Edmonton Oiler fans have been waiting for some time for the Battle of Alberta with the Calgary Flames to be a little more interesting, or at least more competitive. And while we’re a fair distance from the battle royales of the 80’s, the latest edition of the Battle of Alberta promises to be a good one. Considering the Oilers are currently three points behind the Flames, and both teams are trying to stay in the playoff race, there should be no shortage of motivation on both ends of the ice.
What’s Happened So Far?
The Flames currently lead the season series by two games to one, but the Oilers have been playing decent hockey of late and are due for a victory. If that’s going to happen, a number of things need to fall into place, most notably, the Oiler D will need to play way over its head. Besides the defence, there are a number of other interesting sub-plots to review.
Is Zack Ready To Do Some Damage?
The Oiler’s have needed someone to menace the opposition for sometime, and newly acquired Zack Kassian could fill the role perfectly. If he played the odd shift on the top line, opposite wee Johnny Gaudreau, and bullied him a bit, the results could lead to some dysfunction with the Flames. At any rate, Kassian cleary showed in his last outing he can capably keep up, although his cardio is still lagging a touch. Look for Kassian to make an impact, it’s games like these that the Oilers acquired Kassian for.
Time For Yak To Build Some Momentum
Nail Yakupov had a stormer of a game in his return to the line-up Thursday night against the Sharks (1 goal, lots of energy) and needs to follow it up with a repeat performance. We’ve all seen glimpses of his potential and with a good rest and recovery, he looks re-energized. If he continues to skate hard, throw the body, and shoot whenever the puck is on his stick in the O-zone, good things will happen. Personally I think Yak could add a dimension to his game by re-inventing himself as a modern-day Esa Tikkanen and shadow/check Gaudreau to ineffectiveness. Just a suggestion.
What To Expect From The Flames
Winger Michael Frolik has had three goals against the Oilers this season, but has missed 12 games due to injury. He’s a beast on the PK and highly opportunistic. The Oiler’s should be aware of him. T.J. Brodie has been an Oiler killer this year with a goal and three assists. As is standard, the Oilers will need to stay out of the box and block the point shots to limit the effectiveness of Calgary’s D.
Another Edition Of Dr. Drai vs. Sam I Am
For any true hockey people, this debate was put to rest some time ago. But then Calgary forward Sam Bennet had four goals against the Florida Panthers which has Flames’ fans fired up, thinking they have the best pick from the 2014 entry draft. Bennet is more physical, but that’s pretty much where his advantage ends. The Deutschland Dangler has the size to control the game and is a passing wizard. He’s at a point per game clip and has clearly out-played Bennett in head to head matches so far this season. There is a concern that Draisaitl is lagging a bit energy-wise going into the second half of the season, but the All-Star break will help with that. The latest installment of the Battle of Alberta will be another opportunity for Leon Draisaitl to continue to silence any critics.
Projected Lines For The Oilers
Taylor Hall Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Iro Parkarinen
Benoit Pouliot Leon Draisaitl Jordan Eberle
Teddy Purcell Mark Letestu Zack Kassian
Lauri Korpikoski Anton Lander Nail Yakupov
D – Pairings
Andrej Sekera Mark Fayne
Darnell Nurse Justin Schultz
Brandon Davison Eric Gryba
Goal – Cam Talbot
On the top-line Iiro the Hero continues to try to make the most of his opportunity on the top line while Zack Kassian looks to provide some agitation on the third line. Yakupov on the fourth line may provide an interesting dimension if he can continue to compliment Korpikoski and posibly get Lander going.
On the Defense, Schultz paired with Nurse concerns me somewhat. There is a shortage of right hand D at this time, so perhaps this is the only option. Schultz paired with anyone but a veteran steady presence is a concern to me.
Well we had a mishap of sorts over here. Mr. Robert Z. Cooke had his Season Primer all done up and we went to check it out today and it was gone. Erased from existence. Mr.Cooke is a busy man as you can imagine so we figured that I’d take a stab at it. So here we are…
Since this is primarily an Edmonton Oilers blog (meaning we’re all huge fans of the team and have been for some time) I thought it’d be prudent to do up a “quick” preview. Quick (not really) because what you need to know has more than likely already been written by writers and bloggers with infinite more talent than myself. So like the time Patrick Swayze took out Rob Lowe’s stitches in Youngblood, grab a sack of beer and sit tight because you don’t want stitches going into Thunder Bay…
THE ROSTER
Goalies: We’re heading into the 2015/16 with a completely new tandem. Cam Talbot and fresh signing Anders Nilsson will be tasked with guarding the nets. Viktor Fasth hit the road as soon as the buzzer sounded at the end of last season and Ben Scrivens was demoted to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors to the surprise of almost everyone…
Prognosis: I’m optimistic but skeptical. Talbot did not impress me one bit during the preseason unlike Nilsson who impressed me greatly. There’ll always be a bit of skepticism that comes with Cam Talbot given the great stats he put up with the Rangers but that’ll come with the caveat that the Rangers were a much better team. Do I think Talbot and Nilsson are better than Scrivens and Fasth? Yes, by a country mile but I’ve only got the visuals from preseason to go by and articles like this one from Paul Campbell.
Defence: This will be the Achilles Heel of the Oilers this season I’m sure. For one you can’t have Sekera and Fayne as your top pairing. I’m sorry but that is shite. Sekera, ok but get Fayne outta there. He is a no.6 dman on a mediocre team and his cap hit is a killer (A recurring theme with MacT’s and Howson’s signings eh?). I think it was Bob Stauffer ranting on this week about how Fayne’s a serviceable defender IF his partner is a puck mover… Enter Andrej Sekera. I don’t know but the pairing does not make me feel comfortable at all.
The second pairing I could see turning into the top pairing by Christmas. Justin Schultz and Oscar Klefbom are looking pristine this preseason, Schultz especially. He looks like a new man under the coaching of Todd McLellan. He’s been the target of a large portion of my Oilers ire over the past 3 or so years but I’m a man of 2nd chances and if he can reclaim the form of Oklahoma Schultzy I’ll be a supporter indefinitely.
The third pairing looks to be set with Griffin Reinhart and Eric Gryba. Be afraid… Be very afraid. Reinhart had a couple of good showings but nothing substantial. Enough that would make the average Oilers fan realize the potential he has. The thing with Reinhart is he looks mild mannered but he can be a mean SOB in the right circumstances. Gryba on the other hand reminded me of Keith Aulie minus the fighting. He was slow and constantly being burned on the outside. This is something that will have to be remedied as I’d much rather have Sir Gryba as the Oilers no.7 than soon to be ex-captain Andrew Ference or perhaps a prospect like Brandon Davidson? Surely he deserves a chance, no? Then there’s Darnell Nurse. How long until we see him?
Prognosis: I’m not optimistic here at all. Apart from Schultz, Klefbom and Sekera, the defence doesn’t instill confidence in me. Fayne, Gryba, and Ference will be disappointments and we’re set to see Griffin Reinhart go through the motions of a rookie NHL defenceman in the NHL. It’ll be tough to watch but let’s hope the group either surprises or some changes are made (which I bet there will be).
The Forwards: Now this is where the fun starts. Is there another team with as many dynamic hockey players as the Oilers? Can this team finally get their act together under the tutelage of Todd McLellan and his coaching staff? I’m going to say no… Not this year. Now don’t take this the wrong way, it is still going to be a very fun year to watch and there’s going to be some great games but I’m not sold that we’ll be seeing a huge breakout. Improvement, yes. Playoffs, no.
I’ve got a bone to pick off the bat here. Taylor Hall and Connor McDavid do not have any chemistry and they should end this little experiment. Nail Yakupov had more goals assisted on than Hall did in preseason and they were on completely separate lines. Hall can’t even keep up with McDavid on the ice. 97 is way ahead of him all the time but then again in Hall’s defence (which I’m rarely speaking in) he’s way ahead of everyone but the difference being Hall is supposed to be on the same wave length given the amount of time the coaching staff have had them together for.
But it’s not all that bad for this line, Anton Slepyshev has shown very well so far and I think we’ll continue to see dividends being paid from having the big Russian on this line in the short term. Long term I reckon Slepyshev will slow down as most rookies do. Maybe Eberle makes an appearance here at some point…
The Nuge is looking like he is set to take a big step this year no matter who his linemates are. I’m not sure I like him having Purcell on his wing. I just feel like he’s on a island by himself there with Pouliot and Teddy. But I do like calling 67 and 93 Baby Nuge and the Poo so that’s kinda fun in a childish sort of way. The good news is that in a month Jordan Eberle will be back and we can go back to feeling at home again.
How long until we see Hall reunited with Nuge and Ebs? I’d say sooner than later, especially if Hall doesn’t produce right away. Sorry I’m kind of all over the place here.
The third line will feature a very European flavor given. Lauri Korpikoski (FIN), Anton Lander (SWE), and Nail Yakupov (RUS) are going to cause some teams fits with their high pressure forechecking and ability to put the puck in the net. I know a lot of fans would like to see Yakupov up with McDavid but I think that Yakupov is really comfortable playing alongside Anton Lander. He’s not being pressured to go out there a score as he would be on a line with Nugent-Hopkins or McDavid. All he has to do is play a very simple game and capitalize on the chances he gets which should be many given that they should be seeing the other team’s 3rd pairing defenders on more occasions than not. I’m not sure if this means anything but Lander lead the league in goal scoring in the preseason…
Our 4th line got a little younger when Boyd Gordon was dealt back to the Coyotes and Mark Letestu was signed. I’m neither for nor against the move. I like having a line that’ll go out there and hit the tar out of the other team. Rob Klinkhammer and Matt Hendricks are my kinda guys but I’m a little bit old school anyhow. Letestu will settle the line down and offer some options on the PK. Nothing more nothing less.
Our extra forward will be Luke Gazdic. Now I was really surprised with how he played over the last week or so. He only scrapped it out when he was forced to and he played smart when he was out there. His skating looks to have improved a bit and so has his puckhandling. I’m pulling for this guy to make this team as a player but I love that he’s got a reputation around the league not to be messed with.
Prognosis: You’re going to see some very entertaining hockey this year. High octane Oilers hockey like we used to see but we’re also going to see some tough losses. The difference being you’ll be ok with the losses because you’ll be witnessing a team that gives a hoot this year. A team that knows it’s fortunes are changing. We’re all about to see the rise of a new NHL empire.
The lines are set to look like this for the start of the year. When Eberle returns that’ll probably push Purcell down to McDavid’s line and then things could get messy. Would Slepyshev be sent to the AHL? Would a veteran get tossed on waivers? Something to watch for sure.
IR: Jordan Eberle, Dillon Simpson (Can someone explain to me why Simpson is still with the NHL club?) Extras: Luke Gazdic (LW), Andrew Ference (D), Brandon Davidson (D)
My hopes for the Edmonton Oilers this season is mad progression in the stats department. A Calder for McDavid and a 9th place finish in the West by the end of the regular season. I hope to see the likes of Purcell, Fayne, Ference and Klinkhammer playing elsewhere and hopefully some upgrades brought in to solidify this defence. I hope Talbot and Nilsson can pull us through this season and I hope Craig MacTavish and Scott Howson get opportunities elsewhere so the media can stop asking Peter Chiarelli those awkward questions about running his decisions by them…
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Leave your thoughts on the upcoming season for the Edmonton Oilers in the comments below and if you’re feeling cold or just have an extra dollar or two kicking around, head over to the Beer League Heroes Merch Shop and pick up a 16-bit Superstars hoodie or tee! Click the link and take a peek. Every dollar you spend helps keep us afloat and with winter coming you might as well stay warm and look cool at the same time!
In about 30 minutes the Edmonton Oilers Prospects and University of Alberta Golden Bears Men’s Ice Hockey Team will suit up for their annual dust-up! This will mark the 25th time meeting between the two clubs with the U of A holding a 13-11 lead but this year it’s different.
*I thought I would get this out before the game started…. I was wrong…*
He’ll be there and as the picture above suggests, he’ll be blazing! Can newly appointed Golden Bears Head Coach Serge LaJoie find a way to use his much older squad to contain McDavid? Vancouver thought they did at the Young Stars Classic last weekend but he found a way to finish the game with two points.
Here are the line-ups for the game courtesy of Copper and Blue!
U of A Golden Bears
FORWARDS
Jordan Hickmott – Kruise Reddick – Levko Koper
Jamie Crooks – Brett Ferguson – Stephane Legault
Brayden Low – James Dombrowolski – Rhett Rachinski
Lucas Nickles – Riley Kieser – Joshua Derko
DEFENCE
Jordan Rowley – Brennan Yadlowski
Mitch Topping – Thomas Carr
Dylan Bredo – Sawyer Lange
GOAL
Luke Siemens
Edmonton Oilers
FORWARDS
Anton Slepyshev – Connor McDavid- Cole Sanford
Braden Christoffer – Leon Draisaitl- Josh Winquist
Cole Linaker – Alexis Loiseau – Rihards Bukarts
Connor Rankin – Kyle Platzer – Greg Chase
DEFENCE
Darnell Nurse – Joey LaLeggia
Caleb Jones – Ethan Bear
Ben Betker – Loik Leveille
GOAL
Eetu Laurikainen
If I’m just going off of memory some names that look familiar from last year’s game are Levko Koper, Stephane Legault, Jordan Rowley for the Golden Bears and Draisaitl, Nurse Chase, Platzer for the Oilers. (Jamie Crooks and James Dombrowolski also played. Am I Missing anyone else?)
Last year it was a pretty physical affair and the Oilers big guns (Draisaitl, Yakimov, and Tkachev) were firing on all cylinders, Darnell Nurse was also a huge factor for the Oilers during the 4-2 Oilers win. For a complete recap of the tilt click here for Derek Van Diest’s write-up.
Keep An Eye On These Guys:
Connor McDavid: Obviously right? During that game against the Canucks he wasn’t the feature player on a lot of plays. He kinda snuck up on you. I just can’t wait to see him in full stride. Damn is that beautiful! Has the NHL seen a more gorgeous skater than Paul Coffey lace ’em up?
Anton Slepyshev: This guys is opening eyes! Bob Stauffer and Mark Spector were raving about him on Oilers Now this morning and I can see why. He’s doing all the right things like playing physical, getting in the right spaces, not getting caught out of position and I know this is going to sound a bit extreme but could he be Jari Kurri 2.0?
Braden Christoffer: Tore up the Young Stars tourney for the Oilers. Can he continue the progress vs. the Golden Bears? Is he this year’s Vladdy Tkachev.
Levko Koper: I loved watching this guy at last year’s game. He’s a great skater and playmaker plus he sports the flow like no other. Maybe William Lagesson could rival it. No mistake about it though, this is a guy the Oilers will need to keep the puck away from tonight.
Jordan Rowley: Rowley was a stud on the blue line last year and it earned him an invite to the Oilers main camp. He was a thorn in the side of Draisaitl all night and was one of the Golden Bears best players.
Well that’s all! I see the stream is up on youtube so I should let you guys all get to that! Enjoy the game guys and gals and if you’re heading out for a pint or two, be responsible and take a taxi home! Don’t be that guy/gal.
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