So the title of this little blog is slightly confusing ("Oilers" and "All-Star" all in one sentence? Ridiculous!) But not really. I've got another hockey themed blog for you all. Today, I'm going to discuss the All-Star Game, the Edmonton Oilers, and provide a link to my favourite NHL themed blog.
1) NHL All-Star Game
Captains have been chose and aging Nicklas Lidstrom and young-gun Eric Staal have been chosen to lead their respective teams. I won't bore you with the topical "Will Sid the Kid participate?" tirade. Gone is the traditional format of East v. West. On January 28th, 2011, Staal and Lidstrom will be choosing their teams in a school yard type draft (if school yard teams were chosen on national television with talking heads analyzing who is most popular and who is the loser who will get chosen last).
Oilers Ales Hemsky, concussion permitting, will be one of the guys chosen and I expect him to go closer to the end, or at least the end of the middle, of the pack. I'm extremely interested in seeing whether the superstar we all expect Hemsky to be will be able to show his face. Is Hemsky's problem the fact that he very rarely has players on his line to play to his potential, or is he just extremely hard to play with in general? Not that All-Star games have a history of genuinely showcasing all-star talent, but it'll be interesting to see who he plays with, and how well they click together.
2) The Edmonton Oilers
I'm going to live in the past for a few paragraphs here. The Oilers lack a cohesive strategy for winning. They lack heart. They lack grit (they play exponentially better when they play tough). They lack the leadership the young guys need in the dressing room and on the ice. They lack someone who drives straight to the net to grab rebounds or redirect shots across or in front of the crease. We had all these things, once upon a time. These traits now stake their claim on the left wing of the Los Angeles Kings with #94 Ryan Smyth.
Yes, I know. I'm a little bit biased. Anyone who knows me knows I like the nickname Smitty (spelled without a 'y' in my case because I am not, after all, the real deal). They know all my jersey's bear the 94 on their backs. They know Captain Canada is my home boy. But honestly. Since Smyth was traded on February 27, 2007, our team has lacked heart, grit, leadership, and cohesion. No one has stepped into his skates, and the Oilers desperately need someone who can provide all those attributes. We all know Shawn Horcoff can't!3) Down Goes Brown
If you're interested in an extremely funny and glaringly accurate NHL blog to follow, I highly suggest "Down Goes Brown."Written by a Leafs fan who know the dire situation of his home team, he makes some pointed and comedic comments on all aspects of the game from suspensions, Gary Bettman, Chris Pronger, and sports commentators.
And that's the ball game!
Cait
No comments:
Post a Comment