doughty hit on Gagner was tough but legal (and so did the refs),
Wait, wait, wait. The guy that is STILL harping on the instigator penalty from three weeks ago is now appealing to authority? Are you kidding?
and that play where Greene decked Nilsson and Grebeshkov in rapid succession was just good old-fashioned hockey
Except that Grebeshkov never touched the puck. It’s interference at least, and should be roughing.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
It’s interference at least, and should be roughing.
To me it’s hockey.
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 16, 2009 11:12 AM MST up reply actions
You’re nuts. Neither of them had the puck, and neither of them played the puck.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
You’re nuts.
So what’s your point?
Neither of them had the puck, and neither of them played the puck.
If it’s big boys battling for space, the puck is there, nobody is getting hit from behind or in the head, hey, let ‘em play. That’s one of the reasons I liked Greene as an Oiler far more than most. I love physical play and make no apology for it. It’s the dirty/dangerous/reckless stuff that gets my goat.
I used to love the crease battles back in the day before the league outlawed them. Lots of borderline illegal stuff all the time, it’s give and take and (used to be) part of the game.
Reading this exchange in addition to your rants on the GDT, it’s hard to believe that I was the one who got taken to task last night for criticizing the officials!
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 16, 2009 3:21 PM MST up reply actions
There was a play earlier this season where Greene had the puck on a breakout and tried to pass it up to a forward, but he whiffed and the puck ended up between his feet. A rival player saw this and broke towards Greene while he struggled to find the puck between his feet. The opposing forward reached Greene right as Greene looked up and Greene socked him in the face. Then he kicked the puck to his stick and passed it to his defensive partner.
So yeah, Matt Greene is awesome. Stupid, and not good at handling the puck, but awesome.
The West Coast is the Best Coast.
The opposing forward reached Greene right as Greene looked up and Greene socked him in the face.
Dammit, at least on my blog I candelete a comment and re-do it when my writing sucks. Oh well, the point stands.
The West Coast is the Best Coast.
If it’s big boys battling for space, the puck is there,
There was no puck battle. He dumped…Nilsson who was carrying the puck…I believe and Grebs came in to get the puck. Before he could even close to the puck, he got decked.
It’s interference or roughing. Read the damn rulebook.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
I dunno, looked like JDD was pretty well-screened on that winner, unlike Greene’s goal three weeks ago.
SNN Sports - A theoretical Oilers blog (i.e. theoretically, I write stuff there). Link now 100% less broken.
No doubt about the screen. Thus my remark about needing to make himself big, take the bottom of the net away which is supposedly his strength. A 60-footer by Sean F. O’Donnell needs to be stopped.
Btw, if you look at the highlight reel that somebody kindly embedded at the bottom of this PGT, by my count there are 10 sequences around the Kings net and 3 around the Oilers. Quick played well and certainly was a positive difference-maker from the Kings’ perspective, and as I carefully said above, JDD didn’t match him. If I’m picking stars from that game, Quick is #1 with a bullet and JDD doesn’t even get considered. He didn’t stink, he just didn’t get it done.
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 16, 2009 8:54 AM MST up reply actions
JDD was extremely average. You cant really blame ur goalie on 2-1s and screened goals, but when the goalie stops all that, then he is considered to have a strong game.
That first goal probably would have benefitted from a proper butterfly… I don’t think JDD ever does that when he goes side to side.
Very much like Garon in that manner.
Good obs, Dawgbone. Yes JDD is very similar to Garon in how he goes across the net. I call it the “wishbone” and it looks like it should hurt. Very wide, very low 5-hole susceptible to shots right along the ice as this one. In theory the stick would be of some use but it can’t fill the entire hole.
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 17, 2009 10:25 AM MST up reply actions
Quinn: 1 profanity-laced post game outburst
Also, where can I find this, and what was it about? Presumably not on Oilers.com.
SNN Sports - A theoretical Oilers blog (i.e. theoretically, I write stuff there). Link now 100% less broken.
“I don’t know if there’s any excuse for being dumb”
“We don’t shoot the puck, we stay out too long, we make bad changes, we do things to beat ourselves”
“I haven’t felt angry this year yet, really, but I’m angry now … that last goal, we’ve given this team four points”
“We got lots of goddamned excuses, but the result’s the same”
“We wind up being tired, we can’t cover off, and a weak shot goes in again, from the boards … how many times do we have to go through that crap?”
“If it’s the ‘first game back’ stuff, I dunno, that’s another bloody excuse as far as I’m concerned.”
“Goddamned” … “crap” … “bloody” … that’s fairly high up on the $#!+ scale as these affairs go.
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 16, 2009 8:46 AM MST up reply actions
Oh, that. Here I thought there would be something on YouTube akin to Tortorella v. Brooks from 2007.
SNN Sports - A theoretical Oilers blog (i.e. theoretically, I write stuff there). Link now 100% less broken.
I think my favourite part of this post was the title. I like it even better than the nigh-identical title Yahoo! Sports used.
by Benjamin Massey on Dec 16, 2009 10:54 AM MST reply actions
Thanks Ben. I work hard on my headlines, and occasionally they work for me. :) Jon be Quick indeed on this night, a very impressive performance.
I’ll have to go check out Yahoo! sports unless you want to repeat their headline here.
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 16, 2009 11:14 AM MST up reply actions
Look about half a page up and to the right: “Tuesday’s Three Stars: Jonathan be nimble, Jonathan be Quick”
by Benjamin Massey on Dec 16, 2009 11:35 AM MST up reply actions
Well I’ll be damned. Who was first?
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 16, 2009 3:22 PM MST up reply actions
Seems a long coincidence. Maybe I should ask for royalties.
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 16, 2009 7:52 PM MST up reply actions
Perhaps you should pre-emptively seek them from the Sun, too. If they didn’t do the same thing, they will eventually. It’s the Sun.
SNN Sports - A theoretical Oilers blog (i.e. theoretically, I write stuff there). Link now 100% less broken.
Almost a solid complete game. I think the whole game looked slow, the Oilers created a heck of a lot of offense and simply didn’t get the bounces. Very encouraging though. The shame is that after the point where the announcers commented on the 26-22 shot lead the Oilers had, they stopped playing aggressively, and stopped doing the things that had been working all game, played for the tie, gave up the next 7 shots, the winning goal and lost. They also started slow. But overall, a very fine game played, very competitive and they better keep it up because they are still a few wins off the pace.
Except the shots wound up 29-26 Oilers, meaning they were just 4-3 Kings down the stretch, not 7-0. Still, your point is entirely valid.
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
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