I don’t know what to say except that if the Oilers cannot change gears then there are real problems on the horizon. Peter Chiarelli’s team looks like it’s wasting Connor McDavid’s final cheap season. After this he’s making 12 million a season. While he’s worth every dime, the team doesn’t have any others lineup to outperform their deals.

This was the spark behind the criticisms laid at the feet of Oiler brass in the summer. From the Eberle trade to the Russell contract to the overpayment of Draisaitl based on a couple weeks in the playoffs, the direction of the team was wayward. I was hopeful that once Sekera came back the team would see a boost, but though he’s a fine addition, the team is still not performing well enough to overcome its obvious problems.

Drake Caggiula (5-4-9 in 28GP) is the team’s 2RW. Ryan Strome is on pace for 36 points this year. Milan Lucic is playing on the wing with Connor McDavid and on pace for just 19 goals – and we don’t even think he’s having a bad season! Every bet that management made has come back to haunt them this season. The Oil have made clear mistakes that we didn’t need hindsight for but hindsight has confirmed for us anyway. Chiarelli and company don’t have the luxury of time. They’ve wasted enough if it.

I think this team is going to see significant change if they aren’t able to succeed in the short term. Guys like Maroon, Benning, Strome, and Letestu have to be thinking that if the ship doesn’t turn then they may be the ones sent away at or before the trade deadline. As for the coaching staff, I don’t know how Jay Woodcroft has kept his job, but the PK is killing the Oilers.

After tasting the post-season in his new arena last season, I cannot imagine that owner Darryl Katz is going to be content with missing out on that revenue in 2018. Frankly speaking, everyone involved with the Oilers should be nervous about how long their meal tickets are going to last if this thing fails.

The team needs to win something to the effect of 29 out of their next 43 games to make it to 95 points and theoretically make the playoffs. Every loss, even in OT, is a step backwards. When those 29 wins are out of the realm of possibility, this thing is over.

Points Back: 7

LINEUP

The Oilers have considered using Johann Auvitu at forward. We see if that’s what actually happens.

Lucic McDavid Puljujarvi
Maroon RNH Caggiula
Khaira Draisaitl Strome
Auvitu Letestu Slepyshev

Klefbom Larsson
Nurse Russell
Sekera Davidson

Talbot

OILERS KEYS TO THE GAME

1) Season On The Line. The Oilers are in Do or Die territory. If this losing streak continues (especially to Western opponents) then this goose is cooked. The Oilers need another 4-5 game winning streak and they need to start it now. The Kings aren’t going to roll over for them and the Oilers aren’t going to get the job done playing the way they have since the Christmas break. This team is in dire straits right now and needs a massive reversal of fortune to keep the hopes alive. If the losing continues then Edmonton might need to change gears and move in to “Sell” mode.

2) Home PK. Hey, so, funny story. The Oilers have an awful PK at Home. Now, I am fully aware that people roll their eyes when the PP and PK get split into Home and Road categories. I’m sure most of the time the differences are overblown. But…not in this case. When we look at the PK in particular I’m always looking at things like shot attempts against or unblocked attempts against. Never the full percentage because who cares if the Oilers get a few attempts on the PK if they’re getting bombed? So on the road, the Oilers allow the FEWEST shot attempts against on the PK in the NHL – 82.9 attempts per 60 minutes. At Home…they are ranked 27th and allow 112.9 attempts per 60 minutes. That’s a 36% jump! It’s crippling the Oilers season and it isn’t just luck. These are massive differences.

3) Better D. This is clearly related to the brutal Penalty Kill, but the Oilers need to find a way to tighten up defensively. It’s been a theme from the coaching staff and players for the last three or four days. This team is just giving up way too many great chances. There’s a very good chance that Matt Benning will be watching this game from the Press Box because of a few poor decisions and worse execution in the past week. He is struggling, but the forwards aren’t back to help either. When the team puts an emphasis on getting the puck back in the DZ then they can get the job done. If they leave the defense out to dry then there are problems. Edmonton’s blueline has no superstars. They aren’t going to be able to turn this ship around on their own.

Puck drops tonight at 7:30PM Mountain Time on Sportsnet West. Game On!

Follow me on Twitter @Archaeologuy

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