GDB 80: Fit for the Kings
Jason Gregor
April 07 2009 12:05PM
The atmosphere was much different at the morning skate today. Players were smiling, joking around with each other, even Craig MacTavish was in good spirits as he danced around Stortini and Jacques before going in all alone on Deslauriers and giving him the forehand, backhand, forehand deke.
There will be no line up changes for tonight:
21 – 10 – 83 12 – 89 – 19 18 – 13 – 34 27 – 51 – 46
The Colossal Fossil will start in goal, and the D pairings remain status quo.
Today I doubt any of you even care what the lines are, because a win is the only focus for those who still believe in miracles. Make no mistake miracles do happen in sports.
Miracle on ice: USA defeats the USSR and goes on to win Olympic gold in 1980.
Miracle on Manchester: In game three of round one, the LA Kings trailed the high-powered Oilers 5-0 after 40 minutes, but they scored five times in the third before Daryl Evans scored the OT winner and the Kings went on to win the best-of-five series in 1982.
The Miracle Mets of 1969: They won 38 of their final 49 games, before beating Henry Aaron and the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS, and then the Mets faced the powerhouse Baltimore Orioles with Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Jim Palmer and Davey Johnson. The Mets lost game won when their ace Tom Seaver got pounded, but the won four straight to cap off a four month Cinderella-type run.
The difference with the Oilers is that they need help for their miracle to happen.
The Predators host the Blackhawks tonight and the Blues are in the Desert to battle the Coyotes.
The Preds are 2-0 v. the Hawks at home this year, winning 4-1 and 5-3. They went 1-2 in Chicago. The Preds are still without Legwand, Arnott and Erat, and the Hawks have won three in a row.
The Blues are 3-0 v. the Dogs this year winning, 4-3, 3-1 and 2-1. The only good news for Oiler fans is that the ‘Yotes are 6-3-1 in their last ten and they are 22-14-3 at home, while the Blues are 16-18-3 on the road.
The other game of interest tonight is the Flames v. the Canucks. If the Flames win they clinch the NW and I’m hearing that if they win, then Curtis McElhinney could start both games this weekend v. the Oilers. McElhinney is 0-6-1 this year with a 3.73 GAA and a .883 SV%.
Some days you need something to make you believe the impossible is possible.
Kings won’t roll over
After last night's 4-1 loss to the Flames, Terry Murray ripped his team for 15 minutes in the locker room. Then when he left the players had a player's only meeting for 20 minutes. The message was to show some pride and play for each other.
The Oilers need to win, but it sounds like the Kings won't just hand it to them.
Parting shot
Some days the best part of my job is sitting down and listening to Rod Phillips or Jim Matheson recant some classic stories. RP is one of the most animated storytellers ever. He gets right into it and makes the story all the more enjoyable.
Today RP was telling Stortini and me a story about Barry Melrose. Melrose was playing for the Cincinnati Stingers in the WHA during the 1978/79 season and they were playing the Oilers. Dave Hunter, who was a pretty good pest in his day, had given Melrose a few cheap shots earlier in the game.
Melrose skated by the Oilers and screamed, “Dave you cheap @#$%&*, I’m gonna kick your ass.” Well, Dave stood up, but it was Dave Semenko and he hopped the boards.
Melrose back-pedals and with a high-pitched shrill spouts, “Not YOU Dave, not you,” and Semenko proceeds to lay a beating on Melrose.
Semenko just said that Melrose didn’t specify which Dave he was gonna beat up.
Yikes. And here I was thinking it was a downer there is no online feed... *takes another swig* LETS GO OILERS!! It's still early.
haha Bob just said "that player has no number". And it turned out to be Wayne Simmonds. HE'S THE ONLY BLACK GUY ON THE ICE!
It was Justin Williams
Absolutely brutal goal let in by Roli... pull him now...
As if it really matters though, Nashville and Minnesota both leading in their games, figures...
@ Phil: Nashville is winning now,? they were just down 2-1
Then again the Oilers were just tied at 0
Great start. Season. OVER.
Great start.
There it is, the first point by a guy in his 15th NHL game. so now the charity is done, time to start scoring some goals of our own right boys?
If anybody cares you can watch it for free, however it's poor quality(kinda what the oil are displaying)on Justin.tv.com.
I miss Matt Greene.
This game seems like there will be a Matt Greene breakaway goal out of the penalty box.
I'm a sucker and paid for this. ohh well. it was just made up for by them showing Macintyre's amazing Bubbles impression.
@ Rusty Shackleford:
I would be so happy if that happened. Matt Greene is the man.
mmmmmmmmmmmm caffeine.
@ Hoodlum:
Nevermind. Before the game started I checked the score and it said 1-0 NSH.
Anyways, Crystal Leriger (or whatever her name is) is a DIME. Beautiful face.
yay powerplay!
@ R-DAWG: I love it. A guy filming the PPV from his TV. I'm waiting to hear someone cough in the background. That being said, glad to see it's online.
Gene and Bucky having a state the obvious contest.
Rusty Link it
Nm same place as always
Who's this "Dave" the fans keep cheering for?
That's what they're saying right? "Daaaaave"?
Ugly, ugly 1 st period for Edmonton so far, all around.
Gotta have a massive 2nd period, we'll know if the team still cares, depending on whether they lay it all on the line or not.
wow, great job Peckham. A+
also, Britney Spears music at a hockey game? Is she at the game?
Wooooo another fight. Go Penner!
17 wrote:
According to the 40 thousand facebook status updates I saw this morning she was in Edmonton last night. And fun was had.
Wow, what the hell did Kevin Quinn do to his hair?
Cole with yet another 4 point night back in his red silks as Carolina crushes the Islanders 9-0
found a link to the game go to ustreasm.tv
sorry..that should have read ustream.tv
shyt the link just changed to the St.Louie game! WTF!!!!!
k..found another one at justin.tv/loftaris
I wish this team hit more.
Holy... I'd like to see Ian Laperriere try doing the Huggy Bear dance next year.
Man if the oil can win Chi just did them a favor!! go oilers go
WOOOO GOAL!
Yezzzzzzzir
Yes. NIIICE!
St Louis and Phoenix are still tied 1-1. Calagary- Vancouver no score.
*Cringing because I'm such an idiot to still dream*
I love Edmonton. I love hockey. I love the Oilers.
I want playoff hockey. I'm so depressed.
F*ck me.
Phil wrote:
Not even for practice Phil
Horcoff's 1 on 1 skills = non existant.
He's been invisible tonight, as he has been for most of the season.
This game is going to end up 3-1 for LA.
jeanshorts wrote:
Funny stuff. You forgot to mention that The Hills was on last night. Thanks again facebox, you have once again contributed to my ever decreasing faith in the human race.
Rexall Reminder:
Boys, your season is on the line right here
Why can't our Captain hit an empty net?
@ R-DAWG: thanks man!
I wonder if we'll measure Kopitar's stick.
Where have we saw before? Team a outshoots badly Team b and Team b pulls a win out their you know where!!
man i'm a retard...can't even do a team a team b scenario
game,set...TOAST
The saddest part, I don't even have Maciocia to hammer on when football season starts.
Not that, to be honest, I could give a sh*t about CFL football, that is.
Thanks Oilers..... for absolutely nothing - enjoy counting your money all summer.