So, that just happened.
I was ranting on twitter through basically 55 minutes of tonight’s game about how badly the Oilers sucked (and they did), and then suddenly the team decides to show up and score 3 goals in 3 minutes and 40 some seconds. Rob Klinkhammer tied it up with a shorty. ROB KLINKHAMMER. The Oilers then turn around and win it in OT off a wicked shot from Anton Slepyshev.
I’m still not sure how to feel. This game was easily the worst the oilers have played so far in the preseason, yet they somehow managed to make it enjoyable. Taylor Hall sucked. Leon Draisaitl sucked. Nikitin sucked badly (despite notching a nice assist on one of the comeback goals). Hell, the reffing sucked, even though Edmonton was the beneficiary of said suckage. The oilers struggled in their own end, struggled in the neutral zone, and struggled in the offensive zone. They were flat out awful for 90% of the game, and were atrocious on the powerplay (an area of the game which I believe will improve steadily under the guidance of Todd McLellan).
I’ve seen a lot of people on social media ripping Ben Scrivens tonight for the 3 goal deficit, but those people are either stupid, blind, or weren’t watching the game. Scrivens was the only player who seemed to show up until late in the 3rd, when the Oilers somehow turned a monumental failure into a ridiculously awesome comeback. I’d love to have been a fly on the wall in the locker room after the win, however. Something tells me this squad got an ear full from their coach, despite the comeback.
Bad turnovers. Bad “puck management”. Bad boardplay. Bad penalties (Who the hell is Phil Mcrae, anyway?). The Oilers were Oilering all over the place.
Yet somehow they won.
I know it’s only preseason, but I can’t help but feel like the comebacks are good news for the Oilers regular season hopes after watching them check out of so many games last year due to falling behind early, or showing up in the last 10 minutes of the game and falling apart. I’m also alarmed, because I’m seeing a lot of the same bad habits that have kept them in the basement for so long.
I have faith that Todd Mclellan can coach the crap out of this team. I even have faith that Peter Chiarelli can speed up the process of repairing the severe damage done by the previous managements asinine decisions. However, after watching tonight’s game, I have several doubts about how swift that process will be. I want to believe the late 3rd comeback is indicative of a new found desire by the players to find resiliency as a team, but at the same time they were still terrible for 50+ minutes.
I AM SO CONFUSED. For now, I will keep telling myself that it’s only preseason. Once we see the roster the Oilers are icing closer to the start of the regular season, maybe some of the kinks will be worked out.
PS:
Memo to Phil Mcrae: You’re cut.
Were we watching the same game? I agree, the goals were not Scrivan’s fault but I thought some players stood out. Pitlick, Kharia, Miller, Davidson, Musil, Klinkhammer, Korpiskopi. Even Nikiten was not horrible, he was better than ok. Actually, he played as much as Sekara. I thought the game here against Calgary was their worst. If the Winnipeg goalie had not played as well as he did in the early going, might be a different game. I’m glad Mclellan benched Hall at the end of the game though. Taking a retaliatory penalty near the end of the game lacks some maturity. He’ll be better for it.
I’d have to agree, Jayme – what the Kjell game was Iverson watching?
Must be mired in the past negativity surrounding the Oilers of old; I suggest he watch the game again then come back and make some edits to the article.
Oye Vey – exactly the type of fan we don’t want pulling for the Oil; Onwards and upwards! And yes, Nikitin played a solid game – good on him.
The 4th line was definitely the best through most of the evening, mostly thanks to Klinkhammer. Korpikoski was great. The rest were mediocre, and I stand by my assertion that Nikitin was AWFUL other than his assist.
Good point about Pavelec, though. He had an amazing game. As for Hall, I would have to agree. I’m a fan of Hall and I think that people who call for him to be traded should probably rethink their position, but he had a terrible game. I’m not so sure he deserved the penalty, but it is what it is.
I’m confident that no matter what,. McLellan still has the respect of the entire team (even if he benches a “star player” for a few shifts).
So are you guys saying that you actually ENJOYED the game up until the last seven minutes of the third?? I too may have become “mired in the past negativity of the old Oilers,” because it seemed like I was watching them all over again. Well, for two periods anyways. And then some brilliance happened, which the author more than took note of.
I’m with Paula C here! I only got to watch the first two periods and watching paint dry might’ve been more entertaining. In the third the Oilers came alive or so I’m told. I def. didn’t enjoy watching what I was fortunate enough to see. Hall was skating around with his head down, draisaitl looked ineffective, Nikitin was nikitining… I was more than happy to go to class than to sit through another period of that. Good on Lander for being the catalyst of change. If the Oilers are going to be this year’s comeback kids, it’s going to be a really fun year.