GDT 11/2 GDT: Red Wings 5 at Oilers 0

[Ekmanc 586]

Bad night for the Oilers, but this game has been worth staying up for - its currently 4.41am Sunday morning in Scotland

It's 05:44 in Sweden but I couldn't agree more, well worth it!

[Hockeymom1960 5,107]

Nice to see Alfie get the first star.

[Echolalia 2,961]

Does anyone actually vote for the player of the game? One night we need to organize the LGW crew to vote for some random player who would never actually get voted for, and see how many votes FSD actually gets. Someone like Cleary.

[LivoniaGrinder 37]

Welcome Back Helmerrrrrrr!!!!! I've missed seeing you tear it up buddy! And big props to Mrazek for his first NHL shutout!

I would have liked to see a better power play, but I can live with the results against an, albeit, weakened and demoralized team in Edmonton. Keep tuning it up special teams!

[evilmrt 636]

I felt bad for EDM.

At points during the game, they looked like an ECHL team (no offense to those teams!).

Not really much of a test for Mrazek, but a nice confidence boost.

[Hockeymom1960 5,107]

I felt bad for EDM.

At points during the game, they looked like an ECHL team (no offense to those teams!).

Not really much of a test for Mrazek, but a nice confidence boost.

Which is sad considering they have so much talent....well at least up front.

[Ekmanc 586]

Maybe Lars Eller saying that the Oilers play like a junior team sometimes wasn't too far off the mark...

[Dabura 12,232]

WTF, no highlights on NHL Tonight? I mean, not that I need them. But when have they ever just given the score and not shown the highlights?

[SaCkaveli20 275]

Got this from HFBoards

Oiler fans right now

[Guest Crymson]

I'm back with my regular report!

Best Forward: Tomas Tatar. He was everywhere. It's safe to say that he'll play in every game from here on out, barring a slump or an injury. Honorable mention goes to Darren Helm, who kicked off the scoring and showed us that yes, he's back.

Worst Forward: Dan Cleary, for obvious reasons. True, the fact that very simply does not belong on this team always gets him extra criticism, but he also managed to be completely invisible on a night when nearly every player on the team looked very good. Honorable mention goes to Mikael Samuelsson, who likewise should not be on this team, and who likewise played very ineffectively.

Best Defenseman: Jakub Kindl. Jakub had a beast of a game. He shot the puck constantly, powerfully, and accurately, and played very well on defense. He's got the rare gift of consistently being able to get pucks through a crowd. He's also got a deceptively powerful shot and knows when to use it. Honorable mention goes to Danny DeKeyser, who continues to play most ably on the first pairing.

Worst Defenseman: Brendan Smith. In a game that the Red Wings dominated, Smith had a visibly bad performance. He took three unnecessary penalties, all of them stupid and two of them because he was out of position; he was the single Red Wing to take a penalty in this game, and he contributed absolutely nothing on offense. Honorable mention goes to Kyle Quincey, who had a typically iffy game. I felt a momentary rush of excitement when it appeared that he had been injured. This was terrible, and I felt a bit guilty afterward, but the simple fact is that he's not a very good defenseman. The good news about this contest was that he managed to get a few shots on the goalie; he most often misses by a wide margin.

Most Effective Line: Andersson, Tatar, and Abdelkader. These guys looked very good. The Oilers simply had no answer for them.

Least Effective Line: Alfredsson, Cleary, and Weiss. Alfredsson played very well, and Weiss continues to improve. Cleary, however, continues to be horrible. He struggles to generate even the slightest bit of offense, and is unable even to play a grinding role.

MVP: Jakub Kindl. The reasons are pretty obvious.

Goat: Brendan Smith. The reasons for this are likewise obvious.

Overall Grade: A. This was a dominant performance with no apparent downsides. Petr Mrazek was barely tested, and appeared thoroughly bored throughout the game. The Oilers were thoroughly beaten, spending most of the game chasing the Red Wings. If there was any criticism that could be directed at the team for this game, it was the ineffectiveness of the power play. Still, it's hard to complain at all after such an absolute drubbing of the opposition.

Edited November 3, 2013 by Crymson

[Mike J. 132]

That was probably the most well rounded and committed game they've played so far this season. Couldn't think of any better way for Helmer to make his comeback, I jumped out of my seat for that one. Tatar was all over the place. Mrazek got his first shutout which was awesome. Sammy was in which was kind of a bummer to see, I'd have rather seen Toots in there or Eaves even. The third line was looking fierce, and Andy getting his goal was a good reward for that. Hank, Pav, and Bert looked like the dream team at times out there. The only player that stuck out as making dumb decisions was Smith, but what else is new.

[Guest Crymson]

SHUTOUT! Nice job, Mrazek!

Mrazek was the beneficiary of an absolutely dominant performance by the team in front of him. He at times looked like he was about to fall asleep. That's always a good thing.

[matthewdanna 143]

I like it! When you win faceoffs, possess the puck and keep it in their end you don't give up shots.

Helm is still as fast as ever. Good start, definitely something to build on... got some good PK time later in the game.

Tatar might have been the best player on the ice tonight. He's hungry. I'm stoked that he's earning it.

The Tatar, Andersson, Abby line is hot and probably needs to stay together... I wonder, though, if it would be even better with Helm when he's back up to full speed.

Chemistry between Pav, Z, and Bert is awesome.

Smith loves to take penalties... DD is the man... When E comes back Smith should sit.

Wondering what the heck we do with Cleary... I mean, he's not a 2nd line guy or a PP guy... he's just not. 1st line is set, 3rd line appears set for now, what happens when Franzen comes back? Flip a coin to see who's on the 2nd line and whose on the 4th? I still think Franzen is better than Cleary... maybe his effort level isn't as high, but he finishes. Regardless, I'm happy.

[Dabura 12,232]

I'm back with my regular report!

Best Forward: Tomas Tatar. He was everywhere. It's safe to say that he'll play in every game from here on out, barring a slump or an injury. Honorable mention goes to Darren Helm, who kicked off the scoring and showed us that yes, he's back.

Worst Forward: Dan Cleary, for obvious reasons. True, the fact that very simply does not belong on this team always gets him extra criticism, but he also managed to be completely invisible on a night when nearly every player on the team looked very good. Honorable mention goes to Mikael Samuelsson, who likewise should not be on this team, and who likewise played very ineffectively.

Best Defenseman: Jakub Kindl. Jakub had a beast of a game. He shot the puck constantly, powerfully, and accurately, and played very well on defense. He's got the rare gift of consistently being able to get pucks through a crowd. He's also got a deceptively powerful shot. Honorable mention goes to Danny DeKeyser, who continues to play most ably on the first pairing.

Worst Defenseman: Brendan Smith. In a game that the Red Wings dominated, Smith had a visibly bad performance. He took three unnecessary penalties, all of them stupid and two of them because he was out of position; he was the single Red Wing to take a penalty in this game, and he contributed absolutely nothing on offense. Honorable mention goes to Kyle Quincey, who had a typically iffy game. I felt a momentary rush of excitement when it appeared that he had been injured. This was terrible, and I felt a bit guilty afterward, but the simple fact is that he's not a very good defenseman. The good news about this contest was that he managed to get a few shots on the goalie; generally he misses by a wide margin.

Most Effective Line: Andersson, Tatar, and Abdelkader. These guys looked very good. The Oilers simply had no answer for them.

Least Effective Line: Alfredsson, Cleary, and Weiss. Alfredsson played very well, and Weiss continues to improve. Cleary, however, continues to be horrible. He struggles to generate even the slightest bit of offense, and is unable even to play a grinding role.

MVP: Jakub Kindl. The reasons are pretty obvious.

Goat: Brendan Smith. The reasons for this are likewise obvious.

Overall Grade: A. This was a dominant performance with no apparent downsides. Petr Mrazek was barely tested, and appeared thoroughly bored throughout the game. The Oilers were thoroughly beaten, spending most of the game chasing the Red Wings. If there was any criticism that could be directed at the team for this game, it was the ineffectiveness of the power play. Still, it's hard to complain at all after such an absolute drubbing of the opposition.

Good work, Crymson.

[Guest Crymson]

I like it! When you win faceoffs, possess the puck and keep it in their end you don't give up shots.

Helm is still as fast as ever. Good start, definitely something to build on... got some good PK time later in the game.

Tatar might have been the best player on the ice tonight. He's hungry. I'm stoked that he's earning it.

The Tatar, Andersson, Abby line is hot and probably needs to stay together... I wonder, though, if it would be even better with Helm when he's back up to full speed.

Chemistry between Pav, Z, and Bert is awesome.

Smith loves to take penalties... DD is the man... When E comes back Smith should sit.

Wondering what the heck we do with Cleary... I mean, he's not a 2nd line guy or a PP guy... he's just not. 1st line is set, 3rd line appears set for now, what happens when Franzen comes back? Flip a coin to see who's on the 2nd line and whose on the 4th? I still think Franzen is better than Cleary... maybe his effort level isn't as high, but he finishes. Regardless, I'm happy.

I think Eaves, Helm, and Miller would make a superb 4th line.

Cleary? Scratch. He's got no place on this team.

[Dabura 12,232]

I like it! When you win faceoffs, possess the puck and keep it in their end you don't give up shots.

Helm is still as fast as ever. Good start, definitely something to build on... got some good PK time later in the game.

Tatar might have been the best player on the ice tonight. He's hungry. I'm stoked that he's earning it.

The Tatar, Andersson, Abby line is hot and probably needs to stay together... I wonder, though, if it would be even better with Helm when he's back up to full speed.

Chemistry between Pav, Z, and Bert is awesome.

Smith loves to take penalties... DD is the man... When E comes back Smith should sit.

Wondering what the heck we do with Cleary... I mean, he's not a 2nd line guy or a PP guy... he's just not. 1st line is set, 3rd line appears set for now, what happens when Franzen comes back? Flip a coin to see who's on the 2nd line and whose on the 4th? I still think Franzen is better than Cleary... maybe his effort level isn't as high, but he finishes. Regardless, I'm happy.

Pretty much 100% agree, matthew. I'd like to see this third line stay together for now. Helm had pretty sheltered minutes tonight, so I'm not sure he's ready for the third line. But, y'know what, I'll take an excellent third line with a solid-looking Helm on the fourth. Speaking of the fourth line - that's where Cleary should be, IMHO. Miller and Cleary flanking Helm.

[St. Michael (the Red Wing) 422]

Take the 2 points but against an Oilers side with a bunch of injuries and looking worse and worse by the day. Nothing to brag about on this one.

However Helm scoring BIG +

Surprisingly a great road trip so far....

[frankgrimes 1,836]

Take the 2 points but against an Oilers side with a bunch of injuries and looking worse and worse by the day. Nothing to brag about on this one.

However Helm scoring BIG +

Surprisingly a great road trip so far....

Agreed the Boilers right now are injury rattled and lacking an inch of confidence. Teams, who are considered playoff contenders should beat Edmonton and Calgary. The win against the Canucks was a huge - while unexpected - one. Perfect roadtrip so far.

So happy for Helm guy is a warrior and heart and soul guy.

[Vladiator 116]

I wasn't expecting much from a B2B game. Helmer looked impressive considering it was his first game back. The third line just rocked tonight. If there is a way to get Smith out of the lineup, then PLEASE Babs, figure that one out. Sammy proved that he is irrelevant on this team and should be waived/benched until he agrees to waive his NTC.

[FlashyG 1,799]

I thought Sammy actually had a pretty good game tonight. I'd like him off the point on the PP and I wouldn't shed any tears if we got him to waive his no trade clause but I'd much rather cut Cleary loose than Sammy.

This image was supposed to go with the GDT but I forgot to add it to the bottom

[rick zombo 3,739]

I wasn't expecting much from a B2B game. Helmer looked impressive considering it was his first game back. The third line just rocked tonight. If there is a way to get Smith out of the lineup, then PLEASE Babs, figure that one out. Sammy proved that he is irrelevant on this team and should be waived/benched until he agrees to waive his NTC.

A healthy Ericsson would do it.

[Guest Crymson]

Pretty much 100% agree, matthew. I'd like to see this third line stay together for now. Helm had pretty sheltered minutes tonight, so I'm not sure he's ready for the third line. But, y'know what, I'll take an excellent third line with a solid-looking Helm on the fourth. Speaking of the fourth line - that's where Cleary should be, IMHO. Miller and Cleary flanking Helm.

Eaves is more fit to be alongside Helm. Cleary is capable of precisely nothing at this stage.

[hooon 1,089]

LOVED the Helm goal!!!

[Vladiator 116]

A healthy Ericsson would do it.

I think there would be a roster and cap crunch when Big E comes back.

[kipwinger 8,755]

So that's what speed through the neutral zone looks like. Welcome back #43.