MacTavish analyzes Oilers' disappointing season

The Edmonton Oilers have had a surprisingly bad season in the NHL this year for a couple of reasons: parity and a slow start, according to Craig MacTavish, the team's vice-president of hockey operations.

MacTavish made that comment Feb. 2 during the Every Kid Every Community speaker series at the Pomeroy Inn & Suites, a fundraiser for minor hockey, the Olds Grizzlys and Olds College Broncos hockey.

"I know we're now in an era where small changes – performance changes – make huge differences," he said.

"We're in an era of great parity. There's all kinds of fluctuations between the top of the league and the bottom of the league.

"You look at the season that we had last year. After the 10 previous seasons were extremely difficult, I was thinking we're going to be good for a decade. But we got out of the gate slowly. A few of the performance levels of our group were off and we haven't been able to overcome it," MacTavish added.

"I still go to the rink thinking it's going to turn around, but it hasn't as of yet. (We) still obviously have who I think is the best player in the game and we're extremely fortunate to have him.

"But one guy and two or three guys isn't enough. And it's been a real trying, humbling year for us after having great expectations coming into the season.

"Now I still feel very bullish about the future of the Oilers and the success that we're going to have, but this game is a constant, never-ending struggle for high performance," he said.

"Everybody's trying to beat your brains out every night and it's a difficult league."

Calgary Flames president of hockey operations Brian Burke agreed.

"I'd say the same thing," he said. "I mean, we have the game against Vegas (Jan. 30); we win that game I think we're second in the division. And we lost and we dropped to ninth I think in the conference.

"So right now, if you look at the playoff teams, one or two or three points separates everybody – the ones that are in and the ones that are out.

"A team goes on a tear and wins four in a row, someone loses three in a row, and there's a dramatic swing in the standings. So I'm with Craig on that one.

"Right now, this league, if you're not ready to play -- it doesn't matter who you play – you're going to lose that game. It's that simple. And it's never been that difficult," Burke said.

During the off-season, the Flames picked up former Arizona Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith. Burke was asked what Smith has done for the Flames.

Burke conceded Smith had "a tough night" when he gave up six goals to the Tampa Bay Lightning in a 7-4 loss on Feb. 1.

"That's his first off night. He is our team MVP so far. He's been terrific," Burke said. "There are two things: one, he's stopped the puck really well, obviously. That's his number 1 job.

"But what he does in terms of handling the puck; our stats guys are telling us that our starting four defencemen have been hit 150 times less – north of 150 times less each this year than they got hit last year, because he stops every (puck coming).

"So instead of them going into the corner and having to fight a forward for the puck, he stops the puck, makes a good outlet pass, and we're away. He's taking wear and tear off the D. That's a big part of his success," Burke added.