GDT - PHX @ EDM (10/18): Gretz back home, #7 goes to the rafters

[J.R.]

This will be a very special night for two reasons. Firstly Wayne Gretzky is coaching his first NHL game in Edmonton where his NHL career started and had so much success for the majority of the 1980s. Additionally Paul Coffey, one of the greatest defenseman ever, will have his #7 retired by the Oilers with a special pre-game ceremony. It should be quite the emotional evening at The City of Champions Coliseum.

Edmonton Oilers Honour Paul Coffey With Commemorative Jerseys

Edmonton Oilers Press Release

The Edmonton Oilers will honour Hockey Hall of Fame Defenceman Paul Coffey on Tuesday night when his #7 jersey is raised to the rafters of Rexall Place. However, prior to the ceremony, the entire Oilers team will give Coffey a unique tip of the hat by wearing commemorative vintage jerseys during their pre-game warm-up with each player sporting the number 7.

After warm-up, each of the 23 commemorative jerseys will go on display on the Main Concourse of Rexall Place for fans to see. Each jersey will be autographed by the Oilers player that wore it, as well as by Paul Coffey, and will be auctioned off online with proceeds going to the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation.

Hockey fans and collectors hoping to bid on the commemorative jerseys can log onto www.edmontonoilers.com (http://www.edmontonoilers.com) and link to the auction site. The jersey auction begins Tuesday, October 18th, at game time, and continues until Friday, October 21st, following the next Oilers home game.Via: Edmonton Oilers (http://www.edmontonoilers.com/news/index.php?id=129).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v186/jrthesportsczar/Coffey7.png

[PDO]

This really should get the boys fired up, and against a bad team on the rear end of a tour of Alberta to boot.

Oilers won't want to go under .500, and there's no reason they should. Having said that, still no Horcoff, and obviously no Smyth. Should be interesting to see what MacT does with the lines.. guys like Brodziak have looked relatively good, and Rita hasn't.

[Canadian26]

Im also kinda dissapointed in Ritas play, he has a real opportuinity to show why he should be kept around and so far hes been sub-par. Hes running out time as well.

Im also hoping that this gets the Oilers going agian as well.. Unforuntaly Im gunna have to lock my self in a room and not watch this game (huge exam on wed), so you boys are going to have to fill me in.

[slapshot™]

So I give these tickets away for tonight's game to my BEST customer and I find out this morning that he isn't even going and in turn gave the ducets to his brother and kid.

Damn. That really burns my ass.

Anyway...the Flames lost to the 'yotes last night 2 zip. That's good. I'm guessing (hoping) that the Desert Dogs have no gas left in their tank and they fold like a cheap lawn chair. The Oil will be pumped after the Coffey celebration and will (I hope) be flying high tonight.

Look out Cujo!

5-1 for the Oil.

[Daryl Shilling]

Im also kinda dissapointed in Ritas play, he has a real opportuinity to show why he should be kept around and so far hes been sub-par. Hes running out time as well.

I'm not so sure why the Oilers were ever so big on him (ok, I know why, but they were wrong to get so excited based on a few games in one tournament). The year that he was drafted, he was coming off a big 3 goal campaign in the Finnish Elite League. It's not like he should have been expected to get to the NHL and light it up all of a sudden, playing against better players.

Rita, at this stage of his career, should be expected to be no more than a 10-12 goal scorer over 82 NHL games, based on what he's done in the AHL over the last number of years.

Daryl

[PDO]

Torres-Peca-Hemsky
Moreau-Stoll-Dvorak
Rita-Reasoner-Pisani
Winchester-Brodziak-Laraque

Pronger-Staios
Bergeron-Smith
Cross-Ulanov

Markkanen

From the morning skate according to Guy Flamming.

[Canadian26]

I'm not so sure why the Oilers were ever so big on him (ok, I know why, but they were wrong to get so excited based on a few games in one tournament). The year that he was drafted, he was coming off a big 3 goal campaign in the Finnish Elite League. It's not like he should have been expected to get to the NHL and light it up all of a sudden, playing against better players.

Rita, at this stage of his career, should be expected to be no more than a 10-12 goal scorer over 82 NHL games, based on what he's done in the AHL over the last number of years.

Daryl

I see what your saying Daryl, but there are other players who the oilers didnt think that are out preforming him on the ice. I still think he can be good he needs to atleast get a goal soon...

[PDO]

On Rita.. here's the thing about him.

He has every tool in the world to be an Ethan Moreau.

But he isn't.

Why isn't he? No idea. He has a great shot.. never knows when to use it. He has wheels, but always seems to be half a step behind. He has above average hands, but always messes it up anyway.

The kid had potential his entire life to be something special, but he's never been able to put it all together... for whatever reason. On the bright side, he should be a servicable third liner who can occasionally tease you (Peter Schaefer, anyone?).

[PDO]

*Watches Rita get hooked down on a 2 on 1, causing a turnover followed by a Phoenix goal.*

That crackdown really lasted a long time. :rolleyes:

Oilers didn't play all that well, and will have to pick it up for the 2nd period.

[Daryl Shilling]

On Rita.. here's the thing about him.

He has every tool in the world to be an Ethan Moreau.

But he isn't.

Why isn't he? No idea. He has a great shot.. never knows when to use it. He has wheels, but always seems to be half a step behind. He has above average hands, but always messes it up anyway.

The kid had potential his entire life to be something special, but he's never been able to put it all together... for whatever reason.

And that's where scouting without context can let you down. Jason Bonsignore had all of the talent in the world, and the Oilers drafted him 4th overall in 1994, based solely on his described talent level, while failing to notice that he wasn't scoring very much. He wasn't scoring even close to the level that the best OHLers were that year. Again, how is he going to move up against the best players in the world and become a better scorer? That sort of hope strains sensibility.

It's not different than the way scouts completely miss quality players, because they don't have the wheels or the size that is looked for first, without asking the big question: can this guy score?

So, the way it can often work is:
-Talented players that don't score much are drafted high.
-Less talented players to that do score a lot can be drafted quite late, or even go undrafted completely.

Daryl

[PDO]

Barry Fraser made the selections.. 'nuff said ;).

Better period for the Oilers; although they're really fighting the puck tonight. Peca's penalty was really weak.. but it was nice to see him finally lay someone out.

[Canadian26]

Thats 2 times this game peca has taken a pentalty while the oilers where on the PP. Which kinda sucks for the oilers, considering that peca is one of the better face of men.

Tough loss tonight, oilers battled back.. but there where soooo many give aways, I lost count after the first 5 mins. They didnt seem like they really got into the game until the third period. Oilers just cant afford to keep getting down 2 goals every night, it makes it very hard to come back. 4 losses in a row, hopefully after tonights game oilers can turn this around...

[PDO]

In fairness to Peca, the first penalty was an iffy call, and the 2nd (Shane Doan skating into his stick) was just plain bad luck.

Once we get over the "lets spot the other team 2 goals before we start playing" syndrome, we'll be just fine.

[slapshot™]

What a brutal game. The Oil still seem to be as streaky as they have been in the past couple of seasons. Sure would be nice to cobble together some wins for a change.

It would be terrific to see the new NHL be an advantage to the Oiler style of play. Seems most teams have adapted and benefitted from the new rules, etc. and the Oil haven't gotten anywhere.