Dec 2, 2015
Thumbs up to Flyers, down to Oilers
TSN's Dave Hodge gives a thumbs up to the Philadelphia Flyers and their modest win streak and thumbs down to the last place Edmonton Oilers after a devastating loss to Garret Sparks and the Maple Leafs.
By Dave Hodge
Thumbs up to the Philadelphia Flyers for their third straight win. I recognize the Flyers here because their modest streak has surely gone unnoticed elsewhere, especially in Philadelphia. That's because the 76ers won last night. You might have heard of them while they were losing their first 18 games of the NBA season. That their first victory came in the opening game of what we'll call "Kobe Bryant's Farewell Tour" added more attention to a meeting of the NBA's two worst teams.
The Flyers aren't that bad by NHL standards - they're just... well... nondescript. Their rookie coach, Dave Hakstol, is a trivia answer, or actually, a trivia question that often goes unanswered. Jake Voracek, who spend some time leading the NHL scoring race last season, has one goal this season. Claude Giroux is still Claude Giroux, except that he's really not. The Flyers' top defenceman, Mark Streit, is hurt. Still, those three straight wins have put them within two points of a playoff spot. More than you can say for the 76ers.
Maple Leafs' rookie goalie Garret Sparks will never forget his first NHL game, his first NHL win, his first NHL shutout. Sparks' big night on Monday will be remembered in Edmonton as well. Short of a major turnaround on a five-game homestand that starts tonight against Boston, the Oilers will be able to point to their 3-0 loss in Toronto as a "last straw".
The NHL's 30th-place team (again!) has been officially declared "soft". Anything else that has been said of the Oilers during their non-playoff run of nine straight seasons can still apply too, apparently. It was supposed to be different under new management and coaching, or it was supposed to be different because of Connor McDavid. Obviously, McDavid, healthy or hurt, wears no blame, and to this point, neither does GM Peter Chiarelli or coach Todd McLellan.
But blame is just around the corner. It has been asked over and over in Edmonton: How much patience is too much patience? The answer after the loss in Toronto seemed to be: Any more patience is too much patience. So "thumbs up" to Sparks for being the first-ever Maple Leafs' goalie to post a shutout victory in his NHL debut. Edmonton fans, if there are any impatient ones, and you wonder, can offer their own thanks to Sparks for his part in drawing a line in the Oilers' sand, if it turns out that way. As it should... finally.