When GM Steve Tambellini and Kevin Lowe were forced to let Craig MacTavish go due to a few seasons of little success, many in the organization looked like they were ready to ask the tough questions.
Where had the organization gone wrong?
Ales Hemsky is on a point-per-game pace and Dustin Penner is poised to set career highs. Lubomir Visnovsky is finally healthy and leading the troops on the blue.
Still—why can't this team compete?
Some at the time questioned whether Craig MacTavish had been given all the tools to succeed. Others wondered whether the players were living up to their contracts. Most wondered whether MacT's voice had finally lost control of the dressing room after resorting to lambasting players in the media.
At that time Tambellini delivered what has already become an infamous speech on how the Oilers had gone from a blue collar, blood-and-vinegar type of team to a soft, unwilling-to-compete kind of team.
He addressed our questions on MacT, the players, and the dressing room.
He said everyone was to blame and nobody was to blame.
He made promises on how to make the team b ...
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Article written by Antony Ta
Edmonton Oilers: An Ocean or a Stone’s Throw Away From Delivering?
November 22nd, 2009 by Antony Ta Leave a reply »
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