Game 1 Thoughts

Final Score : 3-2 Oilers in a Shoot-Out over the Stanley Cup favorite Sharks

Goals: Tom Gilbert from Andrew Cogliano and Sam Gagner
Kyle Brodziak from Sheldon Souray and Marty Reasoner
Jarret Stoll scored the Shoot Out winner.

Rob's 3 Oiler Stars
1. Roloson
2. Stoll
3. Souray

What a a way to start the season! It took both teams about half a period to get into the game, but when they did, WOW. Back and forth, this is the way that hockey should be played. The Oilers were fast and skilled. What a difference one year makes. If they play like this the whole season they will be a good team.

Penner - Horcoff - Hemsky
Hemsky was flying out there, and I think he took more shots last night then he did all last season (he had 5). Hemsky was making some serious moves out there tonight, he will have a good year. Penner was effective at what he did, he was in front of the net on the PP and creating havoc. One thing I noticed Penner did, he was behind the net and a couple Sharks were all over him and he simply threw them off and cut in front for a scoring chance, that's something that Ryan Smyth never did. Horcoff was his dependable self, strong two-way game.

Torres-Stoll-Nilsson
Torres wasn't all that effective today, but he was running causing some havoc so I won't lay ito him too much. Stoll was great in the faceoff circle and was all over the ice killing penalties, he even had a partial break on the PK that Nabakov stopped. And of course he scored the shoot out winner. Nilsson had a good, if not tentaive game. He needs to not be afraid to shoot. He'd make a move and would be in on a 2-1 and wouldn't know what to do with the puck. It will come though, he also scored in the shoot out.

Sanderson-Reasoner-Brodziak
Very good defensive line. Brodziak scored a goal on a blast from Souray that found its way through Nabakov, right place at the right time. Reasoner looks like he did 3 years ago, maybe there is some tread left on him. Sanderson surprised me. He used his speed very effectivly to creat 2-1's and to get back defensivly. He was much more than a throw-in in the Piktanen deal, he will be a very valuable veteran on this rookie laden team.

Cogliano-Gagner-Jacques
Speaking of rookies, you can't get much more young than this line. Cogliano (20) and Gagner (18) both were playing their first NHL games tonight, and both had assists and ended the night +1. For goodness sakes Gagner was just drafted 4 months ago. Cogliano is fast! Marchant fast, except Cogliano will score more than Marchant, he is ready for the NHL. Gagner gives this team so many options I see him playing past the 9 games that he earned out of camp. He won't play every game but it's nice to know you can throw Gagner out there instead of Toby Peterson. Jacques didn't play much, like 3:30, but that's indiative of the fact I don't even know why he made the team. He was in the game tongiht to protect the punks, and he did it, so I'll say he was effective in the limited role he played.

Pitkanen-Staios
I thought these guys would be drawing in against Thornton, but that wasn't the case. I never noticed Steve, that must be a good thing Piktanen made some nice break out passes, I noticed his speed and his PP ablity is apparent, he had a good game.

Souray-Greene
The two impressed me. Everyone was so worried how these guys could hold up. Greene was stading up to Cheechoo all game and Souray was all over Thornton. Souray's size is going to be alot more important to this team then I originally thought, and that shot! Wow, that is going to be useful.

Gilbert-Tarnstrom
Has Gilbert only played 13 games in the NHL now? You could never tell. He pinched when he should have, he got back in the play when he had to. He was extremly effective. Now, I know why Lowe signed Tarnstrom. Great game, it's nice to have another veteran on the back end that knows what needs to be done. HIs positioning was there and he was able to calm things down and make breakout plays.

Roloson
Roloson was fabulous! He some luck from the post about 3 times, but you have to be good to be lucky. If the Oilers are going to win Roloson will have to play like that 50 times this year, and Garon another 32.

This team has the potential, can they live up to it every night?