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Nikolai Khabibulin News & Rumors

Bolts' Roloson wins shootout duel with Oilers' Khabibulin
March 23
Tampa Tribune
 
"It must have been turn-back-the-clock night Thursday because both veteran goaltenders looked a lot like the guys who led their respective teams to the Stanley Cup Final. At one end was former Lightning Stanley Cup winning goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin turning aside several Tampa Bay chances for Edmonton, while Dwayne Roloson, who led Edmonton to the 2006 Stanley Cup Final, played his best game in months for Tampa Bay. And it only seemed fitting that the pair of goaltenders, with a combined age of 81, continued that pace through 65 minutes and six rounds of a shootout before Roloson came out on top in Tampa Bay's 3-2 victory in front of an announced crowd of 17,893 at The Forum. Tom Pyatt"
Frustrated Khabibulin looks for answers
March 12
Edmonton Journal
 
"Wins have been mighty difficult to come by for Edmonton Oilers goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin, who is now dragging around a record of 2-13-3 in a stretch of games dating back to Dec. 17. His only wins have come against the Minnesota Wild (Dec. 22) and the Ottawa Senators (Feb. 11). Adding a little salt to that sore spot is this: through the course of the season, Khabibulin has been in seven games that have gone into overtime or a shootout and he has just one win. That 4-3 victory over the Senators also doubles as one of his two wins in the last three months. "It seems like every time we go to a shootout, I can't make any saves. I guess I'm open for suggestions," he said after Saturday's 3-2"
Khabibulin happy to still be an Oiler
March 4
Edmonton Sun
 
"Nikolai Khabibulin wasn't sure if he would still be a member of the Edmonton Oilers following the NHL trade deadline. As a proven starting goaltender having a solid season, there was talk Khabibulin may be on the move to a contending team looking for insurance. But whether the interest was not there or the offers were not to the Oilers' liking, Khabibulin remained. And with a year left on his contract after this season, he's still part of the picture moving forward. "I'm happy here, and I think the team is going to be very good, probably as early as next year," Khabibulin said. "For any athlete you want to play in the playoffs, but at the same time, I'd like to finish what I've started."
Winnipeg provides flashbacks for Khabby
February 27
Edmonton Journal
 
"The trip down memory lane and Portage Avenue took Nikolai Khabibulin back 18 years to when the 39-year-old goaltender first set foot in Winnipeg. He didn't speak English at the time and didn't have a clue that he'd be back almost two decades later still tending net in the National Hockey League. Since then, the Jets moved to Phoenix to become the Coyotes, and were revived last year when the Atlanta Thrashers franchise was sold to a Winnipeg group. When the Oilers take on the Jets on Monday at the MTS Centre in their only meeting of the season, Khabibulin could be minding the Edmonton net."
Oilers goalie Khabibulin out seven to ten days
February 21
Edmonton Journal
 
"By the time Edmonton Oilers goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin gets the go-ahead from the medical staff to return to the net, all the trade talk should be exhausted, which would quite all right by him. The veteran will be out seven to days with a groin injury, which will see him return no sooner than the day before the National Hockey League's Feb. 27 trade deadline. "The results aren't there this year again, but I think we're on the right track. And I really do like it here," he said on Monday. "You do want to play games that mean something and it would be nice to be in the playoffs but … I want to see this team succeed. "When that happens, I want to be a part of it.""
Oilers lose game, Khabibulin to groin injury
February 20
Edmonton Journal
 
"Whenever the Vancouver Canucks bring their road show wizardry to town, fans may laugh at how little the home team touches the puck. The Canucks, who haven't lost a game in regulation in five weeks and have the second-most points in the NHL with 82, predictably toyed with the Edmonton Oilers in a 5-2 victory at Rexall Place on Sunday night. They scored twice on 17 shots — captain Henrik Sedin and defenceman Sami Salo on a five-on-three power play off a Henrik feed — on Nikolai Khabibulin in the first 20 minutes before the beleaguered starting goalie took a seat at the end of the bench with what the team said was a tweaked groin, but it might also have been exhaustion."
Oilers keeping Khabby fres
December 18
Edmonton Sun
 
"Nikolai Khabibulin emerged from under wraps Saturday, playing for the first time in eight days and ending speculation he was hiding an injury. "I was ready to play in Phoenix but it was Tom's decision not to," said Khabibulin, who wasn't about to argue with his coach. "I don't get into that; he decides who's playing." Renney said Khabibulin got run down last season and wants to make a determined effort to keep him as fresh as possible. Khabibulin admits last season got a little taxing, but it had more to do with the team he was playing for than the number of starts. "I didn't play that many last year ... it just seems like a lot more when things are not going well," he said."
Rested Khabibulin back with Oilers
December 15
Edmonton Sun
 
"Nikolai Khabibulin made a public appearance on Wednesday dispelling rumours he had picked up an injury and therefore had to miss two consecutive practices. The Edmonton Oilers goaltender was simply taking advantage of a break in the schedule to get some rest. "It was good, we had a few days between games and it was good to get a few days off," said Khabibulin. "I just wanted to get some rest and get everything back in order and start over.""
Khabibulin just had a little R 'n' R
December 15
Edmonton Journal
 
"OK, Fred Chabot can go back to his real job coaching goalies instead of tending the net as a practice stand-in for Nikolai Khabibulin. "I didn't get a chance to see him. How did he look? Was he a butterfly goalie who wouldn't go down?" asked Khabibulin. Chabot, who once played in Los Angeles with Jamie Storr, Canada's world junior goalie hero when the 1995 championship was held in Red Deer, did just fine for two days at the Edmonton Oilers practice. He flashed the leather. He was certainly more agile than the Shooter Tutor. But he's 44 in February. Chabot's best puck-stopping days are behind him. Khabibulin isn't hurt. The Oilers didn't come out Wednesday and say their No. 1 guy had a"
Khabibulin turning back the clock this season
December 15
Edmonton Journal
 
"Less than a month away from his 39th birthday, Nikolai Khabibulin is proving that an old goaltender can be just as effective as a young one. Fans of the Edmonton Oilers have some experience in this department. As recently as 2009, when a 39-year old Dwayne Roloson kept the Oilers in the playoff hunt by starting 36 consecutive games down the stretch, the club has witnessed the impact a determined veteran can have between the pipes. Even so, there was little reason to expect that Khabibulin would match Roloson's achievement at the same age, particularly after the battle-scarred Russian suffered through one of the worst seasons of his illustrious career."
Khabby couldn't keep Oilers in it
November 18
Edmonton Sun
 
"Nikolai Khabibulin had to stand around and do a lot of waiting before getting a look at the puck Thursday against the Ottawa Senators. And then all he could do was dig it out of his own net. Khabibulin didn't get beyond the first period, giving up three goals on seven shots as the Edmonton Oilers fell 5-2 to the Senators. He gave up goals on the first two shots he faced, then let the last one he saw get past him just before the end of the first period. "It was a tough game to get into," said Khabibulin. "I didn't get a shot, I didn't even get to touch the puck. Sometimes you stay in the game playing the puck and stuff. Tonight was tough because I didn't even get to play it.""
Habs can't solve Khabby
November 9
Edmonton Journal
 
"Once again, the Edmonton Oilers leaned on goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin to right their wrongs. The 38-year-old was the difference in a 3-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday at the Bell Centre. He turned away 28 shots, was impenetrable during six penalty kills, and were it not for a puck that went in off the stick of defenceman Tom Gilbert, he would have had his third shutout of the season. "I'm glad Khabby found the rink tonight. It took the other guys a little while to get here," said coach Tom Renney. "He was very, very good when he needed to be, which was pretty much start to finish. "That may be one of our poorer performances in front of him.""
Montreal Canadiens stoned by Nikolai Khabibulin
November 9
Montreal Gazette
 
"The Canadiens accomplished their goal of stopping Edmonton's kid line of Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, but they had trouble getting the puck past goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin and dropped a 3-1 decision to the Oilers. The 38-year-old Russian made 28 saves, but lost a bid for his third shutout of the season when Max Pacioretty scored at 16:50 of the third period. Pacioretty scored 22 seconds after Tom Gilbert beat Carey Price with a shot from the point that gave the Oilers a 2-0 lead. Ryan Jones scored a shorthanded goal in the second for the first score of the game. Ryan Smyth, another 38-year-old, completed the scoring with an empty-netter, his seventh goal of the"
Stellar goaltending lifts Oilers to best October start in 10 years
October 30
Edmonton Journal
 
"The trick for an NHL team to win many games before Halloween is to be treated to strong performances by the club's masked men. As the Edmonton Oilers (6-2-0-2) prepare for their best October in 10 years — they were 9-4-1 in the first month of the 2001-02 season — their goaltending has been stellar. Nikolai Khabibulin and Devan Dubnyk have faced 298 shots through 10 games and have stopped 284 of them. The 38-year-old Khabibulin has given up just six goals in 169 shots. He was given the night off in Denver on Friday night and Dubnyk, 25, promptly stopped 40 of 41 shots as the Oilers beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-1."
Khabibulin tops NHL in goals-against category
October 24
Edmonton Journal
 
"Nikolai Khabibulin possessed seniority which, in most cases, will buy a veteran goaltender the bulk of a team's starting assignments. But the Edmonton Oilers veteran netminder was coming off a terrible season and Devan Dubnyk was flexing his know-how after 35 creditable games in 2010-11. Khabibulin's response? He has allowed just three goals in four games this season, pulling himself to the top of the NHL's goals-against category. The 38-year-old registered his third shutout as an Oiler on Saturday, the 44th of his career, turning away 19 shots in the 2-0 victory over the New York Rangers at Rexall Place."
Khabibulin in fight to start for Oilers
October 12
Edmonton Sun
 
"Nikolai Khabibulin is one of about 23 players in the Edmonton Oilers dressing room who feels like a kid again … only not for the same reasons that, say, a revitalized Ryan Smyth or an 18-year-old Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are feeling so young. In Khabibulin's case, he's having rookie flashbacks because that's how far you have to go back to find a time when he wasn't a starting goaltender — his debut season with 1994 Winnipeg Jets. So it's no wonder he had to struggle for an answer when asked if he could find happiness, some 18 years and 743 games later, being a backup again. "I don't know," he shrugged after a long delay. "I've never been in that situation before so I don't know what to tell"
Khabibulin: "I learned my lesson'
September 14
Edmonton Journal
 
"Edmonton Oilers' goalie Nikolai Khabibulin says his incarceration at the Tent City in Arizona for drunk driving earlier this summer was a sobering experience, something he's very glad is over with as he tries to rebound from last year's miserable season. "I'm not going to lie ... it wasn't much fun and I learned my lesson," said the 38-year-old netminder, who was first charged in February of 2010 while driving to his home in the Phoenix area. "It was pretty hot there and you have boundaries and you have to do certain things. It's not what people are used to." Certainly not hockey players."
Oilers Khabibulin released from Arizona jail
August 15
Edmonton Journal
 
"Edmonton Oilers goalie Nikolai Khabibulin was released from Arizona's notorious tent city jail this weekend after serving 15 days for a drunk driving conviction. A clerk with the Maricopa County Jail information line confirmed Khabibulin was released from tent city, where he served half of a drunk driving sentence on a work-release program. Under the terms of the program, the goaltender only had to spend weekends, and weekdays between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. at the jail, in which inmates are housed in surplus military tents in the sweltering Arizona desert. Khabibulin, 38, was found guilty last August of three charges stemming from driving under the influence of alcohol."
Khabibulin soon to be a free man
August 14
Edmonton Sun
 
"Edmonton Oilers goalie Nikolai Khabibulin will step outside Arizona's Tent City prison Sunday as a free man after serving 15 days for impaired driving. Khabibulin will spend the remaining 15 days of his 30-day sentence under house arrest in Paradise Valley, Ariz. He was also ordered to pay a $1,500 fine and participate in an alcohol recovery program. While staying at Tent City, he was an ideal inmate, said Sgt. Jesse Spurgin with the Maricopa County jail. "No incidents or problems whatsoever," Spurgin said, "He behaved himself perfectly." On Feb 8th, 2010, Khabibulin was pulled over in his Ferrari for going 70 mph in a 45 mph zone. Arizona police administered a sobriety test which the"
Food an acquired taste at Tent City jail
August 1
Winnipeg Sun
 
"I kept putting it off. Even when the hunger struck and gnawed at my stomach like a ravenous coyote, denial remained a constant companion. It could wait. Wait until I finished my Saturday assignments, until I slept, until I finished my Sunday assignments. The reality hit around breakfast time Sunday. I needed to eat something, and didn't care what. With great hesitation, I walked to the fridge, and pulled out a plastic sack full of food. It all looked innocuous enough: a cookie, two buns, two oranges, lunch meat and a 236 ml carton of fat-free milk. There was even a knock-knock joke on the back of the milk carton. How bad could it be? Still I could feel my stomach churn. "It isn't too late"
Oilers goalie Khabibulin checks into Arizona jail
July 31
Edmonton Journal
 
"Oilers goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin arrived Saturday morning at Maricopa County Jail in Arizona to serve his 15 day sentence for driving under the influence. According to a spokesman for the jail, Khabibulin will be serving under a work release program, which will allow him to leave on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. He will not be able to leave the facility on weekends. Officials have said the Russian goaltender will have to stay in one of the jail's many tents but will not have to wear the signature black and white stripped uniform and pink underwear."
Cell-time for nyet-minder
July 27
Edmonton Sun
 
"It appears as though the Edmonton Oilers will welcome Nikolai Khabibulin back after he serves time in an Arizona correctional facility. On Tuesday, the Oilers goaltender dropped his appeal of a driving under the influence conviction and will spend 15 days jail starting Saturday, before having his movements monitored with an ankle bracelet for an additional 15 days. He was also order to pay a fine and required to participate in an alcohol addictions program. "The Oilers respectfully accept the court's order and expect Nikolai to fulfill all of his required obligations prior to training camp," said Oilers general manager Steve Tambellini in a brief statement. Khabibulin, 38, played in 47"
Oilers' Khabibulin headed to an Arizona jail
July 28
Edmonton Journal
 
"Edmonton Oilers goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin will serve 15 days in an Arizona jail after he dropped his appeal Tuesday of a drunk driving conviction. Khabibulin was found guilty last August of three charges stemming from driving under the influence. The 38-year-old appeared in Scottsdale, Ariz., courtroom to accept the minimum sentence of 30 days in jail, a $4,016.60 US fine and a requirement that he participate in an alcohol treatment program, a court spokesman said. Half of the jail term will be served in the Maricopa County Jail, and half will be spent under house arrest with an electronic monitoring bracelet. The treatment requirements have already been completed, he said. "I eagerly"
Khabibulin looks to a better future in Oilers net
April 12
Edmonton Journal
 
"In the court of public opinion, Edmonton Oilers goalie Nikolai Khabibulin did not have a good season, by any measure. Now he awaits a ruling to see if he will get a new trial by jury to hear arguments and evidence on his conviction on three charges — driving under the influence, extreme DUI and excessive speeding — in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Feb. 8, 2010. "It's under the appeal process right now ... I don't believe a date has been set yet," said the 38-year-old netminder, who was sentenced to 30 days in jail before training camp last fall but has appealed. He says he didn't waive his right to a jury trial, but still found himself sitting in court before only a judge. "I would like to have it"
Khabibulin's tennis connection
April 4
Edmonton Journal
 
"Hours before his Edmonton Oilers knocked off the Vancouver Canucks on the west coast, Nikolai Khabibulin got word of another notable win that had taken place on the east coast. Victoria Azarenka, who has ties to the Oilers goaltender and his family, defeated Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-4 to win the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami's Crandon Park. Khabibulin and his wife took Azarenka under their wing when she was a teenager and living in Minsk, Belarus. "We do feel like we were involved in her development. I wouldn't say it's so much pride, but it does feel good," said Khabibulin. "Tennis in Belarus is so underdeveloped. There are quite a few players up to age 14, 15 who are very promising, but they"
Khabibulin's return to action soon
March 3
Edmonton Sun
 
"As far as strange injuries go, Nikolai Khabibulin's ranks up there. The Edmonton Oilers goaltender was forced out of the lineup after getting ice-chips in his left eye. "I've never had that happen to me before," Khabibulin said. "I stopped a shot low to the stick side and I felt something hit me in the eye. "It was sore for a couple of minutes and then it kind of went away. My vision got kind of blurry and I thought it would go away, but it didn't." The incident occurred in the Oilers 4-1 loss in Minnesota last week. Khabibulin backed up Devan Dubnyk the next night in Colorado, but realized something was still wrong. "It didn't feel terrible the next day," he said. "It felt as though I was"
Retrial for Oilers goalie argued in appeal documents
February 18
Edmonton Journal
 
"It was the sound of a revving engine that first drew an Arizona police officer's attention to Nikolai Khabibulin's car, a black Ferrari speeding along a street in Scottsdale, Ariz., early on the morning of Feb. 8, 2010. Officer Brent Patterson said later that the car was going so fast he didn't think he would be able to catch it. He was about to radio for help from another officer when the Ferrari braked for a stop sign. After approaching the car, Patterson asked Khabibulin if he knew why he had been stopped. "Speeding," Khabibulin replied. "I made a comment about the speed that he was travelling, and his reply was something about, like, 'It's this car,'" Patterson said, testifying at the"
Tretiak wants Oilers Khabibulin for Russian team
February 17
Edmonton Journal
 
"Russian Ice Hockey Federation president Vladislav Tretiak says he's interested in Edmonton Oilers goalie Nikolai Khabibulin for the world championship in Slovakia this spring, but the Hockey Hall of Fame goalie may hear a "Nyet" from Khabibulin. "Really? Nobody has talked to me. I have never played in the world championship. Not once," said Khabibulin. He has seldom answered the call to play for his country. "This is news to me." Khabibulin, who won his first game in two months Tuesday with some stellar work to beat the Dallas Stars, has a mixed international past. He won a bronze for Russia in Salt Lake City in 2002 as one of their netminders but in 1992 in at the Olympics in Albertville,"
Bulin Wall now a gate
February 13
Edmonton Journal
 
"Nikolai Khabibulin is a 38-year-old goalie whose best years are behind him, backstopping a team comprised mostly of 20-somethings whose best years are too far in front of them to imagine the old puckstopper joining in the fun when the Edmonton Oilers finally get it together. All he has is the here and now. And the here and now isn't pretty. On Saturday, it was hideous. There are times in every rebuild that will try the patience of the paying public and this was surely the most obvious, at least as home games go, after the Oilers hand-delivered two points to an Ottawa Senators team that on most nights is severely outclassed. Khabibulin and the Oilers lost to a team that came into Edmonton"
Revitalized Khabibulin draws energy from younger Oilers
December 23
Edmonton Journal
 
"Retirement is going to be a problem, proclaimed Edmonton Oilers goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin. He has never really considered it, contemplated it or even thought about it until a herniated disc in his back pulled him away from the game for 10 long months. Now that he's playing again, and playing with a renewed zest for the game, Khabibulin is relishing the here and now. "I definitely missed playing," said Khabibulin, who faced 30 shots in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks. "I think the longest I had been out with an injury was eight weeks. This was 10 months and it made me think of what it's going to be like because, at some point, I'm going to have to stop playing." Khabibulin,"
Smid, Khabibulin ready to go
November 25
Edmonton Sun
 
"With two injured Oilers closing in on their returns Wednesday, two others were wrestling with foot and mouth problems. Defenceman Ladislav Smid is ready to go and goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin skated pain free, but forward Andrew Cogliano needs X-rays on his jaw and Ales Hemsky left practice early with a sore wheel. No word on either of their conditions until the Thursday morning skate. Hemsky went to the bench during practice, sat there for a few moments with the training staff, then slammed his helmet down in frustration, walked to the room and didn't return. It was late enough in practice, though, that it might not mean anything. "He hurt his leg somehow," said head coach Tom Renney."
Oilers' Khabibulin placed on injured reserve
November 19
Edmonton Journal
 
"Nikolai Khabibulin, the Edmonton Oilers overworked goaltender, will spend the next week on the injured reserve list. The veteran left Wednesday's 5-0 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks with a groin injury, necessitating a call up from the Oklahoma City. Martin Gerber is on his to Edmonton and will likely backup Devan Dubnyk on Friday when the Oilers host the Phoenix Coyotes. Gerber, an off-season free agent signing, was 9-4 with a .911 save percentage in the 13 games he played with the Barons. The 36-year-old journeyman played 226 NHL games before spending last season in Russia. With Gerber in Edmonton, Jeff Deslauriers, sent to the farm by the last month, will get more playing time. He has"
Oilers show Khabilbulin mercy
November 18
Edmonton Sun
 
"He was perhaps the lone positive on an otherwise miserable night. Edmonton Oilers goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin did all he could Wednesday against the Chicago Blackhawks, but had little help in front of him through the first two periods of the contest. Khabibulin faced 20 shots in the first, then faced another 11 in the second before getting the mercy pull in the third, with his team down 4-0. "When you face 20 shots in the first period, that's a pretty good night's work," said Oilers head coach Tom Renney. "The problem is that we had another 40 minutes to go. "We had to show him the mercy rule and got him out of there and gave him a chance to take a deep breath and allow him to regroup"
Khabibulin channels the Dominator
November 8
Edmonton Journal
 
"If Dominik Hasek has a laptop computer at his Moscow apartment, he might want to check out YouTube for Nikolai Khabibulin's glove save on Detroit Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg Friday night. It was right out of the Dominator's playbook, circa late 1990s when Hasek was the king of the flailing, arms in the air, puck refuses to go into the net form. There was no play Hasek, now 45 and playing for Spartak in the Kontinental Hockey League, gave up on. It was the same with Khabibulin on Friday when the Edmonton Oilers goalie somehow windmilled a Zetterberg shot at an open cage over the crossbar with a wild bat of his glove. It was the most heroic play of Khabibulin's short Oilers career, not that"
A breather for Khabibulin
October 25
Edmonton Sun
 
"Expect the Edmonton Oilers to finally play a backup goaltender. With the team heading on the road for three games in four nights, head coach Tom Renney plans to give Nikolai Khabibulin at least one day off. "We have to make sure that we have to get another goaltender in here, the workload hasn't been too tough on Khabby, but it will be," said Renney on Sunday. "We need to know which one of our guys is the more capable goaltender under those circumstances." Khabibulin has played all six games for the Oilers this season, posting a 2-4 record with a 3.21 goals against average and a .901 save percentage. On Tuesday, the Oilers begin a three-game road trip in Calgary. They'll go on to face"
Bulin wall stands tall in save percentage
October 14
Edmonton Journal
 
"Edmonton Oilers goalie Nikolai Khabibulin has the second-best save percentage in the NHL, based on at least two games work. Khabibulin has stopped 63 of 65 shots (.969). The only netminder better is Vancouver Canucks' Roberto Luongo, who has only given up two goals in 74 shots (.973). Khabibulin will get his third start in Minnesota Thursday and probably fourth in a row, against the Flames in Calgary Saturday on Hockey Night in Canada. Only one guy, Marty Reasoner, has beaten Khabibulin. No rust. No sore back when he's on the ice, or the morning after games. Almost no goals to replay in his sleep. "The only pressure I put on myself is to battle hard," said Khabibulin. Oilers coach Tom"
Khabibulin deserves plenty of credit
October 11
Edmonton Journal
 
"For all the hoo-haw about their wunderkinds last October, the Colorado Avalanche rocketed to a 10-2-2 start on the strength of some pretty amazing goaltending from the relatively aged Craig Anderson. He stole a few in the first month but it just wasn't as sexy a story as the daring, fuzzy-cheeked, rookie duo of Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly, who scored early and often, so it didn't get the play it deserved, outside of Denver anyway. In Edmonton, Nikolai Khabibulin is right now giving the Oilers the kind of consistent play in goal that is an absolute must for a team like his and last year's Avs, both rebuilding projects laced with many youngsters on defence and up front. If his rock-solid"
Khabby saves Edmonton Oilers
October 11
Edmonton Journal
 
"Ryan Whitney sat in his dressing room stall and nodded in the direction of goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin, who had just stolen two points for the Edmonton Oilers. "He won us that game," the defenceman said after the Oilers posted a 3-2 win over the visiting Florida Panthers on Sunday at Rexall Place. In a game that bore no resemblance to the season-opening smackdown of the Calgary Flames -- save for the work of Khabibulin in net -- the Oilers were humbled by their Eastern Conference foes. Florida got off 75 shots (28 ended up on the net, 24 were blocked, and 23 missed the target) compared to the meagre 31 generated by the Oilers. The Panthers won 67 per cent of the faceoffs, took advantage"
No rust on 'Bulin wall
October 9
Edmonton Sun
 
"Nikolai Khabibulin didn't look like someone who's been out for nearly 11 months and has the weight of a court conviction hanging over him. On Thursday, the Edmonton Oilers goaltender was excellent in a 4-0 win over the Calgary Flames at Rexall Place. Khabibulin turned away 37 shots to earn his first win for the team since Nov. 8 of last year and his first shutout as an Oiler. "It's obviously nice to start that way, but it's just one game," said Khabibulin. "I didn't think I felt great in the first period. My legs felt kind of heavy, but then I got into it a little bit. "I thought we played as good as we could play. We skated pretty well and we limited their chances." Khabibulin's"
Khabibulin feelin' sharp
September 27
Edmonton Sun
 
"It's place Nikolai Khabibulin has been thinking about for nearly a year. On Sunday the Edmonton Oilers goaltender was back in net for the first time since November. Khabibulin turned away 26 shots in an 8-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. "I was looking forward to the game to see how I'd feel," Khabibulin said. "I lasted the whole game, so that was good. I liked some things that I did, and there were some things that I need to work on." Having signed a four-year deal last off-season, the former Stanley Cup winner with the Tampa Bay Lightning suited up for just 18 games before his back gave out, requiring surgery. Now considered 100% healthy, Khabibulin will work and regaining his form."
Oilers' Khabibulin is ready to play
September 25
Edmonton Journal
 
"After another practice session, Nikolai Khabibulin insisted he is ready to step into a pre-season game for the Edmonton Oilers. He just couldn't say if it was going to be Sunday against the Vancouver Canucks. "I still would like to improve a few things here and there but, physically, I feel pretty good. It's just a matter of getting more shots and getting in a game situation," he said. The 37-year-old goaltender played just 18 games last season before a herniated disc in his lower back sent him to the operating room. He last played on Nov. 16, 2009."
Khabibulin wants to win back fan and team trust
September 18
Edmonton Journal
 
"If Nikolai Khabibulin is concerned about how his drunk-driving appeal will weigh on the Edmonton Oilers, it doesn't appear to be on the goalie's radar screen as he completed his fitness and medical testing Friday. "It is what it is ... it's not something that I wish I had to go through. It's hard on everybody, my wife, my daughter," said Khabibulin, who was convicted in an Arizona court late last month but immediately filed an appeal which could drag on into the season before the case is heard again. The veteran goalie, who only played 18 games last season until his back gave out and he needed surgery, says he's healthy and has no worries about being on the ice taking shots when the"
If goaltender lands in jail, will club try to void contract?
August 31
Edmonton Journal
 
"Edmonton Oilers goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin will learn his fate this afternoon in a Scottsdale, Ariz., courtroom when Judge B. Monte Morgan hands down his punishment for two impaired driving charges. The minimum mandatory sentence is 30 days in jail for extreme drunk driving, but he could be imprisoned for up to six months. The 37-year-old Khabibulin was found guilty last Friday afternoon of two impaired driving charges -- one for exceeding a blood-alcohol level of .08, the other for being over .15 -- and an excessive speeding charge. If Khabibulin goes to jail, that would muddy the Oilers goaltending situation even more. As it is, hockey conspiracy theorists are having a field day."
Oilers must handle Khabibulin punishment delicately
August 31
Edmonton Journal
 
"Pro athletes, like the rest of us, are not immune from human folly and bad judgment and Tuesday, Edmonton Oilers goalie Nikolai Khabibulin will learn what legal price he will pay for his error. But after a Scottsdale, Ariz., judge passes sentence on Khabibulin, who was convicted last week on two impaired driving charges and another for excessive speeding, after potentially difficult immigration issues are sorted out, comes the thorny question of how his employer should handle things when the goalie returns to the Oilers to do his job. For some, there is no issue. He should serve his sentence — Arizona law mandates a minimum of 30 days in jail, possible fines, alcohol classes — and get back"
Oil fans: Give 'Bulin a break
August 29
Edmonton Sun
 
"Edmonton Oilers netminder Nikolai Khabibulin may be in a lot of hot water with hockey fans across the city, but some say the club should stand by their man. "He needs to be treated like everybody else," said Darren Eglen, an Oilers fan and manager at Suzy Cue's Sports Lounge, 6550 28 Ave. "But I think the Oilers should hold onto him. He should get some sort of fine from the league for what he did." Khabibulin was convicted in a Scottsdale, Ariz., courtroom Friday of "extreme" driving under the influence, excessive speed and driving under the influence with a blood alcohol level over .08. Police pulled over the Russian star on Feb. 8 after he was clocked at 70 mph while driving a Ferrari in"
Oilers stuck with tough goaltending decisions ahead
August 29
Edmonton Journal
 columnist Jim Matheson
"You often get a second chance to make a first impression, but Edmonton Oilers goalie Nikolai Khabibulin is having a rough time of it. Khabibulin, who signed a four-year, $15-million free-agent contract with the Oilers in July 2009, only played 18 games last season because he needed a damaged disc in his back repaired. On Friday in a Scottsdale, Ariz., courtroom, he was found guilty of two impaired driving charges -- one for exceeding a blood-alcohol level of .08, the other for being over .15 -- and an excessive speeding charge, which possibly means he won't be in Edmonton for the start of Oilers training camp Sept. 17 for fitness and medical tests. If the 37-year-old Khabibulin gets the"
Khabibulin faces six months behind bars
August 28
Edmonton Sun
 
"Edmonton Oilers netminder Nikolai Khabibulin has been found guilty on three charges related to drunk driving in a Scottsdale, Arizona courtroom Friday. Khabibulin was charged with "extreme" driving under the influence, excessive speed and driving under the influence over a blood alcohol level of 0.08. Police pulled over the Russian NHL star on Feb. 8 after he was clocked at 70 m.p.h. while driving a Ferrari in a residential area of Paradise Valley, an affluent town northwest of Scottsdale shortly before 12:40 a.m. The veteran goalie failed to produce proof of insurance and he agreed to a field sobriety test. Police in Arizona say his blood alcohol content was .164, more than double the"
Oilers goalie Khabibulin found guilty
August 27
Edmonton Journal
 
"Edmonton Oilers goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin was found guilty of all charges related to a driving under the influence and speeding case in Arizona on Friday. The veteran goalie was arrested on Feb. 8 near his suburban Phoenix home after being pulled over for speeding in a black Ferrari, according to a police report. The officer smelled alcohol on the 37-year-old, who agreed to sobriety tests as well as a blood test. After the blood test, he was cited for an extreme DUI with a blood-alcohol content at .164, more than twice the legal limit in Arizona. Khabibulin could spend a minimum of 30 days in jail for the misdemeanour. The maximum sentence is six months."
Khabibulin may learn legal fate today
August 27
Edmonton Journal
 
"Edmonton Oilers goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin could find out today if he's going to jail. Khabibulin will have his driving under the influence and speeding case heard before a judge in Scottsdale Municipal Court in Arizona this afternoon. The veteran goalie was arrested on Feb. 8 near his suburban Phoenix home after being pulled over for speeding in a black Ferrari, according to a police report. The officer smelled alcohol on the 37-year-old, who agreed to sobriety tests as well as a blood test. After the blood test, he was cited for an extreme DUI with a blood-alcohol content at .164, more than twice the legal limit in Arizona. If he's found guilty, Khabibulin could spend a minimum of 30"