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Oilers, Thrashers Coach Fined For Criticizing Refs

2006-11-06T10:09:00.000-08:00

The NHL is sending a message to all players and coaches across the league: Keep your mouth shut.

The league on Saturday fined Edmonton Oilers coach Craig MacTavish and Atlanta Thrashers coach Bob Hartley $10,000 each for criticizing referees.

MacTavish was livid after referee Mick McGeough called off an Oilers goal before center-ice faceoff late in the third period Friday night. McGeough believed he saw a glove pass by Shawn Horcoff, but replays did not show that happen.

"I know he is a veteran official and at times I have found his antics humorous, but if this is the product of that, there is a problem," MacTavish told the press after the game. "It was a ridiculous call."

MacTavish added that McGeough "should be suspended." McGeough commented after the game, saying, "My judgment was poor on the play."

Colin Campbell, the league's director of hockey operations, said in a statement that MacTavish's remarks were completely unnecessary..

"While the NHL regrets the missed call, Craig MacTavish's comments after the game regarding the call were totally inappropriate and crossed the line," Campbell said.

Hartley was handed a gross misconduct and fined for screaming and yelling at officials near the end of a game last week against Washington.

Oilers 3 Sharks 2, triple-overtime (Sharks lead series 2-1)

2006-10-09T09:21:00.000-07:00

Alberta Shawn Horcoff scored at two-24 of triple-overtime to give the Edmonton Oilers a 3-to-2 win over San Jose in Game Three of the Western Conference semifinals. The Sharks lead the series two-games-to-one.
Patrick Rissmiller and Patrick Marleau scored second-period goals to put the Sharks ahead 2-to-1. The lead held up until Raffi Torres beat Vesa Toskala (VEH'-sah TAHS'-kah-lah) with six-47 left in regulation.

Torres also set up Marc-Andre Bergeron's first-period goal.

Toskala finished with 55 saves, including 30 in overtime. Dwayne Roloson made 18 of his 32 saves after regulation.

Game Four is Friday at Edmonton.

Hurricanes 3 Devils 2 (Hurricanes lead series 3-0)

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) _ The Carolina Hurricanes are ahead three-games-to-none in the Eastern Conference semifinals after Rod Brind'Amour scored the game-winner in a 3-to-2 win at New Jersey.

Brind'Amour snapped a two-all deadlock with one minute left in the second period, sending the Hurricanes to their seventh straight win. It was Brind'Amour's sixth playoff goal.

The 'Canes went ahead 2-to-1 when Matt Cullen and Justin Williams scored one-51 apart in the first period. But Patrik Elias (EH'-lee-ahsh) tied it in the second period after assisting on Sergei Brylin's (BREE'-lihnz) goal.

Cam Ward stopped 28 shots for the Hurricanes, who began their winning streak when Ward replaced Martin Gerber in the nets before Game Three of the conference quarterfinals.

Carolina can close out the series Saturday afternoon at the Meadowlands.

Sabres 3 Senators 2 (Sabres lead series 3-0)

J.P. Dumont scored at five-oh-five of overtime to give Buffalo a 3-to-2 victory and a three-games-to-none lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals against Ottawa.

The Sabres blew a pair of one-goal leads in the third period before beating the Senators for the ninth straight playoff game. Jason Spezza (SPET'-suh) twice tied the game with power-play goals against Ryan Miller, who finished with 26 saves.

Chris Drury's power-play goal put the Sabres ahead midway through the first period. Maxim Afinogenov (ah-fihn-uh-GEHN'-ahf) gave Buffalo a 2-to-1 advantage in the third period. But the Senators extended the game on Spezza's goal with 90 seconds left in regulation.

The Sabres can close out the series Thursday night.

Edmonton Oilers- Carolina Hurricanes

2006-06-13T08:27:00.000-07:00

Stanley Cup
Best of seven

The most expected series on ice started on Monday June 5. The Stanley Cup just began and sports betting fans are very excited to watch and bet on this series. The Edmonton Oilers after winning to the Angels 4-1 got there pass to the finals; in the Eastern Conference, the Hurricanes won it 4-3 after a very even series.

Stanley Cup finals game 1, left the Oilers in a position they couldn’t expect, after a 3-0 lead; things turned around for them heavily. Also, starting goalie Dwayne Roloson will not play the rest of the series, after suffering an injury that coach Craig MacTavish described "as bad as Radek (Dvorak)." Dvorak was injured May 8 and missed eight games. This injury is an important loss for Edmonton and will definitively make a difference in the rest of the series. Roloson was injured at 14:06 of the third period, with the score tied, 4-4, when Oilers defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron crushed puck-carrying Hurricanes forward Andrew Ladd into Roloson and the right goal post.

Among sports betting fans the first game was surprising…Edmonton leaded 1-0 in the first period, what could we think; obviously it was not the end for Carolina. But the Oilers ended at a certain point of the game leading 3-0; what seemed to be Edmonton’s first victory. Carolina, who lost the cup in 2002 against the Red Wings, could not be beaten like that, not at home. They ended winning the game 5-4 with not such an outstanding performance. “I'm almost confused what to feel, honestly," said Peter Laviolette, the Carolina coach. “I don't think you will find anybody in our locker room that is real happy with the way we played," said Laviolette. “We've got to be a lot better if we are going to be successful in a seven-game series. We are better than that. We just didn't show it tonight."

Edmonton’s MacTavish said: "The important thing for us as a team is to bounce back and I know we can. I feel very confident that we can bounce back from it. I've been in this situation before.” "I felt that we played a solid game tonight and we can recover from this. I just passed on to Rolly that, job well done, and it's up to us to take it from here and we're capable of doing that."
After a long road to the Stanley Cup, both teams are aware that 4 games must be won in order to get the championship and it will not be easy for either team. Edmonton whose last appearance in a Stanley Cup Final was back in 1990; are letting Roloson aside and concentrating on a series that is going to be harder after this injury. The Hurricanes are aware such bad periods played as game 1, could not happen again. They can’t afford to play like that if they want to win the cup.
This series are exciting, sportsbooks odds are incredibly interesting and games ahead are going to show much more than expected…this series are burning.

Oilers arrive in Raleigh

2006-06-05T10:52:00.000-07:00

They're here! The Travelling Wilburys, or whoever they are, finally arrived for the Stanley Cup final.
Actually they're the Edmonton Oilers, but they could be just about anybody to the folks here, not having played the Carolina Hurricanes here since 2001 and nobody knowing where the heck Edmonton is anyway.
But they're here!
Let the Stanley Cup final begin!
For a team with a nine-day break between games, the Oilers certainly cut it fine here yesterday.

For a team with a nine-day break between games, the Oilers certainly cut it fine here yesterday.

First a van rolled up and Ryan Smyth, Chris Pronger and Dwayne Roloson, direct from the airport, jumped out and were hustled -- without having time to stop to sign autographs for four Oiler fans camped in front of the Marriott Crabtree -- to a press conference scheduled to start one minute after their arrival.
"Seeing you guys just magnifies everything," said Smyth as he sat down on the dais in a room filled with media.
Eight days is a long time to wait to get to your dream after you realized it. For nine straight seasons Pronger had made the playoffs but suddenly he was here.
"Today is probably the first day I've finally felt like we're getting close to play in the Stanley Cup final," he said.
Smyth said if they had to wait another day it might have gotten ugly.
"We needed to get here because the last couple of practices we had at our get-away were scrimmages and were getting a little intense. I think if it went on any longer we'd have had some scraps. It's time to play."
The three stayed on the dais for the better part of half an hour while NHL support staffers nervously awaited their team bus. It, too, arrived in the nick of time.
The players paraded directly to the ballroom where their sweaters were draped on the walls and where they were required to stand in front of them, on 2' x 2' risers, to take questions.
"It's exciting to walk in here. It's exciting to be here," said Shawn Horcoff.
But they hadn't been there long when some picked up on the tone of the questioning which was focused a lot on the Oilers being the first eighth seed to get to the final.
"We're a very good team," said Ethan Moreau. "It's not like we're a bunch of nobodies who got this far."
When everybody had filled their notebooks in that session, it was back to the press conference room where GM Kevin Lowe and Craig MacTavish were ushered in.
It was suggested to MacTavish that the fans here don't know much about the Oilers or about Edmonton and wondered if the reverse was true.
"They know," he said.
"They know exactly where Raleigh is right now. It's the centre of the universe in Edmonton right now."
Lowe laughed.
"They probably know your team a lot better than your fans know our team. And probably every one of them has come golfing here at some point of their lives."
MacTavish jumped in.
"To get away from that blistering heat in Edmonton."
Seriously, though ...
"It's a little bit different venue here than what is maybe the norm in the Stanley Cup final. We'll get a sense of it very quickly. We just flew in so we really don't have a sense of the atmosphere yet other than what we've seen on TV. The atmosphere looks pretty electric in the building, so we're looking forward to that. We're ready to play a game."
Tonight it begins.
HERE'S HOPING ...
"I think what's going to make this series really exciting is that there's great drama from both dressing rooms. I think there are all sorts of great storylines in this series. Let's hope the Oilers are the final storyline," said Lowe.
"Obviously there are going to be some ramifications in terms of our readiness," said MacTavish. "Are we going to be refreshed and energized or are we going to have a tough time adjusting to the quicker pace of the game having been off for nine days? As a coach, I don't have an answer. I'm as interested as anybody else to see."
With that, he and his hockey team went and checked into their hotel. They're here!

Oilers beg fans to calm down

2006-05-30T11:10:00.000-07:00

Edmonton Oilers tough guy Georges Laraque says he's saddened that a handful of hooligans are soiling the reputation of some of the world's best fans.
And he hopes the escalating post-game havoc on Whyte Avenue stops before it reaches a full-scale riot.
"It's sad to see some of the incidents that happened," Laraque told Sun Media yesterday. "I hope it won't come to the point that it will ruin everybody's celebration."
The latest spate of hooliganism late Saturday night and early Sunday morning, which included bonfires, smashed telephone booths, flying beer bottles and broken windows along Whyte has garnered nationwide media attention.

Laraque says he's been doing his best to ignore the media reports because he finds them depressing during a time that should be sheer jubilation for the city.
The team's enforcer also believes the thugs behind the Old Strathcona mayhem aren't hockey fans.
It's people who are caught up in the moment and they want to cause trouble," he said, adding he still thinks the Oilers have the best fan base in pro hockey.
"I love the fans. I think we have the best fans in the world."
The Oilers are planning a series of public service announcements asking Edmontonians to behave themselves during their final run for the Stanley Cup.
Team president president Patrick LaForge said the Oil will work with the city and the Edmonton Police Service to produce print, radio and television spots calling on hockey hooligans to lay off.
"They don't represent our ethics or our morals or our pride in the city," said LaForge.
"I think they're using the Oilers' celebration of success to let their crazy demons out."
The city's mayor, police chief and probably a couple of Oilers will ask rowdies to stay at home for the remainder of the Stanley Cup run.
Forward Ryan Smyth told reporters Sunday: "Obviously we would like everybody to be safe and have fun, but be responsible too."
Oilers legend Al Hamilton, who retired in 1980, said the events on Whyte are overshadowing the teams accomplishments.
"It'd be nice if everybody just walked away from the whole thing (on Whyte) and didn't have the big celebration there, but that's not likely to happen," said Hamilton, 59.

Oilers Beat Ducks for 2-0 Lead in NHL Western Conference Final

2006-05-22T08:17:00.000-07:00

Fernando Pisani, Chris Pronger and Michael Peca scored goals as the Edmonton Oilers beat the Anaheim Mighty Ducks 3-1 to take a two-games-to-none lead in the National Hockey League's Western Conference Finals.
Pisani scored his eighth goal of the playoffs with 2:51 left in the second period to snap a 1-1 tie at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California, and help Edmonton to its sixth consecutive win.
The Oilers, the eighth seed in the Western Conference, will host the next two games of the best-of-seven series. Game 3 is scheduled for May 23 at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta, where the Ducks have lost 12 straight games.
Edmonton, the first eighth seed to reach the third round since the NHL's current playoff system was adopted in 1994, is 18-0 all-time when holding a 2-0 lead in a postseason series. The Oilers were last in the conference finals in 1992.
Pronger opened the scoring for the Oilers today, getting a power-play goal with 6:52 left in the opening period.
The Ducks, the sixth seed in the West, tied it 6:12 into the second period on Jeff Friesen's third goal of the playoffs.
Dwayne Roloson made 33 saves for the Oilers, including 10 in the third period. Peca added a short-handed goal with 18 seconds left to give Edmonton its second straight 3-1 win. The Oilers have won 12 of their past 13 games against Anaheim.

And a Child Shall Lead Them

2006-05-17T12:52:00.000-07:00

By Mike Brody
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Rookie goaltenders have had success in the Stanley Cup Playoffs before – most notably with Ken Dryden in 1971 and Patrick Roy in 1986, both leading the Montreal Canadiens to the Cup – but never before has a crop of rookie goalies dominated the playoffs like they have this season.

Of the five remaining teams in this year’s playoffs, three are led by rookie goalies and another by a first-year starter. Carolina’s Cam Ward, Buffalo’s Ryan Miller, Anaheim’s Ilya Bryzgalov, and San Jose’s Vesa Toskala have all enjoyed incredible playoff success thus far.

Seven-year veteran Dwayne Roloson of the Edmonton Oilers, who was acquired in a mid-season trade with the Minnesota Wild, is the only experienced goaltender left. I don’t think anyone would have predicted that, especially with the presence of such big-name goalies as Martin Brodeur and Miikka Kiprusoff, and other veteran backstops or NHL powerhouses like Detroit’s Manny Legace, Dallas’s Marty Turco, and Colorado’s Jose Theodore, among the contenders.

The New Favorite

Thanks to a surprisingly easy 4 games to 1 victory over the New Jersey Devils, and a dominating performance winning four straight games over Montreal after losing the first two in Round 1, the Carolina Hurricanes have emerged as the new favorite to win Lord Stanley’s Cup. Despite finishing the regular season with 112 points, just 1 behind Eastern Conference leader Ottawa, the Hurricanes’ odds of winning the Cup entering the playoffs were posted at 10-1. That was before the oddsmakers had seen Ward turn away almost every shot he’s faced.

In 10 playoff games, the 22-year-old rookie has allowed just 17 goals while posting a 1.77 goals against average (GAA). Ward let in just five goals in Carolina’s four victories over New Jersey as he outplayed his boyhood idol Brodeur. With his stellar play, and the Hurricanes’ opportunistic offense, led by 100-point scorer Eric Staal, Carolina will be tough to beat.

The Upstart Challenger

The Sabres’ Miller is the only U.S.-born goalie among the Fab Four. He hopes to duplicate the feat of another rookie American goalie, Ron Hextall, who led the Philadelphia Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1987. After a shaky start in Game 1 against Ottawa, Buffalo’s defense and Miller shut down the Senators the rest of the way, allowing two or fewer goals in each of the last four games. The Michigan native has a 2.25 GAA and a .921 save percentage in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Buffalo’s defense has been stellar in front of Miller. Defensemen Toni Lydman and Henrik Tallinder lead all playoff performers in plus/minus at plus-13. The Sabres’ offense has been scoring in bunches. Buffalo has a team-leading 43 goals scored in 11 games and is riding high after winger Jason Pominville’s shorthanded, overtime goal clinched the series against Ottawa.

Mr. Perfect – Almost

Anaheim’s Bryzgalov has been the most surprising and impressive of all the rookies. Bryzgalov didn’t even enter the playoffs as the Ducks’ No. 1 goalie. That honor went to Jean-Sebastian Giguere, who led Anaheim to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2003, his second year in the league, and was named the Conn Smythe winner as the MVP of the playoffs that season.

After splitting their first four games against Calgary in Round 1, the Ducks made the switch to Bryzgalov and they haven’t regretted it. The 24-year-old Russian has practically stood on his head as he is sporting a ridiculous 0.87 GAA and .967 save percentage. He recorded three straight shutouts, including Game 7 at Calgary to clinch that series. In doing so, Bryzgalov set a rookie playoff record, holding opponents scoreless for 249 minutes, 15 seconds. Only Montreal’s George Hainsworth, 270:08 in 1930, has had a longer playoff scoreless streak.

The Final Four

San Jose’s Toskala is hoping to join his fellow first-year netminders in the conference finals. After an excellent series against Nashville in Round 1, including a shutout in Game 2, and two 2-1 victories to open the Edmonton series, Toskala and the Sharks find themselves on the ropes as the Oilers have stormed back to take a 3-2 series lead. Edmonton will try to close it out at home on Wednesday night.

San Jose’s offense is led by Patrick Marleau, who leads all playoff goal scorers with nine. The Sharks will need to get an early lead and help Toskala protect it to force a Game 7 at home on Friday.

The Finals

The matchup between Ward and Miller should be as entertaining as it gets. Both are capable of stealing a game or two for their respective teams. Carolina is the favorite, but Buffalo has a lot of momentum and Miller has shown he can win the close games with four one-goal victories against Ottawa. Look for the Sabres to get to the Finals.

The Ducks have had a long time off after unexpectedly sweeping the Avalanche. Anaheim may be a little rusty to start the conference finals, but the Ducks have good veteran leadership in Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne and will ride the stellar play of Bryzgalov past either the Oilers or the Sharks to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.

San Jose Sharks vs. Edmonton Oilers

2006-05-17T11:20:00.000-07:00

The Edmonton Oilers have embraced the underdog role throughout the playoffs. They eliminated the Presidents' Trophy winner in the first round. They fell behind 0-2 in the second round. They even had their national anthem booed on the road in Game 5.
Through it all, the Oilers continue to persevere. Now they look to wrap up their Western Conference semifinal series against the San Jose Sharks and advance to the conference finals for the first time since 1992.
Despite entering the playoffs as the eighth seed in the West, the Oilers players may be the only ones who are not surprised about being on the cusp of the third round.
"Everybody believes in that locker room," Oilers defenseman Chris Pronger said. "That's the first step for us. Everybody is buying into the system. Even when we were down 0-2, we just felt we could win two home games and be right here."
After a rough start, Edmonton has righted itself to take control of this series from San Jose. The Oilers have scored 12 goals in their last two games and exploited weak penalty killing by the Sharks Sunday to post a 6-3 road victory in the pivotal Game 5.
The Sharks seemed to have every advantage that game: they were playing at home, they outshot the Oilers 24-18 and outhit them 34-16, yet Edmondton still pulled out a 6-3 win in large part to San Jose's inability to shut down the Oilers' power play.
Fernando Pisani ended a wild four-minute sequence at the start of the third period by converting a 2-on-1 from Ryan Smyth and beating Sharks goaltender Vesa Toskala to snap a 3-3 tie. Jarret Stoll and Smyth added power-play goals later in the period for Edmonton, which went 3 for 7 with the man advantage and left Sharks coach Ron Wilson looking for answers to try and extend this series to a decisive seventh game.
"We've made it obviously pretty hard on ourselves," Wilson said. "You can't blame Tosk. We gave up 2-on-1's, a giveaway, a deflection ... very easily correctable mistakes, and we have to hold each other accountable to do things right. We've got to work a heck of a lot harder."
Toskala will start this game trying to find the form from his first seven games, when he allowed 12 total goals. But he has not been the same since allowing a game-winning goal to Shawn Horcoff that ended Game 3 in triple overtime.
"I don't think we have to make a goaltending change," Wilson said. "Vesa has been a rock back there. Last night, he didn't have a chance in any one of the goals. We didn't do a good job of supporting him and our focus now is to make sure we get back to doing what we do best which is playing sound defensive hockey."
While Edmonton's power play has thrived, San Jose's has been brutal. The Sharks are just 2-for-27 (6.9 percent) in this series, a far cry from their 18.2 percent (91-for-500) success rate in the regular season.
"They are pressuring us up the ice and we're coasting back for pucks," Wilson said. "We've got some guys who might be viewing themselves as they have a right to be on the power play instead of the view that it's a privilege."
Including the regular season, the Sharks have lost seven of their last 10 games in Edmonton, but the Oilers feel the urgency to close the series out and avoid a return trip to San Jose, where they lost the first two games of the series.
"The fourth win is always the hardest. We have to come prepared," Pronger said. "They are going to bring their best game. They battled back hard. There's no quit in that team. We've got to make sure we're focused and prepared. It's going to be a battle in Game 6."
If the Sharks win, they will host Game 7 Friday. If the Oilers win, they will meet the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in the conference finals.

San Jose Sharks vs. Edmonton Oilers

2006-05-11T14:36:00.000-07:00

The San Jose Sharks is one of the teams that ended the season playing really good. They had one of the best records towards the end. That reflected the result of the first round in the playoffs against Nashville, a series that many thought the Predators would win.Currently they are 2-0 against the Oilers and they expect to continue with the winning record in the next game that hopefully gives them the advantage to try and sweep this series and go to the conference finals.San Jose didn’t have a regular season that many expected and they barely made it to the playoffs. But here they are proving to everybody they can beat any team in the NHL and they are going for the Stanley Cup no matter what and the best part is that they have the talent and the discipline to achieve that.Recent Transactions4/18 Recalled G Nolan Schaefer from Cleveland of the AHL. 4/11Recalled F Ryane Clowe and F Tomas Plihal from Cleveland of the AHL. 4/10Recalled RW Ryane Clowe and LW Tomas Plihal from Cleveland of the AHL. 4/8Signed RW Devin Setoguchi.Much was expected from Edmonton at the beginning of the season; they had a hard time getting to the playoffs but they did. Not with the best record but they were in managing to get pass the first round against the Red Wings a team that was the favorite to win this series. As a matter of fact most sports books lines had them as favorites but they just couldn’t make it against the Oilers.Edmonton is now facing the San Jose Sharks a very physical team that won’t give any room for error and a team that’s playing really good. The series is currently 2-0 in favor to the Sharks and the Oilers needs to avoid going 0-3 because it will be their end if that happens."I really feel like home-ice advantage is going to be a big advantage in a series like this, one that has been as physical as this one's been," he said. "The hometown fans get behind (the players) and provide a lot of energy and a lot of adrenalin for the players to finish their checks. There's no doubt in my mind we'll bounce back tomorrow." –Edmonton coach Craig MacTavish.Recent Transactions5/1 Signed C Tyler Spurgeon to a three-year contract. 3/29 Recalled Brad Winchester from Hamilton of the AHL. 3/13 Recalled Marc-Antoine Pouliot from Hamilton of the AHL. 3/9 Acquired F Sergei Samsonov from Boston for Marty Reasoner, Yan Stastny and a 2006 second-round draft pick. 3/8 Placed G Mike Morrison on waivers.

Oilers-Sharks

2006-05-08T10:18:00.000-07:00

The San Jose Sharks have made a habit out of winning close games in the playoffs and not losing much on their home ice.
San Jose looks to take a 2-0 lead over the Edmonton Oilers when the teams continue their Western Conference semifinal series with a matchup at HP Pavilion.
The Sharks beat the Oilers 2-1 in Game 1 on Sunday, their third straight one-goal victory in the playoffs. San Jose has won five in a row in the postseason and 13 of 15 overall, including six of seven at home.
Edmonton, meanwhile, was 3-1 in one-goal games against top-seeded Detroit in the first round.
Patrick Marleau scored his eighth goal of the postseason and added an assist on Christian Ehrhoff's go-ahead goal to lead San Jose on Sunday.
Rookie Milan Michalek had two assists and Vesa Toskala stopped 15 shots for the fifth-seeded Sharks, who are 3-0 at HP Pavilion in the playoffs and have home-ice advantage for this round and the conference finals if they should advance.
After Ehrhoff's goal at 3:14 of the second period, San Jose's forechecking helped hold the Oilers to two shots in the period.
``I'm happy with our effort. ... We just wanted to establish a forecheck,'' Sharks coach Ron Wilson said. ''(Hitting) got contagious, the way our crowd was responding to every hit, and we just built off that.''
Dwayne Roloson made 28 saves for the Oilers, who went scoreless in the final 57:27 after Jaroslav Spacek's early power-play goal. Edmonton was held to fewer than two goals for the first time in the postseason.
``You could tell in the second period, we're on our heels,'' center Michael Peca said. ``We didn't really accomplish much. We weren't aggressive in our game. They forecheck so much.''
The Oilers failed to get a shot in the first 6 minutes of the third period, then couldn't score on a power play when Joe Thornton was sent off for tripping Roloson. Edmonton pulled Roloson for the final 90 seconds, but got just one good chance.
``We were standing still at the blue line a lot,'' Oilers coach Craig MacTavish said. ``I don't know whether it was tough for our team to change the mentality (from the first round). I was really happy with our start, but they took it to us physically in the second period.''
Game 3 is in Edmonton on Wednesday night.

Next week on TV (5-1/5-7)

2006-04-27T13:59:00.000-07:00

By Daniel Kline
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Both the NBA and the NHL close out the first round of their playoffs. In baseball, you’ve got the Orioles and the Blue Jays, matching up in what has to be one of the biggest questions of the baseball season. One of these teams might hang on to challenge the Yankees and Red Sox, but probably not both, making this early season tilt a little more interesting.

*All times Eastern.

Monday, May 1
NFL Europe, Berlin at Rhein (3 p.m., NFL Network)
Stop arguing about who your team drafted and check in on the sport’s minor league with this mid-afternoon match-up. Though NFL Europe might not get the attention of its big brother, the league offers a good chance to figure out which back-up players might break through come the fall.

Tuesday, May 2
Yankees at Red Sox (7:05 p.m., DirecTV, regional)
Every Yankees versus Red Sox match-up gets covered like a playoff game in Boston and New York, so expect tempers to flare in this tilt. The Sox have had the early season advantage, but that’s nothing new, as the Sox always have a division lead in the Summer – the question is whether they can hold it in the Fall.

Wednesday, May 3
Boxing (9 p.m. ESPN2)
Sharmba Mitchell takes on Jose Luis Cruz in a 10-round welterweight tilt. Cruz plays the role of the fighter on the way up, taking on former two-time champion Mitchell, who wants one more shot at the gold. Mitchell was knocked out in the sixth round in his last fight, but that was against Floyd Mayweather – one of the best in the division – so he’s aiming to prove that was a fluke and knock Cruz off the ladder of contention.

Thursday, May 4
Wachovia Open (4 p.m., USA)
A Tiger-less field should leave this one pretty wide open. Vijay Singh attempts to repeat as champion, a title he took last year in a three-way playoff with Sergio Garcia and Jim Furyk.

Friday, May 5
College Volleyball (Midnight, ESPN2)
Catch the men’s semifinal of the NCAA men’s volleyball tournament. This might be your last chance to see some of your favorite players before they turn pro and head out on the lucrative men’s volleyball tour.

Saturday, May 6
Kentucky Derby (6 p.m., NBC)
Horse racing only matters three times a year to the average fan, but the Kentucky captures the best of the sport. Because it’s the first Triple Crown race, every Derby winner stands the chance of being the first horse to bring home racing’s most elusive prize since Affirmed in 1978.

Sunday, May 7
Premier League Soccer (5 p.m., FOXESP)
Two of the big powers in the Premiership face off as Newcastle battles Chelsea in an attempt to cut into Chelsea’s overall lead in the standings. Chelsea did just fall in the FA Cup semifinal, but their big lead in the regular season standings makes clinching the title almost inevitable.

Daniel Kline’s book “50 Things Every Guy Should Know How To Do” is available in bookstores nationwide. He can be reached at dan@notastep.com.

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Detroit Red Wings vs. Edmonton Oilers

2006-04-24T12:07:00.000-07:00

Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a team that fought very hard to get to the playoffs and they deserve to be where they are right now. These two teams have very similar styles of play and that is why the Oilers might have a long shot of winning this series.

The key for the Oilers to win this series is that they will have to stop the power plays often performed by the Red Wings and take advantage of key players like Ryan Smith which is powerful forward. That can help a lot in the scoring department; defenseman Chris Pronger that has dominated the defense of this team all season long and of course veteran goalie Dwayne Roloson that’s been adjusting very well under the posts lately, allowing only 10 goals in the last six games of the season.

This first playoff round will be very hard to overcome for the Oilers but I wouldn’t take them out of the competition just yet. They may surprise every one if they really focus on what they do best, speed and quick offensive plays that can produce goals early in the game. This will give them a much needed advantage and play defense the rest of the game.

Detroit Red Wings
They‘re the sportbooks No.1 seed from the East and obviously have the best record of the conference; however many think this is due to the fact that this is a weak conference and that they have had easy wins all season long.

This team will really prove if it’s worthy to be there when they enter the playoff rounds and start matching against teams that won’t give them any advantage; because the playoff territory is completely different from the regular season. It is a much tougher one where everybody wants to win.

The first test they have to pass is against the Oilers, a team that has similar style of play and that’s something that can prejudice the game of the Red Wings. They can be neutralized by the fast plays of the Oilers.

The key for the Red Wings to pass this first playoff series is that they have to make it a short series and hopefully finish it by the fourth or fifth game. If they give the Oilers the opportunity to go for the sixth or seventh game they might gain a lot of confidence that can give the Red Wings hard time.

Key players like Pavel Datsyuk, Nicklas Lidstrom and Tomas Holstrom can easily determine the outcome of the series if they play at their best game.

These NHL playoffs are heart pounding ones and the perfect opportunity for the sports betting fans to add to the excitement of the game; you can check the latest NHL lines and props at Wager Web.com.

Oilers snap slump with 2-1 victory

2006-04-17T10:36:00.000-07:00

Ryan Smyth had a goal and an assist and Dwayne Roloson stopped 30 of 31 shots as the Edmonton Oilers held on to defeat the Minnesota Wild 2-1 Tuesday night at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. Next up for the Oilers is the Battle of Alberta Thursday night against Calgary at Rexall Place (7:00 p.m. MST, Sportsnet). The Oilers caught a break while killing a penalty six minutes into the game when Brian Rolston rang a blast from 60 feet out. The shot deflected off Roloson's right pad before hitting the post. Several minutes later, Minnesota was thought to have scored the game's first goal when Matthias Weinhandl scooped the puck over the goal line during a scramble in front of Roloson but after a lengthy discussion, the officials ruled incidental contact on the part of Wes Walz which resulted in the goal being waived off. The Oilers odds picked up some momentum after the disallowed marker and turned that into a goal of their own seconds later. Chris Pronger teed up a shot from the right point that beat Fernandez clean, making it 1-0 Oilers.Sparks started to fly between the two division rivals after Edmonton took the lead. Alex Henry and Matt Greene dropped the gloves and engaged in a marathon bout which got teams on both benches riled up.Shots on goal after one period were 11-9 in favour of the Oilers.Edmonton penalty killers came up big early in the second, killing off a lengthy two-man advantage with two of the team's top penalty killers - Peca and Pronger - in the box. Seven minutes into the period, the Oilers had a power play opportunity of their own and capitalized. Jaroslav Spacek wired a shot that Ryan Smyth deflected in front. The puck rang off both posts before bouncing off Fernandez and across the line to increase Edmonton's lead to 2-0.Midway through the period a pair of heavyweights collided for a heavyweight bout as Derek Boogaard and Georges Laraque traded blows. Boogaard got the jump on Laraque in the fight but in the end Laraque recovered enough for it to be declared a draw.The Wild were desperate for a goal as the second period neared an end. A holding call on Steve Staios with just over four minutes to go in the middle frame set up Minnesota's sixth power play of the night.Although Minnesota was able to sustain pressure throughout the two minutes, Edmonton penalty killers limited their opponents' opportunities to the outside. Shots after 40 were 20-17 in favour of Edmonton. Early in the third period the Wild finally struck for a power play goal on their seventh try. Kurtis Foster blasted one from the left circle then chased his own rebound which rang off the post and in behind Roloson to draw the Wild within a goal at 2-1.Instead of letting the goal deflate them, the Oilers came back on the attack for the next few minutes. Jarret Stoll had a good chance on the rush and Fernandez made some big stops during a mad scramble in his crease keeping it a one-goal game. Fernandez continued to be sharp, stopping Pisani with his blocker. At the other end of the ice, Roloson made a big save of his own after denying Brent Burns on a close tip in front. On the next shift, Roloson came across and denied Todd White on a one-time attempt. Edmonton's mettle was tested with five minutes to play in the game after Shawn Horcoff was ticketed for a high sticking penalty. The PK unit was outstanding when the team needed it the most, stepping up their play to kill the two minutes. The Oilers were able to limit the Wild to only a handful of chances for the rest of the game, leading the way to the victory.

Oilers welcome Coyotes to town

2006-04-17T10:35:00.000-07:00

The Edmonton Oilers will continue their battle for a postseason berth, as they host the Phoenix Coyotes tonight at Rexall Place.
The Oilers currently hold the final playoff spot with 86 points and San Jose and Los Angeles are just three points behind.
Edmonton had won three of four games before falling to the visiting Calgary Flames on Saturday. Kristian Huselius scored two goals to lift Calgary to the 4-1 victory. Shawn Horcoff scored the Oilers' lone goal and Dwayne Roloson stopped 22 shots for Edmonton, which has lost two of its last three games.
The nhl Oilers will wrap up their four-game homestand tonight. They are 17-15-6 as the host this season.
Phoenix, meanwhile, has won three in a row and six of its last seven outings. Although landing a playoff berth would be nearly impossible, the Coyotes have not yet been eliminated from the postseason race. They have 76 points and are 10 behind Edmonton for the final spot in the West.
The Coyotes earned a dramatic win at the Shark Tank on Saturday, beating San Jose in overtime.
Steven Reinprecht completed his hat trick, scoring 3:55 into OT to lead Phoenix to the 4-3 win. Reinprecht scored a goal on the power play, short- handed and at even strength for the Coyotes, while Curtis Joseph ended with 26 saves.
Tonight marks the third test of a four-game road trip for the Coyotes, who are 18-17-1 as the visiting club.
Phoenix has won two of three with the Oilers this season, but Edmonton is 9-5-1 (5 losses, 1 tie) in the last 15 matchups.