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Since We're Going to Lose Anyway...

December 22, 2011, 4:49 PM ET [ Comments]
Richard Cloutier
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Oilers vs. Wild. Oh, this should be fun.

Hey, since we're gonna lose anyway, we should have some fun with it. Please Tom Renney, do the following:

1. Mix Up the Forward Lines. We need to trade a few people, but it's hard to do that when they aren't getting points. So let's mix up the lines.

For tonight, how about...

L1: Taylor Hall - Sam Gagner - Ales Hemsky

If Hall can't get these two chuckleheads going, no one can. Yes, I know Hemsky has the flu and he might not play. So what? He's got all of Christmas to rest. Put him out there, sick or healthy. The sooner he gets points, the sooner we can deal him.

L2: Anton Lander - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Jordan Eberle

I want to see Lander get more than three minutes of ice time and playing in an offensive role for a change. He's been a good soldier this season. So give him a treat.

L3: Ryan Smyth - Shawn Horcoff - Ryan Jones

This line was one of the Oilers best early in the season. Put them back together and give them plenty of ice against the Heatley line.

L4: Ben Eager - Eric Belanger - Lennart Petrell

Belanger will get more ice time because of penalty killing. Other than that, the 4th line is a good place for him.

2. Give the good players more ice time. The line with Nuge and Eberle should always finish the game with the most minutes. I'm sick of seeing Horcoff's line or Belanger's line on the ice when the Oilers need a goal.

3. Play Dubnyk instead of Khabibulin. Dubey has looked off, but goaltenders are different beasts. The only way to get a goalie out of a funk is to play him. So play Dubey. Make him feel important to the future.

4. Put Whitney with Gilbert and give them 28 minutes. Whitney has looked terrible but the Oilers have been going easy on him. Not anymore. Put him with Tom Gilbert and make them the top pairing. Sink or swim time for Ryan Whitney. Either you're good enough to be top guy, or you need to go back on the IR.

5. Limit the ice time of Theo Peckham and Jeff Petry. As far as I am concerned, give a Potter/Smid pairing 20 minutes, the Whitney/Gilbert pairing 28 minutes, and the Peckham/Petry pairing 12 minutes. And try to make sure they're only out against the 3rd and 4th lines of Minnie. Keep them off the ice as much as possible.

6. Beat the crap out of the DJ before the game. Why does he keep playing so much bad rap and Euro-techno? And that goal song is the worst thing ever. Rock n' roll. No Christmas tunes. No lame techno. Find a way to work Tool into the rotation and the Oilers might get pumped up.

7. Send Octane north. I'd let Octane dance, but only way high up, in the cheapest seats section. They're obviously distracting the players. If they wear the Christmas outfits they had on against the Wings the other night (red and white with green pom-poms) the Wild will think they are cheering for them.

8. Free booze for everyone...lol, worth a shot. Watching the Oilers play lately requires alcohol. Lots and lots of alcohol.
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