Oilers v. Red Wings - Job 3:11-13
by Scott Reynolds on Dec 19, 2011 3:55 PM MST
in Game-Day Threads
Email
PrintWhy did I ever start cheering for this team,
start caring about the fate of men I don't know?
Why did I have a father who witnessed a dynasty,
and a mother to selflessly drive me to practice?
If only I were born in a place like Detroit,
where fans take a truly great team for granted,
I wouldn't need to endure season after season of this suffering.
Detroit Red Wings (20-10-1) @ Edmonton Oilers (14-15-3)
Rexall Place, 7:30 p.m. MST
Television: Sportsnet West
More analysis after the jump...
Visiting Team Scouting Report:
The Detroit Red Wings are, without question, one of the very best teams in the league. They play in the league's toughest division, and yet still lead the Western Conference in both goal differential (+35, which projects to +93 over 82 games) and clear victory winning percentage (they're 17-4, for an .810 winning percentage). Prior to this season, it had seemed like the Wings were in decline over the last couple of seasons, but Jimmy Howard has been one of the best goaltenders in the league, and many of their stars on the wrong side of thirty (Datsyuk, Franzen, Zetterberg, Lidstrom) haven't looked over the hill at all. So for the umpteenth year in a row, we're looking at a team that's comfortably in the top third of the league.
Expected Lineups:
Edmonton Oilers (14-15-3):
Smyth - Horcoff - Hemsky
Hall - Nugent-Hopkins - Eberle
Gagner - Belanger - Jones
Eager - Lander - Petrell
Smid - Gilbert
Whitney - Potter
Peckham - Petry
Khabibulin
Detroit Red Wings (20-10-1):
Franzen - Datsyuk - Bertuzzi
Filpulla - Zetterberg - Hudler
Cleary - Helm - Miller
Emmerton - Abdelkader - Holmstrom
Lidstrom - White
Kronwall - Stuart
Ericsson - Kindl
Howard
By the Numbers:
- Pavel Datsyuk is once again leading the Red Wings in scoring, a feat that he'd accomplished every season from 2003-04 to 2009-10, and while he didn't lead the Wings in scoring last season, he did have the team lead in points per game. For some reason, I find this surprising. I just didn't remember Datsyuk being so good for so long, but... there you have it!
- Datsyuk is also sixth in points per game since the lockout (min. 240 games played) at 1.10. The top ten is actually a very diverse group with three Russians, three Swedes, one Czech, and three Canadians. And one of those Canadians didn't even make the Olympic team in 2010!
- Jordan Eberle scored another absolutely wonderful goal last night. It was his 12th of the season, and the 30th of his young career. It also helped him to stay at the very top of the league in points per sixty minutes of ice time during five-on-five play (3.3).
- Shawn Horcoff is about to be in the Oilers' all-time top ten in a wide variety of categories. He's already top ten in games played, points, and power play goals, and needs just three more goals to pass Craig MacTavish for tenth, sixteen more assists to pass Charlie Huddy for tenth, and three more shots on goal to pass Ethan Moreau (!) for tenth. He's now also been the team's captain and has never played for another organization. If Shawn Horcoff retires an Oiler, where does he rank in the Oilers' list of all-time greats? What if he retires an Oiler after captaining the team to the Stanley Cup?
- The Oilers had a strong start to the season as far as wins and losses go, but in their last twenty games the club is just 6-13-1. That's a 53-point pace over 82 games, and looks awfully (and I do mean awfully!) similar to what the team has put on the ice over the last two years.
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Agreed. Well done Scott.
Everyone knows rock attained perfection in 1974. It's a scientific fact.
Writer for The Copper & Blue and a frequenter of the time waster that is Twitter.
If the Wings have any mercy in their hearts, they’ll wear the red jersey to minimize the sight of Oilers blood all over them. I am afraid this could be a very, very bad night for our ice hockey squadron.
For the sake of the team’s pride, I hope Renney matches tonight.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
1st overall draft picks don’t buy you Stanley Cups.
Loyal fan of the Edmonton Oilers. Don't you judge me.
by Ben Johnston on Dec 19, 2011 5:45 PM MST up reply actions
Three or four more of them and I’ll have given up on hockey.
Loyal fan of the Edmonton Oilers. Don't you judge me.
by Ben Johnston on Dec 19, 2011 5:52 PM MST up reply actions
I thought it was TamBLOWe?
Oilers fan through thick, thin and anorexic. Writer for The Cult of Hockey.
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 19, 2011 11:00 PM MST up reply actions
If anyone can figure out what_can buy us Stanley Cups please send suggestions to cluelessGM@oilers.com. All help is appreciated but often ignored.
Well, not to riff on the Moneyball cartoon on the front page, but…goals. Goals buy wins, and wins buy Stanley Cups. But as we’ve learned, to buy goals you need to buy shots on goal in general, and scoring chances in particular. Maximize a team’s Corsi/Fenwick and ISC’s, minimize those factors for opponents, and you can buy a Stanley Cup.
Loyal fan of the Edmonton Oilers. Don't you judge me.
by Ben Johnston on Dec 19, 2011 6:15 PM MST up reply actions
It’s easier to buy a president’s trophy. Too much luck involved in winning a cup.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
I’d settle for that early season line and pairings matching
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
You’re right. Draft position has very little correlation with future cups.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Kevin just let us know that “there’s no better way to get a hot streak started than playing the best team in the league.” Uh…?
Loyal fan of the Edmonton Oilers. Don't you judge me.
by Ben Johnston on Dec 19, 2011 7:35 PM MST up reply actions
I’d LOVE to see the math behind that one.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
It’s a well-known formula: the Quinn proposal.
u = underdog team’s goals differential
f = favoured team’s goals differential
m = momentum of favoured team – momentum of underdog team (in consecutive games won/lost)
c = call-ups of underdog team from AHL in last 5 games (in # of players)
k = Kevin Quinn’s personal rating of the favoured team (in gigaquinns)
e = edge for home team (+1 if underdog team is @ home, -1 if favoured team is @ home)
Multiply the goals differentials by the product of the number of callups and the K-factor. Take that number and divide the product of momentum and edge. If the final number is odd, the underdog team is likely to win.
Loyal fan of the Edmonton Oilers. Don't you judge me.
by Ben Johnston on Dec 19, 2011 7:51 PM MST up reply actions
right factors, wrong order
f = favoured team’s goals differential
u = underdog team’s goals differential
c = call-ups of underdog team from AHL in last 5 games (in # of players)
k = Kevin Quinn’s personal rating of the favoured team (in gigaquinns)
e = edge for home team (+1 if underdog team is @ home, -1 if favoured team is @ home)
m = momentum of favoured team – momentum of underdog team (in consecutive games won/lost)
Oilers fan through thick, thin and anorexic. Writer for The Cult of Hockey.
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 19, 2011 11:03 PM MST up reply actions
I’m so glad someone got it! I figured I’d buried the joke too deep.
Loyal fan of the Edmonton Oilers. Don't you judge me.
by Ben Johnston on Dec 20, 2011 11:59 AM MST up reply actions
Yeah, the Wings crew is awful too
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Ah yes, Edmonton, home of electro-techno-dub-house-rave music.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Tyson Nash and Larry Murphy both say “eber LAY”
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Nice start for the Mystery Machine. Driving hard to the net and almost getting a dangerous shot.
Loyal fan of the Edmonton Oilers. Don't you judge me.
Hall went for the set up there rather than the shot. Maybe he’s not an unconscious shooter
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Ack! Zetterberg versus Hopkins! BAD RENNEY! BAD!
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Detroit is too deep. The Oilers will always have one or two mismatches. Sending the kids out after Lidstrom’s pair leaves the ice is not bad.
by RiversQ on Dec 19, 2011 7:46 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
Not to mention, if Babcock isn’t willing to play along, it’s tough to get more than two matchups even at home.
I think keeping the fourth line matched with the bench and the top line against Det’s best group is all you can do anyway.
by RiversQ on Dec 19, 2011 7:49 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
Renney just switched on the fly to get Hopkins out against Datsyuk after Babcock got Datsyuk out against Horcoff.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
I wonder how long that shift was? I think it’s more likely he’s going after tired legs than trying to get 93 on against Datsyuk.
by RiversQ on Dec 19, 2011 8:03 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
Vic’s shift chart tool has a Hopkins bug, but I’ll put it together tomorrow at some point.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
94-10-83 are going to see a lot of Lidstrom and Datsyuk.
by RiversQ on Dec 19, 2011 7:44 PM MST via mobile reply actions
Larry Murphy “Mike Babcock wants to roll four lines”
Except he’s never coached that way.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
“Very seldom do you see Mike Babcock match lines, even on the road”
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
On Hopkins: it’s the unfriendly confines of being on the road. He’s much more comfortable at home, so he’s better at home.
Nothing to do with the matchups, apparently.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Murphy said this right after Babcock changed lines on the fly to get Datsyuk against Horcoff.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Damn, that’s clueless. Almost as bad is DeBrusk calling 4-93-14 the first line. They most certainly are not that tonight.
Watch how Babcock runs his bench to identify the Oilers’ first line.
by RiversQ on Dec 19, 2011 7:52 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
“Renney said he would match lines tonight, but Babcock is just happy to roll four lines out there”
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Bout time for him to tie this up.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
He almost just did!
Loyal fan of the Edmonton Oilers. Don't you judge me.
by Ben Johnston on Dec 19, 2011 8:00 PM MST up reply actions
Oooh, a goalpost. Must not be feeling it tonight.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
I remember once at the World Championships that the Czechs were down 5 on 3 against Sweden and Tomas Rolinek (who would be an awesome and cheap signing for the Oilers) miraculously went end to end and scored a goal for the Czechs in what I always thought was the worst 5 on 3 powerplay I ever saw. The ones the Oilers just had was close!
They already have Rolinek – his name is Omark
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Totally different kind of player… Rolinek would be an upgrade to Petrell…. one of the very few ‘heart and soul’ Czech players I can think of… on a weird Czech note… Kindl, Smid and Hudler all have points tonight – definitely a very weird night. In fact, I doubt these guys combined get another point this month.
I loathe that BP wings guy. I hate him more than I hate winter in Alberta. I hate him more than I hate a pairing of Barker and Peckham. I hate him more than I hate the Vancouver Canucks.
Loyal fan of the Edmonton Oilers. Don't you judge me.
by Ben Johnston on Dec 19, 2011 8:08 PM MST reply actions 1 recs
So there is an upside to the Wings feed!
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Oh god he’s back!
Loyal fan of the Edmonton Oilers. Don't you judge me.
by Ben Johnston on Dec 19, 2011 9:39 PM MST up reply actions
How about a hybrid, that is part Alexander burrows, part derian hatcher?
The Edmonton Oilers - All we do is win!!
by OilLeak on Dec 19, 2011 8:24 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
Nope, wings guy.
Loyal fan of the Edmonton Oilers. Don't you judge me.
by Ben Johnston on Dec 19, 2011 8:27 PM MST up reply actions
Derek gets the Wings feed, we get the wings guy. We all lose.
Oilers fan through thick, thin and anorexic. Writer for The Cult of Hockey.
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 19, 2011 11:06 PM MST up reply actions 1 recs
Tubthumper!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H5uWRjFsGc#t=0m07s
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Every time Jones scores, I lose 3 minutes of my life listening to that damn song.
Loyal fan of the Edmonton Oilers. Don't you judge me.
by Ben Johnston on Dec 19, 2011 8:44 PM MST up reply actions
Jones is definitely a breakaway specialist.
The Edmonton Oilers - All we do is win!!
by OilLeak on Dec 19, 2011 8:31 PM MST via mobile reply actions
Yeah, and RNH specializes in defensive zone faceoffs.
Loyal fan of the Edmonton Oilers. Don't you judge me.
by Ben Johnston on Dec 19, 2011 8:36 PM MST up reply actions
Well he definitely doesn’t specialize in offensive pp faceoffs.
The Edmonton Oilers - All we do is win!!
by OilLeak on Dec 19, 2011 8:40 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
That’s twice now that a Wing has gone for Hall’s knee.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
It’s pretty painful to watch Whitney at this point.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
How are scoring chances doing? By eye, the Oilers are playing significantly better than the last few games.
Loyal fan of the Edmonton Oilers. Don't you judge me.
http://www.mc79hockey.com/?p=4074
http://www.mc79hockey.com/?p=4069
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
I meant for this game. I don’t know where to find them while the game is going on.
Loyal fan of the Edmonton Oilers. Don't you judge me.
by Ben Johnston on Dec 19, 2011 8:53 PM MST up reply actions
Twice now an Oiler has rushed to the corner, spun and fired the puck to clear on the PK when they had a ton of time. Their teammates have to talk to them.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Ben Eager tried to stay on with Hemsky and Horcoff there.
Note to Ben: GTFO ASAP
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Yeah, that was all kinds of awful.
The Edmonton Oilers - All we do is win!!
by OilLeak on Dec 19, 2011 8:52 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
But at least the Edmonton media is all over the story, huh?
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Brownlee just did a piece on Whitney
The Edmonton Oilers - All we do is win!!
by OilLeak on Dec 19, 2011 9:00 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
That goal is 100% on Ryan Whitney and his ridiculous pass to the Wings, then him leaving Hudler alone in front of the net.
Two HUAs in 10 seconds. Well done Ryan, you’re approaching Hordichukian HUA/60
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
by Derek Zona on Dec 19, 2011 8:52 PM MST up reply actions 1 recs
To get a per 60 rate don’t you actually have to PLAY 60?
Hordichuk is 19 shades of brutal.
Oilers fan through thick, thin and anorexic. Writer for The Cult of Hockey.
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 19, 2011 11:08 PM MST up reply actions 1 recs
Dear lord, Whitney
The Edmonton Oilers - All we do is win!!
by OilLeak on Dec 19, 2011 8:52 PM MST via mobile reply actions
He says he’s healthy, just a lot of pain.
The Edmonton Oilers - All we do is win!!
by OilLeak on Dec 19, 2011 8:59 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
This shit writes itself.
- Oilers’ Official Club Motto
by RiversQ on Dec 19, 2011 9:03 PM MST via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
If Whitney is still experiencing significant pain well into the new year and playing the way he is now then he’s probably done for a while.
The Edmonton Oilers - All we do is win!!
by OilLeak on Dec 19, 2011 9:05 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
Do you have a link to this quote?
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
http://oilersnation.com/2011/12/19/ryan-whitney-long-way-back
The Edmonton Oilers - All we do is win!!
by OilLeak on Dec 19, 2011 9:07 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
Two things:
1) Again, this shit writes itself.
2) “…lofty lefty”? Good grief, Brownlee’s a terrible writer.
by RiversQ on Dec 19, 2011 9:11 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
Never said it was good writing, but Whitney is mostly likely not injured, but still feeling the after affects of his injury.
The Edmonton Oilers - All we do is win!!
by OilLeak on Dec 19, 2011 9:15 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
Effects.
The Edmonton Oilers - All we do is win!!
by OilLeak on Dec 19, 2011 9:17 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
If he’s in pain, he’s still injured.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Brownlee may revel in the semantics of it all, but the fact is that Whitney is not fit.
I thought they shitcanned the training staff? I guess I figured the “rub some dirt on it” attitude would have left with them. I am shocked, absolutely shocked, that they weren’t the problem.
by RiversQ on Dec 19, 2011 9:21 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
This game is starting to get ugly.
The Edmonton Oilers - All we do is win!!
by OilLeak on Dec 19, 2011 8:54 PM MST via mobile reply actions
My Hyde Peckham was out for a walk there. There’s no reason for Peckham to be that wide.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Okay, tie game. How quickly can Ryan Whitney’s hobbled feet give it back?
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Nah, Peckham will take a stupid penalty for trying to run someone’s show and we’ll give up the game-winner on the ensuing PP.
Loyal fan of the Edmonton Oilers. Don't you judge me.
by Ben Johnston on Dec 19, 2011 9:16 PM MST up reply actions
First Zetterberg and then Datsyuk — Petry played both of them extremely well on that power play.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Who releases an alien invasion movie on Christmas? That’s going to bomb.
Loyal fan of the Edmonton Oilers. Don't you judge me.
Tambellini is releasing an alien invasion movie this Christmas?
by RiversQ on Dec 19, 2011 9:22 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
You mean Lost in La Mancha?
If Tambo has a movie coming out this Christmas, it was probably greenlit in 1982.
by RiversQ on Dec 19, 2011 9:29 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
The Horcoff line has held it’s own against Datsyuk tonight.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Hall is dead set on winning this on his own.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Murphy on the Petrell hit on Emmerton: “Blindside hit”
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
I like the sequences where Gilbert is in front with three opponents. How does that happen so often?
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
http://twitter.com/MeiksModified/status/148985275987656704
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Katz wants his arena, and he’ll take the old one down piece by piece if he has to!
Loyal fan of the Edmonton Oilers. Don't you judge me.
by Ben Johnston on Dec 19, 2011 9:46 PM MST up reply actions
Wonderful defense by Gilbert on Datsyuk on both sequences.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
5 minutes left and Renney puts the fourth line out.
What is wrong with him?
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Orders from the top
The Edmonton Oilers - All we do is win!!
by OilLeak on Dec 19, 2011 9:53 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
Game over
The Edmonton Oilers - All we do is win!!
by OilLeak on Dec 19, 2011 9:47 PM MST via mobile reply actions
Alrighty Hall, tie this sucker up.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Dreamer
The Edmonton Oilers - All we do is win!!
by OilLeak on Dec 19, 2011 9:53 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
He’s giving his all, however.
The Edmonton Oilers - All we do is win!!
by OilLeak on Dec 19, 2011 9:55 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
At some point Hopkins is going to learn that they are really good on the power play when he shoots a few times.
At least I hope that he will.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Hemsky never did figure that out.
Oilers fan through thick, thin and anorexic. Writer for The Cult of Hockey.
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 19, 2011 11:16 PM MST up reply actions 1 recs
Watching Whitney chase that puck down was telling
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Ha! Hall beat the puck to the net on the ENG. Awesome. That kid is fun.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Is it too early to be making new year’s resolutions?
I resolve to stop giving a fuck about the oilers until the oilers start giving a fuck about winning.
The Edmonton Oilers - All we do is win!!
by OilLeak on Dec 19, 2011 10:06 PM MST via mobile reply actions
Not a terrible showing. They were better than I thought against SJ too, so they’re trending.
by RiversQ on Dec 19, 2011 10:07 PM MST via mobile reply actions 1 recs
Just wait ’til they play another team almost as shitty as them.
Oilers fan through thick, thin and anorexic. Writer for The Cult of Hockey.
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 19, 2011 11:17 PM MST up reply actions
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