Fans deserve better than they’re getting, says Jones
Lack of home ice success can be chalked up to lack of effort, and that’s unacceptable
It’s like the Edmonton Oilers are giving their fans the finger.
Not the “We’re No. 1” finger the fans expected to see for the next several seasons. The other one.
Edmonton’s fans are blue-collar people who work hard and play hard, with legendary patience and an unmatched knowledge of what they’re seeing.
They’ll put up with a lot. But never cheat them when it comes to effort. Don’t no-show. Don’t throw snow. Don’t pull the parachute. Don’t quit.
Edmonton’s blue-collar crowd, many of whom laboured on constructing the palace that is Rogers Place, expect a day’s work for a day’s pay.
That’s the biggest crime involved in watching this season unfold.
There are a dozen places to examine in performing the autopsy of this team that has left their fans without hope, even before the AllStar Game.
Few teams have infuriated their fans at home to the extent of the 2017-18 Edmonton Oilers.
Head coach Todd McLellan isn’t trying to pretend that his hockey club didn’t come up with yet another empty effort — essentially quitting on themselves and the people who pay to see them play — in the 5-0 loss to the Sabres.
“That’s alarming and concerning. As a fan of our team and I am, I’d be disappointed in our team, as I am today,” he said. “The people here in Edmonton want to see a competitive group. That’s the type of community we are. We scrape and we scratch and we claw and we survive.
“That’s at least how I’ve felt in my time here in Edmonton. The fans want to see that on the ice and it’s our job to deliver it.”
There’s no more vivid example of how the Oilers have insulted the people in the pews than the penalty kill.
Killing penalties is the bluecollar part of hockey. It’s not about skill. It’s about work.
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a statistic like the one involved here anywhere else in sport.
We’re rewarded with a loyal following that’s second to none in the league. We should be able to reward them on a nightly basis.
In 24 away games this screwy season, the Oilers’ penalty killing has been exceptional. Edmonton has allowed 11 goals on 82 penaltykilling situations. That’s 86.6 per cent and has been either No. 1 or No. 2 in the entire league.
In the exact same number of home games, they have allowed three times as many — 33 of them — on 72 penalty kill situations. That’s 54.2 per cent. That’s not only last in the league, it’s the worst in the entire history of the NHL recording the statistic.
In Tuesday’s 5-0 loss to the 30th place Buffalo Sabres, who registered back-to-back wins for only the second time this season, a noshot power play was followed by an absolute train wreck of a power play in the first period. Two more penalty-kill disasters would follow.
In the post-game interview room, McLellan used the word “horrendous” three times to describe it.
“Horrendous. Horrendous. Our penalty kill was horrendous tonight.”
Wednesday after practice, he didn’t try hide his exasperation.
To have the same players with the same coaches and the same systems defies explanation. It’s something outside anybody’s experience. He’s never heard of anything like it anywhere before.
“Never,” he said. “There’s nothing you can turn to as far as history. We’re going through uncharted territory.
“Not only is it the difference between being No. 1 or No. 2 on the road and No. 31 at home, it’s the sheer gap between home and the road. It’s 35 per cent.
“It leaves you befuddled and confused. What we’re doing on the road is extremely effective and what we’re doing at home is not effective at all.
“Part of the illness of this team on home ice is the penalty kill. Why we’re not performing at the level we need to at home is a question we’ve been asking all year. We played one good game at home against Calgary, and after that, we haven’t performed at a steady level at home all year.
“There’s no doubt our game on the road is much better. There are no excuses — none that I’m going to make, anyhow — about the pressure from the fans or the expectations or anything like that. We should feel good about playing here at home.
“We’re rewarded with a loyal following that’s second to none in the league. We should be able to reward them on a nightly basis. The performance level should rise to the occasion and it hasn’t done it enough.”
Three of the Oilers’ last five home games have ended in 5-0 losses. Tuesday was the fourth 5-0 loss at home in a month.
There’s money to be made at the Oilers souvenir stands for the rest of the season if the Oilers should start selling those oversized foam fingers.
That way, on nights like Tuesday, the blue-collar fans of Edmonton could give the Oilers the finger back.