Author Archive for RyanB
I'm a life long fan of hockey, especially the Oilers. The primary purpose of my day job is to get money to support my addiction to the Oil. Between season seats, beer, and merchandise I shudder to think about how much money I feed into Oiler coffers every year. My addiction to the Oil knows no bounds, when I got married in Mexico the whole trip had to be shifted after everything was booked so that I'd be back for the Mark Messier jersey retirement. My wife is very understanding and I'm in a good place with my addiction right now so I see no reason to change anything. I can be reached at rwbatty@gmail.com or you can follow my random thoughts at http://twitter.com/ryan_batty.
Game 45 review – Another lousy effort, another loss
It was the same the same old story for Oiler fans last night at Rexall Place. The Oilers play, the Oilers lose. Last nights decision – a 5-3 loss to the Predators – marked the tenth loss in the Oilers last 11 games on home ice. With a record like that it’s only a matter of time until the Oilers manage to sit in the basement of the NHL.
Game 45 preview – Will the mini-camp pay off?
With a whopping three points in their last 12 games the Oilers took advantage of their recent four day break to hold a mini-camp so the team could work on the little things that have been costing them wins of late. If you’re wondering what those things would be, the answer is everything.
Game 44 review – Oilers lose Toilet Bowl
In a battle of two teams at the bottom of the Western Conference the Oilers showed why they are the worst team in the West. The game was a snoozer from the get go. There was no energy and all the fans could do was hope it would end soon, it didn’t. At one point I pulled out my ticket to see hope many home games we had left – to my horror the answer is 18.
Game 44 preview – I guess somebody has to win
With just two points separating them in the standings tonight’s matchup between the Oilers and Blue Jackets is a huge four point game. Well it would really only be huge if you were looking at the bottom of the NHL standings and not the top. In fact this game is really a battle for 29th place, with the loser grabbing that coveted spot. The winner will rocket past the Leafs and into 27th place.
Game 43 review – At least it’s a point
The loser point might not be what the Oilers wanted when they worked so hard to tie it up but when a team has just two points in their last ten games I’d be willing to bet that they’ll take points wherever they can find them.
Game 43 preview – Injury news, good and bad as always
At the start of the season you had told me that tonights Oilers/Coyotes game would feature the 6th and 29th place teams in the league I would have laughed in your face because there is no way the Oilers would be sitting with the NHLs elite teams this late in the season. As it turns out I would have been right, the Oilers wouldn’t be in that position but somehow the Coyotes are.
Looking to improve the World Juniors
Watching teams get destroyed by 10 plus goals isn’t fun. Not for the fans and not for the payers on either side. As long as the talent gap is as wide as it is between the elite teams and the next level there will always be lopsided losses but there are a couple of things the IIHF could look at to make those games just a little closer and maybe a little more entertaining.
Game 40 preview – When lousy teams play does anyone care?
When a game is on pay per view and the teams are the second (the Oilers) and third (the Leafs) worst teams in the league will anyone actually care enough to pay for the game? If I didn’t already have tickets I know I wouldn’t.
Looking at Penner for Team Canada
Tomorrow morning Steve Yzerman will unveil the roster for the Canadian Men’s Olypic Hockey Team. One of the players that will almost certainly be left of that list will be Dustin Penner. But Penner is having a hell of a year on a pretty bad Oilers team and his numbers look pretty good when compared to the 25 forwards that were invited to the Olympic orientation.
Game 39 review – Seven and counting, the streak continues
With a 4-1 loss last night to the Flames the Oilers have now extend their losing streak to seven games. Will the streak end against the Leafs on Wednesday? The Flames on Thursday? Or will it continue into 2010? Based on the game the Oilers played last night it is really hard to predict when this team will win again.
Game 39 preview – Not quite the Battle of days past
Although it isn’t what it once was the Battle of Alberta does still mean something to me. In three games between the two clubs this season the Oilers are 0-3. And as much as I hope that the Oilers are bad enough to get a very high draft pick in June I still want them to win tonight simply because I don’t ever want the Flames (or really the City of Calgary) to ever win anything.
Game 35 preview – Thanks for the garbage schedule Gary
There are games that I circle every year when the Oilers schedule comes out, the games I wouldn’t miss for anything. Games against the Flames and Canucks fall into that category, as do Original Six teams. Seeing an Oilers in his first game back here is always fun. The Stanley Cup champion is another good game to go see. And of course when the leagues best player comes to town you want to make sure your there.
Game 33 preview – What a difference a week makes
What the hell happen to the Oilers? After their game on December 5 I went on vacation and all but cut myself off from the world. I didn’t go very far for my vacation, only 4.7 km as the crow flies, but when you’re watching curling all day and drinking beers before, during, and after there isn’t much time left for anything else.
Game 29 review – It’s a miracle
I really don’t know which one is more surprising – the Oilers battling back for a win on the road in Dallas or Smid scoring a goal. You know what I don’t care, I just happy that both happened.
Game 29 preview – Looking for a rare win in Big D
Based on history a win today in Dallas won’t be easy for the Oilers. Since The North Stars packed their bags for the Lone Star State the Oilers have not looked forward to road trips that stop there at all. The Oilers have a 4-22-2-2 record all time in Dallas, that’s a 0.200 winning percentage. On home ice the Oil have fared slightly better but overall the Stars have had the Oilers number for quite a while.
Game 28 preview – Trying to kick the Wings when their down
The Oilers resume their six game road trip tonight in Detroit. Technically this is game two of the road trip but since they’ve had four days off and returned to Edmonton after the 7-3 loss to the Canucks on Saturday night this is really more like a new road trip altogether. But what game on the trip this is doesn’t really matter, what matters is that the Oil suck on the road.
Are the Oilers just good enough to not suck enough?
It’s been a week since I posted anything here one Hockey Independent. Was I battling swine flu because the Flames got a vaccine meant for me? No. Was I staying out of the public eye after crashing my Escalade into a fire hydrant? No. Was I distraught because the Roughriders can’t count to 12? No.
Game 26 preview – Heatley, Hemsky, and hopelessness
There are two major storylines for the Oilers/Sharks game tonight. There is the fans in Edmonton getting their chance to boo Heatley (which I don’t agree with) storyline and there is the Oilers beginning life without Hemsky (which depresses me immensely) storyline.
Thoughts on booing Heatley
It’s going to be a loud night tonight at Rexall Place. For the most the noise won’t be the fans cheering for the home team as much as it will be the fans booing Dany Heatley each and every time he steps onto the ice.
Game 25 review – From bad to worse?
Things here in Oil Country haven’t been all sunshine and roses lately. The team is losing more often than they’re winning and most night the team seems to lack the intensity or focus to win games. It’s been bad so far and it easily could be getting worse very very soon.
