Edmonton - Colorado post-game: Time for some accountability

by Bruce McCurdy on Jan 18, 2010 11:21 PM MST in Game Reports

Another day, another dud. Tonight the sad-sack Oilers went into Denver and rolled over to the tune of 6-0. It was a sorry effort to say the least. The Oilers' teamwork was nonexistent, with one or two exceptions the team was unprepared to pay the physical price, and by all appearances mailed in the last 30 minutes of the game if not the entire 60. The Avalanche outhustled the Oilers in all three zones and in all three manpower situations, outscoring the Oilers 4-0 at evens and 2-0 on special teams. Colorado outshot Edmonton 34-24; despite this disparity, the Avs paid the price to block 20 shots, the Oilers just 7. Edmonton landed exactly one hit in the third period as the team rolled over and assumed the position.

Anybody who paid $15.95 for pay-per-view tonight can justifiably feel ripped off. At least nobody got hosed for up to $205 to see this stinker live, but 6 of the next 7 are in the "friendly confines". I can hardly wait.

Since the mirage of the five-game winning streak in early December, Oilers have posted a record of 1-14-1. 30 goals scored, 65 against, including 6 losses by 3 goals or more. Tonight's 6-goal shellacking represents a low point to date, but with Chicago on the sked next week one presumes the new "record" might not last long. As it is currently constructed the Oiler squad either can't or won't compete.

So this Oiler fan since 1972 is left wondering: when is somebody, anybody, going to step up and take some ownership of this situation? Injuries and illness are a partial excuse, but that's all. The performance has been miserable, whether we're talking about the owner, team president, general manager, coach, captain, players, or farm team. The Oilers are last in their conference, second last in the NHL, 29th out of 30. Their top farm team, the Springfield Falcons, has the worst winning percentage in the AHL, 29th out of 29. Their junior team, the Edmonton Oil Kings, is last in their conference, second last in the WHL, 21st out of 22. The whole organization is a disgrace from top to bottom. Is anybody accountable, or do we just have to suffer with this godforsaken mess until the end of time?

Enough already, Mr. Katz. Do something.

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Comments

The day Kevin Lowe and his ilk are away from the team is the day that hope will return, and not before. It starts with the architect, period. You guys know that, of course, but until the owner decides to stop enabling one of the great heroes of his youth, that’s your lot. Now it’s certainly his dough to set on fire, obviously, so maybe it’ll be another few years before he has the scales fall away. For your sake, I hope not.

Matchsticks and Gasoline

by Robert Cleave on Jan 19, 2010 12:05 AM MST reply actions

As a compliment to the Oilers

It’s very nice to see an intra-division rival lose and not blame it on luck or chance or rabbits feet and four-leaf clovers. You guys are having a tough season, like ours last year, and at least you all have the dignity, respect, and overall intelligence to say we played better.

There are other intra-division blogs who don’t know how to lose and whenever we beat them, four times in a row, they say we lucked them and should have lost. I guess Alberta only has room for one respectful team.

Avalanche 2009-2010: Ostensibly, the worst team in the league. Realistically, top of the NW division.

by c6hor8 on Jan 19, 2010 7:47 AM MST reply actions

Yay for passive aggressiveness!

COL really did out play EDM I gather. That’s the crucial difference. Not once have they been on the good end of shots or scoring chances versus the Flames this year. Hell, some games Calgary has doubled them up.

I’ll give COL this – their top line and goalie has consistently played well versus the Flames. However, the Avs have had the lions share of the bounces in those games. Just have. I’ve been on the bad side of losses to the Avs before and can admit as such when they are legitimate. That hasn’t been the case yet this season.

Matchsticks and Gasoline
Fivehole fanatics

by Kent Wilson on Jan 19, 2010 8:11 AM MST up reply actions

We are and will be the first people to criticize the Avs. We thought we’d suck. Their season runs in complete anathema to our expectations. They beat the best teams in the league.

These comments on your blog about how it’s all luck, even though I am sure you’ll quantify that now, is absurd. At 10 games, we could be a flash in the pan. At 20 games it might be luck and bounces. Even at 30 games it could still be riding the wave of youth. At 59 games, it’s no longer luck, its a proven fact that we are good. I am sure you’ll beat us at least once this year. When it happens, you’ll start claiming that the Flames have finally proven they are better than the Avs. We’ll just see when the season is done. I

t’s not all about Corsi numbers. It’s about that “W” column.

Also, thank you for giving my my signature.

Avalanche 2009-2010: Ostensibly, the worst team in the league. Realistically, top of the NW division.

by c6hor8 on Jan 19, 2010 8:25 AM MST up reply actions

Yeah, tell it to the Blues

Percentages are a hell of a thing. The Avs still suck.

by mc79hockey on Jan 19, 2010 9:53 AM MST up reply actions

The same “W” column that made Miikka Kiprusoff a Vezina candidate last year despite putting up his worst numbers in seven years?

SNN Sports - A theoretical Oilers blog (i.e. theoretically, I write stuff there). Link now 100% less broken.

by Doogie2K on Jan 19, 2010 10:19 AM MST up reply actions

To be fair, when you lose 6-0 and you’re 16-32, it’s hard to argue that you’re the better team no matter how delusional you may be.

by Benjamin Massey on Jan 19, 2010 9:03 AM MST up reply actions

Except that both of the Alberta teams are right.

by Scott Reynolds on Jan 19, 2010 11:05 AM MST up reply actions

Comments For This Post Are Closed

Northwest Standings

	GP	W	L	OTL	PT
Vancouver Nucks Misconduct	53	33	15	5	71
Minnesota Hockey Wilderness	53	25	20	8	58
Calgary Matchsticks and Gasoline	54	25	22	7	57
Colorado Mile High Hockey	55	27	25	3	57
Edmonton The Copper & Blue	54	21	28	5	47

(updated 2.9.2012 at 7:25 AM MST)

21 - 28 - 5

Streak: Lost 2

Oilers Schedule

Next 5 Games

@ Ottawa Silver Seven	Sat 02/11	12:00 PM MST
Toronto Pension Plan Puppets	Wed 02/15	8:00 PM MST
Colorado Mile High Hockey	Fri 02/17	7:30 PM MST
Vancouver Nucks Misconduct	Sun 02/19	7:00 PM MST
@ Calgary Matchsticks and Gasoline	Tue 02/21	7:00 PM MST

Last 5 Games

@ Detroit Winging It In Motown	Wed 02/08	L 2 - 4
@ Toronto Pension Plan Puppets	Mon 02/06	L 3 - 6
Detroit Winging It In Motown	Sat 02/04	SO - W 5 - 4
Chicago Second City Hockey	Thu 02/02	W 8 - 4
Colorado Mile High Hockey	Tue 01/31	W 3 - 2