ONE STEP FORWARD, TWO STEPS BACK
Just when you thought the Oilers had something they could build off of they turn around and put in an effort like they did in the 2nd period against the Blackhawks that tears it all down. At least that’s how I felt while I was watching it. The Oil were still getting outshot in the first but things were respectable on the scoresheet and Devan Dubnyk was making All-World stops against the defending Stanley Cup champs.
Whatever Eakins told them in the intermission should probably be removed from his repertoire of “Go To Speeches… to get the team going in the right direction. In reality that 2nd period was more of Chicago playing the way they can than Edmonton blowing it, but the difference was stark. The most difficult thing to watch is that when the other team ratchets up the intensity, more often than not the young Oilers wont match it. Instead they back down from it and let the other team take over.
I guess, Oilers, we’ll always have that Penguins game.
ABOUT THAT GOALIE
Dallas Eakins went with his gut against the Hawks and played Dubnyk even though they had scheduled Bryzgalov to start that game. In retrospect he was wrong to do so and Dubnyk was pumped for goals yet again, but it’s a mistake I would have made too. I generally think of Goaltenders not much more differently than I do AA Batteries. Use them until they stop working then put them in a drawer and forget about them until your wife buys new Batteries and makes you throw out the old ones that you couldn’t be bothered to throw away in the first place because she insists that they have to disposed of in a safe way and you cant just throw them in the regular garbage because THAT would be too easy, wouldn’t it?
Well...I think you catch my drift anyway. I’m all for riding the hot goalie until it stops working and you have to go somewhere else. There are maybe 5 goalies in the NHL that I would be extremely loyal to because I believe their true talent is such that it is worth the risk of the occasional cold spell. If you’re in the Dubnyk or Bryzgalov class of goaltender then if your play starts to dip I would have the alternative in the net without hesitation.
Bryzgalov let in some questionable goals then the very next game Dubnyk played well enough to get the win and did it against a solid club. There have been so few times where Eakins has had the opportunity to reward Dubnyk that I think he HAD to play him against Chicago. Now what Eakins got in return for giving Dubie the start was infuriating and that means Bryzgalov is back in net tonight. I think Bryzgalov is the better goalie, but he’s still just at a .905sv% so he isn’t exactly taking the ball and running with it either.
It’s a shame that neither goalie has taken the reigns this season because both are fighting for their careers. Both are UFAs at the end of the season. Every bad game, every bad goal is money out of their pockets.
LINEUPS
Eakins is keeping the exact same lineup as last game with the exception of Bryzgalov coming in for Dubnyk. A few Oilers took maintenance days to deal with the wear and tear of the regular season but all are expected to play. If I was going to guess, based on play, if there’s a Defenseman coming out soon then it’s going to be Nick Schultz. The veteran blueliner has been a nightmare in his own zone with the puck on his stick.
Hall RNH Gagner Yak Arcobello Eberle Perron Gordon Hemsky Gazdic Smyth Jones
Ference J. Schultz Marincin Petry N. Schultz Belov
Bryzgalov
OILERS KEYS TO THE GAME
1) Commit To Supporting The D. I say this because I cannot stand to watch Nick Schultz look around and decide that closing his eyes and shooting it around the boards is the best way to go. The forwards need to give their D someone to pass to and if they aren’t doing that then they need to battle for the puck themselves. The Defense is overmatched and the puck stays in the Oiler end too long because of it.
2) Get Greasy. Dallas is ranked 29th in the NHL on the Power Play at just 12.4% which means one thing to me: Teams can take more liberties. I’m not one of the bleeding hearts who wants contact and cheap plays out of the game. If the Stars wont punish you for doing it then why not play on the edge? I would consider moving Perron up the pecking order even.
3) Taylor vs Tyler. Some injuries and other circumstances have prevented the actual matchup fromm happening a couple of times but they should be going head to head tonight. Hall has 43 points on the year and Seguin has 41. Asked this morning on TSN 1260 Darren Dreger said that if he was starting a franchise today he would take Seguin because he’s the Center. I cant deny being a Tyler Seguin guy before the 2010 Draft but Taylor’s an Oiler today so I want to see him shred the Stars.
Puck drops at 6:38PM Mountain Time on Sportsnet. Game On!
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