I've noticed that a couple new followers have joined the blog, which is awesome. When you only have a few adding another couple is a massive percentage increase. Everything great started small at one point.
This weekend we saw exactly why I completely object to a team built and coached around one player to stifle the opposition. It just doesn't work. Also, suddenly having zero capable offensive lines causes nothing but trouble. I'm not sure why the line that surfaced against Minnesota wasn't Penner-Cogliano-Hemsky or better yet Hemsky-Cogliano-Cole, but with Hemsky slumping a tad lately and the other team's D able to key on him, we're having a really rough go. He's offence. Horcoff's defence. That's our forward "team". And it ain't cuttin it.
The Detroit game I refused to watch after we were down a man and allowed a goal so fast. I knew which team showed up to play that game and wasn't interested in whatever was impersonating hockey on that ice. Say what you want about the injuries, there just aren't excuses for coming out that listless. Being delusional enough to think Detroit wasn't relaxing and that the Oilers were "coming back" makes me afraid at how out of touch with reality our coaching staff and team have gotten.
Trying the same thing over and over and expecting different results is called insanity I believe. That's what we've seen this season and that's especially what we've seen in Minnesota over the years. We're not worse than the Wild, not by a longshot, but we show up, play the same game every single time, and lose.
The feeling that there will be a shakeup on this team comes and goes by the day it seems. Right now it sure doesn't feel like we're willing to do much of anything. Sometimes you have to "lose" a trade to win it is kind of my view. You won't get what a lot of people consider value, but in the end the only value is a 'W' in the standings and whatever gets that done is what should have value.
Sometimes that's as simple as a composition in the team. Or staff.
Right now, it is clear we need another defender who can eat up big minutes. We have no hope with Staois having to step up so much. Smid isn't ready either and Strudwick isn't a capable NHL defenceman outside of a few minutes a night.
Why did Theo Peckham only play 7 1/2 minutes against Detroit? There would have been no consequences for playing him a ton once we were down. Might as well with the way things were going.
Its almost futile making suggestions at this point; we just keep doing the same thing and expecting a different result.
I don't expect to have time for a trade prop tomorrow due to work so I'll throw another couple out there for you today:
Ladislav Smid, Marc Pouliot for Paul Ranger.
Grebeshkov, Nilsson, Penner, 2nd ('09), 2nd ('10) for David Booth and Jay Bouwmeester
Jacques and Roy, 5th for Weight.
Moreau for Kozlov (ATL)
I may have lost my mind; it's been a long day at work.
Booth-Weight-Hemsky
Gagner-Cogliano-Cole
Kozlov-Horcoff-Pisani
Moreau-Brodziak-whoever
Souray-Gilbert
Bouwmeester-Ranger
Staios-Vet not named Strudwick
3 comments:
Daum has become the coach at Springfield. IIRC you are a fan of his. Is this a good move and will Brule and Shremp benefit?
I am indeed a fan of his and sure hope that it will help out our young players.
I also hope this is the first step to him becoming the Oilers coach soon.
From what I've read today, he seems to be an offensively oriented coach. I'm betting Brule and Schremp benefit but the guy I've got my eye on is Chorney. It sounds like he's had a rough season up to this point on both sides of the puck.
If Daum can help our underachieving prospects make some progress in the last quarter of the season, he's setting himself up for success in this organization. Here's hoping...
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