Watching Neal score four goals against the Islanders last night (as well as the two goals he scored in the game before) there was a single thought coursing through my brain... this Edmonton Oilers team is desperately missing the presence of Milan Lucic.
Fans in Edmonton have been dreading this blog for some time but were hoping it would be at least a few months before this realization would come to pass. Unfortunately through the first three games of the season, it is obvious:
The Calgary Flames have absolutely fleeced the Edmonton Oilers on the James Neal trade
Take a look at this season leading number
No not that one:
Milan Lucic has nearly doubled the PIM's of the next leading player in the league. As Brian Burke once said, "hockey is a man's game. The team with the most real men wins." Milan Lucic is a man; a man's man. Calgary was down 3-0 against the LA Kings and Lucic picked the team up on his shoulders and said enough was enough and punched Kurtis MacDermid in the face. Punching MacDermid in the face reminded Lucic's teammates that they were playing in a hockey game and rallied his team to a comeback.
The Calgary Flames scored a goal less than 5 minutes after this fight; not because Lucic coincidentally wasn't on the ice during that five minute stretch, but because face punching has been proven to be the most effective way to score goals.
In his first game of the season a similar case happened. Lucic did as Lucic does and used his presence and truculence to take 17 minutes worth of penalties from an Instigator, Fighting Major, and 10 minute Misconduct. Shortly after this, Sam Bennett (who is Lucic's linemate) took a shot on net, then cycled the puck back to Giordano who scored a goal. All of this was possible because Lucic wasn't on the ice, rallying his team to score from the penalty box.
Look at another brilliant Lucic play:
Milan Lucic has the puck on a string here. It is a very long string that stretches a few dozen feet off of his stick, but it is a string nonetheless.
Enough gushing over Lucic, let's focus back on the albatross contract that is James Neal. Flames fans would be correct in pointing out that Neal has only scored these paltry six goals, which is the most any Oilers player has scored in the first 3 games of a season ever, beating out players such as Kurri and Gretzky...
Lost my train of thought...
Neal has only scored these six goals because he is being fed passes by Connor McDavid and that is absolutely correct. Well it's been playing with McDavid, Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent Hopkins, and elite forward Tomas Jurco, but that is it.
Calgary utilized James Neal in the role he should be in; playing bottom six minutes with players who don't generate any noticeable amount of offense. Edmonton is employing a crazy, nonsensical strategy of trying to have Neal succeed in a role by playing him with other skilled players. Honestly this goes against everything anyone knows about hockey and I expect Tippett to be fired any day now for trying to implement such a cockamane plan.
The only thing Neal can be proud of right now is providing the Oilers with a top 6 winger who looks set to easily surpass the 20 goal mark this season. Meanwhile the Flames have a PIM leader in Lucic.
To make matters worse, Holland made the ludicrous addition of including a 3rd round pick for Calgary if Neal scores 21 or more goals and scores 10 more goals than Lucic. This is obviously going to happen and Holland should be fired for such a clause. Neal is going to continue to only score goals while Lucic will continue to rack up the PIMs and lead the league in the amount of time not on the ice.
Congratulations Calgary, you got the better player and his contract helps to ensure that you will be able to keep such a character guy for many many many more years.
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • 
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