Deslauriers Stands Tall!

The Oilers really dodged a bullet against the injury riddled New Jersey Devils. Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers turned aside 37 of the 38 shots that came his way for a much needed 2-1 road victory.

Despite the fact that the Devils were at a major disadvantage with injuries they played like the better team tonight, the keys to this victory were individual performances by Deslauriers, Ales Hemsky, and Sheldon Souray. The Macblender didn't really yield any results but it was encouraging to see Dustin Penner play a strong game as well as get some time in front of the net on the PP late in the game.

Deslauriers has stopped 51 of his last 52 shots faced going back to his relief of Mathieu Garon in Pittsburgh. Unfortunately for Deslauriers he couldn't post his first shutout in over 60 games going all the way back to late in the '06-07 season when he played for the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins.

I must say that I am not a fan of Ethan Moreau on the top line or Pisani at the LW on the Horcoff line. Moreau on Horcoff's left side would make too much sense, and Nilsson or Cogliano on the left side of Gagner and Hemsky would also make too much sense. Better yet, give the Oilers fans what they've been wanting to see, a Penner-Horcoff-Cole line.

Penner-Horcoff-Cole
Nilsson-Gagner-Hemsky
Moreau-Pouliot-Pisani
Schremp-Brodziak-Cogliano

Once again tonight Stortini was a non-factor. He tried to stir the pot but didn't get anyone to take the bait. It's time for some fresh blood to be injected into the lineup, with Strudwick in the lineup he can be our temporary heavyweight until MacIntyre returns, it's time to call up Schremp.