Showing posts with label Keith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Keith. Show all posts

Monday, January 17, 2022

Finally the leaders of the team step up

Over a month ago before this skid turned into a train wreck, I had hoped the Oilers leadership group would hold a team meeting and work this out on their own. It was needed, and today, that meeting happened before practice. 
The Oilers spent today going over battle drills. 2 on 1, 2 on 2 and 1 on 1. They made a conscious effort to really battle hard. At one point Koekkoek got a hard shoulder in on Sceviour and tempers boiled over. Sceviour smashed his stick over the boards in frustration. Which is good. This is exactly what the team needs today to move forward out of this slump. 
Coach Tippett had this to say, "That's not something that I design, that's something that they design and that's the way they want it. To me, that's good leadership."

McDavid and Nurse battled hard against each other, then Draisaitl and Keith matched the intensity. It paved the way for the rest of the players and set the tone. 

Despite all the rage for firing coaches and trading for goalies, this is a very, very good sign for fans of the Oilers. All I can say, it’s about damn time! 

***This is a must listen from Perlini. 

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

One thing this Oilers team doesn’t have

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
Accountably. 

I’ve been waiting for someone on this hockey club to stand up and be accountable this year. Nobody has. Not one. 

Character drives a team. The great leaders like Messier didn’t put up with nonsense. If he was terrible, he owned it. He wasn’t afraid to step up to a microphone and admit when he could be better. He was also never afraid to let the boys have it if they weren’t pulling their weight. I know players like McDavid, well this isn’t their strong suit. But right now, it would be a good time to have him or Draisaitl or Nurse or whomever, step up, own what’s going on and rectify some of the damage that’s been done. 

Coach Tippett came out and said that goalie Mikko Koskinen wasn’t very good last game. Let’s be honest, he was horrible. Justified words from the coach? Yes, it was. However, Koskinen had his own reply. 

”It’s not nice being thrown under the bus. I have to be better but at the same time we scored 7 goals in my last 6 losses. I can’t score goals.” 

Shots fired. 

While I’ll agree with Koskinen on his observation, he should have just owned his own failures. That’s more respectable than saying what he said. 

As of right now the leaders on the current Oilers are McDavid, Draisaitl, Nurse, Nugent-Hopkins and Keith. Tippett has said Keith finds himself more comfortable on the team and in recent weeks he’s become more of a leader in the dressing room and on the bench. Awesome. However, public accountability goes a long way to ease the pain the Oilers fans are currently feeling. Would we feel better if McDavid said, “I haven’t been playing to the level I know I can play. I know I can be better. I know as the captain it’s my job to help carry this team to get out of this slump. I called a players only meeting and we are going to sort this out.” At least if this was said, we would all be a little less pissed off right now. 

Speaking of players only meetings. It’s about time one is called. I figured when they went on the first skid that one would have been called then. But alas, there wasn’t that we know of. 

So what now? 

Smith is back and will start tonight vs the Leafs. McDavid, Ryan and Barrie are out and have been placed in Covid protocol. Nugent-Hopkins is still out as well. 

Tonight will be a tough game, and even more so without these 4 guys. 

Saturday, December 18, 2021

It’s keeps growing. More added to Covid Protocol





Yesterday Duncan Keith was added to the Covid protocol list and just now, forward Jesse Puljujarvi has now been added to the list. 

They join Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Ryan McLeod, Devin Shore and Coach Dave Tippett. 

Oilers choices for recalls are getting worse and worse. Before long the team will be made up of all AHL players. I’m really hoping the league does a complete shut down soon. It’s out of necessary that they should consider it. 

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

The Lone Goal

Last night the Oilers lost 5-1 to the Leafs and that extended their losing streak to 6 games. As most fans, can't say we were shocked. Something is terribly wrong right now with the Oilers, and as each game goes by, it keeps getting worse. So much that a fan tossed a jersey on the ice in frustration. Can't blame him/her except, jersey's aren't cheap and it was while the game was still in play. That is no way to support a team.

Coach Tippett was not behind the bench due to being put on Covid protocol along with Ryan Mcleod. Zach Hyman missed the game due to the injury he suffered the other night, so the lines changed a little bit, but not enough. One notable name to return was Duncan Keith as he reunited back with Cody Ceci on the second pairing. Was this enough to change the tide? No.


Colten Sceviour scored his first goal after 18 games. About damn time!

Fans are pissed! Any more losses and heads will need to roll. You can count on it.


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Oilers Jambalaya is in no way, shape or form associated with the Edmonton Oilers or the Bakersfield Condors. This is a fans blog for fans. We happen to love those teams, so we write about them.