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Oilers Game Day: Columbus Blue Jackets

The record shows that I seem to consistently underestimate this team when it comes to their matches against the Oilers. While I'm still not 100% sold on them having the depth to get to the playoffs, Hitch seems to finally have enough players to make a go of it, and if the recent 5-4 loss is any indication, they certainly won't be rolling over or panicking like certain other teams I could name.

I missed last night's game by forgetting to set the PVR, but it looks to have been a blessing in disguise, by all reports. Between that, the ease with which the Jackets can be underestimated, by the players as well as the fans by the looks of things, and the fact that it's a back-to-back after said shellacking, the signs aren't looking too positive. That being said, a solid effort like the one against Colorado (last two minutes notwithstanding) would make this a winnable game.

Bold Prediction: Oilers 2, Ex-Oilers 1 with Nilsson and Strudwick (why the hell not) connecting for Edmonton and Peca from Torres and Hejda for the Jackets. Goilers.

P.S. The Hitmen are now 21-4-1 with a perfect four-game road trip as part of a perfect (to date) November, capped off by a 6-1 thumping of the East's weakest sister, the Moose Jaw Warriors. They're 13-1-0 at home, and now 8-3-1 on the road after an 0-3-0 start. Next game is Friday, when the Hitmen host the Prince Albert Raiders.

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Class, Part II

You've got to admire the pluck of a guy who finds out he has terminal brain cancer and still decides he's going to go stand in front of slap shots for a living. Then again, what have you got to lose at that point? Kudos to the Cologne Sharks for letting a dying young man live the dream while he can.

Here is a more recent story, about Müller taking the ice in the last few minutes of a 5-1 victory over the Sinupret Ice Tigers. (Warning: Untranslated German.)

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Oilers Game Day: Detroit Red Wings

Matt is clearly off his meds. That Colorado game ended 3-1 on a last-minute empty-netter. Crazy bugger.

Anyway, Craig MacTavish has been laying into Dustin Penner something fierce of late, and it's served to fuel the ongoing speculation that MacT is on the hot seat. The man certainly has his failings as a coach -- his power play has always been simple, rigid, and unimaginative, his handling of goalkeepers can charitably be described as questionable, and he likes to perform odd experiments early in the season that needlessly cost the team games -- but I can't imagine why he'd be in trouble right now. I mean, the team's been inconsistent, sure, but they've survived the bulk of what's been a historically awful bit of scheduling on the part of the NHL, and the last game, against Colorado, was by most accounts one of the best on the year. (I wasn't particularly focused on the game, as I was too busy mocking Matt along with Ender and Von Clegg.)

I'm really not that concerned about tonight's game, not only because the team's coming off a good game, but because since the lockout, the Oilers have played the Wings extremely tight. The results from the last three years:

2005-06 Regular Season

Nov. 3/05: 4-3 EDM (OT)
Nov. 17/05: 6-5 EDM (OT)
Mar. 18/06: 4-3 DET (SO)
Apr. 13/06: 2-0 DET

2006 Playoffs

Apr. 21/06: 3-2 DET (2OT)
Apr. 23/06: 4-2 EDM
Apr. 25/06: 4-3 EDM (2OT)
Apr. 27/06: 4-2 DET
Apr. 29/06: 3-2 EDM
May 1/06: 4-3 EDM (the glorious third-period comeback)

2006-07 Regular Season

Oct. 21/06: 3-1 EDM
Nov. 8/06: 3-0 DET
Nov. 18/06: 4-3 EDM (SO)
Feb. 23/07: 4-3 EDM (SO)

2007-08 Regular Season

Oct. 8/07: 4-2 DET
Oct. 30/07: 2-1 DET (the game where Pouliot made the bad change late in a tied game)
Dec. 13/07: 4-3 EDM (SO)
Feb. 26/08: 4-3 EDM (SO)

Summary Stats

12 of the 18 games were decided by one goal; only one was decided by more than two.
9 of the 18 games went past 60 minutes; two of the six playoff games went to double overtime.
The W-L records are 7-5 EDM in regular season¹ and 4-2 EDM in playoffs.
The goal differentials are 35-31 DET in the regular season and 19-17 EDM in the playoffs.

Now, I don't have any advanced statistics on the subject, but I think it's safe to say that this has been a ridiculously close series, and I can't imagine it being much different tonight. So we'll make the bold prediction that this game will be like the last four Oilers wins over the Wings, 4-3 in the shootout: Pisani with two, Hemsky with the tying and winning goals, just like old times.

¹ Note: EDM was 4-1 in SO, so by W-L-T, it's 4-3-5 DET in the regular season. Make of that what you will.