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How about them Edmonton Oilers?

February 26, 2009 10:50 AM | Posted by   Marc Crawford  

For years, as a player, I use to venture into Northlands Coliseum where the only thing in question was not if you were going to get beat, but rather, how much you were going to get beaten by them Oilers.

Well times have changed and yet, when teams venture into Rexall Place in Edmonton, they match up against a team filled with players who compete at a different level than almost any other franchise in the NHL. Their standard in the key area of toughness and team play remain uncommonly high.

It has served them well. Craig McTavish, and Kevin Lowe know full well which of their players are legitimate and which are phoney, as they view the character displayed by their team on a nightly basis. It is this standard that amazes me and it is born out of the fact that the Oilers have remained a team that rarely leaves its family when hiring coaching and managing personalities.

In those early days, big Dave Semenko, a player who was respected as the toughest hombre in the NHL, patrolled the left flank occasionally for Monsieur Gretzky and opponents throughout the circuit knew that this fine fellow could, and would, change your life if you choose to mess with his teammates, particularly, Wayne.

When you got past him, your team was then faced with a plethora of physical players such as Dave Lumley, Dave Hunter, Kevin McClelland, Marty McSorley, or Kelly Buchberger. The competitive group led by Lowe, Glenn Anderson, Charlie Huddy, Lee Fogolin and Kenny 'the Rat' Linsman wasn't a great deal of fun to play against and we haven't even touched upon the meanest of them all, Mark Messier, who would sooner knock you out than look at you especially if the game mattered. Pound for pound he was the fiercest player I ever played against and he was equally as talented which scared you even more.

When playing against the Oilers in those days you hoped that you caught them on an off night; maybe they weren't into it, or maybe they went out late the night before. Whatever the case if they wanted to beat you, they did. If they wanted to beat you real bad they beat you really bad, and if they were agitated, they beat you up and they beat you real bad as well.

Glen Sather use to wind that group up and he was responsible for ensuring that the Oilers maintained their competitive edge. He would yap behind the bench and he also had his team play at a pace that he knew no other team could match

Over the years, the OIlers have remained a team that drafts, develops and trades for players who fit the team's mould. If you don't compete you don't remain an Oiler for long.

Steve Tambellinni has inherited a group of character veterans who have stayed in the hunt for a playoff position, through a rash of injuries, and a goaltending crisis. Ethan Moreau, Steve Staios, Jason Strudwick, Shawn Horcoff, Sheldon Souray, along with Dwayne Roloson, have played inspired hockey and they are the players that the coaching staff uses as the benchmark when analyzing the competitive level of players like Dustin Penner.

No wonder he is constantly in the doghouse. The bar is high in Edmonton. Just ask Eric Cole who had his character questioned on more than one occasion as an Oiler and I dare say that he, most likely, has never been questioned before at any level.

When you have the great past examples of toughness and character that the Oilers have, you begin to understand how important those elements were to those five championship teams. Today's Oilers are reminded on a daily basis where they have to get to if they hope to be held in the same light.

As for talent, well, the comparables aren't even fair

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