The Lost Decade: comparing 10 years out of the playoffs

[oobga]

Cyclical nature of the sport he says...


or maybe it was winning

MacT doesn't really know how right he was when he said that. He thought the cyclical nature was how lots of success breaks your team apart and it takes a long time to build up again. That is true in some cases, but it doesn't take multiple decades to correct things.

What the actual cycle is that ruined our team is MacT himself and his friends. The success of decades ago resulted in a bunch of unqualified dummies getting management jobs they wouldn't have got in any other organization and they ran the team into the ground.

Thankfully, that cycle is almost complete. Too bad for our children they will one day have to see the Hall/Drai/McDavid/Nurse management team running the team into the ground in the 2040/50's. I should be around to see that too, but I think I will be wise enough to just accept it when it happens.

 

[Paperbagofglory]

Call me a terrible fan and a bad Edmontonian, but i really want to see the new arena half empty next year. It probably won't happen as the shiny new building will attract plenty of crowds even if the team is just as bad.

 

[Fishy McScales]

1979-80 to 1999-00: 17 playoff appearances in 21 seasons (81%)

Lowe goes upstairs:

2000-01 to 2015-16: 3 playoff appearances in 15 seasons (20%)

Not to defend Lowe here but those first 21 seasons were in a smaller league where the Oilers were an absolute powerhouse for over a decade.

It's implausible we'd be this bad for so long, but it's equally implausible we'd be that good in the 80's.

I guess someone sold their soul to the devil for that dynasty to happen.

 

[Soundwave]

Lowe drove the franchise into the sewer. At least he can joke about (at Sather's retirement dinner) and it got us McDavid.

 

[nexttothemoon]

Well I just hope in 2026 we aren't all writing in a thread here titled:

"The Lost Decades: comparing 20 years out of the playoffs"

 

[Seedling]

It's a process.

 

[Mc5RingsAndABeer]

Lowe/MacT have caused long term damage. That's the thing about management. They impact your team years down the road. It will take several years to be mostly clear of their damage but even another decade to be fully past it. Other teams have long-standing veterans that contribute in a big way to their success but the Oilers drafting and trades/UFA for the past decade has failed horribly in that regard.

 

[WayneGreatzky]

Another sad part about this lost decade is the team has basically lost an entire generation of new fans.

There are kids now who have known the Oilers only as perennial losers and either dont follow hockey becuase of it or cheer for other teams, in which case I cant blame them

 

[thadd]

My god that's sad to see us get less points than the Panthers because we were getting one point for OT losses and the Panthers were not if my memory serves me right...

 

[nexttothemoon]

It is sad to see the Oilers org fall so far down from respectability.

Saying that others orgs have crapped the bed for extended stretches as well.

Panthers got points for their OT losses...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Florida_Panthers_seasons


Florida has only made it to the post-season once in the last 14 seasons and only 3 times in the last 18 years since their Cinderella-run to the cup.

They have that in common with the Oilers as well... seems like you go on an unexpected cup run and then pay the price in the form of dismal failure for decades to come.