Tuesday’s Hot Coals: BoA and the Unoriginal Edmonton Media

I think everyone remembers the first installment of the Battle of Alberta last year as it featured Jordan Eberle's 1st Career NHL goal – and a shorty at that. A goal that was considered one of the top goals of the entire NHL season.

Tonight, all eyes will be on Edmonton Oilers kid line or as I’ve heard it so unoriginally dubbed, The Brat Pack.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins might very well already be the best player on the Oilers and he’s doing so by showing he’s not just a deft puck-handler and passer, but he’s found the back of the net, plays responsible in his own end and even mucks it up a little.

Brent Sutter will, in all likelihood, challenge the kid line with Jay Bouwmeester and Chris Butler. These two have been hemmed into their own zone a number of times early in the season and are having a lot of trouble moving the puck out, so it should be something that we pay close attention to. But, I have this sneaking suspicion that, as JBo and Butler chase the kids around behind the net I might be hearing the Harlem Globetrotter theme music in my head….

Links after the jump!

The Brat Pack, how original. Here's an article from 2007 where

Andrew Cogliano

, The Hobbit and (lol)

Robert Nilsson

were also dubbed the Brat Pack by Edmonton media. I look forward to the 2014 version. [Edmonton Journal]

Burnside is notoriously tough on the Flames in his Power Rankings; hard to argue with him today, though. [ESPN Power Rankings]

Flames have healthy bodies returning. Not sure "wealth" is the word I'd use to describe it though. [Calgary Herald]

Brent Sutter is impressed by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. No way?! [Calgary Sun]

The Canucks are about to get a boost to their 2nd line. Coincidentally, diving expected to rise. [TSN]

The NHL and NBA have long had similarities so keeping tabs on the progress of their lockout might be of interest to hockey fans. [Globe and Mail]

Non-NHL Link: The Drew Tate era is about to begin for the Calgary Stampeders. Hey, I might actually watch a CFL game this weekend… might.  CFL's version of Tony Romo (or is it the other way around) gets benched. [Sun – Stampeders]

by Scott