I was a Boston Bruins fan as a kid because of Bobby Orr. Lots of kids my age were, he was young and the future and the one guy my Dad didn’t call a hood (Derek Sanderson), a hippie (again Sanderson) or a troublemaker (Sanderson with the hat trick).
It also didn’t hurt that the Bruins had a bunch of guys from around my part of the planet on the team. Garnet Bailey and Barry Gibbs were from Lloydminster, Gregg Sheppard and Skip Krake from North Battleford, Bill Lesuk was from Moose Jaw.
Once the Oilers arrived in the NHL, my attention was split between the two teams. It was easy enough to do, the Bruins were in the Adams division with Buffalo, Toronto, Minnesota (!!!) and Quebec. Edmonton was in the Smythe division, with Chicago, St. Louis, Vancouver, Winnipeg and Colorado (Rockies).
I love the lore of the Bruins. You know, they’ve never won jack doodley without a HHOF blue? It’s true. In 1929, Eddie Shore (from Saskatchewan) was at his peak, and he was still around a decade later picking wings off flies. Joining him on the 1939 champion team were impact blue Dit Clapper plus Flash Hollett. Both of those men were repeat champions in 1941 with Boston. Bobby Orr was on the 1970 and 1972 teams, and Zdeno Chara blocked out the sun for the 2011 Bruins.
If the Oilers win the Stanley this season, it’ll be the offense that carries them. Same as it ever was:
- 1984: Gretzky (205), Kurri, Coffey, Messier all over 100 points.
- 1985: Gretzky (208), Kurri, Coffey all over 100 points.
- 1987: Gretzky, Kurri, Messer all over 100 points.
- 1988: Gretzky, Messier over 100 points, Kurri at 96.
- 1990: Messier over 100 points, Kurri at 93.
THE ATHLETIC!
- New Lowetide: Why this Oilers-Bruins 4-player trade makes sense for both teams
- Lowetide: Oilers vs. Maple Leafs in the Stanley Cup Final? It’d be a fever dream
- Lowetide: Ranking 5 right-handed defenders the Oilers should target in a trade
- New DNB: Why a scoring winger should be the Oilers’ top trade deadline priority
- Lowetide: Where can the Edmonton Oilers improve their draft strategy in 2024?
- Lowetide: What are the Edmonton Oilers’ 5 biggest trade deadlines ever?
- DNB: Philip Broberg is showing his promise: Will NHL opportunity come with the Oilers or elsewhere?
- Lowetide: Breaking down the Oilers’ 50-man list at the trade deadline
- DNB: Oilers trade deadline notebook: Potential chips, fits — and will Edmonton acquire a goalie?
- Lowetide: What’s Oilers prospect defenceman Max Wanner’s NHL ETA?
- DNB: Kris Knoblauch’s lineup decisions just pan out as Oilers get back to winning ways
- Lowetide: Oilers’ right wing makeover nearing completion after years of tinkering
- DNB: Jack Campbell is regaining confidence in the minors, but an Oilers return doesn’t appear imminent
- Lowetide: The Oilers’ winning streak is over but they’re finally a 5-on-5 wagon
- DNB: Oilers come up 1 game short of NHL win-streak record. What went wrong?
- Lowetide: 7 reasons the Oilers should be all-in at the NHL trade deadline
- Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers top 20 prospects ranking, winter 2023
WHAT TO EXPECT IN FEBRUARY
- On the road to: VEG, ANA, LAK (Expected 2-1-0) (Actual 1-2-0)
- At home to: DET (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 1-0-0)
- On the road to: STL, DAL, ARI (Expected 1-1-1) (Actual 2-1-0)
- At home to: BOS, MIN, CAL, LAK, STL (Expected 3-2-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- Overall expected result: 7-4-1, 15 points in 12 games
- Actual February results: 4-3-0, 8 points in 7 games
- Oilers in 2023-24: 33-18-1, 67 points in 52 games
I have tonight as a loss. Over the next five, the wins I predicted are against Minnesota, Calgary and St. Louis. Leaving losses to Boston and Los Angeles.
THE 1979
In the beginning, the Edmonton Oilers got mugged. Each WHA team was given the right to protect four names, and one of the Oilers players was Bengt Gustafsson. He and Wayne Gretzky were the only “hands-off” skaters the league would allow, and even then the Washington Capitals put in a claim and won Gustafsson. I remain incensed. It’s similar to the draft pick Edmonton surrendered in the Milan Lucic deal, only 10 times worse because Gustafsson enjoyed a productive career and was known to be a good player on the day Edmonton protected him. Just an absolute miscarriage of justice.
Edmonton’s lead hockey man (although listed as coach on draft day) Glen Sather, was ecstatic after the expansion drafted because Buffalo left Lee Fogolin unprotected. Music!! Fogolin is the great unsung hero of the Oilers. It was he who instilled the spirit of the team in those young men named Kevin Lowe, Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier. Fogolin was as strong as an ox, he was a modern Tim Horton in that he could staple you to the wall and you weren’t moving one inch, baby.
On that draft day, the expansion one, Sather said “too many of the (available in the expansion draft) players have outta sight contracts, problems with their present coach or GM, a drinking problem or are already retired, like Bobby Orr. And that doesn’t even include the guys who aren’t very good, period.” (via July 1979 The Hockey News)
Sather was the mastermind behind the Oilers build, despite Larry Gordon having the general manager title. Here are the men chosen by Edmonton in the 1979 expansion draft, and the NHL games played from 1979-80 until they retired.
- Lee Fogolin 595
- Pat Price 544
- Colin Campbell 339
- Doug Hicks 204
- Cam Connor 68
- John Gould 52
- Mike Forbes 18
- Wayne Bianchin 11
- Ron Areshenkoff 4
- Pete LoPresti 2
- Larry Brown 0
- Inge Hammarstrom 0
- Tom Edur 0
- Doug Favell 0
- Doug Patey 0
- J-Bob Kelly 0
Only Alain Cote would play more games than Fogolin and Price. The Quebec Nordiques were the one team that wouldn’t make a prearranged deal with the Montreal Canadiens and made the Habs sweat until the fifteenth round.
Edmonton ran circles around their expansion sisters, and the rest of the league. On August 9, 1979 the club drafted Kevin Lowe, Mark Messier and Glenn Anderson, who (along with Wayne Gretzky) would conquer the world. Five days after the draft, the Oilers signed Charlie Huddy as an undrafted amateur free agent. The first trade between Edmonton and Boston was Dan Newman to the Bruins for Bobby Schmautz. There were many to follow. There were some long shot bets in Edmonton’s expansion. Tom Edur became a Jehovah’s Witness and retired mid-career, Slats took a chance. Wayne Bianchin had legit worrisome injury issues.
TONIGHT’S GAME
I don’t have much to say about tonight’s game. Edmonton’s penalty kill is the lead story, the baffling horror of the second period would make the front page but under the fold. I’m a tad worried about the ‘pinch of sin per 60’ from the defensemen, that’s clearly the assignment but it’s leading to myriad two-on-one chances. I’m hoping the Nuge-McDavid-Hyman and Kane-Leon-McLeod lines see the light of day.
CONDORS WIN!
Carter Savoie scored his sixth goal of the season in overtime to lead the Bakersfield Condors to victory last night. He’s a first-shot scorer, but has just 14 goals in 87 AHL games. Edmonton’s forward prospects don’t touch the puck enough to have much impact, so the Savoie goal stands out and is encouraging. I also saw some signs of life from Xavier Bourgault and Tyler Tullio last night, perhaps this season can be salvaged after all. Raphael Lavoie has 41 goals in his last 100 games, in case anyone asks.
The Lowdown hits the air at noon today, two hours of fun on Sports 1440. We’ll chat with Bruce McCurdy from the Cult of Hockey at the Edmonton Journal and have something from the Bruins side, too. You can reach me at Lowetide on twitter, in the comments section or on the Sports 1440 text line at 1.833.401.1440 directly.
Since I can recall, anytime I have made a statement extolling the virtues of the Oilers or a particular player on the team, said team or player proceeds to circle around the bowl.
I recently made positive comments about Skinner’s abilities and future potential and since that time, Stuey’s game has tanked.
So, for the sake of the team and it’s players, I will forever refrain from saying anything positive about any of them, ever again.
You all can thank me during the parade in the summer.
Cheers!
Its early days but there’s a pretty serious course correction happening in support scoring. Team itself remains > 5GF/Game since the ASG. I thought the PK was less scrambled last night. The GA was meh and the royal roads were less open. Pastrnak gets to the middle of the ice so well. Our top fellas should take a note on how often he shoots once he gets to the middle.
McDavid has tracked down the Art Ross on the back of a crazy apple output rate in February with 18 in eight which is 184.5 over a season and 21.5 more than Gretzky’s record of 163. Only one goal though. His shot rate has dipped by 1.42 per game this month. Oilers have four games in hand on each of the Bolts and Avs. A trickier stat is the chase to 1,000. He’d need 65 in the remaining 29 games to get there so 2.24/game. That’s daunting but he’s been scoring at a 2.25 pace since the ASG so who knows. If he keeps up the Feb apple pace he’d land with 129. 3rd best all time and he too would do it in 80 games. For the year he’s on pace for 99 apples which would be the best output in 32 years and only three players have cracked 100.
The numbers may not mean anything to McDavid but its clear that he’s been pushing intentionally with different areas of his game. Seeing how high up the all time lists he can climb. What a player.
Oilers blew a glorious opportunity with the extra time powerplay… so what did they do? Played the same old bloody “stars” as if the rest of the team doesn’t exist.
Predictably the powerplay was just that, predictable and the Boston team shut it down cold.
Since powerplays by definition are meant to provide that extra shock for the other team why the frick can’t they play say, Janmark then Nurse, instead of Bouchard with that dumb bomb from the point that has such a low chance of scoring?
All that it just makes Bouchard’s agent cream himself at the thought of his buddy racking up points that in this case didn’t even come.
The powerplay isn’t the scary thing it used to be. Time to overhaul it, and let other players get an occasional crack at the thing. Or is everything just peachy, and I’m totally out to lunch here?
A miraculous save by Swayman on Drai on the 4 on 3 or we are talking about a statement comeback win!
Yeah, how the heck did the goalie know that shot was coming????
Heck of a game and well earned point by all of the skaters. Foegele, Hyman, and Perry were our best forwards.
Are we officially worried about Skinner again? Several consecutive games with sub .900 and at least 1 regrettable goal. Does he need Pickard to give him more breaks?
As good as McDavid always is, his performance today left me wanting. His passing up of scoring chances has become predictable to fans, and I believe other teams are expecting pass because he hasn’t kept them honest enough this season with the shot.
I know Boston is missing several key D but missing RNH was noticeable. Particularly that in tight wrister option on the PP
When he’s back, could they run
Hyman-McDavid-Foegele
Kane-Draisaitl-McLeod
Holloway-Nuge-Perry
Janmark-Ryan-Brown/Gagner?
We all have thoughts who’s to blame. Probably cause we’re all passionate. But aside from that the quality of play from top to bottom since the Vegas loss is beyond poor. Somehow someways it needs to get fixed. Did 16-0 make them think they’re invincible?
Actually, yes.
16-0 represents a near miraculous record. It’s understandable that the players think they’re invincible.
The coach’s job on the other hand is to get the team to play in another way, once the losses start piling up like since the All Star break.
That last sequence by 71 and 91 was awful, but even being there at all was bad.
You have to score 4-on-3. McDavid has to make a play instead of forcing passes that aren’t there.
Boston also scored 5 on a night where they should have maybe had 3. Maybe.
The only area where they outclass the Oilers is goaltending. And as the Oilers showed tonight – even excellent goaltending can’t actually win against sublime talent combined with execution. It is one of the great misnomers in hockey commentary.
If they’d have showed up from the start, they absolutely hammer the Bruins.
A miraculous save by Swayman on Drai on the 4 on 3 or we are talking about a statement comeback win!
The powerplay in OT looked awful.
Will take the point, but Oilers were a saloon door defensively most of the evening.
That McLeod/Kane combo was hot garbage out there in OT. Pee-eww!
Overall though an incredibly entertaining game, against an excellent opponent.
Great job by the Oilers to scrap out the point when they were down 4-1. I’ll never hate on an OT loss. They executed well on their PP in OT just couldn’t find the goal. The Bruins also played really well. The Oilers should be looking at how the bruins use motion in the o zone to generate offence. They zip the puck around like they are psychically connected.
Saved a point so good job guys.
but for discussion, who should have been out for 3on 3?
it’s not like we have any shut down forwards who can skate. And in the bottom six, we should have.
Kane and Skinner reviving the Bushwackers out there.
I was nervous that if we didn’t score on the 4 on 3 PP we were going to be under pressure when 97+29 left the ice exhausted and Bruins gunners were coming over the boards rested. Kane and Highlander got pinned in by Pasternak and game over. Was a hell of a come back to get the single point though.
That’s how you lose games – depending on a few players to do everything important.
I see Oilers still think like offense can be turned off and on like a beer tap.
Sloppy and fun, I guess, LT gets his wish with a MacavOrr winner!
Oilers really gotta get their special teams re-vamped, the PP is sooooooooo predictable – Drai should work on a few alternate moves – bump back to centre, off-speed stuff…
Yes. The time Bouchard carried the puck in caused chaos on both sides. “My hid what is happening, McDavid has to carry the puck in” Some unexpected change would be great for keeping the other team guessing.
Drai’s one timer, slide it net front to Hyman, some variation please. .
Connor McDavid shooting the puck?
Yes and yes. They back right in for him worried about the pass.
Great comeback caused by a brutal effort. 6 goals against another poor effort by Skinner. Is he getting burnt out?
Kane is not a 3 on 3 player. He could have skated out the icing but bailed to the bench. That was a disappointing end to a game they could have won
The brutal bank pass was the culprit there. That puck was 25ft ahead of Kane.
He was the lead man on the race but bailed
He was at the end of the shift and the Bruin had momentum.
Terrible pass under full control.
I don’t want to see Kane on a 3-3 anymore. Doesn’t have the awareness of that kind of open ice. Great in a physical game. Not for a wide open 3-3…
No Nuge tonight and 18/97/29 were tired after the PP. I guess Holloway would be OK
I’m not happy with the stick swinging useless coverage. That was bad. Just one of then had to take the man out of the play to regain the puck and each had several
chances. Weak.
Battled back to get a point against a quality team. Great game.
Bad goaltending on both sides tonight
Holy moly…heck of a finish. Skinner flopping around like fish out there 8n overtime. But what skill…Boston really showed why they have been good for so long…
I like Kane, not in OT
Yah, better options on the bench
What a waste. Awful.
Why was Kane on the ice 3 on 3
Terrible puck management all game
Stuart skinner was hellbent on losing that game.
That said McLeod played that OT horribly. Not sure if it was he or Nurse with that really lame icing that ultimately caught them but ugly shift all around.
This team isn’t good for heart health..,
This team, man…spilly drinks all over…
What is #97 doing???
He’s passed up every good shooting chance he’s had the last 2 periods.
This thing should be over.
GOOD LORD
Great save. Credit where it’s due
I don’t know about the rest of you, but in Stu I trust.
Holy man do we ever like to make things interesting…anyone else yelling at Bouch to hurry the hell up?
Way to work, Janny!!! No quit!!!
This is mighty fine entertainment.
What a ride
Of course Brown on the 2 on 1. I know it was a tough pass, but most nhl forwards still get a stick on that
McLeod also has to shoot that. No matter who’s over there.
No such thing as a HDSC when Brown is the shooter.
That was an awful 2on1 played there. Aweful. Guys, create a lane. Then dam poor pass. Awefull.
That 80’s Show!!!!
BOOM!!! Hyman net front!!! Dirty areas, baby!!!
This team will be the death of me, I swear…
Hyman in the rough!
Skinner is moving as about as good as Perry’s feet.
WTF was Perry doing there?
Last goal wins? What a 3rd period!
That was an awful shift.
What a horrendous shift. At least 4 chances to get it out.
Stupid. Everyone just standing around
Skinner? Who do we blame this one on?
Whoever threw it slow as molasses along the blue line for the turnover
Happy as anyone else but why does it take 45 minutes to give a shit?
I didn’t think Perry had any gas left in the tank. I think he knows what he’s doing when he gives himself a quick 5 min rest in the penalty box.
Perry is all over this game.