Wednesday, November 4, 2009

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.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Saturday night, not all right

What a day, work was busy today. Though I did have one special customer today. A special group of three. To start off, I welcomed a young man and his mother to the store and noted they were looking at sticks. The son, let me know that he was looking for a new stick, as his old one he didn't like at all, a Reebok 8k, with a Datsyuk curve. Okay great, so "whats wrong with it?" was my simple question. He told me that he hated the curve and wanted something a little more calm. Great so right away I informed him on the curves that each stick company provided for what he was looking for, showing him an example in a Easton SE16 Zetterberg curve. He likes it. Alright so next I stay away from Reebok, and show him the new Bauer Vapor X60 in the Malkin curve, then the Easton S19 in another Zetterberg curve, along with a Warrior Dolomite Savard. I tell him he should try them all out and see which one he likes. This is when the retardation begins. He tells me that he is waiting for his brother, because he knows sticks really well. Oh really, does he want my job?! Anyways, whatever I wait for the oh so knowledgeable brother to arrive.

Brother shows up. First thing he tells his brother, who doesnt seem to swift either, "try a Reebok 8k, in a Spezza curve!". Okay so if you don't know, a Spezza curve, has a pretty big heel to it, while a Datsyuk is a pretty "big" simple curve, and a Zetterberg is a calm almost nothing to it, curve. So since the "salesman" brother seems to be doing just fine, I decide ill walk away for a bit and let them choose some sticks.I come back to this intelligent group and what does the young man have ready to try out in the RapidShot? He has a Reebok 8k Spezza curve of course, and a Bauer Vapor x20, which is way down the line from a X60, and he also has a Malkin curve Bauer Supreme One85, along with the same stick in a Gagne curve. So the only stick in there I suggested, the ONE85. So I get him in the RapidShot, and he is shooting all over the place, pucks are flying way over the target and way wide, with every stick, except the Malkin ONE85. He gets out of the RapidShot and I kindly let his mother know that he clearly did the best with the Malkin ONE85. Big brother throws in his two cents "man you got the best power out of the 8k!". Wonderful. I walk away at this point, because I couldn't handle it any more.

10 minutes later I walk by and he is now trying out a Supreme ONE75, Vapor X50, and SE16, all in Malkin/Zetterberg curves. Hmmm..... anyways the story ends with the kid buying a ONE75 Malkin because it was cheaper then the ONE85. Wow, gotta love some people.

So the Oilers turned in a pretty poor performance again this morning, another shutout loss. That's 3 out of the last 4 games being shutout. Goalies love playing the Oilers lately. They have scored just 5 goals in their last 4 games. I don't know you plan on winning with that kind of scoring. They played decently, but still, a shutout loss. It speaks for itself. Its crazy to think that even though the Oilers are 7-6-1, Dustin Penner still sits in a tie for 3rd in league scoring with 19 points. Penner finished last season with only 17 goals and 37 points. I think he is going to destroy that. Mike Comrie, Sheldon Souray, Ryan Stone, and Steve Staios are all still out. The biggest surprise of the day, Fernando Pisani is back in the Oilers lineup. That's a huge plus for such a young roster. Well, looks like we have to wait til Monday to see if the Oilers can start putting a few more "W's" together.


-Sporer

Thursday, October 22, 2009

PENNNEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR


So just wanted to let everyone know that Dustin Penner circa.2006-2007 is back, except in Oilers silks. $4.25 million this year might not be so bad. Not only that, but he has 7 goals in just 9 games. 14 points! Thats good for 3rd in the league!! He is on pace for 64 Goals and 128 Points!! Imagine!!

Also, look out Shawn Horcoff as I think you may have been replaced. Gagner had a goal and two assists playing between Penner and Hemsky tonight. He also went 7 for 9 in the faceoff dot! Later Horcs, youve been replaced.

Bobby Nilsson gets both the hit of the night when he layed out Filatov, and the shittiest goal of the night with that swipe and dribble move.

Anyways thats it for the night.

-Sporer