NHL Draft Preview: Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers face a tough decision heading into the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. It is a problem that the other 30 NHL teams would love to have.
Do they select Taylor or Tyler?
Taylor Hall of the Memorial Cup Champion Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and Tyler Seguin of the Plymouth Whalers of the OHL have established themselves as the top two players available in the draft and will likely be picked first and second. Hence, one of the biggest debates heading into the draft is which player should be selected first. With the first overall pick, the Edmonton Oilers will settle the dispute as to who the top pick will be.
Although the Oilers have needs at center (where Seguin plays), they are rumored to be in favor of selecting Hall (a left wing). Hall is the winner of two straight Memorial Cups and has a crowd-pleasing game that has Edmonton fans giddy with excitement. When he visited Edmonton a short time ago, the chef at the restaurant he was eating at came out to have his apron signed by Hall.
The Oilers also see this draft as an opportunity to improve a defense that allowed a league-worst 3.39 goals per game last season. When they pick again with the 31st overall pick, expect them to take a defenseman such as Alexander Petrovic or Jarred Tinordi. Both players are at least 6-4. If either of them becomes an Edmonton Oiler, he would immediately be one of the biggest players on the team.
NHL Stanley Cup Finals – Game 6 – Preview – 2010
On Wednesday, June 9th, the Philadelphia Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks will meet up, in Philadelphia for Game 6 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals. The Chicago Blackhawks currently lead the series 3-2, after an offensive explosion in Game 5. So far, the home team has won each game of the series. Chicago will do its best to clinch the Stanley Cup, while Philadelphia hopes that trend continues.
As Philadelphia managed to score 4 goals in Game 5, their offense is not really a problem. However, to say the least, their defense is below average. They are coming off a game where they allowed 7 total goals. Both Michael Leighton and Brian Boucher were used by Philadelphia in Game 5, and neither got the job done. Peter Laviolette, coach for the Flyers, has not revealed which of his goalies will start in Game 6.
Chicago needs Antti Niemi to step up and shutdown Philadelphia's offense, if they want to clinch the 2010 Stanley Cup in Game 6. Chicago’s offense really is not a problem, as they demonstrated in Game 5. On the other hand, Philadelphia simply has to figure out a way to slow Chicago down. Where they give up seven goals, they cannot expect to win a game.
Chicago shows up motivated like they were in Game 5, if Philadelphia can figure out their struggles at goalie, Game 6 of the 2010 Stanley Cup finals should be excellent. For Philadelphia, at this point is win or go home.
History of the Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres have been with the NHL since 1970. In sports history, they have been on the wrong end of many of the most devastating losses, causing many to believe in the Buffalo Sports Curse.
The Sabres began play in 1970. Seymour Knox III and Northrup Knox were the first owners.
The drafts of center Gilbert Perreault in 1970 and winger Rick Martin in 1971 and the late-season trade for winger Rene Robert late in the 1971-72 season highlighted the first two seasons of the Sabres’ history.
Buffalo qualified for the playoffs in just their third year in the NHL. To the eventual champion Montreal Canadiens, they lost in six games.
In the 1974-75 regular season, Buffalo finished in a tie for the best record in the NHL. For the Stanley Cup Finals, they eventually qualified, where they were to face the Philadelphia Flyers. Even though Buffalo went on to win the game, the Flyers ended up with the Stanley Cup after six games.
The late 70s and early 80s, Danny Gare joined the team and continue to be a dominant force. They were the first team to beat the Soviet Olympic Team when they toured the United States and won the regular season conference championship.
In the mid 90s, the team moved from to Marine Midland Arena. Buffalo won the Northeast Division, in their first season at Marine Midland Arena (1996-97).
1996-97 was Buffalo’s strong regular season and was overshadowed by a tumultuous post season. The Sabres lost in five games to the Philadelphia Flyers and the team was involved in few controversies.
In 1999, the Sabres finally returned to the Stanley Cup Finals. When they lost to the Dallas Stars in six games, they were met with a heartbreak all over again.
The Sabres have returned to blue and gold colors for the first time since the team abandoned them for red and black in 1996, since their return to the Stanley cup. Including division titles in 2007 and 2010, they have enjoyed moderate success. In the 2010 playoffs as the third seed in the Eastern Conference, most recently, they lost to sixth-seeded Boston Bruins in the first round.