They quit.
Walked over in Dallas, now crushed in St. Louis, the good ship Oiler rolls into Detroit on Wednesday at its nadir, one day before American Thanksgiving and as far away from the playoffs as it is from an identity forged last season.
The Edmonton Oilers were not remotely competitive in an 8-3 loss to the St. Louis Blues Tuesday, and the saddest part? They quit.
That?s right. Quit.
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Klefbom isn?t of the same pedigree as those aforementioned D-men, but he is the Oilers? best rearguard, and they count on him. He had yet another stinker on Tuesday, getting knocked off a puck far too easily on the Blues? first goal, and drifting softly through another pointless, minus-4 evening.
The old clich? says your best players have to be your best players. Klefbom has consistently been one of Edmonton?s worst players, and it shows in the standings.
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From Zack Kassian, who we are not sure has even reported for camp yet, through to an uncharacteristically bad Mark Letestu, to Draisaitl, to a seriously in-decline Pat Maroon.
If you?re the type who thinks the GM should have seen these performances coming, then you?ve got Chiarelli squarely in your crosshairs.
Me? He hasn?t done a good job, and grades out like his team at a D-minus. But I won?t blame him when players digress for no particular reason. The players play, and in Edmonton, too many of them have let the jersey down this season.
