GDB 67: Moreau and Souray in it to win it
Jason Gregor
March 12 2009 12:26PM
The Oilers looked like a team a few days before the start of the season, with 24 players, five coaches and third goalie Floyd Whitney on the ice for the morning skate today. They went through a bevy of cross-ice and two-on-two, and two-on-one passing drills. Sad thing is they didn’t come close to scoring as often as Peter Pocklington has been charged by creditors.
Sheldon Souray was out there and took part in every drill so he will suit up tonight. Ethan Moreau also skated hard, while wearing the darkest colour-tinted visor I’d seen, so expect him to play as well.
Moreau’s visor makes him look a bit like a Euro, but he insisted his game won’t change due to the visor.
What will change is the lineup. Moreau and Penner will dress tonight, and they’ll play on the same line with Kyle Brodziak.
21 – 10 – 83 12 – 89 – 78 19 – 13 – 34 18 – 51 – 27
This is how they will start but if the Kovalchuk - White - Little line gives the Oilers problems don’t be surprised to see Horcoff, Moreau and Pisani become a trio to try and shut them down.
MacTavish admitted the lines could become very interchangeable tonight. Altanta coach John Anderson told me yesterday on my show that he likes to juggle his lines a lot, so expect to see many different combinations tonight.
A Horcoff - Moreau - Pisani trio could become reality down the stretch as a shut-down line.
Don’t think MacTavish doesn’t listen to the radio or read the Internet based on his comments today. He was asked about O’Sullivan and his overall game.
“I’m trying to find offensive opportunities for O’Sullivan. I want to get him some power-play time. I’m not going to pigeon-hole him as a checker just yet, that’s apparently my expertise to turn offence into checkers. He is in the process right now, (he laughs) but hopefully he has more goals in him.”
It looks like MacTavish is going with his most offensive unit of the season. The competition for ice-time tonight should be fierce, and if players are going early MacTavish said they will play more.
The Thrashers are playing well right now, going 6-3-1 in their last ten, with Johan Hedberg between the pipes, so the Oilers can’t overlook the lottery-bound Thrashers.
Their top line of Kovalchuk - White - Little have combined for 82 goals and 183 points, compared to Hemsky - Horcoff - Penner’s 49 goals and 128 points. Look for Souray and Staios to match up against that line.
freeze wrote:
As much as I would LOVE to believe this, there's a lot of flaws in this list. Montreal has a 100% win ratio without Carbenau. It'd only be fair to use the same amount of games as the sample.
But I do like that it's been overwhelmingly positive with a new coach behind the bench.
R-DAWG wrote:
I don't know about you guys but I am pretty darn good at playing myself. Somewhat of a pro if you will.
Why can Atlanta's #1 Centre have 30 goals but ours can only have 15?
*division* sorry.
Nice PP eh?
@ Travis Dakin: I knew if someone was bound to make a "play with yourself" joke, it would be you.
Wow. Just wow. Awesome powerplay there boys. Solid effort.
Consequently, if your pk is struggling you must be excited to play the Oil!!
@ Hoodlum: Gotta play to your strengths. Am I right?
Is anyone else still laughing about the linesman's dead family?
David S wrote:
no. an awful lot would have had to work perfectly for that to happen. and this team has terrible luck. I don't think that a new coach would automatically make us better, but perhaps the right coach will play our team's strengths.
Holy crap...nice moves Shelley!!
@ Archaeologuy: TOTALLY!!!
@ David S: For months we've all been chiming in at how MacT has to go, are you in a subtle way suggesting he isn't the problem now and doesn't need to go anywhere?
Archaeologuy wrote:
Good. I hope it sticks with you like a bad case of crabs. And you think about it every time from now on.
@ Travis Dakin: Mr. Dakin, you are always right!!
R-DAWG wrote:
He really screws up the opposing D when he does that. Smid and Grebs do it once in a while too. Viz was the master.
Man I miss Visnovsky.
So, given that we almost always give up a late third period goal, I guess we need two to win huh?
As dumb a comment i've ever made,I anticipate PDP's return...I hope he is still POed!!
David S wrote: Man I miss Visnovsky.
~pours out some of my Colt 45 for Viz~
jeanshorts wrote:
It probably will. Maybe i find it so funny because i had a bad day and it's just morbid enough to cheer me up, but from this point on a family guy type scene of the linesman walking into his living room only to find his family dead will come to mind every time I watch hockey.
I'm sorry but Moreau looks like he has to look at his feet to see if he is still on the ice with that freakin dark visor!
Archaeologuy wrote:
LOL!! I was TOTALLY thinking Family Guy!!!
Archaeologuy wrote:
It must be bad day day. None the less it was f'in hilarious.
david staples.
Hoodlum wrote:
Exactly. It's getting old. I have a pretty good feeling he'll step down if we don't make the pre-season anyways. In the meantime, why not cut the guy a bit of slack. Most of what we think he's doing is because we don't know why he's doing it. There's alot of guys here who talk like they spend three days a week at his house eating chicken and ribs with him and Mrs MacT.
I can't believe how much we need this win!!
can you believe there was no penalty on this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRNdgFKjyaM
@ David S:
I heard her chicken is dry and the ribs arent much better. I wonder if he's turned her into a checker as well?
@ David S:
i think you meant POST season. even this team's a lock for the preseason
am I seeing Gagner as the 1st line C?
socaldave wrote:
*sigh* I'm not even drinking tonight.
And a month ago Hemsky slams that one home.
socaldave wrote:
Imagine if the Oilers were that bad they didn't get invited to participate next season?
IMAGINE!!!!!!
@ socaldave:
nope - too bad, tho
@ David S: I agree in a sense, but of what we DO know from what we hear from the reliable sources that we have on this site, a regime change is a must. He just doesn't seem to get the most out of his players. We got a great young team and I believe a better that 7 or 8 seed. is that due to coaching, who knows? But look at the elite teams in the league with thier coaches. Do you think Mike Keenan would put up with this kind of inconsistancy with Calgary, and I hate to use them as an example, but Keenan is a good one. MacT seems to try to push, but when he does it seems to fall on deaf ears. Obviously there is a respect issue there.
4X4 - Let's DO this!®
Hoodlum wrote:
Keenan has a seasoned team of guys who've been around long enough to learn how to bring it every night. We don't.
there isnt anything wrong with the goal light, dude just wanted to keep listening to Van Halen
What is with this bouncing puck?
WE NEED TO PULL SOME GOD DAMN TRIGGERS!!!!
I'm diggin' the Souray pinch.
Has PDP not played the third??
R-DAWG wrote:
He got kicked out for the instigator.
@ David S: Good point. I'm sure we can duke this out more in the coming weeks once the FMNF chants start going into overdrive.
I'm just blind, but I didn't see Penner come back after his 19 pim's... anyone?
@ socaldave: 17 pims
seriously?
OOOOFFFFFFFF CCCCOOOOUUUURRRRSSSEEEEE.
Anyone could have called that one. First Torres and now this. Please god don't let Ryan Smyth put us out of the playoffs.
Get my gun out ma.
wow. gilbert. just... wow.
YEEEARRRRGGGGG!
Cue the positive bs about 'getting an important point'.