This is me in the summer of 1971, the Montreal Canadiens having ripped my heart out just a few weeks earlier. This is 17 miles north of Maidstone, the goat is Billy and I think the dog’s name was Zero (she had a white zero on her back).
Billy filled the Mark Messier role on the two acres of land I lived on in 1971. He was an ornery cuss, as my Dad used to say. Billy sent my Mom ass over tea kettle when she was putting the bed sheets on the clothes line once, it was the maddest I’d ever seen Mom. Wow.
Billy was an absolute ass, stunk to high heavens and was mean as dirt. He couldn’t skate or score like Mark Messier, but it is a good comparable all the same.
I read here, there and everywhere about the rugged soul of the Oilers. Enormous worry about losing Evander Kane via trade, and not having enough Billy Goats in the lineup.
I have more than a little sympathy for those who worry about that side of the game. It’s important, and historically NHL teams have placed great importance on that side of the game.
An example: Sam Pollock, general manager of the Montreal Canadiens. Tired of watching his beautiful skill Canadiens get pushed around, Pollock acquired John Ferguson and Ted Harris, and elevated Terry Harper and Jacques Laperriere over a two-season period in the early 1960’s. The Montreal Canadiens became a lot more difficult to play against. I should mention their captain, Jean Beliveau, was universally respected but no shy violet (based on my father’s reporting). In my own mind, I think Leon Draisaitl maybe plays a similar style in terms of physicality. Any road, the violent Maple Leafs became less worrisome, Ted Harris’ nose spent the 1960’s getting broken and he ended the decade with a long and winding road on the front of his face. Harris and Pollock didn’t care, the club had miles of Stanleys.
Another example: During the final WHA season, Edmonton Oilers coach (and soon GM) Glen Sather observed a skinny Mark Messier easily winning a fight over Oilers’ center Dennis Sobchuk. In 1979 summer, the NHL Oilers drafted him. I have zero idea if Sather knew Messier would be Messier, and the draft day reports included old timey sayings like Messier was ‘raw boned’ but that decision gave this Edmonton Oilers franchise the rugged soul so many of you fret over to this day. Messier, no one will argue against me here, could play in any situation. He was a mur-diddly-urderer on the ice, but he could play the game well.
That’s the point here. John Ferguson could play in the heart of the game. Ted Harris and Terry Harper could, too. Mark Messier was the heart of the game.
When Zach Hyman delivered 28.6 hits-60 at five-on-five (No. 1 forward in the playoffs among the group who played 120+ minutes), that was the rugged soul of the Edmonton Oilers, right? Or is that somehow discounted because he is also skilled?
Do fans want effective players who are physical and can make a difference in the heart of the game, or someone who goes out there and does dumb stuff until he takes a penalty? Hard-nosed hockey is effective, stupid is stupid. There’s a difference.
Darnell Nurse and his 6.49 hits-60 at five-on-five during the playoffs led Edmonton defensemen and was No. 12 among qualified defensemen (160+ minutes, I want the skill players and defensemen play more). So, when we talk about adding to the rugged soul of the Oilers, we can start with names like Hyman, Nurse, Podkolzin and Frederic, right? Or is this just a desire to add some Coke machines? If that’s the goal, I can’t join your cause. I’ve had a mittful of that kind of hockey and it’s no. damn. good.
On the Lowdown today, I’ll be joined by Bagged Milk from Oilers Nation. We’ll talk about the rugged soul of the Edmonton Oilers, about the Riverhawks making the postseason and about the CFL weekend to come. Sports 1440 radio, noon to 2pm.
Of course, Evander Kane played zero games last regular season so we aren’t losing anything there. He was effective early in the playoffs but his game faded and, in the SCF, he could stop hi-sticking the opposition in the face and became close to unplayable due to penalties.
Trent Frederic played 7 minutes last regular season so we are adding a legit aggressive power forward – no, he’s not as vicious as Kane but he does have trash-talk swagger in his game and will definitely bang some bodies when he’s able to skate.
Nope, doesn’t have Kane’s goal scoring upside but he is a much more responsible 2-way player (defensive half boards and neutral zone puck responsibility are not issues), can play up and down the lineup in all three positions and might be able to help on the PK.
It seems currently this is not a place of importance for the Oilers during the regular season but it becomes more important in the playoffs. Oilers were dead last in hits during the regular season and middle of the pack in the playoffs.
I do expect the Oilers to “care” about the regular season more this coming than last mind you.
I believe he dragged the likes of Podz and others in to that fight a bit.
Heartbeat of the team.
When the youngster Messier held his stick like a lumberjack toe to toe with the Big Bird you knew better then to eff with this certified Ponoko resident.
I thought Mess was from St. Albert. Where exactly is Ponoko?
Great write up today LT, not that they all aren’t, but this one stands out for me. Every team needs a Billy Goat it’s a distinguished part of team chemistry. They still haven’t acquired him yet; Bowman has got to turn over a few more rocks to find him. But he will, the guy absolutely has to be able to play and that’s why he’s so difficult to find. I don’t know if Leason or Kostin are the right mix. Maybe if they’re told to summon their inner Billy Goat one of them can fill that need. I think Nurse could fill the void, but he thinks he’s some kind of super star or something, he definitely needs to fall back to earth.
Frederic is like that, which is why Bowman got him and wanted to keep him. Need more though
What is a herd of Billy Goats called? I’ll have to google it.
Apparently, a group of goats would be identified as “a trip of goats”. Isn’t that a trip.
The 2010-11 season was an important one for the Oilers insofar as it began the team’s transition over to the new core that consisted of Hall, Eberle, & Paajarvi. That team was thin on depth, thin on defense, and probably the softest I’ve ever seen. No bite besides a few 4th liners who could barely skate.
That season saw the Oilers get regularly dummied, with Ladi Smid getting beaten up by Sean Avery, and 19 year old Taylor Hall eventually getting injured in a scrap in Columbus.
That season the Oilers paid big tough Sheldon Souray to not play. For a team that pathetic defensively and with no snarl it made no sense. Tambellini ended up buying Souray out a year later, getting no asset in return while he played for Dallas then Anaheim.
What the hell were Lowe and Tambellini thinking? Sending a bunch of skinny rookies out to face the rigors of the NHL with only Steve McIntyre as their deterrent. No wonder management chased Lucic rainbows until they finally caught it.
I’m with your line. Players that the coach won’t play when the chips are down are useless and should be upgraded. Most winning teams are tough. The Avs upgraded that and won a Cup. The winning Lightning teams were tough, the Knights were tough and dirty, the Panthers pure filth. Those teams could also play most of their players as they went, which is also important to stay fresh enough
A GM has to ice the best team he can, and upgrades aren’t always available or any potential deal a sensible one. For me I prefer not to use undersized players, especially on D, unless they are top offensive solid players, or talented and insane like Marchand. TO me they can’t contribute enough without those traits. Too easy to play against
I don’t see the Oilers D as soft. They aren’t particularly mean though, and I wouldn’t object to a billy goat or two back there, and up front. As it stands that could be added at 2 and 3 RD. At F I would look to adding some functional jerkyness to the bottom 6. I think that explains the bet on Clattenburg
Only problem is the Oilers can’t play that way. Using Maurice’s they’ll only call 4 penalties regardless would be modified to 10 to 12 for the Oilers. Knoblauch would have them reined in and playing in fear like the finals last year.
I think that they can, even if Kane couldn’t. They need to play more like that consistently, because trying to turn it on you could see many of them weren’t good at it and were high sticking. They also have to score more when they get a PP against teams with a good PK