Kick In The Balls

All I could say watching the end of the Oilers and Leafs game was... "inaudible gasping sounds".

I couldn't believe my eyes watching the replay. Russell turned to hammer the stick of Kadri, but, unfortunately that stick wasn't there, but the puck was. Doh! 

I felt so bad for him. It wasn't intentional at all. Heat of the moment and he made the play he figured was correct. But, in that instant, it all came crashing down. I will give Russell huge props for not hiding from the media last night. He stood there and took the heat. That in itself, that's commendable.

The way I look at it, there is two scenarios on how this will play out. 

1) this will not only elevate his game moving forward, it will make him a more of a gamer. His team stuck behind him after the game and that, in my mind, just made the Oilers better. This is something that can really bring a team together. Perhaps it's the missing link that the Oilers have needed all year. A legit reason to play for each other and to have each other's backs. Last night could very well be the turning point of this oddly played season. 

Or...

2) this is the beginning of the end for Russell. For some, this could really mess a played head up. Some never get over mistakes like this and could forever scar him from returning to the form we have seen him play in the past. 

I'm personally thinking its option 1. However, we will see next game and how the Oilers and Russell play. Fingers crossed I'm correct with option 1. 

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Side note;

Oilers have claimed left winger Nathan Walker this morning. Report say that Walker can play all three forward positions. He's not a big man, but he is a guy who gives it his all. I will think Oilers fans are going to like this guy. But, we shall see. 

Here is a link to a story about how he made his way to the NHL. 

Written by Brent Huska

Get Over It!

Seems like almost daily that the fans of the Edmonton Oilers break down about what could or should have been. Now, I don't know about you, but that type of thinking would wear me down a lot and I would become even more depressed than I already am. Why subject ourselves to what ifs? 

We can't change the past, no matter what. So, why are we dwelling on trades and transactions that are long and over with? I can see the appeal. You see something that's going well and you wish it to be happening here. But, if we rewind the clock, people were happy to ship Hall and Eberle out of town as two examples. 

It was a general consensus that Hall had ran his time down here. People laughed and made jokes about how upset and sour he was to leave here. Taylor Hall was the laughing stock of the Oilers on his exit out of Edmonton and still was up to the start of this season. 

Read this from the mouth of Taylor Hall

Some, claimed he was a cancer in the dressing room and that's why he was traded. Some, claimed his style of play would have him injured for most of his NHL career as the Oilers were better off not having that style of player here. Some, just thought he was a puck hog. 

No matter what your thoughts were on Taylor Hall at that time, you fast forward to now and you'll find fans missing and craving his goal scoring in Edmonton. You'll find people wanting to turn back time and not make that deal. And now, the same could be said for Jordan Eberle. 

Eberle was a bum in the playoffs, they said. Eberle has no heart and doesn't compete like an Oiler should. Eberle was renamed Eberlazy. Once again, those fans fast forward to today and they don't understand why he was traded. 

I think at times General Manager Peter Chiarelli and his staff actually read too much into the hype the team gets from MSM, bloggers and the casual fan. I firmly believe that the Eberle deal was made to appease the fans and critics. In my mind, it made no sense to trade him at the time he did. It made no sense to give away the goals he produced. But, should have, would have, could have, he's gone now. We have to live with that and accept it. 

Same could be said about Pouliot. He was a bum too right Oiler fans? Yet, here we are, desperately needing his strengths of killing penalties. 

Hindsight is always 20/20, but at the end of the day, decisions get made and love them or hate them, they happened. 

It's time to let it go and get over it. I know I have. 

Written by Brent Huska

Did You Miss Me?

So, here we are. Enjoying the Oilers win on the weekend. Everyone is happy. The suicide hotline has open lines for the first time in a long time. Fans going to work on this fabulous Monday morning with not a worry in the world. But, how long can this last? 

I've always been an optimist when it comes to the Oilers. They are my team. They make me happy. But for some folks, it's not the same for them. We tend to get very emotionally charged for games and the happenings that surround the team. While I can fully understand that, I just don't let myself get sucked in that far. 

But, wait! I've been gone for 2 years. Surely I must have left cause of the negative energy surrounding the team, right? Actually, no. I had to stop writing due to real life changes. Life became busier and I just couldn't focus anymore on Oilers Jambalaya. It wasn't the team, the fans, or anything else. I just had no time at all. But that's changed. 

I'm in a better place in life where I can spend a few moments a day and reflect on the current state of the Edmonton Oilers. I've missed this blog and I've missed the readers. The dot com name expired and before I could renew it, someone bought the name and now wants $100 for it. So I decided on using dot ca now. Sucks, yes. But I'm not paying someone $100 for a name that is 100% useless to them. They can hold it for life. I really don't care. 

Which brings me to now. I'm back and it feels good. Ive decided to just roll with my real name instead of the alias Smokin' Ray Burnt like I had done in the past. Not sure why I used an alias when I started Oilers Jambalaya, but I did and always regretted it. So with the new start to this, I'm making the change and I feel better about it. 

Stick around and make sure to bookmark

OilersJambalaya.ca 

Written by Brent Huska

Beers and Jeers - Oilers vs Bruins

Honestly, I liked the combos before the game started. Seemed like a real good shake up. At this point, you couldn't possibly be worse right? 

Too much stock gets put into line rankings. The best teams have always had 3 solid lines and a decent 4th line. Each line is important, so to get too involved on the 5 W's of questions and why people are on certain lines, it will drive you crazy. 

Bottom line is, if the so called "3rd line" is playing the best in a game, that line will get played a lot more and in the end, that's all we all really want. Competing lines that can go out and score. 

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Beers - Connor McDavid finishing his check on the big Zdeno Chara, then not backing down from him all night long. Not many would try and get the best of the big man, but McDavid didn't waiver. Good on him. (2 assists in today's game)

Beers - Nugent-Hopkins constantly playing a solid game. He seems to do no wrong right now. Really liking every aspect about his game. 

Beers - Strome with a rocket of a shot. Nice feed from Draisaitl. Makes it 3-2 in the 2nd and ultimately it's the game winner. He looked great playing with Draisaitl. 

Beers - Talbot played strong at the end to keep the Bruins scoreless in the 3rd. Wouldn't say he stole the game for the Oilers, but he did keep them in it. Good to see from him today. Been long overdue. 

Beers - Leon Draisaitl was a force tonight. Used his speed and hands and walked away with a great game under his belt. He admitted he wasn't playing well and knew he needed a game like this. I had hoped he could turn it around and he did today. 

Honourable Mentions - Cammalleri played pretty well. One must imagine he's still trying to adjust to the team as you see him floating into spots that the other guys would normally take. But all in all, he notched an assist and looked OK with McDavid and Lucic. 

Speaking of Lucic, he had 6 hits tonight. That's an eventful night for the large fella. He still needs to work on some minor things to get his own game moving, but if he can bomb out 6 hits a night, it will go a long way to helping this team get better. 

Written by Brent Huska 

Summer questions in 'Oilerland'

As mentioned in my last blog, we will take some time today to discuss some questions that are out there in Oilerland. The questions range from great ones to ridiculous ones. I am no expert but will take the time to shoot off my views and perspective to you in the best way I know how, through Oilersjambalaya.

It may be a long time off of the ice for the Oilers but their fans feel it even more. At least the players got their pay cheques and can enjoy some rest but for fans of the Edmonton Oilers hockey club, it has been more of the same and every year they don't make the playoffs it gets more and more difficult to stomach and enjoy supporting.

Oilers fans carry a very broad spectrum of views. You have the fanatical 'were going to win the cup real soon' ones, to the 'this team sucks and will never win the cup' folks. In between you have the bandwagon jumpers and the casual 'ho-hum' we will see how it is going 20 games into the season fan.

Here are some interesting questions being asked about the Edmonton Oilers hockey club.

What is going to happen with picking up 1 more centerman for that pivot position?

There is a small % chance that MacT finds a last minute tryout for a centerman to come to training camp but likely it will be Lander, Arcobello and Draisaitl fighting it out for the final two spots on the club. The only way a decent centerman (one that is a shoe-in to play better then what they already got) comes into camp is if MacT can pull off a trade due to a team's restraints but more likely a third line centre who can occasionally fill in for a 2nd line. No sense bringing in another Boyd Gordon type player we already got him.

Will Ramsey make any difference with the Oilers coaching staff?

I find this question interesting as there are two frames of thought. We can say yes but then there are those who say the assistant coach has very little impact on the game. If that were true then we would have to argue that moving out Smith and Buchberger was not needed. Why? Cause if assistant coaches don't change the outcome of games why bother ever changing them? IMO, assistant coaches are more about team synergy. If the coaching team connects well and is in the same wheelhouse then it's a recipe for success and that is what the Oilers are looking for, the right chemistry. Yes, I think Ramsey brings to the team what Renney had brought and even more.

Can the Oilers make the playoffs this year?

Absolutely they can but will they? I do give them a 50/50 chance of making it happen but it will depend how they get out of the gate. It will require a 75% winning percentage over the first 20 games. So 15 wins and 5 losses? Yup! The consistency early on would be a morale boost and confidence booster and likely would show themselves they can win. Later in the season could prove difficult but if your winning 75% of the games 25% of the way into the season I doubt you fall below the 55% the rest of the way. That would give the Oilers a final record approximately about and 48-32-1-1. That would come to about 97 point season. That my friends is a playoff spot. Do I think it will happen? Nope, I suspect they come out with about 11 wins, 7 losses and 2 overtime losses giving them 24 points in their first 20 games. If they start at that % of winning only I would guess they pick up slightly as the season goes on and end up with a more likely record of 46-36-1-1. That would give them 93 points. That would put them right at the 7-10 place finish in the western conference.

What is the chances that the Oilers will be a lottery team again in 2015 when Conner McDavid is available?

Read last question and answer again. No way on God's green earth does Edmonton select the #1 overall pick this next year unless they traded for it and that will not be happening this year. Could they get lucky and draw his name still. Yes, but maybe a 2% chance it happens which means, nope!

Will and should Draisaitl make the Edmonton Oilers if they don't bring in another centre to compete for the 2nd and 3rd line spot?

Leon Draisaitl will and should make the Edmonton Oilers hockey club this season. Please don't keep giving me the he is too young and the Oilers are wasting his ELC and he needs more time to develop crap. If the Oilers had more high end centres in their organization then I would say yes he would be going back, however even bringing in a centre like Jordon Stall would still have Draisaitl fighting for a 3rd line role with Arcobello and Lander. Guess who wins in that scenario? Yeah, Draisaitl has stayed in North America to train and be ready in camp. He knows has development coaches who will be working on the area's of weakness in his game and has a leg up on most his competition already in his size and skill. As long as he can get 12-14 mins a game he will do fine. He already showed well the the WHC playing for Germany and handled himself like a man (wait, he is a man and is built like a pretty big man).

Can Bogdan Yakimov replace what Anton Lander was originally thought to bring to the Oilers club?

Very good question! As much as I always liked Lander, he may be moved to another team as a depth prospect real soon. This is his last year to make or break the Oilers. Yakimov has a ways to go to still catch up but his size and skill looks to be Bogdan's asset. 1 year development and I think we see Bogdan playing regularly for the Oilers franchise. Say goodbye to Lander and hello Yakimov! Yeah I believe he is the new replacement of hope as the Oilers future 3rd line centre. That is...for now anyway. If Bogdan is too play in that role for the Oilers it will be easy tell in how he competes and fares this season. a bad year development wise would derail that plan altogether. I know some players take more time to development but my 'gut' tells me we will know pretty quick if Yakimov is the real deal.

What's your take on these questions? Where do you feel the Oilers are headed heading into this 2014/15 season? Give us your take or perspective even if it's different. It's a slow summer folks, we need something to discuss. If your reading this it means your still hungry for more hockey talk and if your not reading this....yeah exactly, no need to answer cause you didn't read the article anyway.

My next series of blogs we will start to look further into the prospects, 'Bubble, Prospect or Suspect' series. In the meantime keep enjoying your summer and we will touch base soon again.

You can follow me on twitter for more information on prospects and hockey related news at www.twitter.com/revingev