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By Racki, October 27, 2011 11:15 am

-={ Puttin’ On The Foil Presents… }=- vs 4-2-2 Record 7-0-0 Location: Rexall Place Date: October 27, 2011 @ 7:30 MST TV: SNETW

PRE-GAME RANT

This game will be a huge test for the team. They’re playing the “best” team in the NHL right now… the undefeated Capitals. We’ll find out if the horseshoe has fallen out of Khabibulin’s ass yet… we’ll find out if our defense really is made of Swiss cheese… and we’ll find out if the Kid Line really is that good.

Looks like Theo Peckham returns for this one, with Whitney out.

This is also the final free-pass with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. After this game, they have to decide whether to send him back to the Red Deer Rebels, or if he will stay with the Oilers. Really, it would be crazy for the Oilers to send him back to Junior at this point though. It won’t happen.

Prediction: 6-4 Capitals

OILERS LINES (PROJECTED)

Continue reading 'GDT: Oilers 2, Capitals 1 – Game 9 – 2011-10-27 @ 7:30 PM MST – TSN'»

Comments (16)

By Racki, July 3, 2011 1:12 pm

Is Tambellini the Bluff Master?

I know it sounds silly, but I think the Oilers have been trying to sell Khabibulin as our “MVP” not to us fans, but to GMs around the league. That contract is heinously bad, but it seems like the Oil have been making efforts to try and bring another goaltender here, and may have been trying to move Khabibulin too. I know we all figure Tambellini to be pretty bad. I have given my share of criticism too. But I think he’s a little smarter than we think and this MVP business is just a ploy to trick other GMs into wanting him.

The 2009/10 speech would go… “Wow, we finished 30th this season because our “MVP” was hurt for so long…”.

The 2010/11 speech… “We finished 30th this season but thankfully we had Khabibulin there to keep us in it.. I can’t imagine if he wasn’t there!”.

Those are far from direct quotes.. not even close. But that is basically what it seemed that Tambellini was trying to convey, and it can only be for the reason of convincing other GMs to take Khabi on. Maybe I’m giving the guy too much credit… but I think he can see now that Continue reading 'Bluff Master T and the MVP'»

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By Racki, March 9, 2011 4:00 am

-={ Puttin’ On The Foil Presents… }=- AT 37-20-10 Record 23-36-8 Location: Verizon Center Date: March 9, 2011 @ 5:00 PM MST TV:TSN

PRE-GAME RANT

well, the Oilers got their butts handed to them last game, after relying way too heavily on Dubnyk at the start of the game. After being outshot 17-1 and down 2-0 after 1 period, it was hard to stop the bleeding. The Oil did come out strong in the next two periods though, but it wasn’t meant to be. I thought the Oil even put on a penalty killing clinic in that first period too on Smid’s 5-minute major. They almost made it to the very end after really frustrating the Flyers.

Let’s hope that the Oilers can get off to a better start this game as they face the surging Capitals, who have won their last 5 games and are 8-2-0 in their last 10. The Oilers are decently hot, on their own, as they’ve won 3 of their last 4. They are 6-4-0 in their last 10, however.

Prediction: 4-2 Capitals

CONFIRMED LINES

Continue reading 'GDT Oilers 0, Capitals 5 – Game 68 – 2011-03-09 @ 5:00 PM MST – TSN'»

Comments (53)

By Racki, December 19, 2009 9:37 am

GDT - Edmonton Oilers vs. Washington Capitals

PRE-GAME RANT

Here we go… the 2nd best team in the East vs. the 3rd worst team in the West (hurts to hear, doesn’t it?). Not what the Oilers needed on their recent home losing streak (of only 2 games, mind you). The Oilers are coming off a loss to the Kings on Tuesday and a 6-3 beating at the hands of the Predators on Thursday. The Capitals, meanwhile, lost to the Canucks last night, allowing the Devils to bump them out of the top spot in the NHL. The Capitals have only won 2 of their last 5, including a loss against the Laffs, so they are human. There is a remote possibility of an Oilers win tonight.

I’m going to have to guess that almost everyone is predicting a bad loss for the Oilers tonight. Our only hope is that the Canucks softened them up enough last night. However, sometimes teams come up biggest when all odds are against them. Last year the Oilers won 5-2, as the Oilers homepage tells me… on an Erik Cole hat trick. The game winner was scored by none other than Gilbert Brule.

I read a story by Don Cherry in his book “Don Cherry’s Hockey Stories and Stuff” – a very casually written archive of events from the days of yore when he was playing and coaching. He said that there were times as a Coach where he would sit his starter (Gary Cheevers) and put his back up (Gillie Gilbert) in, in games where he “knew” his team would lose. He actually didn’t get along with Gilbert at all (which might have accounted for him having no problems with destroying any ego Gilbert could have possibly had). Cherry’s son looked back in the records a few years ago and discovered that Gillie Gilbert actually set a record at one point of 17 straight wins (obviously with several other games between where Cheevers started), all the while with Cherry feeding him the hardest games, so that was pretty remarkable. Anyways, I doubt will see Dubnyk tonight. But wouldn’t it be a great story if Quinn played Doobie and he came in and stole the game?

Great story, yes. However, my brain is telling me that no matter who is in net, it will be 8-3 Capitals. The heart says 6-4 Oilers though, just based on last year’s win. Continue reading 'GDT – Edmonton Oilers 2, Washington Capitals 4 – Dec 19, 2009 @ 8:00 PM – CBC – Game 35'»