In the past week, Taylor Hall, David Perron and Andrew Ference have all publicly stated Dallas Eakins isn’t the problem. Hall took it a step further and went to general manager Craig MacTavish to defend his coach.
After Monday’s 5-2 uninspired loss to Arizona, Ference said what we’ve been saying for weeks. The Oilers play “is a joke.”
Is this just more talk from a team mired in a 10-game losing streak, or we will the players display the emotion, passion, determination and smarts necessary to win an NHL game tonight vs. the Jets?
By saying the coach isn’t the issue, the players have put the responsibility squarely on their shoulders. It’s about time. Blaming the coach has become the motto in Edmonton.
Allow a goal from centre. Blame the coach.
Turn the puck over at the blueline. Blame the coach.
Don’t go to the net. Blame the coach.
Don’t hit the net. Blame the coach.
Don’t cover your man in front of the goal. Blame the coach.
It is accurate to suggest Eakins needs to be better. He hasn’t shown enough coaching creativity during this losing streak, or injected enough fear or accountability into his players, because they continue to make bad plays.
My one fear when I hear players defending their coach, is that they are doing so because they are too comfortable with him. Their on-ice play suggests they are comfortable losing. They haven’t shown a willingness to do the little things necessary to win games.
If the players want Eakins to remain their coach they must play better. It is that simple.
Actions speak louder than words, and if they don’t want him canned by the end of the month they have to start winning. Not playing well and losing, but actually WINNING games.
They have to start taking responsibility for their atrocious start. They are not playing better than their record. They aren’t. Stop trotting out meaningless statistics to try and suggest otherwise.
They give up too many goals. They don’t score enough goals.
They don’t defend well. They rarely produce second and third scoring chances.
They don’t work hard enough on the powerplay, which has them 26th in PP efficiency and 1st in shorthanded goals allowed.
If they actually believe Eakins is a good coach, then go out and show. Play better. Play smarter. Play with determination.
If they don’t, then their words mean nothing.
If Eakins is as good as they say, then he will start holding players accountable. If he doesn’t then his words will be equally as hollow as his players.
LINE UP
Some line juggling, which is to be expected when you lose 10 games in a row. Give Pitlick more than one or two periods to get comfortable. I’d have mixed in Gazdic or Pinizzotto on the “2nd and 3rd” line.
I’d play Fayne more than Schultz.
Oilers will need Scrivens to play like he did vs. St.Louis.
Who will they be matching up against? Check out the Jets lineup at Dailyfaceoff.com.
QUICK HITS…
- “Everything I achieved throughout my career, and all the rewards that followed, came as the results of team effort. If they say anything about me when I’m gone, let them say that I was a team man.” Jean Beliveau wrote in his autobiography. I strongly recommend reading it. I never met Beliveau, but reading and watching all of the tributes in his honour, it was obvious he was a great man first, hockey player second. RIP.
-
Vinny Lecavalier has hinted he will retire after this season. He could retire and there would be no salary cap penalty to the team. He is owed $3 million/year in the two remaining years of his deal, but he is a $4.5 million cap hit. The Flyers sit in 28th place and he was a healthy scratch last night in San Jose.
He does have a NMC, so that could limit trade possibilities, but I wonder if a Brayden Schenn deal to the Oilers could happen if Edmonton agrees to take Lecavalier?
- I thought Luke Gazdic played well when he averaged 10 min/game vs. Nashville and St.Louis, but wasn’t much of a factor when he averaged 5 min/game vs. Arizona and Dallas. The stats guys should love him because his shots for/60 is 12. The Oilers need some guys in their top nine who aren’t satisfied playing on the perimeter. Eakins needs to recognize this and sprinkle in Pinizzotto and Gazdic up there for a few shifts. What they are doing now isn’t’ working. Try something different, rather than hoping that eventually the outside shots will start going in.
- I hope Eakins had dinner with his good friend Paul Maurice and asked him what he did to finally get the Jets to play better team defence. Based on ice time, it looks like Maurice simply said, “If you don’t play good defence, you won’t play.” And he stuck to that. If Eakins doesn’t recognize he needs to do this, and should have done it from the start of last season, then he simply can’t remain the coach in Edmonton. This team needs tough love from a head coach.
- I still smile at those who ripped me for saying Draisaitl should have been sent to junior, because he wasn’t ready, especially his skating. The part that makes me chuckle the most is that some of them stated sending Draisaitl to Prince Albert was a bad idea because THAT organization was unstable…
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING…
Over at JetsNation, Kevin McCartney breaks down tonight’s game:
I have to begin with a confession I’ve made before – I was born in Edmonton, and I grew up an Oilers fan. Regardless of that fact, I think the misery of the Oiler predicament has moved past funny and into the territory usually reserved for when your friend is in a bad relationship and can’t seem to get out – it’s awkward and uncomfortable and comes with equal parts sympathy and fatigue. “Have you tried changing your opinion on corsi and analytics? You have? I mean… maybe you have to get a new goalie? You were saying your goalies have been bad. You have to do something. You can’t keep going like this. I know, I know it’s hard.”
So, any Oiler fans or sympathizers, I promise not to pile on in this preview. Edmonton has a better hockey club than their record states, and it’s just a matter of time before they finally beat a Western conference opponent. It could even be the Jets tonight, with injuries to Tobias Enstrom and Grant Clitsome forcing Ben Chiarot into this second NHL game in front of Ondrej Pavelec. (But, I mean, probably not…)
WHAT WILL WE SEE…
GAME DAY PREDICTION: Oilers play okay for long stretches, but make two soft plays and lose 3-2.
OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: Pavelec is able to see most shots. He doesn’t face much traffic in front of him and rarely has to make a 2nd or 3rd save in one sequence.
NOT-SO-OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: Pitlick scores, but unlike when he scored his first NHL goal he finishes the game. Pitlick’s success makes the Oilers wonder if they might be better off calling up Lander and loaning Draisaitl to Germany for the WJC and then back to the WHL. A thought directly related to help the long-term development of a player…hmmm…
DAY 2…MONTH OF GIVING…
Thank you go Jared for bidding $2,100 on our Fireplace package from Dinette & Patio Furniture yesterday.
Today’s item…
A CHEF’s dinner courtesy of Von’s Steakhouse and Oyster Bar. It will include all your beverages as well.
You and three friends will dine with Eskimos GM Ed Hervey, quarterback Mike Reilly, Eskimos Wall of Honour inductee, current head coach of the U of A Golden Bears Chris Morris and a special guest. I‘ll also be there, but mainly to fill up your wine glasses.
You can bid by calling 780.444.1260 or text 101260 between 2-6 p.m. today.
Thanks in advance. All proceeds go to Santas Anonymous.
Recently by Jason Gregor:
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- GDB 22.0: Be competitive
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What exactly was Ference looking at on that play besides the puck going in?
After his tirade this is no way to set the example.
Randorf says the “Jet’s aren’t much of an offensive juggernaut”.
Buf scores. Don’t need to be great offensively to beat this Oilers squad. You just need to be an NHL team.
LOL
Hmm… that was mercifully quick.
Remember when all we had was H.O.P.E. and all was good, well now all we do is suck the H.Y.N.E. 11 is a good number, Messier, months till we get to do this all over again!!!!
Well, that was quick, EKane with the OT winner.
11 and Countttiiinnnggg….
11! They are chasing history!
I (e)love(n) the Oilers.
(get it?)
(eloven?)
(eleven?)
11. And counting. Is the post game up yet?
That look on Mac T ‘s.face. Wow.
Something’s going down tomorrow.
well, close!
I found myself cheering for the Jets in this game. They remind me of the late 90s Oilers. When they were down by 1 I was never truly worried about the Jets’ chances.
I’m not sure any team in this conference has been worried about their chances against the Oilers this season.
not sure why the Justin Shultz stick wave never worked?
Byfuglien is the type of player this team needs,he just manhandled Hall like a rag doll.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhah
Oh look, there’s a Sutter. He could coach the Oilers.
Wow, the Oil snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, again.
Jultz in OT?
•••• you Eakins.
Every loss makes me laugh a little harder.
Solid game day prediction JG! 3-2 Winnipeg
That was so completely bang on. “Oilers play okay for long stretches, but make two soft plays and lose 3-2.” That is almost a prophecy.
Maybe Ference was ticked off tonight and decided to throw a curve ball of his own and throw it away on a night when the Boys gave a darn.
Man oh man did Ference get completely worked on those two goals.
Nuge left the point guy with way too much time and space.
Swarm the puck carrier, when we already got him covered.
Wonder where he got that from?
Ah, I eagerly await the next 700 posts being sucked into a vortex known as NewAgeSys.
Please, Oilers, hire this guy, and keep him so busy he will never post here again.
What a Joke!
Eakins gone tomorrow. Can’t wait for MacT to get behind the bench so we can see how senior oiler management know a thing or two about winning. In case you were wondering.Since we never win anymore maybe instead of the stick wave at the end of the game they can just sh$t on the ice post game?
This team was supposed to take a step forward this year. This is beyond pathetic. Beyond a joke. This is a shame on the city.
Katz needs to wake up and do what needs to be done!
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/tier-2-fans-a-voice-to-shake-up-oilers-management/x/9266575
The whole overtime is a small picture of way this team loses in the nhl.
Did I just see that player laughing at us in the post game?Saying he”does enjoy” playing us?
Oh well,back on track to break the record I guess.
I did like the lines however,they looked great and played very well together tonight.
I guess the Team will have to take one for Andrew tonight,and leave it at that.I guess Captains need mulligans to,good thing Leon is playing so well he has some to share with the vets.
I’ve never been a fan of reality tv, but this run of games is the best live comedy show ever. Not a chance someone could write this stuff.
A couple of things were reinforced for me tonight: the Oilers have a shot at winning a game if only one of Schultz or Nikitin are playing, and – even if the rest of the Oilers decide to throw some hits, Schultz still doesn’t, and Eberle still falls down all over the place.