Oil Drop

Button likely not far off the mark, when it comes to Hemsky and the Oilers

2013-05-21T08:03:00.000-06:00

TSN analyst Craig Button managed to create quite a stir throughout much of Oil Country this past weekend, with comments he made to the Edmonton Journal's Jim Matheson about the possible trade value of the Oilers Ales Hemsky. While many in this neck of the woods hold the talented Czech's skill-set in very high regard, the reality of the situation will likely keep Craig MacTavish from getting any sort of quality in return for the veteran winger.

“I don’t think there’s a market for him … I shouldn’t say there’s no market,” said former NHL general manager Craig Button, who now works for TSN. “But the salary cap is coming down to $64.3 million. He makes $5 million for one more year. Would the Oilers pick up half of that to trade him, 50-50 (with another team)? That would still free up $2.5 million in cap space for the Oilers.

“I don’t know if they can get something tangible in return for Hemsky. Andrew Cogliano got the Oilers a second-round draft (pick). I don’t know if they can get that for Hemsky,” Button said.

That statement was taken directly from Matheson's column in Sunday's edition of the Journal and is what has many Oilers fans questioning the sanity of the former GM of the Calgary Flames. However, when you look back at Hemsky's recent history and consider the supposed offers Edmonton received for him prior to the 2012 NHL Trade Deadline, Button's concerns appear to be more than fair.

Anyone who has watched Hemsky play, with any sort of regularity during his NHL career, knows exactly how good a player he is. Until recently, he had been the Oilers best player for a number of years and played a fearless style throughout his time in Orange and Blue. That being said, he has become a walking injury on an almost yearly basis and been far too ineffective, over the last couple of seasons, when in the lineup. Not exactly what a team would be looking to add to their organization...especially not at $5 million cap hit.

It is common knowledge Edmonton openly shopped #83 leading up to the 2012 Trade Deadline but instead of moving him, the club decided to sign him to a two year pact. The rumour at the time, was that no team had even offered, than General Manger Steve Tambellini, a first rounder in exchange for the Oilers most talented player. At that point he was not making $5 million a year nor was the salary cap about to take a $6 million hit.

In all fairness, Button's point-of-view is almost dead on. While I disagree with the sentiment that they may not even get a second round pick in return, should they eat half of the soon-to-be thirty year old's salary, it likely would not be a helluva lot more than that. Though to be honest, if they had to swallow money to move him, there is really no point in even entertaining the thought.

From an Oilers standpoint, best case scenario would see Hemsky going in some sort of off-season package deal or waiting until the 2014 Deadline and hope they could pry something of use from a desperate general manager.

Oilers fans may not want to hear that but that is the reality of the situation.

There is no questioning how talented a guy like Ales is but it's not always about how good the player you are trying to move is...just go ask the Vancouver Canucks and Roberto Luongo. While Hemsky may not have a monster cap hit tied to him for the next decade ala Luongo, he would definitely be a huge short-term gamble, for any team considering to add him to their current roster.

With the cap situation being what it is, teams simply can't afford to make the wrong call. Bringing in a player with Hemsky's ticket and injury history, could be suicide for any GM looking to put his team over the top. He could very easily turnout to be that missing piece of the puzzle or the guy that can't stay away from the injury bug. It quite literally, could go either way

In my mind, there are twenty-nine other teams in the NHL that would gladly take on an Ales Hemsky as a reclamation project. Frankly, they would be stupid not to. Taking on a guy looking to bounce back from a couple of rough seasons is one thing. Giving up both cash and assets to acquire that same player, is an entirely different matter.

As much as it may pain fans of the Edmonton Oilers to hear it, perhaps Mr. Button wasn't too far off the mark with his assessment.

Oilers History: 1988 Stanley Cup Final - Edmonton vs Boston (Game Two)

2013-05-20T10:25:00.000-06:00

Despite playing far from their best hockey during Game One of the 1988 Stanley Cup Final, the Edmonton Oilers still found a way to jump out to an early 1-0 series lead over the Boston Bruins. While the B’s were coming off an emotional seven game series win over the New Jersey Devils, Edmonton had lost just two games through the the first three rounds of the playoffs.

With one team emotionally drained and the other rusty from a lack of activity, it wasn’t overly surprising to see the two sides struggle in the curtain raiser. Boston generated only a handful of quality opportunities, as their fourteen shots on net would suggest, but Edmonton still required Grant Fuhr to come up with a couple of big saves to secure the win.

After going with former Oiler Andy Moog in his old stumping grounds for the opener, head coach Terry O’Reilly decided to go back to his regular starter for Game Two, in Reggie Lemelin for Game Two.

At the other end of the spectrum, Glen Sather saw no reason to make any sort of lineup change and who could blame him. While the top two lines were relatively quiet in the opener, it would only be a mater of time before Wayne Gretzky and company started to impose their will.

Forwards
Esa Tikkanen - Wayne Gretzky - Jari Kurri
Glenn Anderson - Mark Messier - Craig Simpson
Geoff Courtnall - Craig MacTavish - Norm Lacombe
Mike Krushelnyski - Keith Acton - Kevin McClelland

Defencemen
Kevin Lowe - Craig Muni
Steve Smith - Randy Gregg
Marty McSorley - Jeff Beukeboom

Goaltender

Grant Fuhr

Game Two

Unlike the series opener, the Oilers pressured the Bruins from the drop of the puck and were handed a power play inside the first minute. While Edmonton were unable to convert on the early man advantage, due in large part to a perfectly timed poke-check by Lemelin on Glenn Anderson, the ice was clearly tilted to start Game #2.

While Moog was solid against his former mates in Game One, Lemelin had carried much of the load in leading the Bruins to their first Finals appearance since 1972. That being said, it was the guy at the other end of the rink, who would make a pair of highlight-reel stops later in the frame.

Apparently standing around and simply watching Edmonton do whatever they pleased wasn't the game plan after all, as the Bruins finally started to slowly turn the tide midway through the period. Bob Sweeney was handed a glorious opportunity courtesy of the Oilers D parting like the red-sea, leaving the rookie with a wide open look from maybe ten feet out. Unfortunately for him, Sweeney made the error of trying to beat Fuhr on his glove side...rarely if ever a good idea.

Moments after breaking the crowd to their feet with a wonderful glove save, #31 would take things to a whole different level, stoning Craig Janney with a desperation stick save and the Bruins a man short. The talented youngster went end –to-end before undressing defenceman Craig Muni with a gorgeous move just inside the Oilers blueline but Janney was unable to tuck the puck behind the All-Star netminder.

On night in which Fuhr would be asked to make all of ten saves, those two first period stops were as crucial as they come.

Before the period was out, Boston would make their fifth trip to penalty box, putting them down a pair of skaters and giving the Oilers an opportunity they simply couldn’t pass up on. Seconds into Ray Bourque’s high-sticking minor, Anderson would make amends for his early miss, re-directing a lovely slap-pass from #99 for his seventh of the playoffs.

Not exactly an ideal start for the Bruins but they could live with a one goal deficit heading into the intermission. Unfortunately, they were not quite done shooting themselves in the foot, as both Lemelin and Randy Burridge took penalties inside the final 1:19 of play and all of twenty-five seconds apart.

In what was a near carbon-copy of the Anderson goal, Messier would re-direct another Gretzky slap-pass with the Oilers on another two-man advantage, making it 2-0 for the home side. The goal marked the fifth time in five opportunities, in which Edmonton's power play cashed in on a five-on-three during the 1988 post-season.

There would be no change in scoring during period two and after generating all of seven shots through forty minutes of play, Boston badly needed a bounce to get back into this one. They would get the break they were looking for early in the third, thanks to softie from the Oilers starting netminder. Thirty-five seconds after Don Koharksi dropped the puck at centre ice, Bob Joyce would make it a 2-1 game, as his shot somehow eluded Fuhr, giving the Bruins a much needed spark.

Despite playing much of the first and second periods shorthanded, O’Reilly’s crew managed to keep themselves alive in a game they frankly had no right being in. Less than three minutes later, Kenny Linseman would get them back on level terms, banging home his own rebound, for his tenth of the post-season.

The feisty former Oiler wrestled himself free from Kevin Lowe long enough for a point blank opportunity but was turned away by spectacular sprawling pad stack from Fuhr. To his credit, Linseman followed up his initial shot and was in perfect position to pounce on the loose puck and slide home his first of the series. In three short minutes, Edmonton went from being in complete control, to complete chaos in their own end.

However, Sather’s gang would quickly re-group and settle things down from that point. Boston would not get another shot on goal and very much like the opening ten minutes of the game, traffic was headed in one direction.

Enter Mr.Gretzky.

With Boston heading up ice on one of the rare occasions they actually carried the puck out of their own zone, Esa Tikkanen would strip rookie blueliner Glen Wesley of the puck at the visitor’s blueline. After quickly gaining control of the puck along the side boards, Tikkanen would look up and see who else but #99 barreling in against the outgoing traffic. Gretzky took the pass from his skate to his stick, in a blink of an eye, before sliding his twelfth of the playoffs under the stunned Bruins netminder.

It was vintage Gretzky. Scoring the big goal when his team needed it most and capping off another three point night to boot.

Jari Kurri would put this one to bed with an empty netter in the final seconds, making it a 4-2 final and sending the series to Boston with the defending champs needing only two more wins, to earn their fourth championship in five years. By no means were the Bruins dead and buried but the Oilers had completely taken Cam Neely and company out of the equation at Northlands Coliseum.

Things would have to change in the friendly confines of the Boston Garden and in a hurry, for the Eastern Conference champs to have a chance of extending the series back to Edmonton for Game Five. Problem being...#99 and his mates were just starting to hit their own stride.

Oilers History Page

Shawn Horcoff, the Edmonton Oilers and compliance buyouts

2013-05-19T08:58:00.000-06:00

When Craig MacTavish decided to take on the role of General Manager for the Edmonton Oilers, the four time Stanley Cup winner knew he would have some difficult decisions ahead of him. With the NHL Entry Draft and Unrestricted Free Agency quickly approaching, many of those tough choices will be made over the next few weeks.

Like every other team in the National Hockey League, the Oilers will have the option of using two compliance buyouts at the end of this season or following the 2013-14 campaign. The sole purpose of the buyouts were meant to help teams adjust from having to go from a $70.2 million salary cap, all the way down to a $64.3 million cap in one off-season.

Should MacTavish decide to use one or both of those buyouts this summer, the most obvious targets would appear to be Eric Belanger and Ben Eager. Both players have one year remaining on their respective deals and both have fallen out of favour with Ralph Krueger and his coaching staff. Seems pretty cut and dry.

Having said that, one could easily make an argument for two more names to be included in the mix: Ryan Smyth and Shawn Horcoff.

There are those that have questioned the purpose of keeping Smyth around for the final year of his deal, myself being one them, but they really have no choice. The moment Steve Tambellini signed him to a two year extension, you knew Ryan wasn't going anywhere. It's unfortunate for the team, as he doesn't serve any real purpose on this roster but it is what it is. Plus MacT has already come out and stated that #94 would be back for the '13-14 campaign...albeit in a limited role. Safe to say, we can scratch Smytty off the list.

Which brings us to Mr. Horcoff. Ever since he signed his 6 year/ $33 million extension prior to the 2009-10 season, nothing but unrealistic expectations have been placed on the captain's shoulders. His $5.5 million cap hit is without question one of the worst "deals" in the NHL but that doesn't mean we should simply disregard his value as a player and importance to this roster.

All that being said, the chances of Edmonton using one of their buyouts on Horcoff is actually quite good...it just won't be this year.

For argument's sake, let's say the Oilers decide to buyout Horcoff this summer. The team still owes him a total of $7 million over the next two seasons, meaning Edmonton could get him off their books for just under $4.7 million. On the flip side, should they decide to buy him out prior to the 2014-15 season, they would owe him just $2 million but that would be on top of his salary of $4 million for the 2013-14 campaign.

Meaning it comes down to this. They either hand Horcoff $4.7 million to split town and get him off the books asp or give him $6 million but have him play one more season in Edmonton and continue to help with the transition. Can anyone honestly tell me, with a straight face, that the Oilers could find better player than Shawn Horcoff for just over $1.3 million? Though some may not want to openly admit it, the answer to that question is pretty darn obvious.

Edmonton will likely be in no danger of going over the cap for the coming season but that will change in '14-'15. With the likes of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Justin Schultz, and Jeff Petry all scheduled to become restricted free agents and netminder Devan Dubnyk staring at unrestricted free agency, the captain's number will need to be removed following next season.

Leaving one of Belanger or Eager as a no-go for a compliance buyout this summer. Though with teams now having the ability to keep up to fifty percent of a player's salary in a trade, moving either should not prove to be overly difficult for the Oilers new GM. As bad as both have been during their time in the Alberta Capital, there will be more than a few teams willing to take on Belanger for $875,000 or Eager at $550,000. Of that, there is no doubt.

This coming off-season will be a benchmark of sorts, in the history of the Edmonton Oilers. After languishing at or near the bottom of the league standings for much of the past decade, the Oilers look to be on the verge of taking some major steps forward with their current roster. Something which is not lost on Craig MacTavish. Whatever needs to be done for the long term benefit of this organization, you can bet on him doing it...including cutting ties with a player he has always held in very high esteem.

Oilers History: 1988 Stanley Cup Final - Edmonton vs Boston (Game One)

2013-05-18T11:09:00.002-06:00

Heading into the 1988 Stanley Cup Playoffs, there were those in the hockey world who felt the Edmonton Oilers had met their match. They were no longer the automatic favourite in the minds of many and for the first time in seven years, the Oilers did not win the Smythe Division crown. That honour now belonged to their provincial rival, the Calgary Flames.

For the first-time in his NHL career, Wayne Gretzky suffered a major injury and was forced to miss sixteen games during the regular season. While the knee injury he suffered against the Philadelphia Flyers would ultimately end his reign as league MVP at eight consecutive years and see his string of seven straight Art Ross Trophy's snapped by Pittsburgh's Marion Lemieux, it was a blessing in disguise.

For the first time in ages, Gretzky was able to not only rest up and recharge his battery but also hear the continual talk surrounding both he and the Oilers no longer being what they once were. Nothing like having good ol' #99 heading into the post-season with a chip on his shoulder.

Despite having won three of the last four Stanley Cups and playing in four of the last five finals, Glen Sather's crew had something to prove. With the departure of Paul Coffey to Pittsburgh in exchange for highly touted youngster Craig Simpson, Edmonton were no longer the same club but they were far from being over the hill.

After taking out the Winnipeg Jets in five games during the opening round of the playoffs, Edmonton would send the hockey world a major statement in round number two...sweeping the favoured Flames in four straight and looking damn impressive in doing so.

The Detroit Red Wings would be next and to their credit, they did manage to take a game off the Oilers but were simply no match for Gretzky and company. Meaning it would be five Stanley Cup Final appearances in six years for Edmonton...with only the Boston Bruins standing between them and a chance at becoming one of the greatest teams in hockey history.

Today marks the 25th Anniversary of the opening game of the 1988 Stanley Cup Final. It was a series that would put the finishing touches on what was arguably the most dominant single playoff run in the Oilers storied history. They clearly had more talented lineups in the past, 1987 being the one that stands out the most, but never one that was more focused on the job at hand.

In celebration of the 1998 victory, I will take a look back at how the Edmonton Oilers won their fourth championship in five years and confirmed their place among the greatest teams in National Hockey League history.

Forwards
Esa Tikkanen - Wayne Gretzky - Jari Kurri
Glenn Anderson - Mark Messier - Craig Simpson
Geoff Courtnall - Craig MacTavish - Norm Lacombe
Mike Krushelnyski - Keith Acton - Kevin McClelland

Defencemen
Kevin Lowe - Craig Muni
Steve Smith - Randy Gregg
Marty McSorley - Jeff Beukeboom

Goaltender
Grant Fuhr

Game One

In an opening period that featured five power plays opportunities between the two sides, three of which that went to the Bruins, neither side generated much on the man advantage. Netminders Grant Fuhr and Andy Moog did not see much in the way of rubber during the opening twenty minutes of play, though the Oilers starter made a pair of big stops, keeping the Eastern Conference champs off the board. The first coming on a point blank look from Michael Thelven and the other being a brilliant pad stop off defenceman Gord Kluzak.

Moog would also leave his mark on the period, robbing Gretzky with a sliding pad save in the dying seconds of period one. It was more of a feeling out process than an all out back and forth battle, as both sides played a fairly sloppy and undisciplined frame. That being said, Kevin Lowe did manage to send a message to the visiting Bruins, sending veteran Keith Crowder flying with a gorgeous open-ice hit at the Oilers blueline.

Edmonton would come out flying to start the second, as Glenn Anderson nearly cashed in on a lovely give and go with Mark Messier, in the periods opening seconds. The Oilers speedster simply blew past Ray Bourque as if he were nothing more than pylon but Moog would have none of it. That early pressure would eventually lead to the Bruins taking an ill-advised too many men on the ice penalty, which would come back to haunt them.

While Gretzky would eventually bank home a loose puck off a down and out Moog for his tenth of the playoffs, it was another key stop from Fuhr, mere seconds earlier, which allowed Edmonton to take the first lead of the series. Jari Kurri misplayed the puck along the Bruins blueline, leaving Ken Linseman a clear-cut breakaway from the red line in but as per usual, the Oilers all-star netminder was more than up to the task.

Despite giving up the the early power play marker, Boston continued playing a simple but effective road game and were handed a glorious opportunity to even things up midway through the frame. Unfortunately for them, Fuhr would stone Thelven for the second time in as many periods, preserving the Oilers lead. However, the Bruins would finally be rewarded shortly thereafter, as Cam Neely made the most of a costly turnover from Geoff Courtnall, powering a slapshot through Fuhr, for his eight of the post-season.

That goal seemed to give Boston life and with just over twenty-five minutes to play, the B's had themselves one helluva chance of stealing Game One of the Finals.

While Boston saw a steady diet of the Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier lines for much of the night, it was a shift from the fourth line of Mike Krushelnyski, Kevin McClelland and Keith Acton that would produce Edmonton's second goal of the night and eventual game-winner.

After watching Moog pull off his best Johnny Bower imitation, with a perfectly timed poke-check on a streaking Krushelnyski, the Oilers crashed the Bruins net in search of that go-ahead marker. Randy Gregg would miss a wide open net on the rebound but the combination of the ensuing mayhem and McClelland only being in the right place at the right time, would earn Edmonton their second lead of the night.

Despite being one of the Oilers bangers and lesser skilled forwards, McClelland was always one who was comfortable in the offensive zone and he used that to his advantage on this occasion, finding a wide open Steve Smith with a simple but effective pass.

Keith Acton, who started the whole sequence by sending in Krushelnyski, would play the role of hero, re-directing Smith's point shot past Moog and into the back of the Bruins net. For the second period in a row, the defending champs scored inside the opening two minutes of play and just like that, Northlands Coliseum and the Oilers bench came to life.

Boston tried to fight their way back but outside of a wonderful chance from Bob Joyce on the power play, Edmonton shut the Bruins down. Fuhr made the necessary stop off Joyce to keep it a 2-1 game but frankly had an easy go of it the rest of the way.

Oilers History Page

Should the style of game the Oilers play ultimately matter?

2013-05-17T11:39:00.000-06:00

Wednesday afternoon's announcement that an agreement had finally been reached between Edmonton Oilers owner Darryl Katz and the City of Edmonton to move forward with plans to build a state of the art Downtown Arena Complex, left Oilers fans ecstatic with the news. It was an agreement which took seven long years to reach but it eventually got done.

Obviously turning a profit is and should always remain a massive part of the equation for anyone running a sports franchise. Having said that, for those which take great pride in wanting to be the best of the best, championships are what truly matters. Hockey is a results driven business and if you don't produce, generally, you do not hang around long enough to get a second or third kick at the can.

Forcing many a GM and coach to adopt whatever system they deem necessary, to keep their team competitive. However, in my mind, employing that mindset comes with a rather hefty price tag...the entertainment level of the game itself.

The current era of NHL player is superior to any before them. As a whole, they are bigger, faster and stronger athletes, that have pushed the pace of the game to levels never seen before. When played in its purest form, you would be hard-pressed to find a more exciting game on earth. Yet here we sit in the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs and on many night, the game leaves me wanting more.

While the vast majority of teams do not have the necessary collection of high-end talent to play a more entertaining brand of hockey, many have decided to bring the game to a grinding halt. Instead of seeing exciting free-wheeling hockey, on most nights, we get a boring chess match. Successful teams have always had structure to their approach but at what point does that structure become harmful to the on ice product?

Here in Edmonton, it is a slightly different scenario. With players such as Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Justin Schultz and Nail Yakupov already in the mix, this roster has its fair share of elite offensive talent. While all of these guys are still young and finding their way as NHL players, the sky appears to be the limit for them as a collective unit.

Clearly this group needs to gain more experience and have a better surrounding cast placed around them but there appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel .General Manager Craig MacTavish was brought on board to do one thing, improve the roster. While his job will be far from easy, it is pretty straight forward. Improve the overall mix with better players. Simple but again...far more difficult to accomplish.

For argument sake, let's say MacTavish was able to re-jig this roster and bring in the necessary players to make an immediate impact. At that point, do the Edmonton Oilers become like 95% of the NHL and do whatever is necessary to win games or do they become part of that 5% and try and change how the game is played?

It is a pretty tough call, especially in a city that has not seen the post-season since that magical run to the 2006 Stanley Cup Final. On the other hand, many in this city have had the privilege of watching not only Wayne Gretzky during his heyday but also one of the greatest teams in the history of the game.

While I am in no way shape or form comparing this team to the Dynasty Era Oilers of the 80's, they do have the necessary firepower to open up games and dictate how they will be played. The days of all-out firewagon hockey are a thing of the past but teams in recent years, like the Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks, have shown you can still play a solid all around game in today's NHL but remain entertaining to watch.

Not everyone needs to play like the Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers or St. Louis Blues, just to name a few. Organizations must recognize what they have in house and bring in coaches who will compliment those pieces...not stunt their growth. Just as you would not ask a bottom six banger to lead your team in scoring, you should not expect the likes of an Eberle, Hall, RNH or Yakupov to suddenly turn into a defensive stalwart.

Of course players need to be defensively responsible but not at the expense of what they can create at the other end of the rink. Be it in the here and now with Ralph Krueger or whomever this team employs as a head coach down the road, the willingness to play a bit of a risky style, has to be part of the equation. If you have the horses, why not allow them to leave the stable on occasion?

As previously mentioned, MacT and company have a fair amount of work to do before this team is ready for prime time but the top end of this roster is constructed in such a way, that the reigns need loosening for them to reach their full potential. There will definitely be more growing pains but in my mind, the Oilers owe it to their fans and to a certain extent, the NHL as a whole, to play a free-flowing style of game.

It will be up to teams like Edmonton, the Colorado Avalanche and New York Islanders to join the Blackhawks and Penguins, as teams wanting to push the game into a different direction.

Let's hope the Edmonton Oilers stay on course and continue to build towards becoming one of those teams and not just your run-of-the-mill NHL franchise. At the end of the day, it is all about winning but in some instances, this being one of them, how a team gets to that point does matter.

Canada crash and burn at the 2013 IIHF World Championship

2013-05-17T08:15:00.002-06:00

It was Groundhog Day yet again for Team Canada at the 2013 IIHF World Championship. For the fourth straight year Canada were dismissed during the the quarterfinal stage of the competition, this one coming courtesy of Team Sweden. The 3-2 shootout loss was made that much harder to swallow, with the loss of captain Eric Staal during a first period knee-on-knee collision with Vancouver Canucks blueliner Alex Edler.

Mike Smith was solid for Canada in the loss, stopping thirty shots but the guy at the other end of the rink was that much better. Buffalo Sabres netminder Jhonas Enroth turned away thirty-nine of the forty-one pucks fired his way and three of Canada's four shootout attempts, clinching the host nation a spot in the semifinal round for the ninth time in ten years.

Right from the drop of the puck, it was obvious this one was for keeps. After sitting through some painfully dull hockey games throughout the preliminary round, this one had a nice pace from the outset. The two sides traded chances during the opening fifteen minutes of action but that all changed when Edler decided to take out Staal with what was a dirty hit.

While head coach Lindy Ruff would no longer have the services of his captain at his disposal, Sweden would lose their best defenceman and hand Canada a five minute power play, courtesy of the kneeing major handed out to the Canucks number one defenceman. The crowd in Stockholm clearly didn't like the call but it was, frankly, the only one to make.

Canada did absolutely nothing with the late period man advantage, which was cut short by a silly hooking penalty from Andrew Ladd, but they would cash-in early in the second, putting themselves in the driver's seat. Steven Stamkos would tally his seventh of the tourney, neatly re-directing a Stephane Robidas point shot past Enroth, mere seconds after Ladd's minor penalty had expired.

It looked as though the Stamkos power play marker could end up being the difference, as both Enroth and Smith continued to stand tall at both ends of the rink. However, Sweden would finally breakthrough in the third, as they took advantage of a couple of ill-timed Team Canada penalties.

Niklas Danilesson's seeing-eye point shot found its way through a maze of bodies and behind Smith, less than a minute into a delay of game penalty to Dan Hamhuis, putting the Swedes back on level terms. As if losing the lead wasn't bad enough, Claude Giroux would matters worse, taking a bonehead crossing checking penalty all of three minutes later and putting Sweden back on the man advantage.

They would need only twenty-nine seconds to covert power play number two, as another Danlesson blast worked its way through traffic, before glancing off the stick of Loui Eriksson and under Smith. Just like that, Canada went from being up a goal, to having their backs up against the wall.

To Giroux's credit, the twenty-five year old captain of the Philadelphia Flyers wasted no time in atoning for his earlier blunder, scoring his third of the tournament...1:15 after Sweden's go-ahead marker.

Neither side could find the winner during regulation or overtime, meaning this one would be decided in a shootout. Goals from Eriksson and Edmonton Oilers forward Jordan Eberle left the two teams tied at one a piece after three shooters, pushing this one into sudden death. The Swedes would be up first and Fredrik Pettersson surprised everyone, beating Smith with an absolute bomb of a shot, giving Sweden the advantage.

Eberle would go next and for the second straight time, he easily beat Enroth but this time the goal post got in the way.

Game over.

In a tournament that featured a number of questionable moves from Ruff, one being his unwillingness to use Taylor Hall with any sort of regularity, Canada's bench boss likely saved his biggest miscue for the very end.

With all due respect to Eberle, Matt Duchene and Giroux, all three of which whom took part in the shootout, the fact Stamkos was not one of Team Canada's shooters is mind boggling. Not only is the Lightning's sniper arguably the best goal scorer in the entire National Hockey League, he was far and away Canada's best player during the World Championship. Yet there he sat, unmoved and playing the role of cheerleader during crunch time.

Montreal Canadiens defenceman PK Subban finally made his pro debut for Canada, after being knocked out of last year's event due to injury. Subban played 23:39 on the night and was a force everytime he hit the ice but in the end, it mattered little.

With the win, Sweden reclaimed their customary spot in the IIHF World Championship semifinal. Despite all of their success over the last decade, the Swedes have managed to win the whole thing on just one occasion, 2006, after knocking off the Sidney Crosby led Canadians 5-4, in a classic semifinal matchup.

Oilers Dubnyk looks to be Canada's No.2

2013-05-14T10:04:00.000-06:00

Heading into the 2013 IIHF World Championship, Edmonton Oilers netminder Devan Dubnyk looked to have a realistic shot at earning the job as Team Canada's starter. He would definitely have some competition for the spot from Phoenix Coyotes starter Mike Smith but the opportunity was there to be taken. Unfortunately for the Oilers tender, he did not make the most of the opportunity and looks as though he will be headed for another turn as Canada's #2 at crunch time.

Making his third consecutive trip to the World Championship, Dubnyk had earned the right to get the call in the tournament opener. While Smith did carry the Coyotes deep into the 2012 NHL Playoffs, he was coming off an inconsistent campaign in 2013 and was making his first appearance wearing a Team Canada jersey. At the end of the day, that start ultimately hurt the former fourteenth overall selection's chances at earning shot at driving the bus during the elimination round.

As expected, head coach Lindy Ruff decided to use a goalie rotation throughout the preliminary round, leaving Dubnyk four starts to Smith's three but the quality of competition was not even close. The Oilers puckstopper faced Denmark, Norway, Belarus and Slovenia, whereas Smith drew in against Switzerland, Sweden and the Czech Republic.

While he struggled slightly in his debut, Smith improved with each and every start. Dubnyk on the other hand, faced just fourteen shots against Norway and all of ten, when Canada toyed with Belarus for sixty minutes. Bringing us to yesterday's start against Slovenia, in which Dubnyk allowed two first period goals on just four shots and another in the second, after Canada came back to tie it up at two.

Not exactly the impression you want to leave in your coach's mind, heading into the elimination portion of the tournament. Especially when the other guy is coming off back-to-back thirty plus save performances, in which he made a number of highlight reel stops.

Dubnyk's stat line (1.48 GAA, .913 SV%) was decent but Smith led all netminders with a .957 SV% and a minuscule 1.30 GAA through round robin play. As a coach, it is pretty hard to ignore those numbers and having Dave Tippett as part of Canada's coaching staff, makes it a no-brainer.

Devan Dubnyk may not have had the good fortune of facing some extra rubber against one of the better opponents at the 2013 World Championship but he was handed four starts to show what he could do. Had he completely shut the door in those starts, Dubnyk could have very well been Canada's go-to-guy in the quarterfinals. That did not happen and because of it, #40 will find himself stapled to the bench from here on in.

Winterhawks simply too much for the Oil Kings to handle

2013-05-13T07:14:00.000-06:00

So much for that storybook ending. After earning a hard fought come from behind OT victory in Game Five of the Western Hockey League Championship Final, the Edmonton Oil Kings seemed destined to send this one to a seventh game for the second consecutive year. As good a team as the Portland Winterhawks are, there was no way they were beating the Oil Kings three consecutive times on Rexall Place ice.

Unfortunately for the defending champs, the Winterhawks had other plans in mind.

Despite falling behind 1-0 in the opening seconds of play, Portland stormed back with five unanswered goals, including a hat-trick performance from Playoff MVP Ty Rattie. The 5-1 final clinched the Western Hockey League crown for the Winterhawks, whom were participating in their third consecutive WHL Final and are now headed back to the Memorial Cup, for the first time since hoisting the trophy in 1998.

At the end of the day, Portland was by far and away the better team. While Edmonton were missing two key components in captain Griffin Reinhart and forward Trevor Cheek, the Winterhawks dominated play for large portions of the finals. Be it in goal, on the blueline or upfront.

Mac Carruth out-dueled last year's playoff MVP in Laurent Brossoit, who was either out of this world good or simply just average throughout the series. Having said that, had it not been for the play of the Calgary Flames prospect between the pipes, this one could of wound up being a four game sweep.

On defence, all the talk coming in surrounded potential first overall pick Seth Jones, who was as good as advertised, but it was the Winterhawks entire backend that held the Oil Kings vaunted offence at bay. Be it Jones, Derrick Pouliot, captain Troy Rutkowski or Tyler Wotherspoon, Portland's top four blueliners were simply outstanding...from start to finish.

Whereas Edmonton received gutty performances from the trio of Martin Gernat, Keegan Lowe and David Musil, the loss of Reinhart created far too big a hole for this group to overcome. While both Lowe and Musil took on the vast majority of the captain's usual workload, it was painfully obvious they were unable too handle it against a side as talented and dangerous as Portland.

Curtis Lazar was probably Edmonton's most consistent forward from an all around standpoint but the highly touted prospect had one point in six games/ Ditto for linemate Henrik Samuelsson, who scored a pair in the opener and did nothing but take bad penalties and turnover the puck the rest of the series. Even the trio of Michael St. Croix, TJ Foster and Dylan Wruck, who were fantastic in the Game Five overtime win, combined for just six points in the remaining five games of the final.

Obviously the loss of Cheek, who had points in eight of the Oil Kings first nine playoff games, was a major blow but with the talent this team had upfront, their lack of scoring was frankly shocking. Made even worse by the fact Edmonton went scoreless on their final thirty-four chances on the man advantage, including a 0-for-14 run against Portland..

Compare that to the Winterhawks, whom received major contributions from their top line of Brendan Leipsic (3 goals), Nicolas Petan (6 points) and Rattie (5 goals), and it becomes pretty clear why the series went the way it did. Head coach Travis Green had his best players deliver when it mattered most.

Having said all that, the Oil Kings have no reason to hang their collectives heads. They went out and gave it their all, despite missing a couple of key pieces. In the end, it wasn't nearly good enough but in falling to the Portland Winterhawks, Derek Laxdal's gang lost to a better team. Plain and simple....and there is no shame in that.

Make it four straight, as Canada edge Czech Republic 2-1

2013-05-12T18:00:00.000-06:00

Seldom used Carolina Hurricanes forward Jeff Skinner played the role of hero for Team Canada on Sunday afternoon, scoring early in period three and propelling Canada to a crucial 2-1 over the Czech Republic at the 2013 IIHF World Championship. Netminder Mike Smith stopped thirty shots in earning his second victory and improving upon his tournament leading .952 SV%.

Canada jumped out to an early advantage, as Wayne Simmonds neatly re-directed Eric Staal's pass through Ondrej Pavelec, cashing in on yet another power play opportunity. Defenceman Dan Hamhuis picked up the second assist on the goal, in what his debut performance of the tourney, since being added to the roster on Friday. After looking less than impressive to start the championship, Lindy Ruff's crew have now scored in four consecutive games on the man advantage.

Despite falling behind midway through the first, the Czech Republic started to take the game to the Canadians and were rewarded with the equalizer before the period was out. Petr Koukal knocked home a juicy rebound off the pads of Smith, after sliding in behind TJ Brodie and pouncing on the loose the puck.

Canada found themselves in a bit of a pickle six minutes into the second, as Luke Schenn was handed a five minute major and a game misconduct, for a hit from behind. Lucky for them, Martin Hanzal took an ill-advised tripping penalty midway through the man advantage, breaking up what could have been a game changing situation.

The score would remain tied until Skinner broke the deadlock on a goal Pavelec would love to have back. After picking up the puck deep in his own zone, the young Hurricanes sniper went coast to coast, before beating the Winnipeg Jets netminder with a nifty little wraparound. Give Skinner credit for one helluva rush up ice but Pavelec simply had to mind a way to keep that puck out.

The win leaves Canada with a 5-0-1 mark with one game remaining in the preliminary round of the competition, good enough for second spot in Group S. At this point, it looks as though the Canadians may very well have to settle for the runner-up position in the group, as Switzerland continues to be the surprise of the tournament, beating Norway 3-1 for their sixth win of the round robin.

Brossoit outstanding in Oil Kings OT victory

2013-05-11T09:45:00.000-06:00

Four games into the 2013 Western Hockey League Final between the Edmonton Oil Kings and Portland Winterhawks, we had yet to see a game that rivaled their classic seven game series from a year ago. That all changed on Friday night, as the two sides combined to put on as good a performance as anyone could ever want to see in a championship setting.

Michael St.Croix scored the OT winner 7:24 into the extra session, lifting the Oil Kings to a come from behind 3-2 victory and sending the series back to Edmonton for Game Six on Sunday afternoon. On night in which St. Croix played the role of hero, the star of show was Oil Kings netminder Laurent Brossoit.

The reigning WHL Playoff MVP took his game to another level, stopping forty-nine of the fifty-one shots fired his way, giving his team a chance to stay alive and fight for another day. After looking somewhat pedestrian like during games three and four of the series, Brossoit returned to his usual playoff form on Friday night.

From Portland's standpoint, they could not have dreamed for a better start. Joey Baker opened the scoring all of fifteen seconds in, splitting the Oil Kings D and beating Brossoit with a sneaky little backhand, sending the Rose Garden Arena faithful into early hysterics. In all honesty, the Hawks could have easily been up a pair within the first minute but Edmonton's #31 would have none of that.

For the fourth time in five games, the Winterhawks came out flying from the drop of the puck and jumped out to an early 9-0 advantage on the shot clock. Thanks to the effort of their starting netminder, the Oil Kings managed to weather the storm and would than draw even midway through of the period...on just their second shot on goal.

After cycling the puck deep in the Portland zone, TJ Foster threw a puck out front from behind Mac Carruth's net, that bounced in off Nicolas Petan and past the Winterhawks starter. The goal was originally given to St. Croix but replays clearly showed the puck deflecting in off Petan.

From that point on, it was end to end action with both teams trading chances over the next thirty minutes. Back and forth they went, as Carruth and Brossoit continued to stand on their heads. It was a frenetic pace from the outset and simply breathtaking to watch. In a day and age when all that seems to matter in the NHL is "systeming" the game to death, watching two highly talented teams playing fire-wagon hockey was definitely a sight for sore eyes.

Carruth would make the first big blunder of the night early in third, coughing up the puck after leaving his net to corral a St. Croix dump in. Carruth's ill-advised clearance attempt was picked off by Edmonton's Dylan Wruck, who found a streaking St. Croix, with nothing but a yawning cage to shot at.

That gave Edmonton their first lead of the night but Portland would respond with a lucky one of their own, with just under six minutes in regulation time. Brendan Leipsic continued his strong playoff run, as his bad angled shot deflected off the stick of defenceman Ashton Sautner and glanced off a startled Brossoit and into the back of the net. Just like that, Portland had all the momentum on their side, with a possible Western Hockey League Championship staring them in the face.

Brossoit held the fort the rest of the way, getting his team into overtime, after Stephane Legault came closest to ending it in regulation, beating Carruth but catching nothing but iron, with a quick snap shot in the dying minutes. Portland held a 43-26 advantage on the shot clock through sixty minutes but Edmonton more than held their own over final twenty minutes of regulation.

Setting the stage for St. Croix's overtime heroics and keeping the Oil Kings chances of repeating as WHL Champs alive for at least a couple of more days. Despite Game Six being back at Rexall Place on Sunday afternoon, all the pressure remains on the shoulders of the Winterhawks.

After blowing a glorious opportunity to not only clinch the Western Hockey League crown but also secure a spot in the 2013 Memorial Cup, Portland will undoubtedly feel the collar tighten, should a Game Seven be necessary on Monday night. While they will have the advantage of playing a "winner take all" finale in arguably the loudest building in the WHL, it would be no guarantee against a lineup as experienced as Derek Laxdal's crew.

Schultz picks up two more points in Canada's routine win over Belarus

2013-05-11T09:44:00.000-06:00

A combined seven point outburst from Team Canada's top line of Steven Stamkos, Claude Giroux and Andrew Ladd did the vast majority of damage in Canada's 4-1 victory over Belarus in Group S action at the 2013 World Championship. Edmonton Oilers blueliner Justin Schultz picked up a pair of assists, while netminder Devan Dubnyk registered his third straight victory, making just nine saves on the night.

Canada needed a little bit of time to get going in this one, as Colorado's Ryan O'Reilly opened the scoring at the 11:17 mark, thanks to a brilliant behind the net feed from Jeff Skinner, to jump start the Canadians attack. From that point, it was a power play extravaganza for Lindy Ruff's crew.

Ladd would be the first to strike on the man advantage, ripping home his third of tourney, extending Canada's lead before the period was out. Twenty minutes in, Canada had a 2-0 lead on the scoreboard and a massive 20-2 advantage on the shot clock. From that point on, Canada put it into cruise control.

Having said that, Giroux still managed to give the fans their money's worth, going end to end, before setting up Stamkos an easy tap in for his fourth of the championship to make it 3-0. He than followed that up with gorgeous little fake/wraparound in the third period, leaving netminder Dmitri Milchakov out of sorts, and the Flyers captain nothing but a wide open net for his third point of the night.

After picking up a goal and an assist in the win over Belarus, Stamkos remains tied for the tournament scoring lead with nine points in five games. Outside of the former sixty goal man, the only other players to have registered nine points through the opening five rounds of games are Russia's Iyla Kovalchuk and Finland's Petri Kontiola.

The win moves Canada's record to 4-0-1 through the preliminary round of the competition and moves them temporarily into top spot in Group S, two points up on Switzerland, who still have a game in hand. With Team Canada set to take on the Czech Republic and Slovakia in their final two round robin games and the Swiss facing Denmark, Norway and Belarus, it looks as though first place may be out of reach for Lindy Ruff and company.

Hamhuis to Join Canada - Vancouver Canucks defencman Dan Hamhuis has agreed to join Team Canada for the remainder of the 2013 IIHF World Championships. The blueliner is scheduled to arrive in Stockholm on Saturday and suit up for Canada's game on Sunday morning/evening.against the Czech Republic. Hamhuis did play in four straight world championships from 2006 to 2009, as a member of the Nashville Predators, including Canada's last gold medal winning side in 2007.

Canada rollover Sweden in marquee matchup

2013-05-10T07:10:00.000-06:00

In what was easily their most impressive performance of the World Championship, Team Canada powered their way past the host nation with a 3-0 win over Team Sweden in Group S action at the 2013 IIHF World Championship. Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos continued to carry the hot-hand upfront, scoring his third goal of the championship and moving into a tie for the tournament scoring lead, with seven points in four games.

Netminder Mike Smith bounced back with a stellar performance, stopping all thirty-three shots he faced for the shutout, after falling to Switzerland in his his opening start if the tourney. The victory gives Canada ten points and sole possession of second place in Group S, just one point back of the surprising Swiss for top spot in the division.

Canada wasted little time in jumping out to an early lead, as Stamkos wired an absolute bullet past Jhonas Enroth at the 8:56 mark, with the Swedes down a man. The power play marker was only the third of the preliminary round for the Canadians but they are slowly rounding into to shape on the man advantage. A pair of quick passes from defencemen Brian Campbell and Edmonton Oilers youngster Justin Schultz, opened up a lane for the Lightning's triggerman to have a wide open look, leaving the Buffalo Sabres tender little chance on the play.

Enroth would get his revenge before the period was out, robbing Stamkos with a brilliant pad save in tight, keeping his team in it, despite being badly outplayed for much of the opening twenty minutes. However they would finally extend the lead early in the second, as Luke Schenn rifled home his first of the round robin, beating Enroth high to the glove side, inside the opening minute.

Canada kept coming, pushing their lead to three before the period was out. Jordan Staal made the most of a lovely feed from Colorado's Ryan O'Reilly on a two-on-one break, putting one just beyond the reach of a fully extended Enroth, to make it a three goal bulge. Staal had the good fortune of having just stepped out of the penalty box and finding himself in the midst of an odd man rush.

Through forty minutes of play, it was men against boys. Had it not been for the heroic effort of their diminutive netminder, Sweden could have found themselves down at least half a dozen, heading into the intermission. To their credit, they come out hard for the final twenty minutes, peppering Smith with seventeen shots but the Phoenix Coyotes number one man was up to the challenge.

It may not have been the finish head coach Lindy Ruff was hoping for, being badly out shot 17-5 in the third period, the Canadians had it in cruise control over the final twenty minutes of action. With their record now sitting it 3-0-1 for the championship, Canada will look to make it three wins in a row on Friday morning/evening, as they take on Belarus at 2:15 pm (EST) on TSN.

Look for Edmonton's Devan Dubnyk to get the call in between the pipes for third time in five games, as Ruff continues to employ a goalie rotation throughout the group stage of the competition. Canada will than have Saturday off before completing their preliminary round schedule with games against the Czech Republic on Sunday and Slovenia on Monday.

Oil Kings on the ropes following pivotal Game Four loss

2013-05-09T10:11:00.000-06:00

On the strength of a twenty-nine save performance from netminder Mac Carruth and another solid all round team effort, the Portland Winterhawks moved to within one win of the Western Hockey League Championship, edging the Edmonton Oil Kings by a score of 2-1 on Wednesday night. Captain Troy Rutkowski scored the winner midway through the second, leaving the Winterhawks on the verge of qualifying for the 2013 Memorial Cup.

For the second consecutive night, Edmonton's Laurent Brossoit was out dueled by his counterpart at the other end of the rink, in what was an almost must-win situation for the defending WHL champs. Brossoit made nineteen saves, none bigger than a brilliant pad stop off Portland's Seth Jones on a two-on-one break early in the first, but in the end he fell one save short of what was needed from him.

Edmonton escaped having the game shoved down their throats from the drop of the puck for the first time in four games, as Derek Laxdal's crew matched the visitors stride for stride during the open twenty minutes. However, an ugly rebound off the pads of Brossoit coupled with some shotty defending from the Oil Kings, would once again put them behind the eight-ball.

Brendan Leipsic would bang home his second of the series, after Brossoit was unable to corral his initial shot on goal, with less than three minutes to go in the first. After finally putting together a fairly solid opening period of play, Edmonton were still left staring at a one goal deficit heading into the intermission.

After pushing the pace for much of the series, the Winterhawks fall back into a defensive shell over the final two periods. While much has been made of Portland's high-powered offence, it has been Travis Green's blueline that has been the difference in this series.

Carruth has had much of the credit heaped upon his shoulders for holding the Oil Kings at bay but it has been the work of Mr. Jones and company on the backend, that has made life for their netminder far easier to deal with. Edmonton have seen their shot totals grow as the series has moved along but the vast majority have been kept to the outside.

Despite registering just four shots in period two, Portland would increase their lead courtesy of their captain. With Dylan Wruck off for high-sticking, the Hawks wasted little in making the most of one of their view opportunities. After pulling apart the Oil Kings penalty kill in a matter of seconds, with three gorgeous tape-to-tape passes, Rutkowski had a wide open look from the slot and buried his chance.

Edmonton would finally solve Carruth 4:45 into the third, as Mitch Moroz batted home just his second of the post-season, briefly bringing the crowd to life and giving his team hope of pulling of the comeback. They did have a couple of quality looks to tie things up, the best of the bunch being a wide open cage staring Curtis Lazar in the face but Stephane Legault was unable to connect with #27.

Carruth did the rest, swallowing up everything that came his way. An undisciplined high-sticking penalty from Henrik Samuelsson with under a minute to play, put this one to bed. Portland would simply play keep away for remaining fifty-six seconds and leave Rexall Place with a pair of pivotal road wins in their pocket.

On a night in which the Oil Kings needed their best players to be their best players, outside of Lazar, none were able to raise their level of play. Leading scorer Micheal St. Croix and TJ Foster were invisible for much of the night, outside of being robbed by Carruth on their one and only scoring chance in the third, while Samuelsson was a turnover machine for much of the evening.

Having played some major minutes for coach Laxdal since the loss of star defenceman Griffin Reinhart, the trio of Martin Gernat, Keegan Lowe and David Musil look to be playing on nothing more than fumes. All three continue to play hard and give it their all but against a team like Portland, that is rarely good enough.

The series shifts back to Portland on Friday night, where the Winterhawks will look to end the Oil Kings reign as Western Hockey League champs at one year. It will be tough sledding for Edmonton to go out and force a Game Six on Sunday afternoon back at Rexall Place but one thing that would certainly go a long way towards accomplishing that...would be a power play goal

After going scoreless on another four attempts on Wednesday night, the Oil Kings have nothing to show for their last twenty-nine opportunities on the man advantage.

"We've tried everything," said Laxdal. "We need to go back to the basics. I think the pressure's getting to them a bit. I'm hoping they can relax now. We're asking our players to shoot the puck and for some reason they won't. If you want to be successful on the power play, you have to shoot the puck. Plain and simple."

"For us to get back here on Sunday for Game 6, our power play has to work on Friday."

Truer words have never been spoken.

Carruth stands tall in Winterhawks win over Oil Kings

2013-05-08T11:08:00.001-06:00

On the strength of a three goal first period and a thirty-eight save performance from netminder Mac Carruth, the Portland Winterhawks took a 2-1 series lead over Edmonton Oil Kings, with a 3-1 victory in Game Three of the Western Hockey League Final.

Portland's Ty Rattie scored what turned out to be the eventual game-winner early in the first and in the proces, became the WHL's all-time leading playoff goal scorer. The second round pick of the St. Louis Blues is enjoying one heck of a playoff run, scoring seventeen times in his eighteen post-season games

Through the first two games, Oil Kings netminder Laurent Brossoit had been the star attraction, holding an explosive Portland attack at bay for much of the opening six periods of the series. Unfortunately for him and his teammates, Brossoit struggled mightily upon his return to usually friendly confines of Rexall Place.

Taylor Leier opened the scoring at the 4:39 mark, sneaking a quick shot through the Oil Kings netminder, on what was somewhat of a broken play. It was not the start Edmonton wanted but it was exactly what the doctor ordered for the visiting Winterhawks.

From that point on, the Oil Kings were on their heels and Portland simply waited for the opportunity to pounce. That chance came at the eight minute mark, as Stephane Legault was out muscled for the puck at the Winterhawks bluelline, creating an odd man rush going the other way.

Nicolas Petan would feed Rattie on the two-on-one break and the Hawks sharpshooter made no mistake, beating Brossoit between the pads to make it 2-0. It was a tough goal for the Oil Kings tender to surrender, as he appeared to be in perfect position to make the stop but was somehow fooled by Rattie's release.

It would only get worse form there, as Oliver Bjorkstrand completed the first period onslaught, sneaking in behind Edmonton's defence before flipping home a lovely little backhand up and over a helpless Brossoit. Just like that Portland had three goals on ten shots and played what was easily their worst opening twenty minutes of the series.

Michael St. Croix would get one of those back nine minutes into period two, finishing off a gorgeous three way passing play with linemates TJ Foster and Dylan Wruck, but that would be the lone time they would beat Carruth on the night. Just as he was during the Winterhawks game two victory, Carruth was solid when called upon during the opening forty minutes of play but took it to another level in period three.

Edmonton threw everything but the kitchen sink at the Portland starter over the final frame but he was up to challenge, stopping all twenty pucks fired his way. While the Oil Kings had few Grade "A" scoring chances, Carruth was incomplete control, as Edmonton were in all out desperation mode. The duo of Curtis Lazar and Henrik Samuelsson were buzzing for much of the night but were simply unable to solve the wall standing in front of the Winterhawks goal.

Head coach Derek Laxdal has to be at his wits end when it comes to his team's starts and suddenly ineffective power play. As previously mentioned, the Oil Kings have now had three consecutive dreadful starts to open the WHL Finals and that will have to stop, should they have intentions of defending their Western Hockey League Crown or pushing this series beyond five games.

As far as the man advantage goes, Edmonton are currently on an 0-25 run which dates back to their series against the Calgary Hitmen. It nearly cost them against their provincial rival but against a team as good as the Winterhawks, they need some sort of production out of the power play, or they will have little chance in advancing to 2013 Memorial Cup.

Game Four goes tonight at Rexall Place and the Oil Kings will most certainly be a desperate bunch. They clearly are in must-win territory but they do have experience to draw on, as they were in almost the same exact scenario during the 2012 Final. They actually had to win game four on the road in Portland, to even the series up at two games a piece.

However, there was one big difference. Edmonton knew they would have the potential of playing Game Seven in their home barn...something they do not have at their disposal this time around.

Hall nets a pair in Canada's thumping of Norway

2013-05-08T09:21:00.000-06:00

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos had himself a four point night in leading Team Canada to an easy 7-1 victory over Norway at the 2013 IIHF World Championship. The trio of Matt Duchene and Edmonton Oilers forwards Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall combined for six points, with Hall scoring twice, despite once again seeing limited minutes.

After a pair of less than impressive starts against Denmark and Switzerland, Canada finally found their mojo from the drop of the puck. Andrew Ladd opened the scoring at the 4:45 mark, courtesy of a brilliant pass from Stamkos, and just like that Canada started to look like the offensive juggernaut everyone was expecting to see.

Jeff Skinner would make it 2-0, wrapping home his first of the tourney and kicking off a Canadian flurry which would see them beat Norwegian netminder Lars Volden, three times in just under five minutes. Duchene would continue the onslaught, burying his third of the championship, thanks to a nifty little feed from Eberle, to make it 3-0.

Claude Giroux make it a four goal bulge before the period was out, tapping home a power play marker from the lip of the crease, courtesy of just a ridiculous pass from Oilers defenceman Justin Schultz. It was total domination by the Canadians. Plain and simple. It was such a dominating performance, that you almost forgot who Team Canada's starting netminder was.

Edmonton's Devan Dubnyk got the call for the second time in three games and faced all of one shot during the opening twenty minutes of play...and you could argue if he even saw that much rubber come his way. Dubnyk would lose his shutout bid midway through the second but did improve to a perfect 2-0 for the championship, stopping thirteen of the fourteen shots fired his way.

After being benched during the last half of Canada's 3-2 loss to Switzerland, Taylor Hall was once again given far less ice time, than any other Team Canada skater. However the talented youngster made the most of his limited opportunity, leading the team with six shots on goal and scoring twice in just over ten minutes of ice time. His first came early in the second, courtesy of yet another brilliant feed from Eberle, to make it 5-0 and than closed out the scoring in third, banging home a loose puck to make it a 7-1.

The win leaves Team Canada one point back of the Swiss for top spot in Group S and one up on Sweden, whom many felt would be Canada's stiffest competition during the preliminary round. Lindy Ruff's crew will get a first hand look at this year's edition of Team Sweden in their next time out, as the two face-off on Thursday evening/morning, in what should be one of the better games of the round robin portion of the schedule.

Lack of quality players cost the Canucks not goaltending sideshow

2013-05-07T09:51:00.000-06:00

There are those out there that feel just as Toronto Star columnist Damien Cox does, when it comes to the most recent struggles of the Vancouver Canucks. They point to the distraction of the season long goaltending controversy between Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider, as the reason behind the Canucks failure to produce in the post-season. With Alain Vigneault's crew on the verge of being swept in the first round by the San Jose Sharks, it is painfully obvious, that is not the case.

There is no questioning the fact that General Manger Mike Gillis screwed up. He put his two goaltenders and head coach in a very tough situation, by deciding to not make a move prior to the start of the 2013 season. To their credit, all three men dealt with the situation admirably and in my mind, it was far less of a distraction inside that dressing room, than some made it out to be.

It's not as if we are talking about two guys who are at the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to talent. If anything, it has almost been a pickem' situation, in which Vigneault really couldn't go wrong. Having said that, most coaches prefer to run with one guy as their starter and that simply was not an option in Vancouver.

Was it a distraction for Vigneault and his netminders? Most definitely but both guys managed to put together fairly solid campaigns and Vancouver took home another Northwest Division title. Was it a distraction in the room? Can't see how it could have been, especially with how well both Luongo and Schneider dealt with the never ending questions. Both guys seem to be well liked within the room and contrary to popular belief, the team plays just as well or poorly, in front of both goaltenders.

Which brings us to the real problem with this team. They were not good enough to get out of the first round of the playoffs last season and Gillis decided to do absolutely nothing to try and improve the roster. Sorry but adding former Florida Panthers defenceman Jason Garrison to a blueline that had lost a number of key pieces in each of the previous two off seasons, was not going to cut it.

Outside of Daniel and Henrik Sedin, the Canucks top six forwards were about as weak a group as you could find in the Western Conference. Which was made that much worse, with Ryan Kesler being in and out of the lineup for much of the season. Yet their GM decided to stand pat and hope to god that David Booth would finally turn into the answer. How's that going for you Mike?

Back in June of 2012, I wrote a column in this very space, which focused on Schneider being the one that Gillis should have been shopping and not Luongo. To this day, I have yet to receive more emails about any one of my columns, as I did that day from irate Canucks fans. The usual comments about the Edmonton Oilers and their lack of success were sent my way, which were expected, but really had nothing to do with the matter at hand.

If anything, those of us who have followed the plight of the Orange and Blue over the last number of years, are likely more qualified than most, when it comes to recognizing inept management. Lord knows we have had more than our fair share of it in this neck of the woods. Thanks again for that Vancouver...those Steve Tambellini years will go down in Oilers history.

All of that being said, those who were under the impression Vancouver would get some sort of king's ransom for the veteran puckstopper, were fooling themselves from day one and Gillis was leading the charge. With Luongo's contract being the albatross that it is, they were either getting nothing in return or next to nothing and another poor contract coming back their way. It was pretty cut and dry.

While the Canucks GM tried to make it look as though he had serious conversations with a number of teams about the former first round pick of the New York Islanders, we all know that never occurred. Discussing the possible cost of acquiring a player and having a serious trade discussions, are two very different things. His hands were tied and he knew it.

Instead of looking for another way to try and improve his club, he sat and did nothing. The answer was staring him in the face the whole time...he just didn't want to believe it. The only way to get out from under this mess, was by moving Schneider and bringing back pieces that could possibly improve the club.

Let's be honest here, would any Canucks fan have been happy with the rumored deal involving the Toronto Maple Leafs at this year's Trade Deadline? Best case scenario, had Vancouver agreed to eat a large chunk of Luongo's salary, would have been a couple of mid-round picks and Ben Scrivens. An absolutely ridiculous return but that is as good as it is going to get. Be it at this year's deadline or the coming off-season.

That so-called window teams have to try and win a championship is definitely closing on this edition of the Vancouver Canucks. With that being said, perhaps the time has come for this organization to seriously consider bringing in a General Manager who, to quote Oilers GM Craig MacTavish, would be willing to make some "bold moves" to try and get this club over the hump. Mike Gillis is not the answer.

Should Vancouver continue to drag their feet and ignore what troubles this lineup, they will find that window slamming shut and forever dreaming about what might have been. Something the Canucks organization and fan base are all too familiar with.

Ruff's benching of Taylor Hall is a head scratcher

2013-05-06T10:34:00.000-06:00

Despite having the vast majority of his players playing well below their capabilities during Team Canada's first two games of the tournament, head coach Lindy Ruff has decided to make an example of Edmonton Oilers star winger Taylor Hall at the 2013 IIHF World Championship. Why you ask? That's a very good question and one that only Ruff and his coaching staff could answer.

After seeing limited duty during the third period of Canada's 3-1 victory over Denmark in their opener, Hall saw just 8:33 of ice time in yesterday's 3-2 loss to Switzerland. Including all of 1:43 in the third period and not a single second in the extra session. No Team Canada skater played less.

Think about that for minute. Canada has generated next to no offence and has been downright dreadful on the man advantage and yet they leave a guy that scored fifty points and finished ninth in NHL scoring, on the bench. One would think Hall would be a handful on the bigger ice surface but apparently the trio of Ruff, Dave Tippett and Barry Trotz think differently. Seem odd to you? It certainly does to me.

Perhaps this coaching staff was unaware of the fact Hall was the second leading scorer in the Western Conference and trails only Steven Stamkos and Eric Staal as Team Canada's most prolific scorers during the 2013 campaign. Outside of that, stapling the talented youngster to the bench makes absolutely no sense and is frankly unwarranted.

While Hall has had some struggles during his first five periods wearing a Canadian jersey as a professional player, turning the puck over on several occasions, he has plenty of company among his teammates. However, others who are consistently coughing up the puck, are getting thrown back out there on a regular basis, see Claude Giroux, despite costing their team actual goals on the scoreboard.

Instead of granting the former first overall pick the necessary ice time to adjust to the bigger ice surface and different style of game, something given to the rest of the top players on this roster, Hall has been supplanted by the likes of Philadelphia's Matt Read and Wayne Simmonds. With all due respect to the hard working Flyers duo, that is laughable.

At what point will Team Canada coaches learn to get out of their own way and allow their talent to take over games on an international ice surface? Of course there needs to be accountability up and down the lineup but the mindset of using your grinders ahead of a guy as good as Hall, borders on insanity.

Very few players in the game today have the offensive package the Oilers youngster can bring to the table on a shift by shift basis and yet this coaching staff seems almost unwilling to let him go. Would it not make sense to allow him to find his game and form a chemistry with linemates Matt Duchene and Jordan Eberle, against the likes of Denmark, Switzerland and Norway?

When it comes time for Canada to take on the likes of the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden or Team USA, Ruff is going to need Taylor Hall to be at his very best. Using him in the manner he presently is, will make that next to impossible and puts the player in a very tough situation.

Come on Lindy, do what is best for your team and get of the way. These are not the Buffalo Sabres you are coaching. It is a roster filled with some of the best young talent in the game today. How about you give all of them the opportunity to show what they can do? You will be pleasantly surprised.

Canada falls to Switzerland in shootout

2013-05-06T08:44:00.000-06:00

Two games into the 2013 IIHF World Championship, it is pretty clear this year's edition of Team Canada has a ways to go in finding their overall game. After sneaking past Denmark in the tournament opener, Canada came out with another disjointed effort against Switzerland, falling 3-2 in a shootout. The loss leaves Canada in third place in Group S with four points, one back of the Swiss and two behind Norway.

For a the second straight day, the Canadians came out flat as could be and once again, found themselves trialing after the opening twenty minutes of action. An awful turnover from Philadelphia Flyers centre Claude Giroux, was quickly turned up ice into a two-on-two rush and hammered home for the opening goal by Denis Hollenstein.

Giroux's turnover left the D pairing of T.J. Brodie and Jay Harrison on their heels and caught starter Mike Smith deep in his net, as he was beat from well out by Hollenstein. It was definitely a shot Smith would like to have back but Switzerland had been the better side and were rewarded for their hard work.

Canada did bounce back with goals from Andrew Laad in the second and Matt Read in the third, the second of which being an absolutely dreadful goal on the part of Swiss starter Martin Gerber, taking their first lead of the night. This despite playing as uninspired a brand of hockey one would ever care to see from a bunch of players wearing the Maple Leaf.

New York Islanders prospect Nino Niederreiter would even things up at two piece, kicking home a loose puck under an out of position Smith, during a mad scramble in the blue paint. Obviously, the goal should have been waved off but with just under seven minutes to go, one would have thought the Canadians would have turned it up the rest of the way.

That certainly didn't happen and off to overtime and the shootout they went.

Reto Suri and Matt Duchene were the only two skaters to beat Gerber and Smith in the first seven rounds of shooters but Suri would break the deadlock, beating Smith for the second time in the skills competition, with a dirty little dangle. Gerber did the rest, stopping Duchene for the second time in three attempts, to clinch the victory for the Swiss and send Lindy Ruff and company back to the drawing board.

Winterhawks steamroll Oil Kings to even series at one

2013-05-05T09:17:00.000-06:00

Twenty-four hours after watching the Edmonton Oil Kings steal away home-ice advantage in the Western Hockey League Championship Final, the Portland Winterhawks responded with another stellar effort in what was pretty much a must-win situation. Goals from Ty Rattie, Brendan Leipsic and Oliver Bjorkstrand paced the Winterhawks to an easy 3-0 win, over an Edmonton side that seemed content leaving the Rose Garden Arena with the split they were looking for.

For a second straight night, netminder Laurent Brossoit was bombarded early on but this time Portland would find a way to sneak one past the Oil Kings starter. Rattie would give them their first lead of the finals, banging home a loose puck for his sixteenth of the playoffs, with the Winterhawks on the power play. The icebreaker came with Travis Ewanyk in the box for charging, which was Edmonton's third consecutive minor penalty, in the opening eight and half minutes of action.

It was a trend that would continue throughout the evening, as the Oil Kings found themselves shorthanded on seven separate occasions. Just as they did in the series opener, Portland has possession of the puck for the vast majority of the first, holding an 11-3 advantage on the shot clock and were rather unfortunate to have not extended their lead.

Brossoit did all he could to keep his team in it, including a huge stop off potential first overall pick Seth Jones on a breakaway. It was a familiar sounding theme for Derek Laxdal and company but on this night, the play of his number one netminder would not be enough to pull off the win.

To Edmonton's credit, they bounced back with a far better second period but were unable to get on past Mac Carruth, who made eleven of his sixteen saves on the night, during the middle frame. Portland would respond with a pair of late markers before the period was out, to put this one out of reach.

Leipsic snapped home his eighth of the post-season, on a shot Brossoit would probably like to have back. Hard to lay blame on a guy for getting beat on a two-on-one break but the Oil Kings starter was beat clean to glove side, after losing track of his net. It was far from a stinker but one you would generally expect last year's WHL Playoff MVP to come up with..

Just over a minute later, Portland would make it a three goal bulge, courtesy of an absolute rocket of the stick of Bjorkstrand. The thirty goal man unleashed a blast from just outside the hash marks, which Brossoit could only wave at, as the Garden faithful exploded on cue.

Edmonton had nothing left in the tank over the final twenty, collecting all of two shots on net and giving them a grand total of five, during the the first and third periods. There is no question they were the second best team on the ice during the opening two games of the WHL Final but they go home with the split they were looking for. Mission accomplished.

Game three and four will go on Tuesday and Wednesday night in the friendly confines of Rexall Place, as the Oil Kings look to respond with a little home ice dominance of their own. As expected, this one appears to have seven game series written all over it and hockey fans couldn't be happier.

Dubnyk solid in Canada's tournament opener

2013-05-04T18:42:00.000-06:00

It was far from a masterful performance but it was still more than enough for Lindy Ruff's Team Canada side to squeak by Denmark 3-1, in the 2013 World Championship debut for both sides. Colorado Avalanche sniper Matt Duchene led the charge upfront with a pair of highlight reel goals, while Edmonton Oilers netminder Devan Dubnyk was solid, stopping twenty-four of the twenty-five shots fired his way.

Not surprisingly Canada came out flat as a board, as they generally do in their first game of the championship, and were fortunate to only be down 1-0 after the opening period of play. Morten Green gave the Danes an early lead, splitting the defence pairing of T.J. Brodie and Jay Harrison, before beating Dubnyk high under the bar with a stunning backhand finish.

The goal came with captain Eric Staal off for slashing and if not for a pair of clutch stops from the Oilers netminder off Phoenix Coyotes forward Mikkel Boedker, Canada would have also yielded a shorthanded marker in the first period of play. All things considered, Dubnyk was solid in his debut and showed the ability of making the clutch stop when called upon.

Canada started to find their legs in period two and were finally rewarded with the equalizer, courtesy of some hard work down low by Duchene. The talented youngster circled around the Denmark net, fighting off a couple of defenders, before flipping a nifty little backend up and over starter Simon Nielsen. Just like that, Canada was back on level terms and hungry for more.

They wasted little time grabbing their first lead of the night, as Steven Stamkos took a great feed from Staal and tucked home what will likely be his first of many during the tournament, giving Canada a 2-1 lead. The goal came with Canada on the man advantage, thanks to an ill-advised slashing minor from Jesper Jensen, all of 1:23 after the Duchene icebreaker.

Colorado's leading scorer would close out the scoring seven minutes into the third, burying a lovely little touch pass from Jordan Eberle, after weaving his through three Danish defenders. It was a stunning individual effort from the former third overall pick and should set the tone for what fans can expect from the trio of Duchene, Eberle and Taylor Hall.

Canada will be back in action on Sunday morning, as they take on Switzerland in game number two of the preliminary round. Ruff will turn to Coyotes netminder Mike Smith, as he starts his goaltender rotation during round robin play. Ultimately, Team Canada's bench boss is hoping one of Dubnyk or Smith steps up and grabs the starters role before the elimination round.

Oil Kings take series opener

2013-05-04T10:47:00.000-06:00

A two goal night from Edmonton Oil Kings forward Henrik Samuelsson, coupled with thirty-five stops from netminder Laurent Brossoit, proved to be far too much for Seth Jones and the Portland Winterhawks to overcome in the opener of the Western Hockey League Championship Final. The 4-1 victory allowed the Oil Kings to not only draw first blood in the series but also saw them wrestle away home-ice advantage from the Winterhawks.

Curtis Lazar and Dylan Wruck were Edmonton's other two goal scorers, while Stephane Legault capped off a brilliant performance with a three point night. While the defending champs were on their heels for much of the opening twenty minutes, they managed to right the ship over the final two periods, taking full advantage of less than stellar effort from Portland starter Mac Carruth.

It looked to be men against boys from the drop of the puck, as the Winterhawks sent in wave after wave but were unable to solve Brossoit. The Oil Kings puckstopper stopped all sixteen shots fired his way in period one, including couple of huge saves off Ty Rattie late in the frame.

Edmonton did manage to open the scoring just over two minutes in, as Dylan Wruck flipped home a loose puck behind Carruth, after Travis Ewanyk drove to the net and simply through a pass out front, that found its way over to Wruck. Portland had Edmonton pinned in their zone for almost the entire two minutes but were unable to cash in on any of their opportunities.

The Winterhawks appeared to have tied it up with 8:09 remaining in the opening stanza, as Brendan Leipsic finished off an absolutely gorgeous three way passing play, courtesy of a Cody Corbett blunder at the Portland blueline. Luckily for the Oil Kings, the goal was waived off, as the WHL's leading point getter directed the puck into the yawning cage with his skate.

It was a tough break for the Western Conference champs but it was the right call. Though the 10,097 in attendance would tell you otherwise. Brossoir held the fort the rest of the way and Edmonton went to the intermission with their lead still intact.

They would extend that lead midway through the second, as Henrik Samuelsson beat Carruth with a quick shot, for his tenth of the post-season. Legault did all the dirty work, knocking down defenceman Troy Rutkowski's poor clearing attempt at the blueline, before feeding the first round pick of the Phoenix Coyotes for a wide open look.

After looking almost over-matched during the first twenty-five minutes of action, Edmonton settled down and played one helluva a road game the rest of the way. Brossoit was called upon to make a couple of more crucial stops but the steady stream of Grade A chances were a thing of the past.

Portland did finally get one behind the Oil Kings starter early in the third, as Taylor Leier banged home a rebound for his eighth of the playoffs, making it a 2-1 game with exactly seventeen minutes left to play. However, Edmonton would restore their two goal cushion, all of forty-seven seconds later.

It would once again be the duo of Legault and Samuelsson who would strike for the visitors, as the second year Oil King snapped home his eleventh, on somewhat of a broken play. While the Carruth was partially screened on the shot, he looked ill- prepared to deal with Samuelsson's quick release.

Lazar would closeout the scoring with his ninth of the post-season, as he simply outworked Jones in front of the Portland net, grabbing a rebound off the backboards and chipping it up and over a beleaguered Carruth, to make it a 4-1 game and silence the Rose Garden crowd once and for all.

While Derek Laxdal's crew did not have their "A" game from the outset, they more than deserved to walk away from the series opener with a one game lead. There is no question that Brossoit held them in it early but should we have really expected anything less from the reigning WHL Playoff MVP?

Edmonton weathered the storm and have now put all the pressure on the Winterhawks, in what will be a must-win situation on Saturday night, before the series shifts to the Alberta capital for games number three and four at Rexall Place.

2013 IIHF World Championship - Team Canada Preview

2013-05-03T07:33:00.000-06:00

The latest edition of Team Canada's entry into the IIHF World Championship are set to kick-off their schedule in Stockholm, Sweden. As always, TSN will be airing the championships in Canada, starting with the opener against Denmark on Saturday morning at 10:15 am (EST).

Just like last year's edition, the team will have an Edmonton Oilers flavour to it. Devan Dubnyk and Jordan Eberle are both returning, while a healthy Taylor Hall and rookie Justin Schultz, have also been added into the mix. Lindy Ruff's crew looks as though they may have their challenges in their own end of the rink but upfront, he might just have one of Canada's most talented groups in some time.

Forwards

Matt Duchene, Jordan Eberle, Claude Giroux, Taylor Hall, Andrew Ladd, Ryan O'Reilly, Matt Read, Wayne Simmonds, Eric Staal, Jeff Skinner, Jordan Staal, Steven Stamkos

With the 2014 Sochi Olympics just around the corner, most were expecting many on Canada's high profile names to make the trip overseas this year and take part in the yearly event. Luckily for Hockey Canada, that is exactly what happened, leaving Canada with a forward group which should be able to impose their will on almost any opposition...no matter the style of game.

Carolina Hurricanes centre Eric Staal was named captain on Thursday evening and is slated to start the tournament on line with a pair of Philadelphia Flyers, in Matt Read and Wayne Simmonds. Ruff has an almost embarrassing amount of riches at his disposal upfront and has manged to construct what looks to be a rather scary looking four line attack.

On top of the aforementioned trio, Steven Stamkos will find himself on Team Canada's top line with Claude Giroux and alternate captain Andrew Ladd. While the Oilers duo of Hall and Eberle, will be centred by Colorado's Matt Duchene, in what could be one of the tournament's most entertaining trios to watch. Leaving the captain's brother Jordan Staal and fellow Hurricane Jeff Skinner, on a line with the Avs Ryan O'Reilly.

The quartet of Eberle, Laad, O'Reilly and Skinner are all returning from last year's team, who were surprisingly bounced in the quarter-finals, in a shocking loss to Slovakia. While that roster was missing more than a few big name players who were eligible to play, the forward group scored more than its fair share of goals throughout the tournament.

Safe to say, scoring goals should not be a problem for this year's edition either. Especially with so many guys having played with each other in previous tournaments or already being teammates, if not linemates, with their current NHL clubs. There's no question Canada will score a boatload of goals

Defencemen

T.J. Brodie, Brian Campbell, Brenden Dillon, Jay Harrison, Stephane Robidas, Luke Schenn, Justin Schultz

Unfortunately for Team Canada, the vast majority of this country's premier defencemen tend to find themselves in the National Hockey League playoffs and are rarely available for this tournament from the outset. On those occasions where one or two may be available, generally something gets in the way from them pulling on the the red and white Maple Leaf.

Last year, they were dealt a major blow with the loss of Montreal's P.K. Subban to a knee injury in the team's opening exhibition game against Switzerland. This year's blueline is fairly young and inexperienced but with the likes of Dustin Byfuglien, Braydon Coburn and Shea Weber all either unable or unwilling to take part, it should come as no surprise.

While much will be expected from both Brian Campbell and alternate captain Stephane Robidas, the duo of Brenden Dillon and Luke Schenn are coming off strong campaigns and should be able to lend a helping hand. Calgary's T.J. Brodie and Edmonton's Justin Schultz are both young developing defencemen and should excel playing on the larger ice surface, while helping Canada transition the puck up ice Though it would be safe to assume the two would not find themselves together in the starting lineup, unless Canada were to run into injury trouble or decide to rest someone against weaker competition.

As for the D pairings go, nothing appears to be set in stone but the fact Robidas & Dillion have seen time together in Dallas, would make them an obvious duo.Meaning Campbell will likely lineup beside Schenn and Carolina's Jay Harrison would find himself in third pairing with the Oilers young blueliner.

Look for Campbell and Schultz to each anchor a power play unit, as Ruff will run with four forwards on both groups. Leaving the quartet of Dillon, Harrison, Robidas and Schenn the bulk of the work on the penalty kill. Far from an ideal scenario but one that should be good enough...at least in the short term. You can bet Canada would gladly add some experience to their backend, should the opportunity arise after the completion of the first round of the NHL playoffs.

Goaltenders

Devan Dubnyk, Michael Garnett, Mike Smith

One would think that Devan Dubnyk what get the chance to run with the ball, after putting together a nice season as the Oilers top goaltender and making his third consecutive trip to the World Championships. He had a far better season than Phoenix's Mike Smith but the Coyotes starter has the advantage of having Dave Tippett as one of Canada's assistant coaches.

While both guys will undoubtedly get their chance to play during the round robin portion of the competition, Dubnyk will have to be that much better to earn the starter's role come crunch time. Smith may have struggled with his consistency throughout much of the abbreviated 2013 NHL campaign but he is also the same guy that carried Phoenix all the way to the Western Conference Finals during last year's playoffs.

There is no question the starter's job is up for grabs but barring Devan Dubnyk playing out of his mind or Mike Smith falling flat on his face, the smart money would be on Smith being Canada's guy when they start playing for keeps.

Group H (Helsinki) - Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Russia, Slovakia, USA

Group S (Stockholm) - Belarus, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland, Sweden

TSN Broadcast and Tournament Schedule

Memo to the Edmonton Oilers organization: Taylor Hall is a winger

2013-05-02T09:42:00.000-06:00

With the Edmonton Oilers having yet to address their need for some additional size down the middle of the ice, the yearly calls for moving Taylor Hall to centre have started to make their rounds. While he would likely be more than capable of taking on the role, albeit at a rather steep learning curve, why on earth would the organization even consider move?

Hall is not only coming off his best season to date but also managed to stay relatively healthy, for the first time since being selected first overall by the Oilers at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. He finished ninth in league scoring with fifty points in forty-five games and was by far and away, Edmonton's most consistent player on a nightly basis.

Why exactly would you want to mess with that?

This roster has so much currently wrong with it, that it is sometimes hard to keep up. However, moving one of the few reliable and working pieces out of his comfort zone, would be a major blunder on Edmonton's part. Especially considering the player has hinted on numerous occasions, he has no really desire in playing the position.

During last weekend's "Garbage Bag Day" exit interviews with the local media, Taylor was once again asked about the possibility of making the switch for the 2013-14 season. His response was, not surprisingly, less than enthusiastic.

"I don't know. I think I had a pretty good year playing wing so...", said Hall. "I'll do whatever it takes, at this point. If they see me as a centre and we're a winning team with me playing centre, then that's fine by me but... it's whatever they want to do". "I like playing wing, I haven't played centre in a long time, so I can't really say the same for that but whatever they want me to do, I'll do".

Not exactly a ringing endorsement and if you actually go back and listen to the interview, located here, you clearly hear the ton in his voice change, when answering the question. Who can blame him? The kid is coming off a season in which he finished second among scorers in the entire Western Conference and yet talk surrounding him possibly moving to a different position are continually being brought up.

Back in July of 2012, I wrote in this very spot, that there was no rush in trying Hall out and centre and fully expected him to be left on the wing during the 2013 campaign. The former Windsor Spitfires star needed time to not only heal from shoulder surgery but also the opportunity to focus on improving his overall game and staying healthy.

The last thing he needed was the pressure of learning a new position on the fly, without the chance to work on it in the off-season or during a proper training camp. Never mind the fact, that his surgically repaired shoulder likely wouldn't take kindly to taking hundreds of face-offs. In my mind, if they still needed to address the issue come 2013-14, then by all means, give it a shot. I no longer believe that to be true.

The Oilers #4 not only elevated his game to a whole new level this season but has turned himself into one of the premier offensive weapons in the entire National Hockey League. With each passing day, he is becoming more and more of a threat .

Again, I ask the question. Why would you want to mess with that?

He made it quite clear during the aforementioned interview, he would do whatever it takes to help this team win games. I just don't see how limiting the effectiveness of your best player, is a step in that direction. Call me crazy but the kid looks downright frightening playing on the wing.

Here's a novel concept, how about addressing the need via trade or free agency? Creating another hole within the lineup and possibly hurting the production level and overall game of their best player, should not and frankly better not, be an option the Oilers are even considering.

Hall is the guy that makes this team tick, the straw that stirs the proverbial drink. Doing anything to disrupt that, at this stage of the game, would be simply asinine. Forcing a star player into a situation is rarely a good idea and would likely do nothing but create but blood between the player and organization. Something seen far too often in this neck of the wood...especially in recent memory.

When this organization decided to take the now twenty-one year old with that first pick in 2010, they knew what they were getting. If they wanted a centre, they should have selected Tyler Seguin. Pretty straight forward. The fact Hall is turning out to be a rather special talent, doesn't mean you go out and screw around with something that is clearly working.

In my mind, they called out the right name back in 2010 and he is turning out to be one helluva player. Now it is up to Craig MacTavish and the rest of the management team to go out and find the necessary parts, to build around the core piece of this franchise. That piece was and still is...Taylor Hall.

Klefbom and the 2013-14 Edmonton Oilers

2013-05-01T09:06:00.001-06:00

While Craig MacTavish made mention of defenceman Oscar Klefbom as being part of the solution to the Edmonton Oilers blueline woes, perhaps as early as 2013-14, there is no need to rush the youngster to the National Hockey League. Coming off a shoulder surgery which cost him all but a handful of games during the 2012-13 season with Farjestads BK Karlstad in the Swedish Elite League, Klefbom simply needs to play and adjust to life in North America.

Many are hoping the former nineteenth overall pick can produce the type of rookie campaign that former teammate and good friend Jonas Brodin, put together this season in Minnesota. While Brodin did have himself a helluva first season, that may ultimately see him take home the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie, he did have a couple of things help him out during his first year in North America.

One being the Wild having a true top pairing defenceman in Ryan Suter, on top of a number of other capable NHL defencemen. The likes of Brett Clark, Justin Falk, Tom Gilbert, Nate Prosser, Jared Spurgeon and Clayton Stoner are not much different, as a collective group, than say the Oilers D core. However, when you throw in a player of Suter's stature into the mix, that all changes.

The former Nashville Predator is a flat out stud and changes the entire complexion of Minnesota's backend. When you have a true elite defenceman, he alone can mask many limitations within a club's blueline and also allow an organization the ability to bring along a young talented player at the NHL level, should they decide to go that route.

Minnesota had that option with Brodin but the Oilers are not so lucky. Barring a major splash that would see them acquiring say a Shea Weber, which is likely nothing more than a pipe dream, Edmonton can not afford to bring in an inexperienced player like Klefbom on board for the '13-'14 season. All you need to do is take a look at Justin Schultz and his up and down rookie year and you see just how inconsistent a first year player can be...as part of a very weak defensive core.

The other point to remember, is like Schultz, Brodin spent time in the American Hockey League during the NHL Lockout. While the Oilers young blueliner was all-world during his time with the Oklahoma City Barons, the Swedish youngster played just nine games with Houston Aeros. Thanks to a broken collarbone, ironically enough, suffered on a hard hit from one Taylor Hall.

He obviously didn't see much ice time during his stay in the AHL but just having him over and acclimatizing himself to life in North America, prior to making the jump to the NHL, was a huge plus for Brodin. In my mind, Klefbom is in the same boat. He may need a little more seasoning due to his shoulder injury but it's life away from the rink, that guys tend to have the most issue with.

While Klefbom would likely have the advantage of having a pair of fellow Swedes in Anton Lander and Magnus Paajarvi around to help with the adjustment, there will still be growing pains. Add to that, the pressure of coming to a group that already has one youngster in place and little depth throughout the rest of the D core and in my mind, you have a recipe for disaster.

Regardless of whether or not he appears to be ready for the NHL, the smart move would be to not rush him into something he may not be ready for. While Edmonton will undoubtedly upgrade their backend during the off-season, they have three guys you could consider locks, in Jeff Petry, Schultz and Ladislav Smid. None of those three are top pairing defencemen and dropping the big Swede into the mix, would only make things worse.

With the Oilers staring at a ton of games against bigger teams like the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings, not to mention the San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks, the plan should be to acquire some veteran help, not adding a twenty year old raw rookie. The last thing this team needs, is another kid taking on a massive role within the core group.

Moving forward, this organization is hoping the pair of Oscar Klefbom and Justin Schultz will be their top pairing for years to come. In my mind, there is a very good chance those two will turn into exactly that. However, force feeding Klefbom minutes before he is ready to take them, won't make it happen any sooner. If anything, it could do more damage to his overall development in the long run.

There is no question, the pressure is on the Edmonton Oilers to start making a push up the National Hockey League standings...as there should be. Having said that, deviating away from the development plan of one of their better up and coming prospects, who is not already in the NHL, would not only be a mistake for the organization but also a disservice to the player.

MacTavish will have himself one busy off-season

2013-04-30T08:26:00.000-06:00

It was the same old same old on Monday morning at Rexall Place. Another end of season address from the Edmonton Oilers General Manager...with one difference. Craig MacTavish did not pull any punches. He made it very clear, that this organization needs to make some major changes, if they are to take that next step and become a perennial playoff team. The job is obvious but finding those necessary answers, may not be so easy to acquire.

It was a very entertaining and informative thirty minute presser from the Oilers new GM. He spoke his mind, said his piece and did so in very confident and matter of fact manner. The former bench boss appears more than ready to take this team into a different direction and look towards finally trying to end this organization's seven year absence from Stanley Cup post season play.

When asked by Hall of Famer writer Terry Jones if it would be fair to expect as many as eight new Oilers in the lineup next yr, MacT answered with a very simple and direct, "I think that's fair...I think that's fair". He went on to add, "There is going to be some significant and meaningful change...for sure. I think in today's era, even when you win, there's significant change and when you're in the situation we're in, at this stage in our development as a team, there is every reason to expect there will be at least that many".

According to the former four-time Cup winner, Ryan Whitney will not be returning and it surely did not sound promising for Ales Hemsky and Theo Peckham. That's three players right there and we haven't even mentioned the likes of Eric Belanger, Ben Eager, Nikolai Khabibulin, Lennart Petrell and Jerrad Smithson.

It sounds as though the time for being patient is clearly over and the time to look towards not only improving the roster in the immediate future but also the"culture" inside that room, has arrived. MacTavish made no bones about this lineup needing a face lift but also recognized that the players who do stick around need to be better.

Be netminder Devan Dubnyk needing to take his game to the next level or the plethora of talented forwards improving their play away from the puck and cutting down on what, at times, can be a absolutely ridiculous amount of turnovers. They need to be better in almost every area, of that there is no question.

That being said, the vast majority of those core pieces that are an absolute necessity in building a winning club, are already in place or on their way. Leaving MacTavish the task of adding those missing ingredients, to help them along the way. He is more than aware of what type of player this organization needs.

"Our overall team strength and depth has to be improved upon," he said. "It's my position that we've got to address that to a large degree and we're going to be trying to do that through personnel changes. We want more toughness, more meat and just more depth in our lineup."

So where does MacTavish go from here. He re-iterated the organization would be open to possibly moving their first round pick and said change will need to come via "draft, trade or sign". While no one they draft at the 2013 Entry Draft would likely benefit them in 2013-14, deals and/or free agent signings, are a completely different matter.

The names of Andrew Ference, Martin Hanzal, Eric Nystrom, Steve Ott, Robyn Regehr, Keith Yandle and Brandon Yip have all been mentioned by yours truly as possible targets and there are obviously many other options out there for MacT to seriously consider but at what cost. While he can definitely bring in some pieces via free agency, someone will need to eventually be moved, in order to improve the lineups overall depth.

Not surprisingly, he confirmed Ryan Smyth would be back for the final year of his two year pact, albeit in a limited role. He also hinted at taking a long hard look at bringing Ryan Jones back into the mix, despite becoming a UFA on July 3rd. Surprising? Yes but in my mind, I'd take a healthy Jones over an aging Smyth any day of the week. Though it looks as though many in Oil Country will get their wish and have one more season of the Mullet Brothers.

If you listened to the entire press conference, it's obvious the new GM is a big fan of Sam Gagner and frankly, he should be. Some feel I am a little hard on #89 but to be completely honest, I think he is a helluva player. Outside of Taylor Hall, Gagner likely competes harder than any other forward and has shown the ability to put points on the board. That being said, he has limitations to his game and the fact he is small in stature, doesn't help.

Could Sam be moved to the wing? Of course he could, I suggested as much prior to the 2011-12 season. Having said that, should the former sixth overall pick remain in the Alberta Capital...who goes. No matter how you look it, the overall mix needs to change and in order to do it, trades are going to have to be part of the equation.

Craig MacTavish talked about this organization making "bold moves" when he took over from Steve Tambellini back on April 15th and I have little doubt, he will do exactly that. Though it will be far harder to accomplish, than many might think. One thing is obvious, MacT has his work cut out for him.