Entries with the tag: edmonton+oilers

Souray Back Tonight

by Alanah on 12/11/07 at 04:13 PM
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From Sportsnet.ca,

Sheldon Souray will be back in the Edmonton Oilers lineup Tuesday night vs. the St. Louis Blues after missing 25 games with a separated left shoulder.

Souray injured himself on October 13 vs. the Canucks and has been out ever since.

continued...

MacTavish Sending a Message to His Team

by Alanah on 12/07/07 at 01:31 PM
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From TSN,

Hoping to send a message to his team, head coach Craig MacTavish will have a new look to his lineup tonight then the Edmonton Oilers host the St. Louis Blues.

Forwards Jarret Stoll and Raffi Torres will be watching the game from the press box, while Liam Reddox will be penciled in for his first career NHL game.

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Pisani Returns

by Paul on 12/03/07 at 08:34 AM
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from the Edmonton Sun,

Understandably he looked like a kid delighted to be playing his first hockey game.

In a sense Fernando Pisani was.

Only a few months ago the Edmonton Oilers forward was struggling with ulcerative colitis.

He couldn’t keep any food down, struggled to walk up a flight of steps and needed to make constant trips to the bathroom....

“I feel like I’ve come a long way,” Pisani said. “I was really nervous and excited before the game and I was looking forward to getting back on the ice, just being on the bench and on the ice with all the guys. Those are the things that you miss when you’re not playing, being on the ice with the team.”

read on

They’ll Never Forget

by Paul on 12/01/07 at 09:35 AM
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from TerryJones of the Edmonton Sun,

While the Oilers moved out of last place and into a tie with the Calgary Flames with the win last night, Brian Burke’s quote still looks good.

“We’re going to take three draft picks back and given Kevin’s recent performance I expect them to be excellent picks,” said Burke after Lowe signed restricted free agent Penner and sacrificed a first-, second- and third-round draft pick in a very good draft year. If the Oilers stay where they are in the standings, Burke will be picking very early indeed.

Then there’s the flip side of it.

When Lowe traded Mrs. Pronger and her husband to the Ducks two years ago, the Oilers ended up with Anaheim’s first-round draft pick. As the Stanley Cup champion Ducks struggle, the Oilers could be picking a lot earlier than they expected.

more on the Oilers…

Oilers Expect Key Players Back Soon

by Paul on 11/28/07 at 08:19 AM
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from the Edmonton Journal,

The cavalry’s coming.

One of the Edmonton Oilers’ horses, Fernando Pisani, could be back playing within the week, maybe tugging on a jersey when the team is in California to play the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings.

And captain Ethan Moreau may be riding to the rescue around Christmas. He’s been told he still has to wear a cast on his broken left foot for two more weeks.

Finally, some light at the end of the tunnel for the Oilers, who’ve been going without their valuable third-line veterans, who usually eat up 15 to 18 minutes a night.

continued

Oilers Need An On-Ice Captain

by Paul on 11/25/07 at 10:28 AM
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from Sean McCormick of Sportsnet,

But this young, impressionable Oiler ship needs a rudder right now, and Moreau’s leg is still in a cast. His return is still weeks, if not months away, and it’s time the Oilers considered appointing a deserving veteran to the post of interim team captain. That veteran is Shawn Horcoff, who, in all likelihood was the second best candidate for the job when the vacant C went to Moreau at the conclusion of training camp.

The concept of an interim captain is not unheard of around the NHL, nor is it unheard of on the Edmonton Oilers, who are lacking many things right now, not the least of which is a healthy leader in chief.

read on

Hockey By Horcoff

by Paul on 11/24/07 at 09:21 AM
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from the Edmonton Sun,

“I like to think that every one of my teammates has that heart and the drive and that desire to do it,” said Horcoff. “A lot of times it’s just realizing you have to change your game a little bit, get a little more gritty.

“I think every player in here has it in them. Whether they bring it every night or not is a different story. Sometimes you just have to get to the front of the net and get a crappy goal. And win your battles in the corner. If you lose a puck in the corner, win a battle to get it back.

“That’s how hockey’s played.”

more

Military Night

by Paul on 11/24/07 at 08:23 AM
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via the Edmonton Sun,

The Hockey Night in Canada tilt with the Chicago Blackhawks is military appreciation night, with fans being encouraged to turn their seats over to service men and women in Edmonton.

So far, close to 6,000 fans have returned their tickets for use by local soldiers.

“It was an incredibly good idea and a great job by our fans giving up their tickets,” said head coach Craig MacTavish. “Seeing the fatigues in the lower bowl ... if you don’t get inspired by something like that you must not have a heart.”

Oilers In Rebuilding Mode

by Paul on 11/21/07 at 09:04 AM
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from the Vancouver Sun,

Apparently, the Oilers are rebuilding. Rebuilding with a payroll nudging the $50.3-million salary cap. Rebuilding without any of the first three Oiler draft picks in 2008 that Lowe surrendered to sign Penner, who had produced three goals in 20 games before facing the Vancouver Canucks Tuesday night. Rebuilding after stating all summer the objective was to win now, although Edmonton is last in the Western Conference.

“We’re a young hockey team right now,” Lowe said Monday on an Oilers’ radio show. “There’s no question we’re back into a rebuilding situation.

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All About The Oilers Bloggers

by Paul on 11/19/07 at 10:28 AM
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from the Edmonton Journal,

The Oilogosphere—the numerous Edmonton Oilers sites, blogs and boards on the Internet—is the place where Oilers fans increasingly meet to discuss the merits of various players, not to mention delving into that most fundamental of all hockey questions: Who is hotter, Ethan (Chopper) Moreau or Craig (The Silver Fox) MacTavish?

Each day, thousands of fans get their news and make their opinions known on the Oilogosphere, just as surely as they go to the newspaper to read stories and phone in to talk radio shows.

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The Battle Of…?

by Paul on 11/17/07 at 12:52 PM
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from the Toronto Star,

They are the games that get fans talking. The ones circled on the calendar as soon as the schedule comes out. The game that proves your team is – once and for all – better than your team’s bitter rival, until at least the two meet again.

Like when the Leafs face the Ottawa Senators in the Battle of Ontario or when Calgary faces their provincial rivals in Edmonton.

If you could pit one rivalry against another, which one would come out on top?

continued

Oilers Plan to Rush the Net

by Alanah on 11/17/07 at 12:17 PM
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From the Edmonton Journal,

Dustin Penner has been setting up shop in front of the net when the Oilers have had the man advantage, but he hasn’t been able to bang one in. He has one goal in his last 10 games.

“We need those to start going in for us,” MacTavish said. “We need that efficiency around the net.”

“It’s a matter of getting more hungry for the pucks, more tenacious,” said Penner. “You just have to have the mentality that the next shot is going in, that you’re due.”

more...

Average Goaltending Won’t Get It Done In Edmonton

by Paul on 11/16/07 at 08:05 AM
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from the Edmonton Sun,

“It’s our job to do that, tonight I didn’t,” he said, adding he’s been fighting it a bit lately. “I’m trying to force myself to make a save, I have to relax and let the puck come to me. I’m not reading the play as well as I normally do.”

MacTavish has a team that has to rely on its goaltender, so expect him to go with the hot hand from here on in. And right now, it ain’t Roloson.

“We can’t win right now with average goaltending, I don’t think there’s many teams that can, and in my estimation tonight he was average,” said the coach.

“He’s not playing at the level that he has played. That’s obvious. But the one thing he’s got going for him is a bunch of mental toughness and a bunch of battle.”

more on the Oilers…

Calgary About To Implode

by Paul on 11/13/07 at 06:35 AM
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from All Things Avs by Adrian Dater,

- Calgary is going to implode soon. I’ve talked to a few former Flames and they say there is just plain bad chemistry in their locker room. I don’t see Mike Keenan changing that much.

- Edmonton is terrible. Dustin Penner is a nice player, but Kevin Lowe grossly overpaid for him, in his retaliation move against Brian Burke and the Ducks over Chris Pronger.

more NHL bits plus Adrian wonders where are all the Avs fans?

Pisani Back On The Ice

by Paul on 11/12/07 at 03:40 PM
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from TSN,

Fernando Pisani is planning on playing for the Edmonton Oilers this season.

The 30-year-old skated on Monday with some injured teammates to try and get himself back into game shape. Pisani has been out all season while battling ulcerative colitis.

“Just being out there with the guys is a lot of fun and now it’s time to get back to work and hopefully get out there soon,” said Pisani

continued

One Team Has To Win

by Paul on 11/10/07 at 08:18 AM
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from Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun,

Calgary is sub .500.

Edmonton is sub .500.

Given the respective stenches emanating from both camps, a cynic might suggest The Battle of Alberta has been replaced by The Cattle of Alberta, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be a lot of sizzle on tonight’s steak.

Nothing fuels a barn burner like animosity and desperation and the Flames and Oilers will be bringing plenty of both to a unique and unusually important showdown in Cowtown.

Something has to give. They can’t both lose.

more

Oilers Meet To Get Back On Track

by Paul on 11/07/07 at 08:49 AM
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from the Edmonton Sun,

The Edmonton Oilers had a little heart-to-heart yesterday.

Head coach Craig MacTavish gathered the troops during practice and spoke to them for around 20 minutes.

The message was clear. They need more from everybody in order to save their sinking ship.

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Torres Keeps On Playing

by Paul on 11/06/07 at 06:48 AM
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from the Edmonton Sun,

Last night Raffi Torres played his 201st consecutive regular-season game for the Edmonton Oilers. It’s a streak that dates back to Feb. 21, 2004 and is currently the 16th longest in franchise history.

“I don’t know what the secret is,” said Torres prior to facing the Minnesota Wild.

“I’m just going out there and trying to play the same game every night. It’s not like I’m playing a shy game or anything like that, I guess I’ve just been fortunate to stay healthy for such a long time.”

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Oilers Need Some Guts

by Paul on 11/04/07 at 08:35 AM
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from Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun,

...But MacTavish doesn’t have enough guys with grit wearing those wimpy new Oilers uniforms.

The coach desperately needs to have some brave hearts here to ride beside the talented trio which will eventually take the Oilers from the bottom rung of the standings, where they sit this morning, to much greater heights.

The skill of Ales Hemsky, Sam Gagner and Andrew Colgliano needs to be matched with some intestinal fortitude if they’re going to be able to get the space to create the goals.

more

Oilers Lose Another Dman

by Paul on 11/03/07 at 10:00 AM
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from Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun,

“The Curse of the Defencemen,” said GM Kevin Lowe.

It was only two minutes and 56 seconds into the game last night when Jordin Tootoo pasted Mathieu Roy into the boards.

Twenty-five seconds of ice time and Roy, who was out with a concussion at the end of last year and with another one at the start of this season, was out with what coach Craig MacTavish said was another possible concussion and for sure a separated left shoulder.

read on

Oilers Depending On “D” Depth

by Paul on 10/31/07 at 07:14 PM
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from the CP via Yahoo,

...That’s a card the Oilers are going to have to play now as they’ve lost third-year rearguard Matt Greene to a broken left ankle that will keep him out of the line-up as long as three months.

Greene, injured in the second period of a 2-1 loss to Detroit Tuesday, will need surgery. He joins Sheldon Souray, out since Oct. 10 with a sprained left shoulder, and Joni Pitkanen, out another month after surgery to repair damaged knee cartilage, on the shelf....

“These (comments) could come back to haunt me and I don’t normally throw these out there, but I’m not all that worried about the injuries on the back end,” MacTavish said.

“From what I’ve seen, with (who) we have healthy, we’re going to be able to overcome it.”

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Thrashers & Oilers Rumors

by Alanah on 10/30/07 at 11:13 AM
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Spector takes a closer look at talk about a deal between Edmonton and Atlanta. Plus more speculation about Forsberg…

Tarnstrom Odd Man Out in Edmonton

by Alanah on 10/30/07 at 10:30 AM
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From Jim Matheson at The Edmonton Journal,

The writing may be on the wall for Dick Tarnstrom, who has been beaten out of a regular defence spot, for now, by the inspired pairing of two young Edmonton Oilers puck-movers.

Tom Gilbert and Denis Grebeshkov were on the ice with two minutes left Sunday in Anaheim as coach Craig MacTavish tried to get a short-handed score that Andrew Cogliano provided.

Tarnstrom, who was signed to a one-year, $2-million contract, has sat out two of the last three games at a time when the Oilers are missing two of their top four defencemen—Sheldon Souray and Joni Pitkanen—to injury.

continued...

Penner Gets His Ring

by IwoCPO on 10/29/07 at 06:43 AM
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From the Edmonton Sun,

Ducks owner Henry Samueli, his wife Susan, and general manager Brian Burke presented the ring to Penner after the game.

“I shook Burke’s hand, he said ‘Good luck’ and that was it,” Penner said. “I really didn’t know what to expect because it was a unique situation. But I’m done with this one and now I’m moving on to the next one.”

Continued...with more on a silent night between Burke and Lowe.

Scary Scratch for Cogliano

by Alanah on 10/29/07 at 04:33 AM
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From Derek Van Diest at the Edmonton Sun,

“I don’t remember much, I just remember falling back,” Cogliano said. “My visor was up obviously and I think he was just jumping over me and his skate came up and caught me.  It was pretty scary I didn’t want to open my eye, I just wanted to hold my hand over it.”

Cogliano was sporting a pair of small cuts on his cheekbone.

[Rob] Blake was stepping over Cogliano when his back skate came up and caught him just under the eye. Cogliano was back in the lineup yesterday against the Anaheim Ducks.

“There wasn’t a lot of blood, but for the most part it was a pretty scary incident,” Cogliano said. “My head was tilted backwards and that’s why his skate was able to get under my visor.”

more...

Extra Security For Feuding GMs Not Needed

by Alanah on 10/29/07 at 02:11 AM
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From Eric Stephens at the LA Times,

The juicy subplot to Sunday’s game between the Ducks and the Edmonton Oilers seemed certain to come to a head.

But there was no shouting match or chance public encounter between the Ducks’ Brian Burke and the Oilers’ Kevin Lowe, the teams’ bickering general managers who avoided each other even as the NHL dispatched extra security because of the tension between the two.

And the subject of the controversial offer sheet at the heart of that tension, Dustin Penner, did little in his first appearance at Honda Center since he skated around the ice with the Stanley Cup in June.

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(*the NHL sent extra security for those guys?! Wow)

Edmonton Wants Their Stripes Back

by Paul on 10/28/07 at 08:36 AM
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from Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun,

Those especially embarrassing white away uniforms with the shirt tails it looks like they forgot to tuck in, that crappy costume they were wearing on Hockey Night In Canada out of Los Angeles last night.

The Oilers have been wearing these daffy duds long enough most of the fans I’ve talked to have only one question:

“How do we get our stripe back?”

O.K. Two questions.

“How do we lose that practice uniform piping on the front, too?”

The fans clearly haven’t fallen in love with the Oilers new uniforms, home or away.

more

Oilers’ Pitkanen Out 4 Weeks

by Alanah on 10/24/07 at 12:58 AM
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From TSN,

Sources tell TSN that Edmonton Oilers’ Joni Pitkanen will undergo knee surgery which is expected to keep him out for four weeks.

Standing Ovation for Smyth

by Alanah on 10/23/07 at 11:28 PM
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From the CP,

Ryan Smyth, the former Edmonton Oiler, made good on his prediction Tuesday just before he faced off for the first time against his old team since his shocking trade eight months ago.

The mullet-haired left winger, now with the Colorado Avalanche, became teary-eyed as he lined up in pre-game ceremonies, watched a one-minute video tribute of his 11 seasons with the copper and blue, and received a 30-second standing ovation from the 16,839 fans at Rexall Place.

It wasn’t a weeper to rival the saddest of sports sob stories, “Brian’s Song,” but it had its moments.

continued…

Updated 3:30am ET:
Smyth’s comments in the Denver Post:

“It was a nice tribute to me and my family by (the Oilers). It’s quite an honor to come back to the city where you started your NHL career and be recognized like I was tonight,” said Smyth, who went scoreless in the game. “The fans were great to me, and I really appreciate that.”

added 5:53am by Paul, The first 55 seconds or so of the video (below) shows the ovation Smyth received from the Oilers fans.
Update 1:41pm ET: More commentary from John MacKinnon at The Edmonton Journal.

Continue Reading »

Smyth to Return to Edmonton This Week

by Alanah on 10/21/07 at 08:33 PM
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From Eric Duhatschek in Monday’s Globe & Mail,

As for Smyth’s return on Tuesday, which figures to be an emotional night for both him and his former team, Staios said he hoped that Edmonton fans will take into consideration his years of service when deciding how to greet him.

“He did a lot of great things for this organization,” Staios said. “The business side of things is never really appreciated by the fans.”

“Hopefully, they’ll remember what he did on the ice and in the community and can show him that respect – like they did for Jason when he came back.”

more... (*looking at the new Oilers era)

MacTavish Says Times Have Changed

by Alanah on 10/21/07 at 03:21 AM
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From George Johnson at the Calgary Herald,

“Everything has changed so dramatically in the last 10 to 15 years in regards to handling players. I don’t know about Mike, but I’ve had zero success trying to make players do things. It just doesn’t work.

“You have to explain things to them now. You have to make them think what you’re trying to get across is their idea. The dictatorial days are over.

“I don’t think. There’s so much more pressure on players than before.’’ He gestured around him, to a small army of scribblers, cameras and microphones milling around.  Used to be, there were half a dozen of you guys here on game day. Now there’s 20. Or more. There are appearances, community commitments.

“So much more of their time is taken away by the game. So if they show up at the rink and you suffocate them, there’s a danger of sucking the life right out of them.’’

more...

*MacTavish coached his 500th Oilers’ game Saturday night and shares some memories of opposing coach Mike Keenan and the Battle of Alberta)

Sam Gagner Likely to Stay with Oilers

by Alanah on 10/21/07 at 01:48 AM
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From Eric Duhatschek’s Globe & Mail blog,

Officially, the Edmonton Oilers have another week or so before deciding whether to keep rookie Sam Gagner on their NHL roster. But coach Craig MacTavish implied Saturday that the decision had been mostly made already – and that there would have to be a radical reversal in fortune in the next few days for the Oilers to send Gagner back to his junior team, the London Knights. And this was before Saturday’s game against the Calgary Flames, in which Gagner scored the first goal of his NHL career, to go with the four assists he picked up in his first six games.

“There will be a point of no return and we’ve probably reached that point already,” MacTavish said. “The way he’s played and what he’s contributed so far, there’s every reason to expect him to stay here.”

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Souray Has Separated Shoulder

by Paul on 10/17/07 at 03:23 PM
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from TSN,

Edmonton Oilers’ defenceman Sheldon Souray is out indefinitely after suffering a separated shoulder.

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New Outlook On Life For Pisani

by Paul on 10/13/07 at 08:35 AM
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from Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun,

Fernando Pisani is a private person who doesn’t like talking about himself when things are going great, so you can imagine what it was like telling a bank of reporters and cameramen about something as personal and painful as his struggle with ulcerative colitis.

About losing 30 pounds and six pints of blood in a matter of weeks. About not being able to climb a flight of stairs without gasping for air. How 15 or 20 trips to the bathroom every day left him weak and dehydrated.

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Officer Roloson

by Paul on 10/11/07 at 09:44 AM
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from the Edmonton Journal,

Roli the Goalie, a member of the Minnesota Wild from 2001 to 2006, joined the ranks of St. Paul’s finest when he was named “an honorary policeman.” “Extremely honoured to be part of the ceremony ... very nice that they did it,” said Roloson, who got a framed plaque and a badge.

Roloson was saluted along with five other people. Only about 10 people have been honoured by the police, he said, and he is the only athlete.

read on

Breaking Down Burke vs. Lowe

by Paul on 10/10/07 at 04:14 PM
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from Damien Cox at ESPN,

Are teams in the NHL business partners above all else? Or are they competitors first and foremost, and thus perfectly within their rights to take advantage of an opponent’s soft spots if they become evident?

This, really, is what the much-publicized Brian Burke versus Kevin Lowe verbal slap fight is all about.

Make no mistake about it, this is one entertaining confrontation, albeit one that has taken place mostly with Burke in California and Lowe in Edmonton, Alberta....

These days, if you take Burke at his word, he wouldn’t even speak to Lowe if the Edmonton GM walked into his office looking for a stapler. He wouldn’t stop for Lowe at the side of the road if Lowe’s motor vehicle were on fire.

more

Oilers Aware Of Boogaard

by Paul on 10/10/07 at 07:51 AM
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from Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal,

Minnesota Wild winger Derek Boogaard is out to inflict some pain, which is exactly what the six-foot-seven, 260-pounder did last year when he scored a hat-trick of sorts—knocking Oilers’ Ales Hemsky, Ladislav Smid and Marty Reasoner out of action for a spell.

All three were staggered by Boogaard hits—the Oilers would say with some malicious intent in the case of Hemsky—although Boogaard claims he was only out only to create mayhem and Hemsky got caught in his train tracks.

“Speaks to his effectiveness that we’re speaking about him right now,” said Oilers coach Craig MacTavish. “He hasn’t fought, either. You don’t want to play to his strengths, obviously. He’s a helluva fighter....”

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Oilers Asst Coach Speaks Out

by Alanah on 10/09/07 at 07:51 PM
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From Jim Matheson at the Edmonton Journal,

“April 17. At 8:30 in the morning,” said [Rob] Daum, who was hired by the Oilers this summer when Craig Simpson left to work for CBC as a commenator on Hockey Night in Canada.

“I was told to bring two weeks worth of clothes. I was told I’d be working with the farm guys in practice,” said Daum. “I was back on the plane to Houston at 10:30 (a.m.).”

Daum realizes that NHL clubs can hire or fire whomever they want. He was glad for the chance to coach at the pro level after being with one of Canada’s best college teams, but didn’t expect to part company with the Wild the way he was.  It was a shocker.

more...

Oilers Playing A Different Game

by Paul on 10/08/07 at 07:40 AM
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from the Edmonton Sun,

“This is fun, it’s refreshing,” said defenceman Steve Staios, adding that wasn’t always the case in previous seasons. “This team is adapting to the league, the way the game is played now.”

Stoll says it’s as much about the new-look Oilers as it is about the new NHL.

Nobody’s ever going to mistake this bunch for Gretzky, Messier, Kurri and Anderson, but GM Kevin Lowe added a mess of speed and talent in the likes of Andrew Cogliano, Geoff Sanderson, Robert Nilsson, Sam Gagner, Sheldon Souray and Joni Pitkanen.

They’ve got defencemen who can move the puck and forwards who can really move when they get it.

more

Pitkanen Has Something to Prove

by Paul on 10/06/07 at 06:47 AM
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from the Courier-Post,

Tonight in Edmonton when the Flyers try to start the season 2-0 after Thursday’s 3-2 opening victory over Calgary, Pitkanen will face the Flyers for the first time in his career amid harsh criticism from the unlikeliest of sources: his former captain.

In a weekly column he is now writing for Montreal La Presse, former Flyers’ defenseman Eric Desjardins described Pitkanen as an immature player who refused help from his Flyers’ teammates.

“He has all the talent in the world, he’s strong as a horse and he’s as powerful a skater as Al Iafrate was, but he is also very immature,” Desjardins wrote.

more

Report: GM Lowe Signs Multi-Year Deal with Oilers

by Alanah on 10/06/07 at 02:18 AM
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From the CP,

The Edmonton Oilers have reportedly signed general manager Kevin Lowe to a multi-year contract extension.

According to a report on TSN’s website, the Oilers were expected to announce the signing at a media conference Saturday morning.

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Sanderson Defies Oilers’ Youth Trend

by Alanah on 10/04/07 at 09:14 PM
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From Allan Maki at the Globe & Mail,

Not only that, Sanderson played against Kevin Lowe and Craig MacTavish, the Oilers’ general manager and head coach, respectively.

“He’s played for a lot of years,” Edmonton teammate Sheldon Souray. “It seems like every team I’ve played against, he’s on it.”

This is somewhat true since Sanderson is beginning his 17th season and has now played for eight teams, some of them twice. But given the number of youngsters the Oilers are breaking in this season, Sanderson could end up playing a key role on a team he grew up idolizing from his home in suburban St. Albert.

more...

Everyone Loves a Good Controversy

by Alanah on 10/04/07 at 04:41 PM
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From Victor Chi at The Sporting News,

For the sake of the NHL, let’s hope that Ducks GM Brian Burke and his Oilers counterpart, Kevin Lowe, continue their verbal sniping.

The league went through the considerable expense of exporting the Ducks and Kings to England for the season openers in hopes of expanding its profile. But the Burke-Lowe exchanges already have generated oodles more buzz than the trans-Atlantic foray, and in today’s fragmented and multi-layered media landscape, relevance is king.

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Dreams About To Come True For Edmonton Rookies

by Paul on 10/04/07 at 08:39 AM
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from the Edmonton Journal,

The tossing and turning started on Tuesday for Kyle Brodziak, and he has already played in 16 NHL games.

Andrew Cogliano didn’t know what to expect in the last hours leading up to his first NHL game. He didn’t know if he would be more jittery before he made the walk down the corridor, or during the anthem, or when he leapt over the boards for his first shift.

“This is what you dream of as a kid,” said Sam Gagner, the 18-year-old rookie forward with the freshly signed contract with the Edmonton Oilers.

continued