GDB 75.0: OUT OF TIME

The Edmonton Oilers have the best fans. Full stop. Oilers Nation stepped willingly into the elevator shaft of rebuilding X years ago (your mileage may vary) and they’re still taking the LRT or driving down to Rexall through the wind, hail, sleet and snow. Edmonton Oilers fans possess faith eternal, they are worth celebrating all days. Today, the organization takes the time to say thanks.

Edmonton Oilers fans will make that trek tonight, getting on the gear and taking selfies and generally making the most of an eternal darkness surrounding the team and wins. If the club had to rely on wins for fans, they would have moved long ago.

Faith. Glory. Hallelujah.

Why are fans going tonight? Well, it might be the sheer power of Taylor Hall in flight, the anticipation of Jordan Eberle with the puck on his stick in tight, Nuge dogged on the stealth back check, Nail with the hammer from the high slot. Several female members of my family have taken a liking to Oscar Klefbom (purely a hockey attraction, I’m certain) and I’ll be watching for more good arrows from Martin Marincin, Anton Lander and others from the department of youth.

Even after a long, cold, bitter winter, Oilers fans have the faith of a child. This is us. We are prairie and we are cold and we are snow past the fence line. We are the northern most major city, well, pretty much anywhere, we are unique and we are proud of the great things that represent us, including, even now, the Edmonton Oilers. We’ve known hard times and we’ve celebrated good times and we do not break the bond. 

Faith. Glory. Hallelujah.

The Edmonton Oilers live in a city with self-made women and men who searched for a foot in the door and built empires with only that and miles and miles and miles and miles of blood, sweat and tears. We live and die (literally) in this city and the beloved Oilers belong to the people and they deserve better starting long before now.

There’s not a person breathing who can disagree full stop. In a city filled with builders, the Edmonton Oilers’ hockey ops stand in stark contrast with the people who live here.

They’re out of time.

The Oilers have met their match in terms of save percentage so if they can produce 35 shots they should score enough to win this game. The club is banged up something awful though.

From Defending Big D: As for Edmonton tonight – they
score goals. Lots of them. 4, 2, 4, 4, 4, 3, 5, 1, and 4 in their last
nine games (3.44 per). Luckily they also allow them by the truck-full-
4.11 GA/G in the same stretch. They’re also putting an
absolute ton of rubber on opposing netminders right now – averaging 35
shots over their last ten games, including three-straight 34-shot
performances entering this one, and two 47 shot outings (against
Columbus and…Chicago?).

So there’s danger here. The
Oilers have nothing to lose and they want to get get up and down the
ice. The Stars thrive in that environment but can get tripped-up in
transition if things get a little too unstructured.

GAME DAY PREDICTION: The Oilers roar out of the gates and hammer Dallas good early, going up 1-0. They flag in the middle period, and lose 4-3 on a night it’s hard to fault lack of effort. 

OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: The big line gets put back together and pot two in the final frame to make it close.