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Beer League Hero, Corey Mitchell, Edmonton Oilers, Sunday Night Pint, Zach Laing

BLH Sunday Night Pint #12

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conyak

Helluva roller coaster we’ve been on eh folks! First losing 4 in a row and then winning two on the trot whilst beating the two teams that feel the greatest to beat! I mean really, beating Calgary and Vancouver is damn near orgasmic, especially after losing the way we did to the Stars…

Well this week’s Sunday Night Pint is a beaut! We’ve got Zach Laing, Madison Moroz, Corey Mitchell and myself; BLH, to serenade you with our whimsical tones which are akin to that of a capella group comprised of cats in heat. Too much? Well we’re no Jethro Tull if that makes it any clearer. Cue Laing’s flute solo!

We’re going to be touching on the Oilers PP, the search for the Oilers’ new goal song, and roster changes or potential roster moves. So as my father used to say, “Get your hands out of your pants and let’s get going!”

The Oilers Power Play… Woes or WHOA!!!

ZL: Well, the power play seemed to click against the Flames the other night as the Oilers were finally able to connect on one of our chances. I think the thing is that these groups just need to gel. McDavid should be on the point IMO. His speed will allow him to get back and make defensive plays. Patience folks.

CM: Same way everyone else is suggesting. Split that first unit up. Hall, Nuge, and Ebs (when he’s back) with Klefbom and Schultz on the back. 2nd unit is McDavid, Yak, and Pouliot, with Sekera and Reinhart. Keep your forward lines together on the PP to keep the chemistry there

MM: Id fix the PP by slowing things down, and working it more down low, use the speed and skill and open up the point shot more. Having the penalty killers gravitate lower in the zone, opening up that point and just going hard to the net, getting some garbage goals and boosting this power play’s confidence. Especially when working down low, I’d like to see the d-man or 4th forward slide into the slot for a one timer or at least a diversion.

BLH: Well I was crying for the team to spread out the offence a bit between the two PP unites and what did they do? Spread it out. And what happened? Goals! I just couldn’t stand seeing Lander, Yakupov, Purcell, Sekera and Letestu trying to work a man advantage… Like nails on a blackboard… If only they had a player with a cannon from the point… (Too bad Brad Hunt isn’t an NHL defender… Or is he?)

Do the Oilers Need to Make a Roster Change?

ZL: No I don’t think so. I would love to see Draisaitl and Nurse up with the big club, I think we are better off holding where we are and seeing where we progress to. That’s a decision we could make in November.

CM: I would send Slepyshev to the AHL. He’s outclassed at the NHL level at this stage. Yes, he’s played pro hockey in the KHL, but it’s a different game here, and he needs to learn the nuisances. Also, with Chara rumours flying around right now, I would make that trade. A huge shot, plays mean, and has a massive veteran presence on the blue line. Those are all things we all say Edmonton needs. Chara would be a massive benefit to this team.

MM: No roster changes for me right now, after these two wins it appears like the team has some great chemistry and some real balance within the lineup, I’m not ready to hit the panic button quite yet, if they can continue to do what they are doing now, they wont need to make any changes. Every line is doing something out there, especially with a nice 1-2 punch with our top lines, you can tell teams are finding it difficult to decide which line they want to much up with, and the third line has been effective at keeping up the momentum in their favor. Everyone is firing on all cylinders.

BLH: Guess who’s value is going up as we speak? Said player also has a very VERY affordable contract for the next two seasons… If you said Matt Hendricks you’re wrong. It’s Nail Yakupov. Look folks, let’s have some real talk here. The team has just rang off two wins, what if they go the rest of the month without a win? Will all this hoopla mean anything? The defence is still having trouble. It still needs an upgrade and playing Fayne higher than no.4 is going to bite the team in the ass more often than not.

Eberle is going to come back and then what? Hendricks and Klinkhammer have serviced Nuge and Hall with an element they haven’t seen yet and it’s working wonders for them. And not only that but coaches are all about pairs not trios when it comes to making up lines.

Would you deal an Eberle or a Yakupov if it got you a top pairing dman? I might… And the names that tickle my fancy are Ryan Ellis, Seth Jones, and Jared Spurgeon. All puck moving dmen stuck behind veteran NHLers on their respective squads.

A New Goal Song!

ZL: Classic Metallica!! (BLH NOTE: Zach picked the lyrics youtube clip but this sweet comp of hits and fights fits the bill perfectly.)


CM: If you follow me and Twitter, you know I’ve been very vocal in the need for a new goal celebration song. Stadium Love is absolutely brutal, and does nothing to engage the crowd when a goal is scored. Song 2 by Blur is an obvious choice, but if it were me, I would have the PA system cut straight into the chorus of Get Free by the Vines. High energy rock song to really get Rexall shaking after the Oilers score. Stadium Love? No wonder there’s a lack of offence from this team


MM: Its an oldie but always a goodie!!


BLH: My goal song would be “Beer” by the Reel Big Fish. It’s got the woos and the whoas to get that eve so important crowd participation (think the Anaheim Ducks goal song “Bro Hymn” by Pennywise) and the uptick in tempo that would keep the team from coming down from that goal scoring high. Plus come on, Beer… Beer League Heroes… It makes sense. Check it out:

That’s it for today boys and girls! Thanks for reading and leave your thoughts in the comments section below. The ugly lights are coming on and I don’t care where you go but you can’t stay here!

She be getting cold right quick here! Click on the picture to pick up a hoodie or a shirt and stay warm this winter!

I’ll leave you with Ryan Robinson’s latest Oilers vlog! Take care and see you next time!

BLH

Edmonton Oilers, Edmonton Oilers Post Game Report, Madison Moroz, NHL

BLH Post Gamer- G6 Edmonton Oilers Vs Vancouver Canucks

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The Oilers came into tonight’s game on a high, coming off a fantastic win last night over their inter-province rivals the Calgary Flames. You could tell right off the bat, they were coming out with tons of confidence and didn’t really miss a step from the night before. Their puck movement was still on point and was looking better and better as the game progressed. The puck management aspect of the entire team is 100 times better then the first game as everyone is making much smarter decisions with the puck. There were a few hiccups along the way but that’s expected, but the progression has been excellent to see. Coming into this 2015/16 season who knew the Oilers would have solid goaltending? Nilsson has stood on his head and Talbot has provided that calming presence that’s been missing for the good part of a decade. If they keep it up, watch out Western Conference.

The Oilers were outshot 34 – 24 in this game but it certainly wasn’t an indication of who the better team was. The game was evenly matched throughout the night with each team having their fair share of opportunities but I’m giving the slight edge to the Oilers. There just appears to be a bigger sense of urgency with this team to get the puck, to win the puck battles and give that extra 10% to get that puck back, especially in the offensive zone where they have looked relentless at times. Everyone is pulling their own weight and making the most of their ice time. Even Luke Gazdic, who put in extensive time this off season to become a better hockey player, hasn’t looked lost on the ice. The ConYak Connection is looking deadlier an deadlier with the more minutes they play together. I’m going to make a bold prediction here and now, if they continue to play together, Yakupov cracks 30 goals, there is just an uncanny chemistry these two are building.

At certain points tonight, you could tell the Oilers were looking a little tired, especially in the second period where they were outplayed for the most part. It looked like the first back to back was wearing on them a little. As their legs started to slow down the passes became less crisp, but this is where McLellan’s team management has come into play, an area where I don’t think he is getting enough credit right now. He is finding a nice balance to this line up, placing Klinkhammer or Hendricks on the top line, on paper doesn’t seem like the brightest of ideas but so far it’s paying off. They are creating the time and space for Hall and RNH and are smart enough players that they know their roles on the ice. The way the coaching staff is handling the defensive minutes is paying dividends for them, not overplaying and not under playing anyone, but using everyone just the right amount. It shows in the way they were still able to find the energy to pull out a win in overtime tonight.

The game this evening was just another prime example of how simple hockey can in fact make it complicated for the opposing team. They made sure to get the puck behind the Canucks’ defenders and to put them on their heels and force turnovers.

Hall has looked like a man possessed as of late, using his hockey IQ and speed to get in quick and either win the puck battle or get the defence to cough it up. In an astounding margin the Canucks had 17 giveaways tonight compared to the Oilers 4, which is speaking volumes to the adjustments that McLellan is making with this team.

Quite amazing what a proven NHL head coach can do with a team like this, there were a few bumps in the road, but without those you don’t know what to tweak or to improve. The more this team plays, the more chemistry that is being established with an incredible sense of balance from the net out. There is trust in everyone to make the right play which is something this team has lacked in previous years.

Tonight’s Beer League Three Heroes are:

1. Anders Nilsson – The guy has been nothing short of spectacular in this first 2 starts with the Oilers, creating an actual goalie tandem for the Oilers to rely on, he has stopped 81 of 85  his first two starts. He doesn’t quite have the calming presence, but he’s making the saves and he is keeping them in the games and that’s all that matters.

2. Lauri Korpikoski – He has been a very solid pickup since the Oilers traded for him. He isn’t known for his offensive ability, but he’s been effective every shift, especially tonight. He netted the game winner in overtime off a sweet saucer pass from Sekera. If the Oilers can continue to get depth scoring from guys like him…. Don’t think they will continue to be taken lightly anymore.

3.Nail Yakupov – Everyone has just been ready to write this kid off as a bust but he is looking better after an odd start where he looked lost on the ice. Yak is finding his bearings and discovering real chemistry with Connor McDavid, as two nights in a row he has shown his ability to find the scoring areas and unleash his blistering NHL caliber shot.

Tonight, once again, I thought long and and hard and I just couldn’t find anyone to give the Golden Plunger award to, so instead I’m going to post a brief paragraph of some post game analytics from our resident fancy stats expert Walter Foddis!

Brief Post-Game Analytics

Top possession (SAT +/-) forwards: Klinkhammer +2, Gazdic +1, & Letestu 0.
Top possession defenders: Sekera +2 and Fayne 0.

Bottom possession forwards: Pouliot -12, Yakupov -9, & Nugent-Hopkins -6.
Bottom possession defenders: Reinhart & Gryba at -11.

When does a team who has played back-to-back games begin to show fatigue? Toward the end of the game, which is exactly what happened to the Oilers. Overall (5v5), the Canucks outshot the Oilers 44 to 31 in shot attempts (Oilers’ SAT%=41.3%) & 24 to 11 in scoring chances (SC%=38.3%; defined by war-on-ice.com). Edmonton fell behind in scoring chances at about 15 minutes, but then managed to keep pace until the last 5 minutes of the 2nd period. At that point, they did not get a single scoring chance for almost 25 minutes!

Despite being terribly out-chanced, the Oilers tied the Canucks in high-danger scoring chances (shots from the slot) with 8. Shot quality matters. That they paced the Canucks on this metric, and kept it low, suggests that the team did a good job of keeping shots to the outside. Regardless, goaltending and a little puck luck (e.g., Daniel Sedin’s over-the-crossbar scoop) was the difference. At even strength Nilsson stopped  27 of 28 shots for a 96.4 save%.

Edmonton had 2 shot attempts on 2 minutes of power-play, which translates to 60 shot attempts (SAT) per 60 minutes. This pales in comparison to their PP against Calgary in which they shot at a rate of 145 SAT/60. A rate of 100 SAT/60 would give the Oilers a top-5 PP, which is what I’m hoping they’ll achieve.

The top-line duo of Hall and Nugent-Hopkins were beat up possession-wise by the Sedin brothers and the Canucks top-2 defenders, Edler and Tanev. Their SAT differential against these 4 players was about 40%. McDavid and Yakupov also had a rough possession night; mostly up against Vrbata, Sutter, & Burroughs. Their SAT% against Vancouver’s 2nd line was about 37%

What more can you say about this team as of late? After that pummeling in Dallas they are really starting to get their feet underneath them. You can see there is a sense of trust and confidence in each other that was missing, not just in within the locker room but from the coaching staff as well. There is confidence being built knowing your goalie is there to make a save, knowing that your defence pairing is going to make the smart play, and knowing that the forwards are going to get on their horse to get back.

Tonight was a good win, not just because it was off a back to back, but because they weathered a pretty heavy storm in the second when their legs started to get weary. They stuck with the game plan, got their second wind; came out hard, and didn’t quit in the third or OT.

The next game is against the Detroit Red Wings Wednesday evening. Detroit started out hot winning 3 straight and have since cooled off losing 2 in a row. This is going to be a really good test for the Oilers, they are playing a younger, quicker, Red Wings team that they aren’t used to seeing. This might be a game where they have to just stand in the ring, square up, and be the aggressor. I can’t express this enough, the Oilers mustn’t stray away from the simple hockey they are playing. It’s imperative that they continue to hammer the puck deep and force the opposition’s defence to turn it over. The defence will be in tough as they are going to need to be able to hold down the fort in the defensive zone, this Red Wings team has some crafty snipers in Tomas Tatar, Henrik Zetterberg and Calder Trophy Candidate Dylan Larkin.

The boys just need to continue to keep the shots on the outside and letting whoever is in net see the puck. If the muckers and grinders keep playing physical, its going to create tons of frustration for Detroit. If they are suffocating them and jumping on every loose puck and making sure support is there, then this is a game the Oilers can win!

BLH note: Sure it would just be game 7 of 82 but if the Oilers won 3 in a row here, would that change the way other fans/teams look at this squad?

Thanks for reading tonight, let me know what you think @madi39 or in the comment section below!

 

Edmonton Oilers, Edmonton Oilers Post Game Report, Madison Moroz, NHL

BLH Post Gamer-G5 Edmonton Oilers Vs Calgary Flames

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OILERS WIN!!! OILERS WIN!!! OILERS WIN!!! PLAN THE PARADE ROUTE!!!!

Okay maybe just a little too excited, but its fantastic to see a game like that played by the Oilers, especially against the Flames. Tonight was about everything that I had pointed in my previous post gamer that these guys needed to do. I only caught a glimpse of it on 630 ched after the game and couldn’t tell who the player was, but he mentioned they just kept it simple when asked about why they were successful tonight. You could see the more they played, the more comfortable they got with the puck and they were instilling confidence in each other and building trust. Chemistry was seemingly building up, the Oilers were having fun out there, and Mclellan was so happy he started to play the drums on the bench!

https://twitter.com/myregularface/status/655602063775285248

Everyone from Cam Talbot and out played a fantastic calm and comfortable game tonight. The defence made Talbot’s job easy tonight and helped him get his first win as an Edmonton Oiler and it couldn’t’ have been more memorable. The blueliners were making sure the high quality chances were kept low and they were getting into the shooting lanes. I could be wrong but I believe both goals that went in were redirected off an Oiler.

The Flames’ big boys were held off the scoresheet, something that’ll be a big confidence booster for this defence which is still trying to find its legs. Tonight the defence stepped up and made sure to support each other, used the proper outlets and made the smart play more times than not with tape to tape passes for much cleaner puck movement and breakouts. Tonight was the game the coaching staff was finally looking for and it was excellent to hear the players give that nod to them and how important it was to win it not only for the the guys in the room.

The Oilers came out solid in the first, they were outshot 5-8 in the period but you could still tell they were the better team and that something was a brewing. You could see the speed and pace of play pick up with them, they were getting comfortable and as we found out, that’s a recipe for disaster for the opposition! There was no looking back at that point, as the Oilers impressed and dominated the second period, out shooting the Flames 14-5 and outplaying them in every aspect.

As good as the Oilers defence and goaltending was tonight, the offence was on fire, their puck movement was simple but exciting, it was smart and thought out. Every goal scored tonight, the Oilers battled and dug their heels in just that little extra to force the turnover or win that puck battle and not give up on the play. The top 6 tonight looked like what everyone had expected out of them, fast, skilled, smart and mind you this was done without Jordan Eberle.

Confidence was higher than ever and you could see it in the players body language and in the way they handled the puck. The biggest piece of evidence was the emergence of Connor McDavid on Hockey Night in Canada! What a time for him to put his stamp on the NHL eh? The biggest stage in the country an dhe embarrasses the Calgary Flames on national television.

I was massively impressed with how he played tonight, not just because he scored 2 goals and had an assist but because what he was able to do and how he changed the pace of the game. He finally gave himself the green light to just go with it and take charge. His linemate Nail Yakupov had his best game of the young season so far as well. Yak didn’t look lost, he had that little extra pep in his step and he was getting into the open areas and getting scoring chances. I will admit I jumped for joy when McDavid scored, but I was extremely happy to see Yak make the twine tickle and can only hope there’s more to come from him.

Note: Tonight all four #1 overall picks scored… I’d say that’s pretty remarkable and I’m willing to bet another team will never match the feat ever again.

Tonight’s three Beer League Heroes are:

1.Connor McDavid – Obvious choice, he was the best player on the ice narrowly beating Hall, but he was all over the placw making plays and being a difference maker. He needed this game, welcome to the BOA Connor! 2 goals and 1 assist! It was great to see high emotion out of him tonight, especially after he scored his 2nd goal, he was fired up!

2.Taylor Hall- Once again he’s impressed me immensely. Hall’s looking more and more to be a great leader for this team, he scored a goal and assisted on 2 others, one with an absolutely beautiful pass to McDavid to set him up for his second. He’s showing that he can be the driver of this bus, but if he’s not on it he has a fantastic co-pilot on the second line.

3. Justin Schultz – Might take some flack for this one, but something changed with him this year, he’s been aggressive, smart and has taken a much better approach to the game. He is quarterbacking this defence along with Klefbom and is a guy the Oilers needed to play with confidence. He didn’t put up any points tonight, but I’ve been impressed with him every game and tonight was his best.

Tonight there will be no Golden Plunger award!! Even though the third line didn’t play the greatest, they were still much more effective and played a good game, tonight is a celebration of a well deserved win.

I can’t say enough good things about tonight’s game, and you may think its may be easy with a 5-2 win, but every line from the first to the fourth was effective tonight with their minutes. The power play finally gained some traction, it only scored one goal tonight, but every time it was out there it was doing something positive and the PK looked fantastic like it has all year so far. Tonight was a win that was much needed for everyone, from Chiarelli to Talbot. For all that watched the game, it speaks for itself, seeing the Oilers not only take over a game, but dominate it in every aspect was a nice change of pace, we shouldn’t expect that against the Elite of the NHL just yet, but we should expect that if they’re playing like they did tonight. Lets just enjoy this win and be proud! All in all it was great to see the players smiling.

My apologies, in the previous post gamer I thought the Oilers next game was against the Canucks, but I was wrong obviously and now the next game is actually against the Canucks. The Oilers shouldn’t stray away from their game plan and should be coming into this game with a ton of confidence against a not so good Vancouver Canucks team. They just need to continue to keep things simple and use their speed and continue to put pucks on net. It will be interesting who plays in net, and how the Oilers do on their first of many back to backs this season. This is a game that is more than winnable and it’s not out of the realm of possibility to expect a similar result as last night.

Thanks for reading everyone, let me know what you think @madi39 or in the comment section below!

 

Edmonton Oilers, Edmonton Oilers Post Game Report, Madison Moroz, NHL

BLH Post Gamer:G3-Edmonton Oilers Vs Dallas Stars

 

Well tonight was interesting. I was definitely in a glass case of emotion as a fan and I can only imagine how everyone else felt. The Oilers didn’t come out too strong in the first, the shot count can be misconstrued as it was pointed out a lot how much the Dallas Stars just put the puck on net from anywhere; with the naked eye you could see a good high percentage of the shots weren’t high quality.

The defence was keeping a lot of shots to the outside and blocked 25 shots tonight. The boys on the back end were actually doing an average job of blocking off the shooting lanes but the Stars were just throwing everything and the kitchen sink at Nilsson tonight; who let in 2 softies, but absolutely stood on his head making 48 saves on 51 shots. It’s nice to see the Oilers get solid goaltending in net for once.

The boys in white came out rocking in the second though with much more energy, keeping pace in the period with the Stars in shots only being outshot 14-13. They got a much needed boost with two quick goals from Oscar Klefbom and Connor McDavid, who finally broke the goose egg with his first career NHL goal. They didn’t look back from that point, sustaining pressure, winning puck battles, making the smart and simple plays first, and sticking to the game plan.

Everyone seemed to have a nice kick of energy and we had hope could pull off a win. Then the third period started and my emotions were going all over the place, a lot of screaming and yelling at the TV. The Oil just didn’t appear to have the fire they came out with in the second and then they took a bad penalty and that deflated any sort of momentum they had built to that point.

I knew once Yakupov missed on that breakaway something bad was going to happen, I just didn’t expect it to happen so quickly.

You can only be outplayed and out shot for so long till another one goes in, killing all momentum and crushing my hopes and dreams for a win. I was on an emotional roller coaster tonight, but I was again pleased that this team efforts level is much better then its ever been the last 3 years, so there’s a positive right?

 

The Three Beer League Heroes tonight are:

1.Jason Spezza- He played a fantastic game tonight, he was all over the offensive zone, played great defensively and had a hat-trick for his first 3 goals of the season, he was by the far best player on the ice and well deserving of the first Hero.

2. Anders Nilsson– What can you say about a performance like that, he let in 2 softies in my opinion, but he battled hard for the full 60 minutes, made 48 saves tonight and stood on his head giving Edmonton a chance to stay in this game and he did just that. Thoroughly impressed with his compete level, something I don’t remember seeing with the Islanders.

3.Connor Mcdavid- Who else deserves this, after two LONG grueling games scores his first NHL goal, like 2 other phenom’s in Sidney Crosby and Wayne Gretzky. He still played a solid game and looks mature beyond his years, he’s only getting better as each game passes and more comfortable, tonight was the first night of him picking up some steam.

Tonight’s Golden Plunger Award goes to…..

Anton Lander. It never pleases me to give this award out especially to a guy who’s been working his tail off and earning his job every night. It’s not that he played horrible, it’s that he just didn’t make use out of any of his minutes he had out there, almost a third of them were shorthanded and he appeared to be benched in the third period. So the coaching staff saw something they didn’t like out of him tonight. He just didn’t have that pep, that puck prowess he usually has when he’s out there, winning puck battles and just being strong on the puck like he normally is.

Side note: Anton Slepyshev only played 5:27 tonight.

Overall with tonight’s loss, I was happy to see that we could battle back and square the game up and get some momentum from two of the players we need to step up in times of need. Still frustrated after the fact that they just didn’t have their legs tonight, and couldn’t keep a consistent flow of momentum going. Taylor hall wasn’t himself and you could see was not 100%.

The only positive out of the offence tonight was the Pouliot-McDavid-Yakupov line, who have some found good chemistry and I’m hoping they’re kept together to capitalize on this blossoming chemistry. No moral victories tonight, this was a loser’s loss because the Oilers simply weren’t the better team out there tonight.

I’ll say it again, the effort out of this team is still far more improved then what we are accustomed to and much better body language on the bench, especially from the Oilers emotional leader in Hall.

Next game is against the St. Louis Blues at the home opener on Thursday night. The Oilers have to come out crashing and full of life in this game if they want to stand a chance, they can’t surrender the same amount of shots as they did tonight and get away with it again. They have to tighten up defensively and start throwing more pucks on net, start shooting and start the crashing, its going to be the only way they can penetrate the Blues defensive system. Shots and speed, utilize the fact that they’re the quicker team and start creating breakdowns in their zone.

Thanks for reading feel free to let me know what you think @madi39 or in the comment section below!