SB Nation - Lubomir Visnovsky

Panthers gain point in 3-2 SO loss to Oilers

Whale4ever — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:04:07 -0000

3 days ago: Edmonton Oilers' Shawn Horcoff (10) scores the game-winning goal against Florida Panthers goalie Tomas Vokoun in a shootout in an NHL hockey game in Sunrise, Fla., Monday, Dec. 7, 2009. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

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No one said it would be simple. Or non-repetitive.

The Panthers continued the puck-attacking, aggressive play which has been a staple of recent games, yet fell to a hot Edmonton club who's enjoyed the road of late. A 3-2 final goes out to the masses, but there was a lot to like about Florida's final appearance on home ice for a spell. And that's likely a positive.

Regardless of almost non-existent success at home (unless blown-lead, one-point gains are considered "successful"), the examples we've seen lately have been far more hopeful considering the future. And for the record, Tomas Vokoun looked good.

Stephen Weiss' goal streak was shut down and Nathan Horton garnered zippo on the scoresheet, but for the first time in a long while, secondary scoring ruled the day as Dominic Moore banged home two to keep the game within reach.

And from a Florida perspective, a 35 to 28 shot advantage is most definitely a plus.

Yep...it's still a loss - the seventh in their past eight games - but in that time the club has turned over a new attitude which was obvious from the start. They were physical and quick to defend their zone. It wasn't perfect, but far superior to what was witnessed even four weeks ago.

And how about this: Rostislav Olesz scored in the shootout. Don't know what type of compromising photos Rusty must be in possession of with regard to his coaching staff, but he came through when called upon...with the very same backhand-to-the-right play we've all grown so accustomed to.

Anyway, it was Moore for the Cats (with assists from Kulikov and 1,000 game-dude Dvorak), while Shawn Horcoff and Lubomir Visnovsky gained goals from Robert Nilsson and Ladislav Smid. Horcoff gained the game-winner in the shootout as well.

Not a terrible showing by any stretch for the home team, but a road trip is probably very welcome among the troops.

Notes: Michael Frolik (0 points) had nine SOG. Weiss and Bryan McCabe led all skaters with 24:39 TOI (see Weiss play. See Weiss grow). Edmonton's Visnovsky led the visitors with 2 points.

Next up: BJ action from Columbus on Wednesday.

Oilers beat Red Wings 4-1

joehass — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 03:11:33 -0000

More photos » by Jerry S. Mendoza - AP

Patrick O'Sullivan celebrates one of his goals against the Red Wings.

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On a night when the Detroit Red Wings should have found the road out of town easy, they were instead blindsided by the worst team in the Western Conference.

The Edmonton Oilers came into Joe Louis Arena having lost to Vancouver Saturday night 7-3. They walked out with a 4-1 whupping of the Red Wings on the strength of a pair of goals by Patrick O'Sullivan.

Jimmy Howard looked absolutely mortal tonight, but he wasn't helped on two different goals that went in off his teammates. Meanwhile, the Red Wings sputtered immediately out of the gate, looking lethargic throughout the game.

Jeff Deslauriers was outstanding for the Oilers, stopping 25 shots. Jakub Kindle, making his debut for the Red Wings, finished the game with one shot and a -2 rating.

Lubomir Visnovsky opened the scoring, taking a shot from about 40 feet away that went off Brett Lebda. Then Lebda knocked the puck in past Howard to make it 1-0. It was Vinovsky's first goal in seven games, and sixth of the season.

Later in the first period, Ryan Stone passed to Robert Nilsson. Nilsson froze Jonathan Ericsson, who played the puck instead of the man. After spinning past him, he pump fakes out Howard and put the puck in for his second of the season.

With six seconds left in the first period, Nicklas Lidstrom put a 140-foot pass right on the stick of Todd Bertuzzi. Bertuzzi quickly fired the puck back to a charging Dan Cleary, who put the puck into the net for his sixth of the season with only 0.9 seconds left in the period.

In the second period, O'Sullivan was trying to put the puck across the ice when it deflected off Pavel Datsuyk's stick towards the net. Howard was ill-prepared for it, and it slid in through his pads to give the Oilers a two-goal lead.

Less than three minutes later, O'Sullivan struck again after a Detroit turnover in their own end. Sheldon Souray took advantage and got it back to O'Sullivan, who made Howard commit so badly that he was able to skate two more steps to Howard's right. Brad Stuart was unable to stop his shot, and it became 4-1 Oilers.

The Wings will travel to New York City for a pair of games: Saturday night in New Jersey against the Devils, and Sunday night at 33rd Street and 8th Avenue against the Rangers.

Player of the game: Dan Cleary. When you lose and only score one goal, you gotta give it to the goal scorer.

Ten NHL Players Who Should Shoot the Puck More Often

Rafal Ladysz — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:09:29 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

13 days ago: Buffalo Sabres' Tim Connolly, right, works the puck for a goal against Philadelphia Flyers goalie Ray Emery in the third period of an NHL hockey game, Friday, Nov. 27, 2009, in Philadelphia. Buffalo won 4-2. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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What is the first thing that comes to mind when you talk about Tim Connolly? Honestly, it could be a handful of things like smooth skater, crafty stick-handler, terrific play-maker or the obvious one being injuries. But a facet of his game that's often overlooked is the center's shot primarily because he hesitates to use it.

When he does decide to pull the trigger, his release and accuracy can surprise goaltenders. Connolly, who leads the Buffalo Sabres with 21 points after 23 games, is utilizing it increasingly and is on pace for a career year in all categories if he stays healthy.

This got me thinking about some of the other players like Connolly who would be wise to throw the puck at the net substantially. The last thing I suggest is that they listen to me because they are the athletes who are earning millions of dollars for their skills.

Suggestions aren't frowned upon however. At least, I hope they aren't because these athletes are competent to score. If all else fails, put the disc towards the goal.

10) Ales Hemsky (Edmonton Oilers)

Out for the remainder of the season, Edmonton's playoff aspirations are all but finished without the services of their talented winger. Hemsky was supplying a point per game and reaching new peaks offensively before he ran into shoulder issues

The patience he has can outlast goaltenders in close and his snap shot should be taken more seriously by defensemen.

9) Nicklas Backstrom (Washington Capitals)

Playing with Alexander Ovechkin, the Swede is better served as an assist provider to a world-class shooter. But that doesn't signify it as the only option. Should Ovechkin be covered, Backstrom would be smart to attempt picking a corner like he's capable of.

Although he doesn't pack the meanest power, he's got fearful accuracy which is at times more vital to finding the back of the net.

8) Alexander Frolov (Los Angeles Kings)

Frolov is a two-time 30-goal man and has all of the tools to be an elite star for years. The frightening statistic is that the Russian hasn't fired 200 or more shots in a full season making you wonder how many more he could record if he did.

My estimate is that Frolov is worthy of 40 to 45 goals once he shoots first and asks questions last. Whether it actually happens is beyond me.

7) Tomas Kaberle (Toronto Maple Leafs)

Remember who won the accuracy challenge at the 2008 NHL All Star Game Skills Competition? Yes, Kaberle was the fourth player ever to hit all four targets requiring that many attempts. A fantastic set-up defender, his passing is right on the tape of recipients making him a marquee powerplay quarterback.

With 23 of his 25 points this year coming by way of assists, Kaberle will continue to do what's worked best for him. An unexpected shot is still threatening.

6) Kristian Huselius (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Huselius' shot count has grown each year since 2006 and with ten goals in 21 games, his wrister is truly emerging. The 31-year-old scored on 23 occasions as a rookie oozing confidence from the beginning of his career and has the gift to make the linemates around him superior.

Most likely, Rick Nash will lead the Blue Jackets in scoring and Huselius will be next in line.

5) Kimmo Timonen (Philadelphia Flyers)

Some players, no matter what they do, seem to be under the radar constantly. Kimmo Timonen is an example of that and with the arrival of Chris Pronger, that won't change. Like Kaberle, this veteran can run the man-advantage with ease and provides plenty from the back-end.

And also similar is his shot which isn't the strongest but precise. If only Timonen would utilize it.

4) Eric Fehr (Washington Capitals)

I've seen this kid's potential and his scoring touch is abundantly clear. While going to the net and digging for rebounds is what Bruce Boudreau wants from his young winger, Fehr is capable of letting it go from beyond past a netminder.

It's easy to forget about him with the plethora of stars Washington has but he wasn't a first round selection for nothing.

3) Ryan Suter (Nashville Predators)

Both Suter and Shea Weber can create injuries for opposing players attempting to block their shots. The difference is the latter won't mind launching one-timer after one-timer until something good happens. For some reason, Suter isn't as quick to unload his heavy shot which he does own.

Whatever it is, 24 shots in 25 games leads you to believe that he's a little trigger shy.

2) Andrei Kostitsyn (Montreal Canadiens)

A ~~huge~~ bit of an enigma, Kostitsyn`s best assets are his his explosive wrist shot and his aptitude at dangling by defensemen. After scoring 49 goals in two campaigns, the Belarussian has lit the lamp twice in 24 games adding to the laundry list of problems Montreal carries.

Kostitsyn was beginning to gain confidence before a leg injury sidelined him a few days ago.

1) Lubomir Visnovsky (Edmonton Oilers)

Visnovsky wasn`t shy about shooting in Los Angeles yet seems uncertain at times these days. One thing is for certain: the one-timer he carries with him can bank 20 goals easily. In order for that to happen, he`s got to deliver more pucks on net.

If not for himself, then for the sake of Edmonton`s postseason chances.

Edmonton - Los Angeles post-mortem: frustration

Bruce McCurdy — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:43:24 -0000

More photos » by John Ulan - AP

Shawn Horcoff and the Oilers couldn't find any room against the Kings on Wednesday, suffering a 3-1 regulation loss on home ice and losing star forward Ales Hemsky in the process. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, John Ulan)

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It's a hopeless feeling when it's still bloody November and you're already resigned to your team being out of contention. But that's exactly how I feel right now. Frustrated.

Another night, another winnable game lost in regulation, another key player sidelined with injury. For at least the third time this year we saw an Oiler leave a game after being sent head first into the boards on a hit from behind. This time it was none other than Ales Hemsky, not only a key to Edmonton's offence but a key to making Oiler games fit to watch. This one certainly wasn't after Ales was helped off, a victim of Michal Handzus's cheap and dangerous crosscheck that catapulted him into the end boards. For which, predictably, Handzus was given a 2-minute slap on the wrist, returning to play a key role on the game-winning goal. Meanwhile, in Washington Alex Ovechkin was given 5 minutes for a much less dangerous hit on agitator Patrick Kaleta, who never missed a shift. But if it's an Oiler who is showing his numbers, it's open season out there. Frustrating.

It also hurt to see Matt Greene cap a splendid game by scoring the winning goal in the dying minutes. Greene became the third recent ex-Oiler to score a game-winner in Rexall in this calendar year, joining Raffi Torres and Marty Reasoner who also scored late tie-breaking goals to send the faithful grumbling into the night. If those bums had scored while they were here they might never have been traded in the first place. Greene was all over the scoresheet with 6 attempted shots, 4 hits, 5 blocked shots, +2, and of course that game winning goal. He was a much greater force in this game than Lubomir Visnovsky, the guy Oilers traded Greene AND Jarret Stoll to obtain. Frustrating.

Worse was that the winner came in regulation time in a game both teams seemed to be nursing to OT. But in a few seconds what was left of the first line lost their composure and their shape in Oilers' end, with all 5 guys being sucked over to Wayne Simmonds' side of the ice opening the door for Greene to walk in and blast the best shot of his Rexall Place career. So the Oilers came away with nothing, dropping a point to conference rivals Minnesota, Colorado, and St.Louis, all of whom were rewarded for managing to "lose" their games in extra time. Frustrating.

Oilers were once again dominated on the shot clock, allowing double digits in each period while never managing more than 8 shots themselves for a final margin of 35-23. It was another tough night for Liam Reddox, outshot 7-0 in his 7:18 at even strength with another atrocious Corsi of -10. In the last 3 games Reddox has been on the ice for just 7 attempted shots by the Oilers and a staggering 46 by the bad guys. After his recall Reddox showed just enough to make me care about him, but has not resembled an NHL player of late. Frustrating.

Jeff Deslauriers played moderately well, making many fine stops among his 33 saves but undoing his work by absolutely seiving in a long slider from Simmonds which tied the score in the second, then getting beat clean by Matt Greene of all people with the game on the line. Frustrating.

So now Oilers are 4/5 of the way through the home stand with an uninspiring 2-2-0 record, a tilt against the powerful Sharks looming. It's been five long weeks, 16 games and counting since the last time the squad won 2 in a row. Did I mention I'm getting frustrated?

Edmonton Oilers @ Buffalo Sabres: Keys to the Game

Rafal Ladysz — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:15:52 -0000

More photos » by Frank Gunn - AP

2 months ago: Buffalo Sabres' Derek Roy (9) celebrates his goal with teammate Thomas Vanek (26) during the third period of a preseason NHL hockey game against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Frank Gunn)

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The annual one and only meeting of the season between the Buffalo Sabres and Edmonton Oilers takes place tonight at HSBC Arena. This is a contest that Buffalo should be looking forward to for a number of reasons. First, they have won each and every battle with the Oilers since the lock-out including a 10-2 embarrassment last year.

Second, Edmonton will be without key players: Ales Hemsky; the best overall forward in terms of pure skill, Shawn Horcoff and Sheldon Souray who makes the powerplay scarier with his one-timer. Third, while the Sabres have had a couple of days rest to examine their two losses over the weekend, the Oilers are in the midst of a five-game road trip that saw them play into overtime against the Ottawa Senators yesterday.

Finally, the group should be motivated after coming out flat and getting outscored 9-4 by Philadelphia and Boston combined. But even with this Edmonton squad missing people, the Sabres can't take them lightly. Below are the keys for each team to find a victory this evening.

Buffalo

Score the first goal. Each regulation loss Buffalo has suffered was the result of allowing that opening goal and before you knew it, they went on to allow another on every occasion and a 2-0 deficit has been their path to a disappointment.
Don't underestimate Pat Quinn's troops. Although a lot of firepower isn't available, Edmonton has young players who are hungry and looking to make their mark. And Denis Grebeshkov and Lubomir Visnovsky can jump into the play and control a powerplay adequately.
Make something happen in the special teams department. Boston picked them apart in both penalty killing and man-advantage opportunities on Saturday. Get some simple shots towards the goal instead of trying fancy plays.
Take full advantage of this situation with the schedule, previous success in the overall series and the injuries. Edmonton is 2-5-1 on the road whereas Buffalo is 5-2-1 at home.
Give Ryan Miller an easy night. He's won numerous games for us with his stellar goaltending and it's time we returned the favor. Edmonton averages 26.1 shots per game (28th in the league) compared to Buffalo's 34.9 (best in the league).

Edmonton

Like Buffalo, scoring first is crucial for Edmonton and together, these two clubs are 14-2-3 when they grab an early lead. When allowing the opening goal, they combine for a 3-10 record.
Lure the opponent into taking penalties as the Oiler powerplay has operated at 23.2 per cent. Buffalo's penalty kill is in the bottom half of the league so put the pressure on them as often as possible.
Throw the puck at Miller frequently because 20 to 25 shots aren't going to get the job done with a goaltender whose save percentage is .936 and goals against average reads 1.89. I know Edmonton had a tendency to score on what little chances they received in October but that won't work here.
Play with energy and use last year's 10-2 thrashing as motivation. Back-to-back battles are never easy but young guys like Ryan Potulny and Liam Reddox are eager to remain in the line-up doing so by any means necessary.
Get Dustin Penner going. He's playing the best hockey of his career and oozing confidence under the new head coach. Provide him with ice time that he's earned.

All signs point to a Buffalo victory tonight if history is any indication. As nice as statistics and trends are, it'll still be up to the team to deliver two points.

Battle of Alberta version 1.0 Pre-game

Kent Wilson — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 19:13:32 -0000

More photos » by John Ulan - AP

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Calgary Flames @ Edmonton Oilers

8:00pm MT

Opposition: Copper 'n Blue

TV: CBC (HD)

The only thing better than opening the season by beating the Vancouver Canucks would be beating the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers. While the Oil have been replaced at the top of the Flames rival chart by the aforementioned Vancouverites, it's always fun to hand ol' Shelbyville a loss, especially in front of their own mulleted crowd.

As evidenced on Thursday, the introduction of Brent Sutter hasn't washed away some issues lingering from the last season. Calgary's big guns were silent against quality competition while some of the depth guys carried the mail. The team also gave up a ton of shots - a lot of them of good quality - so it looks like the club is still adjusting to the new systems.

All that said, there were obviously some positives (Giordano, Bourque fully healed, Kipper played well, Bouwmeester leading the team in ice time, the power play, the 4th line) and, with apologies to Oilers fans, the competition won't be quite as stiff this evening.

Proprietor of Copper 'n Blue Derek Zona had this to say about his team:

Five players make their home opener debut for Edmonton tonight -- J.F. Jacques, Patrick O'Sullivan, Ryan Stone, Gilbert Brule, and Nikolai Khabibulin. One, Mike Comrie, is back for his second stint. Coach Pat Quinn spent all of training camp looking for big tough guys to play like big tough guys, and the result is a lineup that no one could have possibly imagined in August. Jacques, Stone and Brule are going to have skate hard, play hard, hit and drop the gloves to stay in the lineup, so look for them to try and make an impression against Calgary. Lubomir Visnovsky is not all the way back from his shoulder injury, to it will be interesting to see how he handles the Flames' style. The Oilers lack a secondary faceoff man, so Quinn is going to ride Horcoff in the circle until someone emerges or Tambellini adjusts the roster.

Expect to see Horcoff matched up against Iginla this evening since the Oil don't have much in the way of proven heavy lifters. To say that I'll be disappointed if Iggy-Jokinen-Moss can't handle the trio of Hemsky-Horcoff-Jacques is probably an understatement. No insult intended towards Horcoff et al, but...it may be time to change things up if the Flames current top line doesn't get things done tonight.

The Fan's Roundtable Part II - Strengths

Derek Zona — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 15:00:22 -0000

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Part II of The Copper & Blue's preseason roundtable delves into the strengths of the Oilers, outside of the rabid fanbase, that is. The discussion started with opinions on the new coaching duo, which can be found here.

Our lineup includes: the erudite Shepso, author of some of the most intellectual hockey writings - he plies his trade at Bringing Back The Glory; The venerable HBomb, frequent on-point commentor at Lowetide's place; the incisive Dawgbone, a frequent commentor all over the Oilers' 'sphere, who writes too infrequently at After The Green Light; the pragmatic Doogie2k, an excellent foil and a thought-provoking writer at Still No Name; and the hilarious Lord Bob, whose rapier wit is rarely matched in the 'sphere. Jonathan, Bruce and myself round out this merry band of brigands, obsessives, geeks, and puckheads.

2. What are the Oilers' greatest strengths heading into 2009-10?

Shepso: The Oilers’ greatest strengths at this point are team defense. That’s a good crop of puck movers. Sure, they’re not as big and mean as the big 3 down highway 2, and Vancouver’s upgrades of Erhoff and Lukowich, along with Old Man Mathieu make them better than they were, but I’m convinced our top 4 guys are as good as any top 4 in the west outside of Detroit and maybe Chicago. The other asset is team skill. We’ve got a fast group of forwards. The key this season is to utilize this speed a little bit more. Fortunately, Quinn likes a strong forecheck, which is going to force some of the smaller, faster players to play bigger than they are. I think that will play to our advantage as long as the smurfs stay strong on the puck. A change in the tactics in the offensive zone (so, not just simply "get the puck in deep, hang on for dear life, pass it to Sheldon and get outta the way" or "pass it to Ales who may or may not shoot today depending on his mood") will do a world of good for these players who have so much collective skill, but have spent the last year or two playing in a system built around fear and the inability to find itself. MacT was a great systems coach for 1 kind of team, the team he took to the SCF. He didn’t have that team anymore, but his tactics didn’t seem to evolve. Quinn is a veteran coach who has taken crap teams in LA, Philly, Van, and Toronto to various levels of success by knowing how to adapt his system to the players around him. That’s why he has 2 Jack Adams trophies and a 3rd nomination. MacT just got a lot of praise in the Edmonton press as being a smart hockey guy. Quinn’s team in the last WJHC was not exactly the hugest team in the tourney, yet they were a very good offensive team using the tools they had. Our skillful smurfs will become the asset they were supposed to be given the right guidance.

Hbomb: The team's strength is obvious: the blueline. High cap-consumption aside, they're in reasonably solid shape from 1-6. Lubomir Visnovsky is a pretty special hockey player, Souray is a fearsome combination of a lethal slapshot and physical play, Tom Gilbert still has room to grow and may have upside higher than we ever could have thought possible when he was first acquired for a month of Tommy Salo in 2004, and Denis Grebeshkov excelled last year, albeit against softer opposition. The third pairing is where it gets interesting. Ladislav Smid is around that 200 NHL game mark where D-men usually settle in and start to take a step forward. I'd say it's reasonable to expect him to step forward and past Steve Staios on the depth chart this season. Staios wouldn't be so bad as sixth defenseman. The problem is that contract, and I'd hope efforts are made to find a home for him elsewhere at the deadline (otherwise, he might be a very well-paid AHLer next season, depending on how much the salary cap drops). The Oilers depth will get tested if they suffer any long-term injuries (Jason Strudwick shouldn't be an every-day NHL defenseman at this point, and Theo Peckham, while promising, should be playing big minutes in Springfield this season and not depended on for NHL contributions at this point).

The team's other notable strength? Ales Hemsky and that excellent contract. Rest-assured, if Hemsky stays healthy this year and is at a point a game or greater, that cap hit is going to be talked about as one the new standards for elite player bargain-buys (with the other one immediately coming to mind being the Ryan Getzlaf contract, despite the fact that deal only bought one year of UFA services), now that Henrik Zetterberg's got himself a new deal in Detroit (and, at 6 million, is still relatively underpaid as one of the most complete players in hockey, for the record). Anytime I hear someone suggest trading Hemsky, I want to yell at them. The guy is flat out too good for too cheap to even consider such a thing at this point.

Dawgbone: Without a doubt it's their blueline. If Visnovsky was healthy last year the Oilers probably make the playoffs (that being said, a healthy Visnovksy is no guarantee in any season). The Oilers top 4 is the best in the division and top 5 in the league, especially if Souray plays like he did last year. Their bottom 2 are adequate (though Staios is too expensive in to be in the bottom 2), and I think got exposed a bit only because of how bad the forwards were last year. I think this defence is better as a unit than the 05-06 blueline (they don't have Pronger, but they are better at every other spot by a fair margin).

Doogie2k: Clearly, the defence. While there's no Pronger-level elite defenceman here, the top four as a whole stacks up well against a lot of top fours in the League. One of the things Quinn has emphasized in his interviews is the value of the breakout pass, and we've got that in spades on this D, with Lubomir Visnovsky, Tom Gilbert, and Denis Grebeshkov all capable as playmakers. Sheldon Souray's obvious value is both in his power-play cannon and his rough, physical style, in contrast to the other three, but his defensive awareness is underrated, in my opinion. Yeah, he's not the best skater and he's going to get turned inside-out occasionally (aside: nice job of backchecking there, Zednik and Rivet; way to help your man out), but when he doesn't have to try to keep up with a speeding forward, I don't recall seeing him in a bad position very often. The other three, in addition to having good playmaking abilities, are also perfectly capable in the defensive zone: losing Lubo, especially with Gilbert already playing through a bad back for much of the year, really hurt the team's chances at the playoffs last season, and I think having a healthy top four is going to go a long way to improving the situation on both sides of the puck. As for the rest, Steve Staios is getting up there in years, and gets himself into trouble when he tries to do too much, but my biggest issue with him, truthfully, is his salary: he's getting paid way too much money to play the 5D position. Ladislav Smid is young but improving, and should take another step forward this year. Jason Strudwick...eh, I don't get the praise he's been lavished with, but for the 7D position, I'll survive. I'd rather see Theo Peckham play 20 games in the NHL and 50 in the AHL, personally, but I can't gripe too much.

I'm also a believer in Nikolai Khabibulin, and probably the only one around these parts. I understand the objections, but at the same time, I'm not convinced that being 36 in 2009 is the same sort of problem it was in 1999 or 1989, nor am I convinced that putting up bad SV% numbers on some terrible Blackhawks teams is any evidence that he's going to be bad on this team, especially when I've just cited the defence as a potential strength. Besides, we just had an even older fart of a goaltender come off his best season not spent behind Jacques Lemaire's trap. If Khabibulin starts actually stinking out the joint, then I'll join the chorus of howling, but otherwise, I'm confident that he's good enough to keep this rebuilding team afloat.

Lord Bob: Defense is Edmonton's only real strength. As a 1-2-3-4 combination, Souray, Visnovsky, Gilbert and Grebeshkov rate in the league's top five, and our depth, long a question mark, is an asset with the progress of Peckham and Chorney as well as veterans such as Strudwick and Arsene. The blue treaded water in spite of losing the team's All-Star break MVP in Visnovsky, and the youngsters are better this season.

Bruce: Oilers have a few strengths in '09-10. Their coaching staff is one of the most experienced in NHL history and should be a strength, as long as Quinn, Renney and Fleming don't step on each others' toes. Bucky's job is to watch and learn ... and teach.

The top 4 defenders are very strong, and the third pairing ain't bad either. My hope is that Gilbert, Grebeshkov and Smid are improving faster than Visnovsky, Souray and Staios may be deteriorating. For sure it's now a veteran-laden crew, with the seven holdovers having combined for 3114 GP with nobody fewer than 176.

I'm also happy with a first line of Penner-Horcoff-Hemsky, which has been a significant outscorer (+41/-16) when playing as a trio at even strength the last two years. Let's hope the brain trust will put them back together and bloody well leave them together for at least the first 20 games.

I think Oilers' powerplay is a potential strength as well. The personnel are in place; it's time to execute.

Derek: If they work well together and understand their strengths and weaknesses as a duo, the biggest strength for this team is coaching. In Quinn, the team gets a guy that forces star production out of his stars and gets his role players to run through walls for him, but not so much produce. Renney is not a motivator, though he's been able to coax production out of sullen stars and uses his role players in order to maximize effectiveness. Quinn is not a tactical master and likes old-time hockey in a way. Renney is a fantastic tactician that knows how to use matchups and protect his faults. Quinn employs a hard style with a strong forecheck. Renney is a penalty kill wizard. If these two can make this relationship work, the Oilers will have their most well-rounded bench presence since...arguably ever.

Jonathan: While defense is obviously the positional strength of the team this coming season, I'm going to go with ownership. In Daryl Katz, Edmonton has an owner who is committed to the Oilers for the long haul. He's got deep pockets, and it seems like he's also going to be able to force through a new arena which, while arguably not in the city's best interest is certainly in the interest of the team. Over the short term, we've heard some stories about Katz meddling on the hockey side, but over the long haul a stable, deeply-pocketed owner is going to make this a franchise to contend with - because if the current hockey operations department can't get the job done, he'll certainly bring in one who can.

Poll

What are the Oilers' greatest strengths heading into 2009-10?

Defense

115 votes

Coaching

47 votes

Ownership

20 votes

Other (let us know in the comments)

5 votes

187 votes | Poll has closed

Lubomir Visnovsky Interview

Jonathan Willis — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:43:58 -0000

Lubomir Visnovsky

#71 / Defenseman / Edmonton Oilers

Height: 5-10

Weight: 188

Born: Aug 11, 1976

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - Lubomir Visnovsky	50	8	23	31	6	30	5	0	1	0	86	9.3

Lubomir Visnovsky is spending his summer back in Europe, where he gave a Slovakian newspaper an interview updating them on his health, what it's like in Edmonton, and the upcoming Olympic games. Translated excerpts after the jump.

Now, most of these make use of Google Translate, so be prepared for some rough grammar and some funny word choices (since Google Translate tends to take things literally). First, on his health:

"After the rehabilitation of a summer training is ready for about eighty percent. On the ice I've had the second week, I also trained with Slovan Bratislava in the ice and showed that the hand is still weak. When the rotational movement when shooting still feel pain. The doctor said to me, that I fear. That it can fully loaded. However, to avoid personal battles. For aftercare, I have one and a half months. "

So, from that I think it's fair to say the following:

Visnovsky feels that he's only about 80% recovered from his injury so far.
The doctor told him to avoid physical battles, but that otherwise he isn't going to damage it any more by practicing.
Visnovsky's still about a month and a half away from being fully recovered (just in time for training camp).

On the state of the team:

"We need to snap at the beginning and make a play off, because there is already quite muggy. Came a new coach Pat Quinn, replacing Craig MacTavish. We have a new goalie Nikolai Khabibulin. I had a feeling that it is still missing one - two offenders, and then we would be complete. "

Again, conclusions:

The team needs to get off to a quick start and definitely make the playoffs. No shocks there. I'm not sure what "muggy" means (it isn't often humid in Edmonton during hockey season) but it probably isn't good.
If "offenders" means what I think it does (forwards) than I completely agree - the team still has one or two holes up front that need filling before the beginning of the season.

On playing in Edmonton:

"Edmonton yet neberiem as their home. But in some ways it's also a nice change. From morning till evening in the city talking about hockey. "

I'm going to go out on a bit of a limb here with "neberiem" and say that Visnovsky figures Edmonton doesn't feel like home yet, but the focus on hockey that the city has is a welcome change from Los Angeles.

A Quick And Early Look At The Northwest Division Rivals

Sean Zandberg — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 07:59:19 -0000

NHL.com has just listed the Canucks as one of their top 10 teams on the rise, saying:

Losing Mattias Ohlund could hurt, but that was buried under the important re-signings of the Sedin twins. Roberto Luongo is at the top of his game and will be motivated by the opportunity to get hot and start for Canada in the Olympics. Alex Burrows, Ryan Kesler, Kevin Bieksa and Alexander Edler only are getting better. Mikael Samuelsson, signed away from the Detroit Red Wings can make the power play better.

Convincing, huh? No not really. However, are the Canucks really worse off on paper than last year? Not really. I just find it odd that the writer calls them a team on the rise when they already won the Northwest Division title. Alas, you never know what can happen, and so many variables are involved (like what division rivals are doing in the off season).

Note: No other Northwest Division teams made the list.

Here's a quick look at how the other teams in our division are shaping up this summer. NOTE: **Yes, every other team in the NW has made a coaching change, as the guys quickly reminded me)** But I'm just focusing on the player additions.

CALGARY FLAMES

IN: D Jay Bouwmeester, F Fredrick Sjostrom

OUT: D Adrian Aucoin, F Todd Bertuzzi, F Mike Cammalleri, D Anders Eriksson, F Jamie Lundmark, F Warren Peters, F Andre Roy, D Rhett Warrener

Cap Spending: $54.29 million

Adding the coveted Bouwmeester meant that the Flames had to part ways with Mike Cammalleri. They have so much money invested in Bouwmeester, Phaneuf, Jokinen, Iginla and Kiprusoff that they can spend no more. They are now thick on D and more shallow up front. I still think the addition of Olli Jokinen at the deadline was a joke, yet he may rack up the points this year as he plays more with the team. Who knows. Glad they have him and not us.

Better or Worse? Potentially worse. Secondary scoring may be quite tough to come by beyond Iginla, Jokinen and Langkow.

EDMONTON OILERS

IN: G Nicolai Khabibulin

OUT: F Ales Kotalik, G Dwayne Roloson, G Dany Sabourin, D Jason Strudwick

Cap Spending: $51.40 million.

Not much change here except between the pipes, where Khabibulin may be an upgrade over Dwayne Roloson. I say "may be" because the Oilers are a run and gun team. Khabby is going to see a lot more quantity and quality shots in Edmonton. Let's see how he fares with that.

Edmonton's fate lies with the health of Sheldon Souray and Lubomir Visnovsky. They have over $13 million invested in those 2 defencemen. Madness I say. Up front they have a lot of young guys who may find their stride after sophomore seasons and what-not.

Are they going to add Dany Heatley or not? He could change the Coilers' fortunes.

Better or Worse? About the same.

MINNESOTA WILD

IN: F Martin Havlat, potentially F Kyle Brodziak (RFA), D Greg Zanon, G Wade Dubielwicz

OUT: D Marc-Andre Bergeron, D Kurtis Foster, F Marian Gaborik, F Krys Kolanos, F Corey Locke, F Bryan Lundbohm, D Tomas Mojzis, G Nolan Schaefer, D Jesse Schultz, D Martin Skoula, F Stephane Veilleux,

Cap Spending: $51.43 million

I am still laughing at the Wild letting injury-prone Marian Gaborik go and then acquiring injury-prone Martin Havlat. I don't care if Havlat played 81 games last season. Look at his track record. Plus it was a contract year. Let's start placing bets on how many games he plays this year. I'll start the betting with 55 games.

The Wild need more help up front, and they may just get that as trading Josh Harding is imminent.

Better or Worse? Worse

COLORADO AVALANCHE

IN: D Tom Preissing, D Kyle Quincey, G Craig Anderson, and Potentially 1st Round Draft Pick Matt Duchene

OUT: F Tyler Arnason, F Jesse Boulerice, F Ben Guite, F Ian Laperriere, F Matt Hendricks, F Per Ledin, D Aaron MacKenzie, D Lawrence Nycholat, G Andrew Raycroft, F Joe Sakic, F Nathan Smith, D Daniel Tjarnqvist, F Brian Willsie, F Cody McCormick

Cap Spending: $49.71 million

It's all about rebuilding for the Avalanche. especially up front. The goaltending and defence are set and more experienced. Canucks fans may get a good look at Matt Duchene, a former teammate of Cody Hodgson. It will be a mighty surprise if the Avalanche make the playoffs this year, but at least they are taking the right steps. Losing Sakic's presence will hurt, just as it did last season, but at least they have an upgrade in goal adding Craig Anderson.

Better or Worse? A bit better. They can't be any worse than last year's 69 points.

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Considering how often we play these teams each year I'm feeling optimistic. But you can never take any of these teams for granted. The Canucks are going to have to play better against lesser teams than they did last year.

Like I said, this is a quick and early look at these teams. They still have lots of summer left to tinker with their rosters.

Rating The Oilers' Defense: Brian Burke Style

Jonathan Willis — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:30:09 -0000

Bob McCown put together a great article about Brian Burke today. Burke's a guy I haven't liked for a long time, for a lot of good reasons, but he does bring two things to the table that make him a goldmine for hockey fans:

He's an excellent general manager
He isn't afraid to tell people why he's an excellent general manager

In any case, he opened up to McCown, and gave one of the more interesting quotes that I've seen in the last year:

"I have a system of rating players, "he said, "particularly defensemen. I rate them from one to six?six being the elite defenseman." He went on to explain that his objective is that of the six primary defensive positions on his team, he wants one from each point category. He claims that if you have one "six," one "five," one "four," etc., you'll have a team capable of competing at the highest level. If you add the numbers together (6+5+4+3+2+1) you wind up with 21 and that is your objective.

"Now understand," Burke continued, "there aren't enough sixes' to go around, but that's okay. If I have two fives' and two twos' I still get where I want to be (21)."

He went on to explain that, the way he had it figured, he couldn't have too many defensemen, since he could almost always trade the excess for a forward and usually one with tangible skill. And generally speaking, history has shown he's right. Having an excess on the blue line is approximately the same as having an excess of pitchers in baseball. It doesn't happen often, but if you achieve it, you can always fill any other hole that might materialize.

McCown admits that since a lot of the conversation was off the record, he's excluded it from the piece he wrote today. That said, what he included is fascinating, and consistent with his track record. In Vancouver, Burke had Jovanovski, Ohlund, Salo, Allen, Malik and Sopel as his top-six. In Anaheim, he had Niedermayer, Pronger, Beauchemin, O'Donnell, Huskins, and DiPenta. Toronto isn't looking to shabby right now either.

Ever since the 2006-07 debacle which saw the Oilers ice a top-six of Smith, Staios, Tjarnqvist, Greene, Smid and Bergeron (with prospect Tom Gilbert and an under-used Jan Hejda rounding out the group), the Oilers have seemingly been hell-bent on icing a group of defenseman who can move the puck. That group's getting expensive, but there's no questioning their effectiveness. Using Burke's method here's how I see the current top-six:

Souray's ranking is based on this past season; and that's something to be a little worried about going forward, although it's certainly possible that the young players could improve and Steve Staios could find his way back to his form of two seasons ago. I'm also a little surprised at how low the total is. How about it? Is my pro-Oilers bias shining through, or is my familiarity with the players in question causing me to underrate them?

More importantly, is this a useful system? I'm sure Burke doesn't use this exclusively, but every once in a while, I think standing back and simply assessing the overall talent level of a team can be helpful.