Pats Update

The Regina Pats took on the Calgary Hitmen on Tuesday, but extended their losing streak to eight, coming off of a 4-3 decision. During the game Struebs scored twice for the Pats and the new addition Orfino also netted one. However, the Pats were forced to trail most of the game as Guhle let in 3 goals in the first. The Hitmen then scored one more in the third which ended up being the game winner. Calgary is not an easy team to play by any means, even without Kozun and Jones. Despite a minor break down in the first, the Pats actually had a decent showing.

The real sour taste that came out of this game was that the Pats lost yet another player to injury. Just when you thought we would start to get players back another went down. No, it wasn't a blueliner thank god, but it was another goalie, which is almost worse. Guhle tweaked his groin in the game and as a result Regina has had to make a trade with Tri-city for their backup goalie. Hopefully he can step up and help the boys out.

The Pats next action is tonight against the Kootenay Ice, the boys are itching to get a win and close out 2009 with 2 points. Good Luck Boys!

Oilers WIN!

No, it's not a typo, the Oilers actually won a game last night; their first after dropping 7 in a row. The Oilers beat the Toronto Maple leafs last night by a score of 3-1. Brule got the ball rolling in the first and then Patty O'Sullivan added two more, one in the second and one in the third to secure the win. Phil Kessel spoiled Deslauries bid at a shutout with 4 minutes left in the third.

It was good to see Deslauries have a good game, hopefully that will give him some confidence heading into the new year. The Oilers look to douce the Flames tonight, they lost to Calgary4-1 on Monday, so they will be looking to redeem themselves and end the 2009 season with a "W".

Thank god O'Sullivan was able to find the net last night, as he has been mediocre so far this season. Still not helping on the scoresheet was Cogliano, I hope 2010 fairs him better than 2009!

The Oilers are back at the office tonight when they take on the Calgary Flames for the second time this week. Who knows? Maybe after tonight they will be riding a 2 game win streak..

Canada vs Slovakia

Team Canada played its third round robin game last night against the Slovaks.  The Canadian boys have been dominant so far, and this game would be no different.  Canada ended up winning by a score of 8-2, but it wasn't because the Slovak's didn't put up a good fight.  

This game was easily the most physical game Canada has played in so far.  Numerous times players were sent flying, noticeably was the hit on Jordan Eberle at center ice which caused him to do a face plant, and then Taylor Hall was sent flying end-over-end just a few minutes later, both players popped right back up, thank god.  It was good to see Canada taking as well as dishing out clean hits, as it is something that they will need to do more of for the wrest of the tournament.  

The big story that came out of the game was Taylor Hall.  Although Hall hadn't scored a goal in the first 2 round robin games, everyone knew that it wouldn't be long before he broke out, and he did just that.  Hall got the hattrick last night as well as adding an assist.  He also finished his checks, took some hard hits, showed great play making ability and all around was basically unreal!  It was great to see him have such a good game as Canada will need more and more of his help in the upcoming games, especially his touch around the net.  

Martin Jones played in net for Canada, and Jake Allen sat out so he would be fresh to take on the Americans.  Jones also played great for Canada, it's tough to follow up 2 straight shut-outs but he made some key saves throughout the game, the posts helped him out on a few occasions aswell.  

Canada earned the day off today, which you can tell they obviously need.  de Haan is still out with an injury, Caron left late in the game and didn't return, and Kozun looked to be in considerable pain, hopefully he's alright.  

Canada will face it's toughest test tomorrow against USA.  It's the showdown for first place in the pool, which also would mean earning an all important bye to the semi-finals. Canada will need to keep playing their game which means: short shifts, no turnovers at the bluelines, and playing with discipline (ehem Cormier and Della Rovere).  It should be an exciting game to close out 2009, Good Luck Boys!

Worst Fight Card, EVER.

I love the UFC just as much, actually probably more, then the next person but this next fight card is brutal! I mean when the fight I am probably the most excited for is Joe Lauzon vs Sam Stout  you know you have problems.  

This fight card still would have been terrible but at least the main event could have been good if it were the originally scheduled Evans vs Rampage.. but noooo.  Rampage decided to make an attempt at an "acting career" to which everyone, including me, knew he would fail at.  Never the less, we are now stuck watching Evans take on Thiago Silva.  Now it's not that Silva is a terrible fighter or anything, infact both he and Evans' only losses in the UFC are to Machida but its just not the same as a fight with Rampage would have been. I predict Rashad will get the "W", and there will be a noticeable decrease in pay-per view buys. 

Pats and Oilers in the Same Boat

Both the Regina Pats and the Edmonton Oilers have lost their last 7 games, and both teams sit at the bottom of their conferences. The Regina Pats 7th loss came from a 5-2 decision to the Medicine Hat Tigers, while the Oilers lost their 7th last night coming from score of 4-1 in favor of their Alberta rivals, the Calgary Flames.

To be fair, the Pats are missing a hand full of key players. Jordan Eberle and Teubert are off at the World Juniors, and Bell and Bortsmayer are leaving for the under 17's. Not to mention to horrible timing of Pym quitting the team and the injuries to Davidson and Carlson, leaving the Pats with only 3 defensemen to work with. As a result they are working with call-ups, so the chemistry just isn't there. Even though the Pats are missing these players it still shouldn't be used as an excuse. The Pats still have many unreal players left of the roster, it's just a matter of who will step up. With guys like Struebs, Leffs, Ashton and Weal there is no reason why they can't at least find a way to win one game!

The Pats look to bounce back against one of the tougest teams in the league, the Calgary Hitmen. The Pats take them on tonight! Good Luck Boys!

The Oilers have been missing key players on and off all season for various reasons. They have had main point contributors injured and others that are still suffering with affects of the flu that refuse to go away. The Oilers haven't had very good luck with their call-ups, the only one that has made an impact has been Potunly, but other then that, it has been slim pickins'.

The Oilers also look to bounce back when they play against the Maple Leafs Wednesday night. If the Oilers play at all good they should be able to pick up a much-needed two points.

Canada vs Switzerland

Team Canada took to the ice for their second round robin game of the WJHC yesterday against the Switz. After Canada's dominating performance against Latvia two days prior, it didn't take them long to get the ball rolling again. Infact, it only took 23 seconds for Canada to put the puck in the net. They continued their dominance throughout the game and were on the better half of a final score of 6-0. Jake Allen was in goal for Canada once again, and once again got the shutout.

The Switz were definitely far better competition then the Latvian's but were still no match for the Canadian kids. The Switz had a few great chances, but rang the post and then the cross bar on two of them. McMillan finished the night with three goals, and Jordan Eberle had 1 goal and 4 assists. That line of McMillan-Schenn-Eberle sure seems to be clicking and are begining to establish amazing chemistry. I still think Schenn can be more of a force offensively and on the scoresheet then he has been, but he has been a great contributor in the little details which isn't going unnoticed.

Canada's special teams have been unreal as of late. The power-play is running at over 50%, and the penalty-killing has been perfect, killing all 6 penalties in the 2 round robin games so far. The first power play unit is slated right now as: Kadri-Hall-Eberle with Pietrangelo-Ellis on the back end. It would not suprise me at all if Canada tried McMillan in place of Kadri on the power play because of the amazing chemistry between himself and Jordan Eberle.

Canada has been preaching "discipline" the whole tournament and have been doing a lot better in that area in the round robin games than they had in the pre-tournament games. Canada set a goal for themselves of only giving up 4 power-plays per game, they matched that goal against the Switz and only gave up 2 power-plays to Latvia. However, Canada also hasn't been pushed very hard yet, so it has been easy for them to not get to "over-the-top". The real test for Canada's discipline probably won't come until New Years Eve when they take on USA. It was against USA last year that Della Rovere got into trouble and became best friends with the penalty box. I'm also a little worried about how Kadri will handle the pressure, he already had a "war of words" with Niederreiter so the coaches will be looking to keep him in check and reign him in if need be.

It looks like Martin Jones will get the start tonight, allowing for Allen to get some rest heading into the battle with the Americans. Defensemen de Haan will not be playing in tonights game, he was shaken up in the game yesterday and headed off the ice with the trainer and did not return. As of right now, Coach says that the injury does not look to be serious and he expects that de Haan will be back at some point, he's just not exactly sure when.

Team Canada looks to face another level up of competition when they take on Slovakia tonight. Good Luck Boys!

From Good, to Bad, to Ugly...

That has been the story for the Edmonton Oilers as of late. The Oilers went on a winning rampage through their roadtrip, coming away with 5 straight victories! However, after there 4-1 loss to the Cannucks last night, the Oilers have now dropped 6 straight!

We could blame it on the injured:
It could be because, their best player, Ales Hemsky is out for the season with shoulder surgury. It could also be because their starting goaltender, Khabibulin, who the Oilers aquired in the offseason on a 4 year, 15 million dollar contract has been out for quite some time now with an ailing back. On the latest injury update from the Oilers they also have Pisani as out "indefinately" and Mike Comrie out 10-14 days. I don't count on us getting Pisani back anytime soon, nor do I think he would make that much of an impact if we got him back, but the sooner we get Comrie back the better! Comrie was first believed to have to flu, then was tested for Swine flu, then had trouble breathing due to his athsma and now finally has been diagnosed with Mono!


We could blame it on the call-ups:
It could possibly be due to the Oilers having to work with call-ups constantly, causing them to have to re-establish chemistry nearly every other game as a result of new line combinations. Only one call-up, Potulny, has made an impact in the Oilers line up now having 12 points in 22 games. But other call-ups haven't been so lucky. The Oilers have called up Reddox, McDonald, O'Marra, Chorney, Arsene and Peckham non of whom had very much success with the big boys.


We could blame it on the Young-Guns:
Perhaps it is because the young-gun Cogliano hasn't been producing and isn't having the amazing season that the fans knew he would have to have in order for the Oilers to be an over .500 team. Jacques seems to be in the same boat as Cogs. JFJ had a great camp this summer, and even started the season on the top line, but he only was 6 points in 30 games! Thankfully, Gagner has finally started to contribute offensively after a horrible start to the seaosn, he now sits with 21 points in 37 games but will have to continue to climb on the stats chart in order for the Oilers to be able to turn their season around.

Whatever the reason may be, their is still a lot of hockey to be played for the Edmonton kids. They have won 5 straight before, they can do it again. If the Oilers are able to get back a few more players from the injured reserve list, have a few more players step up and help out on the scoresheet the Oilers may be able to save the season after all. The Oilers are in action on the 28th against their Albert rivals, the Calgary Flames!

Canada vs Latvia

I was able to take in the action of Canada's first round robin game live at the Credit Union Centre yesterday (thanks Daddy!). It was an incredible atmosphere despite the lopsided score. Everyone was so jacked for the game to start that the whole crowd screamed even when the boys came out for their pre-game skate. Team Canada's offensive ability has been doubted coming into the tournament, but if yesterdays game didn't shut up the critics, I don't know what will! The final score was 16-0 in favor of the Canadian kids, with a shot count of 66-10.

The huge story that came out of the boxing day game was #7 Gabriel Bourque. Bourque scored 7 points in the game, coming from 3 goals and 4 helpers. In doing so, he tied the record for most points in a single game by a Canadian player. All but four players and the goalies contributed on the scoresheet last night, proving that Canada has great depth when it comes to scoring, which they will need down the road.

Bourque obviously recieved the player of the game award for Canada, but it was #5 who got it for Latvia. I would argue that it should have gone to #2, the goalie. I realize that he let in 16 shots, but he also stopped 50! Canada's starting goalie did get the shutout, but he also must have been close to falling asleep after only having to face only 10 shots on net.

It was a record breaking night, not only for Bourque, but for the whole team. Canada now has a new record for most goals scored while getting a shut out. The previous record of 15-0 was set by last years squad when they faced Kazakhstan, only to be broken one year later.

Something that has had me wondering so far in the tournament is... What's up with Teubert? The Pats star has been lost in the crowd this year, he is barely even mentioned by the commentators, is one of only four players to not have any points on the scoresheet and has made key tournovers in his own zone combined with horrible passes! It's ironic that last year Teubert had a great showing at the WJHC and then came back and was brutal in Regina. This year Teubs has been playing great in Regina and is off to a horrible start at the tournament. Hopefully Teubert can turn things around because when he's on, he's on and everyone will notice!

Team Canada's next action is Monday, December 28th against Switzerland. Good Luck Boys!

Canada vs Finland

Team Canada played their second pre-tournament game last night against Team Finland. Once again, Canada's goal-tending was fantastic, although it was a different player in net. Jones got the start for Canada, it could be because the coaches are still deciding who is the go-to guy in this position, or because they don't want Allen (the projected number 1 goaltender) to get injured before the tournament even begins, or because Jones plays for the Hitmen, and the coaches allowed the home town kid to have the start. Whichever reason it was, it worked and Jones recieved the shutout, he only faced 17 shots the whole game, but had to make key saves; especially in the third. Canada's defence, for the most part, was good once again, Ellis and Peitrangelo looked great, especially on the power play. The offence was also there, Hall scored a beauty from an odd angle, Peitrangelo ripped one from the point, and McMillan put an unreal move past the Fin's goalie. McMillan was noticeably better last night, he was creating chances, scoreing, hitting and all around working hard.

If there is one downside that Canada can take out of this game to work on, it's their discipline. The team set a goal for themselves of only giving up 4 penalties the entire game, they more than doubled that last night with 9! Including one from Kadri roughly 30 seconds into the start of the hockey game. The penalty situation may not seem like a big deal, you could look on the bright side and conclude that our penalty killing is unreal, but they shouldn't have to work that hard on the P.K. nor should they be taking so many penalties and giving the other team so many chances with the man advantage.

The Canadian boys play their final exhibition game tonight when they take on the Czech Republic back in Regina. The Czech's beat USA in a shootout last night, so it should make for a good game, and be a true test for the boys. Good Luck Boys!

Oilers Update

After going on a tear during their roadtrip, the Oilers seemed to be turning things around and won 5 straight. However, they have now lost 3 straight. Most recently, they dropped a 4-2 decision to Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. The Oilers got off to a great start with goals from Horcoff and, (finally) a goal from Cogliano. However, the Oilers managed to give up a 2 goal lead and let the game slip through their gloves. The Capitals scored 4 unanswered goals all in the third period to steal the win from the Edmonton kids. The Oilers next action is against the St. Louis Blues on Monday.

Scoring for the Oilers were: Horcs, Cogs
Scoring for the Cap's were: Ovie (2), Fleischmann, Backstrom

Strikeforce

The UFC's main competition, Strikeforce, put on quite a good fight card this weekend, featuring many former UFC fighters. The main event had TUF 4 alumni Scott "Hands of Steel" Smith against Cung Le, who has just returned from his failed attempt at an acting career (I could have called that one!). The bout had Le dominating the entire time, he must have set the record for most attempted and landed spinning back kicks in any MMA bout... ever. Scott Smith has a history of getting crushed by body shots, but he also has a history of coming back from them in dramatic fashion,(ehem, Pete Sell.), and this night would be no different. In the final 2 minutes of the 3rd round Scott managed to catch Le with a right hook, and then let his hands go until finally getting the knock out. Scott should seriously consider changing his nickname from "Hands of Steel" to "The Comeback Kid". Congratulations Scott.

Canada vs Sweden

It may only have been a pre-tournament game, but you wouldn't be able to tell just by watching. Team Canada played a great game, a scrappy game, but great non-the-less. Jake Allen had a fantastic performance in goal for the Canadian kids while Sweden's goalie was off to his usual dramatic flopping tactics. The blue line played extremely well for Canada as well. Alex Pietrangelo, who is on loan from the St. Louis Blues, has obviously improved greatly from the last World Juniors. He is very relaxed and poised with the puck and someone that everyone is confident in when the puck is on the end of his stick. Ryan Ellis was at his specialty position of running the power play, and doesn't seem to be suffering any effects from blocking that shot with his foot in the selection camp game. Finally, the offense got the job done, scoring a total of 6 goals, with 14 different players having points in the game!

The only small down side of the game was that the projected number one pick in the 2010 NHL entry draft, Taylor Hall, went down in the first period and didn't return. Hall got the first goal of the game, but was pushed down from behind and landed awkwardly on his knee. However, there is nothing to worry about as Hall is just fine. He was kept out of the rest of the game merely as a precaution and Desjardin said that if it were any other game he would have come back and played, but there is no need to risk it when the game doesn't even matter.

Captain Canada, Patrice Cormier may be under review for an elbow he gave right to the face of a Swedish player as he headed back to the Canada bench. It was not a necessary play what-so-ever, and the IIHF is quite a stickler for rules with these types of situations, so I wouldn't be suprised if they were notified of the incident, even though there was no original call on the play.

Canada plays their next pre-tournament game against Finland in Calgary on Wednesday, December 22nd. Good Luck Boys!

Pats Update

Well, the Pats have been caught up in a tail spin as of late. Last night they dropped their 5th straight game, ew. Considering these have been the easiest teams that they will see over their roadtrip the near future is looking a tad bleak for the Pats. With Jordan Eberle and Colten Teubert gone with the World Juniors, and yet another defensmen going down with injury in Cody Carlson, the Pats have been trying to work with callups, in addition to the resently aquired trades of Ashton and Orfino. The Pats have yet to establish chemistry with the new players, but will hopefully find it sooner than later. The Pats play Calgary on Friday which would normally spell disaster for the Pats, but hey, the Hitmen are without their leading scorer aswell, so it will come down to who wants to step up. With one win the Pats could shoot back up the rankings and be in a tie for fourth in the division. Any points that the Pats get are crucial do to the extremely tight competition of the East Division. Good Luck Boys!