GDB 28: MacT's Punch-Out
Jason Gregor
December 13 2008 05:09PM
Expect some fisticuffs -- Craig MacTavish is because he has inserted Zack Stortini and Jason Strudwick on the fourth line for tonight.
You can’t blame him, since the Canucks are the second most penalized team and have the second most fights so far this season. The Canucks ran the Nashville Predators out of their own barn four nights ago, and the Oilers aren’t nearly as tough as the Predators, even with Strudwick and Stortini in the line-up.
The Canucks won’t have Roberto Luongo again tonight. He aggravated his groin in practice and might be out another month, so they have to win with grit and an in-your-face attitude. They are 4-4-1 without their all-star netminder, but lately they have really upped their aggressive play.
Will the Oilers answer the bell tonight? They better or Vancouver will continue their abrasive style. Not only do the Canucks fight -- 31 fights from 14 different players -- they also like to hit. The Canucks aren’t that skilled on paper outside of the Sedin Sisters, Pavel Demitra, Mason Raymond and Kyle Wellwood, but they have a bunch of spit disturbers who love to run at guys all night.
Last season the Oilers answered the bell in a game that featured seven fights, including Sam Gagner going with Ryan Kesler, and that seemed to be a rallying point for them. The Oilers need to create some team unity and an identity at home, so maybe standing up for one another tonight against Vancouver should be a no-brainer.
It seems like forever since the Oilers were involved in a spirited game. I’m not expecting line brawls or anything, and probably not more than two or three fights, but it would be nice to see a game with some intensity and animosity. The Oilers have been way too easy to play against most nights this season. Let’s see if they respond to a Canuck team that has been playing with an edge most nights.
The lines for tonight look like this:
Penner – Horcoff – Hemsky
Nilsson – Cogliano – Gagner
Moreau – Brodziak – Cole
Strudwick – Pouliot – Stortini
You’d expect that Stortini will do anything to make an impression tonight and stay in the line-up. But guys like Cole, Brodziak and Moreau have to be physical every shift. If not, the Canucks will be running at Hemsky, Gagner and company all night.
Roloson will start in goal.
Why is it that MacT thinks that these talentless hockey players are palying, and The schremp,and Reddox aren't playing why is the Raddish so stupid?
Edmonton needs a coach who wasnt a thrid liner or wasn a coach from "the glory years" Management is only a part of the problem, the team doenst have any motivation to play together.
Never the less Go Oil Go!
Nilsson – Cogliano – Gagner
I'm optimistic that if I complain about this trio now, they might score some goals tonight.
Is there any reason to believe based on their play this season that Nilsson/Gagner will be more effective with Cogliano than Schremp/Pouliot were?
Really no Schremp tonight? What did he do to piss MacT off?
i never really got a chance to read the article because i was too busy loling@ the picture
but i agree with you gregor, the oilers absolutely have to be able to respond to a vancouver team that will surely be physical
@ Smokin' Ray: Ray,
It's the old adage with Nilsson and Gagner, you don't lose your spot due to injury. I can tell you this, Nilsson has noticed that Schremp at least put up some points, and seems motivated to match that. We shall see. A little competition is good for this team, because some guys have gotten a bit comfortable with their status on this team.
Smokin' Ray wrote:
I'd suggest slow feet and pretty much no physical presence.
Many apologies Nation, I had taken the comment box off the article. Everything is fixed and operating at Ultimate Capacities.
"Oops I did it again" - Britney Spears circa pre first mental breakdown
WG
And how could I forget, GO OILERS
I am at a X-mas party and will be commenting via carrier pigeon all night, the thing is that old Montague is a frozen block due to our beautiful Edmonton weather. I will see if they have a deep frier here.
I need help 'nation... where can I find the Oil-Nucks game on the web??? NHL Network in the good US of A decided they wouldn't carry this game tonight!!!
Never mind... found it in the "Webosphere"!! Thanks
Are you sure it's not on NHLN Clarkenstein? Normally I can't get it on GameCenter because it's on NHLN (for HNIC) in the USA.
Not that I'm doubting you, but it's odd that they would screw both NHLN subscribers and GameCenter subscribers...Or is it?
Anyways, I second Clarkenstein's request to help a brother out.
Good start for the Fridge!!
that there is a good start.
nice pressure so far.
go storts!
THATS THE FIRST I'VE SEEN STORTINI TRY TO DROP SOMEONE
Hey curtis Sanford, Marc Crawford said you are a two bit hack that can't fill Roberto Luongo's jock
I don't have any sound...
Struds too!
I HATE CRAWFORD WITH A PASSION. SOMEONE RUN THIS GUY OUT OF TOWN!
5 on 3 baby!!! lets do this
did Crawford just call Sam a diver?! What a dick.
i hope someone takes out Burrows this game. What a douchebag
dear god... CBC is running a Sam/Andrew/Tom living together piece too.. brutal.
I HATE CRAWFORD!!!!!!!
9 giveaways already... that will burn us eventually...
It should be a law that you can't color commentate a former team. To him Edmonton is a bunch of ankle grabbing dink pits and has a weird man crush on Vancouver
baaaaahd giveaway Grebs!
That period reminds me of how I make love. Come out hot, and with a bang. Immediate results. And then it's just a slow, boring, unsatisfying grind to the end.
Is it just me or does the ice look horrible tonight?
ya. I was told by a pretty good source that the Oilers spent lots of money on the ice plant this past summer and this is the quality we get. However I was at the Oil Kings game last night and the ice seemed good???
@ jeanshorts: ya but did you go the whole 20 minutes
@ R-DAWG:
Yeah right, my back would start to cramp up. I'm more like a Nascar pit crew than a long distance runner.
the ice did look bad. the puck was hopping all over the place.
ps: we need a new coach.
@ jeanshorts: we must have the same coach
gagner muscled off the puck... big shock.
we are f*cking useless at the net.
holy crap Crawford with a complement
you guys are right about crawford
Does anyone think Tambellini wants to pull the plug on a few guys but can't because of the "old boys club"
we should flood the cbc with complaints.
R-DAWG wrote:
would not shock me at all. there has to be some reason why nothing has happened so far.
our PP is just shameful.
I hope we see a Robbie-Robert combo before they send him down.
ARRGH! we needed that!
HEMMER!! FINALLY!!!
man, that's gotta hurt.
wow, Tochett is ripping Tampa like he is Torts.
wow!! where did Nilsson come from!
I like Struds at forward. Good hustle.