Oilers have turned into the pre-Boudreau Canucks

Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

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The Vancouver Canucks leapfrogged the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference standings this week.

I know, I know, the Oilers have games in hand — three of them. But just that sight was arresting.

Edmonton is freefalling (NHL.com)

And now, well, the oilers have turned into the Canucks pre-Bruce Boudreau and Jim Rutherford.

The timelines synch up coincidentally, as Vancouver was moving on its coach and GM, the Oilers began their freefall.

Edmonton is 2-10-2 since the Canucks hired Bruce. The Oilers had a six-game losing streak in early December, and are now working on a seven-game skid after last night’s 6-0 shellacking at the hands of the Florida Panthers.

Oilers post game show has a fan on the line calling in to “kick Ken Holland’s ass outta town and bring Jim Benning in here to finish the job.”

— ZWheel97 (@ZWheel97) January 21, 2022

It was so bad that one caller to an Oilers post-game suggested they bring in Jim Benning to finish the job — though methinks that might’ve been a mischievous member of Canucks Twitter.

But from the franchise that brought you jerseys on the ice as a form of fan protest came… jerseys on the ice as a form of fan protest.

Three of them, in fact.

JERSEY ON THE ICE!!! pic.twitter.com/KlmEvBVRc5

— World Hockey Report (@worldhockeyrpt) January 21, 2022

This after a pissy week where a star player and Hockey Hall of Fame scribe went at it in a media session, and heading into a Saturday home against the provincial rivals from Calgary.

It is astonishing that this deep into Connor McDavid’s career — at 25, six years in and with a Hall of Fame general manager in Ken Holland — you could almost argue the Oilers are back to square one.

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