Friday, February 03, 2012

January Report Card - Forwards and Coaches

With the month of January now in the books, it's time to look back at the month that was and dish out my monthly report card. Each players rating will be based on their performance from opening night up to and including the teams last game on January 31st. Today the spotlight will be on the Oilers forwards and coaching staff.

Game 51: Edmonton 8 Chicago 4


Over the last couple of seasons, Sam Gagner has become somewhat of a forgotten man in these parts. With the additions of Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins into the Oilers ranks, very little attention has been paid to the former sixth overall selection. After the show Sam put on last night at Rexall Place, I have a feeling that will no longer be the case..

Thursday, February 02, 2012

January Report Card - Goaltenders and Defencemen



With the month of January now in the books, it's time to look back at the month that was and dish out my monthly report card. Each players rating will be based on their performance from opening night up to and including the teams last game on January 31st. Today the focus will be on the blueline and netminders, while tomorrow I will take a look at the forwards and coaching staff.

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Game 50: Edmonton 3 Colorado 2


Heading into their first game after the All-Star break, the Edmonton Oilers had one goal in mind...showing the rest of the NHL that they are for real. After starting the season on fire and following it up with some absolutely dreadful hockey, this team clearly has something to prove over their final thirty-three regular season games. If last night's 3-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche was any indication of what is to follow, these Oilers might just make a few teams cringe at the thought of facing them down the stretch. Rookie forward Philippe Cornet made his NHL debut and picked up his first point. While Devan Dubnyk stood tall in between the pipes, making thirty-one saves in picking up his eighth victory of the season.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

After The Trade Deadline, Who Should Be Playing For The Edmonton Oilers


As the post All-Star Game stretch run is set to begin and the Edmonton Oilers finally close to getting some of their healthy bodies back into the fold. With players coming back in and possibly others, like Ales Hemsky, going out, what should the Oilers lines look like moving forward?

Monday, January 30, 2012

Taylor Hall - The Next Face Of The NHL


With the future of Sidney Crosby in more doubt today than ever before, the time appears to be at hand for this league to find its “new face" of the NHL. While there is no player in the league today that is on the same level as Sid, there are many great players that could possibly inherit the role. The obvious choices to most would be players like Jonathan Toews or Steven Stamkos and while both would be good choices, in my mind, I only see one player that would be both willing and able to deal with the scrutiny that such a role brings. That player is the Edmonton Oilers Taylor Hall.