News Article: Oct over Oilers 3 points out of Playoffs

[Rafters]

As hard as it is to believe the Oilers are only 3 points out of a playoff spot. I would of taken that at the start of the season. Team still needs to gel and get the stupid out of their games. We need some key players to step up and some to come off the IR. When Eberle comes back we could very well see 3 scoring lines with McDavid-yak, Hall-Draisatl and RNH-Eberle. Defence and goaltending need to step up, but some of the pieces are falling into place ....November is here and now it's time for this team to come together and play like a cohesive unit

Poo-McD-Yak
Hall-Dre-???
???-RNH-Ebs

??? And 4th line has some options
Hendricks
Purcell
Lander
Letestu
Klinkhammer
Slepy
Pak
Gazdic

A lot of questions on defence are still there but things are starting to look like

Sekera-Nurse
Klefbom Schultz
Reinhart Davidson/Fayne
Gryba
Ference

Click to read more...

 

[Gambl0r83*]

3 pts out in 12 games
If we put that to a ratio of 82 games, they're 21 pts out of a playoff spot by end of season

Not good enough

 

[Broilers]

I think that the Oilers will play better and after 20 games we are just 3 points behind.

The scoring is not a problem even without Eberle. The team scores all the time 4 goals per game. The defense is a problem. The team cannot be a playoff team by allowing 3-7 goals in each game.

We need to improve in three areas

1. Winning face offs and keeping the puck
2 Improve the defense

 

[molsonmuscle360]

3 pts out in 12 games
If we put that to a ratio of 82 games, they're 21 pts out of a playoff spot by end of season

Not good enough

Please. That is the worst way to try to figure out their position later in the season. You can't just extrapolate point totals from the first dozen games of the season. You think Anaheim is going to finish about 40 something points out of the playoffs? We had one of our toughest parts of the teams schedule for the season in the first part of October.

I don't think the Oilers make the playoffs, but they aren't finishing 20 points out either.

 

[Doc Scurlock]

Please. That is the worst way to try to figure out their position later in the season. You can't just extrapolate point totals from the first dozen games of the season. You think Anaheim is going to finish about 40 something points out of the playoffs? We had one of our toughest parts of the teams schedule for the season in the first part of October.

I don't think the Oilers make the playoffs, but they aren't finishing 20 points out either.

Yeah, no doubt. All things considered also as long as they're challenging for one then I think most of us would consider the season a success. Making the playoffs is just a bonus this season. Next year is when they are pretty much expected to start being in the post season on a regular basis.

 

[Mr Positive]

we are in a dream division. If we can sort out our team, the playoffs are there for us to grab, even after this awful month.

Even this last game, we had unforgivable errors of a basement loser squad, and yet we came within a hair of getting at least a point, and came close to winning even.

The core of this team can do amazing things. The depth players need to be better. The D needs to better. I'm not ready to say we don't have the talent to settle down and start winning.

 

[Mc5RingsAndABeer]

About 3 points lost in expected value from no goal calls.

 

[Juxta Position]

About 3 points lost in expected value from no goal calls.

yep. we would be in a playoff spot currently if the NHL wasn't the worst officiated professional sport. (NFL replacements not withstanding)

 

[Ritchie Valens]

Despite the 4-8 record, the Oilers are tied for third in GF in the WC right now. Dallas has 40, Winnipeg & Minny are tied with 35 and the Canucks and Oilers have 32. I won't get into the GA...we all know it's high and the reasons for it.

 

[GRadio]

Yeah 3 points out but we also lost 2 points to Calgary and at least 1 to LA by what can only be described as freak occurrence

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

How has Gryba been for you guys this year?

 

[Dirty Dan]

Feel bad for you guys, got robbed of two wins already this year by the refs. Could have 2-4 more points

 

[Jumptheshark]

OMG

this is Novemember and we have these kind of threads

 

[MessierII]

Robbed of at least two points so far too.

 

[MessierII]

How has Gryba been for you guys this year?

Pretty good. He's made some big mistakes at times but for the most part he's come as advertised. Big gritty crease clearer.

 

[workedforme]

When you consider the schedule we've had and the refs we've been playing that's not bad. 4-8 isn't ideal but we've been in close games against stl, nsh and LA, 3 teams that have owned us the lag few seasons, and we've done it without Eberle. This team is improving even if the record doesn't reflect that. On top of that we've only played one eastern team, and we do well against the east. Last night didn't feel good, but overall as a fan I'm excited and optimistic about the future. Once were free of ference, purcell, Nikitin and scrivens contracts I think we'll be in a very good spot going forward.

 

[thalegion]

How has Gryba been for you guys this year?

Mark Fraser would be an improvement, I hate Gryba

 

[Pointteen]

we are in a dream division. If we can sort out our team, the playoffs are there for us to grab, even after this awful month.

Even this last game, we had unforgivable errors of a basement loser squad, and yet we came within a hair of getting at least a point, and came close to winning even.

The core of this team can do amazing things. The depth players need to be better. The D needs to better. I'm not ready to say we don't have the talent to settle down and start winning.

Dream division.
It is funny because when realignment happened originally the Pacific was a fierce gauntlet

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Can't even beat a ****** Calgary team.

 

[Oilslick941611]

Can't even beat a ****** Calgary team.

I guess you forgot the 5-2 beating we gave them earlier. but yeah, lose one game and white flag time

this board was an echo chamber of disillusioned hope, the team and chiarelli tried to put a damper on hopes but everyone still expects too much out of the team this year, just sit back and enjoy the games for what they are. I've been enjoying the games this years, much improved team and fun to watch and i'm loving the comebacks to make games closer.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I guess you forgot the 5-2 beating we gave them earlier. but yeah, lose one game and white flag time

this board was an echo chamber of disillusioned hope, the team and chiarelli tried to put a damper on hopes but everyone still expects too much out of the team this year, just sit back and enjoy the games for what they are. I've been enjoying the games this years, much improved team and fun to watch and i'm loving the comebacks to make games closer.

I didn't forget that. But teams on the rise punch Calgary in the mouth when they're down. They didn't.

 

[Kelevra]

Are we not 7 points out?

 

[Bangers]

Anyone expecting the team to not struggle in the first month of the season was deluding themselves, even before Eberle went down. The road schedule was brutal and the team is learning a new system under a new coach.

IMO, it's going to take another 5-10 games for McLellan to coach more of the stupid out of the team, but I actually see the team doing better than .500 the rest of the season (even with the craptastic D).

 

[SullivanT]

I'm saying throw slepy on with hall and drai
Hendrix woth ebs and rnh

 

[KCC]

While the team continues to sit back and stand around like pylons until they decide to play desperate hockey, there have been 2 games which should have gone to OT. Depending on the outcomes that could have been two wins right there. So they could "technically" be roughly .500. But that means nothing.

Meh. When Ebs gets back, they will only be 20 games out at the end of the season!

Anyone expecting the team to not struggle in the first month of the season was deluding themselves, even before Eberle went down. The road schedule was brutal and the team is learning a new system under a new coach.

IMO, it's going to take another 5-10 games for the team to work the coach out more of the stupid, but I actually see the team doing better than .500 the rest of the season (even with the craptastic D).

The first year Eakins was hired, they went .500 after Christmas, so while that could be true that it takes time, they were absolutely a train wreck last year with him under the helm, so you can throw all that out the window. He was part of the problem along with Scrivens, but the big picture is that there was no structure under him and McLellan provides just that. Could be true this time around. Goaltending has been top notch for the most part with the exception of a few games, but the defense and work ethic continue to plague this team.

we are in a dream division. If we can sort out our team, the playoffs are there for us to grab, even after this awful month.

Even this last game, we had unforgivable errors of a basement loser squad, and yet we came within a hair of getting at least a point, and came close to winning even.

The core of this team can do amazing things. The depth players need to be better. The D needs to better. I'm not ready to say we don't have the talent to settle down and start winning.

We saw in third against Montreal and then against Calgary when this team decides to actually play the game of hockey that they can be very scary up front. But this team isn't going to go anywhere this season if they continue to stand around for 50 minutes and play hard the rest. Basically it's the same old Oilers and it's a habit that no coach can seem to break.