Probably the hardest thing for an NHL player to do, is to prepare themselves for those rare high noon matches. It must be difficult to wake up at the crack of dawn, shower, eat a heavy "early" lunch and then waltz into the rink.
Yesterday afternoon, the young Oilers received a 5-3 "ass kicking" wake-up call from their opponents who looked just a "little more" prepared for the Matinée.
Just when the Oilers thought that they could take advantage of the, Senators' 11 game losing streak, the Oil somehow forgot to set their alarm clocks.
"Its frustrating when you lose against any team, it's not fun," said Oilers rookie Jordan Eberle. "It's crappy when you have to come to the rink when everyone is frustrated and beating down on each other.
"But we have to try and remain positive here. The best part about hockey is that we get to play tomorrow and we get a chance to redeem ourselves. We have a chance to turn things around."
During the last couple of weeks, Dustin Penner has been in the mix of trade talks. Despite the rumors, The D Train proved his worth when he rang two loud posts to earn his 19th and 20th goals of the year.
"I think some games hurt more than others," said Oilers winger Dustin Penner. "I think this game hurts more than the Chicago game."
What was most disappointing for the Oilers was their lack of intensity, and their unwillingness to create scoring chances.
Perhaps the Oilers have hit rock bottom.
"There's no question there's just real disappointment in the room right now, real frustration," said associate coach Ralph Krueger. "Happiness is far away from us. All we can do is react on Sunday. If we've got character, we're going to play a hell of a game Sunday."
Cogliano had the other goal while Khabibulin, struggled once again between the pipes. The netminder allowed 2 goals on 2 shots en-route to a 14th straight losing streak, which is quite possibly the longest he's ever had.
There will be no rest for the Oilers who host the Ducks tonight at 5pm.
Details to follow.
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