Oilers v. Blue Jackets - Psalm 85:1-3
by Scott Reynolds on Dec 2, 2011 5:30 PM MST
in Game-Day Threads
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PrintYou, O Yahweh, are the one who grants favor,
who restores the Oilers to their former glory.
You, O Yahweh, are the one who forgives,
who looks past the money-grubbing of players and owners,
and who pardons the hubris of fans.
You, O Yahweh, are the one who (finally!) sets wrath aside,
who enables us to overcome enemies, both weak and strong.
Columbus Blue Jackets (7-15-3) @ Edmonton Oilers (12-10-3)
Rexall Place, 7:30 p.m. MST
Television: Sportsnet West
More analysis after the jump...
Visiting Team Scouting Report:
The Blue Jackets are in a terrible, terrible position. In order to make 95 points, the team would need to play at a 112-point pace for the rest of the season, which pretty much puts them out of playoff contention, and we haven't even hit Christmas. As a fan of the Edmonton Oilers, I can relate to that kind of despair, but it sure isn't a whole lot of fun. That's doubly true for fans of the Blue Jackets who probably came into this season feeling pretty good about this team being better than they were last season after the acquisitions of Jeff Carter, James Wisniewski, and others. The team (obviously) isn't as bad as their record would suggest, but my goodness, Scott Howson must be kicking himself for not investing some of those resources into goaltending. I mean, Curtis Sanford has been excellent over the last few games, but... I've got to believe that he's not really a long-term solution.
Expected Lineups:
Edmonton Oilers (12-10-3):
Gagner - Horcoff - Hemsky
Smyth - Nugent-Hopkins - Eberle
Paajarvi - Belanger - Jones
Petrell - O'Marra - Hordichuk
Smid - Gilbert
Whitney - Petry
Sutton - Peckham
Dubnyk
Columbus Blue Jackets (7-15-3):
Prospal - Carter - Nash
Umberger - Letestu - Johansen
Vermette - Pahlsson - Dorsett
Bass - MacKenzie - Boll
Methot - Wisniewski
Tyutin - Nikitin
Moore - Clitsome
Sanford
By the Numbers:
- The Oilers have gotten an incredible amount of offense from their top players so far this season, and a lot of that offense has come at even strength, to the point that the Oilers actually have two players in the top five of the NHL in even strength scoring: Ryan Smyth is second in the NHL with 20 even strength points, and Jordan Eberle is tied for third with 19.
- With two more points in Edmonton's last game against the Wild, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins now has seven multi-point games on the season, which is pretty darn impressive, especially when you consider that Taylor Hall (who was himself extremely impressive) had just ten all of last year.
- The Oilers led after the first period against Minnesota but still managed to lose the game. It was the sixth time that's happened to them this season in only ten attempts. That makes them one of just three teams in the NHL with a winning percentage of less than .500 when leading after the first period.
- Vinny Prospal has got to be considered one of the few pleasant surprises for the Blue Jackets so far this season: he leads the team with 20 points in 25 games. On the other hand, Derrick Brassard must be one of the season's biggest disappointments. Brassard has just four points in eighteen games, and has been a healthy scratch several times. Brassard is in just the second year of a four-year deal that will pay him an average of $3.2M per season.
- Curtis Sanford hadn't played an NHL game since 2008-09 before this season. Now, he's second in the NHL in save percentage at .937. Goaltending really is crazy. That kind of turnaround is almost unimaginable at other positions, but with goalies, you just kind of shrug your shoulders. It happens.
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The whole Brassard situation is turning quite ugly – now his agent has waded in publicly over the healthy scratches.
In general, CBJ’s skaters aren’t awful, but I feel like half the goddamn roster is overpaid (over-cap-numbered) by 20%.
-Nash @ 7.8
-Huselius (UFA-to-be) @ 4.75
-Umberger @ 4.6
-Brassard @ 3.2
-Wisniewski @ 5.5
-Tyutin @ 4.5
Throw in closer-to-fair deals on Carter, Vermette, and Methot and they have 37.6 mil tied up in seven guys through 13/14. Or maybe crazier 27.6 m tied up through 16/17.
your throw-ins might be able to play to their cap number. Wisniewsky, Umberger, Huselius, Tyutin and Brassard never will.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
By overpay, Brassard is one of the worst non-Redden, non-Dipietro deals in the league.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
That’s what happens when you sign a guy based on 31 games.
In theory, there is little difference between practice and theory, but in practice there is!
Tactical contributor to the Copper & Blue and just as boring on the twitters... @dawgbone98
jesus, you're not kidding
it was signed before his 3rd ELC season.
by Passive Voice on Dec 2, 2011 7:36 PM MST up reply actions
Howson has actually been worse than Lowe.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
That’s fine to do if the years before were exceptional.
His weren’t. It was a pedestrian rookie year combined with a strong, but injury shortened 31 game season.
In theory, there is little difference between practice and theory, but in practice there is!
Tactical contributor to the Copper & Blue and just as boring on the twitters... @dawgbone98
i mean, yeah
1063 PDO as a sophomore, too. good god.
by Passive Voice on Dec 2, 2011 8:02 PM MST up reply actions
Really hoping the Oilers can make some hay with the upcoming schedule: Columbus, Calgary (twice), Colorado and Carolina.
Columbus and Colorado are likely better teams than the Oilers. Making hay is going to be tough.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Apparently Columbus didn’t watch the game tape of the back door to Eberle.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Let’s channel that Chicago game instead. I’ll be happy with another 9 goals.
by TakeoutArtist on Dec 2, 2011 7:40 PM MST up reply actions
I don’t know.
All I know is that a 3 goal lead is the worst lead in hockey.
Fact.
In theory, there is little difference between practice and theory, but in practice there is!
Tactical contributor to the Copper & Blue and just as boring on the twitters... @dawgbone98
by dawgbone98 on Dec 2, 2011 7:46 PM MST up reply actions 1 recs
Someone else talk about how slow Whitney is. I don’t want to sound like a broken record.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Pangea broke up faster.
If I was building an island, I’d hire Whitney!
I’ve seen planetary cores cool quicker.
by eddy the lip on Dec 2, 2011 7:47 PM MST up reply actions 1 recs
Excellent strip of Huselius by Gagner there to keep the puck in.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Hopkins’ little hunched over skating stride is becoming quite familiar.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Huh. Whitney seems like he’s moving a bit better.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Tyutin just put Gagner in a headlock in the battle, no call.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
QUINN: “Hordichuk and Dorsett on the ice, maybe we’ll see something there”
DRINK!
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Dorsett is slowly becoming a decent player. Hordichuk is banana peels and kitty litter
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
you just like how he spells his first name. not like that Brassard fairy.
by Passive Voice on Dec 2, 2011 8:06 PM MST up reply actions
This sort of thinking sounds very familiar, especially lately.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
The fact that he sort of knows how to play is probably why Hall thought he could fight him.
In theory, there is little difference between practice and theory, but in practice there is!
Tactical contributor to the Copper & Blue and just as boring on the twitters... @dawgbone98
Not surprising. They’re decent at evens. It’s the crappy goaltending that does them in.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
I like to see Wisniewski crying about getting hit in the face. It’s like Matt Cooke cranking about head shots.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
I was being facetious, everyone else appears to do it.
by TakeoutArtist on Dec 2, 2011 8:16 PM MST up reply actions
You’ve changed.
In theory, there is little difference between practice and theory, but in practice there is!
Tactical contributor to the Copper & Blue and just as boring on the twitters... @dawgbone98
If the ref called Hordichuk there for hot-dogging after a fight, then good for the ref, says I. It’s about time they started calling that.
by Chunklets on Dec 2, 2011 8:14 PM MST reply actions 1 recs
I’ve been bitching about Vancouver and Washington pulling that crap for too long to be happy about it when our guys do it.
What is this, the NBA?
Not much precedent for that type of call, but I’m all for it. Hordy behaved like a douchebag.
Oilers fan through thick, thin and anorexic. Writer for The Cult of Hockey.
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 2, 2011 10:55 PM MST up reply actions
Yes, and you’d think it would be a simple thing for the NHL to crack down on. Post-fight taunting or playing to the crowd (including the “hand-dusting” gesture), or things of that ilk = an extra 2 minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct. I could definitely go for that!
I guess they brought in this wrinkle on the unsportsmanlike rule after the Asham embarrassment, so it hasn’t been around for long. Like I said, I’m in favour of cracking down on antics like that. So what, you won a fight. In the immortal words of Edmonton Eskimos Hall of Fame receiver Brian Kelly, “When you get to the end zone, Waddell, act like you’ve been there before.”
Oilers fan through thick, thin and anorexic. Writer for The Cult of Hockey.
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 3, 2011 7:00 AM MST up reply actions 1 recs
Edmonton’s patented penalty: Too many men on the ice
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
So how about that Hordichuk momentum?
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
That momentum apparently carried O’Marra over the boards.
by TakeoutArtist on Dec 2, 2011 8:18 PM MST up reply actions
Stauffer took extra stupid-pills tonight. He thinks the referee is “gutless” for making that call on Hordichuk. He’s basically just babbling right now. (Jack Michaels, on the other hand, I like more the more I listen to him.)
You can get away with one stare down and some yapping to the walkway, but Hordichuk took 3 laps, taunting the whole time.
In theory, there is little difference between practice and theory, but in practice there is!
Tactical contributor to the Copper & Blue and just as boring on the twitters... @dawgbone98
Jack’s a really good guy. Knows his stuff and is still adapting to the Edmonton market.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
That’s certainly been my impression. And he is pleasantly without any of the irritating catchphrases that some commentators are prone to (at least so far, in my experience).
We’ll keep an eye on that situation.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
20-7 shots on goal, favour of Columbus. Wowzers.
by Chunklets on Dec 2, 2011 8:21 PM MST reply actions 1 recs
Hard to get shots on goal when you play in your own end for the entire period.
by TakeoutArtist on Dec 2, 2011 8:22 PM MST up reply actions
That’s okay, the momentum changer should kick in soon.
In theory, there is little difference between practice and theory, but in practice there is!
Tactical contributor to the Copper & Blue and just as boring on the twitters... @dawgbone98
21-7 now. Wow! I missed most of the 1st, were the Oilers that bad?
The Edmonton Oilers - All we do is win!!
Columbus really had them bottled up with an aggressive forecheck.
by TakeoutArtist on Dec 2, 2011 8:31 PM MST up reply actions
Always have been. Matt, Mike, Dan and Andy are worth putting into your regular feed.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
RNH taking clear direction from Smyth in the interview department
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
QUINN: “5 seconds left to go on the penalty on Sam Gagner”
Wasn’t that a bench minor?
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Did Spector just say that being 2nd on the team in blocks was a new thing for Gilbert? If so he either has no idea what he’s talking about or is straight up lying.
--Co-editor of That Didn't Miss by Much and co-host of El-Kabong!
And then Principe spoke like GIlbert stepping up to play big minutes because of injuries was new.
Though, it probably is new to them.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
I watched that again – I don’t know if he was grabbing it, scratching, or working out a cramp
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
They really miss Taylor Hall. Aside from Smyth and Gagner, there are no other shooters out there.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Gagner the 0-goal shooter?
Oilers fan through thick, thin and anorexic. Writer for The Cult of Hockey.
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 2, 2011 10:59 PM MST up reply actions
Tonight: Eberle 7 shots, 1 attempt blocked, 0 missed shot
Gagner 0 shots, 0 A/B, 4 missed shots
Who’s the shooter?
Oilers fan through thick, thin and anorexic. Writer for The Cult of Hockey.
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 2, 2011 11:01 PM MST up reply actions
Well shit, if we went off of one game, Ladislav Smid is the greatest defensive goal scorer in history!
But no one is that asinine, right?
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
I’m not going off of one game – on the season Eberle has 62 shots and 10 goals, Gagner 37 and 0. Yet you claim Gagner is one of two shooters on the team and omit Eberle? Makes no sense to me.
Oilers fan through thick, thin and anorexic. Writer for The Cult of Hockey.
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 3, 2011 1:26 AM MST up reply actions
Okay, you non-sarcastic people have to stop it. I have no idea who is serious and who isn’t
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
That is the 7th time in the last two games an Oiler has whiffed on a puck inside their own blue line.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Aaron Johnson? Huh. How about that.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
“Louie, you and I get a bit of a break after this game. We won’t be with the Oilers until the 15th of December in Phoenix”
Thank Kurri.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
by Derek Zona on Dec 2, 2011 9:03 PM MST reply actions 1 recs
That was a tackle. Two arms, pulling him down.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Tyutin I believe.
In theory, there is little difference between practice and theory, but in practice there is!
Tactical contributor to the Copper & Blue and just as boring on the twitters... @dawgbone98
Sorry Nikitin.
In theory, there is little difference between practice and theory, but in practice there is!
Tactical contributor to the Copper & Blue and just as boring on the twitters... @dawgbone98
So was the first, it was just hidden by Eberle.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
I didn’t see the first, but I imagine from the shot count that it wasn’t very memorable
The Edmonton Oilers - All we do is win!!
There’s a reason why the Oilers are behind in this game.
by TakeoutArtist on Dec 2, 2011 9:18 PM MST up reply actions
Did we ever Katz to perfect that cloning thing?
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
A lot more gilberts, a few more eberles, a couple more smyths, a dash of horcoff and Bamn! A good hockey team
The Edmonton Oilers - All we do is win!!
by OilLeak on Dec 2, 2011 9:25 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
“a lot” is about the right about of Gilberts
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
If the Oilers can’t find a shooter to replace Hall, this is going to be a long three weeks.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
In other words, it’s definitely going to be a long 3 weeks.
The Edmonton Oilers - All we do is win!!
by OilLeak on Dec 2, 2011 9:28 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
Taking smyth lessons
The Edmonton Oilers - All we do is win!!
by OilLeak on Dec 2, 2011 9:30 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
And then there was jones…
The Edmonton Oilers - All we do is win!!
by OilLeak on Dec 2, 2011 9:30 PM MST via mobile reply actions
Whitney does something useful! Nice heads up pass!
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Does Paajarvi really expect to score from there?
The Edmonton Oilers - All we do is win!!
by OilLeak on Dec 2, 2011 9:35 PM MST via mobile reply actions
Ok, Smid has 2 goals and paajarvi has 0, something wrong with this picture.
The Edmonton Oilers - All we do is win!!
by OilLeak on Dec 2, 2011 9:37 PM MST via mobile reply actions
Hope Tambellini doesn’t look at shooting percentage when contract time rolls around.
by TakeoutArtist on Dec 2, 2011 9:40 PM MST up reply actions
Smid scoring goals? Hemsky laying out defensemen? What the hell parallel universe have I stumbled into?
Next up, Peckham becomes Lidstrom
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
whitney pulls an 18-wheeler with his ankle
by Passive Voice on Dec 2, 2011 9:42 PM MST up reply actions 1 recs
Barker wins the fastest skater competition.
by TakeoutArtist on Dec 2, 2011 9:44 PM MST up reply actions 1 recs
Smid now has twice as many goals as Dustin Penner.
Thank god Penner got out of that fishbowl so he could really thrive!
Sanford is channeling his inner Mason.
The Edmonton Oilers - All we do is win!!
by OilLeak on Dec 2, 2011 9:43 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
Nothing wrong with jones
The Edmonton Oilers - All we do is win!!
by OilLeak on Dec 2, 2011 9:42 PM MST via mobile reply actions
JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY! JONESY!
Quite the turnaround for Jones this year. -16 corsi last year to -5 this year. His scoring chance numbers have turned around as well.
Good for him.
In theory, there is little difference between practice and theory, but in practice there is!
Tactical contributor to the Copper & Blue and just as boring on the twitters... @dawgbone98
by dawgbone98 on Dec 2, 2011 9:43 PM MST reply actions 1 recs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H5uWRjFsGc#t=0m07s
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
they were playing that in my dining hall the other day. seemed like bad ju-ju.
by Passive Voice on Dec 2, 2011 9:53 PM MST up reply actions
This is going to be a sick 10 minutes
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
sigh. they couldn’t even get through a minute.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
“He gets checked by James Wisneiwski”
My reaction? I hope Paajarvi doesn’t have a concussion
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
At some point, will Kevin Quinn admit that Hopkins isn’t the top line?
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Because that’s now how they’re being used.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Okay, I was wrong. Whitney is still immobile. Something is really wrong with him.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Gilbert with 2 points and +2 on the night as well. 20 minutes logged so far.
The Edmonton Oilers - All we do is win!!
His only gaffe was taking his linguine out for a stick on that power play.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Someone has to tell Paajarvi that he’s got a man on.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
I know some people hate Petry (Bruce & Jonathan) but he’s going to be the goods very soon.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
He’s still very Jekyl and Hyde at this point, makes some nice breakouts, but then has some absolutely brutal giveaways and clears.
The Edmonton Oilers - All we do is win!!
He’s a kid in defensive years and he’s been given the responsibility of carrying the puck 90% of the time. Giveaways are going to happen in that situation. Imagine if Barker or Sutton handled as much as Petry.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Well I hope Barker and Sutton are not the standard for Petry. I think Petry will be a reasonably good d-man as well, but those gaffes are the reason he gets a lot of heat.
The Edmonton Oilers - All we do is win!!
Barker, the highly-regarded puck-moving defenseman who just needed a new start to unleash his lottery pick talent isn’t a good standard?
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
My point wasn’t to compare him to them, my point was that they are so crappy with the puck and he’s forced to play with them.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
I protest! I don’t hate Petry. In another 1-2 years he will be a good D-man.
Oilers fan through thick, thin and anorexic. Writer for The Cult of Hockey.
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 3, 2011 1:20 AM MST up reply actions
Holy mother of mystery that was ridiculous.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Sanford completely expected him to go around the net.
In theory, there is little difference between practice and theory, but in practice there is!
Tactical contributor to the Copper & Blue and just as boring on the twitters... @dawgbone98
Geez. Brodziak is tearing it up out there. Too bad we can’t have anything nice like that.
by eddy the lip on Dec 2, 2011 10:18 PM MST reply actions 1 recs
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