Category Archives: Rob Cooke

Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rob Cooke, Trades

Good Wood: A Defenseman for the Oilers

The Oilers are going to play a red-hot Columbus Blue Jackets tonight and I think they might get the two points. But that’s not the only thing on my mind today…

NHL draft and prospect guru Corey Pronman recently posted an interesting tweet that got my headbone churning. It was a list of the top 20-year-old point scorers in the AHL and atop said list was a defenseman out of the Arizona organization surnamed “Wood”.

https://twitter.com/coreypronman/status/815748202943184897

I’ll be honest, I had no bloody clue who this kid was but the reason I decided to dig into him is because he was a d-man piling up the points as a rookie in the AHL. The most immediate question that came to mind was, is he right-handed?… YES! The next question was, did he have size. YES! And that sealed the deal, an article was to be posted detailing this 20-year old rearguard.

I mean honestly, if you’re looking at the Oilers depth chart, what position are they in dire need of upgrading? Right-shot players I’d say and one that plays defense is the cherry on top.

At the moment the right-side defense’s depth chart looks something like this (please let me know if I’ve left anybody out):

  • Adam Larsson (NHL)
  • Matt Benning (NHL)
  • Eric Gryba (NHL)
  • Mark Fayne (AHL)
  • Ethan Bear (WHL)
  • Filip Berglund (SHL)
  • John Marino (NCAA)
  • Vincent Desharnais (NCAA)

So they way I see it, Fayne and Gryba will most likely be gone sooner than later. Ethan Bear will need a season or two in the AHL, Filip Berglund probably won’t come over until he’s at least 21; and John Marino and Vincent Desharnais are probably long shots at playing a game in the NHL.

On top of that, the Oilers AHL club has so many left-handed dmen that they moved Joey  Laleggia to forward and are using Mark Fayne and another fella named Bryce Aneloski (I don’t know who he is either). They could use some help down there.

So that’s why the Oilers should be looking into the availability of Kyle Wood. He’s 3rd in AHL rookie scoring, 4th in points for a defenseman, and sits in 18th place overall for scoring in the entire league. Not too shabby, if you ask me.

Sir McDavid takes on Kyle Wood back in their OHL days.

Kyle Wood

Born: May 4th, 1995
Birthplace, Waterloo, ON, Canada
Age:20
Position: Defense
Shoots: Right
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 209lbs
Drafted: 3rd round #84 by Colorado in 2014

Kyle Wood was originally a pick by the Colorado Avalanche but the Arizona Coyotes acquired him as part of the package for Mikkel Boedker and he is rapidly making a name for himself in Arizona.

Wood’s stats are pretty damned good for a player who wasn’t known to bring much offense to the table coming out of junior. Here are some quotes regarding Mr.Wood that will help shed some light on the player he was in junior and is now as a pro in Tuscon.

“At 6’5, 230lbs, he has the size to cause scouts to salivate. And he actually moves decently well for a big man. He’s also a physical player who is already very tough to play against in the corners. As time goes on, he’ll become quite a defensive force. Offensively, he’s actually surprisingly effective. He can lead the rush and he’s been quarterbacking the Battalion 2nd powerplay unit.” – Brock Otten (source)

“He’s obviously a big kid but one of the things our scouts liked about him is that he was willing to move pucks under pressure. He’s calm and makes a good first pass; he doesn’t seem to get rattled easily.” Jim Playfair, ARI Asst. Coach (source)

“Towering over other players, Wood can be mistaken for a pure defensive defenseman but that is not the case. Wood has an underrated offensive game and was the second power play unit’s quarterback for his junior team. He uses his size well and to his advantage. Teammates love having him on the back end and opposing players hate going up against him.” – Hockey’s Future (source)

“Wood is a big defenseman who has shown solid two-way potential.  He has great size that he uses to his advantage, and an above average hockey IQ.  The book on him is a little lacking because he missed the first half of the season due to injury, but Wood will most likely be a solid defender for North Bay in the future with a very solid chance to make it at the NHL level.” – Shane O’Donnell (source)

The Shot

“He’s got a heavy shot, and learned to shoot it when he’s supposed to,” Samuelsson added. “But he’s got the hardest one-time I’ve seen, so it’s been nice to see him score a lot. It’s hard and it’s accurate, so it’s good to have on the power play for sure.” – Henrik Samuelsson

“When you see him loading up, it’s time to get out of the way and let him shoot,” Perlini joked. “I just try to give him a good lane because I’m in front of the net because it’s obviously coming in fast, so if I get a little screen on the goalie, he can wire it.” – Brendan Perlini

“He shoots the puck like Shea Weber,” continued Lamb. “That’s who he shoots it like. He’s a big, right-hand D that is skating.”

Where a lot of Wood’s points have come from is the Roadrunners’ deadly top power play unit, which has been the most productive power play unit in the entire league by far, cashing in on 31.3% (21-of-67) of their man-advantages. – Jason Bartel

(source)

Say What?! A shot like Shea Weber?… Well that sort of does it for me. Wood has the size, the skating, the hockey IQ, and he puts up some pretty rad numbers on the PP. Now, we know that the Oilers are looking for both size AND a shot for their PP. Wouldn’t this kid fit the bill?

Wouldn’t this kid fit the bill? I should ask though, is he more Shea Weber or Cody Franson?

The alternative to Kyle Wood would be to pick up Michael Stone from the Coyotes. The soon-to-be UFA right-handed defenseman is sure to be a playoff pickup for some NHL team but I know that the Oilers have been barking up this tree all season. This scenario is much more likely unless the Edmonton could offer the Coyotes something they couldn’t refuse for Kyle Wood. The old Griffin Reinhart + Benny Pouliot offer isn’t likely to tempt Mr.Chayka.

What would you offer the Coyotes for Kyle Wood or Michael Stone? Let us know in the comments below!

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Edmonton Oilers, Edmonton Oilers Post Game Report, Rob Cooke

G9: Oilers v. Canucks Post Game Wrap-up

Here we sit, roughly 15 minutes before game number nine of the season and I can’t help but think about how much things have changed. We all knew that Connor was a true phenom and would change the Oilers all by himself but how many predicted that the change would be so dramatic and fast? I sure as hell did not! I expected improvement but not top of the western conference 10% of the way through the year.

After two shut-outs in the last three games I think the vast majority of Oiler fans are expecting another win tonight for the guys and if I was inclined to disagree, I’m not, by the way, I would be hard pressed to mount much of an argument in my favor.

I’m not expecting a blowout but I do think Edmonton is clearly the better team here and will win the 6th straight game to finish October with an 8-1 record. We are about two and a half hours from finding out either way! Craig Andersen returned to the Senators line-up after taking a short leave of absence to be with his ill wife. Best of luck to both of them as they continue through treatment and recovery.

Through the first twenty minutes the Oilers and Senators have not managed to bulge the twine in either net. In the period the Oilers were the better team for the most part. Except when they had the man advantage. Only managing two shots in six minutes of power-play time. On the plus side, the Oilers lead in shots, 7 to 4, in hits, 9 to 8, and are killing it in the face-off circle going 12-3 in the opening frame.

Connor, as always, had a couple good moments in the period. First, he stormed through basically the entire Senators team, going around Erik Karlsson-like he was standing still for a wrap around attempt. Then later in the period he drew the third power-play when he caught Derrick Brassard flat-footed in the neutral zone and made a nice move to the inside. That forced Brassard to take the hooking penalty.

Only other item of note in the first was a very minor fight between Zach Kassian and Mark Borowiecki. Wouldn’t say there was a winner or loser but Kassian was the only one to land a punch in the fight… Still goes down as a disappointing draw.

The second period proved little better as far as game action was concerned. The Nuge made a fantastic move that I am still not quite sure how he pulled off. He had two defenders all over him and he still managed to extract himself and the puck for a clear straight shot on the net. Unfortunately for the Oilers that was their best chance of the middle frame.

Ottawa scored the only goal of the game near the mid-way mark of the middle period off of some nice board work from Kyle Turris and Tom Pyatt. The result was a fantastic behind the back out front of the Oiler net to Mike Hoffman who beat Talbot short side to light the lamp.

The second ended with little else happening in the way of action and the Oilers went into the third period trailing for the first time this season, excluding the blow-out loss to Buffalo back in game three.

I read somewhere a few weeks back, I believe from Lowetide, that there are 25 games you will win no matter what and 25 you will lose no matter what. The rest are what make the difference between the play-offs and golfing early. Last night’s was one of the 25 that you lose no matter what.

Edmonton clearly was the better team on the night but there was zero chance that anything was getting past Craig Andersen in his first game back. The Oilers fired a ton of rubber at him in the third but to no avail. This was pre-destined. Andersen was on fire and when he did seem to be in some kind of trouble his defense cleared the puck out of danger quickly.

Hard to get too down on the game when Edmonton was playing fairly well against the boring trap coached Senators but it just wasn’t in the stars last night. Thankfully the next game is against the much-maligned Toronto Maple Leafs and I fully expect the Oilers to come out flying. Especially Connor McDavid, who will likely be playing in front of a lot of friends and family, after being held off the score sheet last night for the third time. I almost feel bad for what he will do to his hometown team tomorrow night.

The thing that fans need to remember is that one game does not make a season. We still have 73 left to go and there will be losses. Of that, we can be sure. How the guys respond Tuesday is the next big test for us. What happens Oilers fans? Let us know in the comments!

Cheers,

Rob

Edmonton Oilers, Edmonton Oilers Post Game Report, NHL, Rob Cooke

Game 2 Post Gamer: Flames v. Oilers – McHero

This is my first post in a very long time, and what better way to get back in the groove than recapping the action from the second round of the battle of Alberta? I am stoked for the new beginning that the season brings and I feel some genuine enthusiasm for the first time in a long time. We all know the moves that were made throughout the off season so no need to cover old material. I intend to write this post period by period, meaning that I will do the write up as the game takes place. So if you are expecting the final score in the first paragraph that isn’t going to be happening tonight. Back with more after the first period ends folks.

*Just a quick note before the puck drop. The opening night show at Roger’s was much better than what I’d seen from the Flames organization. Looked like a 90’s laser show… Really disappointing after the amazing show on the ice at the Oilers new digs. Although the short moment of the silence for recently deceased former Alberta Premier, Jim Prentice was a nice touch.*

FIRST PERIOD

The Flames came out flying as was to be expected and opened the scoring a little under two minutes into the period to take the 1 to 0 lead. Both teams were getting their chances and it has been fast and furious for the first 10 minutes of the period. Our savior, Captain Connor nearly tied the game on a partial break but was foiled by Brian Elliot on not one but two shots. A few minutes later Connor went in on a clear breakaway and this time did not disappoint the Oilers faithful going top shelf glove side on Elliot with a beauty of a backhand shot.

Oilers have been vastly outshot to this point of the period but have started to control the play a fair bit more than at the start of the period. And just like that the Flames storm back and regain the lead off of a shot from Frolik that Talbot clearly didn’t see until it was coming out of his net. Benoit Pouliot took the first penalty of the game, being called for interference with right around eight minutes remaining in the period.

The penalty kill was up to the challenge however and never looked to be in serious damage of giving up the goal. Nice to have Anton Lander in the game tonight if for no other reason than his PK and face-off abilities. With a little under four minutes remaining in the first the Flames are clearly the controlling team thus far in the game and are still out shooting the Oilers by nearly double. At the end of the period, the shots stand at 24 to 12 for the Flames. The game was not nearly as lopsided as the shot totals might indicate however. Cam Talbot played fairly well and seemed to be a little bit calmer than he was in the home opener on Wednesday. I anticipate the Oil will come out a bit hungrier to start the second and this game will go down to the wire people. More after the second.

SECOND PERIOD

To start the second period it looks like McDavid is definitely motivated along with the rest of the team as they come out flying for the first two minutes before a Calgary Flames penalty brought play to a halt. With the man advantage the Oilers did very little and managed only two shots and neither from a dangerous area. Edmonton is really going to have to work on the special teams if they expect to win many games this season. With the firepower this team has, it should be academic for the most part.

The second power play for Edmonton was vastly different from the first attempt tonight and the boys were on point and controlled the puck in the offensive zone for the entire time until Ebs managed to net his second goal of the season, first of the game, from Draisaitl and McDavid. To not be out done, Benoit Pouliot takes his second penalty of the game, yet another bone-headed interference call 200 feet from his own net. For the life of me, I will never understand his habit of taking offensive zone penalties.

The duo of Anton Lander and Mark Letestu look really good on the PK as is expected from bother players. I like seeing Nuge out there short-handed as well as he applies tremendous pressure to the opposition and could end up popping a shortie for us with that style of play. Dennis (ref killer) Wideman tried to draw a third power play with some truly horrendous acting off a Tyler Pitlick and thankfully the refs seen right through that for a change.

The third penalty for the Oilers is another uneventful kill for the most part all things considered and the game remains tied at the halfway point of the second and beyond. Both teams are playing a fast entertaining game to this point and it doesn’t appear that is going to change at any point soon. Nuge has been flying throughout the second and has been one of the more noticeable Oilers not named McDavid. Oilers to the man advantage again and controlled play for the most part during the two minutes but could not manage to light the lamp mostly due to some nice shot blocking by the Flames.

The remainder of the period was fairly uneventful while still remaining up-tempo and physical. Good game by both squads in the middle frame. Looking forward to seeing what Connor and company have in stock for us in the third.

THIRD PERIOD

The third is underway and the Oilers start the same way as in the second. The McDavid line gains control of the puck and controls play in the offensive zone until the first whistle. Effective cycling by the second line leads to the first power play of the third period thanks to Monahan sitting in the sin bin for two minutes or less. The Oilers take their first lead of the game on the power play thanks to some beautiful passing from both Connor and Lucic in setting up Leon Draisaitl for a very easy tap in.

The power play looks vastly different from game one and has been very effective to this point tonight.

Connor is heading to the change room thanks to an errant stick from TJ Brodie. I would imagine he will return after repairs. Didn’t look overly serious. Nuge takes an uncharacteristic penalty and the Flames are headed back to the power play trailing by one.I can’t say enough good things about how good Letestu and Lander have been tonight on the penalty kill. Just really solid defensive zone play from both of them.

Mark Letestu with a tremendous effort as he pokes the puck away from the Flames and heads in on a short-handed breakaway and buries it. Oilers now lead the game 4 to 2 and are rolling, not allowing any shots against on the penalty kill.

Shortly after our favorite player draws a tripping penalty on Mark Giordano but for some insane reason, the ref calls the embellishment diving penalty on Connor.  With 34 seconds remaining in the off-setting minors Jordan Eberle takes a neutral zone tripping penalty. Calgary controlling the play with the man advantage but still not generating much in the way of scoring chances.

With less than nine minutes remaining I would expect a lot more urgency from Calgary than what we have seen on this power play. Edmonton kills the penalty and shortly after Calgary scores from the left side when Jokipakka, or whatever his name is, fires a wrist shot off the end of Tyler Pitlick’s stick and over the glove of Talbot. Flames are really coming on at this point and Edmonton is working hard to protect their one goal lead. 4 minutes remaining and the Oil seem to have weathered the storm and the game is back to a bit more back and forth play giving them some

4 minutes remaining and the Oil seem to have weathered the storm and the game is back to a bit more back and forth play giving them some much-needed breathing room. All Flames now with 2:12 to remain and the Oilers are hanging on by the seat of their pants. Talbot still appears quite calm and manages to halt the play, gloving the puck up high off the glass. The Flames have the

All Flames now with 2:12 to remain and the Oilers are hanging on by the seat of their pants. Talbot still appears quite calm and manages to halt the play, gloving the puck up high off the glass. The Flames have the extra attacker with the net empty. Milan Lucic with some fantastic work along the boards to send Leon Draisaitl in alone on the empty net to take back their two-goal lead.

Thanks to some great work on the penalty kill and power play the Oilers win the second installment of the battle. Overall Edmonton played a good game and didn’t get discouraged like in seasons past when the opposition scored to take an early lead. This appears to be a different team but in reality, this was a game against a team that most predict to be out of the playoffs again this season. We will reserve judgment for later next week when we face some stiffer competition but through 120 minutes we are happy fans! On top of having a good couple of games to start the season is the four huge points against a western conference rival!  These could be vital come late March and early April. I know that is getting ahead of things but that is big picture thinking. Thinking small picture, the Oilers defense has looked vastly improved over last season, albeit in a very small sample size. The addition of Russel has been awesome so far and he has played very well against his former team through two games. All around the defense just seems steadier and in a lot better position than previously seen. Our forwards are rolling with Connor having back to back three point nights, Leon Draisaitl matched that with three points of his own tonight with two goals and an apple. Next game is Sunday for the season opener for Sportsnet Hometown Hockey against the

On top of having a good couple of games to start the season is the four huge points against a western conference rival!  These could be vital come late March and early April. I know that is getting ahead of things but that is big picture thinking. Thinking small picture, the Oilers defense has looked vastly improved over last season, albeit in a very small sample size. The addition of Russel has been awesome so far and he has played very well against his former team through two games. All around the defense just seems steadier and in a lot better position than previously seen. Our forwards are rolling with Connor having back to back three point nights, Leon Draisaitl matched that with three points of his own tonight with two goals and an apple. Next game is Sunday for the season opener for Sportsnet Hometown Hockey against the

Thinking small picture, the Oilers defense has looked vastly improved over last season, albeit in a very small sample size. The addition of Russel has been awesome so far and he has played very well against his former team through two games. All around the defense just seems steadier and in a lot better position than previously seen. Our forwards are rolling with Connor having back to back three point nights, Leon Draisaitl matched that with three points of his own tonight with two goals and an apple. Next game is Sunday for the season opener for Sportsnet Hometown Hockey against the

Next game is Sunday for the season opener for Sportsnet Hometown Hockey against the much-maligned Buffalo Sabres, losing Jack Eichel to a sprained ankle prior to the season opener and Evander Kane cracked three ribs in the season opener. Well, at least the night clubs should be a little quieter with Evander on the mend. Should be a good tilt and hopefully, the good guys can come away with another two points.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvcOg5Sgpxs

MY THREE STARS

  1. Connor McDavid – he led the attack the entire night and was instrumental in the big win.
  2. Leon Draisaitl – Scored twice including one on the power play and an empty netter. Added an assist and was 11 for 16 in the faceoff circle.
  3. Kris Russel – notched his third assist of the early season and was solid defensively all night. A tremendous pickup.

Who are your three stars of the game and how long do you think we can keep the win streak going? let us know in the comments.

 

Click the pic and grab a 16-bit McDavid tee for the summer!

 

Breaking News, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rob Cooke

NHL Awards 2016

The 2016 NHL Awards is about to get underway momentarily and I am here to give you the highlights of the show and my take on the winners. This blog will be frequently updated through-out the evening so come back often and get the latest.

Before the show gets started I want to offer up congratulations to Bill Foley and his new Las Vegas franchise! Great stuff, if for no other reason that it should at least guarantee that our beloved Oilers don’t finish dead last again in 2017-18! Superb!

The first award of the evening is the Calder and the award that all the Edmonton Oilers fans are interested! The three finalists are our own, Connor McDavid, Shane Gostisbehere and the senior citizen Artemi Panarin. Of course the award has gone to the old man. Not taking anything away from the season that Panarin had but let’s be serious folks. Connor is the best player to enter the league in over a decade, if not longer!

Don’t worry about it Connor, there is always the Art Ross and Hart trophy you will win next year!

Am I the only one that is completely over Tony X? Good to see the NHL trying to grow the game and bring in new fans but enough is enough as far as I’m concerned! Just let it go people.

Ted Lindsay Award is up now. The three nominees are Patrick Kane, Jamie Benn, and Braden Holtby. If I am voting my choice is Patty Kane folks, and I suspect that will be the final result as well.  And the winner is??? Patrick Kane, adding to his already impressive trophy case. Don’t forget folks, Kaner is the Art Ross winner this year as well!

Up next we have magician duo Penn and Teller for what I am not exactly sure. Watching their predictions they are making for the upcoming Las Vegas franchise is painful. Nominees for the GM of the year award are Jim Nill, Jim Rutherford and Washington’s, McLellan. No surprise here folks but Rutherford walks away with the hardware after his team wrapped up the Stanley Cup little over a week ago. Can’t say as this surprises me at all. I’m just thankful that Penn or Teller, whichever one never shuts up, is done talking!

The Bill Masterton trophy is up next. The three nominees this year are recently retired, Pascal Dupuis, Matt Zuccerello and the legendary Jaromir Jagr. Jagr wins! That to me is the first surprise of the evening. Jagr is a tremendous competitor but in my opinion this award was Dupuis’ or Zucc’s. Both returned from possible career ending injury or illness and although Duper retired I think he should have been the one being called on stage.

The Mark Messier leadership award is next. Thankfully it is presented by Moose. The three nominees for the trophy are Alex Ovechkin, Shea Weber, and John Tavares. I have no clue which way this one is going to go and really does anyone care? I mean leadership is tremendous and all but we are here for hockey awards, am I right?

The winner is Shea Weber, captain of the Nashville Predators. I guess at least this way Weber will finally win an award after being nominated for the Norris trophy three times only to lose out on all three occasions.

Moose and Tara Sloane stay on stage and get ready to present the King Clancy trophy for best community involvement or something along those lines. Henrik Sedin is the winner of the award and is obviously quite the humanitarian! Good work Sedin!!!

The NHL foundation player award is next folks. Mark Giordano, Matt Martin and PK Subban are the three nominees. This is another community service award and this years recipient is Mark Giordano! Good on you guys all for your awesome work!

Stay tuned for additional updates through out the evening folks! The awards show will continue!

 

Cheers,

Rob

 

 

Edmonton Oilers, Edmonton Oilers Post Game Report, NHL, Rob Cooke

BLH Post Gamer: G2 – Edmonton Oilers vs Nashville Predators

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The second game of the 2015/16 season is in the books and the boys are still in search of their first win. The game was another Western conference match-up The Edmonton Oilers vs Nashville Predators was the second of a three game road-trip to start the season. The game started roughly the same as Thursdays contest with our guys needing the first few minutes to get their legs moving. That is definitely a habit that Todd McLellan and his coaching staff will need to rectify in one heck of a hurry.

In the first period the Oilers were out shot eight to four and couldn’t get a lot going in the offensive zone. This is a trend that I don’t see continuing. Edmonton will eventually find their game and the offense will come. It just depends on how long it is going to take to happen. After the first the Oilers took control of the game for the final forty minutes. They out-shot the Predators 23 to 12 in the final two frames and had the lions share of scoring chances to my eye.

Unfortunately the scoring chances that are important are the two that Nashville managed to convert on. The game winning goal scored late in the second period was one that never should have happened. There is no way that Andrej Sekera should have chosen to use a half-assed hip check instead of playing the puck or taking the body. That goal against is on him entirely, if the team is going to continue to give the opposition free rein in our zone then they are going to make us pay for it.

The second goal was actually even worse than the first. I have two issues with said goal. First why the hell would Ference attempt the rebound off the boards like that instead of just hammering it around the boards to keep it out of the danger area? That is a pretty bad rookie mistake. Secondly what was Todd McLellan thinking when he dressed Ference in the first place? I get that they need to see what he really has left in the tank but what on God’s green earth would possess Todd to take out arguably the best defender we had in-game one in favour of the elder statesman? Can anyone answer me that one?

Cam Talbot has arrived as advertised and has kept both games a lot closer than most would have predicted they would be. On every goal he has allowed this season there has been some sort of additional factor that places the blame squarely on someone else’s shoulder. He looks legit and I am very stoked to have him here!

Last game Madison unveiled the Three Beer League Heroes of the game and as such I will continue the trend.

  1. Pekka Rinne – The guy had a 31 save shut-out. What else needs to be said. He is one of the five best goalies in the league and he showed it tonight folks.
  2. Taylor Hall –  I know a lot of people have deemed Hallsy as the goat this season but for me he was flying tonight. He had nine shots on the night and nearly set up the equalizer on the waived off RNH goal in the third. He led the team with 24:18 played and had a couple of seconds over six minutes on the power-play.
  3. Filip Forsberg – Scored the second Predators goal on an errant pass from Andrew Ference. At least I think it was supposed to be a pass, not exactly sure what Andy was doing there.

Along with the Three Heroes of the night we are also giving out the much-anticipated golden plunger. This revered porcelain powerhouse is given out to the one player that best exemplified someone going number two.

Tonight I fully want to give this award to Andrew Ference for his complete lapse in judgement that resulted in the second goal against but I am having a very hard time looking past the play of our supposed top defender, Andrej Sekera. We all know that Ference didn’t play well but who really expected him to? Sekera on the other hand was brought in because he was supposed to lead the defense until players like Nurse and Klefbom prove ready to take the reins. The first goal was entirely on him and had he done something other than try a lame attempt at a hip check then the outcome could have been vastly different.

Again the team is improving and it is going to take time but they are heading in the right direction. Cam Talbot is keeping them in the games and that is all that we can ask for from him. We have hung in well against teams that have traditionally beaten up on our team and even pushed back some. That is music to this Oilers fan. Obviously I would like to see a different end result but it will come soon enough people.

I wrote a post on my site yesterday urging fans to keep calm. It is only the second game people and there are some very nice indicators to be sure! If you need the reassurance then head over to www.justoil.net and check it out!

Thanks for reading folks, throw me a follow on twitter, @justoil78 and let me know what you think the future will hold for the Oilers!

 

McDavid be with you!

Rob