The opposing view: Fear The Fin

TiqIQ

Short People Ain't Got No Reason

Cam Talbot was between the pipes as the Rangers drubbed the Oilers by a 5-0 score on Sunday night.  The night was especially memorable due to the two shorthanded goals yielded by the Oilers, which puts them at 13 shorthanded goals allowed his year.  Toronto and Philadelphia have allowed eleven shorties this year.  Eleven!  Not to get upstaged by an Eastern Conference club, the Oilers felt it necessary to allow two shorthanded goals in one game.  That'll show 'em.

Leading statistical categories is usually a good thing, unfortunately for the Oilers, they tend to lead the ones wraught with futility.

The Oilers are saying

That's Sharks coach Todd McLellan on the health of Raffi Torres, and how Raffi Torres needs to be 100 percent before he gets into the lineup.  He's not fooling around with 80 percent, nay sir.

Torres has missed all but five games this year due to surgery and recovery of a torn ACL.  Sharks coach Todd McLellan is in no rush to play a guy who isn't 100%.  There's no really good reason to rush a guy back into the lineup who isn't 100%, and the Sharks are wise to keep a potential problem from getting worse.

• The over/under on shots against is 46.5.  That's not an official line, but I'd probably get some good action on it if it was.  (Always take the over.)
• HEYYYYY, ARCOBELLO.  If you missed it (and right now, I don't know how all of you aren't huffing gas fumes at the nearest Esso station), the Oilers re-signed Mark Arcobello to a one year extension. The Sun's Derek Van Diest says it's a one year deal, hopefully we see a lot of him in 2014-15.
• Andrew Ference is out with a torn pectoral muscle.  Luke Gazdic is out with a blown shoulder, Ryan Jones is out with a torn PCL, Nail Yakupov's ankle still isn't where it needs to be, and Jesse Joensuu won't be in the lineup because his ankle isn't where it needs to be.  What does it all mean?  Will Acton is back, baby.
• Benjamin Scrivens, III, Esq. (7-9, .919SV%) will be starting tonight's game in net for the Oilers. Scrivens has the added job of determining the effort level of the team tonight as well.  If Scrivens can turn aside all 57 shots that come tonight, it's a gritty victory for the boys.  If Scrivens plays only "well", and turns aside 53 of 57 shots, the team just isn't playing with enough heart, or grit, or want, or desire, or "stick togetherness".  All yours, Ben.  Go get 'em.
• Is Phil Larsen still on the 4RW?  Does Will Acton play centre tonight?  Does Ryan Smyth get to go back to the wing?  Remember when Roman Horak was on the second line for Nail Yakupov?  I hate this team.