[OOT] October 10 - 10 games

[stemit14]

Originally Posted by Delthefunky

I used to worry that eventually the oilers were just going to be good out of default, from sucking so much that they get all these no brainer draft picks. I'm really happy that's not the case. Someone said they remind him of the 09-12 Flames, how about the 90's/00's Islanders?

I like that comparison with the islanders... Had all the high draft picks but they misfired with them and mishandled them... Just like the oilers

[MrMastodonFarm]

Keep your head up kid.

[stemit14]

People are critical of the flames this year for giving up leads but I prefer seeing the flames outplay their opponents for the majority of the game much more than what I see from the oilers and Canucks where they lose because they only play hard for a 10 minute span of a 60 minute game. It was brutal hockey from both teams tonight.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

I am glad that the Oilers aren't being applauded any longer for their miserable performances and selling 'hope' for the future. The future should have been coming out last season, and it didn't. There is absolutely no excuse for them to be horrible again this year, as it is year 4(?) of their official rebuild.

I really hated all the pundits picking them to make a lot of noise last year, giving that team accolades for being on the right path for being the worst team for so long. I don't think they purposefully tanked, but they did next to nothing in trying to be a better organization, and they fully deserve all the jeers they are getting now.

Calgary is in a rebuild, and they always say you shouldn't throw stones while living in a glass house. However, if Feaster and Co. ever run this organization into 2 straight years of being last, I would expect him to get fired, not extended and praised.

With that being said, I do think the Oilers will start to turn it around this year, but I don't think they make the playoffs yet. If I was a betting man, I would say the Flames will be the better team (again) within the next 3 years. They refuse to allow themselves to lose, and it has been showing on the ice every night. It probably won't last, and the Flames will more than likely end up being near the bottom of the standings, but that is a far cry from doing what the Oilers have been for the last few years.

I don't think the Oilers will turn it around, I strongly believe that they will be known as the team that pissed away three straight years of number one picks, mainly due to their incompetence in drafting anything past the number one pick, Their reliance on drafting the same type of player over and over again, their inability to do anything on their team from roster spots 6 to 23, their ludicrous contract signings, and their insistence on keeping the person who has to be one of the dumbest large ego's executives in this game.

I believe Hall and RNH and Eberle and even Yakapov are good hockey players who would probably be better fits individually on different teams. But I believe that the way that the Oilers have structured their team due to an inability to understand how to win NHL hockey (Yeah I'm talking to you Lowe), and the way that the Oilers management suite has pretty much become an old boys club, and an owner besides looking like a bumbling fool in the arena business has done a great dis-service to the decent fans in Edmonton by charging full price tickets to that gong show circus act.

I blame the media for continually pumping up that incompetent franchise, with their continued statement that they're building something special up there because they can't look past a group of players that are flash and dash and not much else.

Everyone was saying that Taylor Hall should be upset that he's not the Captain, but the bottom line is his individual playbook makes him an unsuitable candidate. Maybe he'll grow up and realize there are four other guys on the ice.

People keep talking on the boards that the Flames and their fans should consign themselves to patience and a 5 to 7 year rebuild. Without even looking at the Flames results this year and the improvements in their prospect pool, I call BS. In a league with a fairly high salary cap, a pretty generous draft lottery system, and millions upon millions spent on scouting no rebuild should be longer then 2 or 3 years.

The Oilers have done a great disservice to hockey and to the fans in that city and to the players on the team by selling a BS story that its ok to shoot for high draft picks year after year by positioning your team to fail. History is filled with teams that have done this and become perpetual losers, history is full of more losers who did this then winners.

The Oilers are a cautionary tail for fan bases that accept and think that losing year after year to chase high draft picks. The old saying is "be careful what you wish for because it might become true". Well congratulations Edmonton you're in that spin cycle where you're more then likely doomed to watch another 82 games of uninspiring, terrible hockey, where at the end of the year you'll be sold another bill of goods that there's hope for next year because you're building something special.

If you want to look at how to build a country club atmosphere, look no further then the Oilers dressing room where losing is not only expected, but encouraged.

Its time for the Oilers to do the right thing and toss Lowe out on his a$$. Its time to bring in a President and a GM that doesn't follow the losing is ok as long as there's a high draft pick at the end of the tunnel philosophy.

[PlayfulGenius]

I was at the Sharks-Canucks tonight... I'm shocked at how the Canucks were lifeless against a team that has beaten them 8 straight...well, now it's 9.

San Jose looks tight ... A few things I noticed...

1. Burns is a TANK on the RW
2. Hertl isn't physical at all, but he's got really slick hands. He should continue at a good clip of he stays on a line with Thornton and Burns.
3. I've heard if said the Sharks are now Couture's team... I call BS on that, Thornton is still clearly the #1C there.

I love being one of the very few happy people at the Rogers Center

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

There is absolutely no excuse for them to be horrible again this year, as it is year 4(?) of their official rebuild.

It was 8 seasons ago they last made the playoffs. They traded their HHOF defenseman in 2006, with Smid and Eberle being assets they got back in the return. They traded their captain in 07 and drafted Sam Gagner 6th overall, 1 of 3 first round picks they had in 2007. They gave Penner an offersheet costing them their 2008 pick but at 24 years old he wasn't exactly too old for the rebuild, and then drafted Paajarvi-Svensson in 2009 with their 10th overall. They made poor and peculiar decisions but I think it's hard to say they only started their rebuild 4 years ago.

[CaptainCrunch]

Ah another day sitting ahead of the Oilers and the Canucks in the standings. Somehow the stars are a little brighter, my dinner tastes a little better, girls shirts seem a little shorter.

Yes I know that there is probably a storm of long skirt wearing religious fanatic woman serving a dinner of Kelp and dog poop looming on the horizon, but for the moment, I can enjoy this alternate universe where the Flames are ahead in the standings and everyone is sporting a goatee.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

It was 8 seasons ago they last made the playoffs. They traded their HHOF defenseman in 2006, with Smid and Eberle being assets they got back in the return. They traded their captain in 07 and drafted Sam Gagner 6th overall, 1 of 3 first round picks they had in 2007. They gave Penner an offersheet costing them their 2008 pick but at 24 years old he wasn't exactly too old for the rebuild, and then drafted Paajarvi-Svensson in 2009 with their 10th overall. They made poor and peculiar decisions but I think it's hard to say they only started their rebuild 4 years ago.

I agree with you, I've never believed the propaganda line that the Oilers are in year four of their rebuild. They've been constantly rebuilding and changing their on ice philosophy since they lost the cup.

They've had more first round draft picks then seasons since that last good stretch.

They just continually throw their horses behind different prospects only to discard them when they fail.

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Its time for the Oilers to do the right thing and toss Lowe out on his a$$. Its time to bring in a President and a GM that doesn't follow the losing is ok as long as there's a high draft pick at the end of the tunnel philosophy.

Wrong. They are doing just fine thank you. Lowe should be extended, I'm thinking 7 years 42M.

[stemit14]

I honestly believe that these oilers just will never pull this thing together with the make up of this team. They are high in skill but very low on hockey IQ... perfect examples are hall and yakupov. Both of them think this is junior hockey still and they can just dance around 4 guys coming into the offensive zone. I mean, look at that big hit hall took from Georges! Head down trying to pull off the between-the-legs toe drag?! This isn't D-level rec hockey and I can't believe hall is still trying to pull off stuff like that after being in the NHL for 3+ years. Very little effort and no team concept at all for the oilers.

People can keep saying "oh, it's still early in the season" but teams like this can end up 8+ points out of the last playoff spot by Halloween. Patience has to have run out from the oiler fans and I think it's time the media stopped giving that team a free pass. Yakupov will be traded before Christmas if they have any brains in the front office (but they don't).

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Jacks

Wrong. They are doing just fine thank you. Lowe should be extended, I'm thinking 7 years 42M.

A boss shouldn't make the same salary as his employees. He deserves at least $12 million a year for at least 14 years.

[Tsawwassen]

Great night seeing the Canucks lose, the Oilers lose, and the Rangers getting blown out again. The Rangers suffer another brutal loss, this 6-0 to the Ducks and Lundqvist was in net for all 6 goals and that was the score after 2 periods. The Jets lost 2-1 to the Wild. It's surprising to see the Avs SHUTOUT the Bruins 2-0 with Giguere getting the SO.

[Husky]

Good seeing Pelech net his first goal. Might have been drafted too high but he sure has been productive in the NHL for not really getting a shot nor getting quality icetime.

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by stemit14

I honestly believe that these oilers just will never pull this thing together with the make up of this team. They are high in skill but very low on hockey IQ... perfect examples are hall and yakupov. Both of them think this is junior hockey still and they can just dance around 4 guys coming into the offensive zone. I mean, look at that big hit hall took from Georges! Head down trying to pull off the between-the-legs toe drag?! This isn't D-level rec hockey and I can't believe hall is still trying to pull off stuff like that after being in the NHL for 3+ years. Very little effort and no team concept at all for the oilers.

People can keep saying "oh, it's still early in the season" but teams like this can end up 8+ points out of the last playoff spot by Halloween. Patience has to have run out from the oiler fans and I think it's time the media stopped giving that team a free pass. Yakupov will be traded before Christmas if they have any brains in the front office (but they don't).

Yakupov value is depreciating every day since the draft. Rather the number one pick that was used. I think his development has stayed the same and he
just doesn't seem be be improving. I think I just expect more from a first overall. When you compare him to his peers and you have to be disappointed if you are an oilers fan.

[FlamesAddiction]

Yakupov hasn't even played 50 NHL games. I think it's way to early to say that he is not progressing at an acceptable rate. It's hard to even measure progression after such a short time.

The funniest thing about the Oilers right now is Justin Schultz getting 25 minutes of ice-time a game.

[BigTuna]

Brian Burke without top picks did a great job building the Leafs.

People would knock him all the time for his Leaf moves. Anyone want to laugh now?

He put the Oilers to shame.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I agree with you, I've never believed the propaganda line that the Oilers are in year four of their rebuild. They've been constantly rebuilding and changing their on ice philosophy since they lost the cup.

The Oilers haven't finished higher than 8th in the conference since 2001. They haven't finished higher than 6th in the conference since 1991. They were 5th in the conference in 1991, but that was a 10 team conference. Since then the only year they have been above the median team in the conference is in 2001, when they were 6th place out of 15 teams.

They got hot for a month and a half in 2006, but really, they have been rebuilding for more than 20 years.

[Vinny01]

Oilers will likely make a big move at some point during the season but that team has been built terribly with nothing but flashy lottery picks to show for the years of hot garbage. Their drafting outside of the top picks is brutal and picking the same player year over year is also terrible.

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Yakupov hasn't even played 50 NHL games. I think it's way to early to say that he is not progressing at an acceptable rate. It's hard to even measure progression after such a short time.

The funniest thing about the Oilers right now is Justin Schultz getting 25 minutes of ice-time a game.

Not to be picky but including this season he is at 52 games games over the span of almost two years. All he has is a monster couple games at the end of last season. His points per game is right around where Sven is with way more ice time. Look at Galchenyuk, he looks noticeably better this year. You can definitely see the growth there. I know it is early but I just think he looks like he isn't progressing and IMO it has to do with the team he is on.

Regarding Schultz, he was a -21 last year and is sitting at -4 already this year. The oilers are desperate to try and make it work giving him all those minutes, but he looks like a fish out of water sometimes.

Speaking of desperate, how funny was it seeing the oilers pull their goalie with almost 4 minutes left in the game in the 4th game of the season.

[CaptainCrunch]

That six game road trip could pretty much make it really hard for the Oilers to crawl into a playoff race. Its a murderers row of teams.

Leaf's, Caps, Pens, Islanders, Sens, Habs.

I also think seeing that defense on the road with the long changes is going to be hilarious.

I don't think its out of the questions for the Oilers to come back 1-9 and be pretty much done.