This shit just pisses me off

I think the problem is we have a coach who doesn't know where to play his players and how. It is the end of the season almost, and all year long he has been throwing players in the blender and he was just quoted as saying we should be expecting to see some mixups here in the line up again. This time of year, all other NHL teams are fine tuning their line ups, getting ready for the playoffs, and coaches giving individual practices to the respected lines so they know what their role is. Our coach is still trying to figure out who to play where and with who. He has been coaching for 9 years- he should be BETTER than this by now. He is still the same coach as when he started. No improvement whatsoever. His 10 year old coaching theories don't work in today's NHL. The game has changed- he hasn't. Every coach deals with lazy players, injuries, etc- so don't use that as an excuse for MacTavish either. When you put a cole on the wrong wing, play penner on the 4th line as a grinder and reddox on the first line, It pisses me off. Cole exploded for points in Carolina. It seems players come here and get into this funk or lose their mojo. Is MacTavish the Mojo drainer? I don't know. But instead of getting rid of all our players year after year, why not trying to build a team around someone else other than MacTavish, Staios, Moreau and Horcoff? How does anyone except our hockey players to play when they don't even know what they are supposed to be doing? Nilsson was quoted in an interview, when he came back, saying that MacTavish didn't explain to him what his role was on the team. I mean, when you have Liam Reddox on the top line- does ANYONE know what their role is? lol And Roloson better get a game off here soon. 20+straight starts for a 39 year old, not only is he fatigued but when you are playing tired and worn out you are more open to injury by making a wrong play at the wrong time due to fatigue. I think all of our veterans are classy guys, but there comes a day when if your number one guys aren't producing on a consistent basis year after year, then you may need to try to shake things up. We have to stop rewarding players for "dedication" here and reward players who can produce on paper. And if our coach doesn't get us anywhere year after year, maybe it would be a good idea to give someone else a chance. Fans are getting sick and tired of this crap already in Edmonton.

Craig MacTavish, Our coach.

kotalik horc hemmer nilsson gags poopoo head o'sullivan cogs piss reddox brodz storts so.. our genius of a coach puts our newest acquisition, supposedly brought here to help our offense.. on the 3rd line after playing only 2 games with us. And he puts nilsson back in on second. AND WE WONDER WHY WE HAVE A PROBLEM HERE. If you aren't going to bench all the other guys, quit benching Penner. It's obvious that he is lazy but who hasn't been this season? You are wrecking the guy's already fragile confidence and the more you call him out and the more you bench him the more you are going to wreck the guy until you get to the point where he won't even want to play for you... oh too late. Look at Gagner- What did MacT do with him? Gotta let them play it out right. Lots of the guys on the team play just as lazy as penner but because MacT has called him out, we the fans, are now also on his back, when realistically we should be on everyone's back equally. This is more Mactavish's fault then Penners fault. The whole damn team is underachieving not just one guy. Instead of benching and calling him out all season and watching this team under perform night after night, MacTavish should have resigned from coaching for just ONE month this season and allow kevin Lowe to take over and see if ANY difference was made. He didn't need to get fired but we could have saw if it would have made a difference. If the whole team was playing awesome and it was only penner that was lazy i may be MORE critical of him. But i am only NOW starting to realize that perhaps Penner's problems are not because he is "lazy" or "fat", but it's because of a whole plethora of issues. Also trying to play up to a skill level you probably dont have is stressful enough, but who in their right mind would turn down a 4.5 million dollar multi year contract when u were making 450 000 the year before? Take this: You are on the Oilers. You haven't been having the best season. But you look around your locker room and realize that neither have all the other guys. For some reason, YOU get called out to the media, to a whole city, and your coach says you are lazy and out of shape. WOW, that hurt. I have a bit of hatred for this guy now, but im a classy guy so im just gonna agree so i dont start something. I keep watching my teamates play like shit.. why isnt the coach going after them? oh well.. continue to play. Second time around, he benches me and calls me out again. WTF. why me!? what about everyone else. This is a team effort, im not the only one on the team. Benches me again. Now i feel like i dont even belong here to play hockey. I feel the coach doesnt like me and its embarrassing for me to talk to the other players cause i feel like less of a man and a bad hockey player because i keep getting called out and no one else is. Why show up for optional practice? Who gives a shit- I dont like playing for the guy anyways and i have NO respect for my coach. THAT is why penner didnt show up for optional. At first i was pissed off at penner for now showing up, but now, i cant blame the guy. Look who is coach is and look how is coach has treated him this season compared to other equally shitty players. Look at our stats on PP, PK, F/O, etc- they suck and guess what boys and girls? Penner didnt make up those stats himself. And to have a coach that gives optional after a HORRIFIC collective team play that night before is absolutely ridiculous. NO ACCOUNTABILITY. We have a coach in the stretch drive who has a team play with NO heart, NO passion, NO effort against the sens and he has a fucking optional the next day!? WHAT does that say to the team. it says THERE ARE NO CONSEQUENCES.. UNLESS YOUR NAME IS DUSTIN PENNER. We NEED Penner if we are going to make it to the playoffs no matter how bad his season has been, but the way MacT treats him, he is just not going to want to play at all. It's probably also making it awkward for other team members having to be around this situation and talk to Penner about it, etc. Way to help the guy out MacTavish. Just like you did with Garon and just like you did with Schremp. MacTavish is a horrible person because what he has cleverly done, is turn everyone on Penner when really, we should be focusing on the team as a whole, because surely there are other players (just look at the stats even last 5 games on oilers.com) who have been playing just the same as penner. cole goes back to the canes and has been lighting it up. coincidence?

Rindog's Rant #3

Let’s take a look at the systems that MacT employs with the Oilers. First let’s look at the defensive zone focus. It is no secret that MacTavish stresses that his wingers collapse down very low in the defensive zone. Most times you will see both wingers well below the hashmarks. If we were to look at any positives that this system might bring – we could stretch it and say that it does clog up any short cross slot passes for one-time attempts by the opposition. However, if you watch any of the Oilers games you will clearly see the ease in which the opposition can get a little cycle going and then pass the puck to their wide open defensemen for an attempted shot (scoring chance). Not only does this system allow for a ton of shots against, it allows the opposition Dmen to hold the blueline more often (because the forwards are collapsed so low - they aren't a threat to get pucks fired around the boards). More easy opposition pinches mean more time spend without the puck; which in turn means more chances against. If you look at any other successful team you will notice that the wingers make a conscious effort to stay up higher on the opposition defensemen and only collapse when the puck makes its way to the front of the net. By staying up higher, the defending team forces the opposition to try and create a scoring chance down low in a crowded area (very hard to do). It also forces the opposition Dmen to back out of the zone earlier (for fear of getting beat out of the zone by the closer wingers). What does all of this actually mean in terms of winning and losing? I am going to use shots attempted (which includes shots, blocked shots & shots that miss the net) as an interesting stat. In the last 24 games the Oilers have been out shot (attempts) by a margin of 1406-1164. That means that the opposition has attempted 242 more shots over that span (or an average of 10 shots [chances] per game more by the opposition). Why would a coach purposefully implement a system that is allowing the opposition to continually create more scoring chances? Aren’t scoring chances what determines the outcome of a game?Does MacTavish not see that his defensive system is not working? The Oilers are 25th in the league in shots against. OFFENSIVE SYSTEM: The system that MacT uses in order to try and generate scoring chances is almost non-existent. He tries to employ a dump and chase approach, but does not allow his wingers to fully execute the “chase” part of that system. As an outsider, it seems obvious that our forwards are taught to make sure they do not get caught too deep in the opposition end. For the many seasons that I have watched MacT coach the Oilers – it has looked more like a dump and sit back mentality. There is a myth that circulates around the NHL that the Olers are a fast team??? True – we have fast players, but we are anything but a fast team. A fast team uses it’s speed to drive the puck wide and support the puck carrier. A fast team does not flip the puck in when they are at the blue line (in hopes of getting it back). Sure there are going to be times where the puck has to get deep. But more often than not – the puck is in our possession and the forwards dump it in with no real plan? If you watch teams like Detroit, SJ, Buffalo or Chicago, they almost always have one of the defensemen joining the rush to push the opposition back and create space for entry into the offensive zone. A perfect example of this was demonstrated by our very own Oilers at the 11:29 mark of the first period against the Leafs on March 7. Cogliano gained the zone with speed and another forward pushed the Dman back while Grebeshkov charged into the offensive zone. Cogliano stopped up and hit Grebeshkov with a nice pass that ended up being bobbled (would have been a great chance otherwise). While I commend the Oilers on this attempted zone entry, it needs to happen more than once every couple of games to be considered a “system”. When Chicago came into our rink and beat us on February 3rd, I counted more than 20 times in which a similar system was used by the Blackhawks. It’s no secret that they out chanced us 69-46 on that night. We are currently 28th in the league in shots for. When you couple that with the previosly mentioned stats regarding shots against (25th) – is it any wonder why we never seem to dictate a game? The systems that MacT uses are totally at the mercy of what the other team does that night. If the other team struggles to finish (or our goalie is hot) – we have a good chance to win. If the other team has any kind of finish or if our goalie isn’t at the top of his game – we rarely have a chance to win. How many times this year have you sat back after a game and said to yourself, “Boy, we sure deserved a better fate?” There is only one team in the entire NHL (Wild) that has fewer shots on goal than the Oilers have. When you consider the offensive minded defenseman that we have – you have to scratch your head??To go even further – there is only one team that is currently in a playoff spot that has allowed more shots on net than we have. However, the Panthers are 17th in the league in shots for. The Panthers atleast seem to be willing to give up scoring chances in order to try and create some of their own. Our coach doesn’t have a system that allows our players to take risks to get chances, yet we give up the 2nd most shots in the league?? There have only been 3 games in the last 24 (TB, NSH, PHO) that we have out chanced the oppostion. Unless our players can turn into consistent 20% shooters - we are always going to be battling from behind with the systems the coach uses. Can someone please remind me why Craig MacTavish is such a good NHL coach???

GDITL 65 Leafs v Oilers

It's game day in the Legion! Tonight's opponent for the Edmonton Oilers are the infamous Toronto Maple Leafs. Here are some things you should know about the two teams tonight: Edmonton's leading scorer (Ales Hemsky) has one more point (52) than Toronto's leading scorer (Jason Blake) who has 51. Good news for those of you who are concerned over our special teams Edmonton has the 11th ranked road powerplay in the league operating at 19.6%. Even better is that Toronto has the worst home penalty kill in the league at 72.1%. However, that's where the good news ends, because Edmonton has the 28th ranked road penalty kill (at least Toronto doesn't have a good pp). Toronto is without a regulation loss in 8 straight games (5-0-3) and Edmonton has lost 4 straight road games. The Leafs have also won 3 straight (including 5-3 earlier in the year) against Edmonton and 5 of the last 6. So this game is going to be far from a lock. I can't find any information on the line up tonight for Edmonton so its reasonable to assume that it will be the same as it was against Ottawa. Edmonton's leading point getter against Toronto is Ales Kotalik who has 22 points in 32 games followed by Sheldon Souray who has 13 in 33. Hopefully our boys get something going tonight. Enjoy the game! PS: Ethan Moreau gave an interview to Jason Gregor yesterday, and he said he would be able to skate with the team next week. He will also be required to wear a visor for the remainder of the year.

Oilers boost offense, ready for the push

March 4th, the official deadline for any transactions in the NHL, started with a deal that saw Ottawa and Columbus dealt away their respective underachievers. After that, it wasnt that exciting at all. Calgary was the only team that made a significant move in acquiring center Olli Jokinen (who i wanted the Oilers to get), and defenseman Jordan Leopold. The trades made Calgary just that much better in my humble opinion. Then it was the Anaheim Ducks, who sold 2 of their top 3 shutdown forwards to San Jose (Travis Moen) and Chicago (Sami Pahlsson). Perhaps the Phoenix Coyotes was the most busy team on the deadline day, making a number of trades that most people agreed to be great moves by Maloney. It was obvious that the Oilers were one of the least involved teams out there, and with the expectations from the fans (mostly me) going in as buyers, they certainly didnt entertain anyone. Really? Think again. The last time the Oilers made a deadline deal was when the city saw one of their most beloved athletes Ryan Smyth (Smytty) got dealt to the New York Islanders at the 11th hour. This time, it certainly wasnt a worse timing. The Team 1260 first broke out the news that the Oilers have made a deal. A lateral deal, according to hockey analyst Robin Brownlee. He also hypothesized the fact that Erik Cole would be involved in a deal to send him back to Carolina for center Tuomo Ruutu. Well, Robin had a part of that right. TSN later reported that the Hurricanes had acquired forward Patrick O'sullivan from the LA Kings, and seconds after, the Hurricanes dealt O'sullivan to the Oilers along with a 2nd rounder in exchange for long-time Cane Erik Cole, who just became an Oiler July 1st last summer in a deal that sent Joni Pitkanen to Carolina. Cole, who struggled all season with the Oilers, was speculated to be a trade bait on deadline day. Cole will be rejoining his old teammates, including Eric Staal, who had a lot of success with Cole a few years ago. As for O'sullivan, who himself is a young forward at the age of 24, will be joining a young team that ideally would be an easy transition for him. O'Sullivan was fifth on the Kings with 37 points, and was fourth among the club's forwards in ice time per game at 19:25 per game. In 188 NHL games, the 5-foot-11, 190-pound native of Winston, NC, has 41 goals and 109 points. He is a player who likes to shoot, and shoot from anywhere he can. He has a great amount of skills, and a pretty quick player as well. Moreover, O'sullivan is also a very reliable penalty killer according to LA Kings forward Jarret Stoll, who was a PK partner of O'sullivan's this season. It is still a mystery as to why Dean Lombardy was willing to part ways with this talented forward. O'sullivan was supposed to be in the future plans of the Kings along with rising star Anze Kopitar, hard hitter Dustin Brown, Russian sniper Alexander Frolov, and high potential defenseman Drew Doughty. By no means O'sullivan is not in that category, but it is also a great opportunity for him to join an Oilers squad that also has a few young guns who will be very good in the future. The details of this trade: - Hurricanes acquire F Patrick O'sullivan and LA 2nd round pick from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for F Justin Williams. - Oilers acquire F Patrick O'sullivan and CAR 2nd round pick from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Erik Cole and EDM 5th round pick. Are the Oilers done? You would guess so if you were watching the deadline show for the last 6 hours. They were not finished. 30 minutes later, TSN reported that the Oilers had acquired forward Ales Kotalik from the Buffalo Sabres. Kotalik, 30, a native of the Czech Republic, is indeed a countryman of Oilers star forward Ales Hemsky. When asked about Hemsky, Kotalik replied, "We're friends for a long time," "We've always talked about the possibility about if I get the chance to play in Edmonton. He was the first guy who let me know that I got traded. I didn't hear about it from any officials from any team. I got a message from him, 'Welcome to the organization.' I didn't know if he was kidding. Then I got a call from (Sabres GM) Darcy Regier and the coaches and then it became official." Kotalik was a big part of Buffalo's playoff run in 2005-06 season in which saw the Sabres lost the the Hurricanes in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, by recording 4 goals, 11 points, in 18 games played. Then the Sabres repeated again in the 06-07 season, in which Kotalik also contributed to the Sabres clutch offense. This season, Kotalik has 13 goals, 32 points, in 56 games played. With in those 13 goals, 8 of them were scored on the power play. He is a strong player down low and can cycle the puck fairly well. At 6'1'', 230ibs, it certainly wouldnt be easy for the opposing defensemen to move him. The 2nd Ales for this team isnt known for his passes like the 1st one. He is comparable to former Oiler Jarret Stoll, who played a big role at the point on the Oilers PP for many seasons. Kotalik also has a very heavy and accurate shot, and can be used as an interim replacement of Lubomir Visnovsky on the Oilers' mediocre power play. The details of this trade: - Oilers acquire F Ales Kotalik from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for CAR 2nd round pick. Ideally, the team's offense would see an improvement, especially in the power play department. By adding these two offensive forwards, and subtracting Erik Cole, the Oilers hope that it will be enough to push for the playoff run late in the season and hopefully make an impact in the post-season. Although it is still too early to judge on whether or not with the additions the Oilers are going to make an impact, these moves certainly improved the team for this season, and should be, again, "should be" able to get the mighty Oil back into the Stanley Cup playoffs that they missed for 2 straight seasons.

Alon's Random Ramblings

Holy Alliteration Batman! While I'd love to go off on a tangent completely unrelated to our precious Oilers and write my first post about the greatest super hero ever, Batman, I feel obliged to write about the Oilers. So how about them Oilers? They really are a strange beast aren't they? Can't win when they need to, and then come out and play hard one game too late. Story of their lives isn't it? However, this horse has been beat to death already so I am going to talk about something else entirely... Dan Tencer Nothing against Mr. Tencer, but sometimes in his defenses of MacT he says some very silly things. Such as something to the effect of coaches who verbalize their feelings, such as MacT, are just as effective as coaches who get angry on the bench. Let's get this straight, a coach who wants to tell me that I suck nicely, is just as an effective as a coach who kicks me in the ass and tells me to be better, or else... YA RIGHT! I don't know how many of you Legion readers out there have played sports at any level, but that is totally not true. In my years of minor sports a "verbalizing" coach (hey! verbalizing is a word!) is a fine and dandy thing to have when you are trying to pump yourself up before the game, but in the game? No, no, no! That's a different story! "Chicks dig scars and glory lasts forever" only works for so long my friends. When I am in the game, playing like Penner perpetually plays (alliteration points to me) I want my coach jumping up and down punching the glass, kicking garbage cans, and ripping the tounge out of Harvey the Hound's mouth! That's effective! Hell no am I going to get back on the ice and dog it around after that! (Pun points to me! This is turning into an English lesson isn't it?). I find it strange that more people haven't made this connection? Look at this year? What was our best game all year? I think the first San Jose game was easily our best game all year. Who did we play before San Jose again? Oh, thats right, Dallas! What happened that game? MacT got so mad that he was going to pull a Tie Domi and fight a fan! Coincidence? I think not! Case in point, rambling receded and finally score one for the A-lon! ps: Alon is like Allan only with the "o" instead of the "a", I just wanted to end with a rhyme.

Start with a Positive!!!!

What has been the single most positive thing about the Oilers this year?