I have watched the Oilers since the beginning of the WHA days and this was one of the worst games I can remember in a very long time. This made 8 straight losses and 15 times in the last 16 games. We all know, and the team knows that their playoff hopes are totally gone but the least they can do is try or give the semblance of try when they step on the ice.

Again, the leadership on this team must come into question. The leaders on this team are obviously ok with losing and unfortunately they are dragging the young guys down that rutted road of no return. This team brings to mind one of my favorite quotes from the legendary Vince Lombardi:

Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all time thing. You don’t win once in a while, you don’t do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.

This team has obviously gotten into the habit of losing and the leadership of this team seems to be quite happy with this. How could things have gotten this bad? I believe that the leadership of this team started to try and take control of the team when Craig MacTavish was coach and I don’t think things are any different now. The leadership wants to control the team and don’t want to do anything other than their way.

The penalties in the game were all of the lazy variety. The forwards didn’t come back very hard to protect their own zone and when they did they didn’t seem to know what they were supposed to be doing. The defense was equally inept in their own zone and had no idea what was going on. Jeff Deslauriers didn’t have a particularly strong game either in net but when you are hung out to dry all night it would have taken a miracle anyway.

Captain (and I use the term loosely) took an absolutely brutal penalty in the first period to give the Avalanche a 5 on 3 and Pat Quinn pretty much stapled him to the bench in the third period giving him only 2:35 of ice time which was less than every other player on the team.

This was an embarrassment to the proud tradition of the Edmonton Oilers and the 20 guys who are dressing every game had better put out even if it doesn’t result in a win. I am sure at this point of the season that all the fans want to see is effort. The wins are only a bonus at this place and time in the season but effort is a necessity. This reminds me of one final Vince Lombardi quote:

The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.

The Edmonton Oilers are no longer working hard and have obviously surrendered.

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