Horcoff with the kids at the office. Photo courtesy Sportsnet West

The Oilers went up four goals in the first period.  It’s a good thing they scored four goals, because they’d need every one of those goals plus two more by the time the clock hit zero in the third.  The Oilers made it out of Chicago with a 6-5 victory in regulation, giving Chicago their first regulation loss at the United Center this year.

• I love how polarizing a figure Shawn Horcoff is.  Tonight was his first game back after missing fifteen with a busted knuckle.  How’d he do?  He had a power play goal, couple of shots, 52% at the dot, and had over 18 minutes of ice time.  Team doesn’t win without Shawn Horcoff in the lineup today.
• Devan Dubnyk had an interesting day.  He allowed two goals, got ran into by Teemu Hartikainen while Marian Hossa was crashing the net, and had to leave the game.  It looked like it could’ve been a head/neck injury, but Gene Principe is currently reporting that it doesn’t appear to be a head injury, and they’ll know more tomorrow.  Even with Dubnyk allowing a bad one to Patrick Kane, it’d be in everyone’s best interest if Dubnyk didn’t miss any time.  While Yann Danis played well enough for the win, a tandem of him and Olivier Roy would likely test your faith.
• CONTACT- Did I mention six goals?  Good.  How about three of those on the power play?  Even better.  Along with Horcoff’s PP goal, Taylor Hall and Sam Gagner also had power play goals.  Gagner also had an even strength goal, goals were spewed into the Blackhawks net like an angry sprinkler erupts in a dry garden.
• AND YOU GET A GOAL, AND YOU GET A GOAL, AND YOU GET A GOAL- Mike Brown had a goal.  It was fat, ugly and lethargic, but it was great.  Brown’s shot was near the blue line and it caught Ray Emery off guard.  Not pretty, but that’s what happens sometimes when you throw it on net.  The Oilers chased Ray Emery after just nine minutes of ice time.
• ALSO STARRING- Ryan Whitney had a goal for the Oilers as well.  Your team is having a good day when both Mike Brown and Ryan Whitney are putting up numbers.
• SUSPENSE-  The Oilers finished the first period up 4-0, outshot the Blackhawks by a 12-6 margin, had scored goals on two different goaltenders, then reverted back to the Oilers.  The second two periods featured a significant tilt back to Chicago, as the Blackhawks controlled the shots by a margin of 31-13 over the final forty minutes.  Final shots were 37-25, and if the Oilers hadn’t run hot in the first, this would be another happy game review about how the Oilers got their lunch money stolen by the much taller students.
• A LITTLE MORE ON YANN – Danis finished with 21 saves in 24 shots after coming in on such short notice, getting credit for his first NHL win since December 19th, 2009 with the New Jersey Devils.
• THIS IS A RECAP, IT’S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE A NOVEL - Oilers played out of their minds in the first period, let the usual stuff that’s killed them all year creep back into the game during the 2nd and 3rd.  Special teams and brute goal force kept the Oilers ahead when time ran out, and they’re going to Colorado with two more points.
• Fire Tambellini.

Jeff – @OilOnWhyte

Ian – @ibleedoil

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Troy – @heavyoilcountry

Dave – @rustyknuckler

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#Oilers have placed goaltender Yann Danis on waivers for the purpose of assignment to the AHL’s #OKCBarons

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) January 29, 2013

Goaltender Yann Danis is headed back to the Oklahoma City Barons, which means that Nikolai Khabibulin is ready to be inserted on the bench as the backup to Devan Dubnyk.

Khabibulin has been on injured reserve since the season began.

I’m a little bit worried about all of this.

We haven’t seen too much of Yann Danis, really.  We’ve seen Yann Danis once this season, and that was last Tuesday’s relief effort in the Sharks game.

I think I’d rather the team waive Khabibulin and keep Danis.  I doubt the team would do that, because it wouldn’t look good on Steve Tambellini if a near $4M cap hit ended up on the farm team.  So,  Yann Danis gets the demotion.  I don’t like it.

54 POINTS OR BUST

It’s not an exact science, but 54 points is a pretty good number to have at the end of April.  54 points likely puts the Oilers in the playoffs.  If Dubnyk plays 80% of the team’s games, that’s about 38 or 39 games (Can he play 90%?).  I’m not sure if they’ll run Dubnyk that much.  I can only hope if this team is serious about making the playoffs, they run him at least that much.

If Dubnyk plays 38 games to Khabibulin’s 10, Dubnyk will have to nail down at least 22 wins (or any combination of 44 points). That’s a tall order, but it will almost be necessary if the Oilers are going to push for a playoff spot. (22-14-2?) That will leave Khabibulin to secure five wins (or any combination of ten points) in ten games.

I’m not sure that’s completely doable.  I’m a little worked up if the Oilers allow 38 shots (like they did last night) when Khabibulin’s in net.

With Danis getting shipped back to OKC, I’d expect Khabibulin to get the start in either Phoenix on Wednesday or San Jose on Thursday.

Let’s hope he’s got some October 2011 running around in him, a month that saw him go 5-0-2 and post a ridiculous .960 SV%.

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Jeff – @OilOnWhyte

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