| 17 November 2009
Stolen graphics courtesy of Low on Oil. Used without permission.
As promised, 5 questions for Jay of the fine Oilers blog Low On Oil (love that banner!) to help put you in the mood for tomorrow when the Avalanche travel to Edmonton. I've also done the same on his blog - so check it out!
(PS - Can I revise my prediction? Andy is in net tonight in Calgary - Boods is probably in net tomorrow and is likely to give up more than two...)
1. We’re at the quarter point of the season - what’s been the biggest surprise about this year’s Oilers team?
Without question, the biggest surprise this year has to be the inordinate number of player injuries which have occurred. Pat Quinn himself remarked that he's never seen anything like it in all of his previous years of coaching. I would be remiss if I didn't also mention how big of a surprise Dustin Penner's been this year. Currently, he's among the league leaders in point, goals, assists, and +/- in spite of killing penalties, playing with several different linemates, and logging tons of ice time. Let's be honest here, he's not racking up points playing with Thornton and Setoguchi. In his last game, he played for 24 minutes which is tons of ice time for a forward let alone a 245 lb winger.
2. In 2004, the Oilers fleeced the Avs, sending Tommy Salo to Colorado in exchange for Tom Gilbert – how is the former Avs prospect looking this year?
Haha, thanks for reminding me of one of the better deals that Kevin Lowe made! Gilbert's definitely struggled this year in comparison to last season in terms of his point production. However, the Oilers have lost several man games involving defensemen including Souray, Staios, and Smid. Consequently, Gilbert's had to play the top opposition and be utilized in a different roles including more penalty killing time. For an offensive defensemen, the role adjustment particularly when paired with Grebeshkov has been a struggle.
3. If you could play Oilers GM for a day and could make 1 move – what would it be?
Moreau, Staios, and Pisani for Ovechkin, lol? Okay, more realistically, I would pull the trigger on Tom Gilbert for Drew Stafford (Buffalo) and If Gilbert's trade value hasn't dropped this year, maybe get them to throw in someone like Steve Montador to balance the salary cap on the trade.
4. We’ve been division rivals for a while now - give me your favorite Oilers vs Avs moment.
Of course, it has to be the 1998 quarterfinals in which the Oilers defeated the Avalanche in 7 games. Back then, the Oilers were struggling financially just to maintain a full roster of players. Year after year the Oilers would lose players that they could no longer afford to keep. In contrast, the Avalache had a ridiculously stacked roster of players with Sakic, Forsberg, Roy, and Foote among others. Wow, Adam Foote's still playing hockey, isn't he lol? Today, it might be the equivalent of Team Canada losing to Team Germany in a seven game series. Really, it was that satisfying to wach your team win despite being incredibly out matched.
5. Any predictions for Wed’s game?
I'll be honest, I am pretty terrible with making predictions. With the Oilers injury situaiton, I would've bet against them in the most recent game--yet they won 5-3. The Oilers have a tough stretch of games starting on Sunday, so I will say Avs 4 Oilers 2.
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