I have been around animals my entire life, and not one of them could express disdain, befuddlement and attitude like Ziggy. There are times when she gets so frustrated with me that she leaves the room, never breaking eye contact as she does it. I mean, if looks could kill! The way Ziggy feels about me at times, I feel the same way about the Oilers this season. Flummoxed, bebothered and bewildered am I.
The fun for me in following sports is picking a team and watching the build, brick by brick. I loved watching Glen Sather build the Oilers, Whitey Herzog build the Cardinals, Hugh Campbell build the Eskimos, Howie Roseman build the Eagles. I call it “playing along at home” and this entire blog is build on that idea. The Lowetide blog doesn’t show you video and break down plays (Bruce Curlock is your man) or explain the thinking behind creating the parameters of the numbers I post (call Woodguy, he’s damned smart unless you are trying to identify a left-handed defenseman) each day.
No sir. This blog doesn’t spend much time on anything other than watching the roster ebb and flow. This season of the Oilers is most disagreeable for those of us who play along at home. Only now is it coming into view.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN MARCH
- At home to: OTT, CAR (Expected 1-1-0) 1-1-0
- On the road to: VEG, COL, DAL, STL (Expected 2-2-0) 2-1-1
- At home to: NAS, SJS, FLA, TBAY (Expected 2-1-1) 1-0-0
- On the road to: UTA, VEG (Expected 1-1-0)
- At home to: ANA, SEA (Expected 1-1-0)
- Expected Record: 7-6-1, 15 points in 14 games
- Actual Record: 4-2-1
- Season Record: 33-26-9, 75 points in 69 games
The Oilers really do need to romp through the second half of this month. Nine points have been collected in seven games, and another nine points in the next seven gets Edmonton to 84 points in 76 games. Still a miserable record considering the super nova talent at the top of the roster, but the Pacific division is most accommodating this season. Bizarre year.
Back to the conversation. It took exactly one forever to straighten up and fly right this year. The record above recognizes the absence of one of those patented Kris Knoblauch winning streaks and my goodness if the team is in the middle of one now, music!
I asked Rachel Kryshak why the improvement arrived now, and she listed the additions of Jason Dickinson and Connor Murphy, better attention to detail and a more intense checking game. PLus goaltending. The Oilers are contesting pucks more often now, you can see it in the offensive and neutral zone tunovers every night.
The current goodness arrived in a small sample, and who knows it could last like a snowflake in a hot place. For now, playing along at home is an enjoyable experience. A person like me enjoys seeing young players establish themselves (Matt Savoie) or introduce themselves (Josh Samanski) as contributors. I’m thrilled for Vasily Podkolzin, who has scored 15-15-30 in 68 games (the same point total delivered by Dean McAmmond in 1995-96, although it took McAmmond only 53 games). I hope Stan Bowman can find more.
The Oilers style of procurement became lazy and tiresome over the past few seasons. This team is more interesting. The cap is going up but the quality of free agency is sinking like a stone. Time for more Podkolzin-type deals in the offseason. This team is interesting again.
On the Lowdown today, it’s the rountable Tuesday edition. It’s like Wild Kingdom for radio, as Declan Krueger, Donovan Paulson, Josh Fenwick and MacKenzie McLennan hunt down the poor zebra (me) with great precision. Join us noon to 2pm, Sports 1440, and we’ll talk about tonight’s game.
No one in the shooting lane. No one boxing out. Pee wee coverage.
Thank you Buffalo and TBL (for tonight) –
Final 1/4 performance vs. “strength of schedule” (tiers as of 21 games remaining) update:
“Toughest”: 2-2 (Ott, Car, Dal, Col) –> 3 left (TBL, Ana, Col)
Middle: 2-0 (Vegas, SJ) –> 6 left (Utah, Veg, Sea, Veg, Utah, SJ)
“Easiest”: 1-0-1 (StL, Nas) –> 4 left (Flor, Chi, LA, Van)
In reality, especially now, Ana and Veg are upper middle class, while the only “easiest” would be Chi and Van.
Florida is banged up and weaker, but they are going to treat Thursday like their SCF game, so let’s hope the boys can add insult to injury to those bozos
Kraken and Knights both lose at home on regulation to eastern teams.
George parros is professional bullshitter. I wish George Laraque would thumped him a little harder back in the day.
Summarizing!
Lafreniere did not garner soup despite a game-high 6 SOG.
ZMH:
After 0G2A in first 6 games back from injury, continues an excellent scoring pace-
29 G 15 A in last 44 games for a 54G/82GP pace
On pace for another 35+ goal season
The Samanski line was the only one that was positive as far as possession tonight.
Samanski is such a calm and responsible player.
I don’t think that he’s going back to Bakersfield. He’s a beauty
It took 13 years, but Eakins finally did some good for this team.
Yup, huge!
Just curious, what’s the connection between Eakins and Samanski?
Eakins coached against Samanski in the German league and actually called the Oilers to give them intel on him and the scouting report.
They need to make a OTL zero points, just run 3vs3 until someone scores.
It’s a bit silly that a lot of teams wouldn’t be playoff contenders (like the oilers unfortunately) if a loss was a loss.
Wild how tie games would just be a point each back in the day. I’m not sure if that would be better.
3 pts for regulation win would be way more equitable
(2 pts OTW/SOW, 1 pt OTL/SOL)
And you might have less teams nursing ties to OT in the first place
1 more point-
Oil had only 4 RW in first 23 GP compared to
22 RW in the last 46 GP
This may not seem that great, but the pace of their past 46 GP would have put them at 32 RW vs. their current 26, just ahead of Carolina for 3rd. Despite all of their struggles
No team should get zero points after battling to a tie for 60 minutes, unless OT is also 5 on 5 (MAYBE 4 on 4). If they are going to change the point system it would have to be 3 points for a regulation win, 2 for an OTW – in my opinion.
Back in the day a tie was called kissing your sister in 1986-87 Oilers only had 6 tie games all year. The previous years 12T was the norm for the Oil. Teams went for it harder in the last 10 minutes if a game was tied now teams nurse for OT. I’m glad the NHL and MLB have still kept the old school rules for playoffs. The Olympics final OT rules were bush league. The NFL new kickoff rule must of been dreamed up by some fat cat CEO 8 year-old child.
”I’m glad the NHL and MLB have still kept the old school rules for playoffs. The Olympics final OT rules were bush league”
Agreed.
A win is a win is a win . . . so I suggest the simplest points award.
3 points for a win of any kind . . . 1 point for OTL.
I disagree with that. If you get through regulation tied, no team should walk away with 3x the points (or 2 more) than the other.
Isn’t soccer 3 for a win, 1 for a tie? Even here, the points are all for winning in regulation
I like simple, 16 teams with the most wins ranked 1-16.
Buffalo up on Vegas, Tampa up on Seattle. This could be a grand night for the out of town scoreboard too. Fingers and toes crossed!
Going to need more games like that where you get contributions up and down the lineup. Something to build on.
Great to get the win. Keep’em coming.
Ingram looking solid.
.9er!
Huge 4 point win; the Oilers are back in control of their playoff destiny. They can’t let their foot off the gas, but they’ve managed to put some distance between themselves and the Sharks (and hopefully the Kraken), and avenged the loss from a few weeks ago.
Scoring goals is not and has never been this team’s issue; even without Leon, they put up 5 tonight. They win when they play responsibly in both the O-zone and D-zone and don’t cheat for offence leaving their goalies out to dry.
Rico’s best game of the season – by far – I would suggest.
He almost tipped one, too
He’s fresh and ready for the stretch drive after having a nice midseason veteran break.
Having been out for a significant time, he should have lots of juice for a long playoff run.
Geez Bouch with 59 apples to date! Having a season!
Tonight we are all O’ilers
#PlayLaBambaBaby
A good win, and it is even sweeter to stick it to my Sharks fan teenaged son.
My son is a Calgarian die-hard Oilers fan, but he’s had a soft spot for Celebrini since end of last season, and its hard to deny
A bit of wobble in the middle but a very strong result
Big game for several players
Are the games in hand in the room with us right now?
Let’s go Buffalos now! Absolute scenes if they take down Vegas.
Solid win!
Nice win!!!! Heal fast Leon.
#antiharlemglobetrotterhockey
Did not care for that no-look giveaway backhand pass from McDavid at the blueline
I was going to ask when the last time Henrique had a 2-point game, but that’s his 3rd of the season (only his 9th game with a point).
We’ve got an expensive line, might as well use it, right?! They’re only at 7-10 mins each – If they can give 10-12 mins like this every night, that would be ideal
Hemrique was the only multiple-point getter tonight.
Sample is small but is Savoie a PPG 5 on 5 player on a line with McDavid
He has taken huge step forward last 3-4 weeks!
He’s proving a lot by his elevation & solving some line up shortcomings by running with the new role.
Yep! A lot of good players have struggled trying to play with 97.
He has slotted in seamlessly
He can skate with McDavid; he doesn’t complicate his game and plays to Connor’s strengths. It’s very complimentary
Just a dime a dozen, replaceable winger.
If we can move Nuge off the McDavid line, that gives us so much more flexibility.
Excited to see him in the playoffs. Good to see him on the PP
Brought the lunchpails today
For 2.5 periods, but that’s usually good enough!
Zach cleaning up the garbage! Nice work by Savoi!
ZACH FIVEMAN!
NOW the guys in blue are the hardest working team…Hyman!!!!!
Nice tip by Savoie to open that up for Hyman.
Needed that insurance – great net front goal by Hyman.
All four lines have scored tonight!
Max Scoretini!
Max Jones – clearly about to demand an 8 year deal at 4 per because he’s better than Frederic.
In all seriousness – very strong play there.
Jones’ 2nd goal of the year, Freddy’s 2nd assist of the year.
oh…so they gave Freddy an assist..?…they didn’t announce it over the PA but I thought he deserved an apple…nice
Jones I never doubted you.
Fourth line goal – HUGE.
Rico has had maybe his best game of the season.
Way to win that battle and head tot he net Jones!
Jones you beauty!
mmmmmmmmmMMMMMMMMMAXIMUM JONESY!
AHL 3rd liner comes up big again
One thing i noticed is it seems that other teams tend to block allot more shots than we do. And if it’s Nurse attempting a block it usually goes in our own net.
3-2 final Venezuela!!!!
This third period the latest in a long string of opportunities that “will tell us a lot about this team”.
I guess we should be thankful we’re still in this with a chance
Nurse that was a horrible shot that ended up in a breakaway
I get rather annoyed when a person making more than 9 mil to play a game as a grown man makes a decision that 10 year olds successfully understand they should avoid.
And he does it all the time.
A lot of players don’t give it that extra oof that allowed them to get the big contract. Nurse is relatively injury free for a supposed physical presence he’ll play in the league until he’s 38-39 with his B plus skating ability.
Sure, but Murphy has to absolutely knock down that puck. Even a 10 year old knows it’s a breakaway if he doesn’t.
I should have tracked how many Darnell Specials there have been this year. Add another.
I saw it right before it happened
Yea Nurse miss’s the net, skips by Murphy at the point and it’s a jailbreak for a goal….
fak. serves me right for posting neg-like.
driving me nuts a bit.
so many plays where the other guy is exposed and all it takes is the littlest little bump to disrupt him and entirely shut down an offensive drive but the Oilers player literally skates away from the dude, like mirroring the guy’s movement with a gap of maybe two feet total, and letting shit happen.
they can’t afford to do that.
I shoulda kept my mouth shut about how they were playing…
Ingram has kept it close in this period – Sharks are outskating the Oilers right now
They are a fast team and that is normally trouble for Oilers
Do the Oilers ever score deflection goals? Kane would once in a blue moon. Seems like other teams score a lot of deflections against Edmonton, going all the way back to the play in against Chicago.
Distinctly improved play after the 3-2 goal that should have happened 7 min ago