It was point night for former Oilers (as if you didn’t see that coming), but the Oilers were able to pull out a win. Wait… no they weren’t. They gave up a 3 goal lead, and lost in the shootout. Final Score: 6-5 Stars.
At this point, I’m not sure whether or not we should be cheering for wins. At the very least, the Oilers could toss us a few points for Christmas. At this point, I think we’ve earned it. For me, the losing is getting old, and I really wanted to see a win. Even though the Oilers have been awful (for decades *wink*), seeing a win always seems to feel good. Blowing a 3-goal lead, however, doesn’t feel as good. Tonight was Ales Hemsky’s first game back at Rexall, and I was having premonitions of end to end dangles with a beautiful finish. While Hemsky didn’t score, he did get two assists – Horcoff also had a point (scored), as did Erik Cole (scored). Who would have seen that coming? (Everyone)
Despite being point night for all former Oilers, the home side should have been able to close this out in regulation. Taylor Hall finished the night with 3 points, and flipped the bird to his 11-game point streak. Hall carried the load with 2 big goals tonight. Speaking of two goals, Marcobello played a gritty game and contributed 2 goals as well. The fact that this game went to overtime (despite leading 5-2), in the first place, shows how many defensive mistakes the Oilers make. When you score 5 goals at home, you should be able to win the game in regulation. When you have a 3-goal lead, you should be able to close it out.
Despite the loss, the Oilers seem to be playing a better brand of hockey. Could Todd Nelson really turn this team around, and have them play a grittier game, just by asking them kindly? It’s far too early to tell, but at this point, I feel like the Oilers are playing better despite the results. They’re driving to the net, and they’re winning puck battles that they would have usually lost in the months past. The Oilers are playing a tougher game, I promise you. What’s confusing about this brief stretch of NHL calibre play is whether they’re actually playing better, or if this is just another mirage that seems to appear every so often? Either way, the results still haven’t been there. Is Todd Nelson some kind of Oilers whisperer, or is everyone playing like they’re scared for their job? We’ve got over a half a season left to find out. Until then, we’re talking about another loss.
We wrap.
THE BRIGHT SIDE
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- Taylor Hall. He’s still an Oiler. He’s still scoring goals. Eff off, Internet.
- The power play scored a goal! Amazing to think that going to the net pays off. (#TheNelsonFactor) It’s amazing how shooting the puck, and heading to the net, results in goals. Who would have thought?
- Every time Marcobello scores a goal, Jeanshorts sheds tears of happiness. (He loves him. Enough for it to be weird.) I was hoping for him to turn the trick tonight.
- After a terrible Jhultz giveaway, MacT really let him have it on the bench. That’s what an experienced coach will do, and I was happy to see some accountability. Yakupov got the same later on in the game.
- Good tilt by Boyd Gordon!
- It was bound to happen, and I was happy to hear Kevin Quinn say “Taylor Seguin.”
THE FACE PALMERS
- Win or lose, we were all allowed to blame Horcoff. It wasn’t, at all, surprising that he scored tonight.
- I love Ben Scrivens. I honestly do. But he scares me when he handles the puck.
- Yes, Ales Hemsky got points. Yes, Erik Cole scored a goal. I already mentioned Horcoff scoring.
- I can appreciate Leon Draisaitl being a healthy scratch, at times. What I don’t understand is Leon Draisaitl being a healthy scratch when he could be playing at the World Juniors. I know, one game isn’t a big deal (and I agree), but there is an opportunity for him to play big minutes. Will the competition be the same? Not even close. But this is the last opportunity for Draisaitl to play at the WJC, and I don’t understand the logic behind not sending him. The Oilers aren’t going anywhere apart from the draft lottery. It’s a strange development “tactic” to say the least.
- Tyler Seguin scored a pair (as did Taylor), so the Taylor vs Tyler narrative maintains steam.
- Nail Yakupov played under 13 minutes tonight (zero shifts in overtime). At this point, he doesn’t have Nelson/MacT’s trust. He had zero PP time tonight.
- The Oilers had a 3 goal lead. It should never have gotten to a shootout in the first place. And Horcoff wins it? Of course! Why not?
BEST OF THE TWEETS
@OilersNation Seats by Drai™
— Brian C. (@imbrianchee) December 21, 2014
I think I just heard Drew say that Horcoff has good hands. Did I just hear that?
— TheTowelBoy (@TheTowelBoy) December 21, 2014
Todd: Craig can we please get Marinc—
Craig: Hunt. You can have Brad Hunt
— Matt Henderson (@Archaeologuy) December 21, 2014
Lander would be a great reindeer name.
— Rob Tychkowski (@Sun_Tychkowski) December 21, 2014
Of course the Hemsky tribute video included the series winner versus Detroit. That goal will never not give me goose bumps.
— Ryan Batty (@ryan_batty) December 21, 2014
MacT gave Jultz and earful when he got the bench after that give away. Jultz defended himself but MacT was having none of it.
— Woodguy (@Woodguy55) December 22, 2014
I’m convinced, nothing Yak does will ever be good enough for Edmonton sports media.
— Art Middleton (@GameTimeArt) December 22, 2014
Maybe it’s draisaitl’s fault? @OilersNation
— kyle gamache (@GamacheKyle) December 22, 2014
Thanks Joey you made his day!! ?? @EdmontonOilers pic.twitter.com/AFnkhbEG2A
— alyssadanielle • (@alydanielle_) December 22, 2014
The good news for Oilers fans…. #CraigsOnIt
— Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) December 22, 2014
@OilersNation what a player he’d be
— Allan MacMillan (@AllanMM11) December 22, 2014
Of course it’s Horcoff….. Why would it not be…. @OilersNation #HereComeTheOilers
— Matt Dammann (@MattyDammann) December 22, 2014
Show the world how hilarious you are. Tweet at @jsbmbaggedmilk and @OilersNation, on Twitter, for your chance to show up in the GDB Wrap Up. Internet glory is yours for the taking. In the very least you may get a few more followers.
THE #NATIONLIMO
When you have tickets to the game, head to the Pint Downtown and you could win a ride to, and from, the game in a limo. On top of that, we’ll hook you up with some Nation swag and an Oodle Noodle GC. All you have to do is let the bartenders know that you want your name on the list. You should also note that this isn’t some special event, this is happening every home game. Write that down, take a screep cap, or lock it in your mind locker. It’s a good time, and you should be there.
Oilers are attempting to make history.
First Russian player to defect back to Russia
Not with that Ruble…
Kovalchuk already did that
Kovalchuk ,,,, hmmm Nashville’s guy ,,,radulov oilers can’t even make history right 🙁
Apparently… I missed an epic, if not terribly surprising, collapse.
But some guys got yelled at on the bench for a change. If nothing else, the coaches are awake.
I seems like going to see The Hobbit was a wise choice.
A few observations
– Scrivens now .890 and 3.16 he made some saves tonight but your team scored 5 and spotted you a 3 goal lead when are you gonna start to play? Maybe its time to go with Bachman .920 and on a roll in OKC.
– Lander – 2 for a guy who’s suppose to be a defensively minded player you seem to lose your mind when you come to big club. By all reports that’s enough of this year’s experiment.
– withLander going bank….Any chance we can see Jason Williams at centre first before Drai? I know this makes you look dumb Oiler management with the WJC thing, but you kind of are looking dumb already so what the heck!
– Hendricks in front Nuge in SO? Really? The screw that’s loose in this managements team head is the size of a Zamboni! Is Eakins upstairs picking this SO order?
On Bachman, I don’t care how good his stats are, they won’t survive the Edmonton Oilers.
Good game, like I said before the team is scoring goals and the players are having fun.
It’s ok to have one point and lose in OT, stay near the bottom to get top 3 picks.
Seriously no point to win games now still miss playoffs and lose out on high picks in June.
Scoring goals and play competitive hockey and win 40% of remaining games. Get the team to jell and line combos ready for next season.
Eakins screwed up first 30 games, Nelson is doing well turning this team around.
Happy Holidays folks!
…
Justin? As in THE Justin Schultz? Is that you?
That was a HUGE moral victory! Go oilers! Yeah baby! Of the last 7 in a row that was the best moral victory……..
Is there video of MacT letting Jultz know how useless he is?
Hey Badgemilk, I’m with you, I like “the prof”, but he shouldn’t be allowed to handle the puck as i’d guess that @ least 50% of the time when he does it ends up being a GRADE A SCORING chance, and 33% of the time, it ends up with that little red light giving him a sun burn on his neck…
Now, i’d really like to hear your opinion on this;
Edmontons new goalie coach must do something with Scrivens as he is on his knees more than his skates when the puck is on the Oilers side of centre ice.
The puck can be in the corner and Ben’s already on his knee’s even though he has no idea of where the puck is going. Ben needs to be on his feet much more than he is as of late, why? Well, when he is sliding around on his knee’s and the puck get’s into a scoring area, he has little to zero time to get set up and squared off to the shooter, instead, he is either off balance or on his knee’s and all the shooter has to do is aim for the top 1/3rd of the net, or, when off balance, even a lower shot will elude him because of his inability to be square and set.
This “new” goalie coach is supposed to be a good one, he has done good things with the Oil Kings tenders the past 5 years or so, and by watching those tenders, none of them slide around the ice like a 5yr old who needed pads because he/she couldn’t skate.
I know it sounds like i am bitching @ nothing or making nothing out of a mole hill, but by standing on his feet a little more he’d be a much position more often. Look back at last season when Ben played so well or even go back and look @ the games when Ben has stood on his head this year and you’ll notice that he is on his feet even just a wee little bit more. When a goalie is able to square off to the shooter and get set for the shot, he is in a better position to make the save.
I think Ben’s sv% would go up a fair bit if he were to stand/stay on his a little bit more, it seems like such an easy thing to do, but he is in the habit already and thus it’ll be hard to get out of.
Just like the skaters were starting to develop bad habits, so to is Scrivens. He needs this goalie coach to help him out ASAP before these bad habits can’t be broken? And if the goalie coach cannot break this terrible habit, MacT must go get his old buddy from LA and bring him back to Edm. The last Oiler tender to win the cup, Billy Ranford!!!!
I’d like those who have played the position or still play the position to comment on my observation please? And i’d like those who follow hockey for a living or played the game in the NHL to also comment. And after commenting, either go back and watch a game or two, or watch Ben’s next few games and then tell me if you notice the same thing?
WONGER for Oilernation!!!!
A better brand of hockey?
They were out-shot 26-6 in the 2nd period against Arz. They gave up 2 goals in 32 seconds to blow the game against SJ and they gave up a 3 goal lead to blow it against Dallas.
A better brand of hockey my a**. That’s nothing but the Eakins haters trying to slather this pig with lipstick to make themselves feel better.
Eakins sucked. Personnel all wrong for his system. He should have adapted to his roster.
Because they sure as hell didn’t adapt to him.
Uh, you understand they can still be horribly, atrociously, inhumanely bad and STILL be playing a better brand of hockey than when Eakins was behind the bench, right?
Hey, these guys know something about losing
Despite playing with a little more intensity the last couple of games, famous words from 31 years ago come back to haunt the Oilers.
“Well, it’s time they got their act together. They’re ruining the whole league. They had better stop running a Mickey Mouse organization and put somebody on the ice.”
I wonder if Katz has thought of these words. I wonder what Gretzky would be saying now? Older, wiser!!