Oilers v. Coyotes - Matthew 27:62-66

After yet another season out of the playoffs had been guaranteed some of the bloggers and other fans of the team pleaded with Katz.

Oilers v. Coyotes - Hosea 6:4-6

"What can I do with you Mr. Manager?
And what about you Mr. Dithers?
Your savvy is like a morning mist,
present in the early hours and then quickly gone forever!"

See Also:
Oilers v. Coyotes, Sharks - Hosea 6:1-3

Oilers v. Coyotes - Philippians 2:12-18

Therefore, my dear Edmontonians, as you have always attended games - not only during winning seasons, but also during losing seasons - continue to attend the games with fear and trembling, for it is God who will decide if Edmonton remains worthy as the location for his chosen team. Yes, you must continue to cheer the team on and spend your money without complaint or argument so that God will see you as pure and blameless through all of the team's struggles.

Oilers v. Coyotes - Nahum 3:18-19

O leader of the National Hockey League, you were caught sleeping;
the owners you chose years ago, you have now disgraced.
Coyotes fans are scattered all around
with no one to gather them.

Avalanche v. Coyotes - Scoring Chances #16

Tm	P	Time	Note	COL						Opponent
COL	1	19:04	Goal	4	9	23	26	27	31	2	11	19	30	33		5v4
PHX	1	16:48		4	5	9	31	40	55	2	16	17	20	30	33	5v5
COL	1	15:40		4	9	23	26	27	31	4	30	34	38	55		5v4
COL	1	14:33		4	9	23	26	27	31	15	18	29	30	33		5v4
COL	1	13:58		5	8	10	31	37	40	4	11	14	19	30	55	5v5
COL	1	10:20		4	5	8	23	26	31	3	14	18	30	34	38	5v5
COL	1	9:27		10	25	31	37	52	54	4	11	19	29	30	55	5v5
PHX	1	6:41		4	5	23	25	31	37	2	11	19	30	33	38	5v5
PHX	1	6:13		22	26	27	31	54		15	19	20	30	33	55	4v5
PHX	1	6:12		22	26	27	31	54		15	19	20	30	33	55	4v5
PHX	1	5:51		22	26	27	31	54		15	19	20	30	33	55	4v5
PHX	1	5:35		5	9	31	52	55		3	11	16	17	30	88	4v5
COL	1	2:27		22	25	27	31	37	54	3	18	19	20	29	30	5v5
PHX	2	17:25		4	7	10	11	28	31	2	15	30	33	88	89	5v5
COL	2	17:15		9	10	31	40	52	55	3	15	18	30	88	89	5v5
COL	2	16:44		9	10	31	40	52	55	4	16	17	20	30	55	5v5
PHX	2	15:29		4	5	25	31	37	54	3	15	18	30	88	89	5v5
PHX	2	14:58		4	5	7	11	28	31	3	15	16	17	18	30	5v5
PHX	2	14:18		7	10	11	28	31	52	2	14	20	30	33	34	5v5
PHX	2	12:26		4	5	8	23	26	31	4	16	17	20	30	55	5v5
COL	2	10:34		9	10	31	40	52	55	2	18	30	38	88	89	5v5
COL	2	10:14		5	9	22	31	40	55	2	14	18	30	34	38	5v5
PHX	2	6:48		22	23	26	27	31		15	19	20	30	33	55	4v5
COL	2	5:40		4	5	8	25	31	37	3	11	18	30	88	89	5v5
COL	2	5:00		9	10	31	40	52	55	2	11	16	17	30	33	5v5
PHX	2	1:31		5	8	10	31	40	55	4	30	34	38	55		5v4
COL	3	14:08		8	25	27	31	37	52	15	18	30	33	88	89	5v5
COL	3	13:34		22	23	26	27	31	54	18	19	20	30	33	38	5v5
COL	3	13:19	Goal	22	23	26	27	31	40	18	19	20	30	33	38	5v5
COL	3	12:50		4	9	23	26	27	31	2	30	33	34	38		5v4
COL	3	12:18		4	9	23	26	27	31	2	30	33	34	38		5v4
PHX	3	10:09	Goal	22	26	27	31	37		15	19	20	30	33	55	4v5
PHX	3	8:23		8	10	11	31	37	52	2	19	20	30	33	38	5v5
PHX	3	7:20		22	26	27	31	37		15	19	20	30	33	55	4v5
PHX	3	6:07		9	10	23	31	52		4	15	16	18	30		4v4
PHX	3	2:24		8	9	22	25	27	31	4	15	19	30	55	88	5v5
COL	3	0:44	Goal	5	31	37	52	54	55	4	15	19	38	55	88	5v5
COL	3	0:25	Goal	10	11	22	23	26	31	2	14	18	29	30	34	5v5

#	Player	EV			PP			SH
4	J. LILES	9:32	2	6	5:41	5	0	0:00	0	0
5	B. CLARK	12:09	5	5	2:19	0	1	1:37	0	1
7	T. HENSICK	3:43	0	3	0:00	0	0	0:00	0	0
8	W. WOLSKI	13:37	4	3	4:20	0	1	0:00	0	0
9	M. DUCHENE	13:31	5	3	5:02	5	0	0:50	0	1
10	K. CUMISKEY	15:51	7	4	3:16	0	1	0:00	0	0
11	P. DUPUIS	4:46	1	4	0:15	0	0	1:25	0	0
22	S. HANNAN	20:23	5	1	0:15	0	0	3:36	0	6
23	M. HEJDUK	15:36	4	3	4:44	5	0	0:27	0	1
25	C. STEWART	12:02	4	3	0:15	0	0	0:00	0	0
26	P. STASTNY	15:05	4	1	5:14	5	0	2:49	0	6
27	K. QUINCEY	15:07	4	1	5:54	5	0	3:36	0	6
28	D. KOCI	3:19	0	3	0:00	0	0	0:00	0	0
31	P. BUDAJ	45:28	15	10	9:19	5	1	5:13	0	7
37	R. O'REILLY	12:37	6	3	1:24	0	0	1:48	0	2
40	M. SVATOS	12:55	7	1	4:16	0	1	0:00	0	0
52	A. FOOTE	17:54	7	3	1:13	0	0	1:37	0	1
54	D. JONES	14:14	4	1	0:00	0	0	2:17	0	3
55	C. MCLEOD	13:53	6	1	2:27	0	1	0:50	0	1

Period	Totals		EV		PP		5v3 PP		SH		5v3 SH
1	7	6	4	2	3	0	0	0	0	4	0	0
2	6	7	6	5	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0
3	7	5	5	3	2	0	0	0	0	2	0	0
4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Totals	20	18	15	10	5	1	0	0	0	7	0	0

This was a great game for the Avalanche. Over their last few games they had been getting outchanced and they had actually started to lose some games. I would not have been surprised to see the Avalanche come out at home and play a similar game against a Phoenix team that is much better than I expected coming into the year. In fact, at the beginning of the season I picked the Coyotes and Avalanche to finish 15th and 14th respectively. That prediciton definitely isn't looking so good. At any rate, this was one of Colorado's stronger EV efforts of the year especially from the EV groups that actually had significant ice time.

On special teams, after five straight games without either allowing or scoring a power play goal the Avalanche managed to do both. Unfortunately for them, the power play didn't actually look much better while the penalty kill looked markedly worse. The Coyotes both generated a lot of chances and played the majority of the time in the Avalanche zone every time they had the man advantage. Despite the fact that the Avalanche had four extra minutes of power play time, they still ended the night -3 on special teams chances.

This was also Mr. Budaj's first start of the season and he performed well, especially on the penalty kill. Unlike a lot of teams in their Conference the Avalanche should be able to count on reasonably competent goaltending from two men (and in the case of Anderson, much better than that) which is hugely important for a team that gets outshot as frequently as the Avs. In the end, a well-deserved win for the Avalanche.

It's Happening Again... They're all going to know...

May 19th and hockey is just starting the third round. It's a bit silly but I love the sport and it's been a marvelous Spring so far. Only two sweeps, a ton of game sevens and a fun first game tonight. If Jonathan Willis was watching tonight he's laughing his ass off about Eric Staal's "ability in the clutch."

The lengthy series' and Chicago's big building also has me wondering about whether playoff revenues this year will be quite a bit higher than we saw last year. It's too early to say frankly, but if the third round goes at least six on both sides it may push the cap up for next season only to find a deeper crash (or maybe we all recover and it's been nothing but fear-mongering all along).

The third round of the playoffs and the first round of bankruptcy court. James Mirtle has been following this story very closely and has many fine articles on all of the recent developments. I hope for the fans in Phoenix that the team stays but more and more it sounds like the team will be moving somewhere although they may get one or two more years in the desert (good luck selling seasons tickets). If some other owners start admitting serious trouble this may be the best chance the NHL has in the near future for a significant relocation into Europe. Although it's probably not the direction the league will go, I do think that having eight European teams in a thirty-two team league would serve the overall business interests of the NHL well. Travel costs would be significantly higher but a new European TV contract and merchandise sales would seem to stand a good chance at offsetting those costs. The Players Union have spoken positively about this option in the past though I'm sure they'd want to renegotiate the CBA to get a share of the expansion pie before that happens.

Finally, here's a video of Bill Daly on his way to the courtroom.

Cheers to the EIG

So the Phoenix Coyotes have filed for bankruptcy and Jim Balsillie (who was fined millions for backdating options by the Ontario Securities Commission... I wonder why other owners don't think he'll fit in). Some Canadians seem to take delight in the plight of the Phoenix Coyotes and hope for them to move on up to Southern Ontario where the team could make money since it's actually, you know, a hockey market. All of those Les Alexander fans can stick it as far as I'm concerned (I'm sure Mr. Alexander is a great guy but my memory of him, not so much). I remember the days (1995-96) when, even in "hockey-mad" Edmonton, the team was drawing under 13,000 fans per game. Still, they didn't have the worst attendance in the league that year. That honour belonged to the Winnipeg Jets. All I'm saying is we're not immune to hard times here in Canada, especially when faced with a team at the bottom of the standings (when was the last time the Coyotes made the playoffs? I wonder if that has much of an impact on attendance...). I hope things work out for the Coyote fans in Phoenix. I hope that you guys will find your own Cal Nichols, your own Bruce Saville, Jim Hole, Gary Gregg and others (in fact some of them may own winter homes in Phoenix... you may want to look into that). These guys all had strong personalities and they sure didn't always agree, but they all came together to keep hockey in Edmonton. For all the flack the EIG has taken around the Oilogosphere for various and sundry ills it's days like today that we need to raise a glass and remember. Thanks for believeing in Edmonton when the building was two-thirds full, for putting your own money on the line, for letting me go through high school with a hockey team to cheer, for building the Oilers back into something that unites Edmontonians, for standing up to Glen Sather, for spending the money in 2006 and for all the hours of work those things took. Thanks.

Oilers v. Coyotes - Psalm 22:21-31

Rescue me from the mouth of the Coyotes;
save me from the advances of the mighty Ducks.

I will declare your name to the Oilogosphere;
I will praise you in Lowetide's game-day thread.

Let us fear Yahweh and give him praise.
You who marveled at Gretzky, honor him!
Revere him, you who watched Marchant on Moog.

For Yahweh does not take joy
in the suffering of his afflicted team.
Yes Yahweh will not hide his face from them
but will listen to their cry for help.

So let us come together and fear Yahweh
that he might fulfill his vows of blessing and destruction:

Those born after 1990 will be satisfied;
they who trust Yahweh
will have joy that will live forever!

Every team
will remember Yahweh's favour:
the Coyotes and Ducks are a first fruit;
they will bow down before him.

For Yahweh is sovereign
and he crushes those who oppose him.

The Oildrop will be restored,
Edmonton will feast and worship
but Calgary will weep with great mourning.

His people remember his deeds.
Our generation has been told about Yahweh.

We also will proclaim his greatness
to a people yet unborn—
for the restoration will arrive.

Oilers v. Coyotes, Sharks - Hosea 6:1-3

Come, let us return to Yahweh.

He has torn our defence to pieces
but he will heal us;
he has injured us
but he will soothe our wounds with inspired rookies.

In a few hours he will lead us over Coyotes;
and in a few more he will let us humble the Sharks,
that we may rejoice in the favour he gives to us, his people.

Let us acknowledge Yahweh;
let us continue this road trip with faith in him.

As surely as the sun rises, he will give us victory over the Coyotes;
our victory over the Sharks will be a foreshadowing of April, as sure as the rains in the Spring,
as sure as the winter yields snow, Yahweh will give help to his people.

Oilers v. Coyotes - Philippians 3:1-3

My fellow Oilogospherians, rejoice in Yahweh! It is no trouble for me to write Biblical Oilerpretation again, and it helps to keep us all faithful. Watch out for those Coyotes, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the legacy of the Great One. For it is we who are chosen, we who play by the Spirit of God, who glory in victory through God's Son, and who put confidence, not in percentages - whether save or shooting - but in God's goodness to his chosen.

Oilers v. Coyotes - Psalm 22:16-20

Coyotes have surrounded me.
A band of evil men has encircled me,
they have broken my shoulders and my feet.
I count all my man games lost.

People stare and gloat over me.
They divide my draft picks,
and cast lots for their draft position.

But you, O Yahweh, are not far off.
O my Strength, come quickly to help me.
Deliver my life from mathematical elimination,
my playoff life from the power of the Coyotes.