Look how happy we were at one point!I want to take you guys back to a couple weeks ago. Oct. 22. Rexall Place. The Oilers are down 4-1 half way through the second period. Well wouldn't you know, our heroes came back, scored 5 unanswered goals, and Penner and Hemsky finished the night with 5 points a piece. Those were good times. Great times even. The Oilers had won 5 of their last 6 and looked to be picking up steam. That is until the next game, when everything got derailed. Since that game the Oilers have lost 9 of 11, and have looked mediocre at best, for the most part. I still have some hope left though friends. Over the last 3 games the Oilers have finally started competing, playing close to 60 minutes of competitive hockey, and have been consistently out shooting teams (just, you know, disregard the fact they're 0-3 when out shooting teams. Fuck). Sure things look bleak and shitty right now but at least there are positives to take of the last few games.
The Oilers roll through Ohio tonight, looking to right this ship against the Blue Jackets.
Steve Mason got fucking shelled the other day against Detroit, and hasn't been playing like the Calder winner we saw last year. I really hope he doesn't turn into another Andrew Raycroft, cause I really like this kid, and I'm just going to chalk it up to the dreaded sophomore slump. But man he's been inconsistent this season. So thankfully, with Mason's up and down performances the Jackets are starting their back up goalie tonight. What? Who's their back up? Fuck sakes. Well looks like it's going to be another goose egg for the Oilers.
Seriously though if this team doesn't figure out how to run a fucking power play, and soon, they are not going to win many games from here on out. The last two games the power play has been fucking painful to watch. Dakin you might want to cover your ears here, but fuck man, someone needs to tell Hemsky he's 19 spins along the half boards followed by trying to pass the puck through a 5 sticks and a 1 inch hole just isn't working anymore. Every team in this league is just going to let him spin around in circles at the hash marks because he's not in a position to get a good shot off, and they can worry about clogging up the passing lanes. IT'S NOT FUCKING WORKING! Remember the Colorado game last week? When the Oilers scored like 5 goals on the power play? WITHOUT HEMSKY. Look, he's clearly nothing but good for this team, but the power play unit as a whole has to keep moving the puck around, and moving themselves around. That's going to open up shooting lanes. Not trying to force a cross ice pass for a one timer. Teams have figured that shit out. They're on to us. They're crafty like that.
The Blue Jackets don't have a stellar record either, but they are playing more like I hoped the Oilers would be. They're 5-3-2 in their last 10 and they're keeping pace with both Detroit and Chicago. I guess it helps when you've got a legitimate franchise player and have good depth down through the rest of the team. I wonder what that's like.
If the Oilers win tonight, they'll head back home with 5 out of a possible 10 points on this road trip, which isn't great, but isn't terrible either. Really I wouldn't have been surprised if they had only gotten 2 points. So if they show up at Rexall with 5 points going into a 5 game home stand I think we'll be okay.
jeanshorts prediction: Oilers 4 - Jackets 2.
GOILERS!
IQWT
-jeanshorts
120 Say Your Piece:
Tell us what you think