Thank effin god. I was starting to lose faith. Dubnyk has earned his share of the blame many times this season.
This wasnt one of them. And neither has it been his fault in a game for weeks if not more.

This was a terrible blog
- hugefemale dog77

Fukk that. I had fun with the blog and it certainly got a rile from me.
A good amount of venom for meaningless colloquial pap that I can certainly get behind.

Damn right he stood a chance and I think there is something important in that semantic but really I always come back thinking that, overall, it applies to the whole team.

Dubnyk reflects the team or only goes as far as it.
He won't put the team on his back. That's fine. It is, unfortunately, what it is at this point.

But let's not kid ourselves with all the poop we troll out where"it's not his fault" or this guys fault or that guys fault. Or "well you can't BLAME him for the loss". He just doesn't feel like the answer. Nor do other parts of the team.

Perhaps an equally meaningless blog to match meaningless hockey jargon but Garner wins 'cause I too, am just more peeved now. Tapped right into it.

I think I'd put Kulemin on the second line over Ott unless your intention with that move was for Ott to take faceoffs with Nuge. Ideally for me would see Gagner replaced with someone better at the finer points of the game (faceoffs, defense, etc), but who's a downgrade in offense.
- MaximumBone

Yeah Gagner needs to show he can reach that next level like the glimpses he's shown each year. I figured with MacT's promise and then his NTC, he's likely not going anywhere.

A Hanzal/Dubinsky would be interesting. Also, given Ott's FO prowess, you could easily go:

Hall-Nuge-Ebs
Perron-Aco-Yakupov
Kulemin-Ott-Gagner

or any number of permutations. When you've got options you can make a lot of right line combinations

Shocking. Even RNH who is some sort of apparent new alien is horrid a lot of times. Makes smart play then next shift gets caught standing around or in the wrong position. We need to get that top d-man so these kids can just play the game they are comfortable with and grow as players. Them being forced to play defense when they aren't capable yet isn't helping.
- Lahey

Damn right.

Unfortunately our internal stuff is still grass roots.

How the heck do we get our hands on what----on of the ten true top #1 D-men?

Maybe the 1A/ 2's can be had via trade within the next 9 months.

Fukk that. I had fun with the blog and it certainly got a rile from me.
A good amount of venom for meaningless colloquial pap that I can certainly get behind.

Damn right he stood a chance and I think there is something important in that semantic but really I always come back thinking that, overall, it applies to the whole team.

Dubnyk reflects the team or only goes as far as it.
He won't put the team on his back. That's fine. It is, unfortunately, what it is at this point.

But let's not kid ourselves with all the poop we troll out where"it's not his fault" or this guys fault or that guys fault. Or "well you can't BLAME him for the loss". He just doesn't feel like the answer. Nor do other parts of the team.

Perhaps an equally meaningless blog to match meaningless hockey jargon but Garner wins 'cause I too, am just more peeved now. Tapped right into it.
- Salvo

Good post.

I think people always want to tinker with teams that don't happen to win. And locker room problems only ever seem to befall teams that aren't doing well.

That being said, the whole thing is a ball rolling downhill. If someone can't put the team on the back, then the team can't helping that guy climb back up.

Wow this post was an absolute train wreck from beginning to end. I'm not usually a grammar or spelling cop but this was so bad that I barely know what was being said. It's like someone simply transcribed the drunken ramblings of some English second language sailor who's completely House Arrest pissed.
- Jeropotato

I was drunk, why were u even reading what I wrote it has nothing to do with guys in tights?

If by the end of the season this team is still at the bottom, do you think Katz will nut-up and fire Lowe? If so, do you think he completely cleans house or just Lowe (maybe Howson, too)?

we lost 5 1 not 5 4, no goalie in the league would have won that game for us. This is a hockey site not a grammar site if it was I wouldn't be here. I agree dubie could play better but it wont be until this team gets better every night that the goalie gets better. Did you notice in are last 3 wins we were winning battles and stealing the puck and taking hits then against the hawks everyone forgets how to play.

Amazing that TSN ranks Jultz #18 in all of the league for dmen...

If by the end of the season this team is still at the bottom, do you think Katz will nut-up and fire Lowe? If so, do you think he completely cleans house or just Lowe (maybe Howson, too)?
- MaximumBone

Firing Howson, fine.
Firing Lowe, great.
Firing MacT, stupid.

Yea definitely when said goalie lets in 4 goals on 14 shots . Everyone keeps blaming the D, blaming the forwards when we have THE WORST GOALIE STATS IN THE (frank)ING LEAGUE. Yea Yakupov had a bad give away, yea Kane wasn't covered properly, but maybe, just maybe if Dubnyk could of controlled the easy as (frank)ing rebound then Kane wouldn't have had any thing to shoot. Yea we have defensive break downs, so does every single (frank)ing team in the league. If there was never any defensive breakdowns or give aways every single game in the league would finish 0-0 every time. By far thee biggest problem is goaltending. You think the Oilers are going to come out and play picture perfect defense? No, not even close, but probably no worse than Tampa, how's Tampa doing this year now that they actually have a goaltender? Oh yea, one of the best teams in the East. How's Toronto who gets severely outshot almost every single game doing this year now that they have goaltending? Give me a (frank)ing break, the problem is GOALTENDING.
- SpoiledByOil

I agree but just wait til there goalies stop standing on there heads, Toronto could easily miss the playoffs. Were only 25 games in wait til game 60 I bet Toronto isn't in a playoff spot

Agreed. I think it's clear to a lot of Oilers fans that we need a big upgrade in goal.

Everyone got into a really poopty headspace. Just as Dubnyk didn't have the "star-calibre" ability to pull himself out of the funk, neither do Eberle/Hall/Nuge yet have the ability to pull the team out of a funk either.
- Morris

All of this.

Ideal TDL and offseason:

Trade for Ehroff (let's say 1st + Marincin)
Trade Hemmer and Nultz for whatever we can get.
Sign Ott and Kulemin
re-sign Belov, Arco and maybe even Bryz
Sign solid Goaltender

Hall-Gagner-Yakupov
Ott-Nuge-Ebs
Perron-Arco-Kulemin
Joensuu-Gordon-XXXXX

Ehrhoff-Petry
Schultz-Ference
Belov-Klefbom

XXXX
Bryz
- Morris

Bolded become men: Ideal.

You guys don't think our problem is goaltending? Don't you think it's funny that we had only 2 less shots on net than the Blackhawks, yet lost by 4 goals? Don't you think it's funny that once Bryzgalov was in net we only let in one more goal? Don't you think it's funny that Dubnyk's save % is the worst of any starting goalie in the NHL? Honestly, quit trying to kid yourselves people. Dubnyk is the MAIN reason we are in the hole that we are in. How many times have you watched a play unfold in the defensive zone and just know when the opposition is about to score? Every time we seem to gain any momentum what happens? Dubnyk CHOKES, as usual. I'm so sick and tired of people defending Dubnyk, HE IS THE NUMBER ONE REASON WE LOSE HOCKEY GAMES! Until we realize that we will forever be bottom feeders.

*drops mic and walks off stage*

Firing Howson, fine.
Firing Lowe, great.
Firing MacT, stupid.
- Morris

My sentiment as well. I normally oscillate on the positive/ negative of the old boys club.

But I really think Mac-T has good mojo for this team and I think he'll be a good GM moving forward.

You guys don't think our problem is goaltending? Don't you think it's funny that we had only 2 less shots on net than the Blackhawks, yet lost by 4 goals? Don't you think it's funny that once Bryzgalov was in net we only let in one more goal? Don't you think it's funny that Dubnyk's save % is the worst of any starting goalie in the NHL? Honestly, quit trying to kid yourselves people. Dubnyk is the MAIN reason we are in the hole that we are in. How many times have you watched a play unfold in the defensive zone and just know when the opposition is about to score? Every time we seem to gain any momentum what happens? Dubnyk CHOKES, as usual. I'm so sick and tired of people defending Dubnyk, HE IS THE NUMBER ONE REASON WE LOSE HOCKEY GAMES! Until we realize that we will forever be bottom feeders.

*drops mic and walks off stage*
- TomKlassen

*attacks you with a steel chair in the back*

I agree but just wait til there goalies stop standing on there heads, Toronto could easily miss the playoffs. Were only 25 games in wait til game 60 I bet Toronto isn't in a playoff spot
- time2produce

Their goaltending numbers were never sustainable. I think they're starting to realize that.

*attacks you with a steel chair in the back*
- TheTaoOfSemenko

*I come out. Hold your hand high up in the air. New allience is formed*

Their goaltending numbers were never sustainable. I think they're starting to realize that.
- TheTaoOfSemenko

They don't like keeping 4-1 leads.

Good post.

I think people always want to tinker with teams that don't happen to win. And locker room problems only ever seem to befall teams that aren't doing well.

That being said, the whole thing is a ball rolling downhill. If someone can't put the team on the back, then the team can't helping that guy climb back up.
- Morris

Speak the truth brother.

And now it just feels like *clink* cheers - Jamieson or a smokey rum on ice, feet up.

*attacks you with a steel chair in the back*
- TheTaoOfSemenko

No counter argument whatsoever, just a "you're wrong" eh? Prove me wrong then. Because until then, the goaltending is the goat. I'm not sitting here suggesting that all the losses are pinned on the goalie, but the MAIN, most concerning issue with this team, right now, is goaltending.

I would also like to say that a concerning issue is the enabling of the cute, unlikely plays that the kids try to do on a nightly basis. There's a reason why everyone yells "SHOOT"

*I come out. Hold your hand high up in the air. New allience is formed*
- Oilers4Life14

Its a shocking heel turn for two former faces.

*starts plotting next moves against the faces in the thread*

Grebs in Potter out... Acton out Arco in... Dubs out Bryz in... I agree with all 3 moves... but- does it translate in a win?
- saskoil21

Why do we have those two crappy dmen in the lineup? What happened with Fedun/Larsen?

I would also like to say that a concerning issue is the enabling of the cute, unlikely plays that the kids try to do on a nightly basis. There's a reason why everyone yells "SHOOT"
- TomKlassen

Moreover, go to the net. Push back. Shoot with people active around the net and yeah go to the net ffs.

Its a shocking heel turn for two former faces.

*starts plotting next moves against the faces in the thread*
- TheTaoOfSemenko

I hope this becomes a prominent series in the threads!