The Name Game

So at work we have an ongoing competition to see who can name the most outrageous, or just the most in general NHL players, may it be anyone from the great Wayne Gretzky to no name players such as Frans Nielson (sorry bud). So I thought that for my next blog post I would give the A-Z all time best names list. Going with last names, Illl give you some of the best names to ever show up in an NHL program or grace the sheets of NHL ice. Trust me, you will want to look up some of these players stats after this, because ya never know...

A) Alexander Andrijevski HM)Thommy Abrahamsson
B) Jason Bacashihua HM) Dustin Byfuglien
C) Mariusz Czerkawski HM) Dino Ciccarelli
D) Hnat Domenichelli HM) Wade Dubielewicz
E) Phil Esposito HM) Nils Ekman
F) Lou Francheschetti HM) Pat Falloon
G) Bernie Geoffrion HM) Brent Gretzky
H) Kari Haakana HM) Nicklas Hjalmarsson
I) Al Iafrate HM) Ralph Intronouvo
J) Pat Jablonski HM) Jaromir Jagr
K) Alexei Kaigorodov HM) Darius Kasparaitis
L) Jamie Langenbrunner HM) Guillaume Latendresse
M) Glen Metropolit HM) Kent Manderville
N) Evgeny Namestnikov HM) Antero Niitymaki
O) Roman Oksiuta HM) Selmar Odelein
P) Alexei Ponikarovsky HM) Konstantin Pushkarev
Q) Bill Quackenbush HM) Stephane Quintal
R) Branko Radivojevic HM) Reijo Ruotsalainen
S) Jaroslav Svejkovsky HM) Fred Sasakamoose
T) Rick Tabaracci HM) Oleg Tverdovsky
U) Igor Ulanov HM) R.J. Umberger
V) John Vanbiesbrouck HM) Vladimir Vorobiev
W) Matthias Weinhandl HM) Andy Wozniewski
X) NO NHL PLAYERS
Y) Jeremy Yablonski HM) Dimitri Yuskevich
Z) Zarley Zalapski HM) Valeri Zelepukin

Well folks, if that doesnt brighten up your day, i dont know what will.

So I need to address the Edmonton Oilers recent performance. As a few of my fellow employee's and friends, and family, and well, just about everyone, is letting me know, the Oilers have absolutley, positively SUCKED out loud. Dating back to October 24th in Calgary, is where the Oilers began their current slump. They had come off such an emotional defeat of the Columbus Blue Jackets two nights before, and then they go into Cow Town and get blown out 5-2. Lucky for them they have to go to GM place the very next night and Luongo puts up the wall and the 'Nucks win 2-0. Mark that, its shutout #1. Then the ever so lucky Oilers came home to play the Western Conference leading Colorado Avalanche, and get owned by Craig Andersson for shutout #2. Then the Oilers beat up on the Red Wings for the 1st period of their next game, leading 4-0 after a minute into the 2nd period. However, the Oilers then let the Red Wings be the Red Wings and come all the way back, luckily for the Oilers they got away lucky with a shootout win. Then the Oilers hit the Eastern seaboard with another shutout loss in Boston (#3), and a poorly played 3-1 loss to the oh so great Islanders. So if you have been paying attention, the Oilers have been shut out in 3 of their last 5 games. They have managed to only score 6 goals in those 5 games (5 of them against Detroit).

So yes the boys have had some trouble scoring. However, the Oilers are victim to a few unfortunate circumstances since the end of October. For one, the whole team has suffered the flu bug. Mike Comrie, Ladislav Smid, Lubomir Visnovsky, Gilbert Brule, Denis Grebeshkov, and who knows who else has suffered from the flu and continued to play thru. Smid is the only one who actually was diagnosed with H1N1. Sheldon Souray and Steve Staios have been out with cuncussions. Ryan Stone has a busted knee. Shawn Horcoff is now out with a shoulder injury, and Fernando Pisani just now has returned to the lineup. So the hockey gods havent been to nice to the Edmonton Oilers as of late, and it shows. Here is hoping that a slightly healthier lineup can bring home a win against the Rangers tomorrow night.