In the off season it came out in Edmonton that the Oilers were looking for a new place to have a team next season. Rumours of the Oilers affiliation being move to Oklahoma as the Oilers exercised their right to renew the former Roadrunners franchise.

As the new season began the Falcons received an influx of a few veteran AHL players to try and help the team. The lose of Ryan Stone and Rob Schremp probably hurt the team. Yet with new coaching and some better players it was hoped that the Falcons would at least be competitive.

So far the more things change the more they remain the same. The Falcons started the season with a home win but on the road they have since lost three straight.

The Oilers young prospects appear to still be struggling, in part because they have lost some of their scoring touch.

As injuries and loses piled up many of the more promising younger players like Tom Gilbert, Ryan Stone, Robert Nilsson, Gilbert Brule, Rob Schremp and JF Jacques have been sent to the NHL, most never returned.   With no one to replace them the Oilers prospects have been thrown rather roughly in the deep end.

Another player who might be struggling is goalie Devan Dubnyk.  In four games he has given up 18 goals.

Because of the injury to Sheldon Souray the Falcons are deprived of their top point man as Taylor Chorney has been called up this weekend.

With the team struggling to find itself the Falcons will need their defence to play better if they are going to compete.

It certainly must be difficult for fans of the Falcons to watch their team abandoned by two straight affiliates, as the Tampa Bay Lightning had to also raid their club leaving it without the strength to compete long term.

Also if the Oilers are seeking to move the affiliation they should at least make an attempt in Springfield to help their potential new community get excited about their arrival.

Of course the Springfield affiliation coming after a couple of years of spread affiliates may have left the Oilers ill prepared to manage the team properly.   It has been almost a decade since an Oilers AHL affiliate was competitive in the playoffs.

The Oilers however went to work pounding on the Canadiens physically and on the scoreboard racing out to a 3-0 lead. But Montreal who had been hounded by the Vancouver Canucks a couple of nights earlier were not going to go easily. They worked their way through making another close finish as they brought it to 3-2 but that was as close as they got as the Oilers finally finished a game in the third period.

The Oilers two most snake bitten players Patrick O’Sullivan and JF Jacques finally got their first goals of the season. Mike Comrie opened the Oilers scoring with a beautiful top shelf goal after a tape to tape pass from Sam Gagner from the Oilers goal line.

However, as with every other game this season so far the Oilers gave way as the pressure turned up and seemed to fall back against the Canadiens onslaught.

Both goals came from players trying to do to much with the puck. The first goal by Brian Gionta was scored because Gilbert Brule was trying to carry the puck instead of making solid passes or dumping it while in the neutral zone. Gionta put heavy pressure on causing Brule to lose the puck.

The second goal came off a hard shot from Canadiens’ defenceman Roman Hamrlick. Shawn Horcoff, trying to be to cute with the puck, attempting to flip from the point back out to centre ice instead tip it into his own net.

With the score 3-2 the Canadiens came on but this time the Oilers stiffened up against the Canadiens and they never got more than a couple of more chances.

The Oilers generally continued to be agressive in forechecking and trying to push the play against the opposing defence. It was fairly well done again tonight as the Oilers knuckled down against the Canadiens and seemed to catch them off guard.

The Oilers have also improved their penalty killing as they seem much more aggressive against the opposing defence and forcing them to take bad shots. Something they did not do well for the first two games.

With Sheldon Souray out and Steve Staios back in Steve Strudwick continued to start for the Oilers. Souray is currently listed as day to day with a mild concussion.

The Oilers will now go on the road for two games taking on Ottawa Sunday night and Chicago on Tuesday.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Once again in less than a week the Calgary Flames stole a win from the Edmonton Oilers.  The Oilers having played well for a total of 118 minutes through both games blew them both in the final minute.  Saturday it was the goaltender making a silly play on a puck.

Last night the Oilers lost in a shoot out 5-4.  However the Oilers had a 3-2 lead with 1.5 seconds left when the Flames tied the game sending to the eventual shoot out.

However, few people were talking about the way the team lost.

The focus of much of the ire of the fans and Coaches was on one play.

Jerome Iginla led defenseman Sheldon Souray into the boards face first on dump in by the Flames in the second period with the Oilers up 2-0.    The play looked bad and no matter whether one believes it was on purpose there is no doubt that Iginla made a bad mistake.

This may not sit well with Calgary fans but their captain should have done a better job with easing up on the play and making sure he knew where his stick was.  The mad rush combined with the stick between Souray’s feet at full speed was a sure fire disaster waiting to happen.

The fact that both players were beat up on the play, Souray taking the worst of it, does not excuse the Flames captain from making a very dangerous play.  One could argue about whether it was dirty but one cannot argue that it was dangerous and foolish thing to do.

Pat Quinn furious about the injury, which left Souray with a slight concussion and leaking some blood from his nose, expressed his opinion quite clearly.  He felt that it was dirty and that the culprit in the past would have found a stick to his head after that.

It did not take long for the NHL to react to those comments fining Quinn $10,000.

Iginla said he had not meant to do what happened and that he had not realized that his stick had tripped Souray.  Nonetheless these incidents happen enough that the NHL will have to consider suspensions for plays like these.

If they don’t then as Quinn stated it may force teams to consider vigilante justice to correct the problem.   Hits from behind are banned in all minor leagues and it needs to be considered at the Junior and NHL levels.  Souray was effectively defenceless as he was rammed into the boards and was lucky it was not worse than that.

Dustin Penner made his presence felt in the game as he continued to show he was not the same man as the last couple of seasons.  He and Sam Gagner added tallies.

Quinn once again praised Gagner, “Sam was solid again tonight I thought.  He is trying very hard and I like that part of it.”

Once again the team played a physical no nonsense game which kept the Oilers in the game and fighting even when they got down.

The Oilers have shown a propensity to let up against their opponents at times in their recent history and as they started to let up the Stars bit back.  In fact the Stars had three separate leads in the game which were taken back by the Oilers as the Oilers made it 4-4 early in the third period.

The coach also felt the team broke down in the second period at times and failed to carry out the system properly.

“We went solo too much in the second period.” Quinn said, “We had people going on routes that are on no maps of mine. “

Also special teams which have been an issue for the Oilers last year and so far this season were still causing the team fits.  The Stars got two power play goals and one short handed goal which certainly will not have made Coach Pat Quinn very happy.

In fact Quinn wants the Oilers to play a different kind of power play than the one that MacTavish had them on previous and he felt that might have been part of the problem.

“We are not in sync right now,” Quinn said after the game, “We may not have the guys for [our powerplay] right now.”

The Oilers did have some success on their own power play as they got a couple of goals.  But there was obviously some work to be done.

While most of the Oilers were giving it there all, Hemsky in particular dove in at a critical point to make a block in overtime.  This defensive sacrifice has been something of a rarity in past years.

However, it is clear that JF Jacques to the first line might not have been the stroke of genius that it seemed in the preseason.  He was almost invisible for much of the game.

Also noticeable in this game was how the defence struggled to make the break out plays against the Stars forechecking.   As the defence searched for an outlet pass often the play would be stopped at the blue line by the Stars defence.

For Quinn it was a simple problem, “We are not strong enough in our zone right now.”

****

Ice Chips:

Nikolai Khabibulin recorded his 300^th career win.

The Flames however dominated early as they jumped out to a 3-1 lead, but the Oilers battled back with goals from Gilbert Brule and Sam Gagner.

However, the talking point of the night was the last minute of the game.  The Oilers pressing, Sam Gagner got possession of the puck in the Flames zone.  He then put a nice pass on the stick of Patrick O’Sullivan who missed a wide open shot at the net.

Then the puck was cleared and as it went down the ice David Moss closing in Nikolai Khabibulin tried to clear the puck to Sheldon Souray only to have the puck misfire and Moss tap it into the open net.

As Khabibulin pounded his stick on the net the Flames found themselves up 4-3 with only a few seconds left as they held on to win the game.

The real culprit in the loss was the same defence which struggled last season when under pressure in the Oilers zone.  Especially Tom Gilbert who was very good in the offensive zone but fell apart often in his own zone at times.

If one game is any judge the more things change.  The more they remain the same, as Gilbert and Denis Grebeshkov were unable to push the puck up the ice without struggling in their own zone.

Another problem was clearance passes which Calgary was able to jump on and cause at least two goals through this pressure.  All of this adds up when the Flames were on the power play scoring twice.

“We need to learn not to beat ourselves,” Coach Pat Quinn said to the CBC after the game.  For the Oilers that had better be their mantra.

Ryan Stone and Mike Comrie left good impressions as Stone played physical and Comrie got a point on the first goal.  Patrick O’Sullivan also had a good game though seemed snake bit on a number of occasions.

Sam Gagner also had a good night as he almost had a Gordie Howe hat trick.  In what was completely out of character the diminutive forward got into a good scrap with Craig Conroy surprising just about everyone in the building.

The Oilers next game is against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday.

The truth is the team is still small.  JF Jacques is now on the first line, and is now in goal playing the role of near a career goalie.

The Oilers themselves are after years of raising expectations they are playing for time.  They do not want fans getting to hyped up.  They are, one suspects, trying to under promise and over deliver.

Oilers head coach told the Canadian Press Friday “It depends on your personnel and how they apply the assets they have.  We won’t know who we are yet. We know we’re a team that didn’t make the playoffs the last three years.”

So with all of the Oilers fans being told to lower their expectations it is not surprising that there is a lot of people waiting to see what the team can do.

If the preseason is any sign then there are some bright things to look forward to, Patrick O’Sullivan and Mike Comrie to name two players.   These two had some great chemistry that could help take pressure off of the first line.

If the first and second lines can score and the role lines can do what is needed then the team has a chance to surprise a few of their competitors.

Calgary comes into Edmonton Saturday night on CBC and that will be the first big test for the team.  Of course the team got off to a good jumped in the last two years only to see the wheels come off early.

To beat a tough physical team like Calgary the Oilers will have to jump on them like they did last season in the first game where tough guy Steve Macintyre made a big impact.  Unfortunately Calgary is the antithesis of the Oilers who have played butter soft a lot last season.

It will take at least twenty games to make a judgement on this team.   This first test against the big rival from down south it will make for an interesting game as long as it does not get out of control early.

****

Ice chips:

The Flames won their first game of the season on Thursday putting three of their five goals past Roberto Luongo in the first period.

Oilers leading scorer last season was Ales Hemsky with 23 goals the first time Hemsky has led the team in goals.

The Oilers and Flames split their pre-season games with Calgary winning the last game.

All time the Oilers vs the Flames:

W        L        T       OTL
84      87      19       2

When he appeared on the scene after the debacle that was the Edmonton Oilers 2006-2007 hockey season Sam Gagner was seen as a breath of fresh air for the bad team.   His incredible skills during the shoot outs were legendary.

As the 2007-2008 season came to an end Gagner, Robert Nilsson and Andrew Cogliano were being hailed as the new kid line.  They could skate and score, and they gave other teams all they could handle as the Oilers made their mad dash for another failed attempt at the play offs.

Going into the 2008-2009 season the kid line was expected to build on their strong finish, Gagner being a big part of that process.   However, nothing worked out that way as most of the team struggled, the kid line most of all.

Nilsson would ride the press box for a number of games and Cogliano would falter to the third line.  Only Sam Gagner seemed to maintain himself in the top six while struggling to play consistently.

Quinn at the time of his hiring was frank about what he thought needed to be done as he told the Edmonton Journal, “If our veterans have been guys who might put their feet up on the desk once in a while, then we’ll have to try and change that, but cracking the whip, or being a tough guy is not my style. I believe in education – what we want, who we are, who we can be, then work from there.”

As the summer rolled along it appeared that Quinn wanted his veterans to understand they needed to sing from the same song sheet.  He called Hemsky a Lone Ranger in one interview intimating that Hemsky had a tendency not to do the things to help his team when he did not have the puck.

He did not leave the discussion at Hemsky in the Journal he was quoted saying, “We’re not going to try to pigeonhole people. We won’t be trying to put round pegs into square holes. Quite frankly, I don’t know what we have yet. Our management thinks we have skill. I like skill. I also like courage and heart.”

So we now come back to Sam Gagner.  I think Gagner has both skill and heart but it is obvious he has not been a round peg in a round hole in his second season with the Oilers.

So while most of the media are surprised that he has gone to the fourth line in practice it makes sense that he needs to be focused on doing the simple things.

Gagner as a fourth line centre is not likely to stay there long.   But he needs to prove to his coach that he can be more than just a skilled small forward.

If there is someone Gagner might consider modelling his game after it is probably a player like Theoren Fleury.   As a small skilled forward Fleury scored 455 goals in his NHL career, he was both a skilled forward who had a nasty streak.

If Gagner can do that, he could parlay his natural skills into an effective role at both ends of the ice.   Better to be a 100 pound weakling with a fierce first punch than a small semi-skilled role player in and out of the coaches’ dog house like his old line mate Nilsson.

The long and sordid story of Mike Comrie’s time as an Edmonton Oiler and the aftermath of his trade had made him public enemy number one for many fans.  Doug Weight, Curtis Joseph and even Bill Guerin left the team because they wanted a big payday that the Oilers were not able or not prepared to pay.

Comrie was different.  He was an Edmontonian, drafted by the Oilers.  This was his team of his boyhood.

Things did not start well right from the beginning.  Comrie was drafted in the 3^rd round of the 1999 draft.  At the time he was playing for the University of Michigan, but then in 2000 he left school.  By signing with the WHL Kootney Ice of junior hockey it could make him a free agent on December 31, 2000 if not signed by the Oilers.

It was seen rightly as a grab for the brass ring.  The loop hole in the old collective bargaining agreement meant that he would not have to accept a rookie salary scale which was capped.

Eventually the Oilers avoided the whole problem by coming to an agreement and using Comrie in the lineup immediately.   Comrie was a scoring machine in the WHL and had got off to a league record start.  So everyone assumed the little centre was in a great situation.

But tremors of his near free agency were just signs of things to come.  As well it was obvious that the Oilers sophomore General Manager Kevin Lowe had not liked how things had worked.

Fans however loved Comrie.  His scoring and skill along with his willingness to go into the corners meant that many pulled for him.  He would lead the team in scoring in 2001-2002.

After an injury plagued 2002-2003 season Comrie’s contract coming due.  Wanting a new contract better than the 10% pay hike offered Comrie held out to try and force the Oilers to act.

GM Kevin Lowe, in what may be the low point of his career off the ice decided only to trade Comrie after he reimbursed the Oilers 2.5 million dollars.  This demand was met with a cold response from the Comrie camp, as he told the Edmonton Journal, “It’s frustrating . . . I’m very disappointed. Hopefully we’ll get through this like professionals.”

Lowe’s demands finally killed a deal that would have sent Comrie to Anaheim for Corey Perry.

Instead, the Oilers, who insisted they were not trying to be vindictive sent Comrie to Philadelphia in December of 2003 for Philadelphia for minor-league defenseman Jeff Woywitka, a 2004 first-round draft pick and a third-round pick in 2005.

Some in the media felt that Comrie was upset with Lowe even before the financial demand over his criticism of Comrie’s play in the playoffs in 2003.

Comrie moved from Philadelphia to Phoenix.  He would then in 2006 to Ottawa.  Eventually he signed as a free agent with New York Islanders only to be traded once more to Ottawa.

This past offseason Comrie rejoined the Oilers.  He said, “This decision just feels right at this time in my life… I’m older, more mature and before when I played here it was a little overwhelming and I didn’t embrace it as well as I should have.”

Comrie led the Oilers in the preseason and for the Oilers sake and for his own, all are now hoping it continues.

This Mike Comrie is easy to like and the former boo boy is back as possible hero once again.