Oh oh.
I said that - "Oh oh" - when I heard Mark Fistric wouldn't be returning to the game on Monday after crashing hips-first into the boards.
Going into the game, Ryan Jones was out (eye injury), Theo Peckham was out (hip injury), Eric Belanger was out (foot) and Ben Eager was out (concussion). Nikolai Khabibulin is back, but he's coming off a persistent groin injury. Shawn Horcoff, who should have been out with a neck injury, played anyways...only to get a hand injury that knocked him out against the Canucks.
It's happening again.
So here's the good news: None of the Oilers Top 6 forwards or Top 4 defensemen are injury. Taylor Hall looked like he tweeked his shoulder during the game, and Jordan Eberle took a nasty spill into the board that looked Motrin pain. They didn't leave the game, but they were wobbling around enough to make me nervous.
Do you remember that season a few years ago when the Oilers lost half the team to injury? They weren't that bad until they had 11 starters out. As much as this team belongs to Hall 'n' Ebs now, it takes 20 players to win games. I got into this argument with a Penguins fan the other day. He basically said he wouldn't want Hall and Eberle on his team, because they're junk compared to Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Of course, Sid and Geno are better players, but it takes 20 players to win games. The Penguins won't win another cup until they find a right winger or two that can play.
So where are we? Horcoff, Belanger, Eager, Jones all out. That's four of the Bottom 6, including the only two guys who can win a face-off. If Fistric is out, it's Whitney/Potter or bust. But none of these things concern me too much. What does concern me? That the Oilers are one of those teams that when the injuries start, they don't know when to stop.
With the OT loss, the Oilers record goes to 4-3-2. Still doing okay. And it's not as if Ryan Whitney isn't capable of playing in the NHL...he was a legit Top 4 guy before. Maybe sitting out for a game will motivate him? I'm not sure. Something needs to happen, for Whitney's sake more than anything else. He has too much talent to let his career fall apart this much.
A few comments on the game, and then I'm out:
- Ales Hemsky was the best Oiler tonight. He scored an incredible goal, and did some crazy hands things with the puck throughout the game. THAT Hemsky can stay on my team until he retires.
- Ryan Smyth finally scored...a dribbler. A very Ryan Smyth kind of goal.
- The kids (Hall/Eberle/Nuge) went home pointless, but looked dangerous during stretches. They're over-thinking things. Not every goal needs to be the Highlight of the Night. Gain the zone, shoot the puck, crash the net. You know this line is too good to have too many pointless games, but I sense they're becoming frustrated, and that's bad.
- Magnus Paajarvi belongs in the NHL. He's another player who played very well. Threw some big hits...It's about time he started doing that. You can see some real maturity in his game now. I really like him on a line with Hartikainen and Lander.
- Devan Dubnyk let in two bad goals again. Dubey has solid stats this season, so I can't rip on the guy. He's been playing well. But sometimes, the goalie needs to stop the puck. If Dubnyk wants to be considered more than just an average goalie he needs to get it so he no longer lets in at least one soft goal per game.
- Sam Gagner is now leading the Oilers in points. Got another assist, and has at least a point in every game this season. Solid work for a guy most people don't have much faith in. He's winning the non-believers over.
Oilers are back in action Wednesday night against the Dallas Stars. Let's hope the injury situation is not as scary as it appears.
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • 
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