Tyrvainen suspended two games
Oklahoma City Barons left winger Antti Tyrvainen has been suspended for two games by the American Hockey League following an interference incident during a Nov. 16 game against Milwaukee.
Tyrvainen will miss Oklahoma City’s games Wednesday (Nov. 21) at Texas and Saturday (Nov. 24) at Charlotte.
Thanksgiving game pivotal for Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys will be favored the next two games at home against Washington and Philadelphia.
Meanwhile, the suddenly slumping New York Giants, coming off a bye week, will play Green Bay next Sunday. The Giants also must still play the Saints and Falcons.
At 5-5, Dallas is in playoff contention, one game behind New York. But keep in mind the Cowboys must still play at Cincinnati and host the Steelers and Saints.
This isn’t the same Dallas team that played well enough to win in Baltimore. This isn’t the same Dallas team that played Atlanta toe to toe much of the game. This isn’t the same Dallas team that was a Dez Bryant pinky away from sweeping the season series against the Giants.
That’s why the Thanksgiving Day game with Washington is huge.
Robert Griffin III and the Redskins, coming off a strong performance in a lopsided win over Philadelphia, will provide a good test for Dallas four days after the Cowboys narrowly escaped the Browns. Cleveland outplayed Dallas much of Sunday’s game but Dallas rallied for a crazy penalty enhanced 23-20 overtime win.
Giving quarterback Tony Romo time to throw is a key subplot the remainder of the season. The Cowboys beat-up offensive line is vulnerable.
The Dallas defense, minus linebacker Sean Lee, also is more vulnerable which places more pressure on the secondary and the Cowboys’ disappearing pass rush. Fans groaned on several plays Sunday when Cleveland rookie QB Brandon Weeden had tons of time to throw.
Dallas could get a boost from running back DeMarco Murray, who has been sidelined by a severe foot injury the past seven weeks. Murray was listed as doubtful for Sunday’s crazy overtime win over Cleveland.
Murray probably won’t play Thanksgiving Day but could return the following week against Philadelphia, although Felix Jones has done a solid job filling in the past few weeks considering the lack of running lanes.
The Giants in the past have staged out-of-nowhere 180-degree turnarounds to finish strong. Maybe they will get on a role again but it appears they too have problems, including a shaky defense.
If the banged-up Cowboys find a way to win on Turkey Day, regardless of the script, you’d have to like their chances against the in-a-nosedive Eagles the following week.
If Dallas can tie the Giants for the time being they would own the tiebreaker based on NFC East records. Dallas has one division loss, the Giants two.
The defining moment would then be Romo and the Cowboys facing their December demons.
After the three-game homestand ends Dallas plays at Cincinnati, one of the league’s hottest teams, followed by home games against the always formidable Steelers, who could have Ben Roethlisberger back for the Dec. 16 game and a game at Cowboys Stadium against the resurgent, high-scoring Saints.
But that’s jumping the gun. The first big test is Thanksgiving Day against Griffin and the Redskins. If Dallas doesn’t defeat Washington, then the Redskins’ Monday night game in New York Dec. 3 against the Giants could become a little more intriguing.
Redskins-Cowboys Thanksgiving Day games have provided some memorable finishes over the years that impacted the NFC East race. The 2012 version has a weird dynamic. Still, the traditional late afternoon game will be pivotal if Dallas wants to have any kind of shot at making a late-season playoff run.
Abney sent to Stockton
The Edmonton Oilers assigned forward Cameron Abney to the Stockton Thunder of the ECHL, Barons general Manager Bill Scott announced Thursday.
Abney, a 6-5, 200-pounder from Aldergrove, B.C. has split time this season between Stockton and Oklahoma City. With the Barons, Abney appeared in three games and served seven penalty minutes.
Last season, the Oilers third round draft choice (81st overall) in the 2009 NHL Draft also split time between Stockton and Oklahoma City. In 46 games last season, Abney recorded five points while serving 156 penalty minutes.
Barons end losing streak
ABBOTSFORD, B.C. — Barons rookie defenseman Justin Schultz scored an overtime game-winning goal to lead Oklahoma City to a 2-1 win over Abbotsbord Saturday night to end the Barons’ three-game losing streak.
The Barons led 1-0 on a third period power-play goal by Taylor Hall but Abbotsford’s Dustin Sylvester tied the game with just under four minutes left in a game that was being televised nationally in Canada.
That set the stage for Schultz, who took a pass from Jordan Eberle from near the faceoff circle who zipped a shot past Abbotsford goaltender Danny Taylor’s head in front of a sellout crowd, that included hundreds of Edmonton Oilers fans who traveled to watch their young star playing for the Barons.
Hall’s goal ended a nine-period scoring drought for the Barons, who were shut out a week ago at San Antonio and lost the first of the two games 4-0 to Abbotsford Friday night. The drought of 187 minutes two seconds was a new franchise low, surpassing the old mark by more than two periods.
With his seventh goal of the season Schultz continues to lead the American Hockey League in scoring.
Oklahoma City (6-5-0-1) returns home to host the Toronto Marlies Tuesday morning at 10:35 a.m. in the annual Kids Field Trip game at the Cox Convention Center.
Eberle monitors NHL negotiations
With NHL lockout talks heating up the past two days, it once again raises the question whether a deal might get done. If the two sides come to an agreement the Edmonton Oilers’ young stars will leave Oklahoma City to play in a trimmed-down NHL season similar to the NBA last season.
Four of Edmonton’s top young players are playing with the Barons during the lockout. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall, Justin Schultz and a couple of Barons would return to the NHL if a new collective bargaining agreement is reached.
“I’m following it some,” Eberle said. “I’m a fan of the NHL. I keep tabs with what’s going on. It sounds like they might be making a little progress. I know the fans feel it’s good to see something happening.”
Eberle, who led Edmonton in scoring last season, said playing in the American Hockey League during the lockout has been exactly what he hoped for.
“You get to play hockey,” Eberle said. “I’m 22. I’m still young. This is an opportunity to work on my game. More than anything you need to develop that winning attitude. If we find ways to win down here it can translate to the NHL.”
While negotiations continue Eberle is focusing on helping OKC win games. The Barons leave Thursday morning for Friday and Saturday night games in Abbotsford, B.C., near Vancouver.
“These are the chips we were dealt,” Eberle said. “We need to find ways to win games and get on a roll. If the NHL season doesn’t start so be it. We would have a chance to win a Calder Cup here.”
Barons participate in “Movember”
The Oklahoma City Barons players and staff are joining Integris Men’s Health University in shaving their upper lips today in preparation for MOVEMBER. They will attempt to grow mustaches to celebrate MOVEMBER and raise awareness for issues facing men’s health.
Now in its ninth year, MOVEMBER started in Melbourne, Australia, where “Mo” is Aussie slang for moustache. In MOVEMBER men on sports teams and in other groups grow moustaches (or mustaches, if you prefer) to raise money and awareness for men’s health issues.
The Barons will show off the mustaches of the players and staff who participate in weekly updates on Barons Beat, the Barons website and Facebook page. You too can show off your mustache by uploading pictures to the Barons Facebook page at facebook.com/okcbarons. Fans interested in donating to the Barons MOVEMBER movement can visit mobro.co/okcbarons.
Each Barons home game in the month of MOVEMBER features a ‘Mo Station’ to allow fans to create their own mustache at the rink. Any fan who has real or fake mustache is eligible for the Best Mustache contest at each home game in the month of November.
During the month of MOVEMBER, fans can earn a $4 discount on a single-game ticket by showing their mustache at the Cox Convention Center box office on the day of the game. Women can also take advantage of this offer by wearing a fake mustache to the box office.
