HOCKEY: In the Box with Brent & Craig
Torontoh-no, oh-yes
Two very entertaining games against the Maple Leafs brought a loss and a win, and holy shit – A GOAL. We’ll try not to get the column all sticky with our recount of Connor’s goal of the year, or best of this decade quite yet – but someone really needs to pass us a tube sock while we’re here in the bathroom.
Craig Douglas
Finally, a dose of Hype Justice. With so much talk about the many matchups versus the Maple Leafs this season, the games had yet to really deliver much in the way of excitement. I suppose one could reason that the games last week were technically still the preseason, but they still weren’t what anyone was expecting. After this week (and especially Saturday) the hype has finally been justified. Extremely close, back and forth games, with all the stars shining, was exactly what the hockey world was waiting for, and these last two games delivered in a big way.
Thursday’s game was maybe bogged down by the shit officiating (seven penalties to the Leafs, and four to the Oilers, including a ridiculous puck over the glass call against Larsson that should have resulted in that stupid rule finally being put down) but it was still an improvement over the previous week’s battles. In general, the Oilers have looked slightly improved in the last week or so, however, they still have a long way to go if they want to be a playoff team. The top lines are still dominant almost every night, and the bottom six is maybe (maaaaaaayybe) beginning to be, hmmmm, ‘good’ is definitely not the word I’m looking for, how about ‘slightly less of a giant fucking liability’. With that being said there’s still this little fact: prior to Saturday’s game when McDavid and/or Draisaitl were on the ice the Oil had been outscoring their opponents by a total of 13-8, and when neither of them were out there, the ledger had the team being outscored 14-2. That’s decidedly bad.
The game on Saturday night is one that will be talked about for some time. It was exactly the style of game that anyone excited about these teams playing each other so many times this season had envisioned. Close and fast, with the stars on either side constantly trying to one up and outdo each other. Both teams came out wearing their brand new “reverse-retro” jerseys and the look on my screen was … not bad. The Oiler’s jerseys are actually pretty nice, certainly better than those horrible dark blue things they wore back at the start of the season, and also better than the all orange ones they sometimes trot out. The only criticism I could muster was that they look like Montreal Canadiens sweaters that got fucked up in the wash. The Maple Leafs jerseys looked bloody awful, but that’s to be expected when the secret ingredient is a sexy color like drab-assed grey. There was nothing drab-assed about the game though, it was all action all the time, and even included a penalty shot! Of course no one is talking about the penalty shot, or anything other than ‘THE GOA’L, although I think it overshadowed THE PASS a bit more than it should have. McDavid’s pass to Archibald to take the lead at the end of the first period was a thing of absolute beauty, it fooled everyone on the ice, and I’m just glad it didn’t fool Archibald because that is the type of pass that only a scant few players in the world could conceive of, let alone pull off successfully.
And then there’s the goal, the goal we have all probably seen ten times or more in the hours since it happened. It was an end to end masterpiece, as McDavid took the puck and did it all himself, while shrugging off what could have been three separate penalties to Toronto as he whipped down the ice. The kind of goal that makes you say Holy Shit out loud and then start laughing, because he’s just that good.
And now…
The Connor McDavid Player of the Series Award brought to you by Humpty’s.
Fittingly, the first winner of this new award I just invented is the player it was named for! With over fifty minutes of ice time and five fucking points over the two games versus the Maple Leafs, Connor McDavid wins the inaugural CMPOTS award. Congratulations number 97, I hope you don’t win this every single time, but I won’t be surprised when you do.
Predicsh!
Brought to you by Secret Aardvark Hot Sauce
01/31 vs Ottawa – These games against poor Ottawa are being hyped up by no one, but the Oil really need to be sure to take all of the available points, because the other teams in the division have not been shy about taking their free two points when playing the lowly Sens. With Koskinen finally getting a night off this could be interesting, but there’s no way the Oil are losing to these chumps. McDavid looks to win a second CMPOTS award and pads his stats against the bottom feeders with a four point night.
Final score: Oil 5 Sens 4
02/02 vs Ottawa – Not nearly as close this second time around, as Draisaitl decides he should try adding a CMPOTS award to his trophy case and puts forth a four point effort of his own.
Final score: Oil 6 Sens 2.
Brent Oliver
Weird how I complained so bitterly about the Oilers coaching choices last column, only to see P-Russ sit in the press box, along with Khaira, while Drai and Connor reunited on multiple occasions being double shifted. I’m glad Tippett got my memo. You’re welcome Edmonton.
Instead of breaking down the last couple games, which Craig did so eloquently, and excellently (miss you buddy!), let’s look at what February and beyond brings the Oilers and this North Division brought to you by Mark’s Work Wearhouse’s new Tan Slacks.
Tan Slacks! If they’re good enough for your Dad, they’re good enough for you.
In a completely bananas bit of covid scheduling, we play Ottawa 4 times in the next 5 games. Two here, then a single game against Calgary, then two in Ottawa. I’m challenging the Oilers to win 3 of 4 against the rebuilding Senators, or even sweep them to finally get back in the top spot of this wishy-washy division where no one is quite great, and a few are not even good.
Looking beyond that, we’ll need to likely make the decision by mid February to determine if we’re a contender or not. Trades are not as simple as they were in the old days, with new players outside the division having to quarantine for 2 weeks, before an April Cup run.
Here’s the scenarios:
1 – If the Oilers are contenders, they would have to add depth on the back end where they have two choices – trade from a US team with a quarantine, or trade within the division. The likely sellers will be the Senators as they’re in last place, and full on rebuilding mode. Maybe a capable stay at home defenceman like Nikita Zaitsev or Braydon Coburn would be an upgrade, and a returning Klefbom shores up a few of the Oilers problems. As for a goalie, trading for a US based back-up wouldn’t be so bad as Mike Smith could return, and Koskinen has proven his workload ability.
2 – If the Oilers are out of it, I have a tough time thinking they won’t be sellers in February. The team will have to shake things up, hopefully not to the disgruntlement of Connor and Leon – which, you couldn’t really blame them. Both have now been on the team for more than 5 years, and by Sidney Crosby calculations – that’s when you’re supposed to be competing for a Cup. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think either will be traded, but whatever moves the Oilers make could affect their desire to play here. I would hate to see Nuge go, but he’s the likeliest candidate for trade bait, to make the top two players on earth happy.
No rest for the wicked as the Oilers take on the Senators for the next two, kicking off in a few hours. With the first look at the rebuilding Sens, we’re all hoping for Alberta Oilers to take swift and dramatic justice out on the Ottawa government team, just like our Premier imagined it in his fever dreams.
See you next time – In the Box.
