Throwdown Lowdown – Blues @ Oilers, 02-25-11

PECKHAM’S FACE ASPLODE! Image via Yahoo! Sports

And a disappointing Blues stretch continues with a 3-2 loss to a very good Vancouver Canucks late last night.  The good?  Two things: 1) the Blues played well enough to win, and 2) There was a fight!  It was between BJ Crombeen and Tanner Glass, in one that – preliminarily, at least – shows The Beej winning the fight (video here).  On the eye test, I thought Crombeen won the fight, too.  Good thing we agree on this!  Anyway, the Blues now bump up to 58 fighting majors on the season, remaining in third place in the NHL.  Presuming my prediction and the vote tallies hold true, the Blues’ fight record now stands at 24-17-17.

The Edmonton Oilers are easily the worst team in the Western Conference.  This is what happens during a rebuild in a VERY difficult conference (as us Blues fans are used to seeing).  The Oilers are a team that will be good with luck, skill, youth and good timing – they already have the skill and the youth down pat, so no worries there.  But this is a fight report, and I’m here to tell you that while the Oilers DO fight a good amount, they probably should do it less given their fight record.  We have covered the Oilers twice before (December 4th and February 4th).  The Oilers have collected 37 fighting majors on the season, tied for 11th in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators and San Jose Sharks.  In those fights, the Oilers have gone 7-14-16.  Not so hot, if you ask me.

Zack Stortini (6’3”, 228lbs, 1-4-3) still leads the Oilers with eight fights despite spending practically the last month in the AHL with Oklahoma City after clearing re-entry waivers.  The active Oiler fight leader is Theo Peckham (6’2”, 223lbs, 0-2-4), who is STILL one letter away from a “Bend It Like . . . “ joke, with six.  Following Peckham is Steve MacIntyre (6’5”, 250lbs, 2-1-2) with five fights.  Former Blackhawk Colin Fraser (6’1”, 190lbs, 0-3-1 including a loss to Stefan Della Rovere) has fought four times this season.  Jean-Francois Jacques (6’4”, 217lbs, 1-0-1), Jim Vandermeer (6’1”, 210lbs, 1-1-0 including a loss to Cam Janssen) and Ladislav Smid (6’3”, 226lbs, 0-1-1) have each fought twice.  Every other Oilers fighter has only fought once each – Sam Gagner (5’11”, 191lbs, Win), Gilbert Brule (5’10”, 180lbs, Win, out with an ankle injury), Ryan Whitney (6’4”, 219lbs, Draw, out with an ankle injury), Dustin Penner (6’4”, 245lbs, Draw), Kurtis Foster (6’5”, 223lbs, Draw), Shawn Horcoff (6’1”, 208lbs, Draw), Ryan Jones (6’1”, 202lbs, Loss) and Jason Strudwick (6’4”, 225lbs, Loss).

After a flight to Edmonton and after a tough loss, it would be hard to imagine a game without a fight tonight.  Expect Janssen and Vandermeer to at least look at each other tonight.  I would not be surprised to see a couple lower-tier fighters battle it out in this one – say, Chris Stewart and Smid?  A man can dream, I guess.

Another loss and I’ll come close to giving up on this season.  But I have faith!

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!

Information obtained via the incomparable Fried Chicken’s Hockey Fights