Tag Archives: Taylor Hall

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

BLH Post Gamer G18 Oilers VS. Kings: Royally Flushed

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kings:oilers:france

What if I told you that was the best performance I’ve seen from the Oilers this season? Would you believe me? No? Well what if I told you the team was without it’s top two centers? Would you believe me then? What if I said the team was playing with three rookies in the lineup and an underperforming goaltender? Would it still be my claim still be unbelievable? Not really.

The Oilers were without Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Benoit Pouliot was probably playing at about 60%. I heard on a couple occasions from Garry Galley, who was working between the benches, that Pou was as white as a ghost each time he came off the ice. It looked as if a few guys were less than stellar heath-wise tonight to boot.

But a gutsy performance no less.

The fact of the matter is the team is sticking with the big boys and not “folding their hands” when they’re down by a goal or two. This is very encouraging but it’s heartbreaking too because the Oilers just aren’t quite at that point where they can get over the final hump and pick up that goal to push them over the top or hold on long enough to force overtime.

Jim has it right. The veterans are the ones that were supposed to come in and shore up those rookie mistakes. The reality is, it’s the veterans that are making the rookie mistakes. I’m flabbergasted that Andrej Sekera is this bad at moving the puck, Mark Fayne as well. At what point are the Oilers going to stop cherry picking veteran defencemen from the Eastern Conference teams?

Speaking of Fayne, we haven’t seen him make a deplorable mistake in a couple games. Hopefully he can shake off the tough start the same way Teddy Purcell has. Wow! Teddy bear is on top of his game and really looking good! Would love to see him continue this for a little longer so that he’ll bring in a considerable return in a trade.

Trades… The 20 game mark is coming and bevy is about to burst in Edmonton. A few deals have been mentioned in the past week here at Beer League Heroes:

I don’t think the Oilers will go that far but then again the Jets got shellacked by the Predators yesterday and their fans were ready to jump ship and mortgage everything. I’m telling ya I think Chiarelli is going to try and get his Chara and that man is Dustin Byfuglien. I don’t know what the cost is on that fella player-wise but dollar-wise I think he’d be in the $6m to $7.5m range for at least 6 years; which would be a tough pill to swallow but it’s either that, offer-sheeting someone (Trouba, S.Jones, Lindholm, Vatanen, Gudbranson, Barrie, Spurgeon), or continue developing what they already have.

What do you think? Is it time for the Oilers to make a move or should they just be patient because the team isn’t going to make the playoffs anyhow?

Pretty disappointed with Eric Gryba tonight and Andrej Sekera. Is it McLellan’s system that is sending these dman flailing about when they get the puck? I mean they’ve both been in the league for more than a few years… Shouldn’t they be able to make a pass or clear the puck effectively?

I feel bad for Cam Talbot, he’s caught in that rut that is goalie sans confidence… And we know where that is going to take him… Probably to a better team where he’ll flourish, Am I right? I mean honestly, he was at fault for that first goal against. The guy is allergic to his posts or something. I don’t get it. The one thing I do give him credit for is not losing it completely. Sure he lets in the bad goal but he bounces back and makes a couple good ones later on.

Leon Draisaitl continues to impress alongside Taylor Hall. That first goal they combined on was pure class. It’s amazing the chemistry they’re building. I mean who would’ve thought before the season started that it would be Connor McDavid and Nail Yakupov becoming what they have become and it would be the German Gretzky and the Canadian Kurri who’d be lighting up the NHL and carrying the Oilers offence?

If those pairs can continue to produce points consistently, how long until RNH and Jordan Eberle are deemed surplus to requirement and shipped off for help on the backend? Just a little food for thought.

Walter Foddis’ Post Game Shooting Metrics

Next up the Chicago Blackhawks back home in the friendly confines of Rexall Place. Does anybody find it ironic that a team that has been in a constant rebuild for about a decade plays in an arena called Rexall Place?… Wrecks All… Place… I dunno, just an observation.

Now the reigning Stanley Cup champs are nothing to shake a stick at but their sitting at 9-7-1 and just keeping pace with the wildcard teams. I think the Oilers will stay with them again but they’re going to have to do something about Panarin and Kane. Shut them down and hopefully the rest will follow. Oh, and don’t let Corey Crawford steal the show again.

A three day break and the boys won’t have any excuses to sit back on either. I’m hoping Anders Nilsson gets the call again to be honest. Gotta go with the hot hand.

There are still a few hours left in the BLH Tee Shop SALE folks! Head on over and pick up a t-shirt for $14 or a hoodie for $35! They’re perfect gifts for christmas and we’ve got a shirt for every Oilers fan out there! And even if you’re not an Oilers fan, we’ve got a 16-bit Superstars shirt for your team too! Click on the pic below and head over to check out the inventory!

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

BLH Post Gamer G17 Oilers VS. Coyotes: Blazing Arizona

From healthy scratch to honorary face-off taker! Mark Fayne everyone! Photo courtesy of Norm Hall

Ok be honest, how many people thought that the Oilers blew their respective loads in that first period? I mean right off the bat they were in the Coyotes zone and buzzing around like a bunch of pissed off hornets! I was jacked when they scored because that was a thing of beauty between Hall and Draisaitl.

But then everything started to come into perspective for a team on the latter half of a back-to-back. Darnell Nurse couldn’t get that puck to Sekera and Leon Draisaitl, for some reason, was already bolting the zone looking for the breakaway… OEL scooped up the pass meant for the right winger and deposited a seeing eye shot top cheese to tie the game up… Boo!

https://twitter.com/YotesHereToStay/status/665037948232925184

I had a feeling the team would start to slow down going into the 2nd period and slow down is what they did. The Coyotes took full advantage of a tired Oilers team and potted two more. The first was on the PP, Andrej Sekera couldn’t retrieve the puck on a Coyotes dump-in and uber rookie Max Domi thiefed it from under Sekera’s nose, proceeded towards the net; waited for Eric Gryba to commit, and then sauced a lovely little pass to a waiting and untouched Shane Doan. Bingo bango baby! Coyotes up by 1.

The next goal came not four minutes later as the Oilers 4th line couldn’t manage to keep the puck in the Arizona zone, the Coyotes Kyle Chipchura picked it up in the neutral zone and broke in to the Oilers zone versus Oscar Klefbom and Luke Gazdic… That just spells trouble right? So Chipchura stops up just at the top of the circle on the left wall and decides to let his teammates catch up, then he drops a pass off to John “Wayne Gretzky is my middle name” Scott; who in turn fires a shot at the Oilers net. Anders Nilsson’s lack of rebound control leads to Stefan Elliott tucking that baby away… Wait.. Yes, that’s right. DEFENCEMAN Stefan Elliott in the Oilers slot… Never let another man in your slot. That’s your slot. Dirty slot… Check it out the slotty action below.


You’re telling me Luke Gazdic couldn’t tie up Elliott’s stick enough on this one to prevent the puck from going in?… Yeeesh! Why did Benoit Pouliot choose this day to be hung over? Not that he would’ve prevented that goal but… You know what I mean.

I’m not sure what Pouliot’s deal was. He was too sick to play. Surely it wasn’t because he had a few too many “Arizona Iced Teas”. But I’m just taking the piss. So take it easy ultras.

Walter Foddis’ Post Game Shooting Metrics

That was about it for Edmonton. Their performance in the third period didn’t inspire a lot of confidence and I for one was happy for it all to end. Arizona did end up putting one more in the net though as Iiro Pakarinen unsuccessfully tried to knock the puck past the Mike Stone at centre ice which lead to the Coyotes dman bringing the puck back into Oilers zone. Stone tried to put the puck on the net but it pinballed around the slot for a few seconds before returning to Stone’s stick and then he fired it at the net where Domi was having his afternoon tea. Easy tap-in due to Nilsson’s inability to control the rebound. UGH!!!


I’m happy that game is done and over with. The Oilers are having a helluva time trying to defeat the Coyotes recently and it’s such a boring bloody game. The NHL wants to improve scoring, how about eliminating boring hockey teams? Nothing worse than watching defense first teams.

Oh hey, did you catch John Shannon saying that the Coyotes are looking to move… To a new arena soon… I’m not sure if anybody told him and it’s something I’m noticing all to much lately. The lack of regular season attendance in those southern markets. Just take a gander at the crowd’s at a Carolina, Anaheim, Florida, Dallas, or Arizona game. Not sure who’s counting the tickets at those games but I think they’re coming in a little high. Yet, if any of those teams make the playoffs it’s hockey central… Bloody shame I think it is. If the NHL and their owners are willing to foot the bill for teams like the Panthers and the Coyotes, they should just relocate them to Canadian cities. You can be damned sure that a team in Quebec City or Saskatoon wouldn’t have attendance problems apart from not having enough seats to accommodate everyone.

Ok. Take a breath…

I think the best Oiler on the night was Taylor Hall. He was flying out there and really trying to get his team to follow suit. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the team wasn’t having any of it. One name I didn’t hear a lot nor did I see a lot was Mark Fayne’s… Is that a good thing? Well they do say a defenceman has done his job well if you’re not talking about him…

Ah well, better luck versus the Kings on Saturday. I’m looking forward to a much better game from the rested Oilers and there must be some payback for that last game versus LA and the goal that Johnny Quick pulled out of the net.

The other thing I’m looking forward to… The 20 game mark. Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!

Until then folks! Take care!

BLH

The BLH merch shop SALE is still on guys! One day left for you to head on over and pick up an Oilers themed tee for $14 or a 16-bit Superstars hoodie for $35! Up to 30% off on EVERYTHING!! Click the pic below to get yours now!

All the tees are $14!
Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, Edmonton Oilers Post Game Report, NHL

BLH Post Gamer G15 Oilers vs. BlackHawks: Panarin’s Good

Photo Courtesy of Bill Smith

Well that’s how she goes! You can’t spot a team like the Chicago Blackhawks 2 goals in the first period and expect them to let you back in. I mean that 2nd period… WHOA! 20 minutes of sustained pressure versus the reigning Stanley Cup Champions? Who does that? The New Era Edmonton Oilers do! Unfortunately for them Corey Crawford saved the BlackHawks’ asses and the Oilers couldn’t carry the momentum into the 3rd period which ultimately lead to Patrick Kane driving the final nail into the coffin for a Chicago win. I don’t count that last second goal by Anisimov… The Oilers were set at 2000% offense there and had zero interest in stopping a goal that late.

As you can see in the chart above, the numbers support the eye test tonight. And even though the Oilers lost I think you can be rest assured it wasn’t a bad lost and that had Crawford not been playing lights out, the Oilers might’ve been able to win this one.

I’d say that the Oilers top line whether it’s Hall/Draisaitl/Eberle or Hall/Nugent-Hopkins/Draisaitl or Hall/Nugent-Hopkins/Eberle were a dominating force in the game as they’ve been in every game since Draisaitl was called up.

Hey, how about that Eberle guy anyhow? Got himself a goal and had a CF% of 70.97 on the night! Photo Courtesy of Bill Smith

As for the defence, it didn’t get exposed too much but all everyone’s CF% was sub 50 apart from Sekera and Fayne. Klefbom being the worst at 39.39. Then those couple of shifts in the 3rd when they were hemmed in their own zone for well over 2 minutes was both disconcerting AND amazing. The Oilers who were on the ice must’ve been past their breaking point but they held on and the Hawks, who had their best players on the ice, could put one past Talbot.

Speaking of Talbot… I’m not goalie nor a goalie coach but could he not have been a bit better positioned on those two goals by Artemi Panarin? Tough couple starts for Cam Talbot and the Oilers fans are already getting on his case, even going so far as to predict Ben Scrivens will make his return at some point… I don’t know about that. But we might see more of Anders Nilsson than we expected.

WALTER FODDIS’ POST GAME SHOOTING METRICS

There’s not much more to say about tonight’s game apart from they lost it in the 1st period. Looking ahead the Oilers have the Ducks and Coyotes on back-to-backs this Thursday and Friday. They’re 4-6-0 in they’re last ten games and they’re 1-2 in November so far.

As for the Ducks, they’re starting to heat up as they’ve won 4 games in a row and have picked up 11 pts out of a possible 20 in their last ten games. I expect this one to be a tight affair but another tough loss for Edmonton.

The Max Domi lead Coyotes are sitting at .500 (6-6-1) but are having a tough time lately coming off of losses from Vancouver, Boston, and the Rangers. They did beat the Avs in the last week though. I think the Oilers can pull it off versus Arizona. I mean they have to right? Another season can’t be lost in November again.

Our Oilers are back in the basement of the Pacific after Calgary and Anaheim picked up wins this weekend…. I for one can’t wait for McDavid’s return but am soooo bloody glad we’ve got Leon Draisaitl. This team would be F’ed without the German.

I read very disturbing story on Twitter this evening about Connor McDavid. The story goes as such, apparently Connor and his family were at a local establishment having dinner and some fans noticed him and requested a photo to which he politely declined. I guess this didn’t sit well with said fans and they were overheard by the teller of the story saying he was an asshole.

Now this kind of attitude grinds me gears a bit. Why do professional athletes have to do everything a fan asks them to? If they don’t they’re assholes. I mean come on, give your head a shake. They play the game for themselves because they love it and if you/we weren’t even there to see them; it wouldn’t matter. When I read or hear of this sort of low class BS it disturbs me greatly. What makes someone so entitled to think just because they ask, they should get?

I mean what’s the motivation for getting a pic anyhow, so you can show your friends or family who you met? Then what? What comes after that? You’ve got a pic you can stare at… Honestly… Or maybe it’s a money thing. Either way it comes down to ego.

You know what you do when you see an athlete or celebrity in public? You greet them with a nod or simple hello and if they greet you back and feel like having a chat you shake their hand, tell them they’re doing a wonderful job and leave it at that. Now if they’re eating, leave them the f*ck alone… They’re eating for Christ’s sake. How’d you like it if you were eating and someone asked you for a pic or autograph each time. If they offer to take a pic with you, then you accept. Don’t be going around expecting they’ll cater to your every desire. Be classy because they’ll remember it, you’ll remember it, and most importantly it’s the right thing to do.

Have a good one folks!

BLH

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

BLH Post Gamer-G13 Edmonton Oilers vs. Philadelphia Flyers

Uh oh… The Oilers rookie injury curse rears it’s ugly head again.

Well have you ever felt disappointed after winning a game? Connor McDavid goes down with what looks like a clavicle injury at the end of the 2nd period doesn’t feel good at all. The Oilers out shot the Flyers 49-22 which is a plus and they dominated the game at times with ease. Let’s go through the game a little bit here:

First Period:

Anders the Giant gets the nod in place of Cam Talbot and proceeds to bounce back from a poor performance. The first period was dominated by the Oilers top 6 and by the 10 minute mark they were up 12-1 in shots on goal. Griffin Reinhart had three of those shots which was a bit of a surprise to me. I didn’t expect the Flyers to be this bad to be honest.

The one scare for the Oilers in that period was when former Oiler Nick Schultz creeped in to the slot and nearly scored on a tip in. I missed the center that should’ve had him covered but I did see Sekera covering that post… Lucky it was only Nick Schultz.

Other notable hightlights in that period include Hendricks missing right in close after some great work behind the net by Teddy Purcell to get him the puck. Gryba’s hit on Matt Read along the boards got the crowd going and Nuge scoring on the PP to end the period really got the team fired up!

Second Period:

I’ll be honest, I missed the first ten minutes of the second so that means I missed the Laughton goal but I got back to the game at the Vandevelde goal… Another former Oiler bites the team in the ass. Not only that but the 2nd periods are killing the Oilers so far this season.

Then it happened…

That happened at the end of the period. If this isn’t the worst second period of the year so far, I’m not sure what game’s was worse. What will happen to Yakupov? Will Leon Draisaitl get moved to the 2nd line? Will Jordan Eberle be inserted into the lineup versus Pittsburgh?

How many of the players are stoked to be leaving Rexall? I mean Hall and Nugent-Hopkins have both missed games due to shoulder injuries… How long will Connor McDavid be out?

https://twitter.com/Sun_Tychkowski/status/661763034503757824

So those two tweets kind of sum up the whole ordeal but here’s the bright spot. The team finally has some depth to which they can draw from. Eberle will come back and hopefully pick up where McDavid left off.

Third Period:

The first shift of the period felt depressing but the Oilers went on the power play and absolutely bossed it. My problem with it was they were being kept to the outside a bit too much and I hoped they would make the Flyers penalty killers move around a bit more.

By the 15 minute mark the Oilers were kicking the Flyers asses on the shot clock 37-16 and momentum was slowly bring regained by Edmonton. I was worried about the effect of McDavid’s absence might have on Yakupov but he showed the same vigor and confidence as before, I think the difference being he didn’t have anybody to get him the puck which is what McDavid was doing till now.

Photo courtesy of Andy Devlin

Around the 14 minute mark Matt Hendricks potted one in his return to the lineup! He was absolutely delighted too. A point shot took a bounce off the glass behind Flyers goalie Michael Neuvirth and fortuitously bounced right to Hendy for an easy tap in.

One minute and twenty seven seconds later Taylor Hall took the puck from Leon Draisaitl at the Flyers blue line and broke into the middle of the ice and made a shot on net that took a deflection off a Philly stick and dribbled past the Flyers goalie with Draisaitl tying up the dman. That turned out to be the game winner for the Oilers.

The Flyers tried to change the game by getting more physical but it was to no avail as the Oilers fended them off and Nuge potting the empty netter sealed the deal! Oilers win!!

General Thoughts:

I think the Oilers dominated the Flyers for the most part. They played a very sound and simple game. I’m hoping this is something they’ll continue versus Pittsburgh. The third line also showed up a bit more and I couldn’t imagine how this game would’ve turned out if Todd McLellan couldn’t’ve shortened the bench in the third to preserve that lead.

  • Taylor Hall continued his all-star play and he’s up to 3rd in scoring for the entire league.
  • Leon Draisaitl picked up two more points to take his tally up to seven in three games.
  • Teddy Purcell had 7 shots to lead the team and has really picked up his play of late.
  • Matt Hendricks had 5 shots, 7 hits, and a goal to boot in his return from injury! Love my energy guys!
  • Nuge picked up a pair including an empty net and a power play goal.
  • Eric Gryba had 3 shots, 3 blocks, and an assist
  • Nail Yakupov didn’t score but he had 4 shots and 3 hits. Well done!
  • Pakarinen and Gazdic didn’t break the 6 minute mark in TOI this evening…

Three Cheers

  1. Taylor Hall – Beast mode versus the Flyers! A goal and two assists and 5 shots… Beastly
  2. Matt Hendricks – refer to the General thoughts above
  3. Radko Gudas – An assist, a penalty, two shots, three blocks and five hits. Old School Hockey!

The Next game is versus the Pittsburgh Penguins who are coming in 7-4-0 and will be a whole new ball of yarn for the Oilers. This is a team that has Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Phil Kessel, and Kris Letang to deal with. Not only that they have an elite goalie in Marc-Andre Fleury… The Oilers will have their work cut out for them to say the least and without McDavid no less.

Let’s hope the boys can continue to dig deep and pull one out!

Good Night!

Beer League Hero, Lindsay Ryall, NHL, Sunday Night Pint

BLH Sunday Night Pint #14 – Milk Was a Bad Idea!

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Photo by Andy Devlin

Welcome back to the BLH Sunday Night Pint! It’s our 14th installment and we’re going to talk Anton Lander, Connor McDavid, Roster moves, and HUGE mistakes! But before all of that… What in Sam’s hell went on last week?… The reffing has been atrocious and not only the refs on the ice, the bloody guys in Toronto working with the NHL making that calls on not one but TWO goals that cost the Edmonton Oilers points in the standings… Unbelievable! Let’s hope everything returns to normal sooner than later!

Anyways, crack your beer! It’s time to get this party started!! Today’s myself (BLH) and Lindsay Ryall (@lindsman77)

What is Going to Happen to Anton Lander?

LR: Nothing immediate will happen with Lander, I believe Mclellan will do everything to help Lander get his game back . If he is still wallowing come the trade deadline and a team is placing high value on a face-off man, Chia may trade him.  In all likelihood he will round back into form.

BLH: I don’t think he’ll be long for Edmonton if he can’t provide any help while he’s on the ice. As you can see from Montreal’s third line, getting production from your bottom 6 is nearly as important as getting it from your top. If Leon Draisaitl is a better option there, then maybe Lander will get packaged up and dealt to pick up a defenceman.

Will Connor McDavid Break 100 Points This Season?

LR: Unfortunately, I think a 100 point season will be next year, not this one.  He’s remarkably elusive but it will be hard to dodge the injury bug as an 18-year old.  Doesn’t have the best line mates on the team either.

BLH: Boy he’s looking like he might eh? I’m going to say yes despite my prediction on the Oilers Rig’s first podcast of the year where I said Hall would win the Oilers’ scoring title. That was before McDavid was setting the league afire. He’s a point-per-game player at this point and top ten in league scoring. I think he’ll definitely get very close if not over 100 points. The realy question might be, can he score 50?

What Will the Oilers First Move Be After Jordan Eberle is Take Off the Injured Reserve?

LR: Move Yak to the third line and see how he (Eberle) does with McDavid.

BLH: How about this conundrum? If Draisaitl is meshing with Nuge and Hall and Yakupov is clicking with McDavid and Pouliot, you can’t mess with that. Plus you have a young Swedish pivot that is in dire need of a kick in the arse, what better kick than playing with the best RW on the team?

The talk is starting though. If the Oilers want to make a move to stitch up the defence, they’re going to have to move an important piece. Personally I believe that Eberle is that piece. Could he be part of the elusive Lowetide special, the 3 for 1 deal? Well it got the team a Chris Pronger before… It might bring another.

What’s the Biggest Mistake the Oilers Have Made This Season?

LR: This was more of an off season move, but signing Sekara to such a long-term deal when he is not a top pairing d-man.

BLH: The biggest mistake the team has made is not getting rid of some of the useless veterans. To me guys like Purcell, Fayne, Ference, Nikitin, and Scrivens are holding the team back. Now yes I do know that their contracts are burdensome and Ference does have a NMC in his deal. My suggestion then would be to make it worth Mr.Ference’s time to move, bury contracts, healthy scratch players or eat money in deals. Those veterans are holding back the younger more capable players looking to break into the team. If this is a year where the team is evaluated and not expected to make the playoffs, then surely eating some dollars wouldn’t be a problem.

Thanks for reading and let us know in the comments below your thoughts on this week’s BLH Sunday Night Pint! It’s gonna get chilly folks (single digits temp-wise?!!) so head on over to the Beer League Heroes Merch Shop and pick up a sweet Oilers themed hoodie or a 16-bit Superstar sweater! They’re priced very reasonably and from all accounts they’re the most comfortable way to keep yourself warm! Click the pic below to check out all our designs!