Team: 2024-25 Edmonton Oilers

Initial Creation Date: May 17, 2024

Published: May 17, 2024

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

I write this similarly to how most Oiler fans feel after that game 5, disgruntled and disappointed with my team. I feel like it's truly understated how devastating a series loss to this Canucks team would be, it wouldn't mean we would need to "rebuild" or "blow it all up" like most Oiler fans suggest but it's a telling indicator that this offseason needs to be a turning point in our team. I have faith we will have a big game 6 and force 7 but that's no promise we show up.

Let's take a step back, how did we even get here? Back in 2017 it seemed as if this team was going to be dominant for years to come with a young and budding core with tough veterans being placed around them. Since then we haven't won the division once and haven't won a single game past the 2nd round. It's been almost 8 years now and we've barely progressed since 2017. We had a tough couple years from 2017-2019 but we started becoming competitive again and having some regular season success. Since then this team has felt like a convincing advertisement, every year at some point we are the favorites for the cup but there's no real reason for it. We always seem to be able to dominate any team when we feel like it and come just a couple inches away from being the real deal, the team we expected to become back in 2017. We haven't even been able to win our division nevertheless make a convincing playoff run with the roster we have. The last couple playoff exits I've been able to make excuses for or tolerate, we lost to the cup champ Avs back in 2022 and gave the Golden Knights their very best series in 2023. But this year is just inexcusable, I mean I say this with all due respect to the Canucks they're a very talented and impressive team but there is zero reason for us to be losing this series and there is no one to blame but the team itself. The refs have consistently favoured us the entire series, the Canucks are playing their 3rd string goalie, we've gotten good goaltending the past couple games. We have had 8 whole years to put a convincing roster behind Mcdrai and the Canucks have been able to dismantle it after a single year of success, not even that but they actually won the division something we have never been able to do. The funniest part of all of this is that it took them a single year to surpass the heights of our core and we've been trying to do it for 8. That's just pathetic. This game in particular was pathetic, we got the goaltending we've been whining for, the refs gave us 4 powerplays and our bottom 6 played the best they ever had. We still should have lost 7-2 somehow. There is a systemic issue with this core, it just hasn't worked. Our best playoff goaltending since Talbot has either come from a 40 year old Mike Smith or a 3rd string Calvin Pickard. In a pivotal game 5 where we got the goaltending and calls to take control of the series Mcdrai plays terrible and is the entire reason we lost. I'm tired of making excuses for this team on why we can't do it.

So whose fault is it?
I really don't know. It could be Holland for never going all in with this group and choosing to be reserved for the sake of mediocre prospects who never pan out. It could be Dustin Schwartz for us never having any good goaltending outside of random occurrences. It could be Knoblauch and Woodcroft for failing this team coaching wise during pivotal moments. t could be McDrai for disappearing in pivotal games the past few years since they've been overplayed to bits in the playoffs year after year since our management doesn't have faith in our depth (even when they show up like they have this playoffs). It could be this supposed "flu" that's been in the locker room game 5 (which is the lamest reason ever as an excuse for this loss). I truthfully don't know but we could play the blame game for hours on end with this group and it gets us nowhere. Something just has to change for our team if we want any success, the sad truth is we've been actually been a top 5 team in the league with Mcdrai and that alone should be enough for us to make big changes.

So where do we go from here?
I really have no idea, I think we need to stop playing it passive and "growing from within". It's gotten us nowhere and kept us mediocre. I don't think Knoblauch is the answer but firing another coach is just absolutely comical. Personally I'm done handing Mcdavid "the best player in the league" title unanimously when he hasn't been able to outplay a player like Jt Miller all series. All I know is that changes need to be made, this core doesn't have it in them and this potential meltdown to the Canucks should be a wake up call to Katz to make some big management decisions this offseason.