All Entries Tagged With: "jeff deslauriers"
With Khabibulin on trial the Oilers need to look at options in net
After watching the Devan Dubnyk-Jeff Deslauriers show last season I can’t imagine anyone in the organization would be too excited to see that combination take the reigns again for an extended period of time should Khabibulin not be available, so I think the Oilers need to be in the market for a cheap veteran backup.
Game 51 review – Not even close
Last night Chicago doubled up on the Oilers 4-2 and as a result now have double the points of the Oilers in the standings too. The game was in no way as close as the final score would indicate. The description used over at The Copper & Blue of men versus boys is about as an accurate a description as any I can think of.
Game 51 preview – Tonights forecast calls for more losing
No matter how bad a team is sooner or later they’re going to win a game. Maybe they’ll get a lucky bounce, or maybe the refs will make a debatable call that leads to a powerplay, or maybe the game will be stolen by a hot goaltender. Even though any of those things could happen there is really no way that the Oilers win tonight against the Hawks.
Game 49 preview – Looking for loss #9
Coming of their worst loss of the season on Monday night – a 6-0 loss to the Avalanche – the Oilers will return to the friendly confines of Rexall Place tonight when the host the Canucks. Having managed just a single win (to go along with a couple of overtime losses) in their last 12 games maybe Rexall Place isn’t so friendly after all. In fact I expect the fans tonight to be anything but friendly.
Game 48 preview – Can the Oilers win in Colorado?
Oh how time flies when you’re having fun. Just a little over a month ago the Oilers were coming off one of the best road trips in franchise history; the team put together a five game winning streak on that road trip. In the 15 games since that streak though the Oilers have just a single win, a win that is book ended by seven losses.
Game 46 preview – Penguins make rare visit to Edmonton
At this point things in Edmonton are about as ugly as they can get. The season is done, the team has three points in their last 13 games, Khabibulin needs back surgery, Hemsky is lost for the year, and by the end of the night it’s very possible that the Oilers will be tied for last place. So it’s a good thing that the Penguins are coming to town tonight, at least this way there is something for Oiler fans something to be excited about.
Khabibulin’s surgery leads to a lot of questions
It had been speculated for weeks and now its official, Khabibulin needs season ending back surgery. With the Oilers in wait-till-next-season mode (for the fourth year in a row) the loss of their number one goalie isn’t something that will jeopardize the season. It does though open the door for a lot of questions about Khabibulin’s contract and the Oilers goaltending situation.
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 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.
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.
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 25 preview – Oilers receive a royal visit
It’s back to business for the Oilers tonight as they host the Los Angeles Kings. This will be the first meeting of the season for these two teams but of last season the Kings have really gave the Oilers real problems. In the four games between the two clubs last season the Oilers won just one, thanks to the loser point though they did manage to get a single point in one of the other three.
Game 24 review – Not necessarily pretty but I’ll take it
The final score last night was 4-0 but the score doesn’t really reflect how the Oilers played against the Coyotes. Overall the team played alright but by no means was they spectacular.
Game 24 preview – It’s time to start winning
This week could very well define the Oilers season. As a fan it hurts to think that on the 23rd of November but it likely is reality.
Game 22 preview – Looking to stop the slide
Back at the friendly confines of Rexall Place the Oilers will look to get back on the winning track tonight against the Avalanche. With just two wins in their last 12 games the winning track is something they need to find very soon.
Game 21 preview – In search of an elusive road win
The Oilers wrap up their five game road trip tonight in Columbus. After getting out of the gate on this trip with a win in Colorado and a loser point in Ottawa the Oilers have dropped back to back games to the Sabres and Thrashers. After the Colorado game I wrote that a successful road trip is a 0.500 road trip. Well by that metric whether or not this trip is successful hangs in the balance tonight.
Game 19 preview – Just keep doing what you’re doing
Tonight in Buffalo the Oilers play their third game of a five game road trip. The key to success is to just keep doing what they’ve been doing – simple offense and lots of shots at one end of the rink and limited second chances and good clean breakouts at the other end of the ice. It’s obviously a lot easier said than done.
Game 18 review – A night of goals that were barely goals
For a change the Oilers outshot and outchanced their opponent last night. Too bad for them the result wasn’t a win but a 4-3 shootout loss to the Senators.