Game 42: Minnesota 5 Edmonton 3

In their first opportunity to make an impression on new GM Craig MacTavish, the Edmonton Oilers proceeded to come out as flat as board on Tuesday night, falling by a score of 5-3 to the Minnesota Wild at Rexall Place. The loss was their sixth straight, which is a feat that has not been achieved in this neck of the woods since December 2009.

Game 28: Edmonton 3 Nashville 2

It was by no means a masterpiece but the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 victory over the slumping Nashville Predators, was exactly what the doctor ordered. Jordan Eberle's third period snipe proved to be the difference, in a game that featured just a dreadful line change from Predators forward Sergei Kostitsyn, leading directly to the Oilers second goal of the night.

Overcrowded forward group grows larger with the addition of Brown

With the Edmonton Oilers acquisition of former Toronto Maple Leafs pest Mike Brown on Monday morning, General Manager Steve Tambellini helped address his club's lack of toughness and willingness to engage physically. On the other hand, he has added another body to a roster that already has far too many players on it.

Game 18: Chicago 3 Edmonton 2 (OT)

The Edmonton Oilers kicked off their lengthy nine game road trip against the best team in the NHL on Monday night, earning a very important point in their 3-2 overtime loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. Marian Hossa scored 1:44 into the extra session, despite a valiant effort from netminder Nikolai Khabibulin, keeping the Hawks near perfect season intact.

The Edmonton Oilers and Ryan Smyth are no longer a good fit

Exactly ten days ago, I wrote a piece focusing on the Edmonton Oilers having to make some tough decisions, in order to make room for Ryan Jones in their bottom six. With Jones inching closer to his return to the lineup and the recent emergence of Magnus Paajarvi over the last week and half, it looks as though the time for that decision has come sooner than expected and the odd man out looks to be Mr.Oiler himself, Ryan Smyth.

Oilers will need to make room for Ryan Jones

While Ryan Jones is not quite ready to make his 2013 Edmonton Oilers debut, he isn't far off. With his return likely coming sometime over the next 2-3 weeks and Ben Eager getting closer to re-joining the Oilers starting lineup, head coach Ralph Krueger will have some tough decisions moving forward.

Game 6: Edmonton 2 Phoenix 1 (OT)

An overtime power play winner off the stick of Nail Yakupov and another stellar performance from netminder Devan Dubnyk, helped the Edmonton Oilers sneak past the Phoenix Coyotes  2-1 in Wednesday night NHL action.

Game 64: Dallas 3 Edmonton 1

                          

For the second time this week, fans at Rexall Place we treated to suffocating hockey at its finest. Not sure if it has something to do with the Pacific Division but the Dallas Stars came into Edmonton and did exactly what the Phoenix Coyotes did last Saturday afternoon. They managed to lull both the Edmonton Oilers and their fans to sleep, before skating away with a crucial but uninspiring 3-1 victory on Friday night. In a game that featured a combined shot total of thirty-four, the Oilers could do little to find a way through a Dallas side that at certain points, lined up all five skaters at their blueline...with the puck behind the Edmonton goal. The game also marked the return of former Oiler Sheldon Souray. While the veteran D man did not register a point in his first trip back to Edmonton, he played over twenty-minutes and was a solid +2 despite hearing the boo-birds, every time he touched the puck.

Game 62: Edmonton 5 Winnipeg 3

The Edmonton Oilers always found ways to defeat the Winnipeg Jets, no matter how well or poor they were playing at any given time. At times, it seemed like they were toying with the Jets and their fans, before coming from behind to defeat their Smyth Division rivals. Fast forward to the present day and it was just like the old days. Edmonton stormed back to score four third period goals and continue to play the role of spoiler in defeating Winnipeg 5-3, with a come from behind victory. Taylor Hall led the way with two points, including the winner, and Devan Dubnyk was rock solid in stopping twenty-nine shots. The win was the Oilers third consecutive on the road and moved them within two points of the Montreal Canadiens for twenty-eighth in the overall league standings.

Oil Notes: Hartikianen recalled and Petrell sent to Oklahoma City

According to Gene Principe, the Oilers have recalled Teemu Hartikainen and sent down Lennart Petrell to Oklahoma City. Nice too see Teemu get the call up but if the plan is to play him on the fourth line for five minutes a night, I am not sure what this move is going to accomplish.

GenePrincipe Gene Principe 

For you early risers first move of the New Year for Edmonton. Lennart Petrell has been sent down and Teemu Hartikainen called up.

Trouble On The Penalty Kill

With the Edmonton Oilers recent struggles, the teams penalty kill has started to take a bit of a nose dive. In the last seven games, they have given up nine goals and have a been running with at a success rate of 63%. Not surprisingly, Edmonton has gone 2-4-1 during that stretch and have watched their penalty kill fall all the way down to sixteenth in the league.With that being case, I do find it odd that the coaching staff has made no changes to the clubs current set up. The challenges they are faced with on the blueline, they can do nothing about, until management brings in reinforcements from outside the organization. That being said, there is nothing keeping them from changing things up, with the forward pairings they are currently using.

Game 16: Detroit 3 Edmonton 0

For the second consecutive night, the Edmonton Oilers found themselves playing a superior opponent that was willing to do whatever was necessary to earn two points and for the second straight night, the Oilers were unable to match their opponents intensity and will to win. Detroit were in complete control, start to finish, and were well deserving of the 3-0 final score. If not for the stellar play of goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin, Edmonton would have been run right out of Joe Louis Arena. After winning six in a row, the young Oilers have now lost three of their last four and have been out played by a wide margin in all four games.

Game 12: Edmonton 3 Los Angeles 0

The Edmonton Oilers having been winning their fair share of hockey games this season but they have been doing it with next to no offensive support from their third and fourth lines. Well, that all changed last night. Edmonton got a goal from each of those lines and another from the red hot Ryan Smyth, in defeating the Los Angeles Kings by a score of 3-0. The win was the Oilers sixth in a row and moves their record to 8-2-2, which leaves them tied for first in the Western Conference, with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Just What The Oilers Were Hoping For

 

Now that the season has reached the ten game mark, it has become apparent that Lennart Petrell is the bottom six forward that the Edmonton Oilers have been looking to acquire for sometime. As the rugged winger becomes more comfortable with the North American game, you can see him starting to round into form. The Oilers have not had a fourth line with any sort of a dimension for sometime but the Finnish forward is doing his best to make that a thing of the past.

Why Has The Call Not Been Made For Teemu Hartikainen?

It is one thing for Teemu Hartikainen to be sent down at the end of training camp when the big club is filled with healthy bodies under contract. It is something completely different, for the Edmonton Oilers to not place a call to Oklahoma City, for the rugged winger when they have bodies dropping like flies. Whispers were starting yesterday that they may dress seven D men against Nashville...Seriously? What on earth would possess them to even consider such a thing, when a viable replacement is one quick call away!!!

Oil Notes: Eager Is Close and Foreshadowing Lineup For Saturday

I am sure Ben Eager did not expect his career as an Edmonton Oiler to start out in the fashion it has. After signing a three year deal with the club on July 1st, the rugged forward was looking forward to being a regular and getting a new lease on his hockey life in Edmonton. After an on ice meltdown in last years playoffs cost the San Jose Sharks, Coach Todd McLellan decided he could no longer trust the gritty Eager out on the ice and yanked him from the starting lineup. Edmonton was going to be the spot that Ben Eager would show everyone he could still play the game and not just be a side show. Unfortunately for both the club and player, a concussion, suffered during the Joey Moss Cup, has kept the 27 year old out of the Oilers lineup for the entire pre-season and the season opener. It appears that the time to see what Ben Eager can bring to the table, is just around the corner.

Penalty Killing Options Upfront

 

With the season just around the corner, I would say it is time to take a look at the Edmonton Oilers special teams and see if we can determine who will be placed in what role and what is fair as far as expectations go for each player. Lets start off looking at the penalty kill and what potential forward pairings the Oilers may plan on using when shorthanded.

Line Combinations...Minus # 89

When the Oilers revealed that Sam Gagner suffered a high ankle sprain, after going hard into the end boards against the Calgary Flames last Saturday, they pegged his time out of the lineup as "week to week". When you consider that most players that suffer this type of injury seem to need at least a few weeks to recover before they could even consider getting back on the ice, one would think it would be unlikely to see Gagner on the ice before November 1st. The injury will obviously make the decision of which fourteen forwards they decide to break camp with a lot more challenging.

Is Linus Omark Bored?

One should never read too much into NHL exhibition games because at the end of the day, they do not mean a thing. That being said, I am still somewhat stunned at the lack of jump Linus Omark has shown. During his rookie campaign the Swedish forward showed inconsistencies in his effort level on a game by game basis. I have little doubt that much of that was brought on by the frustration of having his ice time limited and not always being given the opportunity to play with linemates that suited his skill set.

Camp Begins

As on ice sessions began Saturday morning at Rexall Place, it was evident the Edmonton Oilers coaching staff want to push the envelope from the get go...while putting together four lines that will get no complaints from yours truly. The trios I was hoping to see upfront seems as though they will be given a shot to start camp, be it at the Joey Moss Cup or in the clubs first couple of exhibition games.