One of this season’s toughest tests has finally arrived to Rexall place in the form of the big bad Bruins. This is a physically imposing team with depth at all positions. They feature elite Defense, Elite Goaltending, and some great 2-Way Forwards. The Oilers will be in tough but when this team plays well they can compete with anybody. Of course that’s the issue, isn’t it? You can never be certain which Oilers team will show up at the rink. Will the high flyers come, guns blazing? Will it be the ghost of the 2009 Oilers who show up instead?
The Oilers really blew an opportunity to outplay a team from beginning to end against the Hurricanes. They let their foot off the gas and almost lost the game because of it. The real disappointment was the 5 minute Power Play that they probably should have declined if they had the opportunity to do so. Despite the fact that they won on a 4v3 PP in OT, the Power Play has been a complete and total embarrassment of late. To paraphrase the coach, it’s difficult to understand how the Oilers can be so dangerous 4v4 but so inept when an extra guy is added in their favour.
The Oilers have waited a long time for Jesse Joensuu to have a game like he did against Carolina. He looked great in the pre-season then tweaked his back and has been a shadow of what he showed in September. Last game he was bringing it in the corners and going to the front of the net, all of which paid off in the form of a goal. Edmonton needs more of that on a regular basis. The issue here is that there aren’t enough Joensuus in the lineup and the bigger guys they have tend to get injured. At least we saw one game where a big body played the way he was billed to play when he came in.
Down the QE2 the Flames have fired GM Feaster and a wild-haired Brian Burke now no longer has to pull the strings on his puppet when he makes a move. Calgary is barely 3 month into their rebuild and they already cant stand losing. God help them if their rebuild lasts even close to as long as the Oilers’ has. I don’t think Burke has the heart to stand by a loser and sell his fans that they are indeed heading in the right direction. The biggest factor in Feaster’s firing? Likely his draft record. It has been a long standing joke that the last thing you want to give feaster is a draft pick. I wonder how many Oiler fans are wondering what some of Edmonton’s brass has to do to get the axe.
LINEUPS
Smyth still has a sore neck, Gordon is still recovering from the effects of the Weapon X treatment, and Petry is apparently feeling good physically so he draws back in tonight. Marincin looks like he’ll be sitting some more with Petry back. I imagine his call-up will be coming to an end barring any other player movement. Potter is also taking the night off, likely a little sore after having his head rammed into the boards.
Hall Gagner Yak Perron RNH Eberle Jones Arco Hemsky Joensuu Acton Gazdic
Ference Petry N. Schultz J. Schultz Belov Larsen
Dubnyk
OILERS KEYS TO THE GAME
1) Don’t Try To Out Heavy Them. The Oilers aren’t a heavy team, but they are young enough to get caught up playing someone else’s game. The Oilers cant out-Bruins the Bruins. It isn’t going to happen. They cant match up against Chara in a physical battle. They cant out-muscle them down low. What they CAN do is play their speed game. If the Oilers can keep the tempo of the game up then they stand a much better chance of winning then if they let Boston slow it down.
2) A Full 60. It goes without saying that winning in the NHL doesn’t happen very often without full efforts. The Oil barely held on against a so-so Carolina team. An incomplete effort against the Bruins is going to be disastrous. Lets hope they are better prepared tonight.
3) Stay Away From The Perimeter. Even playing a speed game the Oilers will need to make their way into the high traffic areas. The PP has been all perimeter, that cant cut it, but even 5v5 Perron and Joenssu cant be the only ones attacking the front of the net tonight. The Bruins will defend that space very hard. This is a big test for the intestinal fortitude of the Oilers smallish forwards. Can they pay the price?
Puck drops tonight at 7:38PM Mountain Time on Sportsnet Oilers. Game On!
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