Good game, boys. Really worth watching. Thanks for the memories. Final Score: 5-0 Jets
Coming into tonight’s game, all I could think about was how it’s been a wild calendar year to be an Edmonton Oilers fan. After the exhilaration of making the playoffs for the first time in a decade in 2016-17, the start of this year could not have gone worse. I don’t think even the most cynical Oilers fan would have had them starting off this slowly, and it’s been a real mind bender to try and wrap our brains around why this has happened. Sure, what’s done is done but I’m not above crying over spilt milk (see what I did there) and a win against the Jets would go a long way to making me feel better. Dare to dream, Baggo.
From the moment the puck dropped, the Oilers did not get the wanted as they — for the 21st time this season — allowed the first goal of the game after a defensive breakdown that started at their own blue line. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the Oilers followed up with another miscue that saw Blake Wheeler getting the puck in the slot with time and space and giving the Jets a two-goal lead. By the time Kyle Connor made it three-zip for the Jets, it felt like this thing was all but over. When Bryan Little added the Jets’ fourth goal of the night, I finished nailing up the coffin. I don’t know how else to say it, but this was a disastrous end to the year for the Oilers on almost every level and it was one final kick to the nuts from the 2017-18 season that we really didn’t need tonight.
In the end, the Hockey Gods giveth a four-game winning streak and then they taketh away.
For the last time in 2017, we wrap.
THE BRIGHT SIDE
- That game is over and the Oilers can’t hurt me anymore in 2017.
- If there’s one thing that will always make me happy regardless of the outcome, it’s watching Connor McDavid play hockey. The kid is so special and the fact that he’s an Edmonton Oiler is something that should be celebrated every single day.
- All of the players were bad, as a team. #Unity
- I’m sure the 50/50 winner was happy?
- Happy New Year, everybody! Be safe out there.
THE FACE PALMERS
- Coming into tonight, the Oilers were 0-11-4 in their last 15 games on New Year’s Eve. That’s ridiculous.
- The Jets opened the scoring with a perfect tic-tac-toe passing play down low that left Marko Dano putting the puck into an open net. The Oilers had four guys standing around watching as Dano and Matt Hendricks (of course) finished off their time passing work with a goal on the first shot of the game. That’s the sixth time this season that they’ve done that.
- Blake Wheeler put the Jets up by two goals midway through the first period and it completely sucked the air out of the building… not that there had been much to cheer about. Up until that point, the Oilers did not look like they were ready to play as the Jets basically ran the show. Matt Benning got knocked off the puck by Kyle Connor and he found a wide open Blake Wheeler in the slot.
- Kyle Connor got the Jets’ third goal of the night after deflecting a Patrik Laine wrister from the point. As you’d expect, the Oilers’ PK was garbage again and the Jets were able to take full advantage. Here’s hoping 2018 will be better?
- By the time Bryan Little’s goal went in, I was over this game and just waiting for it to be over. Once again, the Oilers made horrible puck choices and it gave the Jets all kinds of unnecessary puck possession time. I don’t know how to accurately describe how bad the Oilers were with the puck but just assume it was a train wreck that you just couldn’t look away from.
- Mathieu Perreault scored the fifth goal of the night. Nobody cared by then. Happy New Year.
- How bad were the special teams? I thought you’d never ask:
- PK: Absolutely awful and every shade of bad, as the Oilers allowed two goals on three power play attempts.
- PP: What power play? 0/2 on the night.
- Tonight was not a good night for Matt Benning. He was a turnover machine all night long and will have a couple goals against attached to his name.
- Not a great night for Cam Talbot, though, he didn’t get much help from the team in front of him. I know he had five go on on him, but I find it hard to blame this disaster on him.
- Kris Russell is horrible at breaking the puck out of his own zone and I don’t care what any of you say.
- I don’t know what it is about the Oilers and breaking out of their zone, but they sure do struggle to make clean passes. There’s a lot of rimming it around the boards and high clears off the glass, but there’s not a lot of tape to tape passes, I’ll tell you that much.
- Giveaways at both blue lines are killing me. The Oilers keep trying to force passes into the middle and they’re getting picked off about as often as they’re not. Maybe stop that next year?
- Another bad night in the faceoff circle for the Oilers as they only won 45% of the draws.
- It’s a Gord damned New Year’s Eve #BeetCast. Check it out on my Twitter.
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST PERIOD
TIME | TEAM | DETAILS | SCORE |
---|---|---|---|
02:34 | Winnipeg | Marko Dano (1) ASST: Matt Hendricks (6), Ben Chiarot (4) | 1-0 |
13:16 | Winnipeg | Blake Wheeler (11) ASST: Kyle Connor (12) | 2-0 |
2ND PERIOD
TIME | TEAM | DETAILS | SCORE |
---|---|---|---|
11:17 | Winnipeg | PPG – Kyle Connor (13) ASST: Patrik Laine (14), Adam Lowry (6) | 3-0 |
19:57 | Winnipeg | Bryan Little (7) ASST: Josh Morrissey (10) | 4-0 |
3RD PERIOD
TIME | TEAM | DETAILS | SCORE |
---|---|---|---|
07:26 | Winnipeg | PPG – Mathieu Perreault (10) ASST: Joel Armia (10), Bryan Little (17) | 5-0 |
#GOODCONTENT
At least I have a cup holder.
— Shaan (@Shaansaysnow) January 1, 2018
TFW the Oilers are losing 3-0 on #NYE pic.twitter.com/JVx8tdKtp8
— Christmas Gordeyko (@TheNationChris) January 1, 2018
I don't think I've agreed more with a sign before… @OilersNation #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/qvWmEKTOSd
— Peter Seal (@thepeterseal) January 1, 2018
@jsbmbaggedmilk this pic was taken when we still had a chance. Opening face-off. pic.twitter.com/AZsYIkHHhD
— mark moerkerk (@slmf510) January 1, 2018
#Oilers coming off a four game win streak…#HereComeTheOilers pic.twitter.com/zXYtLusJdf
— BURGER BARON? (@Burger_Baron) January 1, 2018
Talk to me, Twitter. Tweet at @OilersNation and @jsbmbaggedmilk for your chance to land in the Best of the Tweets.
BOXING WEEK SALE
Wanted NationGear for Christmas but your horrible family didn’t get it for you? Fear not, the Boxing Week sale continues with discounts on new and old designs. As a note, quantities are limited so waiting around will not be your friend. Upgrade your threads here.
Source: NHL.com, Official Game Page, 12/31/2017, 8:00pm MST
If Benning was sent to the minors tomorrow I wouldn’t complain. There’s something about this team that they just can’t show up, or just don’t want to. We’re not this bad.
Good thing no one claimed Gryba!
How long before the first bright orange jersey gets tossed onto the ice?
Yep, the Ole Ben Scribbles throwback Jerseys. LOL
The shot of Puljujarvi on the bench smiling and talking to Lucic after he missed his beautiful pass and all Lucic could do was scowl has me thinking that maybe the dressing room is disfunctional. During the Vegas game earlier they talked how together the team was, ie a bunch of rejects thrown together and how they play for each other, yada yada yada but tonights effort sure got me thinking.
True, I saw that too. Team is disjointed. Felt sorry for puljaravi.
Sure not a very good situation to develop a talented young player full of enthusiasm.
Not very much professionalism in Lucic’s actions.
I believe the last time the Oilers won a New Years eve game was way back in 1985 , so losing this game should be of little concern .
While I agree with your attitude, I strongly disagree with where we are now… Happy new year 🙂
FWIW… Just got back from Stockton where the Bako Condors beat the Heat 3-1. The day was not a complete loss. Have a safe and happy New Year
No matter how emotional, hopeful i am, oilers season is finally over. After last three losses I don’t think there is any chance left.
This team has been Bruinized, we just can’t keep up with most teams.
“Make the Oilers, Fast and Exciting again”
Yes more exciting last place hockey would be great, MOFE ELPH, give Kevin Lowe a promotion, extended woodcroft before other teams come sniffing
I’m assuming you mean “Bruinized” by PC’s standards? Cuz last I checked, the Boys from Beantown have been rippin’ it up and are setting themselves up quite nicely for a spot on the annual spring dance card for a shot at Lord Stanley’s mug.
and i have no confidence that the manager can improve the team for next season
I’m all for start again from the management all the way down to Benning. What exactly have we got to lose? McDavid is the ONLY keeper. He must be so frustrated, and wishing he didn’t sign long-term.
Every time a jersey flies a KLowe gets a raise
Seeing that you brought K Lowe’s name up, I don’t see a change in style of play or effort since he coached this team years ago. How much input does Lowe and MacTavish have in who plays, how much do they play and the style of play. It seems that they are stuck in a rut and want to only cycle a puck with no shooting allowed. They need to change the upper management as they have tried everything else.
If you seriously think the coaches are teaching the players to not shoot the puck then you really don’t want to put any blame on the people actually on the ice. No matter who is coaching this team a 103 pt season with a trip to the second round only turns into this because of the players. So many of them look like they took the offseason for granted and have nothing in the tank.
Whatever you do Coach, don’t put Davy in for Benning because we were winning when he was in the lineup. Insert sarcastic frustrated angry fan emoji here.
Time for a well deserved shake up. Special teams have this team on its knees. This is fixable and has not been addressed. The oilers have a good team when they’re going, very similar to the Jets by my assessment. I said it 2 months ago with even middle of the road special teams this team is in a completely different position yet these coaches are still employed.
Special teams are junk.
The first guy I would fire would be Jay Woodcroft for being Elliott Friedman’s (puke here) doppleganger. That’s just for openers. Then I would pull out a pad of pink slips and go to town.
Well the bright side is now that Leon have this ludicrous contract he is effectively untradable.
Besides a lot of players who seem to show a lack of care the biggest 2 problems for the Oil are average goaltending and no reliable backup and a complete lack of a top pairing D. They have 4 solid second pairing guys and 2 guys that should be in the AHL at best and of course the marvellous Russell! Chia’s inability to make any sort of move to shore up the D is probably going to be the biggest Oilers downfall.
The Oiler’s need 2 starting quality goalies!
Talbots 35th best SV% in the league. Usually drops to his knees before the shot.
But he’s 3X better because he’s wearing a Orange Jersey. Sort of like Tommy Salo or Ben Scrivens.
LAKID, I couldn’t agree more. Also a top notch goaltending coach as well. We haven’t had a playoff caliber goalie since Dwayne Roloson.
Strome will be resigned…walk away from his RFA deal and you basically have traded Ebs for nothing (not that Strome is much better than nothing). Can’t really trade him because you won’t get much value…and then you will see that Ebs was traded for a bunch of used pucks.
I’m done.
Get Benning off the ice already.
Benning is in need of more AHL seasoning…or European career.
The playoffs are dead. Conversation is now around asset management. Don’t have a lot of confidence in Chia though.
TM and assistants need to be fired before the New Year gets worse. 3 stooges running this team into the ground.