Costly mistake

Saturday night’s 4-3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers marked the midway point of the Edmonton Oilers 2013-14 campaign. Forty-one games are now in the books and the Oilers sit in the basement of the Western Conference with a 13-24-4 record, good enough for 29th spot in the NHL’s overall standings.

The time has come to hit the reset button with Nail Yakupov

     

  
As far as rookie seasons go Nail Yakupov managed to put together a fairly productive one during what was an abbreviated 48 game schedule in 2013. The former first overall pick not only led all rookies in both goals and points but was also tops among all Edmonton Oilers with seventeen goals.

Power play outage

Expecting the Edmonton Oilers, as they are currently structured, to no be regularly dominated by teams who play a skilled but physical brand of hockey, is nothing more than wishful thinking. With that said, none of us should be overly surprised to see the Philadelphia Flyers walk into Rexall Place and pretty much do whatever they wanted in beating the Oilers 4-3 in a shootout on Saturday night.

Learning to win ugly

Only one word comes to mind when describing last night's match up between the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers...and that word is painful. With both teams returning to action following a league wide three day hiatus for the Holiday Season, the longtime provincial rivals managed to put together about as boring a game as one would ever care to witness.

Just what the doctor ordered

It is funny how quickly things can change in the world sport. On Saturday night, the Edmonton Oilers left the Rexall Place playing surface to a chorus of boos following an embarrassing effort against the St. Louis Blues. Fast forward roughly forty-eight hours and the Oilers faithful were once again behind their squad, as Edmonton exploded for six goals in downing the Winnipeg Jets 6-2.

There is no way this team, should be this bad

There are those who feel the Edmonton Oilers organization is generally given a free ride by local sports media. With that said, many across Oil Country were thrilled to see Edmonton Sun columnist Terry Jones take a run at the likes of President Kevin Lowe and owner Daryl Katz in his Monday morning piece - “Oilers Should Wear It”.

Please make it stop!!!

At what point does a result like last night's 6-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues no longer become acceptable? While there is no shame in losing to the premier teams in the National Hockey, getting blown out on home ice as often as this edition of the Edmonton Oilers have this season, simply can't continue.

Eakins has finally seen enough

The day after being called out in this very spot for seemingly making nothing but excuses for his players and their losing ways, Edmonton Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins took aim at his top players following his club’s 4-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night.

Sorry Mr. Eakins but bad bounces are not the issue

Like many of his young players, Edmonton Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins is in the midst of finding his way in the National Hockey League. Both he and his players are learning on the fly and not surprisingly, both have had more than their fair share of hiccups along the way.

Losses continue to pile up, despite another decent effort

Four games into what is without question the toughest stretch of games on the Edmonton Oilers 2013-14 schedule the Oilers have gone zero for four, despite playing some of their most consistent hockey of the season.

Simply not good enough

Heading into their matchup with the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday night, the Anaheim Ducks not only held down top spot in the Pacific Division but were also the only team in the NHL to have lost a game on home ice in regulation time.

If Peters is the answer, I'm not sure what the question is

Since announcing the trade of backup/third string goalie Jason LaBarbera to the Chicago Blackhawks, rumours have started making the rounds surrounding the Edmonton Oilers.

The time to sink or swim has arrived

While last night’s 4-0 result against the Vancouver Canucks may not have been what fans of the Edmonton Oilers were hoping for, at this stage of the game, the result is truly irrelevant.

Where have these guys been this season?

In a season in which very little has gone right for the Edmonton Oilers, last night’s 4-2 loss to the Boston Bruins was about as close to a win as a team can get without actually earning any points in the standings.

The Ups and Downs of watching a young hockey team

Despite their very best effort to try and hand the Carolina Hurricanes an early Christmas present, the Edmonton Oilers took advantage of a questionable boarding call against Canes defenceman Justin Faulk, to eke out a 5-4 OT victory on what was a crazy evening of hockey over at Rexall Place.

Time is running out on both Dubnyk and Gagner

So at what point does an organization have to seriously consider moving on from a player.Is it 5-7 years after being drafted? 8? 9? 10? Of course every situation is different but the Edmonton Oilers will have some difficult decisions to make when it comes to both Devan Dubnyk and Sam Gagner.

Oilers drop another, as Hudler scores OT winner

Well so much for this season being the one that the Edmonton Oilers would start dominating the Calgary Flames in their head-to-head matchup.

Fans treated to a classic on Teddy Bear Toss Night

It was a very special evening in the Alberta capital on Friday. Not only was it the Edmonton Oil Kings annual Teddy Bear Toss Night but it was also a rematch of the last two Western Hockey League Champions.

Hall is starting to ramp things up

If only the Edmonton Oilers could find a way to play the Columbus Blue Jackets or Colorado Avalanche on a somewhat regular basis on home ice, all would be good in Oil Country.

Jeff Petry is not the problem

Outside of probably netminder Devan Dubnyk, no player currently on the Edmonton Oilers roster is a more polarizing figure  among fans than defenceman Jeff Petry. While he may not be everyone’s cup of tea, there is no questioning the fact Petry is this team’s best blueliner and by a fairly wide margin.

Anyone else up for an 82 game road trip?

Last night’s 6-2 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes pretty much summed up the Edmonton Oilers 2013-14 season. As per usual, they put in a decent effort on home ice but yet again, played with zero energy or urgency in their game.

Hockey Canada say no thank you to Darnell Nurse

In the grand scheme of things, you would have to think yesterday’s disappointment will end up being nothing more than a blip on the radar screen for Edmonton Oilers prospect Darnell Nurse.

The Bryz-Dubnyk Show

In a season in which the Edmonton Oilers have lost the goaltending battle on most nights, the duo of Ilya Bryzgalov and Devan Dubnyk combined to help propel the Oilers to a come from behind 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars. Shootout goals from Jordan Eberle and David Perron proved to be the difference, as the Oilers closed out their three game road trip with their fifth win in seven tries.

Oilers forget to show up in Columbus

Less than 24 hours after putting together what was easily their finest defensive performance of the season, the Edmonton Oilers proceeded to lay an egg on Friday night, falling 4-2 to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Perfect Debut

Let’s be honest. Could either Ilya Bryzgalov or the Edmonton Oilers organization have asked for a better outcome from the veteran goalie’s debut performance in Orange and Blue? Frankly, it would seem almost next to impossible to see how that would even possible.

Firing Renney when they did, is coming back to haunt the Oilers

With the Edmonton Oilers sitting in the basement of the Western Conference with a 7-16-2 record, one can't help but wonder why this team is sitting where they currently are in the NHL standings. While their roster simply isn't good enough to be considered a legitimate playoff contender, this team should be nowhere near twenty-ninth place in a thirty team league.

Could Phaneuf be the Oilers man?

There is no questioning what is currently the biggest issue with the Edmonton Oilers. Above all else, their lack of a legitimate top pairing NHL defenceman is painfully obvious. They have some very nice pieces already in place, see Jeff Petry, Justin Schultz and Anton Belov, with the likes of Oscar Klefbom and Darnell Nurse waiting in the wings.

Men vs Boys

Having won their last three games, the Edmonton Oilers were looking forward to their matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday night. They were hoping to use it as a sort of measuring stick for the recently improved play. Mission accomplished. Dallas Eakins' crew is nowhere near ride for prime time. Plain and simple.

Top line remains the key to Oilers success upfront

After struggling through much of the opening month and half of their 2013-14 campaign, the Edmonton Oilers took full advantage of a soft spot in their schedule to turn their early season misfortunes around. A trio of games against the Calgary Flames, Columbus Blue Jackets and Florida Panthers could not have come at a better time. That said, one could say the same about Dallas Eakins' decision to reunite the line of Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Make it three in a row!!!

 

On the strength of a seven point night from the top line of Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the Edmonton Oilers pushed their season high winning streak to three straight with a 4-1 win over the visiting Florida Panthers at Rexall Place on Thursday night.  

Gazdic has delivered exactly what has been asked of him

There is no question that Edmonton Oilers forward Luke Gazdic isn't everyone's cup of tea. While there are some who see a need for the inclusion of a player who engages physically and is willing to drop the gloves whenever necessary, others look at such players as nothing more than fourth line plugs that can't really play the game.

Oilers explode for seven in easy win over Blue Jackets

It was a night Edmonton Oilers fans have been waiting for all season long and not surprisingly, it came against the only team Edmonton has truly dominated on home-ice in recent memory. On the strength of a three goal night on the man advantage and a career high four point effort from David Perron, the Oilers were finally able to bring their seven game losing streak at Rexall Place to a halt, destroying the Columbus Blue Jackets by a score of 7-0.

Bryzgalov and Dubnyk...let the battle begin!!!

So here we are. Devan Dubnyk's poor start to the season put Craig MacTavish in a tough spot and the Edmonton Oilers general manager decided to make a move to address it. Monday was day one of the Ilya Bryzgalov era in Edmonton and there seems to be some varying opinions as to what role the veteran netminder will be used in during his time in Orange and Blue.

Two points they had no business getting

With a potentially embarrassing loss to the Calgary Flames staring them squarely in the face, the Edmonton Oilers used some fortunate bounces  to their advantage in earning a 4-2 coming from behind victory against their provincial rival on Saturday night. A four goal third period explosion, due in large part to the play of Flames starting goalie Reto Berra, proved to be the difference. David Perron scored what turned out to be the eventual game-winner on a bad angled shot that Berra would love to have back.

Oilers find themselves in familiar territory

Thanks to their usual poor start on home-ice, the Edmonton Oilers continued on their losing ways on Friday night, dropping a 3-1 decision to the San Jose Sharks and falling into the basement of the National Hockey League standings.

MacT sends mixed messages

Watching Craig MacTavish during his "State of the Franchise" press conference on Thursday afternoon, one couldn't help but notice his frustration level. In his defence, he looked exactly how most Edmonton Oilers fans currently feel about this hockey team. In all honesty, it seemed to take everything in his power to remain as positive as he sounded about his team's immediate and long term future.

Oil Kings remain red-hot in return to Rexall Place

While the Edmonton Oilers may be incapable of scoring goals and winning games on Rexall Place ice, the Edmonton Oil Kings wasted little time in doing exactly that on Thursday night, blasting the Moose Jaw Warriors by a score of 6-2 in their first home game since October 20th.

Groundhog Day

Last night must have been severe case of déjà vu for Dallas Stars centre Shawn Horcoff. Outside of Ales Hemsky and die-hard Edmonton Oilers fans everywhere, no one has seen this song and dance more often than the former captain. In what was a carbon copy of nearly every game on Rexall Place ice this season, Dallas Eakins side came out with their typical flat/lifeless performance, dropping a 3-0 decision to the Stars.

Yakupov could use a visit from his former captain

Yesterday afternoon was not a good one for the Edmonton Oilers organization nor was it an especially pleasant one Nail Yakupov. After putting together a fairly effective rookie season during what was an abbreviated 2013 schedule, the youngster has struggled mightily during his sophomore campaign.

Bryzgalov could be a short-term fix but nothing more

 

This past weekend was a very interesting one in the world of the Edmonton Oilers. Not surprisingly, they lost two more hockey games. One coming at the hands of the defending Stanley Cup champs and the other against what has been just a dreadful Philadelphia Flyers squad. However, the moves this organization decided to make prior to their afternoon tilt in the City of Brotherly Love were more than a little perplexing.

Dubnyk stands tall but Oilers still fall to Blackhawks

Saying the Edmonton Oilers have had to deal with inconsistent goaltending throughout much of the opening month and a half of the season would be putting it nicely. However, Sunday night wasn't one of those times. Despite a wonderful effort from Devan Dubnyk and a four goal offensive explosion upfront, the Oilers still found away to lose for the eighth time in nine outings, falling 5-4 to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Make it seven of eight, as Oilers lose in Philly

It was an afternoon battle between two of the league's most disappointing teams and one that would finally see the offensively challenged Philadelphia Flyers find their scoring touch. A pair of third period markers from Claude Giroux and Vincent Lecavalier proved to be too much for Dallas Eakins's side to overcome, falling for the seventh time in eight games, this time by a score of  4-2.

Smid sent packing in questionable move by MacT

Hate to say I told you so but you could see this one coming from a mile away. Just under three weeks ago, I wrote a piece on Edmonton Oilers blueliner Ladislav Smid apparently not being a guy that head coach Dallas Eakins had much confidence in using as a top four defenceman.

Oilers lose goaltending battle yet again

On a night in which the Edmonton Oilers had Taylor Hall make his long-awaited return to the lineup, it was an outstanding performance from netminder Ben Bishop and a couple of timely finishes from Steven Stamkos that proved to be too much for Dallas Eakins' crew to overcome. Bishop stopped thirty-eight shots, many of which were of the highlight reel variety, in leading the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 4-2 win over the Western Conference cellar dwellers.

Will Arcobello be an Oiler come 2014-15?

Heading into the 2013-14 season Edmonton Oilers centre Mark Arcobello was handed the chance of a lifetime. With Ryan Nugent-Hopkins set to start the year on the sidelines, Sam Gagner nursing a broken jaw and Taylor Hall playing out of position, the former Yale University grad had a massive opportunity staring him the face.

Arcobello saves the day, as Oilers squeak past Panthers

On the heels of five consecutive losses, the Edmonton Oilers nearly found a way to make it six but managed to finally end their run of futility, edging the Florida Panthers 4-3 in overtime on Tuesday night. Mark Arcobello continued his impressive start to the season, scoring twice, including the OT winner, while defencemen Philip Larsen and Taylor Fedun each lit the lamp for their first goals of the year.

Eakins has had some missteps but he isn't the problem

The moment Dallas Eakins was brought on board to be the 12th head coach in the history of the Edmonton Oilers, we all knew he wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea. He strongly believes in his methods and abilities as a coach, like any good coach, is very direct and to the point in his responses to questions and can occasionally come across as being somewhat arrogant in the minds of some.

Oilers mail in yet another home ice effort

Well that certainly didn't take long now did it. After limping their way through the first month of the 2013-14 NHL season, the Edmonton Oilers had to have been hoping for their fortunes to turn with the start of a new month on the horizon. Unfortunately it was more of the same on Saturday night at Rexall Place, as fans across Oil Country are left wondering if this group will ever be able to turn this thing around.

Time for Mr. Eakins to change the look of his backend

While the results haven't been what either fans or the organization were hoping for, there is no question Craig MacTavish tried to upgrade the Edmonton Oilers blueline during this past off-season. It was no real surprise that he fell short of acquiring a legitimate top pairing defenceman but he did manage to bring in better players.

Oilers with yet another poor showing on home ice

On the strength of a rather impressive four point performance from Phil Kessel, the Toronto Maple Leafs simply outclassed an undermanned and struggling Edmonton Oilers side on Tuesday night at Rexall Place, cruising to an easy 4-0 win.