Slow week for Hall, Oilers

Much to the enjoyment of the 16,839 Oiler fans that packed Rexall Place, Taylor Hall picked up his first home goal of the season on Friday night in Edmonton, firing an early 2nd period rebound over the outstreched glove of Red Wing goaltender Jimmy Howard that knotted the game at one. Much to the fans' chagrin, however, the Oilers went on to drop the contest en route to another week of sub-.500 play and a 4-6-2 record through 12 games played, good for 2nd worst in the NHL. Though Hall has seen marked improvement in his play over the past few weeks, his 3-3-6 totals are a far cry from the type of production Edmonton will need to turn their season around.

In their first loss of the week, Hall and the Oilers dropped a 4-3 home contest to all-world netminder Roberto Luongo and the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night. After falling into a 3-goal first period deficit, Edmonton was unable to sneak one past Luongo until the 10 minute mark of the 2nd period, making any chance for a comeback all the more unlikely. As for Taylor, he managed a pair of shots on goal but made little impact in any other phase of the game.

Friday night at Rexall place saw more of the same from the struggling Oiler club. Though Hall was able to bury a power play goal and inject a little life into the arena, it just wasn't enough to overcome a 29-save effort from Detroit goaltender Jimmy Howard. Honestly though, given the Wings' status as a veteran-laden, perennial Cup contender, this type of loss was to be expected for the young Oilers. Below are the highlights from the tilt, including Hall's nifty goal (beginning at the :16 second mark) and an absurd save from Oiler goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin (beginning at 1:25)




Tonight saw the Oilers avenge their previous two losses by knocking off the defending champion Blackhawks for the second time in a week, courtesy of a late 3rd period, two goal ouburst that gave them the 2-1 decision. Though the club salvaged what appeared to be another horrendous week, Hall was kept off the board yet again and limited to just 2 shots. A nice win for the team, but another frustrating night for Taylor.

The erratic performance from the rookie thus far is frustrating to say the least, but all too common in the modern NHL. Remember, this is a boy playing in a league full of men. Until he is able to adjust to the speed of the pro game, the tighter passing lanes and top-speed decision-making, his natural talents will only take him so far. We've seen glimpses of these abilities - his speed, his shot and his hockey IQ to name a few - but until he's able to bring it night in and night out, Taylor's output will continue to fluctuate...wildly.

This week the Oilers take off on a 4-game road trip that will find them in Carolina on Tuesday, Detroit on Thursday, New Jersey on Friday and New York on Sunday. Check back in late next week for updates on Taylor as well as the team.