Six, White

A few positives to take from this game.  If this game had playoff implications for the Oilers, I might have used a picture of RNH or Eberle for the topper.

It didn’t.

Instead, Cory Sarich rang Taylor Hall’s bell pretty good just two minutes into the first period, causing Taylor Hall to leave with a concussion. This hit isn’t all Cory Sarich’s fault, as you can see that Taylor Hall slipped into the boards, and subsequently into Sarich’s elbow.  And while Taylor Hall might have helped “cause it” as Sarich told Gene Principe during the intermission, this doesn’t allow Sarich to get off the hook completely.

More on the hit, and the game after the jump

Taylor Hall will be out for a period of time with a concussion.  How long that is remains to be seen, but the problem with this is that Sarich pretty much got off gratis after the hit.  Yes, he served a two minute penalty for roughing, but Ryan Whitney served a double for mixing it up after the play was whistled.

Again, I’m pretty sure that Cory Sarich wasn’t intending on ending Taylor Hall’s night on this hit.  Intent is a big piece, but someone should’ve been up in his grill for the remainder of the night.

Where was the retribution?  Don’t give me anything about Darcy Hordichuk not being in the lineup last night (due to his wife giving birth) having a thing to do with it.  The guy takes out one of your top players, doesn’t get the tap, and runs his mouth to media after the game.

At the first intermission, Gene Principe tried to give Steve Tambellini a softball.

Gene Principe: “Steve, when you played, and when these two teams played in the eighties, I don’t have to tell you what the response would have been. What do you expect, or what should you expect from your team, and is there a response necessary?”

Steve Tambellini: “Well, I want a response by playing hard and by playing well, and these games that we have now whether they’re against Calgary or any other team are very important to this organization. There’s elite skill, on this hockey club, young skill, some veterans that need to show thorughout the remainder of the season, we need to play exceptionally hard, and with passion”

Steve…you just, don’t, get it, do you?

For what it’s worth, Peckham did try and get Sarich to go.  After the game, Sarich had this to say:

Six, white.  Remember that.

TO THE GAME

• Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a pair last night.  Here’s his first.
  RNH had a second goal, giving him 18 on the season. Has a very legit shot to hit 20+.  Just hold the phone there, Landeskog.
• …assist to Jordan Eberle, who had a goal and two assists on the night. The Eb-O-metre is now up to 69 points with eleven games to play. You can do the math.
• Devan Dubnyk picks up his second victory in as many games.  Dubnyk turned aside 18 of 19 Calgary shots, and has had a pretty good stretch of late, and is one game away from being .500 on the year at 16-17-1 to go with his 2.77 GAA and .910 SV%.  Getting tidier.
• Seven defencemen were dressed last night.  Peckham was playing right wing, and Andy Sutton played under three minutes of ice time. There was a quote that I’m unable to find right now about how Tom Renney said he wanted some more grit into the lineup, so he dressed seven defencemen.  So…why play six?

Oilers are off today, so there’ll be no update on Taylor Hall’s status.  Don’t expect him for Sunday, and probably a bit after.  Oilers host the Coyotes tomorrow, and if you haven’t entered the contest to win $100 towards Oilers tickets, the deadline is tomorrow.

Six.  White.

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