Was yesterday the real turning point?

[The Safe Play]

I voted yes because I think the players brought (Maroon, Kassian and to a lesser extent the role guys like Pardy) and the players removed (Purcell, Schultz) have forced a turning point. I also believe Chiarelli will be able to shore up the right side of the defence without sacrificing the center depth. With less injuries next year I believe the team will be more competitive.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

it was another win vs yet another non playoff team... unsure how it could be

they won 6 in a row in December and I bet many fans thought that was the final turning point.... then they lost a TON of games after and IMO almost hit rock bottom(like as in the past 8 years type rock bottom... team looked horrendous)

Until they start beating good teams and start winning consistently, I don't see it

IMO fans really need to pull on the reins a bit with all this talk, honestly it seems like its gone a little too far. Its good to see them have won 3 games in the last 10 games, but this isn't the turning point. I don't think we can really consider a turning point until next season starts and changes have been made

Im not trying to be a Debbie downer, but I am just being realistic I feel. The team has gone on mini win streaks many times over the years but then always fall back to their usual play eventually.

But hey if they keep winning some more games that is great news!!... but once the changes happen in offseason, Ill be a lot more excited for this team next year

 

[joestevens29]

For me if we are picking a turning point it was when Schultz got his ass boo'd. Hall stood up for him and came out the following game playing like a true leader. Why the next day after one game would be considered a turning point I don't know. We've seen a lot of good one game stretches before.

 

[vocks10]

I love this board. Just this season we've been:

- McDavid starts slowly. "Another lost season, we still suck"
- McDavid starts scoring. "He's awesome, the team is coming around"
- McDavid breaks collarbone. Worst. Night. Ever.
- Drai and Hall light it up the team puts together a few wins. "Pacific is terrible, we're close, once McDavid comes back the Oilers will burn down the league."
- Drai and Hall start to cool off. "We suck but at least McDavid will be back soon."
- McDavid comes back, 2 big wins. "The team is turning the corner!"
- Lose another what 6 straight (?), including 2 blowouts "This team needs to be blow up. Trade EVERYONE (except McDavid).
- Win 3 straight and now it's "Has the team turned the corner, again?"

Again that is this season alone with high and low points. Reality is, I'll believe the team has turned the corner when it's April and there battling for a playoff spot. Up until then, I will ride this emotional rollercoaster that goes along with being a fan of the Edmonton Oilers.

And yes, there is a common thread surrounding every one of those posts. Where would we all be with that lottery win last year?

 

[Soli]

This is cause I named the GDT "The Corner" isn't it.

I think theres many corners until we've turned this thing around. I like what I saw yesterday as a continuation of a solid string of games. I don't remember the last time there was a constant united front after every whistle, sticking up for your brother in arms.

I don't know if yesterday was the turning point, but I do think we're stepping in the right direction.

 

[Soundwave]

I don't know about "turning point" but I will say this is the first time legitimately since like .... 2007 or 08 that the team doesn't look softer than double ply toilet paper.

The additions of Maroon, Pardy, and Kassian are slowly but surely making an impact and these guys can legitimately play, they're not plugs like Gazdic, Eager, etc.

I also said this for a while but Justin Schultz was like a poison on this team. Just like one player can impact a team with hard work/hustle becoming infectious, IMO the opposite is true.

Too many guys will a low motor/low effort on this team was poisoning the well and IMO Schultz was the centre of that. He was the poster child of everything wrong with how the Oilers played and it was infectious IMO.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

I love this board. Just this season we've been:

- McDavid starts slowly. "Another lost season, we still suck"
- McDavid starts scoring. "He's awesome, the team is coming around"
- McDavid breaks collarbone. Worst. Night. Ever.
- Drai and Hall light it up the team puts together a few wins. "Pacific is terrible, we're close, once McDavid comes back the Oilers will burn down the league."
- Drai and Hall start to cool off. "We suck but at least McDavid will be back soon."
- McDavid comes back, 2 big wins. "The team is turning the corner!"
- Lose another what 6 straight (?), including 2 blowouts "This team needs to be blow up. Trade EVERYONE (except McDavid).
- Win 3 straight and now it's "Has the team turned the corner, again?"

Again that is this season alone with high and low points. Reality is, I'll believe the team has turned the corner when it's April and there battling for a playoff spot. Up until then, I will ride this emotional rollercoaster that goes along with being a fan of the Edmonton Oilers.

And yes, there is a common thread surrounding every one of those posts. Where would we all be with that lottery win last year?

agreed with it all... ive always said too that this team provides the biggest roller coaster of emotions of all time

I wont be able to say they have turned the corner until they can consistently beat good teams. They have played 66 games and have only won 10 games so far VS. teams that are in playoffs as of now. Their other 15 wins have been against non playoff teams.

They gotta show that they are good enough to beat good teams before I can ever say they've turned the corner

 

[Aerchon]

I like the question but am not going to use the poll. Its not a poll worthy question.

I would easily say last night looked like a turning point. They handily won a game against a team playing as hard as they could with a physical effort. I am not sure how many years have gone by since last that was said by an Oiler fan.

But its way too early. Way way too early.

We could easily right back in this exact spot next year.

I hope not. I think not, but too early to say for sure.

 

[McGoMcD]

Sure, why not. lets be positive.

Truthfully I think this entire year has been a turning point, some bad luck and injuries hasn't allowed it to show in the standings. The turning point was drafting McDavid. This team is on the up and ups, too much talent. Chia and McLelland know what they are doing.

 

[Quality Oil]

I voted no. By my standards, the turning point was when we hired Chiarelli and McLellan, drafting McDavid helped move that along I'm sure.

When we started bringing in serious businessmen to fit the actual managerial profile is when this team started turning the corner.

Every year this team has made a late season push and came out flat the next year due to rotating personnel etc. I want to see a solidified core of players and coaches, then consistency throughout a season - that's when they'll turn the corner as a team.

 

[Da McBomb]

I wonder what the Oilers average size and weight is now compared to past teams. It's been real nice to see them not get physically owned by bigger teams recently.

 

[Mr Sakich]

 

[plikestechno]

Rest of the year after tonight is against Western Conference teams. We'll see how that goes for a start.

 

[Gord]

We've been deceived dozens of times over the last 10 years.

Was yesterday the first real true sign that the team is truly becoming a different entity?

I say no. but if I'm wrong, I'm am willing donate a couple of pieces of wood to help build the bandwagon.

maybe if the games meant something to the oilers and wasn't the team yet again running out the string.

 

[McDraekke]

1 game, especially at the end of yet another lost season, means nothing, or at least close to nothing.... the "turning point" in my mind will be a season (hopefully next season) where the oilers are in, or close to, a playoff position and play 3-4 games in a row against tough competition without looking like a 2nd class team

I'm unfortunately optimistic as anyone about the Oilers, but the past few years have "jaded" me (see what I did there).

I agree with Jadeddog here.

I *hope* that last night was the turning point, and I can see that it *could* be a turning point. But I'm not going to expect it to be until next season we can see actual results. And I don't mean the results we've seen this year (which are that we have improved upon ourselves, but have not been able to keep up with the competition). Once we are playing meaningful hockey at this point in the season, I will be willing to mark the 2016 Trade Deadline as the turning point. One decade after the trade deadline that helped us to be within a game of the Stanley Cup...

 

[McTrashBoat]

Niiiiice

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

i voted 'I don't know' to add to the poll's authenticity.

The team has played some pretty good hockey this season but still managed some critical season-breaking fall aparts.

Pulling it together to finish the year is sort of a continuation of the past few seasons' sob story....but I do like the toughness quotient they got going on.

 

[Stoneman89]

Sounds like my love life. Just kidding, dear. She's actually easy.

Seriously, I'm with the Elephant Man. It will take a end-of-season run, the acquisition of a top-two defender and a good start to the next season to make me a believer. This is not a legit turn-around without at least one more first-line defenseman.

Every guy's wife just loves to her that about her.

 

[McSuper]

I voted yes base on the OP second posting , It to see if you are right .

The reason for my vote is size and grit can over come anything . We had skill , but teams could play a tough hard hitting game against those players and get them off their game . Now we have push back the skill guys will have more bite when team start playing tough as know someone has their back . Also team have to think twice about targeting our skill guys because they know we have the big bodies now to do the same back to their players . Easy to play tough when you know nothing will happen . When you know you have to pay the piper you have to think twice .

 

[McSuper]

Damn where has this been for the last 10 years

 

[thadd]

Turning point? Hell no.

The turning point will be after we pick up a 1st pairing d-man plus another in a trade that will ship out one of our 6M dollar forwards. The message will finally be sent to our players that you will be shipped off of this team if you don't give it your all if you don't play hockey like you really want it game in game out.

Look at this sad game we're playing right now. 2:44 in a we're down 2-0. Should we be surprised? We've won 3 straight and our players come in sleeping because they feel they've done enough for the rest of the month but someone forgot to remind them that they're 3-5-2 in their last 10.

 

[Mc5RingsAndABeer]

I love this board. Just this season we've been:

- McDavid starts slowly. "Another lost season, we still suck"
- McDavid starts scoring. "He's awesome, the team is coming around"
- McDavid breaks collarbone. Worst. Night. Ever.
- Drai and Hall light it up the team puts together a few wins. "Pacific is terrible, we're close, once McDavid comes back the Oilers will burn down the league."
- Drai and Hall start to cool off. "We suck but at least McDavid will be back soon."
- McDavid comes back, 2 big wins. "The team is turning the corner!"
- Lose another what 6 straight (?), including 2 blowouts "This team needs to be blow up. Trade EVERYONE (except McDavid).
- Win 3 straight and now it's "Has the team turned the corner, again?"

Again that is this season alone with high and low points. Reality is, I'll believe the team has turned the corner when it's April and there battling for a playoff spot. Up until then, I will ride this emotional rollercoaster that goes along with being a fan of the Edmonton Oilers.

And yes, there is a common thread surrounding every one of those posts. Where would we all be with that lottery win last year?

LOL
This is so true. We need to banish the "what have you done for me lately" mentality.

This team is still not where it needs to be unless two more top 4 defenders are brought in (and one of them should be a top-pairing guy).

 

[Jepprey]

We did turn the corner. But we actually made a u-turn. lol.

 

[Del Preston]

Jinx thread.

 

[Faelko]

Asked and answered...haha