mario r

For once I agree with a Barnes article that the Oil should "Stick it to the
malcontent"

heres the article from todays Journal:
http://www.canada.com/edmonton/sports/teams/oilers/story.html?id=D4721CC5-01
E4-4150-B8E0-B904C80B0938

Regardless of how the Oil individually feel about this it is time to get
their heads out of their ass and respond collectively. Tonight we find out
who on the team bleeds Oil and who bleeds NHLPA. One way or another a lot
will be clear after tonight. I for one will be watching very closely.

The following players have clearly mixed feelings about this that they need
to get resolved pronto.

Smyth Smith Horcoff Laraque Brewer

anymore, any comments?

mario r

sorry that didnt work
<paste>


Please Oilers, stick it to Mike the malcontent

Dan Barnes
The Edmonton Journal


Saturday, January 10, 2004

Mike Comrie wheels against Florida Thursday. The Oilers face Comrie tonight.

CREDIT: The Associated Press

ADVERTI*****T

EDMONTON - If enough Oilers show even half the competitive fire that burns
inside their general manager, Mike Comrie won't get a sniff tonight.

Because it ought to be the stated mission of every last one of them to keep
the little malcontent off the scoreboard as the Flyers and Oilers clash in
Philadelphia. They should do the honourable thing for the franchise and its
frustrated fans and go out of their way to stick it up his backside,
ensuring he's not a factor in a favourable Philly outcome. Losing to the
Flyers is one thing. Losing on a Comrie goal is quite another when the wound
is this fresh.

If they don't have the moxie to see it as something they owe their fans or
general manager Kevin Lowe, whose behind will be left hanging out on the
Comrie trade for years, they could stand in defence of head coach Craig
MacTavish. In some circles he is being blamed for chasing Comrie out of
Edmonton because he demanded more defensive responsibility from a kid who
finished last season at minus-18. The nerve.

But if all else fails them, they could summon their own self-respect and get
the job done.

"I just want to win the game and if he doesn't get any points, that would be
all right," Lowe said Friday. "But he's going to get his points this year.
He can put points on the board. I could care less if he stands on his head
or falls on his head. The fact of the matter is he didn't want to play in
Edmonton. He woke up one morning and said he couldn't take playing here.

"I've been through this before with other guys. Janne Niinimaa comes into
Edmonton and assists on the (Islanders') winning goal and it tugs at it a
bit, but this is a different story."

The Comrie saga has alternated between page-turner and crummy pulp fiction.
One of the unattributed chapters on the street now concerns the
"philosophical differences" between MacTavish and Lowe that delayed the head
coach's new deal after last season. The story goes that MacTavish refused to
re-up if Comrie was going to be his first-line centre.

"Totally untrue," said Lowe. "He was happy to have Comrie back. That's
smoking gun stuff and there is no smoking gun here. Mike Comrie, God bless
him and his family, he's not that important that we would have that debate.
Mac prides himself on being able to work with what he has. He's not from the
Mike Keenan school, he's not a guy who would say, 'To hell with it, I can't
get him to play the way I want, get rid of him.'

"That kind of statement is a shot at Mac's intelligence and my
intelligence."

Since moving Comrie to Philadelphia for Jeff Woywitka and two picks, Lowe
has taken his fair share of shots from a fan base that wanted much, much
more. Comrie took tons of heat the whole way through, of course, but in the
end he got exactly what he wanted and has immediately delivered for Philly,
with six points in seven games.

It seems only the Oilers -- and Anaheim GM Bryan Murray -- have been left
wanting.

Comrie did the selfish thing, which isn't exactly out of character. The
teammates he left behind in Edmonton should realize they don't owe him a
thing anymore, least of all loyalty.

In case they missed it, they weren't exactly high on Comrie's list of things
to care about as he stamped his feet and held his breath until Lowe traded
him to a Stanley Cup contender.

So far there have been no signs of indignation on their part.

That's both sad and predictable since this isn't your father's NHL.

The players stick together now, on and off the ice.

With so much money at stake, they all reserve the right to do the selfish
thing and wouldn't dream of openly criticizing somebody else for doing it
first.

Comrie decided he didn't want to play MacTavish hockey.

He didn't want to sign for less money than he made last season. And he
didn't want to live in his hometown.

In time, Comrie may find many things he doesn't like about playing for the
demanding Ken Hitch**** in a city where fan reaction is anything but
brotherly love when you lose.

And in time, he may find himself playing for somebody else.

But tonight he's playing against the Oilers for the first time since the
ugliest contract holdout in team history came to a predictable end, with him
getting exactly what he wanted.

If they have enough pride, the Edmonton Oilers will start evening up the
lopsided score.

dbarnes@thejournal.canwest.com

GAME ON

OILERS AT FLYERS

- WHEN: 5 p.m.