Oilers 2015-16

[Darren Dirt]

Statistically how bad is it?  I haven't looked at the stats for any teams this year, just been watching the Oil and Jets play.

Losing once they make it to OT -- that's something they are *really good at* (statistically speaking, well above average, IIRC).

[Mr. Analog]

they WON!

[Thorin]

I remember when we traded Dubnyk away and got Hendricks, and lots of people didn't really like it because Hendricks had this long contract at almost two million a year ($1.85mill, I think), and people were worried that was too much money to pay for a fourth liner.

This year Hendricks has played fourth line, third line, second line, first line, penalty kill, and shoot-out.  And he's done well in all positions, and he stands up for teammates in after-the-whistle scrums, and he'll stand in front of any shot from any cannon, and then when it's all done, he'll talk only about the team as a team, never himself.

It's too bad we traded Dubnyk away when he had so little value, he's clearly rebounded to his regular level of goalering.  However, Matt Hendricks has been an absolute gem of a player to add to the team.

[Darren Dirt]

they WON!

Solid goaltending, I grinned big-time when he fist-pumped that last blocked shot 



Their win was especially awesome since...

Losing once they make it to OT -- that's something they are *really good at* (statistically speaking, well above average, IIRC).

[Thorin]

ELPH

Exciting
Last
Place
Hockey

They are still in 30th, even if Calgary, Toronto, Colorado lose their next game (to make it the same number of games) and Carolina loses their next two (to make it the same number of games).

A caveat, though.  Pouliot-McDavid-Yakupov was their second line earlier in the year, that entire line is out injured.  The Hendricks-Letestu-Korpikoski line is supposed to be their fourth line, they were playing third line minutes.  At least the defence is only missing one of their better players (Davidson, another gem that was overlooked last year).

I wonder what made them work harder in this game.  Did McLellan have to yell, or just stare them down and say, "Come on guys, don't embarass your teammates"?

[Melbosa]

Maybe they saw the score in the Jets game and felt embarrassed?

[Darren Dirt]

I wonder what made them work harder in this game.  Did McLellan have to yell, or just stare them down and say, "Come on guys, don't embarass your teammates"?

They were told by Powerful Business Interests that it would be really great if "City of Champions" could be put back up on the edges of town, now that our CFL team did us proud.

[Thorin]

To be honest, it was probably the actual schedule wearing them down.  The first road trip game was Mon Nov 23, then they played Wed Nov 25, then Fri Nov 27, then Sat Nov 28, then Mon Nov 30.  That's 5 games in 8 days, plus having to travel from place to place to place, and you never sleep as good or play as well when you're staying in a hotel, and then some of them are still recovering from whatever horrible disease they're calling "the flu" (I'm guessing it was actually a norovirus).

On that road trip, the Washington (Nov 23), Detroit (Nov 27), and Pittsburgh (Nov 28) games were well-played, although still a loss, an overtime loss, and finally a shootout win.  The Carolina game (Nov 25) was pretty bad, almost like they figured it'd be a cakewalk and so forgot to mentally prepare.

The Toronto game (Nov 30) was the only real real stinker in my view.  That Sparks kid only had about three dangerous shots to stop all night.  Like Mel pointed out, he got lit up for six goals the following night.

Still, ELPH.

[Thorin]

The Oilers played the Dallas Stars tonight. The Stars are in first place, the Oilers in last. The Stars are first because of their ability to score goals. Thus I was expecting a high scoring game, six or seven goals at last between the two clubs, maybe more.

Instead, the Oilers kept Dallas to a single goal, then beat them 2-1 in overtime! From what I saw, that was mostly due to stellar goaltending - Nillson was dialed in, focused, in the zone, whatever you want to call it.

Dallas ruled the game though, shot counts were 43 for Dallas and only 22 for Edmonton, and from what I saw Dallas had more than double the dangerous shots that Edmonton did. Hopefully Nillson keeps this up. And hopefully our star forwards get the puck more and score more than two goals per game. These are starting to turn into soccer scores...

[Thorin]

Here's a Lowetide gem from today's Game Day Thread:

(We take you now to the Oval Office.)
George: Condi! Nice to see you. What?s happening?
Condi: Sir, I have the report here about the new leader of China.
George: Great. Lay it on me.
Condi: Hu is the new leader of China.
George: That?s what I want to know.
Condi: That?s what I?m telling you.
George: That?s what I?m asking you. Who is the new leader of China?
Condi: Yes.
George: I mean the fellow?s name.
Condi: Hu.
George: The guy in China.
Condi: Hu.
George: The new leader of China.
Condi: Hu.
George: The Chinaman!
Condi: Hu is leading China.
George: Now whaddya? asking me for?
Condi: I?m telling you Hu is leading China.
George: Well, I?m asking you. Who is leading China?
Condi: That?s the man?s name.
George: That?s who?s name?
Condi: Yes.
George: Will you or will you not tell me the name of the new leader of China?
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Yassir? Yassir Arafat is in China? I thought he was in the Middle East.
Condi: That?s correct.
George: Then who is in China?
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Yassir is in China?
Condi: No, sir.
George: Then who is?
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Yassir?
Condi: No, sir.
George: Look, Condi. I need to know the name of the new leader of China. Get me the Secretary General of the U.N. on the phone.
Condi: Kofi?
George: No, thanks.
Condi: You want Kofi?
George: No.
Condi: You don?t want Kofi.
George: No. But now that you mention it, I could use a glass of milk. And then get me the U.N.
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Not Yassir! The guy at the U.N.
Condi: Kofi?
George: Milk! Will you please make the call?
Condi: And call who?
George: Who is the guy at the U.N?
Condi: Hu is the guy in China.
George: Will you stay out of China?!
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: And stay out of the Middle East! Just get me the guy at the U.N.
Condi: Kofi.
George: All right! With cream and two sugars. Now get on the phone.
(Condi picks up the phone.)
Condi: Rice, here.
George: Rice? Good idea. And a couple of egg rolls, too.

source: http://lowetide.ca/2015/12/06/g28-2015-16-sabres-at-oilers/comment-page-1/#comment-478368

They also occasionally discuss hockey on that blog...

[Mr. Analog]

The Octane are no more, from what I read this morning they are going to be replaced with something else