Step Back From the Ledge, Things Are Going to Get Better

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Other organizations have health issues and injuries as well. Remember the mumps?

Yes but we always seem to get long term injuries to key players. Why is that?

 

[oilz89*]

Yes I know that losing sucks and we are all tired of it. We are all tired of seeing our team just lay down like they did in the 2nd against Carolina. Our record sucks, some of our top players are playing poorly at the moment and we've been hit by the injury and flu bugs.

Here's the thing, unlike in years past Todd McLellan usually has the team bouncing back from these types of losses and really there's only been 3 lopsided losses for us this season that come to my mind off hand. Against Dallas, Washington and Carolina (I missed the Arizona game).

Our defense is much improved and we are about to add one of our top defenseman to that mix as soon as Friday in Schultz. As long as he is healthy he will make a solid contribution to our club. Klefbom, Sekera and Nurse are all playing very good hockey right now and this is likely the best that our D has been in years.

Draisaitl has stepped up big time and has shown that he can help sooner than later.

McDavid will be back hopefully in the not too distant future. Even if we are long out of the playoff picture if he puts on a show there will be other players wanting to be a part of what we have here talent wise.

While he has been quiet through this season, Chiarelli is seeing first hand what kind of a mess he was left with and he has a capable coach telling him what each player is made of inside the locker room. I for one would be very surprised to see MacT back next season as the on ice product speaks volumes to his moves as GM.

Things will turn around.

Theres a thread like this every year

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Also, sorry to do this to your thread BBO, but sometimes it really feels like we're Homer here.

 

[Konami McDavid]

This year I lasted a lot longer than years passed before giving up on this team. I guess that denotes improvement. Last year it was by the end of October, this year it is the end of Nov.

But, alas, the constant losing has me moving on to other things before Christmas. Wish I cared more about football ... go Esks!!

Dear Santa, I have been a very good boy this year. For Christmas I would like a Red Rider BB gun (you'll shoot your eye out) and an Oilers team who doesn't have me salivating over the world juniors just so I can have some exciting hockey to cheer about.

Signed,
Nine is Enough

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Theres a thread like this every year

Excellent post to add to the discussion.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

One question I have BBO is how do other organizations stay healthy where we have to deal with sickness and injuries to key players every year? It can't simply be bad luck at this point.

Hall is his style of play and the speed that he plays it at. Eberle is a smaller player that isn't very strong and he relies heavily on his hands to make plays probably more so than anyone else on the team. McDavid like Hall plays a fast game and got hauled down.

But we don't. Good players win hockey games. Bad players look good at losing.

Petry sure sucks in Montreal and Dubnyk really sucks in Minnesota.

 

[SometimesY]

Yes but we always seem to get long term injuries to key players. Why is that?

Sidney Crosby concussion. Evander Kane, Bogosian, Patrick Kane one of the Sedins. We are just spiraling in negativity. Everything that goes right is suspect and everything that goes wrong is magnified. We have so many high end young guys that when they are injured it seems like most of our 'good' players are injured. Other teams don't have as many to get injured. Just my point of view of course.

 

[Boozers]

Ah no. We couldn't get out of ****ing november before it was over. And now were going to have spend more draft picks to trade for another goalie

 

[nexttothemoon]

I hate that ****ing saying.

 

[Narnia]

I'm not even that mad as I think we've shown to be a pretty damn good team at times.


We REALLY need a bottom 6. We gave up one of the best 4th lines in the league by moving Gordon imo. A 4th that could actually act as a 3rd if for nothing else playing extremely tough minutes and not looking like a joke.

I think if we had some semblance of a 3rd and 4th line we'd be a lot better off.

Time to sign Derek Roy or find a 3C worth a damn.

2 moves made by Chiarelli that I really don't like are getting rid of Gordon and moving those 2 picks for Reinhart. Those picks could of been better spent on more things we need rather than more LHD we don't really.

Gordon wanted out and asked to be traded to Arizona. Those draft picks take 4-5 years before they're even able to make the team.

 

[Jet Walters]

I stepped back from Laleggia, but I still don't Khaira.

The only question at this point is, apology letter or no apology letter this year, Mr. Katz?

 

[Up the Irons]

I agree. things will get better. Especially when Chia makes a significant trade that really shakes up the team.

And it's coming. Only a matter of when.

 

[Bangers]

I hate that ****ing saying.

If you're referring to 'step back from the ledge,' I wholeheartedly agree.

No disrespect to BBO, but nothing p***es me off more than when posters write that or posts telling everyone to calm down.

 

[oobga]

MacT called it. Just gotta keep being patient.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/2014/01/...ting-match-with-fan-insists-success-is-coming

Think a lot of you doubters need to be yelled at by MacT. Fortunately, he is still on the Oilers payroll and likely has the spare time now to do it. Hope you're ready for a mega dose of bold truth.


Joking aside, this team is still going nowhere until we fix the D. And we don't have the pieces today where we can just sit and wait for it to fix itself. So, no believing from me any more until Chia makes a necessary deal to fix that position.

 

[Up the Irons]

MacT called it. Just gotta keep being patient.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/2014/01/...ting-match-with-fan-insists-success-is-coming

Think a lot of you doubters need to be yelled at by MacT. Fortunately, he is still on the Oilers payroll and likely has the spare time now to do it. Hope you're ready for a mega dose of bold truth.


Joking aside, this team is still going nowhere until we fix the D. And we don't have the pieces today where we can just sit and wait for it to fix itself. So, no believing from me any more until Chia makes a necessary deal to fix that position.

it really is the only play left. they've cleaned house in managment, they've drafted, they're developing, they've changed out the support players. They only thing they havent done is trade a 'core' player.

c'est la temp.

 

[rosemount289]

I have to .............???

MacT called it. Just gotta keep being patient.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/2014/01/...ting-match-with-fan-insists-success-is-coming

Think a lot of you doubters need to be yelled at by MacT. Fortunately, he is still on the Oilers payroll and likely has the spare time now to do it. Hope you're ready for a mega dose of bold truth.


Joking aside, this team is still going nowhere until we fix the D. And we don't have the pieces today where we can just sit and wait for it to fix itself. So, no believing from me any more until Chia makes a necessary deal to fix that position.

I concur, we need way better defensemen........a defense that can win the one on one battles; take the puck away from the opposition and skate it out of our own zone and make a play to the breaking forwards.

Then, you will see how good our forwards are.........right now the only defensemen capable of doing that is Nurse and he is still green.

 

[joestevens29]

Either they change the style they play and just play an all offense game or they need to get some legit defensive forwards and d-men.

 

[McBigYak]

Realistically can anyone see our team competing with the Ducks/Sharks/Kings for a divisional spot in the next 3 years without drastic changes? I can see the 2 wildcard spots going to the central for the foreseeable future , so that's our only hope really.

I don't know if I can stomach 3 more years of this.

 

[PinSeeker]

Given the last loss, I expected the "sky is falling reaction" and I am as sick as anyone of losing hockey games, BUT:

Last year at this point:
G W L OTL P GF GA DIF
22 6 14 2 14 51 83 -32

This year:
22 7 14 1 15 56 68 -12

We are 20th in SF/G, 15th in SA/G.
Also for you analytics freaks, our Corsi For per 60 is middle of the league. However our save % is 2nd last.

To have basically the same record with a 20 goal improvement in differential is nearly impossible. The amount of close games we have lost is nothing short of spectacular.

The Carolina game was a total stinker, but outside of goaltending, I have seen vast improvement. Heck I have attended more games so far this year than I have the last two combined.

Can't promise results will come soon, but they will come. I trust McLellan/Chia to fix whatever is ailing us tenfold over the previous regime.

 

[PaPaDee]

Realistically can anyone see our team competing with the Ducks/Sharks/Kings for a divisional spot in the next 3 years without drastic changes? I can see the 2 wildcard spots going to the central for the foreseeable future , so that's our only hope really.

I don't know if I can stomach 3 more years of this.

I've said it before, but I think it will be at least 3 more years before we make the playoffs. Our D is just too horrid, and there aren't many options besides draft and develop our own D, which takes time.

 

[Young Lions*]

They've played well in most of their losses and only stunk the place out a couple of times (Dallas and Carolina). Lots of bad breaks in terms of injuries and the zebras, but overall, I'd say they look like anNHL team more often than not. But sure, let's rip it up and start again.

 

[PaPaDee]

They've played well in most of their losses and only stunk the place out a couple of times (Dallas and Carolina). Lots of bad breaks in terms of injuries and the zebras, but overall, I'd say they look like anNHL team more often than not. But sure, let's rip it up and start again.

I'd add Washington to that list as well. But agreed - most of the games they've played fairly well, and I would suggest they deserve a better record than they currently have. If we could get some better goaltending and an improved bottom 6 it would help a bunch.

 

[Beerfish]

It's pretty singular that MacT just got destroyed, ripped and made fun of last year for his 'we are visually better' and now everyone and their dog is making the exact same observation.

In my mind all the excuses, all of the 'we look betters', all of the we will get them next times, all of the 'we have a new regime they need time.'s all fall flat on their face when you simply look, like every year at all of other teams with worse talent, new coaches, injuries, year one of rebuild, team falling off and all of them do better than the oilers doing the only metric that counts.

Calgary, having a totally atrocious year. The big fall off the cliff that some predicated and everyone wanted. Flames fans are all going ballistic. And we are still behind them.

If by this time the 'core' can't get us out of last place over all then we are pooched and need to tear it up and rebuild around mcdavid.

 

[McHilman]

Given the last loss, I expected the "sky is falling reaction" and I am as sick as anyone of losing hockey games, BUT:

Last year at this point:
G W L OTL P GF GA DIF
22 6 14 2 14 51 83 -32

This year:
22 7 14 1 15 56 68 -12

We are 20th in SF/G, 15th in SA/G.
Also for you analytics freaks, our Corsi For per 60 is middle of the league. However our save % is 2nd last.

To have basically the same record with a 20 goal improvement in differential is nearly impossible. The amount of close games we have lost is nothing short of spectacular.

The Carolina game was a total stinker, but outside of goaltending, I have seen vast improvement. Heck I have attended more games so far this year than I have the last two combined.

Can't promise results will come soon, but they will come. I trust McLellan/Chia to fix whatever is ailing us tenfold over the previous regime.

Totally agree, thanks for the stats.

 

[McCrumb]

Of course we got a bit better this year, we have been watching one of the worst teams in NHL history for the last few years. After adding a number 2/3 D man, a couple of bottom 6 players, a franchise center and two new goalies in the mix we had better show improvement. I think taking that into account and still seeing our team dead last is why most people are so negative. Also, don't forget that our wonder kids are starting to enter their primes which typically happens at a younger age now for whatever reason. We talk about this being a "learning" year which is fair but shouldn't guys like Eebs, Hall, RNH, Schultz and even Yak be starting to look like they can carry a team? Hall is doing his part but those other guys are getting drastically outplayed by a 19 year old (Drai). Unacceptable at this point. Two of the guys that are suppose to be "learning" (Drai and McDavid) have been our best players.

BTW, Loving Klef and Leon this year. Those two are taking a bit of the sting off for me.