The Oilers sunk to a new low last night at Rexall Place when they hosted the Anaheim Ducks. The latest game was to be the Oilers “rebound game” to make up for their dismal display on Saturday. It was a game that every player on that squad felt that a win would provide that much needed morale boost which has been lost in recent weeks. However, for the Oilers, the game was over before it really started.
Just 35 seconds into the match the Ducks tipped the first goal past Dubnyk to set the tone for rest of the game. Unfortunately, for the rather sparse crowd at the Pill Box, it was all down-hill from there. By the 4th goal, Dubnyk was sent to ride the pine which didn’t make matters any better; as the team just continued on with their Sunday skate, as though to drift to the beat of the “Lady of Spain”.
“It’s a never-ending cycle and the guys in here have to change it or it just gets worse and worse,” Sam Gagner said. “The coaches have the right to be upset, the fans have the right to be upset. It’s just not good enough.
“No matter what the expectations were for the season, on what this team was supposed to do, right now it’s embarrassing. We need to challenge ourselves to be better in here. Till we start doing the little things right, getting open for each other, going to bat for our teammates, it’s just going to continue to get worse.
Embarrassing?
With only 12 shots on goal (Hall had about 4) it is down-right disgraceful.
Having earned 40 points is somewhat of a miracle for a team who has dressed about 8 rookies throughout the year. With this many grasshoppers it is no wonder that this team can only muster that many points.
Yet, regardless of the amount of newbies, hockey is still a team game and right now, this club seeing more than just red…they are seeing a nightmare; all because they simply cannot bring 110% to every game.
”At the end of the day we lacked mental toughness to push ourselves into this hockey game,” said head coach Tom Renney,. “What I didn’t like was our push-back after it was 2-0, or 3-0. We just didn’t seem to want to heave our way back into the game and that really bothers me.”
And it bothers the fans.
“We have no choice but to man up and deal with this,” said Renney. “We’ll see what (the meeting) translates into. Is it just BS and varnishing what’s going on, or are they about to really man up.”
The Oilers will take a break as they prepare for the Dallas Stars on Tues
Jeff Petry has been sent back to the AHL for some more seasoning. He will be replaced by another rookie of Taylor Chorney.
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