Oil Patch
Category: Edmonton-Oilers
Oilers Need a Steady Hand Going Forward
by Lisa McRitchie on 05/24/12 at 01:00 AM ET
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He was with them through the good, the bad and everything in between but after two seasons as the Edmonton Oilers’ head coach, Tom Renney will head in a different direction.
The announcement was made through a simple tweet last Thursday but it wasn’t until Wednesday afternoon that Renney would address the Edmonton media one final time. Speaking for 20 minutes, Renney discessed the season, possible replacements, and the next steps for both Renney and the team with the optimism and enthusiasm Oiler fans have become quite familiar with.
Filed in: Edmonton Oilers, Tom Renney | Oil Patch | Permalink
What To Give Dubnyk
by Lisa McRitchie on 05/21/12 at 02:30 PM ET
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The Edmonton Oilers have several holes on their roster and in their system, but goaltending seems to be one of the situations that the Oilers can improve on without doing anything.
While consistency was the biggest concern for Dubnyk and the team, the first and final stretches of games saw Dubnyk play his best hockey of the season. But there were of course those games in the middle, those games where the entire team seemed to struggle. And now that Dubnyk is looking for another contract, what can we expect that to look like?
Filed in: Edmonton Oilers, Devan Dubnyk | Oil Patch | Permalink
Barons Back to Even With 5-1 Win
by Lisa McRitchie on 05/19/12 at 12:45 AM ET
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After being blanked by the Toronto Marlies in game 1 of the AHL Western conference finals Thursday night, the Oklahoma City Barons have battled back to take game two 5-1 evening up the series.
With the Oilers’ season long gone, EdmontonOilers.com staff have journeyed to Oklahoma City and Ryan Dittrick reports on the game:
The Oklahoma City Barons needed a quicker start than they had in Game 1. They got it.
They needed their power-play to answer the Marlies’ AHL-best PK, which went 6-for-6 Thursday night in a 5-0 win. They got that, too.
They needed to battle, compete and show up at puck drop. No complaints here, either, as goals by Mark Arcobello and Teemu Hartikainen in the opening 20 spurred the home side to a dominant 5-1 win over the Toronto Marlies in Game 2 of the AHL’s Western Conference Final at the Cox Convention Center in OKC.
Filed in: Edmonton Oilers, Magnus Pääjärvi, Oklahoma City Barons | Oil Patch | Permalink
Tom Renney Will Not Return With Oilers
by Lisa McRitchie on 05/17/12 at 05:21 PM ET
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It wasn’t a press release, but rather a simple tweet:
Edmonton Oilers General Manager Steve Tambellini announces the club will not renew the contract of Head Coach Tom Renne
And so begins the real speculation as to who will be the Oilers next head coach.
Mercifully at least Renney now knows. I can’t imagine anything worse than not knowing whether or not you have a job and missing out on other employment opportunities because you don’t know what the future with your current employer holds. The Oilers will already have candidates in mind and hopefully Renney has a line on something as well. We wish you luck Tom.
Filed in: Edmonton Oilers | Oil Patch | Permalink
Edmonton Arena Looks Light and Lively
by Lisa McRitchie on 05/17/12 at 09:45 AM ET
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Of course they are just artist renderings, but the new images of the downtown arena show a building that will be very different from anything the Edmonton downtown currently has. The arena features lots of windows, and open spaces and several access points with potentially less traffic disruptions than Rexall Place currently offers.
The key points of the design are still the iconic oil drop shape, the raised walkway crossing 104th avenue and an integregation with current and future businesses.
Filed in: Edmonton Hockey, Edmonton Oilers | Oil Patch | Permalink
NHL Young Stars Tournament Cancelled
by Lisa McRitchie on 05/17/12 at 09:00 AM ET
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The Edmonton Oilers have only participated in this Penticton B.C. tournament for the past two years, but for the past two years it has been eagerly anticipated by the fans. Some make the trip to the British Columbia wine country to get in one last summer vacation as well as to catch an early glimpse of the up and coming Oilers, who are also the only reason to watch Oilers’ hockey some nights, while others are glued to their computer screens to take in the live feed. Regardless of how it has been watched, this tournament has become fairly popular. News of the cancellation broke Wednesday over fears of contract disputes and the upcoming collective bargaining between the NHL and its players Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal writes.
News of the cancellation came on the heels of the announcement that the NHL had served notice to the NHLPA that it wants to redo the current CBA. The deal expires on Sept. 15, so notification had to be served by Friday.
The Oilers would not comment on the cancellation, but it’s hard not to link it to a possible lockout. The NHL has also cancelled its opening regular-season games in Europe, and it is expected that the Detroit Red Wings will scrap their rookie tournament in Traverse City, Mich.
The league and its teams, obviously, do not want to be on the hook for pre-booked hotel rooms and rink rentals if the season is held up by contract negotiations.
Jim Matheson also writes that the tournament hosted by the Detroit Red Wings in Traverse City Michigan is “reported to be on hold with a decision to be made later in the summer.”
Filed in: Edmonton Oilers, Prospects | Oil Patch | Permalink
Oil King Captain Mark Pysyk Names WHL Player of the Week
by Lisa McRitchie on 05/15/12 at 10:00 AM ET
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Edmonton Oil Kings’ captain, and Buffalo Sabres prospect defenceman Mark Pysyk has been named the WHL player of the week on Monday.
Pysyk’s late game heroics Thursday night saw the Oil Kings take a 3-2 series lead when Pysyk scored with less than a minute on the clock in what may have been the most important game of the series for the Oil Kings. Had the Oil Kings fallen 3-2 to the Winterhawks and had to play catchup and win the final two games, this may have been a different series entirely.
Filed in: Edmonton Oilers, WHL, Edmonton Oil Kings, Mark Pysyk | Oil Patch | Permalink
Canada Tops Helsinki Group at the Worlds
by Lisa McRitchie on 05/15/12 at 09:30 AM ET
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With Canada’s 5-1 win over Belarus the team has a 6-0-1-0 record and 19 points, enough to top their Helsinki group.
You might think that Team Canada would only have gotten stronger as the NHL playoffs continue and teams find themselves on the outside looking in, but only Marc-Édouard Vlasic of the San Jose Sharks, Duncan Keith and Patrick Sharp of the Chicago Blackhawks and Alexandre Burrows of the Vancouver Canucks have been the late additions. Yes, these are all excellent players and yes they can be difference makers, but it has been a couple of Edmonton Oilers who have continued to find their way onto the score sheet; Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle.
Filed in: Edmonton Oilers | Oil Patch | Permalink
Tags: 2012+IIHF+World+Championship,
Oilers Need BPA Not Another GM
by Lisa McRitchie on 05/10/12 at 11:30 PM ET
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“In Stu we trust,” that has been the catch phrase in Edmonton every spring since the Oilers first drafted first overall. After another miserable season and with the Taylor or Tyler decision before the team, fans were torn. Some were on Team Taylor, some Team Tyler and all cheered for the Oilers to take a difference maker and turn the team around. Because no one seemed to have a clear idea of what would happen, nor who would be the better player everyone decided to keep their favourite in mind but trust that Oilers’ head of amateur scouting, Stu MacGregor and his team would pick the right player. But what about now, two years later?
Filed in: Edmonton Oilers | Oil Patch | Permalink
Tags: 2012+NHL+entry+draft,
Barons Battling
by Lisa McRitchie on 05/08/12 at 11:00 AM ET
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It’s been two back to back overtime victories, but with those victories the Barons have now taken a 2-1 series lead over the San Antonio Rampage. After dropping the first game 6-4 the Barons regrouped and settled into the knowledge that this would be a hard fought best of 7 series.
There may not have been any dancing by Rampage goaltender Jacob Markstom yet, but maybe he’s just waiting for his song.
Filed in: Edmonton Oilers, Anton Lander, Linus Omark, Magnus Pääjärvi, Oklahoma City Barons, Chris VandeVelde | Oil Patch | Permalink
About Oil Patch
Lisa McRitchie is a fairly new writer, online at least, but makes up for inexperience with passion for the game of hockey and memories of Mrs. Leskiw’s English AP class; who knew they would pay off one day.
Oil Patch focuses on the Edmonton Oilers, the Edmonton Oil Kings, The Oklahoma City Barons and Team Canada Hockey with game coverage, news updates, speculation and interviews.
Although the Oilers have had a difficult past decade… or three, here at Oil Patch, the future looks bright.
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Most Recent Blog Posts
Oil Kings’ Memorial Cup Dreams Smashed
Oilers Need a Steady Hand Going Forward
Oil Kings Kick Off Memorial Cup With a Win
Barons Back to Even With 5-1 Win
Tom Renney Will Not Return With Oilers
Edmonton Arena Looks Light and Lively
NHL Young Stars Tournament Cancelled