Everything Else

Your Friends And Neighbors – ’17-’18 NHL Team Previews: Springsteen And Bon Jovi Suck

By September 15, 2017 1834

I’ll name it that because A) It’s true and B) I don’t know what the hell else we would talk about when it comes to New Jersey. Certainly not their hockey team, and certainly not the ambience. But I guess that’s our lot in life, so we’ll address Nico Hishier, Taylor Hall (for the 50 games he’s actually upright for), and whatever the hell else isn’t wearing green and red like they should be.

NEW JERSEY DEVILS

’16-’17 Record: 28-40-14  70 points (dead-ass last in the Metro)

Team Stats 5vs: 47.8 CF% (27th)  47.4 SF% (26th)  47.7 SCF% (26th)  6.2 SH% (28th)  .924 SV% (14th)

Special Teams: 17.5 PP% (22nd)  79.6 SV% (23rd)

Everything Else

Before The Devils Make You Dead: Devils at Hawks Preview/Car Tow

By December 1, 2016 1641

 vs. 

RECORDS: Devils: 10-7-5  Hawks: 15-6-3  

PUCK DROP: 7:30pm

TV: CSN

SWAMP SITTERS: In Lou We Trust

Projected Lineups

ADJUSTED CORSI%: Devils – 49.4 (18th)  Hawks – 50.8 (12th)

ADJUSTED xGF%: Devils – 46.1 (28th)  Hawks – 47.4 (22nd)

POWER PLAY %: Devils – 13.7 (25th)  Hawks – 17.3 (16th)

PENALTY KILL %: Devils – 84.3 (9th)  Hawks – 70.7 (They’re above 70%!!!)

The Hawks begin the December portion of the schedule tonight in the most coma-inducing way possible, with a visit from the New Jersey Devils. If there’s a chance to look good in regulation against a team, which the Hawks haven’t really done since San Jose, this would be it. But then again, no one looks good against the Devils. That’s just their way.

Everything Else

Devils Spotlight: The Fantasies of Sinful Screens Of Taylor Hall

By October 28, 2016 1214

God these are getting way dated, aren’t they. Fuck I’m old. Anyway…

Let’s not bury the lede here. The Oilers are absolute fucking morons for trading Taylor Hall. Since he came into the league in 2010, here are the left wings that have outscored him: Sedin, Ovechkin (who has played right wing a lot of that time), Zetterberg (who played center for a lot of that time), Benn, Marleau, Vanek, and Sharp (who also played center for part of that period. So that’s four surefire Hall of Famers, Benn who might have a case when all is said and done, the Hall of Very Good for Sharp, and somehow Vanek got in here. These players just don’t grow on fucking trees.

In terms of analytic numbers, Hall has been far above his teammates for the last five seasons, save one. In the lockout shortened year he carried the water over 8% higher than his teammates. He’s been over 3% better than his teammates twice, and was +0.86% last year as the Oilers began to maybe sort of figure things out.

Everything Else

What Am I Doing In New Jersey?: Devils Q&A With John Fischer

By October 27, 2016 1719

As we always do when the Hawks and the Devils meet up, we turn to InLouWeTrust.com maven John Fischer (@JKFischer) to find out what’s going on in the swamp. And yes, we know the Meadowlands was the swamp but we’re guessing Newark isn’t much better. 

So, still laughing about the Taylor Hall trade?

I did exclaim, “I don’t miss you, Adam Larsson” after this goal by Hall.  More seriously, I think it was a fantastic trade.  Larsson has actually turned out to be someone that Edmonton needed and Hall is performing at a level that has been missed at forward for several years in New Jersey.  More germane to your readers for this game, he’s hot right now with five goals out of 19 shots on net in the last four games.  He’s essentially the Devils’ Patrick Kane.  And like Kane, once he has space, he will do amazing things.

Everything Else

Tell Your Statistics To Shut Up: The Analytics Debate Now

By October 10, 2016 1317

Wednesday will kick off our ninth season doing this, and in that time it feels like we’ve gone from one side of the statistical debate to the other. I know we were one of the first to start using Corsi and zone starts and whatever else to try and get to the truth of what we were seeing. And now it feels like we spend a lot of time trying to convince people that yes, Mark Arcobello does indeed suck and stop trying to get us to believe otherwise.

When trying to explain this to my non-hockey inclined friends, I used to try and tell them that hockey was anywhere from five to ten years behind baseball in its statistical revolution. That seems pretty silly now, and there’s a big reason why. If only it were that close.

Everything Else

I’m From Canada And They Think I’m Slow, Eh?

By June 29, 2016 1758

I guess now we know who Gordie’s parents were, huh?

I don’t have the adjectives or the prose ability to be able to accurately describe what has transpired in the NHL this afternoon. But I’ll take a shot and when it’s over, to quote perhaps my favorite movie villain of all time, “Don’t think that I didn’t try.” But I think today’s trades are a perfect example of just how back’ards most of the league operates and what still matters to far too many teams (wrongly). Again, try and keep in mind that the last two Cups have been won by teams loaded with skill and speed, who beat teams built similarly. And the team that won the Cups when the ones that were loaded with skill and speed still had the puck all the time. This is important.

Ok, so let’s start with Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson. By the way, having simply written that four points fell off my IQ.

Everything Else

‘Elo Kiddies – Oilers vs Hawks Preview, Encounter On Ord Mantell

By December 17, 2015 1270

 vs 

Game Time: 7:30PM
TV/Radio: CSN, WGN-AM 720
Tikkanese Interpreters: Oilers Nation, Copper ‘n’ Blue

With all of the talks of streaks around these parts recently, one that flew under the radar is the six game winning streak tonight’s vistors the Edmonton Oilers only had snapped on Tuesday at MSG. And in an absolute kitty-litter-covering-kindergartner-vomit-on-astroturf-carpeting Pacific Division, that’s been enough to actually have the Oilers in the playoff conversation. And all without their most recent franchise cornerstone Conor McDavid.

Everything Else

The Fun Happens Late – Hawks at Oilers Preview, Request For Quote

By November 18, 2015 1352

 at 

Game Time: 8:30Pm
TV/Radio: CSN, SportsNet 1, WGN-AM 720
Lost’n For Auston: Copper & Blue, Oilers Nation

No matter how hard they try to convince themselves, their fans, and the rest of the league, the Edmonton Oilers just can’t seem to stop tripping over their own collective dick. As of last night with John Torotrella’s Columbus Blue Jackets defeating the Blues on home ice, the Oilers are once again dead last in the NHL, and now welcome in the Blackhawks to Rexall as they begin their annual November road trip.

Everything Else

Suffer The Children – Oilers vs Hawks Preview, Ear Flushing

By November 8, 2015 1302

 vs 

Game Time: 7:00PM Central
TV/Radio: WGN, NHLN, SportsNet, WGN-AM 720
Tyler Dellow Fixed Everything: Oilers Nation, Copper & Blue

And thus came a great wailing from the north. A veritable Alberta Clipper of wailing and flagellation as their latest savio(u)r was felled, as if this time were going to be any different. As if their falling ass backwards into yet another #1 overall pick in the year of a consensus franchise changer was anything but infuriating luck. As if he was going to make any material difference this year.

Everything Else

Kick Him When He’s Down – Oilers vs Hawks Preview, Pregame Thread, Cryogenic Preservation

By March 6, 2015 1210 0

 vs 

Game Time: 7:30PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN Plus (Ch. 201), WGN-AM 720
Undeserving of Eichel & McDavid: Copper & Blue, Oilers Nation

With the calendar now having turned to March, the Oilers are now entering month five of irrelevance as far as the Western Conference playoff picture is concerned. They will once again be in the running for the top overall pick, depending on how the lottery balls bounce. But in their only visit to the United Center this year, the Hawks can ill afford any pity on even such a revoltingly piteous group as the Oilers.