Cheers Dave

[Guest bigbadbrent]

If they start winning divisional games in regulation they will make it to the post-season.

 

 

Thats what i meant by "thats like saying, if the puck goes in the net, they will score"

 

Of course if they start winning divisional games they'll make it to the post season...you don't make it to the playoffs by losing them..

 

Kipper played the first two games on this road trip like he did with the cup run, then he went back to october mode. like Brian said, if kipper can get on his game, and they keep playing like they are, unstoppable....Glad to see Keenan finally found a top line that clicks. Second line should be nolan lombardi tanguay, instead of keenan always tossing the lines up..

 

 

I'd have to slightly disagree with Brian about the fact about Anaheim, they didn't win by putting huge numbers on (Ottawa had a WAY bigger offence then them, but the defence shut them down, as well as Giggy playing really well), all of the games Anaheim won (other then the last one, which Ottawa played like they forgot how to skate) were 1 goal games

[Guest guito]

I think the game *is* the way is was back then. A lot closer to it than we've seen for a long time anyways. Offence wins cups now. Coupled with "decent" goaltending and some good quality D men... look what Carolina and Anahiem did? don't tell me they got to the cup winning 1-0 games... it just wasn't so..

 

I do agree that Kipper needs to step up... but right now the team is stepping up.. which is good to see. If Kipper gets on his game, they will be litterally invincible.

 

Brian.... I agree that the game is closer to the way it was then but still not near as offensive. I think a lot of the scoring oppertunities now occur due to power plays and not so much on 5 on 5. The coaching is better now and they will find ways to stop offensive teams. I would disagree on the facts that Caralina and Anaheim being offensive teams. I think these teams played defense first and relied on power plays and mistakes to create offense. Ottawa is a more offensive team but they are sound defensively also. When Ottawa's goaltending is good they win and when there goaltending is weak they lose. I see this the same with Calgary if Kipper catches fire and they pick up a good winger to go with Lambo and Tangauy they will be tough. Nolan would fit nicely on the third line with Yelle and Nillson used to shut down the other teams top line.

 

Brent yes that top line was awesome and carried the team . Keenan has always been known to juggle lines and it would be nice if he did leave the top line together but I wouldn't count on it. I think Sutter should try to pick up someone like Glen Murray to play on the second line. He is a proven scorer with size and being fed by Tangauy that would give them 2 solids lines and it would make it tougher for the other team to match up both lines.

[snakeman]

Brent, I was simply stating the biggest issue facing the Oilers that needs to change for them to contend. It's not any different than flames fans saying that they can only compete if Kiprusoff plays well.

 

 

Glen Murray might help the flames in the immediate future, but I think they've already got enough geezers who are due to burn-out and be checked into an old folks home pretty soon...

[yak]

Brent, I was simply stating the biggest issue facing the Oilers that needs to change for them to contend. It's not any different than flames fans saying that they can only compete if Kiprusoff plays well.

Glen Murray might help the flames in the immediate future, but I think they've already got enough geezers who are due to burn-out and be checked into an old folks home pretty soon...

6 wins in regulation in 34 tries is not the sign of a good team with playoff aspirations. the whole 4 on4 OT and shootout was put in place to entertain uneducated hockey fans from the south. Nearly every team in the NHL is at or above .500 due to loser points and skills competitions. Again this was designed to give the "merkins" hope even when they have poor teams. Didnt expect to see the wool pulled over the eyes of canadian hockey fans. next year they are going to use the target competition to decide games. If it is still tied they will have chugalugs to settle it. Will put a premium on drafting german/irish players instead of shootout specialists.When the smoke clears in April expect to see the flames in the top four in the conference with or without the gimmick wins.The fact they can lite it up when Kipper is subpar makes them the full package deal. When Kipper does regain his form ( I dont think he has forgotten how to play) calgary will have the personnel to play tight checking and run and gun when needed. Other than detroit and ottowa there are few teams that can boast that capacity. The last few teams to win the cup had good defence and goaltending but could also lite it up on any given night

[snakeman]

"Loser points", "gimmick wins"? Is that you Glenn Healy?

Enjoy watching a strong flames team while you can; what do you have to look forward to after guys like Nolan, Conroy, Aucoin, Langkow, Yelle, etc. start having hip and eyesight problems?

 

If you were hinting that Gagner is just a shootout specialist you're sadly mistaken.

[Guest bigbadbrent]

Aucoin is the only one of that list you mentioned, that isnt a UFA next season..

 

we'll be fine

 

 

no shootouts in playoffs....edmonton goes no where

[snakeman]

Aucoin is the only one of that list you mentioned, that isnt a UFA next season..

 

we'll be fine

no shootouts in playoffs....edmonton goes no where

 

Whose to say they wouldn't win these games in OT? During the regular season they really should have more than 5 minutes, I'd much rather see a full period of intense end-to-end OT then a shoot-out.

 

If the Oilers do make the playoffs this year I'll be thrilled, as I wasn't expecting it. But by the 09-10 season when Gagner and Hemsky are in the top 15 in scoring, and Pitkanen is in the running for the Norris (sign this guy asap K-Lowe), and guys like Cogliano and Nilsson are tearing it up, they are going to be a serious threat for years to come. You can quote me on that

[Guest bigbadbrent]

its not 4-4 OT....they won't do well in playoffs, unless they start winning in regulation

 

Hemsky wont make the top 15 for scoring, not on edmonton, you can quote me on that

[snakeman]

its not 4-4 OT....they won't do well in playoffs, unless they start winning in regulation

 

Hemsky wont make the top 15 for scoring, not on edmonton, you can quote me on that

 

Wanna bet on that?

 

I still think he's going to become a star with the Oilers. The Oilers have been looking for a sniper to play with Hemmer for a couple seasons, and he was under their nose all along (Horcoff). Hemsky will carry them both to career-year's this season, and as Penner continues to improve that line is going to be a 1st line to be reckoned with. If Hemmer was playing with someone like Ovechkin or Kovalchuk he'd already be in the top 15.

[Guest bigbadbrent]

If i was playing with Ovechkin or Koval I'D be top 15...

 

 

He's a great player, but i don't think he's going to reach his top performance, unless they pick up someone better to play off with him. Two-face (Horcoff) is way to on/off for my likings anyway

[Weedy1]

Geez, I wonder if Ron Mclean has a few extra chairs for you boys. You guys could be Ron's apprentices. Hell you already have the BS down pat, now just to work on the annoyance factor a bit more.

 

Nothing like a good hockey argument. Never could figure out what it accomplishes but good for a laugh anyways.

 

Yak is right BTW, the whole league is a crock now, or should I say, for the last 20 years...

[Taco]

Last interesting NHL season was 1966-67

 

OFer talkin'

[Weedy1]

Last interesting NHL season was 1966-67

 

OFer talkin'

 

The Leafs still sucked back then. At least they always finished in the top 6.

[Guest bigbadbrent]

wadda ya know, kipper plays well, flames don't need 5 goals to win...

 

and the reffing was brutal for both teams

[yak]

snake, you are indeed a dedicated fan. hemsky is a good player but he is not the second coming of jari kurri. with regards to the young players its a crapshoot at best as to how they develop. If you are lucky gagner may become a star but nillson and cogliano will be good/average players at best. Even if all 3 do develop into excellent players you still have that halfwit Lowe running thee team. As soon as gagner wants what he is worth contract wise he will be traded for a whole new bunch of future superstars and the oilers will continue the 40 year rebuilding process.the bottom line is the oil have 6 wins in 35 tries now. you need to take off the rose (copper and blue?) colored glasses and look at the reality of the situation. this is not a good team.

ps. pitkannen is an above average d man but the only way he sees the Norris trophy is if Phaneuf invites him down for a barbecue.

[snakeman]

If i was playing with Ovechkin or Koval I'D be top 15...

He's a great player, but i don't think he's going to reach his top performance, unless they pick up someone better to play off with him. Two-face (Horcoff) is way to on/off for my likings anyway

 

Horcoff has the switch flipped 'on' permanently now; apparently he had been using the wrong sticks for the past few seasons, so he went down to a factory in Mexico last summer and got the right sticks, and voila! he is suddenly a sniper

 

Yak, with the very strong chance of a new Oilers owner in the new year there will probably be big shake-ups in management if they still can't win in regulation. I think it's time to stop trying to relive the glory days by having ex-Oilers running the team.

[Weedy1]

I think it's time to stop trying to relive the glory days by having ex-Oilers running the team.

 

Hey if it sells tickets why not? It isn't about the hockey, it's about the cash only.

[snakeman]

Hey if it sells tickets why not? It isn't about the hockey, it's about the cash only.

 

Well for a while it looked like nothing was going to change because they are one of the top grossing teams in the league in ticket sales, merchandise, etc. They could put an AHL team on the ice and they'd still sell out every home game....

[Guest bigbadbrent]

I don't know where you got that fact from

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/31/biz_07...tions_Rank.html

 

their revenue aint that high

[Hawgstoppah]

Do Oilers fans really think there going to be able to keep that team together? Face it... every player gets good, gets some years under their belt and some NHL experience, turns in a free agent, asks for a big contract, the Oil say no, and then.... BUH BYE...

 

It would be nice to see a good storng oiler team to be honest... but I just don't see it.

 

As for the flames and kipper.... anyone watch last nights tilt at colombus? Kippers stepping up when he needs to... hopefully the rest of the team can continue to play well in front of him. I can hardly blame his preformance on "kipper not being kipper".. so far this year up until this road trip, he's been on his own back there.

[birchy]

Do Oilers fans really think there going to be able to keep that team together? Face it... every player gets good, gets some years under their belt and some NHL experience, turns in a free agent, asks for a big contract, the Oil say no, and then.... BUH BYE...

 

It would be nice to see a good storng oiler team to be honest... but I just don't see it.

 

As for the flames and kipper.... anyone watch last nights tilt at colombus? Kippers stepping up when he needs to... hopefully the rest of the team can continue to play well in front of him. I can hardly blame his preformance on "kipper not being kipper".. so far this year up until this road trip, he's been on his own back there.

 

Isn't that what the salary cap was for??!!

[Guest bigbadbrent]

the salary cap was supposed to allow teams to hold onto players, edmonton has the money to hold onto the players, they just choose not to. Smyth is a perfect example, he should have been paid the money, and now Penner is the biggest waste of cap space

[snakeman]

the salary cap was supposed to allow teams to hold onto players, edmonton has the money to hold onto the players, they just choose not to. Smyth is a perfect example, he should have been paid the money, and now Penner is the biggest waste of cap space

 

Smyth is not worth the money he was asking for. He's getting old and doesn't have many 30+ goal seasons left. Penner on the other hand is young and has the potential to become a very good power forward. Everyone knows that Penner is overpaid right now, but he might end up being worth the risk. He already shows flashes of greatness and lately has been playing like the player Lowe was hoping for.

 

 

Do Oilers fans really think there going to be able to keep that team together? Face it... every player gets good, gets some years under their belt and some NHL experience, turns in a free agent, asks for a big contract, the Oil say no, and then.... BUH BYE...

 

Obviously they won't keep this line-up together forever, but they will for at least a few seasons and hopefully long enough to make a couple deep runs into the playoffs.

Lowe will do whatever it takes to sign his special young players, even if it means dumping the salaries of Roloson, Staios, Stoll, Torres, etc. When Pitkanen and Gagner ask for big money they'll get it.

[Guest bigbadbrent]

I hope someone ****s Lowe over for the RFA situation, and crank it up on everyone on their team..Vanek is the worst 7 million dollar player, and penner is not much better for 4.2

[birchy]

I respectfully disagree snakeman. They should have paid Smyth whatever he was asking. He was the heart and soul of that team.

 

He may not be on the same level skill wise... but that's like saying the Flames shouldn't pay Iggy whatever he wants. You'd have to be silly.

 

If you have any questions about how good Ryan Smyth is... just ask Joe Sakic, who phoned him personally and said "come play for us".