Tinkering

After watching the roster he put together win exactly one game over what was essentially a quarter of the 2014-15 season, Edmonton Oilers general manager Craig MacTavish decided the time had finally come to start making some changes. 

Broken

As difficult as the past eight years have been to endure for fans of the Edmonton Oilers, nothing comes close to what they have been forced to watch over the first three months of the 2014-15 National Hockey League season. As bad as things have been since their surprising run to the 2006 Stanley Cup Final, this is on a completely different level. 

One Question...Why?

There is nothing quite like going into the National Hockey League Christmas Break with a bang or at the very least…a rather noisy thud. As if the Edmonton Oilers 2014-15 campaign wasn’t already tough enough to take, last night’s 5-1 loss to the Arizona Coyotes was a little extra special.

Losing Ugly

With just over twenty-one minutes to play and a three goal advantage staring them squarely in the face during what was a rare Sunday afternoon tilt at Rexall Place, the Edmonton Oilers seemed poised to put an end to their most recent losing streak against the defensively challenged Dallas Stars. 

Anton Lander

Of all the Edmonton Oilers draft picks who have failed to meet expectations over the last number of years, the two that likely stand out above all the rest are Magnus Paajarvi and Anton Lander. While the ninth of overall pick of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft has been unable to find his way since been shipped off to the St. Louis Blues in the summer of 2013, it is the play of his good friend that has many an Oilers fan scratching their head. 

Positive Signs

On an evening in which the Edmonton Oilers put together one of their finest all around performances of the season and managed to score three goals for the first time in the month of December, it was still not enough to keep this group from dropping their sixth consecutive game.

Not Good Enough

For those who were hoping to see some sort of positive response from the Edmonton Oilers in their first game after the dismissal of former head coach Dallas Eakins, last night’s 2-1 overtime loss to the Arizona Coyotes probably wasn’t how things were supposed to play out. 

Finally!!!

Heading into the 2014-15 season, Dallas Eakins was walking a very fine line. While no one within the organization was publicly talking about this team as one that “absolutely had to make the playoffs”, there was no doubt the Edmonton Oilers needed to show real signs of improvement after taking a major step backwards in 2013-14. 

Where Have All The Goals Gone?

For all the bitching and moaning we have heard about the Edmonton Oilers unwillingness to play the game the “right way” over the last couple of seasons, this group’s inability to put pucks into the back of the opposing team’s net remains its biggest problem. 

Are They Really This Bad?

At this point, what can be said about the Edmonton Oilers that hasn’t already been said countless times over the last number of years? With a roster that is simply not good enough to compete on a nightly basis in the National Hockey League, this group clearly does not have the mental makeup to try and at least make something out of what has truly become a new low point in franchise history. 

News Flash: It's December...Not April

Last night’s 2-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks is something fans of the Edmonton Oilers had better get used to watching over the final two-thirds of the 2014-15 NHL season. As tough as all this losing may be for the masses to stomach, the fact the Oilers are an absolute bore to watch will make this death march all the more difficult to get through over these next four months. 

Back To Reality

Well…it was nice while it lasted. After ending their eleven game winless skid on Sunday night with a 2-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks at Rexall Place, the Edmonton Oilers wasted little time in returning to form during Tuesday’s return engagement at the Shark Tank. 

Relief!!!

In the grand scheme of things, last night’s 2-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks doesn’t mean much of anything. We are nearing the middle of December and the Edmonton Oilers have just now won their first game of the year against a Western Conference opponent…so excuse me for not being overly excited about this group’s first victory since the ninth of November. 

How Ugly Will This Get?

With the real potential of an eleventh consecutive loss in their immediate horizon, the Edmonton Oilers came out and played one of their most complete games of their season on Wednesday night against the Winnipeg Jets. 

Time's Up

With their latest losing streak having now reached the double digit mark and players inside the Edmonton Oilers dressing room starting to take shots at one another via the media, the time has come for Craig MacTavish to jettison his head coach. 

Time To Make The Obvious Move

With the Edmonton Oilers 2014-15 campaign now officially in the toilet, Craig MacTavish has to come to his senses. 

Ten and Counting

Twenty minutes into tonight’s game with the Arizona Coyotes, the Edmonton Oilers found themselves in the unfamiliar position of carrying a lead into the first intermission. 

Hindsight

One cannot help but wonder if there are days that Craig MacTavish sits around and ponders what might have been, had he only been willing to give up his first round selection at the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. While the Edmonton Oilers used the seventh overall pick to snag themselves a blue-chip prospect in defenceman Darnell Nurse, it was that decision that ultimately kept this organization from acquiring former Vancouver Canucks netminder Cory Schneider. 

Make It Nine In A Row!!!

So at what point can fans of the Edmonton Oilers expect this silliness to come to an end? 

Bring On The Blues!!!

On the surface one might look at the Edmonton Oilers 1-0 loss to the Nashville Predators on Thursday night as one of those games that you simply chalk up to the play of the goaltender down at the other end of the rink. 

Another Loss, Another Perron Trade Rumour

Last night’s 3-2 loss to the Dallas Stars leaves the Edmonton Oilers with a mind-blowing 0-10-1 mark against Western Conference opponents and we are now twenty-two games into their 2014-15 schedule. This group has now lost seven straight and despite coming out with one of their better performances in some time, things appear to be getting worse for Dallas Eakins’ crew.

Embarassing

With their fans still reeling from watching their beloved Edmonton Oilers get destroyed on national television by the Chicago Blackhawks, expecting someone within the organization to come out and address what appears to be yet another wasted season in the Alberta capital did not seem to be asking too much.

The Final Straw?

It is funny how things sometimes workout. After posting a piece in this very spot on Saturday morning, which revolved around how fans of the Edmonton Oilers might want to ease up on the players, this group came out and proceeded to get pummelled by a score of 7-1 by the visiting Chicago Blackhawks. 

These Guys Need Your Help

There is no question fans of the Edmonton Oilers have every right to be pissed with how things have gone to start the 2014-15 NHL campaign. After suffering through eight consecutive seasons with no playoffs and coming off a year that was arguably the most disappointing of all, sitting with a 6-12-2 mark at the quarter pole on the year is simply unacceptable. 

Time To Finally Fix The D

When Craig MacTavish decided to “upgrade” his blueline during the off-season, a large portion of the Edmonton Oilers fan base bought into the illusion that this team’s backend was going to be drastically improved over the mess we saw on a nightly basis during what truly was a disastrous 2013-14 campaign. 

The Nikita Nikitin Mess

So here we are. On the verge of the quarter pole mark of the2013-14 National Hockey League season and the Edmonton Oilers find themselves in their usual spot at the bottom of the Western Conference standings. 
Despite having shown signs of marginal improvement in certain aspects of their game, it has essentially made zero difference when it comes to the win column. 

Josh Harding Was Not The Answer

There were more than a few Edmonton Oilers fans that were hoping to hear news of their club placing in a claim for Minnesota Wild netminder Josh Harding on Tuesday morning. Unfortunately for them, Craig MacTavish did not take the bait but to be perfectly honest, the Oilers general manager made the right call on taking a pass on the thirty year old native of Regina, Saskatchewan. 

Winning At Home

While the Edmonton Oilers have not exactly got off to the sort of start they were hoping for to open the 2014-15 National Hockey League campaign, it is a start that should surprise absolutely no one. The problems with this roster are plentiful and have been obvious for some time and have yet to be addressed in any meaningful way by Craig MacTavish and his management team. 

Hall Returns But Oilers Still Lose

Heading into their Sunday night tilt with the Arizona Coyotes at Rexall Place, the Edmonton Oilers were hoping they could celebrate the 100th game of Dallas Eakins’ National Hockey League coaching career with the team’s first win of the season against a Western Conference opponent. 

Addressing The Obvious

Despite coming out of the gate with a less than an impressive performance during the opening period of their game against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night at Rexall Place, the Edmonton Oilers were by far and away the better of the two teams. 

Stealing Games

After reeling off back-to-back wins against the Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers in his previous two starts, one would think Edmonton Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins would be leaning towards using Viktor Fasth for tonight’s tilt with the Nashville Predators. 

The Wins Just Keep Coming Out East

So maybe there is something to this Eastern Conference thing after all. 

Something Positive

Before heading out onto their current five game road trip, the one game that looked to be an almost guaranteed two points for the Edmonton Oilers came last night in Buffalo against a Sabres lineup that frankly isn’t very good. Heck it’s not often that Dallas Eakins’ squad has the privilege of facing a team that is actually below them in standings. 

Time For Something Bold

With his fan base on the verge of once again pulling out their pitchforks and calling for heads to roll within the organization, Craig MacTavish is about to enter the toughest stretch he has yet to face since taking over as general manager of the Edmonton Oilers. 

Another Failed Attempt In Beantown

With ten minutes to go in the third period of last night’s tilt with the Boston Bruins, it looked as though the Edmonton Oilers were about to end of couple of streaks. While Dallas Eakins’ squad came into this one on a three game losing skid, it had been almost eighteen years to the day since the Oilers last walked out of good ol’ Beantown with two points in their backpocket. 

Simple Question....Why?

With the Edmonton Oilers in the midst of a three game losing skid, it appears as though Dallas Eakins has decided to push the panic button heading into tonight’s matchup against the Boston Bruins. 

One Down...Four to Go

While the shot clock may have heavily favoured the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday evening in Philadelphia, it was not a true indication of how poorly this team looked in falling 4-1 to the Flyers. 

Worst Case Scenario

While it may not have been the news the Edmonton Oilers or their fans were hoping for, the fact Taylor Hall will be out of the lineup for the next two to four weeks should have surprised absolutely no one. 

Goaltending, Goaltending, Goaltending

So here we are. Eleven games into their 2014-15 schedule and the Edmonton Oilers look to be a slightly better hockey team than they were a year ago but not surprisingly, it has made next to no difference when it comes to their place in the Western Conference standings. 

An Unjust Result

As far as an evening of hockey goes, Saturday was one that both the Edmonton Oilers and their fans would love to forget. As if dropping a third consecutive decision to the Vancouver Canucks in their first eleven outings of 2014-15 wasn’t already bad enough, the Oilers managed to also lose the services of Taylor Hall during yesterday’s 3-2 loss at Rexall Place. 

Back To Reality

It was nice while it lasted but the Edmonton Oilers four game win streak was destined to come to an end and come to end it did on Wednesday against the high-flying Nashville Predators. While the 4-1 scoreline frankly flattered the team wearing Orange and Blue, they still had every chance to stretch their run to five straight despite putting together what was simply a dreadful opening twenty minutes of hockey. 

Boyd Gordon....

Much of the praise for the Edmonton Oilers recent run of finding ways to win hockey games has been given, right or wrong, to netminder Ben Scrivens. While the twenty-eight year old Spruce Grove native has rebounded quite nicely from an absolutely dreadful start to his 2014-15 campaign, as a collective unit the Oilers are playing a far more disciplined style of game in their own end of the rink and in turn, give themselves a far better chance of earning two points on a nightly basis. 

Jeff Petry...Does He Stay Or Does He Go?

As far as starts to a National Hockey League season go, things could not have got off to much worse of a start in 2014 for Edmonton Oilers defenceman Jeff Petry. 

The Floodgates Open!!!

After coming out and playing what was easily their best hockey of the season over their last three games, the Edmonton Oilers were nowhere near their best on Friday night against the Carolina Hurricanes. 
Despite struggling mightily over the opening thirty minutes of play, the Oilers exploded for six goals over the final period and a half and cruise to a 6-3 win over the winless Eastern Conference cellar dwellers. 

Could That Possibly Be Light At The End Of The Tunnel?

After earning all of one point from their first five outings of the season and back-to-back games with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals next on their dance card, the Edmonton Oilers were staring at the very real possibility of starting their year off with a seven game winless streak. 

Could Craig MacTavish And Ron Hextall Be Talking Trade?

As a general rule, I have always made a point of not paying too much attention to trade rumours during the open month of any National Hockey League season. Unless a team has a player that is in the midst of a contract dispute or flat out demanded to be traded, we rarely if ever see deals involving legit NHL talent this early in the year. 

How Much More Does #4 Have To Do?

While it is hard to blame fans or media who do not watch the Edmonton Oilers on a regular basis for lumping all of the organizations continual failures into one rather large basket, the inclusion of Taylor Hall in any such discussion is downright perplexing.

Where Have All The Goals Gone?

While one certainly could not complain about the Edmonton Oilers effort or overall play during last night’s 2-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks, this team is well past the point of celebrating any sort of moral victory. 

Time to Put Up or Shut Up

Over the last four seasons, the Edmonton Oilers have managed to put together what has amounted to the worst home-ice record in the entire National Hockey League. While the likes of the Florida Panthers and New York Islanders have also bee in the same neighbourhood, no one has been has inept as the Oilers when it comes to overall futility in their home barn. 

Time for MacT to Correct Miscalcualtion

ith the Edmonton Oilers getting off to their usual slow start, one can’t help but wonder when general manager Craig MacTavish will do the right thing and get both Leon Draisaitl and Darnell Nurse out of town.