Monthly Archives: November 2015

Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, Edmonton Oilers Post Game Report, NHL

BLH Post Gamer G23 Oilers VS Red Wings: Crumblin’ Down

The Oilers picked up a loser’s point tonight and it was well deserved. Their play from the last game versus the Hurricanes overflowed into the first period of this one in Detroit and even though they made a helluva push to comeback on the road, they lost another one goal game.

I think we’re going to do this post gamer in point form as I missed parts of it due to work.

Iiro the Hero got a couple tonight but it wasn’t enough. Photo courtesy of Dave Reginek.
  • The Oilers grip on the 1st overall selection in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft is Hulk-like but there’s a part of me that believes this is the bed Peter Chiarelli made and now he’s got to sleep in it. Yet, the other part reminds me that Kevin Lowe, Steve Tambellini, and Craig MacTavish bought the bed from Ikea, assembled it and selected the bedding for it; so maybe it’s time to head on over to Old Man Comrie’s place and get a new bed.
  • The best players in the game weren’t the ones in the top six. The best players were the players in the
    Huge Thanksgiving weekend SALE going on at the merch shop! Click the pic and grab some 16-bit Superstars swag for up to 30% Off!

    bottom six. Lander, Pakarinen, Hendricks, Letestu, and Korpikoski were tenacious as hell. I was really jacked to see Iiro the Hero get not only one goal but two due to his wicked work ethic. Now Nuge and Hall and Draisaitl all had their moments but it was the Scandinavians that tested the Red Wings defense with their blazing forecheck.

  • Are the refs blind? Did Taylor Hall magically make his mouth bleed? Did Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ stick break in half on its own accord? I mean there were countless calls that were missed AGAIN! But that’s how she goes, right boys?
  • So much for Mark Fayne not making himself visible in the highlights… Remenda had a field day with him on that Larkin goal.
  • Is it fair to assume that just because something worked last season, with a different coach mind you, that it might not work this year? ie: 67-93-14 or Anton Lander…
  • A bit of talk going on right now that maybe the Oilers should move out some of their “soft-skilled” guys like Nuge and Eberle and bring in some players that will make a difference when things aren’t going their way on the scoresheet. To add to that, Bob Stauffer played a clip of Todd McLellan talking about his days in Detroit and he said the best of the four years was the year the team was its grittiest NOT the year where they had the best players. That is pretty telling.But even if the Oilers wanted to move out a Nuge or an Eberle, is right now the time to do it? I mean more specifically in the case of Nuge. Do you really want to move out the team’s best center for help on D? There’s literally no depth beyond him. Draisaitl is more or less a rookie, McDavid won’t be back until the new year, Lander can’t score and Letestu can’t score either.
  • Ference played not even 5 minutes… What’s the point? honestly. They scratched Gazdic so Ference could get just over 4 minutes of ice-time? Has someone sat down with Andrew and had “The Talk” yet?

The main stream media has their knives out now! Check out these tweets coming from some of the most respected journalists connected to the Oilers. Apart from Dennis King of course, who’s the man when it comes to Oilogosphere icons. Or should I say… The King…

https://twitter.com/nhlbymatty/status/670472640281370624

Next up are the Pittsburgh Penguins and I predicted that would be a loss for the Oilers but I’m iffy on that decision now. Justin Schultz is scheduled to return so I reckon that means bye bye Griffin Reinhart. F-me is Andrew Ference’s stubbornness really throwing a wrench into the cogs of the defence. But if I were in his shows I’d probably milk the team for all it’s worth too.

The Pens are starting their backup, so this will be the 2nd time the Oilers face Jeff Zatkoff. Last time he and his posts got the best of Edmonton but Evgeni Malkin is on a tear right now. Not sure if we’ll see Crosby or not after he was nearly decaptitated by Brandon Dubinksy… Now is that a guy you’d love to have on the Oilers? Dubinksy I mean. Is he the kind of player that McLellan is talking about? Gritty, knows what it takes when things aren’t going the team’s way… Can provide something apart from silky mitts. I wonder…

Until then! Take Care of yourself and drive safely!

BLH

Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Ryan Robinson

Oilers Still in on Hamonic?

6 Comments
Is Hamonic coming to Edmonton or what?! The suspense is killing me!

According to this tweet from Chris Nichols, who I highly recommend if you’re into NHL insider highlights, and via Elliotte Friedman; the Edmonton Oilers are apparently still in the Travis Hamonic sweepstakes. One would think things have simmered down since last week, wouldn’t they?

https://twitter.com/nicholsonhockey/status/670330428318846976

Well friend of the blog Ryan Robinson laid out his thoughts in his most recent vlog below. Check it out and I’m going to comment on his thoughts below!

Comments on Mr.Robinson’s vlog:

  • “I don’t believe that Edmonton has a desperate need to trade for him (Hamonic)”
    • The Oilers lack a two-way RIGHT HANDED defenceman in the mold of Hamonic. So I strongly disagree with this sentiment. Not only that but he’s not a spring chicken and he’s capable of playing a shut down role and 20+ minutes per night.
  • “The main problem I see with it (defense) is that it’s young.”
    • So by this sentiment, wouldn’t you want to acquire an older player?
  • “This is the core that the Oilers should be building around: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, Darnell Nurse, and Oscar Klefbom.”
    • I like this core but given what Hall is bringing to the table right now, you definitely keep him in the core because he is not a complimentary player, he’s a driver. Eberle and Yak are complimentary wingers thus expendable. Not only that but his contract is an absolute steal.

What I come away with is that Mr.Robinson isn’t willing to part with Hall, Eberle, or Yakupov at the beginning of his vlog (surely they’d fall under the title of “talented young forwards”) but then at the end those players don’t fit into the core of his team and trading Hall for Hamonic would be a massive overpayment… So would he be willing to trade Eberle, as many are suggesting, or a healthy and producing Nail Yakupov? I’m so confused…

In order to acquire talent, one has to be willing to part with talent, no?

I get the feeling that Ryan is willing to be patient with this squad and I respect that and I also get that Nurse is going to be a top 20 defender within the next three years but it’s all but guaranteed that Peter Chiarelli is far from willing to wait 2-3 three years for that nor are the fans of the team.

Lastly, how many years of Connor McDavid’s entry level deal are you willing to waste waiting for Reinhart, Davidson, Klefbom, and Nurse to develop to their potential?

What are your thoughts on the vlog? Let me know in the comments below!

 

We’ve got phone cases over at the Beer League Heroes Merch Shop now! You can find them at the bottom of the the page when you click on a t-shirt design! Head on over and get one today!

 

An Ovi phone case is just as sweet!
Click the pic and grab a 16-Bit Stammer phone case today!
Protect your phone with the magnificence of 16-Bit McDavid!
Don’t let your phone get Bennetrated!
Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Zach Laing

Oilers vs Red Wings Preview – The Injury Bug Blues

TALE OF THE TAPE:

Game: Edmonton Oilers (7-14-1) vs Detroit Red Wings (11-8-3)

Location: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit

Time: 5:30 PM MT

Where to find it: TV: Sportsnet West – Radio: 630 CHED

Edmonton Oilers Preview:

It’s been a busy few days in Oil Country. Two nights ago, the Oilers lost a stinker against a team that they should’ve really beat. The Hurricanes suck, and too many Oilers took the night off.

None the less, the true story came when Nail Yakupov got RKO’d by linesman Mike McPherson:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyPIkB1nT4k]

Fortunately, the injury isn’t major and Nail will only be out for 2-4 weeks with what is being called a sprained ankle. A certain sigh of relief as that could’ve been an injury that was much, much more serious.

In lieu of Yakupov’s injury, the Oilers made the move to recall 21-year old Jujhar Khaira. The 2012 3rd round draft pick is in the midst of his 2nd season in the AHL. Last year with the OKC Barons, he scored 10 points in 51 games. However this year he is off to a great start scoring 7 points in the teams first 16 games. At 6’3, 215 lbs I hope that his progression continues, and I think there is a good chance we could see him as a regular in the Oilers lineup as soon as next season. It is unknown if we will see Kharia draw into the lineup tonight against the Wings.

Khaira had another strong game against Texas, playing a simple power hockey game: get the puck, dump it in, go hard after it, win it, protect it, try to make a play.

Khaira’s linemate, the massive Russian Bogdan Yakimov, would be wise to adopt this simple strategy. Too often Yakimov loses the puck trying to stickhandle it into the zone. He’ll never make the NHL that way. He’s got to make it as a grinder with some skill, not as a skill guy who grinds occasionally, just like Khaira evidently intends to make it. – David Staples, Oct. 30th

Last time the two teams met was on October 22nd of this year and the Oilers scored two in the 2nd period to win 3-1. The team will look to replicate that success again tonight at the Joe Louis Arena.

This Oiler group has been a little bit all over the place. Connor McDavid, Justin Schultz, Rob Klinkhammer and Nail Yakupov all are suffering from a variety of ailments, and this season is starting to look a lot like seasons past. According to Man Games Lost, the Oilers are facing the greatest cumulative impact of injured players in the NHL. We are cursed I tell you, CURSED!

Tonight, Cam Talbot gets the start.

The Otherside:

Pavel Datsyuk scored his 300th NHL goal during a 3-2 overtime loss to the Bruins Wednesday. He has been playing on a line with Brad Richards and Teemu Pulkkinen. “You know Richards is a good player; he can just handle a pass, the puck, and he can shoot and make a play,” Datsyuk said. “Same with Pulkkinen … when you use him as a shooter, it’s kind of make it happen.” The Red Wings (3-0-2), who will play the second of a five-game homestand, have earned at least a point in each of their past five games. Goalies Petr Mrazek and Jimmy Howard alternated for 10 games between Oct. 27 and Nov. 16, but Mrazek has started three of the past four games. Mrazek made saves on 19 of 22 shots Wednesday. –nhl.com

 

Line Combos and Starting Goalies c/o Daily Faceoff:

Oilers (Cam Talbot):

 
Red Wings (Jimmy Howard):

Any ideas on how to improve my game previews? Send me an email at zjlaing@gmail.com.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFbaiMS73Ec]

 

Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, NHL

BLH’s 2015/16 NHL All-Star Rosters

Will we see another Oiler phenom walk away with the All-Star Game MVP?

Well what a slow week it’s been here at BLH. With the site’s servers going all wonky and not a whole lot going on in the Oilogosphere worth writing about, weeks like this are bound to happen. But I think we should kick start your heart with a bit of NHL All-Star speculation!

Whilst the game isn’t until January 31st I still find it fun to pontificate on who might be selected to this year’s rosters and given the changes that will take place this year, it’s bound to be a ridiculously entertaining affair. A three-on-three tourney between the divisions with a million bucks on the line is just what the doctor ordered!

So the selection process goes as follows, fans will get to vote for each division’s captain. From there the NHL’s hockey operations department will fill out the rest of the roster. Every team must be represented.

Without further ado, let’s get stuck in!

ATLANTIC DIVISION

Jack Eichel simply hasn’t done enough to get an invite and I’m torn between Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk out of Detroit. A super longshot might be James Reimer because if he can continue to play like he is now, he most definitely should be on this roster. And yes, old man Jagr is going to make the cut!

METROPOLITAN DIVISION

  • Justin Faulk – Carolina Hurricanes
  • John Carlson – Washington Capitals
  • Kris Letang – Pittsburgh Penguins

No Crosby this year which will be kind of odd. Kuznetsov is having a breakout campaign as well. I took the most entertaining guy out of Columbus in Saad. I guess it couldn’t been any one of Johansen, Hartnell, Jenner or Saad but I think Saad would be more suited to the 3v3 format. If I had my way there wouldn’t be one New Jersey Devil or Carolina Hurricane on the team. They are simply no players good enough on either team for the All-Star game.

CENTRAL DIVISION

No Toews, Panarin, Keith or Crawford which is a shame. Dubnyk is quietly having another good season for Minnesota and just to rub it into Oilers fans and former management types… He’ll add All-Star to Vezina finalist since leaving Edmonton.

PACIFIC DIVISION

  • Jonathan Quick – Los Angeles Kings
  • Martin Jones – San Jose Sharks

That’s right! Connor McDavid will be an All-Star this season. The NHL has already lost mega bucks on this collar bone injury and you can be damned sure there not going to miss out on this opportunity. He’ll be back a few weeks prior to the event, so there’s no worries there. I only picked Getzlaf because I think he’s coming around and there’s nobody else on the Ducks I find worthy of playing in the annual game of shinny.

Do you like my selections? Who would you pick? Let me know in the comments below!

Have a great day!

BLH

Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, Edmonton Oilers Post Game Report, NHL

BLH Post Gamer G22 Oilers VS. Hurricanes: Yak Attacked by Zebra!

1 Comment
Photo courtesy of Gregg Forwerck.

The Carolina Hurricanes band of blue collar heroes took it to the Oilers tonight and tuned the boys in 4-1! I think this is a team that the Oilers should’ve beaten but I guess that either shows my ignorance to a team that is higher in the standings or the Oilers really played like crap.

https://twitter.com/cayman109/status/669695412958199808

From what I watched, the Oilers were 2nd best in every every aspect. They weren’t winning the puck battles, they weren’t making passes, they’re zone entries were horrible and they couldn’t keep the puck in the Hurricanes zone for any sustained periods of time. And when the puck was in the Oilers zone they were having a helluva time trying to get it out.

https://twitter.com/EdmontonOilers/status/669686824520945664/photo/1

Then Yak get’s clipped by the ref. Mercy killing is the way I see it. He’s done NOTHING since McDavid went down and I think the break he’ll get here will allow him to get his nerves in check, relax and just take a break from all the criticism he’s been taking.

Who’ll be recalled to replace Yak? It’s not like the Oilers have a lot of scoring depth in Bakersfield. I’d argue

Darnell Nurse is heating up! Grab a shirt or Hoodie and let him keep you warm too! Click the pic and get your 16-Bit Superstar shirt today!

that they bring in someone who is going to work his ass off and play physical. Someone to compliment Hendricks and Letestu. What about Moroz, Yakimov, or Hamilton? Or will it be Andrew Miller again? I’m thinking that Slepyshev could be an option but I’d like to see him spend some more time in the AHL. I’m curious to see Braden Christoffer again.

Is there a silver lining to the game? Taylor Hall and Leon Draisaitl were trying their damndest to spark some sort of offence for the Oilers and it looked like Jordan Eberle was really fired up in the third period. Darnell Nurse also looked good to my eye. The Oilers are lucky to have such high end prospects but the only problem with that is the time it takes for them to reach their potential.

Next up are the Detroit Red Wings. They’re 6-3-1 in their last 10 but they’re only .500 at home. So that’s a positive! Hopefully the boys can get back to the form they displayed versus the Capitals just a few days prior.

If you’re the fancy stats type, our beloved Walter Foddis does the post-game fancies and shares them with everyone. Check ’em out! Looks like the numbers are in agreement. The Oilers played like a steaming pile of chili poo!

Lastly, is it wrong to hope for some moves to be made? And by moves I mean trades. We know that Jultz is coming back and that there are too many defencemen on the current roster, so somebody will be moved. If we’re to go by Griffin Reinhart’s play tonight, I’d say his ticket to Bakersfield is already printed but that would be a huge kick in the balls to Chiarelli who more or less stuck his neck out for him at the draft when he told everyone that Reinhart would be on the Oilers this season.

What do you think? What moves should the Oilers be looking at coming up here! Let me know in the comments below!

Take care and please drive safe as Old Man Winter settles in. There’s no excuse to be driving like a maniac when the roads are in bad shape. Better safe that sorry.

BLH