Oilers Lines For Tonight's Game vs U of A

FORWARDS

Fyten-Roy-Platzer

Kessy-Petryk-Chase

Baddock-Schaeber-Abney

Gernat-Ewanyk-Bilckie

DEFENSE

Davidson-Nurse

Leach-Klefbom

Marincin-Betker

GOALIE

Bunz first half

Rimmer second half

Lines courtesy of Bob Stauffer

It's Over, It's Done / Young Stars Is Finished

Well, this years version of the Edmonton Oilers Young Stars team, wasn't that good. In fact, they stunk. 

The Oilers lost 5-2 in the opening game to the Calgary Flames. They faired miserably and it didn't look like this was going to be a promising tournament. With no big stars on the team this year, the Oilers had a hard time keeping up with the skilled forwards the other teams had. 

Then the Oilers lost the second game to the Winnipeg Jets 7-2. An equally terrible game, but the individual talent started to come out a little more.

Today's third and final game saw the Oilers jump out into a lead and they looked like they could actually win this game. I was wrong. The Oilers ended up losing 5-2 to the Canucks rookies. 

0-3 to finish the tournament. Oh boy...

However, not all was bad. Let's look at some highlights. 

GREG CHASE - My only recognition of this kid was the fact his old man used to work for the Team1260. I had no knowledge of what this kid could do until this tournament. Chase is a hell of a player. He's very gritty and he's got some nice hands. He pretty much did what was expected of him and I'm pretty sure he gave the Oilers management a huge grin all week. I can see him playing in the NHL one day. He has all the tools to become a regular NHL player. I'm glad he's part of the Oilers system. 

MARCO ROY- He showed us that he can be a decent two way player. I liked his overall game. He seemed to make the right choices for the most part. I kind of wish there was more games left so I can see him a little more. 

KALE KESSEY - Fantastic hitter, reminds me off a Raffi Torres. Hitting guys is obviously his bread and butter. A few times this week he seemed to try and emulate Ryan Smyth with his work in front of the net. He's a big guy who's mobile. I hope he can continue to develop. I liked what I saw. 

JUJHAR KHAIRA - I liked his overall play. He definitely has the ability to be a good offensive player down the road. I'd like to see him work on his positioning and he also needs to get more comfortable with a run and gun attack. He looked confused sometimes, but was glad to see he isn't shy to try and make plays. 

KYLE PLATZER - He had a knack of being in the mix of the offensive play. I thought he was decent in the last two games. Good knack for being in the offensive play. 

BRANDON DAVIDSON - Good all around defenseman. Accurate shots and well placed. Good coverage on the forwards coming back in the zone. He must be a leader behind closed doors, as he was the Captain for two games. 

DARNELL NURSE - He wasn't very good (as I had expected). Nerves maybe? Whatever it was, the kid definitly has talent. He will be a gamer. But clearly, after watching him these past few days, he has a long way to go before he cracks the Oilers. 

OSCAR KLEFBOM - For the most part he sucked. I'm sure a lot of that was because he was playing his off side, but for all the hype from Craig MacTavish and the Oilers, he disappointed. He looked like he was a step behind. He says the right things, but acting them out is what he needs to work on. He sat out today's game, I expect he will be playing and making an impact versus the U of A. 

TYLER BUNZ - The best of the shitty goaltending. I suspect he will get the start for the game against the U of A, but does he really deserve it? He did make some big saves during his start, but it's the soft goals that have me worried. 

-WRITTEN BY SMOKIN' RAY BURNT-

Lines For Oilers vs Canucks Young Stars Game

Here are today's lines for the Oilers vs Canucks Young Stars game. Watch the game live on EdmontonOilers.com

Fyten-Roy-Chase
Baddock-Schaber-Abney
Kessy-Ewanyk-Bilcke
Platzer-Khaira-Miller

Nurse-Davidson
Gernat-Betker
Leach-Musil

Palazzese
Rimmer

Edmonton Oilers vs Winnipeg Jets / LIVE TweetCast

Welcome to another fine LIVE TweetCast by OilersJambalaya.com.

Tonight we feature the Edmonton Oilers vs the Winnipeg Jets.

WATCH THE GAME HERE

Click Here For Tonight's Oilers Roster

**Tonight's LIVE TweetCast will begin at 8:30pm MT**

Oilers Lines For Tonight's Game vs Winnipeg Jets (Young Stars)

The lines have changed slightly for tonight's game against the Jets.  The only forward line that stays the same is the RNH line.

The defence looks a little different too with Teubert, Marincin and Musil out of the lineup. Should be interesting to see how the fresh faces look.

Tyler Bunz will start in goal.

Game time: 8:30pm MT

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Nugent-Hopkins, Hamilton, Pitlick, Rajala, Davidson, Gernat, Fedun, Bunz


TONIGHTS FORWARD LINES
Hamilton-Nugent-Hopkins-Pelss
Ferguson-Pitlick-Reider
Czerwonka-Smith-Rajala
Tyrvainen-Schaber-Martindale

DEFENCE PAIRINGS
Davidson-Blain
Vannieuwenhuizen-Lowery
Gernat-Fedun

GOALIES
Bunz
Roy

-WRITTEN BY SMOKIN' RAY-

Hockey Faceoff 101

101

I think its time to head back to school, faceoff school! How many years are the Edmonton Oilers going to take to fix this problem? I know, I know. We all have heard it a million times. We have discussed it a million times. Question is, when will it start changing? Maybe the problem is, they are not sure what a hockey faceoff is. Let's see...hmm..I got it!

Wikipedia: Hockey faceoff
"When two teams line up in opposition to each other, and the opposing centres attempt to gain control of the puck after it is dropped between their sticks by an official."

Not sure the definition will help the Oilers either. I do have another thought however. What if they were to learn from some of the best in the business?  The Washington Capitals center David Steckel has won 64.5% of his faceoffs a year ago ; no one has finished the season with a percentage that high since the NHL lockout in 2004-05. Center Boyd Gordon was 58% with Washington as well. Those are some high numbers. In fact because I care so much, I personally went out and had the faceoff teaching from these fabulous faceoff players brought to the Oilers via our website here at @oilerjambalaya.com

Here is the Video:

On second thought, maybe this may be a little too complicated at this point in time. Maybe we could start smaller? Perhaps it is possible to start by learning the art of winning a faceoff in "Air Hockey" first. After all you know what they say (practice makes perfect)

 If worse comes to worse, we could always considering paying off the referee's to drop the puck a little more to our side.

ok, enough with the stupid talk. I know the Edmonton Oilers work on their faceoffs in practice. They take the centers and work on techniques and drills several times. Because we don't hear of the Oilers doing this in practice, it would be ignorant of us to believe they wouldn't take time to hone this part of their game. In  fact during their 2011 Development Camp in July, I personally sat and watched Coach Sillinger working on faceoffs with Lander, Nugent-Hopkins and Pitlick.

What was sweet, was to see RNH put those new skills into practice in the World Jr development camp, red and white scrimmage games. In fact Nugent-Hopkins won 75% of his faceoffs the first game in Edmonton and about 60% the next night. His main opponents were Ryan Johanson and Ryan Strome. They may not be veterans but they are known to be pretty decent faceoff guys.

I was pretty excited to see this. I knew RNH was average in the WHL playoffs, but I held out hope. I knew Lander (thanks to Lowetide) was averaging almost 50% against men in the SEL. So to say last night's rookie game caused some disappointment is a understatement. I recorded as best as I could, faceoff winning percentage by player. I thought the Oilers website would have this statistic, so decided to stop following by the 50 minute mark of the game. Turns out, they didn't record FO%. My statistic may be off a 2% but is pretty accurate. I found the following for faceoff % by individual player.

Ryan Martindale 50% 
(He started by winning 25%  in first half but then won 75% the last half )

Anton Lander 50%
(was pretty consistant by winning a couple, then losing a couple)

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 40%
(went 4 for 6 at start but then started losing most the draws)

I know this can be worked on, but Lander is considered good at faceoffs and 50% is not good against a rookie team from Vancouver. Martindale got stronger as the game went on. RNH was a concern for me. Maybe there was other factors in play, I am not sure. All I know is, RNH will need to be better should he actually be considered a possibility to play the year with the Edmonton Oilers. This is a huge concern (faceoffs) with the veterans on the team already, the last thing we need is to have a development system that is weak in this department as well.

Is there cause for alarm? I doubt it. I am probably just over reacting as most of us fans do. After all, I can't see the Oilers sitting still and not helping improve the development of their players in this area of weakness. Everything I said earlier was just in good humour but you have to be praying this will be a area that is addressed soon, and sooner then later.

In the meantime I will be watching Tuesday night's game in anticipation of seeing the Oilers FO% improving, even if by 3%. That all being said, still pumped for another Oilers game. My prediction is a closer tilt. Maybe a 5-3 win? less then 24 hours til puck drop.

you can follow me on twitter at www.twitter/revingev

Colten Teubert Concussed??? Curtis Hamilton Injured???

Colten Teubert isn't practicing with the Oilers this moring in Penticton, BC. He took a hard punch last night vs the Canucks (see video below) and it's possible he now has a concussion.  His nose was bleeding bad after the fight and it is possible he just has a broken nose and not a concussion. Either way, he's not skating today.

We will post updates right here as they are released.

EDIT: He suffered a broken nose. No talk of a concussion. He says he will not play in the last two Young Stars games. 

Here is the video of the incident.

CURTIS HAMILTON

Jason Gregor is reporting that Curtis Hamilton left the ice early during practice today. It appears he tweaked his leg in last night's game and was seen going off the ice and was bending or flexing his leg.

We will also keep you posted on this.

-WRITTEN BY SMOKIN' RAY-

Oilers vs Canucks YoungStars Game / Watch The Entire Game Replay Here

"Roy steals the show"

Saturday and Sunday, Oiler players were tweeting and awe struck by the beauty that is called beaches. Was the way they played the result of being so relaxed, they just went out and played? I doubt it. These guys have done this before. Sure there are butterflies, but after the first 5 minutes it became a game. It wasn't til the 2nd period that the Oilers took over control of this game.

Olivier Roy was solid in net tonight. Early on he looked poised and solid. Not at all the goalie who was shaken up at last years world Jr's. Roy has been known to get rattled in his confidence. Not tonight! Later in the game when called upon, Roy stood his ground once again, even on a partial breakaway. He would continue the stellar play through to the third period. With very few shots on him early on, Roy was later be called upon to come up big again.

The two goals he let in , he could not be faulted for. On a night when you will probably read several articles on the other players, I wanted to bring attention and give credit where it was due. Roy stood strong throughout the night and that has to go a long way, as Olivier prepares to move on to the pro game of hockey. I know some may think he only made a few stellar plays, but otherwise he was just ok. Something that is missed often with a goaltender is when it looks easy....it's usually because they played well enough to make it look that way.

Before I forget, did you see his new cage? Loved it! I looked for a pic of it online but could not find one. Anyone that can locate a picture, send it my way. I need it for my computer wallpaper.

Lots of excitement to gain from last night's game, but none more then a win. Yes, I said win! We Oiler fans will take any win we can get, in any form, in any fashion. Even a rookie game. Good win for the boys. What I really liked most last night was the chemistry I was seeing as a team. I'm not going to rate any players or break down the play of each player. I am waiting til the end of the tourney before giving my evaluation and take on it as a whole. As for last night, I am going to take the next 48 hours to enjoy every moment of it.

A couple notes when we are evaluating that may be important to look at. Some of the players are older and should look much better out there playing against younger guys. Also RNH should look good, he is a #1 NHL pick. What they did last night should be expected, as well as Roy should shine. I would also add, Lander and RNH are not going to be looked and evaluated as much right now as main training camp. The Oilers just want these two young guys to get their legs under them before heading back to Edmonton to compete for a roster spot with the Oilers main squad. This tourney is a great time to evaluate the other players who could be a part of the future but seldom we get to see.

What's your impression's of last night's game? Who stood out to you? Do you have any concerns about RNH's game or maybe one of the other forwards or even a defenceman? What rookie are you most excited to see at main training camp? All I can say is, I am jacked OIL hockey is BACK!

you can follow me on twitter at www.twitter/revingev

Projected Oilers Lines For Young Stars Game vs Canucks

The Oilers announced the practice lines this morning on twitter.  I'd assume that these are the lines they go with for the first game at least.

They have one extra forward line and two extra defence pairing who will be sitting out tonight. The guys (IMO) in italics are going to sit out. I would also assume Bunz and Roy split this game, but the Oilers have given no indication on who or what they will go with for the goalie situation.

**UPDATE** Dan Tencer says that Olivier Roy will get the start for the game. He also says the Oilers will go with 11 forwards and 7 defencemen.

Don't forget to follow along at http://www.oilersjambalaya.com/ with the LIVE TweetCast starting at 8pm.

FORWARDS

Hamilton - Nugent-Hopkins - Pelss
Cornet - Lander - Rieder
Tyrvainen - Martindale - Czerwonka
Smith - Abney

Rajala - Schaber - Pitlick
Ferguson

DEFENCE

Marincin - Teubert
Fedun - Musil
Gernat - Lowery
Schmidt

Blain - Davidson
Vannieuwenhuizen


GOALIES

Roy
Bunz

-WRITTEN BY SMOKIN' RAY-

The FIX is in

Well, this is it, the FIX is in. Oiler fix that is! Time to grab a drink, pop some popcorn, subscribe to your local cable station for Sportsnet ONE, BBQ steak, pull out the stats, sit down and read some good Oiler blogging. (the best articles can be found @oilersjambalaya.com....haha! just kidding)

This is the day, the on ice action begins. They practice (the rookies) today in Kelowna and begin their young stars rookie tourney tomorrow night. They also play, Tuesday and Wednesday night. All three games are being shown on www.edmontonoilers.com and Sunday nights game can be seen on Sportsnet West. The game times are 8:30pm.

There should be lots of excitement coming out of this years rookie tourney. It appears by twitter, and Internet blogging sites that the ones most anticipated to see are "Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Anton Lander, Curtis Hamilton, Tyler Bunz, Colten Teubert, Martin Marincin, Tyler Pitlick and David Musil." I would include "Ryan Martindale, Olivier Roy and Martin Gernat."

Regardless, it should be fun to see the boys in blue back in action. We now can go from discussing potential to actually seeing potential. While most years we discuss lots on who is competing for spots on the Oilers, this year it may be who is competing for spots on the Barons. Getting good playing time on the Barons roster will be just about as tough as getting on the Oilers roster for some.

I will be doing a post-game blog following each game in the tourney. Hopefully there will be lots of excitement and good quotes to give following each game. If you are unable to see the games or have story lines you want me to follow, email them to me at renaerts@shaw.ca or shoot them over to me on twitter @revingev.

"Let the games begin!"

you can follow me on twitter @revingev



The Edmonton Oilers Announce Young Stars Roster

The Edmonton Oilers Young Stars tournament roster has been released.  This looks to be a pretty good team once again this year.  While I don't think it's as good, talent wise as last year, this current squad has a chance to be the best team at the tournament.

Not only are the Oilers bringing guys like Nugent-Hopkins, Tyler Bunz, and Colten Teubert, they will also bring some camp try outs to the tourny as well.  6 of them will get a chance to impress the Oilers brass. 

Will any of them land jobs? Will RNH impress all those who watch? Will one of the lesser know players step up and shine?

Stick around to OilersJambalaya.com, as we will once again follow the Young Stars tournament closely.

The tournament begins September 11th in Penticton, British Columbia.

FORWARDS

73 Cameron Abney
51 Philippe Cornet
71 Drew Czerwonka
69 Travis Ewanyk
79 Brett Ferguson *
70 Curtis Hamilton
64 Milan Kytnar
57 Anton Lander
66 Ryan Martindale
72 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
63 Kristians Pelss
68 Tyler Pitlick
92 Toni Rajala
61 Tobias Rieder
76 Chase Schaber *
59 Colin Smith *
75 Antti Tyrvainen

DEFENCEMEN

82 Jeremie Blain
88 Brandon Davidson
81 Taylor Fedun
78 Martin Gernat
45 Ryan Lowery *
80 Martin Marincin
87 David Musil
85 Tyler Schmidt
84 Colten Teubert
90 Wes Vannieuwenhuizen *

GOALTENDERS

50 Adam Brown *
1 Tyler Bunz
30 Olivier Roy

-* means the player is on a camp try out-

OJ/OFH Weekly Round Up

Eberle, Hall, and Paajarvi(Courtsey of EdmontonOilers.com)

This week Oil fans got their 1st taste of the future of the organization. The "Baby" Oilers won 2 of the 3 tournament games, and saw the renewal of "The Battle of Alberta". The Oilers put the Canucks down with a 4-1 win, as Mangus Paajarvi had two goals in the game. And showed why he was an excellent pick for the Oilers, with his presence in front of the net paid off. Jordan Eberle got his 1st goal as an Oiler, with an assist from Taylor Hall late in the 2nd period. And 2010 pick Tyler Pitlick put the nail in the coffin, as he scored a empty net goal in the 3rd Olivier Roy showed why he could be the future netminder for the Oilers. He stopped 28 of 29 shots, and he made some spectacular saves. Vande Velde and Hartikainen made their presence known by crashing the net several times, even though they didn't score any goals.

Game 2 was especially fierce as the Oilers took on Flames, and there was no love loss between the two teams. The lack of Hall, Eberle, and Paajarvi in the lineup, didn't slow things down. As the Oilers put literally put the smackdown on Flames in a 5-3 win. And several good scraps during the game, including Cameron Abney v. Chris Breen(video below of the fight). 5th Round draft pick Tyler Bunz was put in net, and didn't disappoint anyone that night. Even though He let 3 goals slip by him, but he stopped an onslaught put on by the flames. Future OKC Baron Chris Vande Velde got his first goal at the 9:21 mark in the 2nd period. With assists coming from Kristians Pelss and James Livingston. The Oilers hung on to win by getting an empty netter from Alex Plante.




Game Three was the complete opposite of the two previous games. Even though that the Big 3 were put back into the lineup. The coaching staff decided to experiment by moving Hall into the Center position. From what I saw of the game on the internet. Hall looked out of place being at center, and couldn't get the offense going against the Sharks. Sharks prospect Michael Sgarbossa came out of the game with a hat trick, and also getting an assist too. But Oiler fans had some reason to celebrate as Taylor Hall scored his 1st goal as an Oiler. But it just wasn't enough as the Sharks chewed up and spit out the Oilers. And Oilers goaltender Bryan Pitton showed why he isn't going to be resigned after this season. Cause he got lit up like a christmas tree, but there just wasn't any flow to the game for the oilers. At least Cameron Abney sure tried motivating his teammates, by taking a tilt with Samuel Finn.




Oilers GM Steve Tambellini told reporters that disgruntled player Sheldon Souray was "Persona Non-Grata" at Oilers Training Camp. This came after what seemed like that Souray had a change of heart, that he was excited with the renewed enthusiasm in the locker room. This mess with Souray has taken more turns then a roller coaster at an amusement park. There are several assumptions of what could happen to Souray, including sending him down to the Barons. But given the fact that Tambellini doesn't want Souray to be a distraction. Hopefully that Souray is just told that his services are no longer needed, like former Canadiens' player Geogre Laraque.

In Oklahoma City this week, the rink was painted, logos laid out, and the ice was formed this week. Also the Barons' Mascot has been out at the State Fair of Oklahoma. And our own Eric Rodgers(@AHLBarons) was able to capture the 1st picture of Derrick the Mountain Lion. The Barons' also announced that former Blazers' play by play broadcaster Jim Byers is going to be the play by play broadcaster for the Barons. Former RoadRunner and Oil King assistant Rocky Thompson was hired to be an assistant coach for the Barons.

Barons' Mascot: Derrick the Mountain Lion(Courtsey of Eric Rodgers)

 

The Oil Terminal podcast will return next week with a full recap of what has gone on with the Penticton Tournament. And we'll look at who looked good at the Oilers main camp. And get you up to date on the latest news from the Barons. So Stay Tuned to OilersJambalaya.com and OilFieldHockey.com. We are your Number 1 source on news and opinions on the Oilers, Barons, and the Stockton Thunder. We would like to thank Shawn McMann (@bulletacdotcom) for all the tweets from the Penticton Tournament.

Oilers Lose To Sharks / Young Stars Is Over

Well the Sharks did much like I figured they would. They physically beat down the Oilers and won the game. Now, sure, the Oilers did suck a little in the 1st and a lot in the 2nd, but you can't win games like that.

So I have to work early and I figured a recap isn't all that important. The Oilers should be posting a link tomorrow so we can watch it archived. I'll post it here when it's available.

If you want to read a recap, check out the Oilers website.

Or you can read the TweetCast here. Great tweets by some great people. 

Special thanks to Shawn ( @bulletacdotcom ) who has been tweeting his ass off for us for the past 3 games. He's done a great job and he can tweetcast for us anytime he wants.

-Written by Smokin' Ray-

The Big 3 Unite / Final Oilers Young Stars Game vs Sharks / LIVE TweetCast

Well this is it folks. The last Young Stars game for the Edmonton Oilers.

The Big 3 (Hall, Paajarvi & Eberle) will all play tonight -- they all sat out for yesterday's game -- and the three of them will also all play on the same line. Paajarvi is the Left Wing, Hall will play center and Eberle will be on the Right side. This should be interesting.

Like I said previously, this will be the biggest test for this Oilers rookie squad. The Sharks are bigger, but the Oilers have more skill. We will see who comes out on top. I'm excited!

DON'T FORGET: If you use Twitter, make sure to use the #YST or the #YoungStars hashtags. Your tweets will be included into the TweetCast.

GOILERS!

Things I Seen / Oilers vs Flames Young Stars Game / Oilers Win 5-3

The Big 3 did not play but yet, this game was intriguing to me. This was going to be a legitimate chance to watch the Oilers kids while not being distracted by watching Hall, Eberle or Paajarvi. This game was and did end up interesting.

EDMONTON OILERS - 5

CALGARY FLAMES - 3

TONIGHTS ROSTER

*The Players Numbers Are In Brackets*

James Livingston (69) - Chris Vande Velde (54) - Curtis Hamilton (52)

Kristians Pelss(63) - Tyler Pitlick (68) - Drew Czerwonka (71)

Phillipe Cornet (51) - Ryan Martindale (66) - Mike Thomas (59)

Teemu Hartikainen (56) - Chase Schaber (74) - Cameron Abney (53)

Brandon Davidson (60) - Martin Marincin (70)

Dominik Schlumpf (72) - Alex Plante (48)

Jordan Bendfeld (55) - Nolan Toigo (73)

Tyler Bunz (1)

MY PLAYER THOUGHTS

James Livingston took two penalties in the 1st period and they looked like marginal calls to me. He's a tough playing guy and he's fun to watch. I want to see more of this guy in the future. I think he may just become a pretty decent player down the road.

Tyler Bunz had a good 1st period with little action. The shots were 16-7 for the Oilers after one period. The Flames did manage to score twice on him in the beginning of the 2nd and snuck one by Bunz with mere seconds left in the period. But he played his BUNZ off in the 3rd and helped the Oilers hold off for the win. Great, almost Hasek like, game from Bunz. I really like this draft pick.

Chris Vande Velde was fantastic in the 2nd period. He scored a nice one but after that he just played a solid game. I expected more, but was satisfied by his play. He's going to be a good player for the Barons.

First fight was by Cameron Abney vs Breen. Great fight. Big bombs thrown. I like Abney. Still don't think I would have taken him with such a high draft pick, but he's a good addition to the Oilers system.

Second fight a few seconds later was with Bendfeld and he had a great fight with Grantham. More big bombs thrown. Bendfeld's a tough guy.

Brandon Davidson plays a very structured game. I quite liked him. He was a big surprise for me. I was hoping to find a guy that I would like that I wouldn't normally notice. Davidson's that guy. At one point in the 3rd, Davidson was nailed by Cameron and the kid never missed a beat. Love that!

Hartikainen had a good 1st period and a so-so 2nd period. By the 3rd he was not really noticeable at all. He was disappointing for me.

Chase Schaber -- the camp invite -- had a good game with limited minutes. He's not a bad player at all. Too bad the Oilers don't sign him for the OKC Barons.

Tyler Pitlick had another good game. This kid is someone who I want to see more of in a few years. I think he might mature into quite the player. I really like Pitlick.

Who is Nolan Toigo? Not to sure yet, but I like his style. He stuck out to me tonight. I want to see more.

-Written by Smokin' Ray-

Us Versus Them / BOA Oilers vs Flames LIVE TweetCast at 8:30pm MST

Welcome to another fine TweetCast.

The Oilers take on the Flames at 8:30pm MST.

Add the hashtag #YST or #YoungStars to any tweet and the LIVE TweetCast will pick it up.

Paajarvi Starts Off Fast / Oilers Rookies Win First Young Stars Game

No need for a parade yet, but it sure was damn nice to watch an Oilers game again. The win was a bonus. The Oilers rookies beat the Canucks rookies 4-1 with 2 goals from Magnus Paajarvi. Tyler Pitlick and Jordan Eberle each scored one goal. For those wondering, Taylor Hall had the assist on the Eberle goal.

Well the feed for the game was terrible. Gene Principe sounded like he was yelling all the time and his yelling was squealing. Ugh! It was ear bleeding terrible. But to see the Stockton Thunder's Mike Benton there with Gene was cool. Mike is a good guy and it was nice to see him included in the Young Stars tournament.

At one point the Canucks website said to clear your cache and the stream would work better. I tried it and it did work better. So remember that for Tuesday's game against the Flames.

Paajarvi was very good. His speed made him hard to contain. This guy is going to make the team for sure this year. He looks determined and ready.

Tyler Pitlick was also good tonight. Very noticeable. Great draft choice by the Oilers.

Alex Plante played in all types of situations and didn't look out of place. He's very much improved from the last time I seen him and is looking like he's going to be a force with the OKC Barons this year.

Eberle and Hall garnered a lot of attention from the Canucks but still managed to hook up for a goal. In the early part of the game Hall looked like he was in a playoff game but faded near the end of the game. Good chemistry with Eberle. No doubt they play on the same line when they make the Oilers.

Olivier Roy made some huge saves, but the goal that the Canucks scored was a terrible softy. While Roy did play well and looked good, he was shaky on the soft low shots.

Last thoughts. I found it dumb that Hall wasn't wearing #4, that Eberle isn't wearing #14 and Paajarvi didn't wear #91. Why not? It's their numbers.

Can't wait till Tuesday. Make sure you come back and enjoy the TweetCast vs the Calgary Flames.

-Written by Smokin' Ray-

Day 1 of the YoungStars Tournament

Welcome to the first day of the YoungStars tournament.

Thunder Well Represented at Rookie Tourney / #StkThunder

Thunder Well Represented at Rookie Tourney

09/10/2010 10:49 AM -
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MORE: ECHL.com coverage
MORE: Team-by-team breakdown
MORE: Edmonton Oilers official website coverage
MORE: San Jose Sharks official website coverage

STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Thunder will be represented by two players and a staff member at the NHL Young Stars Tournament in Penticton, BC from September 12-16, 2010 at the South Okanagan Events Centre.

The eight-game tournament will feature players from the Calgary Flames, Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers, San Jose Sharks and host team Vancouver Canucks.
Goaltender Bryan Pitton and defenseman Jordan Bendfeld will be suiting up for the Edmonton Oilers.

Pitton has played for Stockton the last two years, going 9-9-3 with a .921 save percentage in 2009-10, and on two occasions was named ECHL Goaltender of the Week. The 22 year old was a fifth round selection (133rd overall) of the Oilers in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

Bendfeld also has played for Stockton each of the last two seasons. He appeared in 52 games with the Thunder in 2009-10 notching 10 assists and added five points (1g-4a) in 15 Kelly Cup Playoffs games as the Thunder advanced to the Conference Finals for the first time in team history. The 22 year old was selected by the Oilers in the seventh round (193rd overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Thunder radio play-by-play announcer Mike Benton, who is entering his sixth season with the club, will be serving on the broadcast team for webcast coverage for five games during the tournament, while also contributing with video and written features for the official website of the San Jose Sharks, http://www.sjsharks.com/ .