What is the number one reason for the Oilers not having more success this season?

[plikestechno]

Originally Posted by misfit

Holding a lead didn't seem to be the problem. They were simply just incapable of overcoming adversity and apparently incredibly fragile mentally. Those are traits usually found in inexperienced players/teams.

This is the biggest problem. This team completely lacks composure. Bad things start happening and the young guys just get frustrated, playing as individuals, forgetting their D assignments and get scared to make mistakes. Our veterans are to blame as they should be holding the fort and righting the ship when things get rocky. But I think they're so used to losing the vets just go into "here we go again, the world hates us" mode when things go wrong.

Also, I don't agree with Mark Spector very often but he's bang on when he says that bad teams (regardless of sport) just can't put together winning, consistent efforts. One game you get good goaltending, another you don't. One game we score a bunch of goals, the next game we don't. One game we stick to our system and hit everything and the next night the other team scores a couple of quick goals and we fall apart and stop doing all that. We play a great 58 minutes but a soft goal here or a bad turnover there and we lose.

We can beat any team in the NHL on any given night, this year proved that, but which team will show up? Why can't we get everyone on the same page and going in the same direction. For me that falls on coaching and the vets.

[RNH]

Injuries and our cooaaaach....

[Koto]

strategic reffing.

[Koto]

Originally Posted by misfit

The Oilers were 4-24-4 when trailing after 2 this year. They were 24-3-2 when leading after 2.

Holding a lead didn't seem to be the problem. They were simply just incapable of overcoming adversity and apparently incredibly fragile mentally. Those are traits usually found in inexperienced players/teams.

I think, more than anything, they need to bring in players (big or small) who are simply unwilling to accept losing. I remember Paajarvi talking about how Lander hated losing more than anyone he's ever known, and we all know Hall's drive is unquestionable. If they can add one marquis player with those qualities, I think it'll go a long way in spreading that mentality throughout the team a lot moreso than depth players with the same trait.

i cant actually believe that.

[Master Lok]

Originally Posted by Master Lok

Yup. Can't make chicken salad out of chicken sh--.

Tambellini gets an F. If you actually thought this team could have done better, you were fooling yourselves back in September.

Actually there is an alternative perspective.

Tambellini gets an A if the plan (back in September) was to tank another season for a high draft pick. He has succeeded in technicolor.

[Chayos]

Originally Posted by joestevens29

So putting out RNH and his 37% face-off rate would've changed that?


To me it was their inability to play 5-on-5. 4-on-4 they looked better as they could use their speed, but 5-on-5 they seemed to get stuck in the neutral zone or lose it on the dump.

This is it exactly.

For year the Oilers are always a couple of years behind in solving their problems. Whem we needed scoring they got to many small forwards and sacrificed to much grit to do it.

The Oilers now need d-men who can move the puck after purging grebeshkov,Pitkanen vishnovsky and Gilbert.

The oilers biggest problems is they always over correct and it keeps them in the bottom 10.

going forward they need 3 thing and not to much of any of them, but we will see if they manage to get that right.

1) PMD- this is so painfully obvious in our 5-5 play because without the extra space the forwards are to small and can't break out on their own.

Solution 1) sign or trade for Justin Schultz
2) sign Ryan Suter as a UFA( good luck with that)
3) Sign Matt Carle

2) Size up front- the oilers are painfully small in the top 6 and need to move out some of those Smurfs. IMO the oiler need to move out 2 of omark, Hemsky and Gagner and fill those slots with some size and Grit. Hartikainen is good for one of those spots, but they need another bigger player.

Solution: Trade for a power forward in a deal similar to the one VCR did in getting Kassian. They can afford to overpay to get the player they need

3) better coaching which is probably our biggest need.

solution fire Renny and hire a good coach, who knows to keep Ralph Krueger for the PP.

[Joseppi]

Originally Posted by Koto

i cant actually believe that.

82.8% according to NHL team stats page, and that correlates with the numbers he posted.

[dereksutton9]

All choices were pretty valid reasons for another season of losing but in the end, Tambellini was responsible for all the other choices and thus got my vote. The GM was responsible for having veterans that could underachieve at the start of the year. The GM is responsible for a coach that really hasn't shown anything at his time at the helm.

And yes, I blame Tambellini for the injuries. One year lost to injuries is bad luck. The continual mass of games lost year over year shows there's something chronic and really as management, shouldn't there be more reaction in fixing the issue like perhaps overhauling the training staff and training methods?

Did anyone else groan when EDM won the lottery? It just means Tambellini will do the expected and not actually improve the team for next year.

[dobiezeke*]

Originally Posted by dereksutton9

All choices were pretty valid reasons for another season of losing but in the end, Tambellini was responsible for all the other choices and thus got my vote. The GM was responsible for having veterans that could underachieve at the start of the year. The GM is responsible for a coach that really hasn't shown anything at his time at the helm.

And yes, I blame Tambellini for the injuries. One year lost to injuries is bad luck. The continual mass of games lost year over year shows there's something chronic and really as management, shouldn't there be more reaction in fixing the issue like perhaps overhauling the training staff and training methods?

Did anyone else groan when EDM won the lottery? It just means Tambellini will do the expected and not actually improve the team for next year.

So Tambo should have jumped on the ice when RNH slid into the boards? Perhaps Tambo should have been at all the Windsor games to ensure that Hall didn't injure his shoulder as a junior. Or Tambo should have unhooked Eberle's foot when he got tangled up resulting in his injury. Or Tambo should have chastised Hemsky for continually putting himself in the position to injure his shoulder. Or perhaps Tambo should have screamed out "icing" when Fedun went into the boards in the preseason. Or Tambo should have consulted the doctors when Whitney was born that resulted in a chronic foot issue that had nothing to do with hockey...

Yes, all the injuries rest on Tambo's shoulders...

[RustE]

no one reason. not enough defensive depth is on Tambo. I think Renney blew it with his handling of the goaltenders and riding the vets too much. dubbie should have gotten the ball earlier and more often. there's probably 4 or 5 wins right there.

Tambo may have missed a few good trades that happened during the season, as well.

bad luck on key injuries. i'm mean, when has a team lost their 3 best scorers at the same time?

but guys, they weren't making the playoffs regardless. past tense, water? bridge?

[copperandblue]

This team needs leadership and after Tambellini's presser yesterday it is clear that right from the top it has none.

It all starts with him...