Throwdown Lowdown – Blues @ Oilers – 12-04-10

MacIntyre appears in some of my nightmares. Image via the Palm Beach Post

The 4-1 loss by the Blues to the Washington Capitals was something a lot of pundits would have predicted.  What this one reporter was not able to predict, however, is the lack of fighting in that game.  Not only that, the lack of a fight has dropped the Blues in the overall fight standings – The Note now sits in a tie for second in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins (I’m sure Jeff is happy with this, eh?), each carrying 26 fights thus far in the season – two behind the ever-truculent New York Rangers.  The Note’s fight record?  Yep, it’s still 13-7-6.

Exactly like you would expect, a team as low in the standings as the Edmonton Oilers have their enforcers and are ready to fight at moment’s notice.  You may remember a similar pattern the Blues of the middle part of this decade followed – if you can’t beat ‘em, beat ‘em up.  This team DOES possess young firepower in the likes of Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle, but they may be a few years away from contending, so they’ll keep with the program for now.  The Oilers have fought 18 times on the season, good for 10th place in the NHL.  Their fight record is not as impressive – 5-7-6.  But the fight record doesn’t tell the whole story.  They have some beasts in mid-Alberta.

Steve MacIntyre (pictured above, 6’5”, 250lbs, 2-1-1) is a co-leader in Oilers fights with four, and he scares the living hell out of me because he is big and ONLY seems to fight guys bigger than him.  This may leave him off the fight card tonight, thankfully, but keep this in mind if he plays AND locks horns with someone like Brad Winchester.  Another big body, Zack Stortini (6’4”, 215lbs, 1-2-1) is the other co-leader at four.  Other Edmonton fighters include Theo Peckham (6’2”, 234lbs, 0-0-2) and former Blackhawk Colin Fraser (6’1”, 193lbs, 0-1-1) with two each and a whole bunch with one each: Sam Gagner (5’11”, 191lbs, Win), Gilbert Brule (5’11”, 186lbs, Win), Ryan Whitney (6’3”, 210lbs, Draw), Ryan Jones (6’0”, 205lbs, Loss), Jason Strudwick (6’4”, 226lbs, Loss) and Ladislav Smid (6’3”, 226lbs, Loss).

If I had to venture a guess, this wouldn’t be a good night for the Oilers to send MacIntyre out there due to the overall team speed the Blues possess (even WITHOUT David Perron and TJ Oshie).  With that said, a fight between Stortini and Winchester could happen, or a mid-card between Fraser and Cam Janssen could be in the cards.  I would find it hard to believe this game would be played without a fight.

We’re gonna have to start doing something about this losing streak.  Everyone’s pointing and laughing at Blue Note Nation right now.  Not cool, Zeus.  Get a win!

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!

Information obtained via the incomparable Fried Chicken’s Hockey Fights