|
Oilers in Saint Lou...Eberle's Back, Taylor's Talkin' |
|
|
|
|
|
Under normal circumstances, we'd be discussing at this moment the Oilers upcoming game tonight against the St. Louis Blues. Only problem is, there really aren't "normal circumstances" in Edmonton anymore. This might go down as the Oilers most confusing season in team history.
Will the Curse Be Broken?
I have this theory that Chris Pronger...or maybe his wife...put a curse on the Oilers on their way out of Edmonton. It's been constant doom and gloom since. Last season, The Curse manifested itself to be all about scoring. No Oilers player was allowed to get more than 43pts. As soon as someone reached the number or got close, they broke.
This season, it appeared The Curse was well intact when Nuge did a header into the boards without any other skater being within 10 feet of him, and Eberle tripped over someone else's shoe laces and mangled his knee is the process. Good news for Eberle and us is, he's back playing, beginning tonight in St. Louis. If Eberle gets a point and gets over the 43 hump, I do believe the curse will be lifted, and Chris Pronger will turn back into a frog.
Hall is a Lucky, Lucky Man
I am assuming you folks have seen by now the picture of Taylor Hall's facial injury? How close did he come to losing an eye? Absolutely scariest picture I've seen in a long, long time.
Hall would try playing tonight if they'd let him. If I'm the Oilers, I'm making Hall sit for at least a week more. Seriously, do you really want to take any risks with a cut like that one? Let him heal up properly. Still no official word from the Oilers as to when Taylor will return, but I'm thinking this is a "play it by ear" thing. Say whatever you want about Hall, but he's demonstrated through this he's tough as nails.
Ben Eager on the First Line
Pay attention, because this could be the answer to a trivia question some day. You know the Oilers season is going poorly when Ben Eager is your first line left winger. This being said, Eager skates like the wind and you can get him to drive the net. Maybe a little muscle is what our first line needs? Oh, and it also needs Hall, Eberle and Nugent-Hopkins.
Hemsky Deal?
Keep reading Tweets that the Oilers have an offer in place for Ales Hemsky from the Detroit Red Wings. I'm also receiving Tweets saying someone is impersonating Nick Kypreos (the source of the Red Wings rumor), and that there is no deal in place at all. According to the rumor, all the Oilers need to do is pull the trigger and the deal will occur. There are no specifics as to the return, but many have suggested Jakub Kindl is in the mix.
I don't know what to tell you folks, other than Twitter is a wacky place. There is so much hostility in the world; that's what I've learned from Twitter. It's the bloggers vs. the journalists, the dogs vs. the cats, the Romans vs. the Lions, the puppets vs. the marionettes...
My money is still on Tambi chancing that Hemsky's health and solid recent play holds up in hopes that a bidding war breaks out the day before the Trade Deadline. Why deal Hemsky for Kindl and a 2nd when we might be able to get Jurco and a 1st? Kinda doubt that, but you get my point. The Oilers don't really need more filler. What they need is more killer.
Other Randoms
- Nikolai Khabibulin will be in net tonight for the Oilers
- Sounds like Eberle will start the night on the third line
- Rumors are floating that the Oilers are about to sign Cam Barker to a contract extension. If this is true, I'm not sure I'm understanding it. He was okay when he was healthy and playing, but I think I want to see more of him before he's signed again.
- Eric Belanger's name is starting to circulate in trade rumors
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»