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15-21-4, 0.85 p/g |
16-17-7, 0.96 p/g | |
Western Conf: 14th | Western Conf: 12th |
8:00 p.m. MST | CBC
Top Story: For years now, I've been told I'm too negative about the Oilers and that I need to see the bright side. The Oilers are now seven years removed from their last playoff appearance - the longest streak in the NHL with Toronto in the playoffs in the east this season. The Oilers are about to enter the fourth year of their second rebuild since making the Stanley Cup finals and the same management team is still in place. A look at the remaining schedule shows the most likely outcome for Edmonton is 25th place, meaning the Oilers last four finishes will be 30-30-29-25 and the management team is in no danger of losing their jobs. It's a horrible thing to root for a team when the owner of that team doesn't care about the team's fortunes and won't care until the team is in his new arena.
The Oilers' archrivals are probably going to finish 29th and a whole slew of Oilers' fans have taken to pointing and laughing because the Flames ownership group and management team has publicly stated the team's goal is to make the playoffs next season in the first year of their rebuild. I, for one, hope the Flames do make playoffs next season and show the Oilers, their ownership, management and fans, that losing is not the way to win and slathering yourself in the arrogance of future success while your team wallows through a decade of failure is asinine.
The Oilers are saying:
"Part of being a professional is learning how to get back on the right track, how to get energy, create energy when it's not an easy thing to do. That's character, that's how you get to this level and how you're successful at this level."
--Devan Dubnyk, on playing out the string.
Dubnyk's learnings over the last couple of years will make him the ultimate professional.
The Opponent is saying:
"I've only been around for a little bit, but it feels a lot better winning in the room than it does losing. I think it's just it's just more experience for all us young guys."
--Max Reinhart, on his thoughts after beating the Coyotes in overtime last night.
Remember how Ryan Batty and I were harshly criticized for suggesting that Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov stay in juniors rather than waste their ELCs in the NHL? Remember how the primary argument was "blah blah blah, poison the well"? How healthy is that well now?
Key matchup:The Flames are running short on real NHL players - a phrase that should be quite familiar to Oilers' fans. The Flames will be playing the second half of a back-to-back. If the Oilers get outplayed and outshot yet again, Steve Tambellini should be fired at centre ice when the final horn sounds.