EIGHT THOUGHTS IS ENOUGH

1. Rob Blake will be the Asst. GM for Canada at the upcoming World Championships and when I asked him which Oilers would be considered he said Jordan Eberle, Shawn Horcoff and Taylor Hall if the latter two are healthy. Devan Dubnyk went last year as the 3rd goalie, and could possibly be invited back again. I wonder when Oiler fans will realize that despite his overpriced salary, Horcoff is a good NHL player. Get past the salary. He would be a 2nd line centre on many teams, and a high end third on rare teams like Det, Pitt, Phi, Van, and Chi. Horcoff isn’t flashy and won’t be a top-end scorer, but his overall game is appreciated by many scouts and opposing teams.
    
2. I spoke with an Edmonton city police officer after the Rush game last night. I was stunned to hear that on a regular Saturday night Oiler home game there is normally eight fans kicked out of the arena, for being to drunk or fighting, and when Calgary is in town that number almost doubles. If you are going to the game, cheer loud, have fun chirping opposing fans, but act like a human being. I’ve never understood fans who think they have to fight to show loyalty to their team/jersey.
    
3. Henrik Lundqvist has found his game again and the Rangers are 8-1-1 in their last ten. I think they will pass Montreal and finish 6th and face Boston in the 1st round. If Lundqvist stays hot in the playoffs the Bruins could be primed for an upset. The Habs could easily finish 8th with Buffalo and NYR playing well, and they’d get steamrolled by the Flyers in round one.
    
4. You aren’t a sports fan if you weren’t intrigued watching  the Florida State and Virginia Commonwealth game last night. VCU had to play a "play-in" game just to get in the tourney, and after last night’s thrilling 72-71 OT win they are in the Elite Eight. A few years back Gary Bettman casually threw out the possibility of expanding the playoffs to 20 teams and having a similar "play-in" style. After watching VCU, I wonder if the NHL should try it? Would you be for or against a possible best-of-three series between the 7th/10th seeds and 8th/9th?
    
5. It has only been a few games, but Teemu Hartikainen has impressed me. He won’t win any style points for skating, but he can get to the puck and his size is intriguing. I’m hesitant to get too excited about him, because I question whether I really like his game or I just like the fact the Oilers have a winger with some size who hits. I’ll need to see more games from him before pencilling him in as a roster player next year, but I’ve liked what I’ve seen so far.
    
6. Colin Fraser has been ripped all year, and he’s deserved some of it, but Ryan O’Marra and Chris Vande Velde haven’t been much better since coming up; at least not yet. These final ten games should allow O’Marra and Vande Velde to recognize what areas of their game they need to improve on over the summer. I’ll be curious to see how they look at training camp next season. It is rare that young players get a chance to test themselves in the NHL and find out first hand how much better they need to become to stick in the Show. One of the few positives from all the injuries is that guys like 42, 54, 56 and 58 get a chance to experience just how good the NHL is, while allowing them to see and experience the weaknesses in their game. They should all be much more prepared to battle for a roster spot next September.
    
7. How many of you watched Ryan Nugent-Hopkins last night?  He scored two goals in sixty-six seconds late in the 3rd to give the Rebels a 5-3 lead, and he also had two assists. It was only one game, but what a great statement by the 17-year-old. If i’m you, I try to make it out to watch him live at Rexall on Monday or Thursday night.
    
8. Thank goodness I’ll be in the seats tonight and not watching at home. I’m not a fan of the late-night CBC crew.

GOING DOWN IN FLAMES?