mc79hockey.com

Lines and defense pairings:

22-10-19
27-89-67
18-16-13
32-46-12

5-71
44-77
43-24

It was most certainly an interesting game to watch and given that it was a road effort this game and comeback should rank just a little higher on the enjoyment scale than that roaring home comeback win awhile back versus the Blue Jackets.

The Oilers came out flatter than Janet Wood and registered just three of the games first 13 chances. The 24/43 tandem were death when they were on the ice and the only forward line worth having faith in was the 89 troika; and no I’m not forgetting to mention that the Oilers PP unit allowed as many chances against as they ranked up chances for.

The Oilers would began to carry the play a little more around the 5 min mark and this continued after Oshie’s iffy PP goal made it 2-0. Eventually, Backes made it 3-0 and the Blues looked like they’d registered six of the period’s last seven chances until 67 potted a late goal for the Oil to bring them to a somewhat-more-manageable two goal deficit heading into the final frame.

I took a look after 40 min and the 89 line was the only line getting anything done up front and the D looked to be shaky given that 44 had been ejected from the game for some foul language towards official Bill McCreary.

So, we’re down to five dmen and two of them are named Staios and Strudwick and we just have the one line going up front and both the 16 and 46 lines were getting killed chances-wise.

So, of course, the Oilers score four unanswered goals in the third period to win 5-3. The funny thing was that the third period dominance was hardly evident from the get-go and it took awhile to hit full speed.

The Blues had registered three of the period’s first four chances and held a 3-1 lead in a very boring period of hockey that had roughly 12 minutes left of play.

But all of a sudden 27 bullies Jackman off the puck and 89 finds 67 in the slot and it’s 3-2.

Still, the Blues come back to register the next three chances but then 89 muscles in a weak one from the top of the crease and it’s tied.

From then on the Oilers dominated.

The 89 line registered two more quick chances and then Quinn moved 10 up to replace 46 for a shift with the 32-12 combo. 10 promptly scored off some great down low work from him and 32 and a nice pass from 12 and the Oilers registered the next four chances as well with the last one being 27’s marker to make it 5-3.

All of this happened with just five dmen at the coach’s disposal. And, yes, 24 and 43 were two of them.

Tonight we may have gotten a glimpse of what life could’ve been like if 83 and 34 had remained healthy and the club had picked up a pivot in the Peca/Pahlsson mode to flesh out the top nine forwards because the 89 line would be a soft opposition monster if we could give them that kind of assignment on a nightly basis. For instance, there was a shift where for some reason the Blues had their D pairing of Polak/Weaver against 27 and they just couldn’t handle him. It is these shifts that so clearly illustrate why Brad Isbister got so many chances and why Todd Bertuzzi is still getting them; there are times when 27’s size means he cannot be stopped and I remember what that looked like when Bertuzzi was both a Canuck and one of the best players in the world.

As it is, though, we’re still looking for linemates that properly compliment 10 and the ST is sketchy with the PP floundering without 83 and the only saving grace for the PK being that very quietly the Oilers are one of the leagues most disciplined teams.

It is hard to give up PK goals when you’re hardly in the box.

Outside of the five game winning streak what I am most looking forward to now is the return of 37 to the D corps which should mean that him and 24 do a great job against the other team’s third lines because that’s who they should be facing with the next four games at Rexall giving Quinn the benefit of last change.

Speaking of last change, will Quinn move at least 32 to 10’s line and attempt to have them hard match? Or will he ask the 89 line to go power-vs-power? We’ve played just one game at Rexall since 83’s injury change everything and I’m looking forward to seeing what our gameplan is come Tuesday versus the Kings and in particular Kopitar’s line.

Brutal game for the PP tonight. Things turned around when McCreary and Son put their whistles away after the Souray ejection.

I’m surprised you had chances so close in the third, it seemed like Oilers were dominating for stretches at a time. One at 10:11 and another at 10:10? If the goalie would only let the first one in that would reduce our SCA eh?

Certainly the shot clock was mounting in Oilers’ favour at 15-8 and 15-10 the last two periods, so at least we outshot even if we didn’t outchance. The main thing is we outscored.

Bruce: Yeah, as I illustrated, the comeback came out of nowhere because for a long time to start the third the pace befitted a team trying to lock down a two goal lead. Then all of a sudden it was the Oilers coming in waves and with a little help from Conklin, here we are.

I’m fed up with 43 as well and to the point where I’d get rid of him and see if Arsene is just as viable an option.

43 is third paring ilk to the max and that’s only when you’re at home and have the last change.

JW: if the plan is to hard match 10’s line than 32 has to be alongside of him somewhere. And I think I’ve seen enough of his game to say this guy’s an outscorer. What he needs to play with a guy that can lug the puck but once that happens and the puck’s up for grabs in the O zone, I’m betting on 32.

I have soured on him as well but he still has his uses. Last night there was a play where he wound up with a chance and it happened because the D was frightened to death of him and let him take the puck and him and 10 went give-and-go and 22 had a nice chance from the slot.

But when he’s with 10 he’s playing above his grade; though that wasn’t a big deal in this one as he only played a little over 5 min at EV