The Blame Game.

Now, I am not a fan of the blame game. Yet people's opinions are being tossed around all willy nilly and things are seeming to be out of touch with the reality of what is actually going to happen. Who do I blame for the Oilers troubles? Not who you think. Read on.

Craig MacTavish

- I know that most people really believe that it is the coaches fault. Is it? Really? I don't think so. I quite like MacT as a coach. Sure his style is a little unorthodox but it works when the players buy into it. He definitely is more of a younger guy coach. His way of helping Gagner and Cogs seems to be on track and working. I am curious on how Steve MacIntyre is going to look when he comes back. He's been working hard at doing whatever the coaching staff has asked. In Bobby Nilsson's case, it's hard to coach someone that really has no effort or desire to get better. I don't think that MacT really has control over the older players (Moreau, Horcoff, Hemsky) If he did he would have put Hemsky on the left side and Cole on his right. But Hemmer says no and the answer is no. End of story. I really believe that it takes Mact a little to long to figure out the older players and how to use them (ie: Peca). Cole has been very manageable this year and I'm sure that is going to help him during the next few months as we move along towards the playoffs. I really think that Cole is going to be a huge impact player by the time we are heading into the playoffs. (we will be in the playoffs this year) So for more reasons than I want to or feel like writing, MacT will NOT be fired this year. If we tank and not make the playoffs then he will resign after the season is over. I repeat. He will NOT be fired this year. Besides... how many coaches are ready to jump a plane and move to Edmonton? Not too many I would think.

Ok. Let's just say for example... I am a crappy worker (player). I come to work and kinda sorta do a little sweeping. I then read the paper for a bit. Then I walk around pretending to be busy. Then I go to the bathroom for 20 minutes. Then oh! Lunch time. Cya in an hour. Then my Foreman (coach) pulls me into his office. He gives me the "we need to be more productive" speech. "Ok. Loud and clear", I say. Then this continues for a couple of days. I seem to get the speech every 2 days for a week. The store manager (GM) starts to see me wandering around. He starts wondering what I am up to. How am I making him any money. Now the company owner (Mr. $$$$) gets wind of this. He's pissed off. So tell me. Who should be fired?

The Store Manager (GM)? Perhaps. He did hire me for $20 an hour. But not likely.

How about the Foreman (coach). Should he be fired because I suck? Maybe. Although he did try and inspire me and really you can only help someone for so long before you come to a realization that the guy that was hired is a moron.

So who ends up being canned? Me (the player) I can blame management all I want. But I suck. So I deserve to be fired. Unfortunately that can't really happen in the NHL. Buy outs are costly. And it's hard to trade nothing for something.

So what am I getting at here? Blame the players for being crappy. It's not always the coach. I'm not saying that Mact hasn't screwed up. He has a few times. I'm just saying it not his fault. Just ask Tampa Bay. or the Islanders.

Kevin Lowe

- Despite the little story that you just read. In this case I do blame Kevin Lowe for 50% of the teams woes. He is the one responsible for bringing in talent and he's the one who makes the deals. In a hockey world this position is very important. A coach can only do so much with what he has. Sure the Oilers are stacked with talent. Small talent for the most part. But that is really a small reason. Well... half the reason.

When the leaders of the team are struggling then the rest of the team struggles too. This isn't new. It happens in all sports. I am the coach/captain of my slo-pitch team. When I am "on", the rest of my team feeds off it and we play well. If I'm not going good then I can hardly expect anyone else to be. Right? I live by the motto "Leadership is Action... Not Position". Ask Messier. No action. No position. Therefore your team will stink too. For this I put the other 50% blame to these three guys.

Horcoff/Moreau/Staios

- These three are supposed to be the leaders. The amount of "power" these three have in the locker room is enormous. These three have not been living up to their leadership position. The last couple of games, Chopper has been good. But before then.... c-r-a-p-p-y. And he's the Captain. Sure I am sure he is good at organizing player functions and all the other crap he does, but we need an on ice leader. Any "A" can do what he does. But the "C" needs to be a game changer. He needs to be able to throw a huge hit or score a goal when you need it. And Moreau hasn't done that for the team.

Staios has not been very good this year. It kinda sucks that his spot is pretty golden. He takes bad penalties at bad times. Almost borderline over aggressive. That is not what a leader is supposed to do. Not one that I would want to play with anyways. I believe that he needs to be moved.

Now Mr. Horcoff. Mr. Money Pants. I liked the 3rd line $2 million dollar Horcoff better. That guy played like he wanted to be 1st line guy. I just see no real effort from him this year. He was a good pk guy. Now he's an ok pk guy. On the PP he is a one trick pony. And other teams now know what he does. That is why last game he wasn't effective. I wonder why people that get big contracts always suck for the first couple of years? The last year is always their best year. So that means we have the next three to four years of the crappy Horcoff. Yay! I always said that he was a great 3rd line guy. He was a good 2nd line guy. But he is an average 1st line guy. We need a awesome guy to be 1st line guy and that isn't Horcoff. So now what? Not sure. A trade? A demotion? That falls into Kevin Lowe's department, the other 50 %.

I'm sure I may have made some people mad at me because of this. But so be it. It's my opinion. And my opinion only. This is not written without thought. It just has been driving me nuts that people want MacT fired. It comes down to the core players. The veterans. Then it falls on Lowe. (how much authority does Tambellini really have here?) Bottom line... I support MacT. There. I said it.

Beers and Jeers #9 (Dec 19/08 vs Anaheim Ducks)

Well. Wasn't that a crazy penalty filled game? The game was so different from beginning to end that it was hard to tell if I was still watching the same game. The lines started out as predicted. Then as time went on MacT was putting the blender on low speed. Partly because of trying to get a spark and partly because of the PK and PP opportunities. Some guys didn't get to see much time on the ice. People like Horcoff were granted lots of time. So it was a hard game to evaluate. I am not really sure why Nilsson was benched. If anyone knows, please share it with us in the comments section because I would take a crappy Nilsson over a good Pouliot any day. But let's get on with it...

BEERS

Erik Cole

- See what happens when you mix a little Gagner and a side of Cole. I can almost bet my old 1979 Chevy pickup that those to will be playing together next game. And why not? Cole has looked good like he did tonight for the past few games. I am happy that he was able to contribute tonight. 31 shifts. 7 shots. 2 missed shots. 1 hit (I don't really believe the count of this stat ever) and 3 takeaways. He was solid the entire game. Cole is starting to become a regular in the Beers and Jeers. This guy is a jib cutter for sure. I guess he knows where the fridge is. Help yourself. Cheers!

Sam Gagner

- I am digging the beard that you are sporting now. It is looking like a team thing. I like those sort of things. Good team building. Sam was great tonight. Even if he didn't get a point to night I still would have given him a beer. His defensive game is really shaping up nicely. He takes hits and makes nice plays. He almost seems like his is another Hemmer, but there is a little difference there. His thinking is quicker. He sees the ice so well. And he was pretty good on the faceoffs tonight. That helps to get you out on the ice a little more. Great game Sam... Have a frosty. Cheers!

Sheldon Souray

- The big guy with the bomb did some damage tonight, even if he didn't score. He was dropping wingers like flies. It was nice to see him get some good shots off. 15 in total. 11 hit the net, 2 blocked and 2 missed. Good game all around for Mr. Souray. Beer? Of course you will. Cheers!

All The Stick Manufacturers

- Congratulations! I seen maybe two sticks broken all game. It was like the teams were back to using wood again. It's about time you guys figured out how to make them better. It's too bad that Stoll didn't use any of Souray's sticks last year. He may still be here. So to all the guys in suits that claim to do all the work on your product... Share a six pack. Cheers!

Honorable Mentions

- Dwayne Roloson. He was solid again tonight. Good on him.

- The Entire Team. Pretty good effort throughout the game. Let's do it 2 in a row. Go Oil!

- Lady Smid. Nice hit. It really changed the game. Bad timing penalty for Horcoff... Good hit from Smid to get that momentum back.

JEERS

Shawn Horcoff

- Maybe I just have a hate on for this guy. I really didn't think that he deserved 3rd star. Sure he played a lot. But he really wasn't noticeable. If you want to be a 1st line guy, you need to be noticed. So he played 28:05. That's a lot of ice time. 6:25 was played on the PP and 6:49 was played on the PK. All that ice time and he managed 4 shots. 2 that hit the net. 1 blocked and 1 missed. 4 shots. Really? With 28:05 of ice time? The 53 shots that hit the net and Horcoff took 2. Plus the penalty that he took in the 2nd was a real momentum swing for the Ducks. Good thing for the Smid hit to get it back. I don't know? Maybe I'm wrong here but either way it's my opinion. So hey Horc. Boooooooooooooo...

Marc-Antoine Pouliot

- I am not sure what kind of magic fairy dust you sprinkled on MacT to give you all that PP time. I'm sure it was the stong stuff. I really don't like him. I think tonight he looked shaky at times. It was like he would play hot potato with the puck. That really caused some dumb passes and chances for Anaheim. You can't keep making off the cuff passes and not expect to get burned sometimes. And how did you ever manage to sneak on the shoot out list? Gagner, Hemsky and Cole should have been the names. Pouliot. Pfftt... Booooooooo...

The Referee's

- Are you lips sore? Need some chap stick? I can't believe how many penalties there were. And why on earth is knocking a stick out of a guys hand a penalty? Seriously. Why? Why even hang on to your stick then. It should only be a call if you break the stick. (even then... the sticks break for no reason sometimes) It's a dumb rule anyways. Even though you were just doing your job. I have to do mine. Booooooooooo...

Well that's it. The Oiler's have a few days to wait until the next game. Until then, enjoy your weekend.

SRB

Beers and Jeers #8 (Dec 17/08 vs. Vancouver Canucks)

BEERS

Ethan Moreau

- For a guy that was non-existent yesterday, he sure came out with a bang. He played a pretty solid game and actually looked like the leader out there. He beat on guys when he needed to. He laid some nice hits. He even was shooting. Not sure how he didn't get any hits? I'm sure I seen a few. But regardless... it was about time our Captain showed up. 1st Beer of the year Chopper. Cheers!

Erik Cole

- Once again he was good. He was hitting everyone in sight and took a lot of shots. Mind you most of them we deflected. But it was still a good game by Cole. He just needs to score a goal and people will relax. Don't worry folks. He gets better every game. Have a cold one Cole. Cheers!

Sam Gagner

- Hard work and determination paid off. I just seen the monkey jump off his back. See what happens when you get a little dirty in the crease? A goal. And... He led the team in hits with 2. Go figure. We should see him play a little more confidant now. Good game Gagner. A frosty one for ya? Cheers!

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JEERS

Steve Staios

- Nice check moron. A little to aggressive dontcha think? What the hell man? Your lucky Roli didn't get hurt. That blunder changed the game after that. Dumb Staios. Dumb. Booooooooooo...

Shawn Horcoff

- Did you even play tonight? (yes I looked at the stats) Every time the camera showed you you were sitting on the bench shaking your head. Quit shaking and do something. You are considered a leader and you blew it tonight. If the Oilers are going to be successful this year you need to be a consistent player and leader. Maybe he needs that #1 spot to be taken away for awhile? Show up next time please. Boooooooooooooo...

The Entire Team

- Two in a row guys. Need I say more? Booooooooooo...

Beers and Jeers #7 (Dec 16/08 vs. Chicago Blackhawks)

Wow. What a game. Good thing I didn't have to pay for that. Have we won wearing the old jerseys yet this year?

BEERS

Zack Stortini

- Nice to see you throwing actual punches. Not a bad fight. Beer and some ice for the knuckles? Cheers!

The Oiler's Trainers

- I'm sure you worked your butt off getting cleaning up the mess after MacT had an explosion in the dressing room. And you probably had to get a lot of towels for the girls to cry in. So you all can share a beer. small cheers.

JEERS

The Entire Team

- Your defensive zone coverage sucked tonight. In fact everything you guys did sucked tonight. I am expecting a much different result tomorrow night. Wow! (shakes head) Boooooooooo!!!

Booooooo! again.

Mathieu Garon

- 5 goals against. Way to make a statement. Boooooooooooo!

"What Would _______ Do?"

Well I was thinking about doing some Christmas shopping on Sunday and decided to head to the local Wally Mart. This is my daughter's 1st Xmas and I can't help but keep buying her stuff. She's so damn cute. So, I start walking in (with my list of course) and automatically head to the toy section. I used to love this section when I was a kid. Mom and dad would say "meet us at "whatever" time. I'd say "yeah" and I would be gone. I still feel like a weirdo standing there checking out the cabbage patch kids. I feel like I need to prove I have a kid in order to be in the girl section. People are rude for the most part. So I get a lot of stares and whispers.

I look at my list and the spin and dance Uniqua from the Backyardigans is #1. I can see it. There is only one left and I'm 50 feet away. The place is swarming with people. Damn. I need it.

Now I am not all that religious (unless the Oiler's is considered a religion) now a days but I couldn't help but think... People like to live thier lives with the whole "What Would Jesus Do?" So why not the Oiler's right?

"So" I thought. What Would Hemsky Do? Good plan. So I started out doing a fast jog, then I started really picking up speed. WATCH OUT! I jump to the left. Oh no! Spin-a-rama to the right. Almost there. One more juke to the left and back to the right and I'm there...

Right on. It worked. Just as I start to catch my breath, this dude in a suit starts to cut in front of me and starts grabbing for the toy. No way there tie wearing dude. Not today.

So? I quickly thought...

What Would MacTavish Do? I flashed a grin and without a blink I grabbed a hold of the dude's tie and ripped it right off. He stood there speechless as I grabbed the toy and walked quickly away. Take that Harvey the Hound #2

Yeah! (self high 5)

Well now I am starting to feel pretty good about myself. What's next on the list? Baby Einstein Kaleidoscope. Cool toy. Lights up and plays music. Easy to learn colors type of toy. Well... There was two left. Two. Now anyone knows that you never want the front toy because everyone and their dog has played with it already. So you want the one that is way in the back. Right? Well just as I start walking to get it and this lady and her 7 year old kid were heading that way.

Quick think man....

What Would Cole Do? I started running and just as the two of us were reaching "the toy", I pretend to slip on some water and I deliver the best Erik Cole open ice hit on her. BAM! She goes flying to the floor. Yes!!!! I got it. The back one. I help her off her kid and apologize for slipping and make some joke about how crappy the employees are here and I make off laughing under my breath. Sucker.

Now I have one more thing on the list and so far no luck. Oh wait. Is that the new IgglePiggle doll/figurine? It is. Hmmmm.... My girl is going to love that.
What Would Visnovsky Do? I know. He's good at getting in and getting out quick. So I kick it into high gear and do a run by. Successful! I have all three presents that I wanted to get for my princess. Living large and in charge.
So I go heading off to the check out till. Long lines of course. It's Christmas.

As I am waiting in line that jack ass Mr. No Tie guy from the Uniqua episode is giving me the eye. "Screw him", I say. I'm leaving. What could be the harm now right?
So What Would Souray Do? So I gave him that look. You know the look. The "I'm gonna rip some poop up on you" look. Yeah that's right. I'm bad ass. (I'm actually scared but you can't show him that) I finish paying and get my cash back and I start getting ready for the full on winter blast that I am sooooo lucky to receive at this time of year. And here is that hole of a butt, Mr. Suit with no tie guy again.
"Hey", he yells at me. "I needed that toy for my kid."
"So did I" I say back.
"Are you getting smart with me?" he growls.
"Yes I am", I reply.
He keeps getting closer to me. Sure enough he's parked beside me. What dumb luck huh? He looks really angry the closer he gets. Crap once again. What now?
Ahhhh... then it came to me. What Would MacIntyre Do?
What could I do? So I shirted him and started feeding him rights to the side of the noggin'. It shocked him a little. You could see it in his eyes. He starts to cover his head. So I did what Big Mac would do. I started feeding him in the ribs. (I learned from Big Mac that no matter what, you need to hit the opponent somewhere that's vulnerable or otherwise it's a waste of a punch) So I kept swinging until I was satisfied that he was going to be stunned. He fell to the ground and I found my opening to make a run for it. I snatched up all my gifts and jumped into my old crown victoria and sped off quickly.
Next stop... Tim Hortons.
Mmmmmm... Double Double.
Geez... what an afternoon. Next time I am going to send the wife. She's more like Chopper. She just goes in swinging her purse like she's big #18 and her life depends on it. Until next year...
Happy Holidays Everybody!!!

Smokin' Ray Burnt


***TRUE STORY: Based on true events that may or may not have happened in real life***