Olympic Women’s Hockey Preliminary Round Recap

By Maeve Hushman, Staff Writer

Olympic Women’s hockey is one of the best sports in the winter Olympics and no, you will never change my mind. As a seldom patriotic person, nothing makes me chant USA like the United States women’s hockey team. Team USA is the defending gold medalist with Canada, the other top women’s hockey power, losing out in the shootout in the finals in PyeongChang. Now, Canada is coming for the United State’s Gold and the United States wants to defend it. However, while team USA and Canada are the main focus of this recap, there have been a lot of big stories in women’s hockey this year. Denmark for the first time ever has a women’s hockey team. China has returned to the women’s hockey competition for the first time since 2010. 

The preliminary round is over and here is how the two top teams in the tournament did. 

Day 1: 

Canada vs. Switzerland 

Canada Wins!

Final Score: 12-1

Shot count: Canada: 70 Switzerland: 15  

Goalscorers: 

Canada: Blayre Turnbull (2), Natalie Spooner (2), Sarah Fillier (2), Laura Stacey (2), Claire Thompson (1), Rebecca Johnston (1), Ashton Bell (1), Erin Ambrose (1) 

Switzerland: Lara Stalder (1) 

Takeaways: Canada is incredible. 70 shots and 12 goals are awe-inspiring. Last Winter Olympics, the Canadian team took silver after losing to Team USA in the shootout. This year they seem intent on showing off that they have the caliber team to challenge the reigning champion, USA, for that gold medal. Also, Sarah Fillier certainly doesn't look like a first-time Olympian or the youngest on her team. 

Day 2: 

USA vs. Finland

USA Wins! 

Score: 5-2

Shot count: 52-12  

Goal Scorers: 

USA: Kendall Coyne-Schofield (2), Alex Carpenter (2), Amanda Kessel (1) 

Finland: Susanna Tapani (2)

Takeaways: Even though they didn't score 12, the USA without Brianna Decker (who was injured at the beginning of the game) still dominated it. Team USA is 7-0 in Olympic opening games. They limited Finland to only 5 shots in the 1st period, 1 in the 2nd, and 6 in the third. Their speed was incredible, and their defense was just as impressive with their offense 5 on 5 as both of Finland's goals came on the power play. Team USA handily beat the third-place team in the world, establishing themselves again as the reigning champions and team to win this Olympics in Beijing.

Day 3: 

Canada v Finland 

Canada Wins! 

Score: 11-1

Shot Count: Canada: 48 Finland: 29 

Goal Scorers: 

Canada: Sarah Nurse (3), Brianne Jenner (3), Laura Stacey (2), Sarah Fillier (2), Jamie Lee Rattray (1) 

Finland: Minnamari Tuominen (1), 

Takeaways: Team Canada is a wagon. They are the biggest threat and rival to team USA, and yet how can you not love watching them regardless of nationality? They are offensively dominant, and they absolutely control whatever ice surface they are on. However, while the Canadians beat Finland by a greater score than the United States, the USA held Finland to only 12 shots. Compared to the American’s shot count, the shot count indicates that Canada plays a much more open game that allows them to generate offense at such an impressive rate, but not be as dominant on the shot clock. Finland is really looking for that bronze spot after being absolutely stomped by both the USA and Canada. 

Day 4:  

USA vs. Russia Olympic Committee (ROC) 

USA Wins! 

Score: 5-0

Shot Count: USA: 62 ROC: 12

Goal Scorers: 

USA: Savannah Harmon (1), Hilary Knight (1), Grace Zumwinkle (1), Jesse Compher (1), Alex Carpenter (1)  

ROC: N/A

Takeaways: The USA scored five goals from five players and kept ROC limited to 12 shots on goal. This USA team is incredibly deep and incredibly well rounded, being solid on offense and defense. They play a gritty and tiring physical game and have more speed and skill than many other teams in the tournament. Jesse Compher scored her first-ever Olympic goal in this game, showing that the young guns and the stars can put up points for team USA. In their game against Switzerland, ROC got a lot of their goals in tight to the net; the USA prevented them from finding that space, keeping the shot and goal count low for the ROC. Nicole Hensley also posted a shutout, an awe-inspiring feat on the world stage. It was an excellent game for the USA. 

Day 5: 

USA vs. Switzerland 

USA Wins! 

Score: 8-0

Shot Count: USA: 66 Switzerland: 12 

Goal Scorers: 

USA: Hilary Knight (2), Jesse Compher (2), Kelly Pannek (2), Amanda Kessel (1), Dani Cameranesi (1) 

Switzerland: N/A

Takeaways: The USA posted back-to-back shutouts with two different goalies, against the ROC with Nicole Hensley and against Switzerland with Alex Cavallini. Part of that success has to be attributed to the USA’s defensive efforts; they have not allowed more than 12 shots against in the entire tournament. They had three different players with 2 goal nights, including Jesse Compher, who scored her first Olympic goal last game. It says impressive things about the United States offensive depth, especially after losing Brianna Decker to injury for the rest of the tournament. They scored twice in nine seconds to make the game 3-0 in the first. Switzerland has not registered a win yet in the tournament and has suffered two brutal losses at the hands of the USA and Canada. Even against the ROC, the Swiss, despite only being outshot by one, lost 5-2. 

Canada vs. ROC 

Canada Wins!

Score:  6-1

Shot Count: Canada: 49 ROC: 12

Goal Scorers: 

Canada: Sarah Nurse (1), Sarah Fillier (1), Jamie Lee Rattray (1), Erin Ambrose (1), Rebecca Johnston (1), Marie-Philip Poulin (1) 

ROC: Anna Shokhina (1)

Takeaways: This game was delayed because team ROC failed to produce their Covid-19 results. Due to this failure, the game was played in masks. That just added to the intense difficulty of the highest level of international hockey. Canada continues their dominance in women’s hockey with this victory tying the USA for first with a record 3-0. This victory is significant since the Toronto Star the same day published an abomination of a click-bate article that declared women’s hockey unworthy of being in the Olympics. Team Canada continues to prove how talented and deserving women’s hockey players are, and continues the pattern of beating the same teams as the USA by a greater score, but the other team has managed to either score more or get more shots. Canada only allowed 12 shots like the USA, but they also didn’t get a shutout like team USA. This suggests that the USA plays a tighter defensive style to Canada’s more open offensive style, which comes in waves. The ROC needs to pick up their play if they want a shot at bronze. 

USA vs. Canada

Canada wins! 

Score: 4-2

Shot Count: Canada: 27 USA: 53 

Goal Scorers: 

Canada: Brianne Jenner (2), Jamie Lee Rattray (1), Marie-Philip Poulin (1)

USA: Dani Cameranesi (1), Alex Carpenter (1)

Takeaways: Whenever these two teams’ showdown, it is epic. This game was fast-paced and loaded with talent. However, team USA was goalied. Canada’s goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens made 51 saves. The USA dominated the first period, outshooting Canada 16-6, but for most of the period it was 13-2. Yet, Canada went into the second period with the lead because of a power play goal. Canada's special teams are incredible and are rolling. They are 94% on the penalty kill and 50% on the power play. That and goaltending were the significant factors. Maddie Rooney (USA's goaltender) and USA's penalty kill couldn't stop Canada on the power play. Desbiens stopped almost everything the USA threw at her. Rooney has a winning record against team Canada, so it is understandable why she started, but it is a bit shocking that they didn't ride one of the two goalies who got shutouts in the past two games. Granted those goalies only faced 12 shots, but usually, the hot goalie gets the start. Rooney was the only USA goalie to not get a shutout before this game, and she was absolutely outplayed by Desbiens. 

Eteri Tutberidze and the Price of Gold: Are the Costs of Russia’s Figure Skating Program Worth the Results?

By: Maeve Hushman, Staff Writer

Once every four years, the world turns into figure skating fans, and I am definitely among them. Yes, I will admit it, I love figure skating. Since I was little, I have been absolutely obsessed with Olympic figure skating. I would watch, my eyes locked to the screen, as these men and women flew across the ice and launched themselves into the air, all to the backdrop of a carefully curated soundtrack. Like many, I was specifically amazed by the Russian ice skaters. They were always so talented and young, making them relatable to me, a kid, when watching. The Russian women dominated and skated so beautifully that I was immediately captivated. It got to the point where I would actively root for Russia in all figure skating events. Those young and talented Russian women who have ruled the Olympics and world for as long as I can remember were trained by esteemed yet controversial trainer Eteri Tutberidze. 

 Tutberidze has trained a whole fleet of champions, all of them achieving great success at a young age before their careers quickly came to an end. As soon as one figure skater is forced to retire, there is a new younger replacement, even better than the first right behind her. First, Yulia Lipnitskaya won team gold in 2014 at 15 years old; she retired at 19 due to injuries and an eating disorder. Then, there was the last Olympics projected it-girl Evgenia Medvedeva. She was a two-time world champion and a 2018 Olympic silver medalist. She was chronically injured and, at age 22, was no longer able to jump. Last Olympics gold medalist in the women's figure skating competition, Alina Zagitova, won the gold medal at 15 but stopped competing at 17. 

Now there is the most recent group of Eteri trainees, and all three are Olympic front runners: Anna Scherbakova and Alexandra Trusova, aged 17 and the favorite to win gold, 15-year-old Kamila Valieva. Valieva stunned the world with her perfect Olympic debut like her predecessors before her. So what is the Eteri method? Why do the skaters who train with it wash out so quickly? And most importantly, does its short-term results justify the long-term costs? 

Tutberidze has come under fire from fellow coaches and fans alike for disregarding athletes' long-term health in favor of winning awards. These skaters have what is referred to as the Eteri expiration date, meaning that by age 17 or 18, the techniques they are taught become unsustainable, and their injuries catch up with them forcing them to retire. Tutberidze's methods have been revolutionary, they have mainstreamed quad jumps in women's figure skating and created champions, but the techniques and styles taught are not sustainable. The quad jumps earn her students immense success in the short term, but while they win gold at 15, they are physically unable to compete at 20. 

Tutberidze is quoted by Insider magazine as saying, "Girls should learn quads young when they are still light and agile," which is the crux of her strategy. Girls the age of the Eteri trainees have a better strength to weight ratio, allowing them to complete the problematic quad jumps. The harsh training and strict dietary/weight restrictions that Tutberdize places on her students often delay puberty for a while. These dietary restrictions have high negative costs as many former Eteri students have to retire due to complications from eating disorders. As Tutberidze's students age and mature, it takes more to complete the jumps. They push themselves to the physical brink risking severe injury to still compete at the same level, which is why many of Tutberidze's students are forced to retire at such a young age. They are trained to push themselves to the very edge, and then many of them are pushed too far. Medvedeva, a former student of Tutberidze, said that after she started training with a new coach, Canadian Brian Oser, she had to re-learn jumping technique, which shows how faulty the methods are. Medvedeva, at 18, had to learn a new technique because the kind taught to her by Tutberdize was not sustainable as she grew into an adult. Medvedeva returned to Tutberidze because of COVID-19 and eventually had to retire.  

This year's group of Russian skaters are called the "Quad Squad" for their abilities to land a quad jump, the cornerstone jump of Tutberidze's technique. The first woman to ever use a quad jump in competition, Surya Bonaly, supported seeing more women competing with the jump but warned against the long-term costs of quads without the correct technique. Bonaly had to have hip surgery at 25 due to performing these treacherous jumps. She told Insider that "It's good to win medals, but you don't want to be traumatized for the rest of your life." 

Valieva led team ROC to Gold in the team event this year and made history by landing a quad in the Olympics, yet she fell during her routine. Even though the fall did not impact the scoring at all, she appeared devastated. Every one of Tutberidze's students is expected to be infallible and perfect, so even when they make history, a fall can ruin it all for them. Tutberidze puts them in a pressure cooker, and it causes them all to eventually crack under those unrealistic expectations. It shows how much pressure these skaters are under and explains why they often suffer injuries from going too far to stay competitive. 

Valieva was even willing to take performance enhancing drugs. The team medal ceremony was delayed, and it was announced that Valieva had tested positive for the drug trimetazidine, a heart and blood pressure medication which increases blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body. It is classified by WADA as a performance-enhancing drug for its ability to increase endurance. The free skate program is difficult because of how long it is. Competitors get a boost in points if they complete a jump later in the program, so having an endurance advantage is very helpful to a figure skater in their programs. Considering that Valieva’s free skate was the one that broke records it is even more heart wrenching as those records may have been broken under false pretenses. 

Even though her skaters' competitive window is so tiny, Tutberidze remains revered in the figure skating world. Why? Because she turned the Russian skating program into the powerhouse it is today. Before Tutberidze, the Russian women did not have the same dominance over the sport of figure skating that they do now. She turned the program into an international force, and that is where the debate comes in. Are long-term injuries and shortened careers worth the wins? 

In the eyes of the country that is bringing home the gold, it is worth the risk to win. The Olympics are political in nature; it is about showing off your country's success, as evidenced in the performance of the athletes your country sends. The Netflix documentary Athlete A focuses on this phenomenon regarding the abusive culture and training of USA gymnastics and the Karolyis. The documentary shows how vicious the Karolyi training program was and how it started back in Romania but was brought to the USA. However, the documentary's most prominent message is that winning often comes before the athletes' well-being every time, especially on the international stage. Could Tutberidze be figuring skating's equivalent of the Kayrolis? Even if her methods are harmful in the long term, it seems unlikely Tutberidze will change or leave the sport. So long as Russia keeps sending their best and brightest to her and winning competitions, it seems doubtful that the Eteri expiration date or method will disappear. 

The cost of winning is often debated, and in the case of Russia's dominant women's figure skating program, it is no different. Eteri Tutberidze has revolutionized figure skating, but that revolution has come at the expense of the longevity of those in her training. Scherbakova, Trusova, and Valieva may sweep the podium, but under Tutberidze's methods, it seems unlikely that they will even still be competing at the next Olympics. Like those before them, they are destined to be replaced by younger, better skaters once again after they are forced into early retirement. 

The Shadow of Sport: Human Rights Abuses and the Olympics

By: Maeve Hushman, Staff Writer

The Winter Olympics are being hosted in Beijing, China. As a huge hockey fan, I could not be more excited for the Winter Olympics. Not only is my favorite sport being played around the clock by both men and women, but it is also the one time I take the time to watch sports like snowboarding, skiing, bobsled, and my all time favorite only-during-the-Winter-Olympics watch, figure skating. Ever since I was little, the Olympics have been a special occasion. However, there is a dark shadow cast over these Olympic games, that is the shadow of the horrific human rights abuses happening to the Uyghurs at the hands of the Chinese government. 

The Uyghurs are an ethnic and religious minority who live in northwest China in the province of Xinjiang. Uyghurs are mostly Muslims, who speak their own language and have their own distinct culture. 12 million of them live in an area known as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) without incident until the recent incursion of the Chinese government. They increased surveillance, put limits on religious services and other such totalitarian measures. These have been direct efforts to limit and suppress Uyghur culture and religion. The Chinese government has been taking Uyghurs to “re-education” camps and reportedly sterilizing Uyghur women. China claims this is a crack down to prevent “religious extremism” but what they are actually doing is committing what many consider to be a genocide. 

The Olympics casts a large spotlight onto any host country and China is no different. Many countries, like the USA and Canada, have opted for diplomatic boycotts, refusing to send any government officials to the games. However, they are still sending athletes and because of that, it also means huge media companies and corporate sponsors. All of them are pouring money into these events which rest on the bodies of the Uyghur people. In the opening ceremony, China showed a skit of what was supposed to depict all of their ethnic groups getting along, which is a textbook example of propaganda. They also had a Uyghur athlete light the torch. This athlete has since been hidden from the media. This Olympics is about selling China to the world in a positive light and part of that means pushing aside the egregious human rights abuses. 

So how do we reckon with our love of sport and of the Olympics with the reality behind them? It is difficult. Even if you decide to boycott the Olympics by not watching or reading coverage, you are still bombarded by ads talking about the Olympic dream and seeing companies still endorsing athletes and the games. You could boycott the corporate sponsors, but how do you boycott certain companies when they aren’t products you even buy to begin with? It is extremely difficult to take action against, which is why the reckoning process shouldn’t be one size fits all. If you think that boycotting the games by not watching them is the best option, then don’t watch. If you think that boycotting the sponsors is the best move, boycott the sponsors. I agreed to cover the Olympics for both the Highlander and my internship, but I try my best as I watch the sports I have to (aka hockey) and  remember what the backdrop of this event is. The Olympics shouldn’t be happening in Beijing and that the Uyghurs shouldn’t be having to suffer under massive injustice.  

So will I still watch and write about the Olympics? Yes , but I will also carefully examine the narratives being pushed and be aware of how my covering the Olympics could fuel the fire already present in the international quagmire right now. It is important to reckon with how politics and issues of justice impact sports and vice versa. China violating all sorts of international human rights makes it difficult to watch the biggest athletic event of the year. So, watch the Olympics if you want to but do not let the truth about what is happening to the Uyghur community be forgotten or covered up. Call out injustice when you see it.

Fixing an Oil Spill: What’s Wrong with the Edmonton Oilers?

By: Maeve Hushman, Staff Writer

Last year in the first round of the Scotia Bank North Division Playoffs the Edmonton Oilers were slated to play against the Winnipeg Jets. Everyone, and I do mean almost every hockey pundit, picked the Oilers to advance and why shouldn’t they? The Oilers have two of the top ten players in the league: Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid (the best player in the NHL). The Oilers were higher ranked in the North division than the Jets, they were receiving unreal goaltending from Mike Smith, and their offense was unstoppable. The Jets on the other hand had decent offensive forwards, a horrific blue line, and a top three goalie in Connor Hellebuyck. Despite these seemingly daunting disparities, I picked the Jets to beat the Oilers, and the Jets did just that, sweeping the Oilers in the first round. Why was I able to predict that the Oilers would lose despite all of the experts and signs saying it would go the other way? Everyone forgot about one simple fact: that the Oilers are a fatally flawed team whose flaws are concealed by the performances of Draisaitl and McDavid. 

The Oilers had an explosive start to the 2021-2022 season and were being called contenders after only the first month. Now winter has come and cooled the red-hot Oilers down revealing their true colors once again. They have 2-9-2 in their last few games and haven’t looked like the so-called contender they were painted as. So, what is the problem with the Oilers? It comes down to construction. The Oilers are a poorly constructed team that lacks an effective blue line and scoring depth causing them to rely too heavily on inconsistent goaltending and two players to eke out wins. The worst part is General Manager Ken Holland has done little to fix it, and in the case of the blue line has actively made it worse. The Oilers had an eventful off season, even signing former Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Zach Hyman to add depth scoring and grit. However, while they managed to sign Hyman and make other off season moves, they failed to fix a lot of other problem areas including defense, goaltending, and reliable bottom six scoring. 

Defense: The Oilers, in the McDavid -Draisaitl era specifically, have never been a defensively dominant team. Last season they lost Oscar Klefbom to injury and surgery, which definitely hurt the blue line as he was one of the most valuable pieces in their defensive core. They managed to resign another key defensive piece in Darnell Nurse this off season, which was a good signing. Nurse is a solid D-man. However, while they did have some adversity with the Klefbom injury and had a good move with re-signing Nurse, they made a few nonsensical defensive moves in the off season. 

The Oilers decided to trade bright young defenseman Ethan Bear to the Carolina Hurricanes for forward Warren Foegele. Now the acquisition of Foegele is, on its own, a good thing. Foegele is a solid middle six forward and like Hyman, adds a lot of sandpaper to the line-up. However, losing Bear came with a steep cost. He was a cheap, talented, and young defensemen with a high ceiling for success. Players like Bear were the future of the Oilers blue line and they traded him away. If they had been able to replace Bear with a similar or better player via trades or free agency, maybe this is an appropriate risk to bring in more scoring depth, but the Oilers failed to do that. Instead, they traded another young defenseman, Caleb Jones, for 38-year-old Duncan Keith on an outrageous contract. 

Keith in his heyday won three cups with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010, 2013, and 2015 in addition to a Conn Smythe for his role in the 2015 cup win. He was brought in because of his experience in the playoffs and for “veteran leadership”.  However, it should be noted that Keith, along with all the other members of the 2010 Blackhawks team, were complicit in the cover up of the sexual assault of Kyle Beach and allowed Beach to face abuse by fellow teammates in 2010, so rumors of his leadership are much exaggerated. Keith has been declining in his abilities ever since 2015 and has looked like a defensive liability more often than not even before he was traded to the Oilers. It was a stupid move by the Oilers to bring on not only the contract of Keith, but also his complete defensive ineptitude especially after losing Bear and another prospect in Jones. However, this move could be buried. Keith could be sent down to the minors or they could bury him as a seventh depth defenseman, but they continued to fail to bolster the blue line and there were two final nails in the coffin. 

The Tyson Barrie signing, like the Bear trade, in isolation doesn’t look too bad. Barrie, who was drafted by Colorado, signed a one-year deal with the Oilers for the 2020-21 season coming off of a disappointing season with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In 2020-21, he finished the season with 48 points. Barrie is an offensive defenseman and a skilled power play quarterback meaning that his style of play lends itself to putting up points but not necessarily shutting down the other team’s offense. On a team with McDavid and Draisaitl, Barrie was able to help generate goals and also increase his own personal points totals. So, the Oilers decided to re-sign him this off season, which like stated prior, is not a bad move in isolation. Barrie gets a bit of a bad rap, especially from Leafs fans like me, but he is very good at what his role is: scoring points and moving the puck. He was not what the Leafs needed at the time, and definitely not what the Oilers needed. He is a luxury piece for them, a way to keep the power play in the top ten and to help compliment the already existent style of the Oilers of offense hiding all other team problems. So, while he is an asset to the Oilers, he doesn’t provide anything the Oilers were lacking including competent defense.  

Signing Cody Ceci was the straw that broke the camel's back when it came to the Oilers D-core. Oh, Ceci, my old nemesis, the bane of every Leafs fan’s existence until Dubas let him walk. Ceci came off a horrific stint with the Leafs, played a good year with the Penguins, and the Oilers decided to sign him to a four-year deal. That decision gave the Oilers the right-side depth of Barrie and Ceci. Now those two names together might seem familiar, and if it is, that is because that was the right-side depth the Leafs had in the 2019-2020 season. In 2019-2020, the Leafs were one of the worst defensive teams in the league. That team lost to a 42-year-old emergency back-up goalie/zamboni driver, and yet Ken Holland looked at the right side of that blue line and said “I want some of that”. Signing Ceci instead of the stay-at-home defenseman the Oilers so desperately needed signed the death certificate of the Oilers blue line. 

The Oilers need at least one shut down pair, especially if their top forwards, Draisaitl and McDavid, refuse to increase the defensive aspects of their games. Management failed to provide that. Instead, they traded away future blue liners Bear and Jones, replacing them with the corpse of Keith. They signed the Leafs former failing right side in Ceci and Barrie to long term big money contracts instead of finding that shut down D-man needed. In the playoffs, offense dries up and if you can’t out score your problem, that D-core really becomes a glaring issue. It especially becomes an issue when you do not have a strong and consistent goal tending to fall back on. 

Goaltending: The Oilers starting goaltender, Mike Smith, is 39 years old and was just re-signed for two more years. Smith is a decent goalie capable of incredible hot streaks. Last season was a hot season for Smith, posting a .923 save percentage. He has failed to replicate that success this year, only averaging a .898 save percentage. This stat makes sense since goaltenders are fairly hard to predict and when you have age as a factor it makes them even more unpredictable. Smith is a decent goaltender capable of being great, but he isn’t the kind of goalie who season after season can be the brick wall that protects your team from falling apart. Mikko Koskinen is younger and has an even .900 save percentage on the year, (also not great) but is also not that guy. The best goaltender the Oilers have had this season was Staurt Skinner who was posting a .907 save percentage before he was put on COVID protocol.  The only way the Oilers can have a defense core as depleted as they do and win is if they have game breaking goaltending. Some teams can pull that off, last year’s Winnipeg Jets for example or the 2016-17 Maple Leafs, but it isn’t the most sustainable strategy. 

Last year Smith performed extremely well, and people were looking at the Oilers as a contender, but in the playoffs Smith was outdueled by Hellebuyck. This off season, Holland could have addressed goaltending and give the Oilers a bonafide starter. 2020-21 Veznia winning goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was traded for nothing to the Chicago Blackhawks. Darcy Kuemper, who is an extremely talented goaltender, was acquired by the Colorado Avalanche this off season as well. Both moves show that Holland had ample options to address the issue of goaltending but chose not to. Instead, he invested in Ceci and Barrie who, like stated earlier, are not the shutdown defenseman that can bail out a goaltender when they need it. 

After their 4-1 loss to the New York Rangers, Head Coach Dave Tippet tried to blame Koskinen’s performance for their loss, but the Oilers lost the next game with Smith in net 4-2 as well.  Adding a talented goaltender like Fleury might bail the Oilers out and get them back on track. Holland might make that step and try to save himself and Tippet from being fired before the trade deadline. However, even though I love Fleury both as a goalie and as a person, he is also 37, on a large contract, and has shown that he isn’t always as solid behind an anemic blue line like the Oilers have. Fleury may help but it is like patching a hole in your expensive yacht with duct tape. Sure, maybe it will hold for a while, but it isn’t a permanent solution. 

Forward Group: Koskinen fired back against Tippet’s comments pointing out that he, as a goalie, cannot actually score goals. He is right, a goalie can only cover up defensive flaws, but when an offense dries up there is nowhere to hide. The Oilers’ reputation in the McDraisaitl era has been that of an offensive powerhouse. They will out score you no matter how hard you try to resist, and you will be so busy trying to prevent them from scoring that you can’t even score yourself. That reputation is really only true for McDavid and Draisaitl. Once you move beyond those two forwards the offense dries up and suddenly the Oilers can no longer out score their problems. 

Forward depth has always been an issue for the McDavid era Oilers. You have the one-two punch of McDavid and Draisaitl, then nothing else. To the Oilers credit, their depth scoring has been improving. Kailer Yamamoto brought that last year but hasn’t been able to replicate that performance this year. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, a former first overall pick, re-signed last season but also hasn’t brought the depth scoring needed. Holland, for all his mistakes with the blue line and between the pipes, did try to address forward depth in the off season. He brought in Warren Foegele, Derek Ryan, and Zach Hyman while also buying out James Neal. Even with these moves the depth scoring has not increased. 

When it comes to goals, because let’s all be honest those are what matter most when it comes to actually winning games, McDavid and Draisaitl have 19 and 26 goals respectively but the drop off afterward is somewhat steep with Hyman scoring 11. Hyman is a great player but was never the third highest scorer when he was in Toronto. I made a comment earlier in the year on Twitter after Leafs fans were blaming the loss of Hyman for their slow start, that if a player like Hyman is what makes or breaks your team then your team probably wasn’t very good to begin with. Hyman is a great play, but he alone can’t turn a team around. Bottom/Middle six forwards Yamamoto, Jesse Pulujarvi, Michael McLeod, Foegele and Tyler Benson haven’t been producing at the level they should be in order for the Oilers to have reliable depth goal scoring.

McDavid and Draisaitl have been criticized for the poor defensive play.  They do not necessarily need to play more defensively since their main gifts are their abilities in the opposing zone. However, if the Oilers plan to go forward with a blue line similar to the one they have currently, which seems likely as Nurse, Barrie, and Ceci all have long-term deals, the onus falls on the forwards. The Leafs are another offensively dominant team who used to have a reputation for being horrific in their own zone. Then star forwards Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander all committed to playing a more two-way style. Now the Leafs defense is capable. Now, granted the Leafs blue line is better, but when the D-core is weaker, the forwards, especially the best players and leaders, need to step up and start putting up better defensive stats. I’m not agreeing with former Coach John Tortarella who suggested McDavid needs to change his game. The Oilers need McDavid to outscore their problems so it isn’t a must that McDavid up his defensive performance, but it is a potential temporary solution to the problems on the blue line and in net. 

Coaching: Now that the team has fallen off after starting so hot, everyone is searching for a person to blame. They figure that since the team played so well in the beginning of the year, it can’t be a construction problem, so naturally the onus falls on the coach, Tippet. Now Tippet hasn’t done himself a ton of favors. He shows blatant favoritism toward one goalie while blaming the other for their losses; refuses to play Skinner after his great game against the Boston Bruins; plays McDavid and Draisaitl for arguably too long; gives Keith too much ice-time when other parts of the D-core fail; and gives players who don’t generate much offense, like Devin Shore, more ice time than deserved. Those decisions have made some Oilers fans call for his termination. The Vancouver Canucks was an awful team to start the year despite having what looked like a decent team on paper. They fired their head coach Travis Green and hired Bruce Boudreau, since then it seems like the Canucks can’t lose. As tempting as it seems to make Tippet the scapegoat, he is not the problem. Tippet cannot change the production of the team, make a poorly constructed D-core play beyond their abilities, or increase the goaltender’s save percentage. Tippet has made some mistakes, but don’t be distracted since the blame for this falls squarely on Holland’s shoulders. 

Conclusion: The Oilers are a poorly constructed team that rely on the two of the best players in the world to outscore their problems, but when those players aren’t scoring at unprecedented levels the truth of this team is revealed. The defense, goaltending, and even the forward group are broken and need to be fixed in order for the Oilers to contend for a Stanley Cup, let alone make the playoffs. The Oilers are currently out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference. If the Oilers don’t fix something soon, they are going to miss the playoffs and waste another year of McDavid and Draisaitl’s talent.