BACK TO WORK

Following an impressive 5-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning one night ago, which included the dramatic introduction of a new era in Oil Country, the Oilers are back on the ice today at Rexall Place for practice as they continue through Training Camp and the 2010 pre-season schedule.

The team skated in two groups this morning. Those who skated in the early morning session were the players that didn't play last night, while the afternoon group had everyone from last night's lineup take to the ice.

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Group 1

Associate Coach Ralph Krueger was once again running the practice today, and with the amount of practice and game time the team has been getting over the past few days, time at the whiteboard was almost non-existent. The pace was high and the energy was palpable on the ice this morning and the first group set the bar for expectations and effort. With more roster assignments looming, it was perhaps one last chance for some players to show what they’ve got.

The better part of the practice was spent on individual drills. Plenty of passing, skating, and one-on-ones with the goaltenders dominated the agenda. The final part of the practice ended with line rushes and in-zone offensive systems, which brought out the pace and physicality that suited the style of the many players looking to earn a job.

Shawn Horcoff, Alexandre Giroux, and Jordan Eberle continued on the top forward unit and showed excellent chemistry in the offensive zone. Eberle and Horcoff in particular were exceptionally strong as they made smart decisions with the puck and capitalized on their many chances. Horcoff commented after practice about the mentor role he's undertaken and the pressure that some of the young players may be feeling.

Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall & Shawn Horcoff (photo by Andy Devlin / Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club)

"I think the biggest thing is that - you hit the nail on the head - we're just preaching fun. We want to let them come in and I think when you're having fun, pressure's not existent. It's when things get down a little bit and you start pressing and trying too hard where the pressure can get to you. So for these guys, it's too early for them to start worrying about expectations and results."

Both Horcoff and Giroux have provided an excellent learning environment that has proven to be welcoming for the younger players. Jordan Eberle in particular says the veteran leadership has been beneficial for him.

"With those two guys - you know, the veteran presence that they have - you can ask Shawn anything. It's really a priviledge to play with those guys."

Eberle also commented on the pressure that Horcoff alluded to, but laughed it off as the adjustment has been easier when other young players in the organization are in a similar position.

"It's fun to have a little competitive rivalry against one another."

Goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin got the bulk of the action as he shared the ice with Martin Gerber. Khabibulin was positionally strong and the improvement in his conditioning is evident with increased quickness and lateral mobility being the most notable standouts of his game since day one of camp. Khabibulin hopes to get into his first pre-season test, and first game against NHL competition since last November, very soon.

"I wouldn't mind to play maybe three games, but it's always up to the coaches. Pre-season is always for them to see other players too. Whatever it is, it is. If I end up playing less games I'll just work a little bit more in practice on the technical stuff. It's all good."

Although the pace and energy was high, the coaching staff ended the session with a hard skate that pushed the conditioning of everyone on the ice. 

Group 2

Group two’s session began the same as the earlier group. High intensity, lots of energy, and a skating pace that put a tremendous workout into each player. The group participated in the same drills and saw newest Oil Country hero Magnus Paajarvi dominate once again during the practice. The theme of the day seemed to be chemistry, as the players began showing it more consistently on the ice, as well as reflecting on it off the ice. Paajarvi noted that the familiarity developing between his linemates has been a real positive for both him personally and for the team.

"It's really good to play with Penner and Cogliano. They create so much space for you and you just have to be at the right time in the spot and you're going to get your chances. We succeeded at that yesterday, so it was a good team effort."

Dustin Penner & Sam Gagner (photo by Andy Devlin / EOHC)

Sam Gagner and Ales Hemsky continued to develop their camp chemistry as the pair was skating, passing and shooting with pin-point precision. Along with Taylor Hall and Dustin Penner, group two's top offensive players were looking much more smooth and refined during today's session than they have all through camp so far.

Early in the session, Taylor Hall and Kurtis Foster got tangled during a one-on-one drill and both went heavily into the end-boards. The pair stayed down for a moment as they collected themselves, but they got up, dusted the snow from their jerseys, and showed no ill effects. Hall and Foster were back right in the next play at their usual speed, this time without colliding. While the incident turned out to be minor, players and media alike went silent before realizing they were not injured.

Creative offensive forward Linus Omark also joined the fray in the one-on-one drills, but was a notable standout for different reasons than Foster and Hall. While Omark was softly criticized earlier in the week by Head Coach Tom Renney for not shooting the puck enough, his deking efforts were certainly on display this afternoon. Much to the dismay of the Oilers defencemen, he was able to work around them several times and either get a quality chance or a highlight reel goal.

Not to be lost in the shuffle of the offensive showcase, Richard Petiot continued his strong showing from last night into today's practice. Petiot has quietly been improving throughout camp and was a reliable defender for the Oilers last night en route to victory. During the one-on-one drills early in the session, Petiot proved to be the most difficult defenceman to beat. A large frame, active stick, and excellent awareness have continued to make him a reliable player for the Oilers at this point in camp.


ONE-ON-ONE

Jordan Eberle

In another edition of our fan question series, Barbara of Edmonton asks a question for forward Jordan Eberle:

Barbara: "Can you cook yourself a meal?  If so, what do you like to cook?"

Jordan: "Yeah, I love to cook actually! I think my favourite meal to cook is salmon. I can do it on the barbeque and in the oven too. The oven's a little quicker and easier. I started cooking at a young age - my mom made me. I guess I started that stuff and my laundry when I was like 12 or 13. I'm pretty independent for the most part."

Fill out the form on the right to submit a question for one of the Oilers. We will ask one of the submitted questions after the next practice and will post the answer in the next Team Today.


Author: Ryan Dittrick | edmontonoilers.com, with files from Bob Stauffer & Tom Gazzola

OILERS VS. LIGHTNING

AT THE MORNING SKATE

After coming away with an inspired effort and solid 3-2 victory last night in Vancouver, Edmonton comes into tonight's game looking to continue the hot start in a game against the dynamic Lightning offence.

"It's nice to get the first one out of the way," Penner said before his pre-season debut. "We've got a lot of youth on this team and it's going to be exciting to see how they perform in their first NHL camp and pre-season game."

The Oilers dressed a more inexperienced lineup last night in Vancouver and therefore will be countering with a more veteran heavy squad tonight; however after much fanfare since their arrival in Oil Country, talented young forwards Taylor Hall and Magnus Paajarvi will be making their debuts against NHL competition as well. Oilers fans will be entertained with a great mix of skill, youth, and experience as the team opens up the 2010 home schedule.

"I've been looking forward to this for a while and I wasn't in the line-up last night but certainly tonight's going to be a lot of fun playing at home," Hall said after the morning skate.

"I'm sure Taylor's ready for it," Sam Gagner added. "It's one of those things where you work hard all summer to get a chance to do this, and he seems ready for the challenge."

Gagner will be centering Hall and Ales Hemsky on Edmonton's top line, while Paajarvi, Andrew Cogliano and Dustin Penner will skate together on the second line. Both trios come loaded with plenty of firepower, speed and skill, but Head Coach Tom Renney emphasized that he wants to see a complete game from all his players.

"It seems that the teams that are most successful in this league, regardless of what the system is, their best players are completely dedicated to 200 by 85," he explained. "We want to make sure that our guys are able to pull that off too.

"We're talking about certain highly talented people -- guys like Hemsky and Penner and Gagner, those types of people are like that. But we've got to play on our toes. We want to push forward and those guys have to contribute to that end too."

In what has already proven to be a busy training camp, the 45 players remaining in Edmonton have been working hard to secure a spot on the 2010-2011 Oilers roster. Drills, skating and system play have dominated the agenda at camp to this point, meaning the short time between games has been a positive for many of the players as they continue to adapt to the new structure and fight for a job in an incredibly competitive environment.

OILERS 5 - LIGHTNING 2

Magnus Paajarvi and Taylor Hall brought their elite skills to the table against NHL competition for the first time in their careers. Despite holding a shot margin throughout the game, the Lightning were unable to beat third star Devan Dubnyk to square the game once the Oilers gained the advantage.

Paajarvi scored a hat-trick and added an assist, while Taylor Hall also got involved in the action to lead the Oilers to a 5-2 victory.

• READ MORE

Author: Ryan Dittrick & Jen Sharpe | edmontonoilers.com, with files from Tom Gazzola

UP TEMPO

The Edmonton Oilers were back at Rexall Place on Monday morning to continue with Main Training Camp as they prepare for a busy week ahead.

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TEAM C

Head coach Tom Renney pushed the pace this morning as the staff put a tremendous emphasis on tempo. There was little time spent at the white board, as the players continued with drills that have been worked on over the past few days. Communication between players and coaches was higher than it has been so far through camp, as the staff again was emphasizing hard work, a quick pace, and making sure the players were doing the drills correctly. Renney was only briefly a part of the first session this morning, where he then handed the reigns to Associate Coach Ralph Krueger to work the practices for the rest of the day.

"He's going to teach a lot and it's going to be tough practices as you see today. It's going to be a lot of skating, but at the end of the day, it's going to make us all better players" noted new-arrival defenceman Kurtis Foster.

The first half of the session, much like what was done on the weekend, was spent working on drills, with the coaching staff showing particular attention to full-ice breakouts and line rushes. Each line was put through the paces, as the drill was repeated several times to give the players a good workout and to establish some chemistry with their linemates.

Hard-working veteran Shawn Horcoff was again a notable standout during the first session, as he continued his mentorship with young prospects Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall. In addition, his goal-scoring touch continued to be in fine form as he was picking the corners on all three Team C netminders.

After the first hour, the ice was flooded and the group worked briefly on drills before being rewarded with a scrimmage; the first of Training Camp, as the team prepares for a busy week that includes the Joey Moss Cup and two pre-season games in three consecutive days that will begin Tuesday night at Rexall Place. The lone goals of the brief scrimmage came from Shawn Belle for navy after some excellent work down low by Linus Omark. Drew Czerwonka replied moments later for light blue when he cashed in a rebound following a Taylor Chorney point shot. The scrimmage ended in a 1-1 tie.

Martin Gerber

With roster moves expected to be made shortly, players are realizing that they need to be making the most of their opportunities. Goaltender Martin Gerber, who was very solid during today's session, commented on his opportunity and what he needs to do to earn a roster spot with the Oilers.

"You have to prove yourself every day. Hockey business goes so quick and there's so many good players out there, so you have to prove yourself every day and that's basically what I'm trying to do. I just try to look out for myself and make sure I put everything out there. I need to put my best out  there every day and see what happens."

TEAM A

The second group to hit the ice was Team A, led by the current top line of Sam Gagner,  Ales Hemsky and Dustin Penner. The same furious pace that was set earlier in the day continued for Team A, as the drills were run with precision and tremendous energy.

Forward Zack Stortini noted the pace and commented on the system play that the coaching staff has been working on so far.

"I think it's great. It's a great experience out there. We've been going through a lot of systems stuff, and it's definitely no surprise. Tom's a great teacher. It's very competitive out there, guys are working hard. It's an intense camp; requires a lot of effort, a lot of hard work to go through all the drills and to get the job done out there."

While Gagner, Hemsky and Penner continued their strong showings, Tyler Pitlick was one of the standouts of this session. Pitlick has been strong throughout camp so far and his creative hands and blazing speed were on display, much to the dismay of goaltenders Bryan Pitton and Devan Dubnyk.

Dubnyk was pleased with the high intensity practice and is looking forward to getting some game action soon.

"It's a good practice. Obviously I haven't had the chance to get into game situations, but it's good to get out there and get a high intensity, structured practice. You get lots of young kids trying to show their stuff out there; everyone's flying around and it's fun to get out there and really get back to working on things."

Liam Reddox

Also on the board for standouts were forwards Zack Stortini and Liam Reddox, who were excellent in all the forechecking drills in bringing an enthusiastic attack which pressured some of the more inexperienced defenders. Reddox in particular was not only energetic as he usually is, but he also brought a degree of creativity to the offensive attack which seemed to please the Oilers coaching staff. Teemu Hartikainen, Reddox and Stortini's linemates, was not to be forgotten. He was the leader on the line in gaining the zone and finishing chances around the net. For all three, day four was an excellent showing.

Exactly like the morning session, Team A concluded their practice with a brief scrimmage which featured work with the powerplay. Jeremie Blain of navy scored the opening goal when he slapped home a rolling puck that fooled goaltender Devan Dubnyk. The top line for light blue which featured Gagner, Hemsky and Penner replied just moments later as they got their opportunity on the attack. Gagner and Penner both scored from nifty passes from Hemsky which ended the scrimmage session in a 2-1 win for light blue.

TEAM B

The third and final group to hit the ice today was Team B, who again continued to push the strong pace set by the earlier groups. Coach Krueger worked them hard as skating and neutral zone play continued to be the theme of the day. Forward Gilbert Brule thinks the fast pace set early will be a benefit to the team as we approach the regular season.

"I think if you look at our camp and the roster that we've got coming in here - and the team's not set yet - but we've got a lot of offensive guys here and a lot of young guys and a lot of speed . It's really good to see. It's going to have a fast hockey team."

Gilbert Brule

Magnus Paajarvi, Gilbert Brule and Colin McDonald were the session's standouts. All continued their strong showings from earlier sessions, but were much more refined today with a obvious emphasis on precision with their passing and shooting. All three have progressed nicely over the past three days have been developing some nice familiarity with their respective linemates.

Andrew Cogliano spoke of the chemistry and familiarity already developing between he and linemate Gilbert Brule.

"We have chemistry already, I think we played a good 20 games together last year at the end of the year and we had success. He's a guy that you can talk to and be comfortable playing with. I think there's a lot of opportunity this year with guys leaving, new guys coming in, and Tom establishing that guys will have the opportunity to take spots and play different positions."

In net, Nikolai Khabibulin looked better again today. Khabibulin struggled early on day one of on-ice sessions, but with increased ice-time due to the roster shuffle, he seems to be getting more and more comfortable in the crease.

When it came time to scrimmage, both the navy and light blue teams played the bulk of their brief game in the neutral zone. Much of the in-zone play was scrambled and was often dictated by board play. The lone goal came from Mike Thomas of the light blue team following a Tom Gilbert giveaway behind the net.

While the 3-on-3 portions were largely uneventful for the other two groups, Steve MacIntyre changed that for Team B when he scored a nifty backhand goal which incited a great reception from his teammates. 

ONE-ON-ONE

In another edition of our fan question series, Jason of Edmonton asks a question for forward Zack Stortini:

Zack Stortini

Jason: "Do you feel with the addition of the new trio, given their size and style, along with current key players like Sam and Andrew, that your role of toughness and protection will be drastically increased this season compared to previous?"

Zack:  "I think it's always an important role out there. I know what my role is and what I have to do out there and it's something I enjoy doing. It's a great part of the game. It's hard to do it each and every night, but I'm not alone doing it. We have a lot of good guys on the team that are able to carry that load. Jason Strudwick, we brought in Jim Vandermeer, Steve MacIntyre's back - just to name a few guys. I'm there for any teammate. Doesn't matter if they're young or old, small or big, doesn't matter. I'm there for anybody. We're all brothers in here, we're sticking together - doesn't matter who it is."

Fill out the form on the right to submit a question for one of the Oilers. We will ask one of the submitted questions after the next practice and will post the answer in the next Team Today.
 

Author: Ryan Dittrick | edmontonoilers.com, with files from Nyki Scheuerman & Tom Gazzola