Oilers v. Capitals - 1 Kings 7:13-22

King Leonsis sent to Washington and brought George McPhee, whose mother was a hamster and whose father smelt of elderberries. McPhee was skilled in all different kinds of hockey management but in this case Leonsis demanded a rebuild. So McPhee came to King Leonsis and did all the work assigned to him.

Oilers v. Predators - Proverbs 19:1-3

It's better to be poor with understanding than it is to be rich but foolish.

Zeal that ignores knowledge leads to disappointment; celebrate too much today and you will mourn tomorrow.

A man's own folly ruins his team, yet his heart rages against luck, injuries and God.

Oilers v. Kings - Psalm 102:18-20

Let this be written for a future generation:
"A team not yet fully formed was blessed by Yahweh.
Yahweh looked down from the heavens
to see his hockey club being trampled.
He heard the groans of its fans
and he breathed life into a team that was condemned to death."

Oilers v. Blues - Jude 1-16

Ulanov, a servant of Jesus Christ and both brother and secret blood brother of Horcov, to those who have been called as members of the Oilogosphere, who are loved by God our one true father and kept by Jesus Christ: may faith, love and peace be yours in abundance as you watch God's own hockey team.

Oilers v. Lightning - Luke 24:13-35

A couple of days later the team continued on their road trip to Tampa which wasn't far from Miami. A couple of them were talking about everything that had happened to them over the last several days and as they were talking Hemsky appeared to them and began to talk with them, but he disguised himself in the form of a flight attendant so they didn't recognize him.

Oilers v. Panthers - 1 Kings 13:20-26

When God's team had finished celebrating their second consecutive win, the word of Yahweh came to the old coach. He cried out to the team he had brought all the way from Edmonton, "This is what Yahweh our Lord says: 'You have defied Yahweh's words and not kept the commands of Yahweh in your hearts with all of this celebration! Even with these two wins you are no better than 14th in the Conference! What are you celebrating?! Surely, you must be punished.'"

Avalanche v. Predators - Scoring Chances #25

Tm	P	Time	Note	COL						Opponent
NSH	1	18:39		8	22	26	27	41	54	6	11	20	25	29	35	5v5
NSH	1	17:02	Goal	22	37	41	44	55		6	19	20	26	35	71	4v5
NSH	1	13:08		4	5	8	26	41	54	8	9	10	22	35	51	5v5
COL	1	12:23		9	22	23	27	40	41	6	8	19	22	26	35	5v5
NSH	1	9:10	Goal	4	5	25	39	41	55	2	9	10	22	32	35	5v5
NSH	1	2:06		5	26	41	44	54		10	11	29	32	35	51	4v5
COL	2	18:45		5	16	20	26	40	41	2	10	20	29	35		5v4
NSH	2	16:32		20	23	25	39	41	44	2	12	18	27	32	35	5v5
COL	2	16:23	Goal	5	23	25	39	41	44	2	12	18	27	32	35	5v5
COL	2	14:50		8	22	27	37	40	41	2	19	20	26	35	71	5v5
NSH	2	12:20		22	23	26	27	41	54	6	19	20	26	35	71	5v5
COL	2	10:54		4	23	26	27	41	54	2	20	25	29	35		5v4
COL	2	10:53		4	23	26	27	41	54	8	11	26	35	51		5v4
NSH	2	9:21		5	8	9	16	40	41	2	9	11	20	35		5v4
COL	2	8:50	Goal	4	23	26	27	41	54	8	12	25	35	51		5v4
COL	2	5:46		4	5	37	39	40	41	8	12	18	22	35	51	5v5
COL	2	5:27	Goal	4	5	25	37	40	41	6	11	20	25	29	35	5v5
COL	2	4:46		4	5	25	37	40	41	2	8	11	25	29	35	5v5
COL	2	4:04		4	23	26	27	41	54	8	9	10	35	51		5v4
NSH	2	3:30		4	9	16	27	40	41	8	25	29	35	51		5v4
NSH	2	19:54	Goal	4	23	26	27	41	54	2	20	25	29	35		5v4
COL	3	14:41		4	5	25	37	41	54	6	9	20	22	29	35	5v5
NSH	3	7:02		4	5	16	37	41	55	8	11	25	29	35	51	5v5
NSH	3	4:45		4	5	8	9	25	41	6	8	9	10	22	35	5v5
NSH	3	3:54		22	23	26	27	41	54	8	19	26	35	51	71	5v5
COL	3	3:30		4	5	23	26	41	54	2	11	25	29	35	51	5v5
COL	3	1:08		4	5	9	39	40	41	6	11	20	25	29	35	5v5
NSH	4	4:12		4	22	23	26	41		6	19	20	26	35		4v4
NSH	4	2:00		4	5	23	40	41		8	11	19	35	51		4v4
NSH	4	1:54	Goal	4	5	23	40	41		8	11	19	35	51		4v4

#	Player	EV			PP			SH
4	J. LILES	21:47	6	7	4:26	4	2	0:01	0	0
5	B. CLARK	20:55	7	6	1:35	1	1	1:03	0	1
8	W. WOLSKI	14:49	1	3	1:49	0	1	0:00	0	0
9	M. DUCHENE	11:53	2	1	1:51	0	2	0:00	0	0
16	D. TUCKER	10:58	0	1	2:03	1	2	0:00	0	0
20	T. PREISSING	10:55	0	1	0:32	1	0	0:00	0	0
22	S. HANNAN	21:37	2	4	0:00	0	0	2:28	0	1
23	M. HEJDUK	17:45	3	6	4:12	4	1	0:00	0	0
25	C. STEWART	11:33	4	3	0:00	0	0	0:00	0	0
26	P. STASTNY	20:08	1	5	4:24	5	1	1:38	0	1
27	K. QUINCEY	19:39	2	3	4:08	4	2	1:48	0	0
28	D. KOCI	2:24	0	0	0:00	0	0	0:00	0	0
37	R. O'REILLY	14:43	5	1	0:00	0	0	2:03	0	1
39	T. GALIARDI	12:38	3	2	0:00	0	0	2:14	0	0
40	M. SVATOS	11:26	6	2	2:09	1	2	0:00	0	0
41	C. ANDERSON	53:11	9	11	6:15	5	3	3:41	0	2
44	R. WILSON	11:29	1	1	0:00	0	0	2:02	0	2
54	D. JONES	17:47	2	4	4:06	4	1	1:13	0	1
55	C. MCLEOD	9:57	0	2	0:00	0	0	0:14	0	1

Period	Totals		EV		PP		5v3 PP		SH		5v3 SH
1	1	5	1	3	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0
2	10	5	5	2	5	3	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	3	3	3	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	0	3	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Totals	14	16	9	11	5	3	0	0	0	2	0	0

The Avalanche came out rather flat in this particular game and ended it in the same fashion. This was not a particularly good effort on home ice and was probably especially frustrating for the coaching staff who saw the team play well for exactly one period of hockey. Fortunately for the Avalanche that one period of hockey was good enough to earn one standings point. The game lacked excitement throughout but I did get a rise out of the wonderful play by Martin Erat that set up the Predators' second goal of the game, a beautiful deke around the defender and then drop pass to Marcel Goc for the goal. Aside from that play, the most exciting part of the game was checking out the awful mustaches that the Predators were wearing for Movember. My favourite was J.P. Dumont.

A couple of underperformers on the Avs worth a mention are David Koci who took yet another penalty this game despite playing less than five minutes of ice time. Unbelievable that he can be such a useless hockey player who takes so many penalties and yet stay in the lineup every night. Wojtek Wolski had one of his weaker games here as well generating very little. It looked like Sacco was moving him around the lines a fair bit trying to find a fit but he just didn't have his usual creativity.

On the other side of the coin, I will damn John-Michael Liles with faint praise by saying that he was only -1 on the night for chances and has looked quite a bit better since his return to the lineup. His most egregious giveaway didn't even result in a chance as he was able to recover in time. I don't mention his name often but I also thought that Marek Svatos had a particularly strong outing in this one. If the Avs could get more consistently stronger play from Hejduk and Stastny they could well right this ship and make the early run of good luck payoff in the form of a playoff appearance.

Oilers v. Stars - Isaiah 14:18-23

All the great players of other teams are exalted,
lifted to the rafters and honoured by fans.
But you exile your hero to Russia
like a loathsome cap hit.
Wandering the outskirts of hockey relevance,
he is forgotten.
You have neglected his proper exaltation
and have trampled his memory under your feet.

Preceded by: Oilers v. Stars - Isaiah 14:3-11 and Oilers v. Stars - Isaiah 14:12-17

Avalanche v. Flyers - Scoring Chances #24

Tm	P	Time	Note	COL						Opponent
COL	1	19:00	Goal	8	22	26	27	41	54	14	18	20	21	25	29	5v5
COL	1	17:50		4	16	37	41	44	55	3	5	9	15	17	29	5v5
PHI	1	14:55		16	22	27	37	41	55	13	14	20	25	27	29	5v5
COL	1	14:30	Goal	8	10	26	27	41	54	5	17	19	20	29	48	5v5
COL	1	10:04		5	10	16	37	41	55	18	20	21	25	28	29	5v5
PHI	1	8:47		5	8	10	26	41	54	3	17	19	29	48	77	5v5
PHI	1	5:10		10	22	25	39	41	55	3	13	14	25	27	29	5v5
PHI	1	1:48		9	22	25	27	39	41	3	13	14	27	29	77	5v5
COL	1	1:05		4	5	8	26	41	54	17	19	20	25	29	48	5v5
COL	1	0:45		8	22	26	27	41	54	5	17	18	29	44	48	5v5
PHI	1	0:35	Goal	8	22	26	27	41	54	5	15	18	29	44	48	5v5
PHI	2	19:35		8	22	26	27	41	54	17	19	20	25	29	48	5v5
PHI	2	19:32	Goal	8	22	26	27	41	54	17	19	20	25	29	48	5v5
COL	2	18:21		5	9	10	23	40	41	18	21	28	29	44	77	5v5
COL	2	17:38		5	9	10	23	40	41	9	15	20	25	29	42	5v5
COL	2	13:59	Goal	4	25	37	41	44	55	5	9	15	29	42	44	5v5
COL	2	13:06		8	22	26	27	41	54	3	13	17	25	29	48	5v5
PHI	2	12:34		5	9	10	23	40	41	3	13	14	27	29	77	5v5
PHI	2	12:32		5	9	10	23	40	41	13	14	27	29	44	77	5v5
PHI	2	12:21		5	9	10	23	40	41	5	18	21	28	29	44	5v5
COL	2	10:56	Goal	8	22	26	27	41	54	3	17	19	29	48	77	5v5
PHI	2	9:32		5	10	25	39	41	54	18	20	21	25	28	33	5v5
COL	2	7:17		10	16	37	41	44	55	3	13	14	27	33	77	5v5
COL	2	7:15		10	16	37	41	44	55	3	13	14	27	33	77	5v5
COL	2	5:54		5	16	23	27	40	41	5	17	28	33	44		5v4
COL	2	5:53		5	16	23	27	40	41	5	17	28	33	44		5v4
COL	2	4:45	Goal	4	10	37	39	41	54	3	9	15	25	28	33	5v5
COL	3	16:50		4	9	23	40	41	44	3	5	9	13	28	33	5v5
COL	3	13:37		4	16	27	37	41	55	3	19	27	33	48	77	5v5
PHI	3	11:31		9	10	23	27	40	41	5	13	17	18	25	33	5v5
COL	3	10:42		4	5	16	23	40	41	14	20	27	33	77		5v4
PHI	3	8:45	Goal	5	9	25	41	44	55	3	5	13	19	33	48	5v5
PHI	3	8:23		4	16	27	37	39	41	3	5	19	27	33	48	5v5
PHI	3	7:52		9	10	23	27	40	41	14	15	20	25	33	42	5v5
PHI	3	7:19		5	23	26	40	41	44	3	14	21	25	28	33	5v5
PHI	3	4:41	Goal	5	8	10	41	55		3	5	17	19	33	48	4v5
PHI	3	1:03		5	9	10	16	23	41	5	17	18	20	33		5v4

#	Player	EV			PP			SH
4	J. LILES	18:39	6	1	4:19	1	0	0:00	0	0
5	B. CLARK	15:38	4	7	3:34	3	1	0:53	0	1
8	W. WOLSKI	15:58	6	4	4:54	0	0	0:34	0	1
9	M. DUCHENE	14:12	3	7	3:01	0	1	0:00	0	0
10	K. CUMISKEY	18:36	7	8	1:52	0	1	0:34	0	1
16	D. TUCKER	11:44	5	2	4:09	3	1	0:00	0	0
22	S. HANNAN	8:28	4	6	0:00	0	0	0:46	0	0
23	M. HEJDUK	15:27	3	6	4:05	3	1	0:00	0	0
25	C. STEWART	7:40	1	4	0:00	0	0	0:00	0	0
26	P. STASTNY	15:57	6	5	4:40	0	0	0:19	0	0
27	K. QUINCEY	21:02	6	8	5:12	2	0	1:48	0	0
28	D. KOCI	2:26	0	0	0:05	0	0	0:00	0	0
37	R. O'REILLY	12:28	7	2	0:04	0	0	1:27	0	0
39	T. GALIARDI	11:08	1	4	0:27	0	0	1:29	0	0
40	M. SVATOS	10:31	3	6	2:41	3	0	0:00	0	0
41	C. ANDERSON	48:48	16	16	8:50	3	1	2:22	0	1
44	R. WILSON	15:13	5	2	0:35	0	0	0:43	0	0
54	D. JONES	15:42	7	5	4:32	0	0	0:21	0	0
55	C. MCLEOD	11:57	6	3	0:00	0	0	0:34	0	1

Period	Totals		EV		PP		5v3 PP		SH		5v3 SH
1	6	5	6	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2	10	6	8	6	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	3	7	2	5	1	1	0	0	0	1	0	0
4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Totals	19	18	16	16	3	1	0	0	0	1	0	0

Another game, another blown lead. Again the Avalanche jumped out to a two-goal lead only to squander it as the game went on. Fortunately for the Avalanche this game had a different ending than their last two as the Avs came back to score three more goals and then sat back in the third (which, according to the Avs broadcast team is something they're being coached not to do... yeah... I don't believe that for a second) as the Flyers tried to press for a tie.

The game featured another penalty by David Koci, though this time the opposition didn't capitalize. It also featured some pretty extensive running of the goalie throughout the game, something the officials didn't do much to discourage. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't this be the point of having a guy like Koci in the lineup? Isn't he there to prevent the opposition from doing this? Joe Sacco just watched Koci take another penalty in his two and a half minutes of ice time and watched the opposing team ignore Koci's presence on the bench as they ran Anderson time after time. And yet I feel confident in saying that Koci will dress again for the next game. Utter foolishness.

Going back to the conversation with BeachNSnowGirl that I talked about in the last post, she mentioned there that she didn't see any problem with Liles as she watched this game. And I'm inclined to agree! This was probably his best game of the season at even strength. Sometimes it's funny how things work out.

The confrontation between Ian Laperriere and Cody McLeod was downright amusing. Laperriere really wanted to fight him for one reason or another and McLeod just resolutely refused with an "oh come on Lappy" expression on his face the whole time. It was hard to tell if it was the smug Maltby "oh come on" or genuinely heartfelt appreciation. Probably a bit of both.

For the Flyers, their bench was interesting. They have two big money defenders in Pronger and Timonen and it seems clear that the guy they're leaning on is Pronger. He played more minutes and he was assigned to the Stastny-Wolski paring throughout the evening. Timonen, meanwhile, played fewer minutes and drew the very much less challenging Duchene-Hejduk pairing. Now, both of these guys are great players but it seems to me that it will be difficult for the Flyers to keep their top four together going forward since Braydon Coburn will be demanding a raise. At this stage I'd imagine plan A is to move Matt Carle who's been paired with Pronger. But if the Flyers were forced to choose between Pronger and Timonen going forward, I'd bet they take Pronger.