The Edmonton Oilers fan base has experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows of the past decade in the calendar year 2017. A 103-point regular season, followed by a playoff series win against the San Jose Sharks and a seven-game thriller against the Anaheim Ducks. It seems like five years ago, it was in fact 2017. Losing is exhausting, that’s a fact.
In summer, we discussed the coming season in terms of tweaks and what was needed to make that next step. Although the big news stories of summer were about long-term contracts for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the nuts and bolts of procurement included Kris Russell’s signing and the trade of Jordan Eberle for Ryan Strome.
I think Peter Chiarelli decided to audition right-wingers and to muddle through on defense until Andrej Sekera could return. That’s the only reasonable conclusion that can be drawn from this past summer’s activity. Understand, I’m not criticizing it, just stating what I believe to be fact. It’s interesting then to read his reaction to the first 19 games of the 2017-18 season.
- Peter Chiarelli: “We have to get some traction in terms of winning just one game or losing just one. (The) takeaway is general disappointment. There’s your headline.” Source
Among folks who write about the Oilers on a regular basis who are outsiders, I’m probably the most supportive of Peter Chiarelli as general manager. I’ll point to the Reinhart, Hall and Eberle trades as negatively impacting this team, but will also point out Cam Talbot (that was a major trade, although it seems to be framed as a small addition), Patrick Maroon and other moves helped the team.
That said, the quote above seems to run counter to the way Peter Chiarelli set up this club. In acquiring Ryan Strome as a mirror man for Leon Draisaitl (playing C when LD is RW and vice versa) and not adding a more veteran RW, he clearly (at least a little) opened up opportunities for Anton Slepyshev, Drake Caggiula, Jesse Puljujarvi and Kailer Yamamoto.
So, I get the idea of general disappointment, but this was a possibility based on the summer’s decisions, right? Mr. Chiarelli went on to say he still believes in this team and that rhymes with his summer moves. But that quote above has me thinking.
If you construct a roster based on several auditions, and the first 20 games include significant failure, can you be disappointed? Is that enough of a sample size? Do you have a right to be disappointed? I’m honestly not sure you do, unless you’re disappointed injuries didn’t allow men like Anton Slepyshev and Drake Caggiula to compete.
Lineups
Oilers
***Updated****
Maroon-McDavid-Caggiula
Lucic-RNH-Draisaitl
Cammalleri-Strome-Puljujarvi
Khaira-Letestu-Kassian
Nurse-Larsson
Klefbom-Benning
Russell-Gryba
Talbot
There haven’t been any announcements for the Oilers line combinations yet, but we do know that Connor McDavid and Oscar Klefbom both missed yesterday’s practice due to illness. We’ll update the lines as they get announced.
Stars
Janmark-Benn-Radulov
Smith-Seguin-Shore
Eli-Hanzal-Spezza
Roussel-Faksa-Pitlick
Lindell-Klingberg
Oleksiak-Johns
Hamhuis-Pateryn
Bishop
Lineups (subject to change) are courtesy of DailyFaceoff.com
What they’re Saying
From Blackout Dallas:
The Dallas Stars are in an evident bind and it’s all because of a lack of committing to change. They lose, talk about why they lost, and then seem to do the same thing over again in the next game.
Something needs to change. They know that just as much as everyone watching knows. It takes a lot to bring a whole team to committing to change. But once that is accomplished, things turn around quick.
TONIGHT
GAME DAY PREDICTION: Dallas brings a lot of energy early and the Oilers react in an undisciplined fashion. The Stars score a power-play goal (Jamie Benn) and it’s 1-0 home side after one period.
OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: The second period sees the Oilers come to life and Connor McDavid goes end to end to tie it. No other scoring and it’s 1-1 after two.
NOT-SO-OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: The third period features some damned good hockey and great goaltending by Cam Talbot. Edmonton scores a flukey goal (Zack Kassian off the 8-ball and in) midway through the period and Kris Russell scores an empty netter. Oilers win, 3-1, in Dallas! Take that, Mike Modano!
GDB BROUGHT TO YOU BY SHERBROOKE LIQUOR
Take home a growler, a crowler, a sixer, a mixer, whatever. Sherbrooke Liquor. Where’s Your Beer?
Source: NHL.com, Official Game Page, 11/18/2017, 12:00pm MST
What’s with all of the afternoon games? The Oil play ten(!) of the stupid things this year and it’s really starting to annoy me.
It’s 12 afternoon games by my count, and yes its extremely annoying.
Are you experiencing general disappointment with afternoon scheduling
and knowing the Oilers record playing afternoon games that is 20 points potentially down the drain….. Time to end another Oilers curse Connor.
The current roster is wasting the talents of a generational player
Talbot flopping around like a trout.
Can we get ONE save?
Flames Epic comeback Victory!!!Monahan Hat trick 4 point afternoon !! Monahans on pace for 45-50 Goals
As usual, celebrating a meaningless victory. Your team is also bad and going nowhere, again. If all that exited you is “we are better than your team” then reevaluate your life. Both teams suck.
Man, Lucic is a steal at a million per season. Wait, what?
Have little faith in the his “team” (more like a bunch of guys thrown together, and are not playing for each other). Oilers are down 3-0 10 minutes in. Hope I’m wrong but this “team” has shown little jam all season. Plus it’s an afternoon game plus Jamie Benn is a beast
I don’t know why you think the Hall Larsson trade has negatively impacted the team. Larsson is a pillar of power on the blue line and Hall is just a pair of lips that cries a lot.
Read the article on Sportsnet and you might change your view about Hall.
I saw him here for 6 years why would an article change my opinion
Yes, why would new information cause you to change your mind?
What has Chia done to make the Condors any better, along with development down there ? Both clubs in poor shape especially offensively .
Chia is just not a very good GM.
I love Lowetide and the rest of the ON staff… but for a team with a pretty crappy record, they sure have us going 82-0 in these game day predictions! ?
I think it’s like guessing black or red… if you get red three times in a row you think black is coming…
Hall trade impact positively on the team
Brutal third period. Outshot 10-3 at one point when you’re behind?
This team looks like they’ve quit.
#fallinfordahlin
Here is a scary thought – are we actually over achieving this year considering our lineup ? Are we worse than our record shows ? Last year already appears to be a distant memory with little to get excited about this year with constant regression as our mantra .
Where is Talbot’s head at? We’re such a juggernaut team so our goalie gives the other team goals. Wake up and be better.
Talbot seems to enjoy giving the opposition one or two freebies while his team struggles at scoring.
Too late this game is over watching curling now
The disappointment is shared and felt throughout the club and the fans , not just Pete and Todd . Has Chia lost the touch at adding personnel to move club forward ? Clubs performances would seem to indicate he is losing his vision , touch and evaluation of talent required to move club forward. New rules minimize our truculence from last season , of that there is little doubt . One would have never expected to be this poor with Connor and Leon on board even if we just kept last years personnel in tact . Chia needs to revamp a new GM strategy from this years disaster rather than ride it out .
10 afternoon games = 20 points we can wipe off the schedule. Hockey players are creatures of habit and I would say a vast majority of all hockey players are polyphasic sleepers. (google it) If the average working person can get screwed up by a 1 hour time change imagine how bad it is to lose that entire section of time they use for afternoon napping.
This is no “oh man I gotta pull 4 hours OT on a night shift” this is a demanding sport that you have to put everything out there while another team with clubs tries to kill you.
I am saying it now, Oilers will lose every afternoon game this season.
I would say pulling 4 hours ot on an overtime shift is harder than playing a game you love and making millions while doing it!
then you would be wrong.
Ya these hockey players have it very rough.
How about the players actually step up and compete and battle no matter what time the friggin gsme is. How about they leave it all on the ice and have no excuses like “we have to be better “ How about that ??? Is it asking too much ?
Just friggin get it done – man up and get it done. From the coaches to every single player This is getting old FFS
All that article did is confirm that he’s was a pouty baby last season – similar to what he showed when he was an oiler.
Their human beings not machines, this is not lying on your back in -20 working on some machine in an oil field, this is not plugging away at a computer working on some network issue. They have to think at a level faster than you do, they have to be faster, they have to work harder. Why do you think McDavid is so amazing? Because of his hands? his speed? No because not only is he fast, not only are his hand great, he also thinks the game at that speed.
If your head is not in it. you will not make plays.
If you think this is BS and they can just man up, go play a round of shinny against some former CHL players. Shinny is so relaxed they can do it in their sleep, Yet they can think the game that fast, maybe even skate good enough its very hard to understand this when you’ve never been at that level.
Hockey is much more of a mind game than I think people give it credit for.
There should be minimal thinking, that’s where the problems start from over-thinking. It should be natural reaction to the basic fundamentals they have learned their entire lives.
I wonder why SJ, LA, ANH, even Van and Cal pull it off, I guess the Oilers have all the “polyphasic sleepers”. Get a grip!!
Got another theory? Im all ears.
They party all night with McL and Chia, hungover till about 4pm, hence better at night games. Does LA, SJ, ANH lose all their afternoon games? If not there goes your “theory”.
I actually do think players can man up and get it done. The oilers showed it last spring when for example Maroon would not stare at the roof when he missed a chance – he actually worked at retrieving the puck. Not picking on Maroon. All players seemed to battle and compete. Ok most players but I won’t go there today
Real pressure ? A single parent working their ass off to make ends meet in a bad economy.
Excuses are for losers…and this season the oilers are playing like losers
Theory is that this team is just not very good. Always looking for excuses.
How is it different for the opposition?
Oilers either fly in and stay at a hotel and either play out east where their clocks get reset or the opposition flys here and its like a late afternoon early evening game for them. The deck is stacked against them regardless.
Great excuse making..you sound like an oiler..lmao.
Have we ever won afternoon games?
I can’t remember… I think the Oil are 0-2134 so far.
a few instances, generally speaking any in the east are gimme points for the opposition team.
Same for both teams. Thats a losers excuse
Do you know the rules apply to both teams so does the schedule.
Unless the schedule dictates that one team plays a butt load of afternoon games while other teams don’t have to.
The roast of Peter Chiarelli. The fan base turned on this man quickly.
I wonder if angry fans wait at the grocery store for his wife to show up, so they can talk hockey with her and explain how to do things right. I bet they’re doing it.
Oilers win, Chiarelli is a hero. Oilers lose, Chiarelli gets run out of town.
Fire McLellan.
Ok willy. Why don’t u and all the trolls from both teams meet at a playground and settle this – bring your daddy’s so u can figure out who’s dad can beat up other dads. I am good no to assume that all the trolls are adult – aged. Everyone start acting like it It makes for better nation sites. Trash away children !
Hey I usually play nice, but Batman has been unusually obnoxious today so I just had to come rub it in a bit. ?
But if it makes you feel better, I’m out now! Peace out!???
Yup! Batman has been constantly babbling trash on Flames site & I never come on an Oiler site but that goof motivated me enough to come here & enjoy the misery. Personally I thought you guys have endured enough, & last thing I would do is go throw stones at the rivals when things finally start to seem to turn around. But Batman……something about karma. & Batman this looks good on you clown! & like Willy, I’m out & my apology to all the decent Oiler fans there are here.
He trolls here as much as anywhere else and you guys can’t exactly claim innocence. Three or four different flames trolls who somehow make it to almost every game thread.
We have had some bad teams in the last 10 years, but this is the most disappointing, these guys are terrible!
And I don’t want to hear ONE sad excuse of the “afternoon game” that’s just stupid, lame and it’s the same for both teams on the ice.
At least let’s hold them accountable: they suck, period.