Its not that their efforts are half assed, they just dont have it. Smytty god bless his soul is about 2 steps behind everyone. Hes too (frank)ing old and beat up. Horc is overpaid but still a solid guy in a number of areas. Hemsky has always been enigmatic at best. They are what they are.

I like the play of Fistric.
- sanfordnson

We should have had fistric 2 yrs ago! He is exactly what this team needs... Balls and hits everything in sight

Its not that their efforts are half assed, they just dont have it. Smytty god bless his soul is about 2 steps behind everyone. Hes too (frank)ing old and beat up. Horc is overpaid but still a solid guy in a number of areas. Hemsky has always been enigmatic at best. They are what they are.

I like the play of Fistric.
- sanfordnson

I agree Smyth is like an old boxer feeling his way through...would be more beneficial as a coach IMO... But what about Whitney and horcoff... Horcs should not be on the 1st PP unit... He does not have the hands or speed... If we had a face off man that could wins draws and have hands it would go a long way

He made a couple other huge saves.
- Iggysbff

no enough huge saves

The problem is that anyone we call up from OKC is not a better option. This team is already very young and if they start trying to insert the Vandeveldes and such into the lineup we may as well just start waiting for the draft. Again. Also have to remember that the old farts may take a little longer to get up to speed because A)they are old farts and B)havent played like the kids have. Guys like Belanger and Horcoff are valuable mainly because they can win faceoffs. Without Belanger in the circle against LA, we are 1-3 right now. he and Horcoff and even Smytty are valuable as hell to our PK. Until our top centers improve their FO% a lot, we'll continue to see them take PP faceoffs, because getting posession of the puck is kind of important.

Im starting to hate Hemsky.

I just asked a very similar question in the Flames blog...when will the Oilers talent be realized?
- Colin Dambrauskas

Calgary is not a bad team and today the Flames were more desperate to win this game, the Oilers will beat the Flames this season but for the Oilers to take the next big step would need better third line players and 4th line players.

The problem is that anyone we call up from OKC is not a better option. This team is already very young and if they start trying to insert the Vandeveldes and such into the lineup we may as well just start waiting for the draft. Again. Also have to remember that the old farts may take a little longer to get up to speed because A)they are old farts and B)havent played like the kids have. Guys like Belanger and Horcoff are valuable mainly because they can win faceoffs. Without Belanger in the circle against LA, we are 1-3 right now. he and Horcoff and even Smytty are valuable as hell to our PK. Until our top centers improve their FO% a lot, we'll continue to see them take PP faceoffs, because getting posession of the puck is kind of important.

Im starting to hate Hemsky.
- sanfordnson

I am not sure about the pk comment...Eberle and mps for that matter could fill those roles and have in the past briefly ... I bet once yaks matures and those options r gone we will see more of that...as we need to have a line ready once the pk is done..

I am not sure about the pk comment...Eberle and mps for that matter could fill those roles and have in the passed... I bet once yaks matures and those options r gone we will see more of that...
- saskoil21

Perhaps in the future, but right now especially with how undisciplined they continue to be, we need experienced PK players out there. put all those rooks out there on all those PKs and we're probably 0-4 right now.

Perhaps in the future, but right now especially with how undisciplined they continue to be, we need experienced PK players out there. put all those rooks out there on all those PKs and we're probably 0-4 right now.
- sanfordnson

U bet...right now we don't have that option cause of the inexperience..

Lou, Booth, Ballard for Hall and Horcoff
- Whiskey-Tango

No

Know who I wouldn't mind? Brooks Laich. Not exactly a star but the type of player we could use. Washington has been AIDS so far. Wonder if we could pry him out of there?

Calgary is not a bad team and today the Flames were more desperate to win this game, the Oilers will beat the Flames this season but for the Oilers to take the next big step would need better third line players and 4th line players.
- AlEx_OiL

I agree that Calgary played better but they're not a good team. They're a bunch of old duds that should be retired.
(The toronto of the west)

No
- spitfire187

agreed