HOCKEY: In the Box with Brent & Craig
Magnificent Seven
Seven and one for your FIRST PLACE (in the Western Conference) Edmonton Oilers, and the boys from In The Box have plenty to say about it. Was the Flyers game their only losing effort for the foreseeable future? Is Koskinen really that good? Why is the culture of hockey a cesspool of enablers and cover-ups?
Well – maybe they talk about that.
In the Box, presented by Home & Away YEG – start your engines!
Oct 27
Flyers 5
Oilers 3
Craig Douglas
In last week’s Predicsh, I suggested that the Flyers were a touch bland and mediocre, (which is probably true) but they are certainly not bad. Their 4-2-1 record confirms the latter point, while them being below the Blue Jackets in their divisional standings somewhat confirms the former. In similar ways both the Flyers and the Oil are as good as their goalies allow them to be on a given night, and this – was one of those nights. Carter Hart made a few more key saves than Koskinen did and that is reflected in the outcome. Some sloppy play and suspect goaltending had the Oil down two halfway through the first period. But, as you might recall, the Oil clawed back to tie it with less than a minute remaining in the opening frame. Then came the dagger.
Seventeen seconds after McDavid tied it on the world’s deadliest power play, Atkinson got one for the Flyers with less than one second to go before the horn, and though the Oil would tie the game again later, that last second goal felt like it had sealed their fate. A couple of periods later and the season opening win streak was over. The team was never going to go 82-0-0 and their effort was not exactly lacking, so hey put this game in the rearview and get ready for the next one.
Brent Oliver
I went out to a local tavern to watch this tilt and echoed the same thing as Craig and everyone else there – Koskinen was just not that good. Recently thrust into the number one position with Smith out, Kosk didn’t let in the first shot on goal, but didn’t make the saves when he needed to. I counted three of the five goals that should have been saved. As Craig said, a deadly power play will take you pretty far in this league, but can’t always overcome a trapping team on the road, with a decent goalie and some loose goals against.
Let’s make sure this is your only loss of the year, ok boys? OK.
Oct 30
Oilers 2
Canucks 1
Craig Douglas
Power play, baby! Forcing the darn Canucks to choke on their mighty power play and getting a very impressive bounce back effort from their 1B goalie who is doing a heck of a job starting every game? That’s what you want to see on a Saturday night vs Vancouver. It is very entertaining to watch two goalies battle save for save to see who will crack, and boy did Demko and Koskinen put on a show for the prime time national audience. Koskinen essentially pitched a shut out for the boys, while the power play clicked at a measly 100%, they sent the west coasters to bed all sad and shit. You gotta love it.
That’s pretty much he story of this one, Foges and Drai slammed home power play goals, third star of the game, Demko, played like a maniac and kept it close (Second star of the game, McDavid, could have had a hat trick were it not for Demko’s stellar saves), and first star of the game, Koskinen, stopped 29/30 shots the ‘Nucks flung at him and probably should have had a shutout. I predict that the Oil will sweep the season series against Vancouver, it’s just too bad they don’t get to play them again for … almost three months??!?
That’s a shame. I really enjoy watching the Canucks lose!
Brent Oliver
This game felt like a turning point. How do the Oil bounce back from their first loss? How do they do on the road? On Hockey Night in Canada? Will Koskinen be good? Will they shit the bed and start the inevitable slide down the standings so we can all wax poetic about “remember that one month we were in first place”?
Turns out – this is not the Oilers team of old. Hyman has been a dynamite addition to the top line, along with Drai and McDavid seemingly getting better ever single game. Nuge being no slouch in the delivery department leading the lead in assists makes me forget he hasn’t scored a single goal.
This team is a force. They’ve proved it already. Call me a Homer all you like – it’s just nice to not abandon hope in November, during a game or after any random loss.
Nov 1
Oilers 5
Kraken 2
Craig Douglas
It’s finally here, the chance for the Oil to play with the league’s shiny new toy from Seattle. The brand new squad with the snazzy uniforms designed to appeal to people with good taste, and also the team with a name designed to appeal to both babies and nerds! Why is this team named the Kraken? Why not the Krakens? If there can be one silly and gross imaginary sea monster, why can the name not be plural and named after multiple imaginary sea monsters? For that matter, why is the team from Colorado called the Avalanche, but the team from Carolina not called the Hurricane? Why do people call the Avalanche the Avs for short instead of the Av? I mean, the Minnesota Wilds is a pretty stupid name, but it’s not nearly as stupid a name as the Minnesota Wild.
I guess the point I’m trying to make is put an “S” on the end of your team’s name or fuck right off.
Where was I? Oh yeah! The team that should have been called the Emeralds were making their first visit to the Ice District, to receive the first of many beatdowns from the mighty Oil. The game turned out to be pretty sloppy and kind of boring though, not at all dazzling and exciting like you’d maybe hope playing a new team would be like. If this game is remembered at all, it will probably be for Dr. Drai’s dominant four point night, but we should take time to shout out Yamo and Turris for getting their first goals of the season, as well as Duncan Kieth slamming home his first of the season and first with his new club as he chose to cruise toward the net at the right time to receive a sweet pass from Neon Leon to give the Oil a nice 3-1 breathing room. Other than those little details, this game sort of sucked to watch if I’m being honest. It should also be mentioned that the refs can fuck right off with their obvious game management, the bumbling expansion team was hanging on to and pulling down Oiler players all night long, but since calling an infraction against the Krakens is akin to giving the Oil’s amazing power play an automatic goal, they just let that shit slide. And that’s the number one reason that this particular game was dogshit to this viewer. Call the fucking rule book, you pricks.
One more note on the new team, their broadcast crew was actually pretty good, and they showed the Bob & Doug McKenzie sculptures as they cut to commercial and called all the viewers hosers, so bonus points for that. I only listened to the play by play though and muted the intermissions, so I can’t speak to the broadcast as a whole, and I saw at one point during the intermission that they were just showing people’s stupid fucking tweets, so maybe there’s room for improvement.
Brent Oliver
I went to two preseason games this year, and one was a 7-0 beatdown of the Kraken’s B squad. Yes, this was more of their A squad, but holy shit when Jordan Eberle and Mark Giordano are your top two players in two thousand fucking twenty one, your team is gonna have some long days ahead.
Regardless, I’m happy Seattle has a team, if not for the very reason that I love the City of Seattle and want to retire there if I ever am able to a – get a full time job post covid or b – work long enough to be still alive or receive a pension.
Anyways – where was I. (Boy Craig and I are distracted this week). Right! Kraken.
They’re shitty and did their best to be “plucky” or “gritty” or whatever. Mostly they clutched and grabbed a far superior team who brushed them off like an insignificant fucking fly and moved on to a couple final home games starting Wednesday against Nashville.
I’d tell the Kraken to eat shit and die or whatever, but its a bit like kicking a puppy. (“Awwww… look at him. He’s so weak and feeble…)
Don’t kick puppies, people.
The Connor McDavid Player Of The Week Award
Another surprising week where the CMPOTWA is awarded to someone other than its namesake as it’s “Neon” Leon Draisaitl’s turn to grab the spotlight after his three goals and three assists in the three games since our last column.
Predicsh
11/03 vs Nashville – I have yet to predict a loss for the Oil this year and it has served me pretty well as I sit here too smugly with a 7-1 record for my prognostications. A game against the bumbling Smashville Predators does not seem like the place to break with that trend.
Final score: Oilers 4 Predators 0
11/05 vs NY Rangers – Uh oh. A game against a well rested NYR squad does kinda feel like it could be a loss. The Oil can snag one of those idiotic loser points though, courtesy of one of those idiotic shootouts that this idiotic league continues to subject us all to.
Final score: Rangers 3 Oilers 2 (SO)
Two more games at home this week before a five game road trip out east-ish in Detroit, St Louis, Boston, Buffalo (ha!) and Winnipeg. Can the Oilers prep for that trip with more solid wins at home, or will the juice of Koskinen’s orange be all rung out?
That last analogy feels a little gross.
See you next time – In the Box.
