Well the big show has finally come and the sporting world is watching with great anticipation: The Toilet Bowl. Now, some might have called yesterday’s Football game the Toilet bowl but I think Bruno Mars saved it with those sick dance moves, so that just leaves the matchup between the NHL’s two worst teams, locked in one of the greatest Tank Battles professional Hockey has ever known. But you know what? Buffalo has nothing on the Oilers when it comes to tanking.
Nope. It isn’t even close really. Just look at the Sabres! Tonight their top line features Linus Omark and Cody Hodgson. Let that sink in for a bit. That team isn’t tanking, they’re just bad. The Oilers on the other hand have THREE 1st Overall picks, Jordan Eberle, and Justin Schultz. The Coaching Staff was hand-picked by Management, and the Owner is one of Canada’s wealthiest people. This is an organization devoted to tanking. You cant have this much talent and be worse. We tried!
The Oilers are indeed so committed to this Tank Job that they fired the last coach for leading them out of the Draft Lottery. The Sabres and the Oilers have essentially identical Point Percentages this season and a regulation loss to the Oilers will leave Buffalo with 3 games in hand and only 2 points behind Edmonton.
Why is this so important? Shouldn’t the Oilers be trying to WIN this game? Good lord, no. Get your losing pants on, Boys. The Oilers need a Defenseman STAT and Aaron Ekblad is their guy right now but there’s no guarantee Edmonton will pick first. Even if they finish dead last the rules changed to make selecting 1st more unlikely. The most important thing they can do is maximize their chance to win (the Draft lottery).
But would selecting 2nd be so bad? Who knows??? Who knows what Buffalo is capable of right now? They need scoring big time (Hodgson and Omark, remember?) but they could take Ekblad 1st themselves like the fools they are!
I’m not saying that the fate of the Oilers Organization and their hopes of ever leaving the basement are going to be determined by the outcome of this game, but the fate of the Oilers Organization and their hopes of ever leaving the basement are going to be determined by the outcome of this game.
LINEUPS
Dallas Eakins continues to tweet major lineup changes so we know that Bryzgalov will start and Joensuu will be in for Jones. The same defense that was brutal against Boston will be in tonight against the Sabres. It’s a very different task defending Buffalo but hopefully the Oilers can pull it together and be competitive again (Even if they need to lose). Bob Stauffer was suggesting that the 2nd line was really dropping the ball against the Bruins, I don’t know how you just call them on it, the whole team was brutal.
Hall RNH Eberle Yak Gagner Perron Hendricks Gordon Hemsky Gazdic Smyth Joensuu
N. Schultz J. Schultz Marincin Petry Ference Fraser
Bryzgalov
OILERS KEYS TO THE GAME (TANK EDITION)
1) Be Totally Unprepared For Puck Drop. The Oilers are starting this game at 5pm Mountain time. That’s weird. If we’re lucky they wont show up until the proper 7:30pm Mountain Time.
2) Stick To The Outside Where It Hurts Less. Let’s not drive to the net tonight, guys. We aren’t looking for heroes, just stay on the perimeter, ESPECIALLY on the PP.
3) Panic. Give up one early and let the panic just wash over you like a warm bath. Remember, you have less time than you think and a blind slapper around the boards is ALWAYS the safest route out of your zone.
Puck drops at 5:08PM Mountain Time on Sportsnet. Tank On!
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