Comments on Black Dog Hates Skunks: The Truth Is That We Never Liked Her

Exciting? You think? Actually I have to say I hav...

2009-07-17T22:04:28.689-04:00

Exciting? You think?

Actually I have to say I haven't been disappointed once when I've met our fellow Oiler fans who hang about these parts - a lot of fun and funny folks - and that includes Fenwick!

Thanks for the reply Louise - I actally didn't realize you were 'made' ;) - I must say I always enjoy your perspective and I appreciate your sharing your thoughts.

And Kevin, if you're reading this - tell Steve to pick up a third line centre, would you please?

;)

My goodness! I made myself out to look like some ...

2009-07-17T21:02:38.325-04:00

My goodness!

I made myself out to look like some kind of big shot, who only speaks from a position of inside info. Sorry. I'm just a lousy writer... often forgetting important bits.
:-)

I am a fan who can speculate with the best of them. And, I happen to have some long-time friends with similar interests, besides hockey, and we enjoy each others' feedback on various topics. For the most part what I learn is pretty mundane.

You guys are much more exciting.
;-D

L8r
Louise

Sorry, Tyler. I won't be cooking my golden geese. ...

2009-07-17T19:05:05.882-04:00

Sorry, Tyler. I won't be cooking my golden geese. After they retire maybe I'll enlist Lain to help me write a book. [Tho, he may be somewhat uncomfortable with the naughty bits. Pat, perhaps? ;-)]

I'm kidding, of course. There are no relevant 'naughty bits'... and... I won't be writing a book, because 1: I only get occasional snippets, with most coming in the off season - iow - not enough pertinent information to build a good book around; and 2: I would be betraying trust I've had for longer than the Oilers have existed. You know I'm old, right?
;-D

Oh, there are times I'd like to *****-slap the idiots jumping to their myopic conclusions, but I'm careful to only comment on information that's already available. e.g. - I'd like to be able to elaborate on my comments above, but Renney's corroboration is limited, so I'll wait till more comes out or I get a "go ahead".

In case you didn't know... those in high (copper & blue) places DO read these blogs... the good ones, anyway.
:-)

...

On the coaching change, Pat...

Eight years is a long time to struggle coaching a team with gaping holes. Even that beauty team of '05-'06 had goaltending from hell till Roloson came in and found his game.

MacT knew he had to spin straw into gold [build an NHL team out of kids & misfits] this past year. And, with all the bat**** crazy, he still continued teaching to the end. Hemsky whining was a dagger thru his heart.

Quinn and Renney...?
Simply put, Tambellini brought in the big guns. A good first step, imho.

"For as long as I remember, the Oilers have been a...

2009-07-17T07:09:00.841-04:00

"For as long as I remember, the Oilers have been an incredibly poor team in terms of keeping a lead and retaining certain pace."

That's because for as long as you remember, 2006 excepted, the Oilers have not been a very good team.

Love the Oilers, but if Quinn and Renney can get much more done with this roster than MacT did, either Gagner and Cogliano had breakout years or they deserve the Jack Adams for the next five years.

Thx for the link and the update, ID. Now, I think...

2009-07-16T18:43:33.359-04:00

Thx for the link and the update, ID.

Now, I think Craig's wife's name is Debbie... but you never know on the interweb.

Tiger Goldstick's daughter, maybe?
;o)

You're going to feel like a jerk when she tells us...

2009-07-16T18:14:30.532-04:00

You're going to feel like a jerk when she tells us that she's his wife Pat. ;)

For that matter what is your feeling on the whole ...

2009-07-16T17:51:57.773-04:00

For that matter what is your feeling on the whole coaching move, Louise? I think MacT is a good coach whose time had come to leave. I know you're a fan. Thoughts?

Inquiring minds want to know.

;)

When are you going to tell us what your connection...

2009-07-16T17:43:26.210-04:00

When are you going to tell us what your connection to MacT is ID? I've been waiting for five or six years now...

thanks for that Louise - Renney strikes me as a ve...

2009-07-16T15:50:29.796-04:00

thanks for that Louise - Renney strikes me as a very smart fellow and Quinn is as well - here's hoping that they can turn this rig around ;)

mattwatt - I would ban you except you always say n...

2009-07-16T15:48:04.531-04:00

mattwatt - I would ban you except you always say nice things about me so I will overlook your gayness ;)

email me your shit to pat_mclean@opticalonline.com and I'll take a look - I'm going away (again) so it would be nice to have something in there to keep folks entertained

Good day, Pat. FYI - MacTavish is still in the lo...

2009-07-16T15:01:12.564-04:00

Good day, Pat.

FYI - MacTavish is still in the loop, albeit in a limited role. His opinion on players, Oilers and others, is highly valued by Tambellini. The new coaches have tapped into MacT's knowledge and experience as well, as Tom Renney states in his July 8th interview on 630ched.

http://www.630ched.com/Channels/Reg/InsideSports/Story.aspx?id=1111860

Renney is very smart and he reveals some of his passion at the end of the interview. I think I may like him.

L8r
Louise

Well Pat, you did ruin a bit of the romantic pictu...

2009-07-16T14:27:32.972-04:00

Well Pat, you did ruin a bit of the romantic picture I had of you when you told me you were not a fan of fashion. As a farm kid from small town Alberta, you think that I would detest anything with a label, but alas I do not. Fashion is one of my many vices, and was hoping that "the blog hero I have never met" would share this. I guess that is the problem with heroes, they let you down one way or another.

My slighted cock-smoking aside, I could not agree more with your sentiment. I liked MacT as a coach, but last year his act had ran thin. I am a big believer that a coach may necessarily not be the biggest factor as to why a team is successful, coaches can become a huge factor for why the lose. MacT, from rumblings I have heard inside the dressing room, was doing all that he could do to keep this team from winning. Maybe his fault, maybe not.

Also, are you up for guest posters on your site. I think I have a decent blog on the Philosopher Kings (one of the lesser bands I listen to) and how they relate to the Oilers.

gay shopteacher's pet, hunter? you kill me I hope...

2009-07-16T08:46:10.379-04:00

gay shopteacher's pet, hunter? you kill me

I hope that your faith in Quinn is entirely justified

Thanks Psyche - I believe that we will see a few guys turn it around at least

baroque - great tale, as always

MacT was a horrible, horrible coach. Playing faves...

2009-07-16T00:59:12.950-04:00

MacT was a horrible, horrible coach. Playing faves like the cubmaster who's fat son gets to be a senior sixer, all the way to whining like a pissy girl to the press over players who he has no clue how to manage.

MacT-what's happened to that uber coach who it was said would have half the teams in the NHL lining up the second he bacame available? Just how many teams have hired another coach since that twat got the sack? Six? LOL.

If I'm Tambelinni I want new coaches just so I can understand which of the players can actually play hockey. MacT's Oilers didn't even do that. They played a horrible boring system, more like the NJ Devils, but without intelligence. MacT's "coaching" was like throwing a hail mary pass from the 30 yard line every play, with Roloson there to play Grant Fuhr.

Quinn IS a great coach, who does it with his heart on his sleeve. Those disfunctioning kids will lap it up like a thirsty black dog. No one knows which one of them will shock us all the most, it could be Nilsson, even Schremp. Quinn won't play teacher's or gay shopteacher's pet like MacT did with Moreau either.

Terrific article Black Dog! I would be very happy...

2009-07-15T20:27:19.597-04:00

Terrific article Black Dog!

I would be very happy to see the new coaching staff take a crack at those who spent time in Mac-T's doghouse. Penner, Nilsson and Smid could all get a new chance to earn their contracts. And they make take full advantage of the opportunity.

Nice story. I've never been married, but was enga...

2009-07-15T18:10:29.418-04:00

Nice story.

I've never been married, but was engaged for a bit to a guy before we broke up (maybe a little more his initiative than mine, but it really was mutual). It was only years later that I found out that my younger brothers and sisters called him "the lamprey" because he was sucking all the energy out of me, but my mom wouldn't let them say anything because she figured if they did, I'd just feel compelled to defend him, and eventually I'd realize that it wasn't working.

I did. :)

(I still shake my head at how stupid a smart woman can be in relationships, though. It took me about two years after the breakup before I stopped fretting about what I had done wrong and accepted that sometimes relationships just don't work out.)

Hopefully the coaching change will have the same effect as the ubiquitous "change of scenery" on the team, but on many players instead of just the one who changes teams. It can't be easy to perform in a stressful environment, and consistent, understandable coaching decisions have got to be a better environment than playing favorites was.

Dog; I think you're right about trying not to lo...

2009-07-15T13:10:02.519-04:00

Dog;
I think you're right about trying not to lose. With all the youth, I think MacT had them fall back instead of go forward.
My opinion is that Kevin Lowe tried to build a team like the "kids" from the early eighties and found he couldn't do it again. Got to give him credit for trying!! Glad he doesn't get to try any more!
On another note...You are right about being a small world. Your trip to PEI put you in close proximity to my sister. She is Economic Development Officer for the city of Summerside. Sooooooooooo... if you ever need to buy or build there???!!!
Off to work for the day. Have a great one.
KR

Ofer - a big issue with the Oilers for many season...

2009-07-15T12:23:23.503-04:00

Ofer - a big issue with the Oilers for many seasons has been their youth - not a lot of calm when the pressure is on.

I felt they did fairly well in 05/06, a lot of this because they really had a veteran bunch. With the exception of G1 of the SCF (which cost them the series alogn with the PP imo) they did a pretty good job of hanging onto those slim one goal margins.

Of course with a lot of kids I think the tendency for the coaches is to try and sit on the lead even more. Last season was just awful though. I remember one game where it was tied and there were @ 30 seconds left and the draw was in the opposing zone and MacT sent out Moreau, Brodziak and Pisani.

And the use of Strudwick in OT.

They often played not too lose imo and I think that hurts a team. If you are going to lose best to be trying to win than trying not to lose, imo. At least you'll get lucky and win a couple. Certainly happened two seasons ago.

"And this also does not speak about the special te...

2009-07-15T12:09:42.060-04:00

"And this also does not speak about the special teams and this club's infuriating habit of sitting back once they had any sort of lead."

This might be the thing I'm most looking forward to about the new coaching staff.

For as long as I remember, the Oilers have been an incredibly poor team in terms of keeping a lead and retaining certain pace.

They have almost never dictated the pace of the game since the turn of the century.

I'm looking forward to see if the new coaching staff will be able to change that.

Even the '05-06 team, which would be the only on in memory that controlled the play in most of the games, was inept at keeping leads.

Thanks for the kind words Ofer. You're right abou...

2009-07-15T11:50:08.242-04:00

Thanks for the kind words Ofer.

You're right about Penner but I think you can look at a number of individuals and see room for improvement / a larger impact. I think you could actually say that about the majority of the roster. I would say the following players have room for improvement - I'm not talking about the usual year to year improvement we expect from young players - I'm talking about guys being put into positions to succeed. Will the new staff be able to do this? Don't know. Anyways here's my list:

Penner, Horcoff, Hemsky, O'Sullivan, Nilsson, Cogliano, Moreau (in terms of staying out f the box if nothing else), Pisani, Pouliot, Jacques, Smid

For some of these guys its a case of confidence, for others its consistency, for still others its a question of being put into a good position to succeed rather than being played out of position, with the wrong linemates and so on.

And this also does not speak about the special teams and this club's infuriating habit of sitting back once they had any sort of lead.

KR - naw I don't know any Drapers, I'm sure my cousins would though, its a small town

that was me posting as anonymous, btw. Never post...

2009-07-15T11:07:21.949-04:00

that was me posting as anonymous, btw. Never post on these things and had to create an account.

Black Dog... I don't know why I'm always so inter...

2009-07-15T11:05:46.602-04:00

Black Dog...

I don't know why I'm always so interested in reading your stories about your life, since I've never met you. But they draw me in every time.

This is an absolutely phenomenal blog and your writing is terrific.

As for your theory about Tambellini, it makes sense. Although I think maybe the player that will be most affected by the change is Penner, and he was effectively traded anyway.

Dog; You know any Drapers???? ...

2009-07-15T10:38:27.860-04:00

Dog;
You know any Drapers????
KR

KR - we're probably related - well maybe not For ...

2009-07-15T10:16:53.905-04:00

KR - we're probably related - well maybe not

For sure she knows my family though - or so I would think. McLean. My grandparents are buried there - Lester and Muriel - they came to Wawa via Franz and the Soo.

My uncle Don and aunt Myrna lived and died there, both just passed away in the past five years. Myrna was a teacher, Don was the president of the union up there for years. Raised a family of four - Barry is still there but the girls have all moved away.

We also knew Harold Hall - he used to go on the moose hunt with Don and my Dad.

Spent a lot of time in Wawa growing up. Beautiful country.

Small world.

Dog; She's from the big city of Wawa. That's rig...

2009-07-15T09:51:05.170-04:00

Dog;
She's from the big city of Wawa. That's right, the Big Goose town. Comes from hearty stock. Her dad, he's 85, still lives there in the same house.
I come from the first settlers in Niagara Falls...again, hearty stock. Shame about the children isn't it??? No sense of history!!
You are so right about the bad contracts. Still, I think Quinn will get more out of a mediocore group than you might think. He seems to be able to talk to young kids better than most.
PLEASE.. I can't take another year of having nothing to battle Leafs Lunacy!!!!
KR