Has all the losing in Edmonton resulted in the veteran Oilers giving up?
EDMONTON — When does losing become lethal?
When do the L’s stop building character, and start turning young prospects into head-shy puppies, scared to skate out under that oil derrick for the licking that awaits?
And what about the vets? When do the Edmonton Oilers’ veterans look at the big picture of a team that has been outscored 12-0 over the past 93 minutes of hockey, and begin to quit?
"This needs to mean more to us than we’ve demonstrated over the past few nights," head coach Tom Renney said of the process that is only 17 games — and four wins — old in Edmonton. "This needs to mean more."
He was talking to his veteran players, several of whom have dialed out of this program already.
"Our better players were our young players," said Oilers head coach Tom Renney after a 5-0 loss at home Wednesday against Chicago. He benched captain Shawn Horcoff and assistant Ales Hemsky for much of third period, though in the big picture they have been two of his best vets.
Another game passed in this rebuilding season Wednesday, and another night of chasing the puck, chasing the game, chasing their tales ensued for the Edmonton Oilers. Chicago, a team the Oilers have inexplicably collected two of their league-low four wins this season against, beat Edmonton five ways to Sunday, outshooting them 47-18.
There was not a single moment in the game where Edmonton looked Chicago’s equal. And the snowball now grows — the scores in their past five games have gone 7-1 for Carolina, 6-2 Detroit, 4-3 New Jersey, 8-2 Ranges, and 5-0 for Chicago.
This morning, the Edmonton Oilers are asking themselves the question: Have we passed the threshold between losing games while we learn, and learning to lose games?
"You’ve got to play hard.," Renney said. "Give yourself the best chance to win by playing hard. When we lose that we have a problem."
"We can become our worst enemy here if we’re not careful. We could become the biggest opponent we face."
Is this team as bad as it looks?
"Are we bad?" said Renney, repeating a question you hate to have to ask a guy who is coaching his tail off here in Edmonton. "We’re certainly as bad as our record would suggest. Are we as bad as we played tonight, and as we have in our last four or five games? The scores suggest that, but we’ve played some very, very good hockey. We’ve got to try and find a way to get back to that."
It was the fourth four-goal loss in the past five games for Edmonton. It only took 14 minutes until goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin could hold the fort no longer.
A mercy pull after 40 minutes, Khabibulin was in the process of stopping his fifth Grade A Blackhawks chance in the first period when Jonathan Toews — standing in his crease like a welcome guest of the powderpuff Oiler defence — whacked not once but twice at his own rebound for a three shot goal.
Had he need a fourth or fifth swipe, Toews would have been afforded the time.
"The referees will give you that battle. It’s in the blue paint. They understand that," Renney said. "We chose not to engage."
We thought we’d be learning new things about the three rookies — Taylor Hall, Magnus Paajarvi and Jordan Eberle — every night along the way of this rebuild. As it turns out, we’re — and we include Renney in this — learning more about so-called leaders on this team.
"We’re not here to tweak this year," Renney said. "We’re here to change."
That was a shot at his vets.
We’ve learned that Hemsky brings it most nights. We’ve learned that the listless, carefree Dustin Penner brings it almost never.
We’ve learned that defenceman Tom Gilbert has managed to play 275 NHL games without ever learning to take the man. And that Jim Vandermeer, who always looked pretty tough when he played elsewhere, left his grit in Phoenix and his fists in Philly, going fightless in 17 games with a young team that gets pushed around nightly.
"I don’t care about rebuilding. I’m not here to..." said Hemsky stopping himself. "It’s nice to rebuild. I’m here to win the games. It’s excuses, the rebuilding."
It’s an excuse, all right. For some of these veteran Oilers, it’s becoming an excuse to pick up a paycheque.
