Oilers

[Carty]

Latest I've heard is "Hall will not receive disciplinary action for the slash."

... and NHL credibility goes out the window.... again

 

If that's the case, it's another head scratcher...   Maybe it easier to sweep it under the rug than admit some of their zebras are incompetent and should be put out to pasture...

 

"Huge Slash" and no suspension...   http://blogs.canoe.ca/slam/hockey/oilers-forward-taylor-hall-unloads-huge-slash-on-coyotes-defenceman-zybnek-michalek/

 

On the bright side, you can't dump on the Oilers any more than the Edmonton Sun did today...      http://www.edmontonsun.com/2013/04/11/phoenix-coyotes-almost-completely-kill-edmonton-oilers-playoff-hopes   &   http://www.edmontonsun.com/2013/04/11/jones-all-hopes-lost-for-oilers

[Flyerfan52]

I completely agree.  Hall was nowhere NEAR "playing the puck", that was the best example of intent to injure I've seen in long, long time.  You can see the force he swings his sticks with, he was only out to (literally?) take his legs off of him.

 

Total garbage.  Any respect I might have had for him as a player is completely gone.

 

Conner, I dare you to defend this.

Unreal! No penalty & no review by Shanahan.

 

That was a vicious 2 hander & away from the play. It served no purpose but attempting to injure.

Textbook infraction & Shanny ignores it.

 

Lucky for Hall that the Oilers don't face the 'Yotes again this year.

He will get his deserved retribution from another player down the road. Unfortunately with Shanny it will be the other player suspended.

********************************************

If Hall keeps this up I predict a short, injury filled career as he'll be a marked man.

[DirtyDeeds]

You have to wonder what message this sends to the Hockey Players / Fans. It certainly has some different twists to it.

 

1. Refs really missed the boat here, especially if they saw it and chose not to call it.

2. Does this make some players untouchable for calls like this?

3. Does this now make it open season for any player to take out his frustrations?

4. With all the focus on borderline headshots/hits have the powers at be ignored basic sporstmanship limits?

 

Sad day for hockey in my mind.

 

-----------------------------------------

 

Thx for the links Carty. What I found really interesting is some comments below the blog.

 

Halls’ hand was slashed before this happened, it was a balanced infraction.

 

Hall, keep doing what your doing bro. Make them respect you. Pisses me off when people whine when a guy stands up for himself. What about the 15 slashes to Halls wrists all night?

 

About time Hall starts sticking up for himself. How many times have opposition ran him head first into the boards or cross checked him. This should be a man’s game and unfortunately Edmonton doesn’t have any yet. He should have started doing that his first season.

 

I can only wonder what these same fans will say when some other player who has been chopped / crosschecked all season decides to do a 2H chop to Eberle or RNH when their back is turned. Will it be okay then too??

[kehatch]

No contact to the head.  It seems like the NHL focuses on what they focus on and ignore everything else.  I wish the NHL could employ some common sense.  An arbitrary elbow to the head and its four games because players have to learn to control themselves with split second high speed hits.  But use your stick like a club and try and break someones leg and it is fine.  Silliness.  

[dsp519]

Heh... Oiler fans approve a low two handed slash while the other guy's back is turned, and call it a way to gain "respect"?  Funny, I thought dropping the gloves or standing up for your fellow player was the way it's supposed to be done.   If one of the Calgary players pulled that crap, I would hope that they would get a strip torn off of them by the coaching staff, fans, and the NHL.

 

"Watch yourselves around the Oilers, they might slap you while your back is turned, then run away..."

 

Now, I must say though, when Hall had Doughty crying like a girl from the bench last year I had to laugh, I'll give him that one.

[kehatch]

 can only wonder what these same fans will say when some other player who has been chopped / crosschecked all season decides to do a 2H chop to Eberle or RNH when their back is turned. Will it be okay then too??

 

I can't speak for other Calgary fans, but there is NO WAY I would support one of my players doing this.  I have to hope that those comments are the exception and that Oiler's fans aren't that ignorant.  

[Kulstad]

I can't speak for other Calgary fans, but there is NO WAY I would support one of my players doing this.  I have to hope that those comments are the exception and that Oiler's fans aren't that ignorant.  

 

I've come to learn that SunMedia article commentors are worse than YouTube commentors, so I'm willing to cut these guys some slack.

 

Truly, though.....at the very least, I hope Hall got a verbal checking from behind-kicking from somebody on his team.

[The_People1]

I guess Hall was just turning from a check and putting his stick on the ice as hard as he can.  It was Michalek's fault for not moving his leg out of the way.

 

[Carty]

at the very least, I hope Hall got a verbal chicken tikka masala-kicking from somebody on his team.

 

Unrelated, but still pretty funny...

 

[jjgallow]

Well, looks like the Oilers aren't making the playoffs...again...with the new, young, upcoming team.

 

Sounds a lot like....I dunno, the last 20 years.

 

I remember when they were young, and up and coming, in the 90's, lol.

 

At this point, you have to wonder if their "peak" will be actually making the playoffs.  

 

Our "rebuilding" year, and the Oilers are still closer to battling us for last place than they are a playoff spot.

[The_People1]

Well, looks like the Oilers aren't making the playoffs...again...with the new, young, upcoming team.

 

Sounds a lot like....I dunno, the last 20 years.

 

I remember when they were young, and up and coming, in the 90's, lol.

 

At this point, you have to wonder if their "peak" will be actually making the playoffs.  

 

Our "rebuilding" year, and the Oilers are still closer to battling us for last place than they are a playoff spot.

 

It's karma,

 

[s4xon]

Connor...where are you?...Connor...where are you?...Connor...where are you?...Connor....where are you?...Connor....where are you?...Connor....where are you?....

 

 

Nothing but an echo.

[TrippinVdUb]

Connor...where are you?...Connor...where are you?...Connor...where are you?...Connor....where are you?...Connor....where are you?...Connor....where are you?....

 

 

Nothing but an echo.

TBH I haven't seen much of him this last week....

[jjgallow]

It makes you wonder, how much more of our team would we need to sell off to be worse than the Oilers?

 

It already feels like pre-lockout, when the Heat were beating...well....essentially the Oilers.

 

Now, it's all the same players beating all the same players in the NHL.  Except we have more draft picks and more of a future.

[DirtyDeeds]

I can tell you from Conners view this one hurts really bad. Really Really bad. I don't expect him to show up for awhile.

 

We iced 6 AHL prospects tonight.

 

Baertschi
Carson
Aliu
Street
Horak
Reinhart

We had injuries to key players:

Tangs - knee
Derek Smith - Leg injury
Brian McGratten - Shoulder injury
Matt Stajan - Upper Body injury
Glencross - Flu

 

We ran with our backup goalie who played the night before.

 

We were on the 2nd night of a back to back and on the road. The Oilers didn't have to play since wednesday.. Everything was pretty much pointing to another beating.......... NOT TONIGHT

 

Didn't happen. Not because the Oilers were that bad, although they were at times. The Flames took the game to them. Outworked them in their own end.

[s4xon]

I can tell you from Conners view this one hurts really bad. Really Really bad. I don't expect him to show up for awhile.

 

We iced 6 AHL prospects tonight.

 

Baertschi

Carson

Aliu

Street

Horak

Reinhart

We had injuries to key players:

Tangs - knee

Derek Smith - Leg injury

Brian McGratten - Shoulder injury

Matt Stajan - Upper Body injury

Glencross - Flu

 

We ran with our backup goalie who played the night before.

 

We were on the 2nd night of a back to back and on the road. The Oilers didn't have to play since wednesday.. Everything was pretty much pointing to another beating.......... NOT TONIGHT

 

Didn't happen. Not because the Oilers were that bad, although they were at times. The Flames took the game to them. Outworked them in their own end.

 

 

 

 

But Deeds, according to Connor, the Flames don't have any A level prospects....and apparently they don't know how to develop the others.

 

Right now, the Flames have no A level prospects and the Flames aren't known for their scouting and or developing. If Feaster stays at the helm much longer I think the Flames might have a longer, more painful rebuild than the Oilers.

 

.

[Flame111]

Poor Connor, his problem is his hate for the Flames.

 

Otherwise he could actually take what he knows and have a decent conversation but until he begins to acknowledge the Flames are actually a team / organization with some clear distinctions / advantages over the Oilers in some regards he is never going to go much past Flames bashing.

 

I acknowledge that Oilers have some fine young stars in the making but express concern about how Lowe is structuring the rebuild at this later stage and the concern I have about competitive spirit and professionalism, a drum Flyerfan beats non-stop. Huge risk of a weak team mentality emerging and taking root. 

 

On the Flames end, I acknowledge that moves should have been made a lot sooner.

 

That D Sutter and Ken King were way too close and D Sutter was allowed to make terribly damaging moves to the team. Big trades should have been made 2-3 years ago. Some trades should never have been made - Neuf etc. Regardless, in real time the Flames are doing the right things now, a little late perhaps but nonetheless they are doing it now. The Flames also refuse to fold and their is a lot to be said about the players who pull on the Flaming C and the respect they have for that Crest, Feaster and the Owners will do their best to put a competitive team on the ice next year.  

 

The Flames are not the Oilers and they will not tank for years for a bunch of top picks. The Organizations are fundamentally different in philosophy and it remains to be seen who will get the better results long-term. 

 

If Connor could only acknowledge the positives the Flames have over the years instead of seeing everything in black and white, then he could have a balanced discussion but he is simply just too used to seeing hockey through the lens of a total scorched earth rebuild and the fact is that there are several paths back to the same desired destination of the playoffs. 

 

I liken the two organizations approach to Poker players, the Oilers are big gamblers, they have gone all-in. It is a huge risk they have taken and the cards may or may not work for them. The Flames in contrast have become the calculated gambler, playing slow and gauging and hedging the bets. Slowly building up, over the course of the entire process no one is to say the calculated gambler can not slowly build up and win the tournament. 

 

Two different style, two different philosophies, two different cities, it will be a real BOA going forward in next season. I am so tired of reading these flippant comparisons of the Flames being like the Oilers when nothing could be further from the truth. 

 

Until Connor actually begins to acknowledge that the Flames are not destined to repeat the Oilers suffering and actually could spring back to the bubble next year (with the right off-season moves) he will never gain much respect here. 

 

Hopefully he is still around and didn't decide to go start his car and fall asleep clutching his Taylor Hall bobble head last night. 

 

The Oilers really need to do what the Blues did and overpay some older decent Vets to come to the team. They need their Langenbrunners, Andy MacDonalds. Ryan Smyth is clearly done at this point and it was a role he was supposed to play but he simply can not play at the NHL level anymore, very clear. 

 

If TambLowe doesn't make a big move this off-season to get some older top Vet leaders in the room I would be very fearful of the future of the Oil because the new trade demands could start coming from those young stars. RNH should have been sent down this year to develop, something is clearly wrong with his game at this point. He needed time to develop and the Oil have rushed, I always liked that kid's ability to see the ice which he did so well, now his confidence is broken.

 

Poor Connor, he has overlooked all the intangible risks the massive rebuild in Edmonton has. Always presented it as a path on rails not only to the playoffs but to the Cup. I could dig up his posts from a few years ago. Now he must realize what I warned of so long ago. These massive rebuilds are a huge risk and can play to both extremes. You can be the Hawks / Penguins or you can be the Islanders / Panthers.

 

There is no certain path to the Cup... 

[tmac70]

The issue with the Oilers is they have too many players in the wrong position. Most clubs have 2 to 3 stars they have 6, and 3 of them are in the wrong position. Their problems can be addressed quick if they did it properly. I think we all know they need a goalie before another draft pick.  

 

Just imagine what could happen in Edmonton if they had a GM with some form of vision and balls to do what is required. When people say Edmonton is a better position than the Flames the only way I see this is tradable assests. Last nights game shows that heart and determination can beat talent with no determination anytime.

[cross16]

The Oilers problems it they don't know how to win at the NHL level and that's it. They've committed too much to brining in drafted players and having them grow together which is great in some ways but not so much in the sense that that group ends up winning or losing together and becuae of what the Oilers have done it's been losing. They've done a poor job of brining in players that are winners and know what it takes to win I mean Ryan Smyth is good veteran presence but what has he won? The "leaders" of the Oilers are players that havn't won much in their career either. It has nothing to do with what player they have at certain positions it has everything to do with the OIlers right now have done a VERY poor job of supplementing their drafted players with effective players. Their 3rd and 4th lines are horrible, their defence is average, and they havn't brough in veterans that know how to win, heck even their coach hasn't done anthing at the NHL level. That's what stood out as obvious last night the Oilers were unprepared to play last night and could not react to anything the Flames did and that to me shows you loud and clear that his team just does not know how to win.

 

I know Oiler fans like to give Feaster a hard time but honestly I would put Tambellini in a similar boat. If I'm an Oiler fan I'm really worried if they keep Lowe and Tamby running the hockey ops. It's pretty awful that you have 3 first overal picks in your lineup, another top young player in Eberle, and you can't even make the playoffs.

[jjgallow]

The Oilers problems it they don't know how to win at the NHL level and that's it. They've committed too much to brining in drafted players and having them grow together which is great in some ways but not so much in the sense that that group ends up winning or losing together and becuae of what the Oilers have done it's been losing. They've done a poor job of brining in players that are winners and know what it takes to win I mean Ryan Smyth is good veteran presence but what has he won? The "leaders" of the Oilers are players that havn't won much in their career either. It has nothing to do with what player they have at certain positions it has everything to do with the OIlers right now have done a VERY poor job of supplementing their drafted players with effective players. Their 3rd and 4th lines are horrible, their defence is average, and they havn't brough in veterans that know how to win, heck even their coach hasn't done anthing at the NHL level. That's what stood out as obvious last night the Oilers were unprepared to play last night and could not react to anything the Flames did and that to me shows you loud and clear that his team just does not know how to win.

 

I know Oiler fans like to give Feaster a hard time but honestly I would put Tambellini in a similar boat. If I'm an Oiler fan I'm really worried if they keep Lowe and Tamby running the hockey ops. It's pretty awful that you have 3 first overal picks in your lineup, another top young player in Eberle, and you can't even make the playoffs.

 

I don't understand cross16....I thought televising their every move on the worst television show in history...'Oil Change', would surely help their development and make sure their heads don't get to big?

 

Why do you need a veteran presence when they're already TV stars?

 

Surely "Oil Change" exemplifies the organization's commitment to winning, rather than the depths they'll stoop to to make a quick buck and market their product to people who can't get off the couch.

[Flame111]

 

Connor's reaction to last nights game.

[travel_dude]

I don't understand cross16....I thought televising their every move on the worst television show in history...'Oil Change', would surely help their development and make sure their heads don't get to big?

 

Why do you need a veteran presence when they're already TV stars?

 

Surely "Oil Change" exemplifies the organization's commitment to winning, rather than the depths they'll stoop to to make a quick buck and market their product to people who can't get off the couch.

Maybe "Diaper Change" should be the proper name for the show. 

 

Seriously though, get the cameras out of the locker room if you want the team to be serious. These kids don't need to have any more exposure until they actually accomplish something meaningfull. Ice a team that is deeper than 1 or 2 complete lines and people might care about the off-ice drama.

[bronco73]

The Oilers problems it they don't know how to win at the NHL level and that's it. They've committed too much to brining in drafted players and having them grow together which is great in some ways but not so much in the sense that that group ends up winning or losing together and becuae of what the Oilers have done it's been losing. They've done a poor job of brining in players that are winners and know what it takes to win I mean Ryan Smyth is good veteran presence but what has he won? The "leaders" of the Oilers are players that havn't won much in their career either. It has nothing to do with what player they have at certain positions it has everything to do with the OIlers right now have done a VERY poor job of supplementing their drafted players with effective players. Their 3rd and 4th lines are horrible, their defence is average, and they havn't brough in veterans that know how to win, heck even their coach hasn't done anthing at the NHL level. That's what stood out as obvious last night the Oilers were unprepared to play last night and could not react to anything the Flames did and that to me shows you loud and clear that his team just does not know how to win.

 

I know Oiler fans like to give Feaster a hard time but honestly I would put Tambellini in a similar boat. If I'm an Oiler fan I'm really worried if they keep Lowe and Tamby running the hockey ops. It's pretty awful that you have 3 first overal picks in your lineup, another top young player in Eberle, and you can't even make the playoffs.

It's pretty tough to blame tambellini for his first round picks as they were pretty much the consensus best at their draft, but he's definitely earned criticism for the rest of his job.  You can't build a house by running to the lumber yard and picking up the best 2X6's, you have to get the right nails to put that framework together.  We have the 2X6's for the framework, now it's time to get the right nails and hammer it all together. The biggest problem with Oilers management as I see it is a failure to build around those picks.  He hasn't done nearly enough to address the issues with grit, strength, defensive responsibility, and biggest of all is heart.  Therein lies the problem in Edmonton.  Is he ignoring these issues, or are there still problems with attracting players to come to Edmonton?  I don't believe the latter to be the case, it looks more to me like he is expecting his new young flashy picks to carry the load.  But heck, most nights them kids can't even carry themselves, let alone the rest of the team. 

 

There is a severe lack of heart in Edmonton.  Most nights this team just does not show up to play, there is no "cheddar".  I've said on the OMB that these kids seem to be more concerned with their celebrity status than they are with their on ice showing.  That next big ATB commercial is about ready to film you know, better make sure my hair looks just right.  Man, there is a boatload of mirror gazing that needs to be done if this team wants to start making a bigger impact on this league. 

 

The players need to start realizing that it takes a lot more mental and physical investment to be competitive in this league.  The coaching staff needs to realize that it takes a lot more than just pampering and showering praise to get a team to play better.  The management needs to realize that it takes a lot more than just picking the latest new flashy forward to really build a competitive team.  Really the entire organization is riddled with shortcomings. 

 

It's disheartening to me, I am so sick and tired of seeing what for a long time many years ago was THE team to beat in the NHL and THE team to model yourself after, become nothing more than a gimme, an easy win.  I guess a saving grace could be that there are at least some building blocks for the future here, a competitive team can be built out of what there is in Edmonton, there just has to be a willingness for everybody to do what needs to be done.  Sadly right now that will just is not there.

[Carty]

Poor Connor, his problem is his hate for the Flames.

 

Hopefully he is still around and didn't decide to go start his car and fall asleep clutching his Taylor Hall bobble head last night.

 

 

I don't think the bobble head made it...   This was posted on TMZ along with a cryptic note...  

 

 

[Flame111]

I don't think the bobble head made it...   This was posted on TMZ along with a cryptic note...