It’s at this point in the NHL season that Oilers fans make a decision about how we are going to pass the time for the remaining 6 weeks of the season. Early excitement and God given right to unreasonable optimism has created a black diamond rated slide into misery and if it hasn’t arrived already it is certainly on the horizon as seen in the scientific graph above.

In seasons past this was a crappy team that lived up to its billing as being crap. They knew it, we all knew it deep down in our hearts. Games were lost, tears were shed and the most dithering General Manager in sport was lauded for his ability to stand idly by while the team continued to suffer.

Now it is an entirely different beast. This is now a very good team that has some obvious holes that need filling* They know it, we all know it. Everyone with a functioning brain steam and pair of occular units knows it. Except the same hilarious front office who sit around wondering when the arena will find an additional 114 million dollars and not much else. And trading for Mike Brown doesn’t count.

It’s getting pretty old isn’t it? As we see it most Oilers fans have one of three moves at this point, assuming hope is fading faster than the tan of the lady in your office who came home from Mexico two weeks ago and is still clinging to the dream** This season certainly isn’t lost yet and we will cling to the dream until Willis and his math slam the coffin door closed with a depressing annual thud.

You choose to be disappointed. This is always a popular option among Oilers fans at this juncture of the season. "I really thought this was the year" the thinking goes "surely to goodness they could be higher than (wherever they may sit) what with (insert good players) in the lineup and (insert hot Oiler) playing so well."

The list of good players continues to pile up to the rafters this season and for some this makes things all the more disappointing. People who choose disappointment often turn off the games early from here on out and start cleaning the winter dust off their golf clubs in about 2 weeks.

You choose to be frustrated. People who go this route are often a source of great amusement to us all in the comments on the site and on twitter. They can often be observed having 5 alarm meltdowns of rage and suggesting things like "Lets all burn our Oilers jerseys in a big pile and get the news helicopter to film it! I know a guy with over 1,000 facebook friends he can get the word out quick!"

As the Oilers lineup continues to stock pile the best young lineup in over 20 years frustration is starting to take the pole position as the emotion of choice among Oilers fans. Watching the team gas one against Minny with NARY A SHOT IN THE SECOND FRAME can make the blood boil real nice don’t it?

You can resign yourself that this is the Oilers fate in life and that it also somehow reflects the continued failure of everyone who lives within 1000 miles of Edmonton. We see this all the time too with people saying things like "the Oilers suck, everyone sucks, there is a pothole the size of Delaware outside my house etc etc etc"

We are of the mind that this is the cowards way out of things. We believe that there is absolutely no reason that the Oilers can’t address their needs starting today and put together a supporting cast capable of making the Oil a nasty team to play against that may not get any shots in the second against Minny BUT BY THUNDER SOMEONE GONNA GET HURT REAL BAD.

But there is lots and lots of time to talk about what the Oilers are going to need to do.

We have decided to do what we always do when the Oilers break our hearts: leave. Leave and lick our wounds. And lick limes with tequila shots somewhere people don’t have the foggiest idea of what an Oilers is or how they didn’t get A SINGLE SHOT IN THE SECOND AGAINST MINNY.

We depart for Iceland in less than 2 weeks. We aren’t kidding. And as usual we will be bringing twitter with us the entire time and have also just signed up for Instagram. Because its 2011 and we just heard of it. Give us a follow: wanyegretz.

*That’s what she said

**Not actual lady