I had a dream last night, and for the first time in a while this dream did not involved me waking up stuck to my sheets. I was suited up for the mighty copper and blue, and I think we were playing the Av's or something, but we weren't in Rexall nor the Pepsi Center. It looked more like the Kinsmen or something. Anyway our team was getting destroyed, we couldn't get anything going whatsoever, half the team couldn't skate, and to top it all off the refs were absolutely busting our balls with horrific calls. I'm getting more and more frustrated as the game goes on. My next shift out I get sprung on a break away from the blue line in, make a decent move, and put a backhander just inside the far post. So I'm excited because not only did I score, but I thought that maybe this could spark a come back (although I have no idea what the score was, but I'm pretty sure we were losing, by a lot). So as I'm celebrating the ref skates over and starts waving the goal off. What the fuck? That was clearly in, I scream at him. He just keeps waving his arms and saying the puck never crossed the line. So at this point I've had it. As I'm about to skate off I start ripping off my equipment and throwing it all over the ice in frustration. And then the dream ends, when the phone rings. What does this dream mean? I have no idea. What do I look like a fruity doctor? All I know is that I have a sinking feeling that that dream was a bad omen for tonight's tilt against the Blackhawks.
I don't know if anyone watched TSN Thursday night hockey, but if you didn't you missed a couple doozies. The Leafs lost once again, and it cemented my theory that God hates the Leafs. How else could you explain the phantom high stick call, followed by late game heroics from Erik Cole (thanks asshole), and an absolute bed shitting by the Leafs in the shootout? Though I still think it's funny when the Leafs lose I can't laugh about it anymore, because what's the point really? Their season is already over and we're barely a month in.
Anyway back to the topic at hand, the second half of the double header that night featured the Flames going up against the red hot Blackhawks. Everyone was expecting this to be a solid battle between two teams near the top of the conference. Thankfully though the Flames are getting a little karma payback for that whole H1N1 thing, and got raped by the Hawks, landing them their second loss in a row. This game wasn't even close. The Flames were getting out hit, out played, out shot, out goaltended, out fought, everything. Dion Phaneuf had a particularly shitty game, which means hopefully he's sliding further and further down the list of Team Canada hopefuls. Brent Seabrook on the other hand had a great game. See you in Vancouver Brent!
Why is this important? Well for one anytime Calgary loses is a moral boost for Oiler faithful, especially when they get decimated harder than Hiroshima. But more importantly I hope this means the Hawks have used up most of their goal scoring magic for this road trip. They scored 7 goals, their arms have to be a little tired right? Who am I kidding, as long as the Oilers can avoid another 11-1 fiasco like last year I think that's a moral victory.
Our boys have been playing pretty good hockey over the last 4 games, capping it off with a big win over NW leading impostors Colorado. The rest of this home stand, however, doesn't get any easier. Every team that rolls through winter wonderland over the next week are above Edmonton in the standings, by at least 4 points, and are just generally better teams. If the Oilers can rally tonight and steal a win, hopefully that will get the ball rolling and we can finally make up a little ground and catch up with the rest of the conference.
jeanshorts prediction: Oilers 4 - Hawks 3. BOOK IT!
GOILERS!
IQWT!
-jeanshorts
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