Here we sit, only 3 more sleeps until the fat man in the red suit starts to deliver presents to all of those on his nice list (and no I don’t mean Ken Hitchcock, he was here Saturday and brought the Oilers a big giant lump of coal). But we aren’t done with our list for Santa, the list of gifts to the Oilers.
Today we add to the list – A winning record the for the rest of the season. (even I’m having a hard time taking this seriously).
Look a winning record for this team is most likely impossible, but us the fans, we need something. Some semblance of hope, something that makes us drink because we are happy, not because we are utterly depressed with the hapless team that is the Oilers. Santa, please bring the Oilers an above .500 record the rest of the way. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.
So what kind of a winning record, 1 game over .500, 5 games over, 10 games over? Ugh…even one game over sounds impossible right now. But what I want for the Oilers, and their fans, and my liver is to not finish in the bottom 5 of the league. Considering they are in 29th spot now that is a long way to climb during the next 44 games of the season.
The last full season in the NHL, 2011-2012, the 25th place team was Anaheim. The Ducks finished the season with a record of 34-36-12 for 80 points. In 2010-2011 the now defunct Atlanta Thrashers finished and the same 34-36-12 record with 80 points and 25th in the standings. 2009-2010 saw the exact same numbers from the Tampa Bay Lightning, and in 2008-2009 we had Phoenix in at 25th with 79 points with a record of 36-39-7. Again in 2007-2008 Columbus came in with common 25th place record of, you guessed it – 34-36-12. You see the trend here; the Oilers need to be at the very minimum of 79 points to even have a chance at breaking out of the leagues bottom five.
That’s a long way to go for a team that is currently 13 games under .500, climbing even 4 spots in the standings seems like a near impossible task. The way this team is playing, I’m not sure it’s even possible. Let’s go over exactly what it will take for the Oilers to achieve 80pts.
The math isn’t hard the Oil will have to win 23 of their next 44 games, only lose 13 more in regulation and get 9 garbage points from overtime or shoot out losses. That combination can change a little with a few more wins or a few more OT losses (as long as they come in multiples of 2). Can they do it? I’d say you have a better chance to catch Santa kissing your mom then the Oilers playing 10 games over .500 the rest of the way.
But either way this is what I’m going to ask Jolly old Saint Nick for this to happen, if us fans are really on Santa’s nice list then there’s a chance, right?
A lot of things are going to need to our way for this to happen, including Santa delivering of the other gifts on our list for the Oilers. Perhaps the most important thing is going to be for this team, forwards and defensemen to start giving a s*%. With the exception of only a few players, it sure seems like they have already given up.
There doesn’t seem to be that desire to compete every night. Dallas Eakins said last night that it is time for the players to start getting mad, holding each other accountable. And that’s ok, get angry fellas, instead of skating in to one another at practice and getting knocked out maybe get in a few scraps with your teammate. Have some internal competition. Prove to each other that you care just a little more than the guy in the stall next to you.
We have seen flashes but flashes aren’t enough. It is time for the team to start giving it there all every night. If they do that, even if they don’t make it out of the bottom 5, then at least no one will criticize the effort the rest of the way. I’ll be a lot happier about the state of things, that’s for sure.
Oh and Santa, while you’re out delivering presents on Christmas Eve, can you please bring the fan that threw his jersey on the ice after last night’s loss a new one, because he deserves it. That man is my hero!
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