GDB 17.0: OILERS V HAWKS
Wanye
November 13 2011 02:10PM
Everyone who is a mega star now, was at one point impossibly young and just happy to be in the big leagues. Two of the youngest guns in the NHL meet tonight in Chicago. It might be argued that tonight's game is the first between the Hawks and Oilers that has been of any note whatsoever in years.
It could also be argued that these teams will have important matches against one another for years to come.
Only time will tell.
STANDINGS
The Hawks are in first place in the Western Conference with a 10-4-3 record. The newly Mighty-for-Realsies? Oilers are third in the West with a 9-5-2 record. It should also be noted that Columbus has only seven points, which is amazing when you stop and think about it. Thank heavens they did not tank this hard last year - they might currently employ the Nuge instead of good ol E-town.
On a road trip where a .500 record would be considered to be a complete success the Oil are coming into Chicago having lost two games in a row. Being blanked by Detroit after losing in Boston ain't no particular thing, especially if you can take down the Conference leaders on your way back home.
The Oilers confirmed as much with a tweeted quote from Ryan Jones earlier today:
"Any time you can go .500 on the road is usually a success, especially a trip like this." - on aiming for a W in Chicago tonight.
LINEUP
No lines were ran at practice today in Chicago but the Oilers have confirmed that Nikolai Khabibulin will get the start against his former team. Ryan Smyth impossibly leads the team in goals and points and second to him is the Nuge.
Did we happen to mention RNH is five whole years younger than Jonathan Toews? Take that uppity Hawks fans who think they have the youngest guns in the league.
HUSTLE HARD
Let's get after this one fellas. It could prove to be a big win.
Farewell my friend.
AND GODS SPEED
Additionally the half naked band is Take That which launched the career of Robbie Williams, one of the more successful solo artists of the past 15 years. That picture is from one of their first promo shoots, it is perfectly on point for an article talking about a group of teenagers coming together as an elite team. If you are too old to put that together perhaps one of your kids can explain it to you over your daily bladder medication pills.
FIST!!!
Can't let Oilers G be having all the fun today now can we :P
Don't worry, be Khabby!
I feel like the Hemsky projection is a little off... 4 assists in 5 games pro-rates to 21 assists in 71? Somebody get Willis in here to figure out this complex thing called math.
SMYTH!!!!!
Oilers are winning 6-0 ;)
Meh it gets the point across and the point is the Nuuuuuuuuuuuuuge.
Been hoping Hall has a big game for a while now, cmon son time to break out.
Time to take out the trash!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7gIpuIVE3k
lol OWNED. Don't mess with him there is usually a method to his madness.
Bite me Canadian Finals Rodeo.
Game Day Prediction: Oilers continue to struggle defensively but steal one in Chicago tonight to climb to .500 on the road trip. Goals by all four Oiler lines: 4-3 final.
Obvious Game Day Prediction: Khabibulin stands on his head the first period. Watching him I remember all the bad things I said and wrote about him...and don't feel bad at all. Stoping the puck is his JOB!
Not-So-Obvious Game Day Prediction: Belanger rings two off the post and one off the crossbar. The crossbar rebound lands right on Gagner's stick and he burries it for his first of the season shedding a 200lb gorilla off his back in the process. After the game stats geeks will point out that Belanger recorded zero shots on net, scored no points, and was a minus one... Saw-em Good Guys will credit Belanger with an unofficial assist, several scoring chances, and solid play againt Kane and Toews when Renny got caught in a bad match ups. Both camps are technically correct.
Eskimo Game Day Prediction: I get drunk, freeze my balls off, and the Eskimo's win a tight defensive battle. 20-16 Esks. GO ESKS!
If Smyth ends the season with 82 pts, then I'd love to be the guy interviewing Lombardi to get his comments on tape.
BOOM! Fack you Calgary. Eskimo's win 33-19! (I'm so happy!)
And this is what coming back down to earth looks like. Gods this road trip can't end soon enough.
I blame brownlee.
looks like we're cooking up another stellar PP boys! the chicago announcers are baffled by Belanger on there... have a point.
C'mon ref... what's with the quick whistle??
I'd love to know what Renney sees in Belanger to keep throwing him out there. Baffling....
Okay, here are my thoughts on this:
First, I'm glad that the balloon has come down a little. My fear was that this team would show better than I think they really are in the regular season and then management might start to move pieces or accelerate the rebuild in order to take short cuts. If we take the rebuild metaphor a little further, I want to make certain that the foundation has set before I start framing.
Second: I wonder if sending Paajarvi and Lander down to play in OKC for a dozen games and calling up Green and Keller might not be a good idea. Let the Tre Kronors get some traction and chemistry in the AHL and let some veteran players who can handle being sat come up and fill the roles. I look at it this way, we want to model on Detroit, and if Paajarvi were in the Detroit system he'd have played last year and probably thus far this year in the AHL. I don't want to see Magnus "demoted", and in Oil Change Renney and Tambellini mention that they want to change the perception that going to the AHL is a demotion, but rather as an opportunity to work and improve.
Anyway, better hope we stay out of the penalty box against Ottawa, they're PP could bury us.
All i know is that Petrell is DTF, down to fisticuffs.
Hey at least Whitney is going to play in all 82 games...
Penner on the IR with an injured hand. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=380357
Shall we start the hit parade with some eating jokes? Something about biting the hand that feeds you? nah, that sucks...Biting off more than you can chew?...nah...A Penner in the hand is worth a Teubert in the farm?....nope...hmm...
Oil win 4-2 , Hall with 2 , smids first in 2 yrs, and smyth empty netter.. Go oil
Man, i would just be MIFFED if Paajarvi got 5 points all season. I was clearly projecting 2.
@Chuckpuck5000
Ballsy, predicting a Smid goal. I like it
Heck of a game in MTL. That's CFL football. Now for the Esks to take care of business.
What do you mean? Fras got one the other day. Looks llike Win / win to us.
Signed B Pederson / C Neely
The Nuge and Smytty have scored 45% of our goals this season. If you add in Ryan Jones the % of goals scored by Ryans is 54%. Non-Ryans on this team gotta step it up. I get that Jones has 3 and other ppl have 3 but it's just funnier to group all the Ryans together. HAHA.
This would be a huge statement on behalf of ourselves if we can take down the Hawks and end this road trip at 3-3. GO OILERS GO!!
The numbers are way off for ales hemsky. 4assist in 5 games doesnt translate to 20 assists in 71 games, it translates to 57points.
I enjoy reading this site for the great information it contains, albiet not usually from the author of this article. But i give up, between lowetide crowbarring in half nude photos into his articles and now shirtless teen boys popping up on the home page, prompting ridicule from co-workers i will be moving on.
and we'll be missing you intensely!
seriously is this J? how many more moral scolds are going to come out of the woodwork around here?
Didn't you get the message... it "makes no sense" to use "trash" metaphors in sports? "It's just so random"... expect Book!e to clear that up for you.
I hate that song...
Hey look it's the 2010/2011 season.
well that sucked. how do you get "Taves" out of "Toews" anyway...
oh crap... montador? are you kidding me.... are we folding like a cheap suit or what?
sure just let him take a shot after the whistle... don't stick up for your goalie... are we asleep... is it sunday nap time?
I share your thoughts, at least it wasn't anything to do with urban gentelmen again.
That's the Oilers we know! Swiss cheese Defence wow. That first one was all Petry that Pu$$y!! He should have put Toews through the gaddamn glass!!
Perfect example right there why Belanger should be on the 4th line...
Merry Smythmas everybody!!!
Looks like Renney pulled the smelling salts on that TO. this team instantly looks much better.
Smid actually had a nice drive to the net in that Det. game (if memory serves). He may not get another chance like that, but I never thought he'd get one.
FUDGE!!!
montador... seriously?
No game updates. I'm PVRing it.
I guess we've decided to regress completely on this road trip...
Not-So-Obvious Game Day Prediction: Andy frankenSUTTONstein gets a breakaway late 1st period dangles Corey Crawford but instead of putting the puck in the net he decides to shoot the puck at Crawfords face just to get into his birdcage
@Wanye
Props pops ;)
Don't we see enough Smid goal predictions, considering how often he actually scores? We have about 3 of those so far, no? ICBW
I'd rather have a look at the remaining sched for the year and guess which game he scores in, if at all.
We want 10... we want 10...