Week of February 7, 2007, Issue #590
FRONT
In The Box
David Young and TB Player / inthebox@vueweekly.com
If you pretended that Vancouver didn’t exist and ignored the standings, last week was OK for the Oilers. The team travelled to Vancouver last Thursday and lost 5-3. Then (bright spot for the week coming) the team beat Colorado 3-2 in a rare afternoon win on Saturday. But the Oilers returned home to lose 5-2 to Vancouver. At night and against Vancouver, last week stunk. But for one afternoon last week without the Canucks involved, a win was earned. Any other good news? Edmonton only has one more game left against Vancouver.
Us vs Them While the “Battle of Alberta” seems to be re-igniting lately, the more significant rivalry seems to be Edmonton vs Vancouver. This season, the Canuckleheads have beaten the Oilers five times of seven. Last season, the Oilers beat Vancouver in six of eight games. Edmonton also squeaked into the playoffs by just edging the Canucks out last season. In the 2003-04 season, a late-season loss to Vancouver was the game that ensured that the Oilers would miss the playoffs. In fact, when playoffs start, it is either us or them in the show. Since the 1983-84 season, both teams made the playoffs in the same year only five times and only once (in 2000-01) since 1991-92. DY
More fun with numbers Okay then, here’s the latest update on the Oilers’ statistical chances of making the playoffs. You may want to sit down. At their present rate, the Minnesota Wild will finish eighth with 92 points. For the Oilers to get to 93 points, they will have to earn 37 points in their last 28 games. That’s the equivalent of winning slightly more than two out of every three games. Certainly not impossible for a team making a valid playoff push, as any kind of winning streak would change things drastically. But with the lack of consistency shown by the Oil lately, it may be too much to ask. TB
In defence of ... Joffrey Lupul Lupul is one of several “whipping boys du jour” as the Oilers continue evading a playoff spot. Criticisms of Lupul include his lack of production and soft play. But he is third on the team in goals with 13 and fourth in shots on net. He has also been blasted for weak play along the boards and in the corners. In Lupes’s defence, he has looked bad in those situations because he actually tries to win the puck along the boards and actually heads into the corner. He’s trying to find new ways to contribute and seems to be improving. He’s refused to stay in his comfort zone and stick to a safer game. He wants to improve. And that’s the only way he will. DY
Just like the Oiler powerplay—no offence I noticed Colorado goalie Peter Budaj had one of the more interesting decorations on the back of his goalie helmet during the Oilers/Avs game. Budaj has a picture of a shirtless and buff Ned Flanders holding the Slovakian flag. It seems that one of the Avs trainers said the goaltender reminded him of the Simpsons’ bible-thumping character. For a devout Christian (a group not often found poking fun at themselves) Slovak (I don’t know any sweeping generalizations about Slovaks) goaltender (crazy loners) in the NHL (aside from Brendan Shanahan, not usually the funniest guys in the room) I think that’s hilarious. Kudos to Budaj. And boo to me for relying on stereotypes. DY
In defence of ... Marc-Andre Bergeron Bergeron is working hard. He still makes awful giveaways and probably always will. But he has a great shot, some speed and, despite what you read on the interweb blogs and hear on the radio, is not the reason the Oilers are doing poorly right now. He is also a better player than anything the Oilers could get in return if they tried to trade him. DY
City of, ummm ... If the Oilers fail to secure a post-season berth, this would be the first year that the Oilers and the Eskimos both failed to make the playoffs since ... ever. Ouch-a. TB