Team Meeting:

I'm not saying that there was a team meeting following last game's poor effort, because there probably wasn't. Mostly because this is still early in the season, and way too early to be either sulking or gloating about standings and win/loss records. Here is my issue: In all of the games we played prior to this past weekend we made an effort. We stayed in the game and we didn't give up, even when down 4-1 to Columbus. The team that I saw, and I'm sure you did too this past weekend, was last year's team. Last night's game was the worst we've played thus far, and the weekend combined had me looking for MacT behind the bench.

That was the excuse, was it not?

Alright, listen, I'm not saying that I don't think that was a major contributor to the problem last year. MacTavish was a grudge holder, from what I could tell, and in sports that can't happen. As a coach you cannot favor a player simply because of who he is, and you certainly can't hate on one. These are the methods of second rate coaches who are too comfortable with their positions, and are likely on their way out the door, or so that has been my experience in my meager time as a hockey and football fan. By holding grudges against a player on a team you're running you could very well be overlooking things that said player does particularly well, and possibly better than the person you've got doing that job. In favoring players you can be blinded to shortfalls and bad habits that need to be dealt with, and that's detrimental to the player itself as well as the team.

What I'm saying is that I was running the streets chanting for MacT's head too, but what the hell happened this past weekend? I understand, the flu has been ripping through the dressing room kicking ass and taking names, and we seemingly have been unable to stop it. But seriously? Some of these guys who had terrible games this past weekend aren't those rumoured to have flu symptoms.

Guys I've heard have the flu and/or symptoms: Gilbert Brule, Dustin Penner, Ales Hemsky, Ladislav Smid, Tom Gilbert, and Mike Comrie.

Guys who were brutal this past weekend: Practically the whole freaking team. Exceptions: Dustin Penner, Ales Hemsky, Khabilulin, Deslauriers, Ladislav Smid, Lubomir Visnovsky. There might be others, but the good performances in losses are rarely those that stand out.

I don't think that flu symptoms can explain away the quality of Gilbert's game, as he has been playing poorly from season's beginning. In fact, though I've never been a fan of his, I don't think I've ever been so frustrated with him. Grebeshkov has been okay, but it seems like the first 10-20 minutes of any given game he forgets how to play hockey. Nilsson, not that I want to beat a dead horse, but Nilsson just is not cut out to play the game. I'm not saying that he can't, because he wouldn't be playing the the NHL right now if that were the case, but he has no drive. A player who is unable to motivate himself when he needs it will not succeed in this league. Plus, if he gave the puck away any more I'd think he was conspiring against us. And I won't even comment on Ethan Moreau, because at this point I'm just too damned biased to discuss his play through a lens that even remotely resembles an objective one.

Please tell me that this was a weekend that sucked because of the flu bug, and not because of some underlying issue...

I still love you guys, but please stay at two meter's length until you're all healthy again, okay? I'm almost at the point where I'm thinking of watching the games in one of those 'SARS' masks...

Dallas @ Edmonton

So, now that we've got the first loss of the season dealt with, should we not also get the first win of the season? I mean, that's the way it goes right?

In all seriousness I was pretty happy with the Oilers' game on Saturday. For the first period we were less than perfect, but the rest of the game we battled hard and did a lot of things right that I liked. The one thing that we managed to do in the first that we slowly stopped doing as the game went on was be physical. If the Oilers want to win games against teams that are faster and/or more skilled than they are, they're going to have to make a commitment to burying as many guys into the boards as they can manage without getting too many penalties. I haven't seen Dallas play yet this year, in preseason or regular season, so I don't have much of an idea as to what kind of game they want to play, but a physical game is never a bad idea.

Cogliano moves to play with Gagner tonight, and Nilsson is in and Moreau is out. This means that my normal goat isn't playing... I'll find a new one to sub in I'm sure.

Khabibulin will also be looking for a chance to redeem himself after a brutal play to end Saturday night's game. I really hope he can bring it together because if he can't we may be a tad bit screwed here guys...

Go Oilers Go!

Finally!!

Today it all begins. The season is fresh and new, and it's time that the Oilers get into the action.

The Calgary Flames will be entering Rexall Place tonight with a 1-0 record, thanks to the Vancouver Canucks, and I'm hoping to see that same record from the Oilers come about 10:30-11:00 tonight, which of course means that the Flames will then be 1-1.

Lines aren't posted yet, but I'm looking forward to seeing a few guys play:

The Comrie-O'Sullivan pairing - These guys seemed like they were dynamite in the preseason, and I hope to watch them continue dominating in the regular season.

Penner: I love this guy, and it sounds like a coaching change might have been just what this guy needed, because in the preseason games he played in he was easily one of the best guys on the ice.

The Kid line (or parts of it): While Nilsson for the most part was entirely disappointing in the preseason, he seemed to get a fire under him once the Kid line was reunited. While these guys are a legitimate option for a line, it's difficult to say whether they'll play due to lines that are already existing, and fitting other players in. Considering that we already have lines (presumably) of Horcoff centering Jacques and Hemsky, and Comrie centering O'Sullivan and Penner, where does the Kid line fit? The don't check, and they're not terrible good defensively. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

Ladislav Smid: His preseason wasn't the best, but I'm holding out hope that he's improved. I'm almost positive that this will be a good year for him, just like the last. However, I think that pairing him with Staios is a mistake of monumental proportions. Stop it Oilers, now.

I'm so excited!

Go Oilers Go!