Changes could come during all-star break
There’s a lot of disquiet after the storm of three 5-0 blowouts at home since Christmas.
This isn’t a good time for the coaches, general manager, anybody employed by the Edmonton Oilers — even owner Daryl Katz, although people keep streaming through the doors at Rogers Place, win or lose.
The fans stayed to the end after an embarrassing 5-0 loss to Buffalo on Tuesday, just to hear the 50-50 winner and payout.
Losing to Winnipeg 5-0 is one thing. Even falling by the same score to L.A. the very next time out didn’t offer up major alarm bells — but the butt-kicking Buffalo laid on the Oilers on Tuesday night, when Milan Lucic said they didn’t respect the Sabres enough? That’s telling.
As if the Oilers should ever be looking down at anybody.
Oilers Entertainment Group president Bob Nicholson and GM Peter Chiarelli were at a breakfast meet-and-greet with season ticket holders on Wednesday when questions from the paying public feature plenty of gripes. If the Oilers can’t stop the bleeding at home, where they were shutout by Detroit and Nashville, is somebody going to ultimately pay for this?
There’s plenty of blame to go around, but Nicholson is going nowhere and the players almost always skate.
If the Oilers lose to Calgary on Thursday night before the all-star break, it won’t be good for anybody in the club’s employ. That’s when changes can be made. The most visible fall guy, even if it’s the wrong move, will be coach Todd McLellan and his 410-246-87 career record.
McLellan, in the third year of a $15 million, five-year deal, is a good and experienced coach. His team had 103 points last season. They might get 85 points this year.
He shouldn’t be singled out because he’s won far more than he’s lost in his career, and he’s excellent at what he does: In-game moves, as a teacher, pushing a lot of the right buttons. But he’s in charge of the on-ice product here.
Meanwhile, GM Chiarelli has traded away too much offence.
Too many players had career years last season and have, predictably, fallen back.
Something’s got to get better on a team that’s at or near the bottom in too many categories. The Oilers are:
31st on the penalty kill.
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29th on the power play.
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26th in points.
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26th in goals allowed.
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24th in goals scored.
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McLellan isn’t ducking responsibility. And his coaching staff is just as culpable as the players.
“Our names are on this team like the players. We have a huge responsibility for its performance,” McLellan said.
“We’re in there with the players. It’s our job to come up with solutions to the problems.”
The only part of the picture that’s the same as a year ago is the Oilers’ dominance in the Pacific Division. They’re 9-2, but they have only won 12 out of 37 games against the rest of the league.
The special teams are a huge problem. The Oilers can’t score on the power play or defend on the penalty kill.
Mark Letestu, who is on both the penalty kill and power play, knows special teams are, “hugely important.”
“Would we be in a guaranteed playoff spot if we were 20 spots higher (on the penalty kill and power play)? I don’t know that,” he said. "There are teams with good power plays and penalty kills that aren’t in a playoff spot. But I know when both are 30th or 31st, it doesn’t give you a good opportunity to win.”
The Oilers are a tire fire killing penalties at home, with just a 54.2 per cent success rate.