Thursday, January 27, 2011

OKC Barons: Can We Switch To The Road Blues Please?

Last night, the Oklahoma City Barons suffered their fifth occurrence of letting the opposing team score to either tie or win the game in the last 2 minutes of the 3rd period. Last night's resulted in a shootout loss to the Chicago Wolves. With the top 7 teams in the Western Division all within 4 points of each other, every point is a premium right now, especially with the Barons being in the upper half of the division in games played. It's been awhile since I've posted so I'll just give a big update on all the big things that's happened lately.

No, seriously, can we play in the blue uniform?
In the AHL, the home teams regularly wear the white uniforms, while the road team will wear their colored uniforms. The Barons returned home from their 7 game road trip last night, losing to the Wolves in the shootout. This, after the team had gone 6-1-0-0 on the road trip. The Barons are 10-9-2-4 within the Cox Convention Center, whereas the team has gone 15-7-0-1 on the road this season. Within the division home records, that puts them 7th, ahead of only the Rockford IceHogs whose only impact on the playoffs this year is seeming to be who they're able to beat among the top 7. Head over to the road records, and the Barons are tied for 1st in the division with Peoria, who has the same exact road record. I don't know if Todd Nelson can pull any strings for this weekend, but it might be worth it to see how the team does in the road blues for the 2 games.

Can we finish a game please?
Like I mentioned earlier, last night was the 5th time that the Barons let the opposing team back in the game, or let them win the game, in the last 120 seconds of the 3rd period. The first instance came Oct 29th in Grand Rapids. Milan Kytnar had scored the leading goal at 4:03 in the 3rd, but the Barons let the Griffins tie it up at 18:53 on a goal by defenseman Brendan Smith. The Barons would later win the shootout.

The second, came against the Texas Stars on Dec 28th in OKC. The Barons had a 3-1 lead heading into the final period, but 1:49 in, Tomas Vincour would score to bring the Stars within 1, and Fabian Brunnstrom would tie the game at 19:11 to send the game into OT. This time the Barons weren't so lucky, losing in the shootout. The third time would come the very next night in San Antonio. Colin McDonald put a stop to the bleeding and tied the game at 3 after the Barons let the Rampage score 3 straight in the 2nd period. 18:09 in the 3rd, Matt Watkins would score to put the Rampage ahead, and he would score 80 seconds later into the empty net to seal the deal.

Fourth, was during the aforementioned road trip. The Barons headed into Milwaukee after just coming off a loss to Lake Erie. With the game tied at 1 heading into the 3rd period, the Admirals would score at 1:36, and Alexandre Giroux would answer at 3:24 on the PP. After 15 minutes of scoreless hockey, Milan Kytnar would put the Barons up at the 18:40 mark to almost put the Barons on the giving end of these situations. It unfortunately would not play out to be after an untimely tripping penalty by Greg Stewart and the Roman Josi of the Admirals would tie it 14 seconds later. The Barons would pull this one out in the shootout though, to salvage the win.

Last night's recap
The Wolves came into town to take on the Barons for the 2nd time of 3 meetings in a week. Successive penalties by Colin McDonald and Shawn Belle would give the Wolves a 5 on 3 just 6 minutes into the 1st. The Wolves would take advantage and score with 5 seconds remaining on McDonald's penalty, and with 1 second remaining on Belle's penalty. Teemu Hartikainen, who played like a beast all night, would get one back after Milan Kytnar broke up a set play by the Wolves and Harski picked up the deflected pass and put it past goalie Drew MacIntyre.

Rolling into the 2nd, the Barons put a complete 180 on the game. After the Wolves pretty well dominated the Barons in the 1st, the Barons took it to the Wolves in the 2nd. Greg Stewart would put in a point shot from Alex Plante at 3:28 and 28 seconds later Brad Moran would put in a goal to put the Barons up 3-2. It wouldn't be very long-lived though as Fredrik Pettersson would score at the 16:33 mark to tie the game back up.

The 3rd period would end up being pretty choppy. Neither team could really find a handle on the puck. 7:52 in though, Matt Marquardt would get a great pass from Andrew Lord and just blast it by MacIntyre to put the Barons up 4-3. I'd venture to say that was a good pay off for breaking two sticks in practice earlier that day and another during the game. The Barons would hold off the Wolves attacks for most of the rest of the period, but Ryan Garbutt was able to get one past Martin Gerber to tie the game up at 19:26 with the extra attacker. The OT period would go by with a few chances, but no goals. Finally in the shootout, Colin McDonald would even up the shootout score at 1 in the 4th round and six rounds later, the Wolves Pettersson would strike again to put it all on Ryan O'Marra who wasn't able to score.

So about the finishing...
The Barons aren't actually the worst club when it comes to that. The Lake Erie Monsters have had it happen to them 5 times as well, but they've lost every instance. 3 times, they've given up the GW goal in regulation, and lost 1 in OT and another in a shootout. But this isn't to say the Barons haven't been on the giving end of one either. Twice, the Barons came back.

First, was the Barons first franchise win. The Monsters were in OKC and leading 3-0 until Brad Moran scored at 11:25 of the 2nd to begin the works of his natural hat trick. Then finally, at 18:37 of the 3rd, Linus Omark would put the game away. The second time again involved Linus Omark. You might have heard about his 5 goal game against the Toronto Marlies. After single-handedly keeping the Barons in the game, he would score at 19:13 of the 3rd on the extra attacker Power Play to tie the game and send it into OT. Omark would score his 6th goal in the shootout and Milan Kytnar would score the winner to end the game.

And to add to the nail biting...
The top 7 teams in the Western Division are separated by only 4 points. I can't say that enough. The top 4 teams have more points than all but Hamilton in the Northern Division. The only thing that puts the Barons(4th, 57 points) on the bad end of this predicament is they've played 48 games while only Houston(3rd, 58 points) and Chicago(7th, 55 points) have played more at 50. San Antonio(2nd, 58 points) has played the same as the Barons with 48. Peoria(1st, 59 points) has played 46 while Milwaukee(5th, 56 points) and Texas(6th, 55 points) have only played 45 games. While the Rampage and Aeros are easy enough to catch, the Admirals and Stars are going to be hard to fend off. And to make it better, 10 out of the next 12 are against division rivals. It's definitely going to be a tough stretch.

Big Milestones attached to a new team
The Barons have had the good fortune of having two players on the team that have reached significant milestones. Alexandre Giroux scored his 600th point on December 18th in a SO loss to San Antonio. Bryan Helmer, who was signed after the Oilers called up both Jeff Petry and Taylor Chorney, broke the AHL record for most career points scored by a defenseman with his 520th point on January 13th in a 7-2 blowout of Peoria. The next milestone? Bryan Helmer is on pace to play in his 1000th game when the the Barons take on the Abbotsford Heat in the AHL Battle of Alberta in Calgary's Saddledome(which I really hope ends up on TV).

On Tap
As I mentioned, it's a tough stretch against division foes coming up. Tomorrow night, the Barons take on the Texas Stars who are on a 2 game win streak. Saturday night, the Barons take on the Chicago Wolves for the 3rd time this week. Next week, after the All Star break, is the matchup everybody's been waiting for. The Peoria Rivermen come into town for a two game set on Feb 3rd and 4th. The last time they were in town, they got two wins and left a bad taste in the mouths of Barons fans. Ryan Reaves pummeled on Jake Taylor on the ice and the referee nor any of the other Barons did anything to jump in. Reaves had a stay with the Blues, but is back in Peoria. Hopefully he's around next week when they come in.

And finally,
I want to apologize for the lack of posts. I started a new job that has broke my original schedule so I'm still adjusting to it. Something this long though has gotten me back into the swing. Hopefully I'm able to keep it up. I'm hoping for a good run to the playoffs and beyond, it's been a great season so far.

-Written by Eric Rodgers-

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Oilers v. Preds and Barons v. Wolves Tweetcast

Friday, January 21, 2011

Stockton Thunder by Numbers

7-Stockton Thunder's final score.
6-the number of fights in the final period.
5-total number of shots on goal the Ontario Reign had in the third period.
4-the number of power plays the Thunder had in the game.
3-the number of assists by defenseman Ryan Constant.
2-Ontario Reign's final score.
1-the jersey number of Beau Erickson, tonight's losing goalie.

On The Road Again Tweetcast: Oklahoma City v. Rockford




Barons Game Day Information Center

  • Barons won 4-3 in shootout against Milwaukee last night, with Colin McDonald scoring the shootout.
  • Jeff Deslauriers should get the start in tonight's game.
  • Tonight's Officials are Referee Jean Hebert and Linesmen Mike Hamilton & Dan Dineen.
  • Former Oilers' Centerman Ryan Poultny and former Blazers' Defencemen Wade Brookbank should be in the IceHogs Lineup.


Listen to the Live Broadcast here!


Barons Game Day Media Kit in pdf form
Barons Roster in pdf form




Thursday, January 20, 2011

Oilers and Barons Tweetcast: OKC v. Milwaukee & Oilers v. Stars



Welcome to the Double Dose Game Day, LIVE TweetCast of the
Edmonton Oilers vs Dallas Stars
and
Oklahoma City Barons vs Milwaukee Admirals.

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OKC Barons vs Lake Erie Monsters
7:00pm CST(6PM MST) Start

LIVE GAME STATS


BARONS ROSTER

MEDIA KIT

Listen to game HERE!

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Edmonton Oilers vs Dallas Stars
8:00pm CST(7:00pm MST) Start

GAME PREVIEW

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Oklahoma City Barons (22-15-2-4) at Lake Erie Monsters (19-19-3-4)
&
Edmonton Oilers (14-24-7) at Dallas Stars (28-13-5) 


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Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Double Dose Tweetcast: Barons v. Monsters and Oilers v. Wild



Welcome to the Double Dose Game Day, LIVE TweetCast of the
Edmonton Oilers vs Minnesota Wild
and
Oklahoma City Barons vs Lake Erie Monsters.

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OKC Barons vs Lake Erie Monsters
6:00pm CST(5PM MST) Start

LIVE GAME STATS


BARONS ROSTER

MEDIA KIT

Listen to game HERE!

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Edmonton Oilers vs Minnesota Wild
8:30pm CST(7:30pm MST) Start

GAME PREVIEW

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Oklahoma City Barons (22-15-2-4) at Lake Erie Monsters (19-19-3-4)
&
Edmonton Oilers (14-23-7) at Minnesota Wild (22-18-5) 


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Sunday, January 16, 2011

Oilers v. Ducks Tweetcast

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Road Trip Game Day Tweetcast: Barons v. Rampage & Oilers v. Kings



Welcome to the Road Trip Game Day, LIVE TweetCast of the
Edmonton Oilers vs Los Angeles Kings
and
Oklahoma City Barons vs San Antonio Rampage.

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OKC Barons vs San Antonio Rampage
6:00pm MT Start

LIVE GAME STATS

GAME PREVIEW

BARONS ROSTER

MEDIA KIT

Listen to game HERE!

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Edmonton Oilers vs Los Angeles Kings
8:00pm MT Start

GAME PREVIEW

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Oklahoma City Barons (21-15-2-4) at San Antonio Rampage (25-15-1-0)
&
Edmonton Oilers (14-21-7) at Los Angeles Kings (23-19-1) 


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Friday, January 14, 2011

Revenge is Sweet Tweetcast: Barons v. Rivermen




Barons Game Day Information Center

  • Barons won 7-2 against Peoria last night, with goals from Giroux, Helmer, Harksi, Stewart , and Cornet.
  • Martin Gerber should get the start again in tonight's game.
  • Tonight's Officials are Referee Ryan Fraser and Linesmen Jesse Pletsch & Aaron Mills.
  • Barons' defencemen Bryan Helmer became the AHL's top-scoring defencemen with 520 points.


Listen to the Live Broadcast here!


Barons Game Day Media Kit in pdf form
Barons Roster in pdf form




Thursday, January 13, 2011

Double Shot Tweetcast: Barons v. Rivermen and Oilers v. Sharks

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

'Bye 'Bye, Birdie!

Tonight the Stockton Thunder hosted the Bakersfield Condors for their lone homestand before heading back out on the road.

And what a game it was-complete with two fights to open the game, thanks to Thunder's Hunt and Condors' Morency at 2 seconds into the game. Thunder's Gimblett and Condors' Lizon got into their own match 4 seconds into the game.

In net for Stockton was Bryan Pitton, countered by Brian Stewart for Bakersfield. During first period, Pitton wasn't as sharp as we needed him to be. By the end of first period the Condors were up 2-0. Goal number two of the game was a short-handed one.

Jarret Konkle, new addition to the Thunder, scored twice in the second period to tie the game, then earned a hat trick in third period. Bretton Cameron assisted in all three of Konkle's goals. Unfortunately, Bakersfield tied the game up shortly after Konkle's hat trick. Thunder's McKenzie put the Thunder ahead 4-3, then Cameron scored an empty net goal with two seconds left in the game to bring the final score 5-3. Cameron now has 3 goals and 3 assists in his last two games.

There were only 3,620 in attendance for the game, but it was a loud, rowdy crowd who thoroughly appreciated the comeback from a 2-0 deficit. And unlike the games we've seen before, the Thunder started out a little sloppy, but seemed more refined and more confident as the game went on.

Three stars of the game, all from the Stockton Thunder:
  1. Jarrett Konkle
  2. Bretton Cameron
  3. Jim McKenzie

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Deep in the Heart of Texas Tweetcast: Oilers v. Stars


Welcome to the LIVE TweetCast of
the Edmonton Oilers vs the Dallas Stars 
GOILERS!!!

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TV: Sportsnet Oilers

RADIO: 630 CHED & Oilers Radio Network

PUCK DROP: 6:38 p.m. MST


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Edmonton Oilers (13-20-7) at Dallas Stars(25-13-5)



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Sunday, January 9, 2011

Monster of a Game Tweetcast: Oklahoma City v. Lake Erie




Barons Game Day Information Center

  • Barons lost 5-4 in Overtime against the Rivermen.
  • Martin Gerber will get the start in today's game.
  • Today's Officials are Referee Tim Mayer & Ryan Hersey and Linesmen Randy Sappo & Chris Petrin.
  • Lake Erie beat the Texas Stars 3-1 in Cedar Park last night.


Listen to the Live Broadcast here!


Barons Game Day Media Kit in pdf form
Barons Roster in pdf form




Saturday, January 8, 2011

Barons v. Rivermen Part Duex Tweetcast




Barons Game Day Information Center

  • Barons won 5-2 against Peoria last night.
  • Not sure who is going get the start in tonight's game.
  • Tonight's Officials are Referee Keith Kaval(Oh Joy!) and Linesmen Randy Sappo & Chris Petrin.
  • Ryan Reaves is "Gutless" according to Shawn Belle, and is a marked man for tonight's game.


Listen to the Live Broadcast here!


Barons Game Day Media Kit in pdf form
Barons Roster in pdf form




Friday, January 7, 2011

Canucks Drown Oilers 6-1 Easily / Video Highlights

Meet The Oiler? / A Look At The Stan Lee Edmonton Oilers Character


The Oiler


What is that you ask? That's the new Guardian Project superhero that represents the Edmonton Oilers. Yes, you read that right. A Oilers superhero.

*blank stare*

Since I don't know know how to explain this well, this is what the Oilers official press release had to say.

"Oil Country now gets their first glimpse at the newest superhero, The Oiler. As part of the new Guardian Project presented by the NHL and Stan Lee, the Oiler was revealed after a 17-day Facebook Battle between the Oiler and the Flame. Both teams fans put forth a valiant effort but in the end, the Oiler and Oilers fans were victorious by a vote of 52% to 48%.


Meet the Oiler:

The Oiler is serious in a way that only a guy living on the outskirts of the most northern Canadian metropolis can be. He’s gritty and tough like the roughneck oil rig workers he mostly associates with. He loves getting his hands dirty and not only doesn’t he shy away from hard, physical work, he relishes it. He spends a majority of his time roaming the Northwest Territories. He’s most happy when he’s exploring the vast northern wilderness. He does have a lighter side although his superhero buddies don’t always get his quirky sense of humor. He’s a modern day Cain constantly searching for the wisdom that he’s certain the frozen north has to offer. In stature you’d be hard pressed to find a more impressive Guardian. He’s a 10 and a half-foot tall and 950-pound mountain of muscle. Whether it’s blasting bad guys with torrents of energized oil, engulfing them in a horrendous blizzard or crushing through concrete walls, the Oiler is one devastating Guardian. The Oiler was the seventh Guardian to be revealed in 2D.

“We love our new “Oiler” Guardian character and thank our fans for starting him off with a win. Oil Country loves to win at everything we do,” said Patrick LaForge, Oilers President & CEO.

“The Oiler’s power to create blizzards seems appropriate for him considering Edmonton is the NHL’s northernmost city,” said Tony Chargin, EVP of GME Creative Affairs. “Beyond that, he can sense oil deposits in the ground, can suck them up with his pump, refine them in the portable refinery strapped to his back and uses the converted (green) energy to power his cannon.”

The full unveiling of all 30 Guardian superhero characters within the Guardian Project will be held in a special presentation during the 2011 NHL® All-Star Game presented by Discover in Raleigh, N.C. on Sunday, January 30 (4 p.m. ET live broadcast on VERSUS in the U.S. and on CBC and RDS in Canada).

Created and developed by Stan Lee, Chargin, and Jake Shapiro, each Guardian has been derived from its corresponding hockey team, complete with special powers representative of each team and city.

With an initial plan to reach an all-family audience and narrower target demo of tween boys, GME hopes to bring a new audience to the NHL, while engaging the existing, established hockey fan base through a compelling tale of good vs. evil.

Fans can continue to vote for their favorites and learn about the Guardian Project and the individual Guardians, as they’re unveiled, at www.guardianproject30.com and by going to www.facebook.com/theguardianproject."

Do I find this interesting? Meh! No, not really, but then again, I'm not a comic guy. Or a tween. But even as a regular Oilers fan, I still think this idea sucks.

My one question; He's blue and red? What? No orange? I bet they didn't consult Mr. "I love blue and orange" Katz.

This just whole contest reveling seems like a poor gimmick to draw attention to an all star game that lacks... well, the game part. A bunch of floaters and fancy pass hockey. That's not a game unless you play in my beer league. ;)

The all star weekend is, in my opinion, a waste of time and I usually don't watch it. If I watch anything, I watch the skills competition. Even them I usually forget it's on and I miss half of it. So is this really going to draw new viewers to the all star game and to the rest of the NHL after this is over? I have my doubts.

I guess on one hand this is a unique concept and the NHL does seem to be trying to make fresh idea's integrate more into the modern day system. On the other? I'm just not sure if this was one of those "good idea's".

Do you like this project and the Oiler? What's your thoughts? Did you vote for the Oiler?

-Written by Smokin' Ray-

OKC Barons vs Rivermen and Oilers vs Canucks / A LIVE TweetCast

Big Weekend for the Barons



Tonight is the beginning of a huge weekend for the Barons off and on the ice. They've been putting the full court press in the local radio and tv stations. Commercials are playing at least two or more times in a 5 minute period on local TV. And for the second time this week, that Barons' defencemen Jake Taylor and John Allgood from the front office will be making the rounds on local radio to drum up some support. To get fans to come down to the 3 game home stand this weekend.

As mentioned by Ryan Aber of NewsOK.com on Twitter last night, that newcomer Bryan Helmer is likely to be signed to a PTO contract to start out on. Martin Gerber should be in goal tonight for the Barons, and Jeff Deslauriers could see some action after returning from playing in the Spengler Cup the week before last. Tonight's game starts at 7:05PM, and tomorrow's game starts at 6:05PM due to the Thunder playing across the street. And Sunday's game against Lake Erie will start at 5:05PM, with the last post-game skate with the team.



Some GameDay Notes for the Weekend.

This is the first time that the Peoria Rivermen have come to Oklahoma City. And they're going to be looking for a little revenge, as the last time these two teams played in Peoria. The Barons won a 3-1 decision in their only meeting so far this season, and was on the last game on their first extended road trip as a team. So far in the last six game that Peoria has played, they've only won 3 games. But those 3 wins have come after a 3 game skid, and that includes knocking off division leading San Antonio the other night with a 7-4 win. A player that could be a factor for the Rivermen this weekend is Derek Nesbitt, and he seems to be a on a hot streak scoring 4 goals in their last game against the rampage.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Bottom Feeder Battle / Oilers vs Islanders / A LIVE TweetCast


Welcome to the LIVE TweetCast of
the Edmonton Oilers vs the New York Islanders
GOILERS!!!

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TV: Sportsnet West
RADIO: 630 CHED & Oilers Radio Network
PUCK DROP: 7:08 p.m. MST


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PowerScoutHockey.com Oilers Page

Last 10 Games:  New York 7-2-1 vs Edmonton 1-7-2
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New York Islanders (12-19-6) at Edmonton Oilers (12-19-7)


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Sam Gagner January Calender Wallpaper by @SAVEMEX29


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Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Wings Tell Oilers To Flock Off In 5-3 Beat Down / Game Recap

- The game couldn't have ended worse for a fan. It went from a quick Red Wings goal, to a so-so 2nd period to a 3-3 (two goal comeback) tie game with loads of excitement. But with just 2:50 seconds left in the 3rd, they blew it. Or the hockey gods blew it as it bounced in off of Smid. There goes the Oilers hard work down the drain.

- 44 seconds after the go ahead goal, Helm scored after taking advantage of a fallen Peckham and beats Khabby to make it an unreachable 5-3 with 2:06 left in the game. Hard to win after that. Oh well... next time boys! GOILERS!!!

- Both Liam Reddox and Linus Omark played well tonight. Not too bad for missing the morning skate and traveling. Glad to see them connect with Brule for a goal and they wach earned an assist.

- Omark adds another point to his total making it 6 points in 9 games this season. He keeps putting up points and yet people want him in the minors? My god, why?

- Taylor Hall led the team with 5 shots on goal. He actually took 9 shots, but only the 5 made it to the net. He tried hard all game long and did what he could to win. I like his willingness and his passion to try and win games. I hope it rubs off on the others.

- Speaking of Hall. Is there something against Taylor? No penalties were called when he was hauled down or tripped up all game long. Why not? Most of them were clear calls that were ignored? Not just this game, but several games have happened this way. Hmmm... I have my eye on you refs! *eye stare*

- The Oilers, from what I could tell, had an enormous amount of giveaways tonight. However, according to the official score sheet, they only had 10 for the entire team recorded. Am I wrong to question this?

- Theo Peckham continues to grow as an NHL player. He's learning the small things and it seems like he wants to get better. He had 4 blocked shots and he battled to the end. Too bad he slipped on the Helm goal. You could see it pissed him off. Lessson learned.

- The -2 club: Cogliano, Penner, Vandermeer and Foster.

- The +1 club: Ales Hemsky and Sam Gagner

- The Oilers were 0/3 for 0% on the PP and a perfect 2/2 for 100% on the PK.

- Sam Gagner was 2nd star of the game and was somewhat well deserved. He did play awesome in the 3rd, but needs to do that all game, every game.

- The Oilers went 20/37 for 35% on faceoffs. Terrible, terrible night for the centers. But you look at who they faced in the dot and we can't be too mad. That's stiff competition. The worst on the team was Gagner going 5/13 for 28%. The best on the team (other than Reddox 1/1) is Brule. He did 4/5 for 44%. Practice! Practice!

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GAME SUMMARY

EVENT SUMMARY

mc79hockey SCORING CHANCES

David Staples' THE CULT OF HOCKEY PLAYER GRADES

EDMONTONOILERS.COM GAME RECAP

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FINAL SCORE

DETROIT RED WINGS - 5

EDMONTON OILERS - 3

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GOAL SCORERS

DET: H. Zetterberg (03:43 - 1st) , T. Bertuzzi (06:40 - 2nd) , K. Draper (10:43 - 2nd) , T. Bertuzzi (17:10 - 3rd) , D. Helm (17:54 - 3rd)

EDM: G. Brule (11:38 - 1st) , T. Peckham (04:54 - 3rd) , S. Gagner (11:31 - 3rd)

GOALIES

DET: C. Osgood (W) EDM: N. Khabibulin (L)




-Slapped Together By Smokin' Ray-

Detroit Red Wings (24-10-5) at Edmonton Oilers (12-18-7) / A LIVE TweetCast

Barons In Trouble Offensively; Oilers Call Up Top Point Scorers

Within the last few days, the Oilers have made a couple roster moves involving call ups and call downs. Ryan O'Marra and Shawn Belle were sent down on Sunday and Liam Reddox and Linus Omark were called up to replace them on the Oilers active roster. It's no big secret that Reddox and Omark are the big guns in the Barons offense, but just how much?

Reddox is going to be on his first stint with the Oilers this season. The Barons are 18-14-1-4 so far this season. When Omark was on the team from the start of the season and the two games this last weekend, the Barons are 15-9-1-3. In the 9 games while he was in Edmonton, the Barons were 3-5-0-1. Reddox registered 8 points(3G, 5A) in those games, but they only came in 4 of the games. With Reddox and Omark being the 2nd and 3rd Barons leading goal scorers respectively, their call up takes a huge chunk out of the Barons offense. The Barons have scored 120 goals this season, Omark and Reddox account for 32, or 26.2%, of them. And of the 313 points the Barons players have registered, Omark and Reddox account for 64, or 20.4%, of those. Then, the Barons Power Play, which has had it's struggles at certain times of the season but has come back recently. They're currently 11th in the league. Omark and Reddox have 7 of the 38 PP goals scored by the Barons, 18.4%.

It doesn't end there either. Jeff Petry was called up to the Oilers on Dec 27th. When you add Petry's stats to Reddox's and Omark's numbers, it becomes an even bigger blow to the Barons. Petry's 7 goals bring the percentage up to 32.5%, his 19 points bring that up to 27.1%, and his 2 PP goals take that up to 23.6%.

With the Oilers having a quarter of the Barons offensive production on their active roster right now, it'll be interesting to see how the lines will look and if there are any signings in the future of the Barons. The first line of Giroux-Moran-McDonald will really have to step up to cover any of the loss. Hartikainen is coming along nicely but he's had trouble scoring when Reddox and Omark aren't on the ice too. This weekend will be a huge test for them as they have 3 games in 3 nights. Peoria comes in on Friday and Saturday, and they take on Lake Erie on Sunday.

-Written by Eric Rodgers-

Monday, January 3, 2011

Red Bull? Pfft! We Have The Redd-Ox!

Liam Reddox was recalled earlier today (along with Linus Omark) to play with the Edmonton Oilers for the next couple games (or more?). I know that this is old news as it happened this morning, but this makes me happy for Reddox for two reasons.

1 - He had a great camp and deserved a spot with the team at the start. Even though Ryan Jones did raise the level in his game in the last 15 or so games, he was clearly beaten straight out at camp by Reddox. Reddox finally gets his shot he earned at camp. I say good for him!

2 - The second reason? He went down to OKC and he shut his mouth when sent down. He busted his ass down in OKC and proved he was worthy of being an Oiler. As of right now, only Alex Giroux is beating him on the team in points.

Reddox has scored 18 goals, 15 assists, for 33 points in 37 games. In those 37 games he's taken 143 shots on goal. He dominates games by firing off more shots than any other Barons player. He's a shooting machine and at times, he just can't be stopped. He takes an average of 3.86 shots per game or that's translated to 12.5% of the OKC Barons total shots. He's a +14 and he's been solid on the PK with 4 short handed goals. He's not only proved he was ready at the start of the season, he's proved that he's ready now too. And he's done it with class.

It's a great story that's developed about this little Redd-Ox fellow over the past little while. He's won the hearts of more people than just MacT's. I too like him now. But is there more to this story?

Yes there is. He's on a two way contract, but since he's not an entry level contract guy and he's passed the requirements (games played, years of service, that type of stuff), if and when he gets put back on waivers, he will need to clear them on re-entry waivers. Meaning another team can claim his services and the Oilers get nothing in return. Bum deal. For us only.

I suppose there are only two options where this may lead Reddox and his future with the Oilers.

1 - The Oilers see a future for him with the team for the rest of the season. Maybe they have decided that no matter what, he's going to stick around and finish out the season in E town? Possible.

We do know that someone will have to go when the injured guys are ready if they plan to keep Liam around. Is there a trade on the horizon and room will be made for him with the Oil? That's possible.

Will they waive another player (ie: Jacques) instead of Reddox? Also possible. If they want him to stay, they can arrange it to happen. They can. Multiple scenarios at hand, but is this what they want?

2 - Or the other option. He's here as a quick fix and nothing more. A time filler. He will be put back on waivers and let the chips fall as they may. If he makes it back to OKC then fine. If not, also fine?

Do they know or have confidence that no other team will claim him? Can he clear waivers?

Looking at it from the outside, he does deserve a chance with another team if the Oilers don't want him to stick around. If the Oilers are not willing to give him a shot here long term, maybe a chance with another is possible? Maybe another team is interested?

THE SUSPENSE IS KILLING ME!!!

What do you see happening to Liam Reddox?

-Written by Smokin' Ray Burnt-

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Ham'ing it Again Tweetcast: OKC Barons v. Rockford IceHogs




Barons Game Day Information Center

  • * Barons won 2-1 against Icehogs last night, with goals from McDonald and Omark.
  • * Bryan Pitton could get the start in tonight's game.
  • * Tonight's Officials are Referee Mark Lemelin and Linesmen Brad Duncan & Frank Prestigiovanni.
  • * Former Oilers' Centerman Ryan Poultny and former Blazers' Defencemen Wade Brookbank will be in the IceHogs Lineup.


Listen to the Live Broadcast here!


Barons Game Day Media Kit in pdf form
Barons Roster in pdf form




Saturday, January 1, 2011

Battle of Alberta / Oilers vs Flames Video Highlights


The Edmonton Oilers lose 2-1 to the Calgary Flames.

OKC Barons vs Ice Hogs & Calgary Flames vs Edmonton Oilers / A LIVE TweetCast


Welcome to the Double Game Day, LIVE TweetCast of the
Edmonton Oilers vs Calgary Flames
and
Oklahoma City Barons vs Rockford Ice Hogs.

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OKC Barons vs Rockford Ice Hogs
6:00pm MT Start

LIVE GAME STATS

GAME PREVIEW

BARONS ROSTER

MEDIA KIT

Listen to game HERE!

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Edmonton Oilers vs Calgary Flames
8:00pm MT Start

GAME PREVIEW

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Rockford Icehogs (14-13-1-4) at Oklahoma City Barons (17-13-1-4)
&
Calgary Flames (17-18-3) at Edmonton Oilers (12-17-7) 


This LIVE TweetCast is brought to you by

2011 NHL Winter Classic / Pens vs Caps (Including Episodes) **UPDATED**

**GAME TIME HAS BEEN CHANGED BY THE NHL TO 6:00PM MT**

http://www.nhl.com/ice/eventhome.htm?location=/winterclassic/2011










LINK TO EPISODE #3


LINK TO EPISODE #4

**January 5th, 2011**

Two Guys & Hockey Talk NHL News (CLICK PIC FOR LINK)

The Faithful Followers

Oilers Jambalaya is in no way, shape or form associated with the Edmonton Oilers or the Bakersfield Condors. This is a fans blog for fans. We happen to love those teams, so we write about them.