GDT Edmonton @ Vancouver (12/17)

[PDO]

The Edmonton Oilers (17-11-4) face Northwest-Division rivals tonight, the Vancouver Canucks (20-9-2) at GM Place in Vancouver.

The Oilers have earned at least a point in nine of their last ten games and are currently situated in 7th place in the Western Conference - three points behind the fourth-place Nashville Predators and four points ahead of the ninth-place Phoenix Coyotes and Anaheim Mighty Ducks.

The Canucks are second in the Western Conference with 42 points. The club has been on a tear of late, ripping through the Eastern Conference with four straight wins. Their last loss was against the Oilers back on December 1.

OILERS TO WATCH: Ethan Moreau and Fernando Pisani have been Edmonton's one-two punch in December. They each have seven points through the team's first six games, Pisani with five goals and Moreau with three... Moreau reached a career high Thursday by collecting a point in his fifth straight game... The success of Edmonton's third line has helped pick up the slack while the team's top line of Shawn Horcoff, Ryan Smyth and Ales Hemsky has struggled to put up points through the first six games of December... Horcoff has only three assists, Smyth has two goals, one assist and Hemsky has three helpers.

CANUCKS TO WATCH: With the injury to Dan Cloutier, Alex Auld has stepped in to the number one spot on the team. Auld has a 2.65 goals-against average and .909 save percentage with a record of 12-6-0. He's now started 10 straight games, with a record of 7-3-0... Trevor Linden is only four goals from reaching 300 as a Canuck and 11 assists from 400... Vancouver is second in the league with 20 goals scored from their defencemen. Colorado leads with 24 goals from their blueliners...

ROSTER UPDATES: Edmonton: Radek Dvorak (groin) is questionable. Vancouver: Dan Cloutier (knee) is out for the season. Tyler Bouck (groin) is out. Wade Brookbank (concussion) is questionable.

FAST FACTS: The Canucks have been unbelievable at home this season, with a 13-1 record so far. Only Nashville at 14-3 has more wins on home ice... A trio of Canucks have set milestones against the Oilers over the years. Trevor Linden recorded his first-ever NHL assist against Edmonton on Oct. 12, 1988. Matt Cooke played his first NHL game against the Oilers Oct. 14, 1998 and Jarkko Ruutu scored his first NHL goal versus the copper and blue on Jan. 24, 2001... Vancouver is off to the second best start in franchise history with 42 points in 31 games. The best start was 43 points after 31 outings, set in 1974-75...

THEY SAID IT: "They've had chemistry in the past and they work well off one another. They know they're going to have success and they're continually trying to prove to me to keep them together. A game like (Thursday) was a perfect opportunity. They delivered the goods as they normally do."
-- Oilers head coach Craig MacTavish on the recent success of Marty Reasoner, Fernando Pisani and Ethan Moreau - the "RPM" line.

"Edmonton is playing extremely well right now. They play a high-energy, high-tempo game and we know it will be a difficult game."
-- Canucks head coach Marc Crawford on what to expect for tonight's game.

Huge game. Lets do it up boys.

[Amoroq]

So much for the big pat on the back at the meetings this week for the refs. Way to call it in the OT as you would in the first period ;) :rolleyes:

I think Crawfords head is going to explode! :laughing:

[Iced Tea]

So much for the big pat on the back at the meetings this week for the refs. Way to call it in the OT as you would in the first period ;) :rolleyes:

I think Crawfords head is going to explode! :laughing:Peca should have had a penalty for taking down a Sedin to get the 2 on 1 break that lead to the OT goal.

Congrats to the Oilers on their strong effort and taking it to the Canucks particularily in the third period but I would've like to have seen a clean goal to win it.

[PDO]

I feel the need to point out the fact that every time the Oilers play the Canucks the Cancuks seem to magically get a 5 on 3 twice a game, but I'l llet it go and jump up and down as we're 3-0 agianst the Cansucks this year :nod:

[Iced Tea]

I feel the need to point out the fact that every time the Oilers play the Canucks the Cancuks seem to magically get a 5 on 3 twice a game, but I'l llet it go and jump up and down as we're 3-0 agianst the Cansucks this year :nod:Magically? Did you watch the game? The 5 on 3 was due to 2 legitimate calls. If you consider them magical, then the 3 PP goals the Oilers got were also on make believe calls.

[slapshot™]

Peca should have had a penalty for taking down a Sedin to get the 2 on 1 break that lead to the OT goal.

http://www.metronews.ca/uploadedImages/sport-quinn_article.jpg

Iced Tea in deep thought prior to discussing the OT winner by the Oil last night against the hapless 'nucks (Getty Images).

[slapshot™]

When is Hemskey ever going to learn? - just shoot the damn puck!

Too bad about Morrison getting yanked after only 7 minutes and change in the net. I hope he doesn't get buried in the depth charts and ends up god-knows-where (the Oil really need an AHL club - this splitting with other teams is a crock).

It looked a little dismal there after those two goals in the first and for a couple of other times during the game (damn 'nucks kept pace with the goal scoring).

Nice to see the Oil PP click (3 for 10), but more importantly - they were perfect on the PK for all 6 'nuck chances.

Now...if the Oil can only turn it around and have the same type of success against the Flames....

[KB in Kelowna]

Congratulations Oil fans, your team didn't buckle, they fought back and beat Vancouver for only the second time at GM Place this season. A fun game to watch, and once players learn to keep the stick off the body there will be fewer penalties and we can see more end to end 5 on 5 action. Always fun to watch the Canucks and Oilers.

[PDO]

Magically? Did you watch the game? The 5 on 3 was due to 2 legitimate calls. If you consider them magical, then the 3 PP goals the Oilers got were also on make believe calls.

I said every time we play Vancovuer, not last night in specific.

Secondly, if you're going to cry about that, how about Jarret Stoll getting whacked in the face on what would've been an easy 4 minute PP and put the oilers on a 5 on 3?

You didn't lose this game because of a blown call, you blew it because your PP was out worked by our PK, our PP dominated your PK, and the best player on the ice all night decided that he was going to be the difference maker in OT and set up Peca for the game winner.

Finally.. there are a lot of myths about Hemsky right now. The #1 being that he doens't shoot the puck. He does shoot the puck, and he shoots it a lot. Does he pass more often? Yes, and with the kind of vision he has, that shouldn't be an issue. That pass he made to Smyth for the first goal leads to an easy goal for the Oilers, and that's because of his vision and patience. Then a few shifts later, he cuts across the middle, waits for a second to fake the goalie out, and shelfs it. Beautiful.

He's tied for 3rd in shots on the Oilers with 73. Stoll has 116, Dvorak 76, and Torres and Moreau each have 73 as well. Smyth has 70.

I've never heard anyone say Moreau or Torres need to shoot more.

[slapshot™]

Finally.. there are a lot of myths about Hemsky right now. The #1 being that he doens't shoot the puck. He does shoot the puck, and he shoots it a lot. Does he pass more often? Yes, and with the kind of vision he has, that shouldn't be an issue. That pass he made to Smyth for the first goal leads to an easy goal for the Oilers, and that's because of his vision and patience. Then a few shifts later, he cuts across the middle, waits for a second to fake the goalie out, and shelfs it. Beautiful.

He's tied for 3rd in shots on the Oilers with 73. Stoll has 116, Dvorak 76, and Torres and Moreau each have 73 as well. Smyth has 70.

I've never heard anyone say Moreau or Torres need to shoot more.

No myths here.

It has more to do not the quantity of shots, but rather, the timing of his shots. Too many times we've seen Hemsky wheel about and manouver through the defence only to, at the last moment (when he should shoot), pass it off or run out of real estate.

He has the ability to get in close. When he does that he should get a shot off. Rebounds and garbage goals count just as well as the finish on a pretty play.

It's frustrating as hell to see him undress the opposing D and then fritter the opportunity away by not finishing the play with a shot on goal.

That's all.

[Canadian26]

I agree with Slappy, its not that he doesnt shoot the puck is when he decides not to shoot. He tends to pass the puck when hes in prime posistion, or hold on to a couple seconds to long. When he shoots he usually scores, and he is by far the most talent player on our team. Sometimes you just wish he'd shoot when hes in prime posistion.