Apologies for not getting a blog up for you all yesterday, ended up having to be away from a computer for the day.
Now onto last nights game.
I saw a number of media outlets discussing how the Oilers lost due to some unfortunate puck luck. Yes there were some unfortunate bounces that resulted in goals, but it wasn't puck luck that allowed the Sharks to effortlessly break into the Oilers zone, or have the Oilers be outshot by 14, or overall be outplayed. The Sharks won because they were by far the better team for the entire game.
The Sharks absolutely dominated 5 on 5 play… it wasn’t even close.
I don’t know what else to say about this, that game was between two teams on completely opposite ends of the spectrum.
Milan Lucic scored last night......each goal he has scored this season is worth 3 million dollars.
The game mercifully ended with the Oilers having a total of 8CF and 3 HDCF. San Jose finished with 24CF and 8HDCF.
The Edmonton Oilers simply don’t have the horses to compete with real playoff teams. Hitchcock has tried to split his three bright spots in RNH, McDavid, and Draisaitl up to drag others along but that lasted less than two full periods, as Leon was back taking shifts with Connor. The Oilers don’t have enough true top 6 players to fit onto two lines, let alone try and create three.
Personally I would like Hitch to go back to Khaira-RNH-Puljujarvi. That is the closest thing the Oilers have had to a second line all season. Since Khaira returned from his suspension he has been mostly relegated to centring the third and fourth lines. Khaira did not look good last night with McDavid and I would put him back in a spot he has looked comfortable in.
Not to completely be the bearer of bad news, Edmonton is currently only two points out of a playoff position, even though they are barely on pace for 85 points; this season is weird.
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Chiarelli is so bad
(how bad is he?)
Looking at this season, here is how I would rank the team:
DIFFERENCE MAKERS
Connor McDavid - drafted by Chiarelli’s scouting staff
Leon Draisaitl - drafted by MacTavish’s scouting staff
Oscar Klefbom - drafted by Tambellini’s scouting staff
Ryan Nugent Hopkins - drafted by Tambellini’s scouting staff
Adam Larsson - traded for by Chiarelli
Darnell Nurse - drafted by MacTavish’s scouting staff
Alex Chiasson - signed by Chiarelli
Mikko Koskinen - signed by Chiarelli
ON THE CUSP
Cam Talbot - signed by Chiarelli
Jesse Puljujarvi - signed by Chiarelli
Jujhar Khaira - drafted by Tambellini’s scouting staff
Caleb Jones - drafted by Chiarelli’s scouting staff
Ty Rattie - signed by Chiarelli
Kevin Gravel - signed by Chiarelli
FILLING SPOTS
Milan Lucic - signed by Chiarelli
Matt Benning - signed by Chiarelli
Kris Russell - signed by Chiarelli
Tobias Rieder - signed by Chiarelli
Kyle Brodziak - signed by Chiarelli
Zack Kassian - traded for by MacTavish
Ryan Spooner - traded for by Chiarelli
Kailer Yamamoto - drafted by Chiarelli’s scouting staff
Alexander Petrovic - traded for by Chiarelli
Brandon Manning - traded for by Chiarelli
Joseph Gambardella - signed by Chiarelli
50% of the difference makers on this roster have come from other GM’s and no forward in the group I would put on the cusp has at least 5 goals. Meanwhile, the group I would label as spot fillers have been entirely built by Peter Chiarelli, with the exception of Zack Kassian (though he was signed to an extension by the current general manager). That group has a total cap hit of just over 25 million dollars of cap hit or roughly 30% of the Oilers total cap.
The Oilers will be back in action on Thursday at home versus the Florida Panthers. Edmonton will be searching for their first win at home since December 14th.
Thanks for reading
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • 
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