Bleacher Report - Articles by Cody Millard

Edmonton Oilers' Strong Finish Sparks Hope of Reaching Next Level

Cody Millard — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 12:53:46 -0400

After a stretch drive of 14-1-2, the Oilers were able to earn themselves a ninth place finish in the Western Conference last season, just three points away from a playoff berth.

After the injuries that were suffered, that is quite a huge feat. Even youngster Sam Gagner stepped up and proved why he was taken sixth overall when he led the team in scoring after the all-star break.

This sudden surge left many asking what the Oilers could do to jump to that next level without ruining the chemistry that was evidently forming in the locker room. Kevin Lowe seemed to work his magic again in landing a few marquee players, but will it be enough?

With the likes of Lubomir Visnovsky (LAK), Erik Cole (CAR), Gilbert Brule (CBJ), and Jason Strudwick (NYR) joining the roster, it seems the Oilers are ready to make that jump. There's been a sizable increase in payroll thanks to new owner Daryl Katz.

Liabilities in struggling center Jarret Stoll and streaky winger Raffi Torres were among the few that were packaged in three deals Lowe made; Pitkanen and Greene were also amongst those traded. While Strudwick was brought in, most likely to be a reliable seventh defenceman.

With all the changes made, even a new General Manager was introduced. Steve Tambellini takes the reins while Kevin Lowe is now the President of Hockey Operations for Rexall Sports. When asked if the move was made for certain...aspects of Lowe's tenure as the GM, he replied.

"It wasn't done for that (reason)," joked Lowe. "But perhaps it can open the door."

Bringing back most of the free agents, the Oilers also re-signed No. 1 center Shawn Horcoff to a six-year contract. Horcoff's '08 campaign ended early when he went down with an injury, but he still managed 50 points in 53 games.

After all this has taken place, all that is left to say as an Oilers fan is hopefully chemistry evolves and it takes the team to great places.

Western Conference Young Stars; Gagner, Kane lead the charge

Cody Millard — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 11:46:09 -0500

So the new format in the Young Stars game has eight players from each conference selected to the roster, to play three-on-three against the goalies playing the next day for their respective All-star teams. My question is why?

I understand that it would just take more effort to put together an entire roster for the Young Stars game, but looking at this years cast, it should be the year to consider it.

There are players from both conferences not playing in the All-star game that damn well deserve it. Jonathen Toews, Andrew Cogliano, Martin Hanzal, and Tom Gilbert to name a few from the west.

Taking a look at the Western Conference's team this year, it is still pretty solid.

C - Patrick Kane - Chicago Blackhawks; The young centre has lived up to and even passed expectations, no doubt one of the candidates for the Calder. One of the players to crack their respective teams line-ups right from the 07 Draft, Kane has shown why he was taken first over-all. 40 Pts. in 45 GP, Kane leads all rookies in both assists and points.

C - Sam Gagner - Edmonton Oilers; Another star player to crack the roster out of the 07 Draft, Gagner has showcased his abilites in the shootout, and even regular play with nifty deeks, and even showing he can hold his own ground in the corners. Things are looking bright or this young Oiler, and sitting in 10th in rookie scoring with only 16 points in 43 games, he is still chipping in on an offensively distraught Oiler squad.

C - Peter Mueller - Phoenix Coyotes; Not much attention was payed to the gifted centre, as he was part of the opening night squad of a laughable Phoenix Coyotes, however since the addition of Ilya Bryzgalov, like most of the Coyotes, Mueller has seem to come to life, and is cruising to the play-offs with his linemates, holding 22 Pts in 43 games and holding fifth place in Rookie scoring, I'd say thats not too shabby.

C - David Perron - St. Louis Blues; Playing for a rejuvenated Blues roster, its no surprise to see Perron on the list of contributors. He posses a good set of hands, and can push his way to the net with linemates to get the goal. 18 points in 31 games, he is keeping up with the rest of the rookies, sitting in eighth.

D - Alexander Edler - Vancouver Canucks; The strong play of Edler has gotten him a invite to play with the young stars, and it shows as he boasts a +18 in 31 games. Roberto Luongo may be one of the top goalies in the league, but even all-stars need help, and Edler has proven time and time again that he can keep up with the best of them.

D - Erik Johnson - St. Louis Blues; Another strong defensive minded player that still chips in on offense, he sits at 16 points and holds a +10 to his name. He has been instrumental in the Blues powerplay.

D - Jack Johnson - Los Angeles Kings; He has been a light in dark places for the Kings this season, they sit with the worst record in the NHL, and as such it seems to reflect badly on the players, especially in the +/-, with Johnson being no exception. A -7 with only 6 points, he seems more focused on helping keep the puck out of the net, which has caught the eye of the GM's.

D - Matt Niskanen - Dallas Stars; Another stud defenseman in the making for the Stars? I seem to think so. The kid is showing why perseverance does pay off. He came into camp, looking to be deep on the depth charts, but he pushed himself harder than most, and it really caught the coaches eyes. He plays well defensively, holding a +14 to his name, and can also pitch in on the rush, second only to Eastern Young Star Tobias Enstrom in Rookie Defence Scoring with 17 points.

To Shootout or Not To Shootout: An Oiler Legacy

Cody Millard — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 15:27:40 -0500

The Oilers notched their 21st win this past Sunday—closing in on the 32 wins they had all of last season.

The Oilers owe it in large part to the shootout, and perhaps, more importantly, their shootout specialist, forward Sam Gagner.

With a shootout win to start the season, Edmonton might be on the verge of what can soon become a phenomenal record-breaking season.

Through 46 games, the Oilers are closing in on the NHL record for most shootouts wins—in an era that is still young—shootouts are relatively new in the NHL; they where instilled after the 2004-05 lockout.

Already, Edmonton has recorded 11 wins in the “fifth” period; and many of those games ride on the stick of 18-year-old Sam Gagner.

Gagner’ nifty, show-casing moves quickly caught nearly every goalie by surprise. He moves with such finesse that there was several ways a goalie could commit before the puck would end up in the back of the net.

Of course, as with every other move in a shooters repertoire, goalies adapt and learn to stop it.

Yet, Gagner can still shoot and score.

On the other end of the spectrum, Garon has been solid for the Oilers.

He has only allowed a total of two shots to get past him in the both the shootout and penalty shots.

With enough confidence in Garon, MacT has probably considered replacing Roloson with Garon in net in these situations.

Of course, I wouldn't want to break up a goalie's night, but as we all can probably remember when we would replace Conklin or Markkie with Morrison during the ‘05-06 season.

Though, with less than half a season to go, and 11 of our wins coming in the shootout, it only makes me pause and wonder how different the season could be for the Oilers if there were no shootouts.

If you think about it, with ties still in the mix, Edmonton would probably be near dead last in the conference. Eleven points would be gone and the season would be over, our closest contender would be Los Angeles.

As an Oiler fan, all I can say is thank god for the shootout.