Benoit Pouliot: The Marked Man

When the Oilers mainstream media puts you in their sights, look out. This is the situation Benoit Pouliot finds himself in now.

Fresh off their successful campaign of running Nail Yakupov out of town and destroying the team’s potential return in the process, they’ve been desparately searching for their next target for the past week.

All it took was a few penalties last game, and they smelled blood.

It started before the game even started…

Then Pouliot took another penalty, and they pounced.

And then Pouliot scores!!!

At least a few of the media took notice. Some had backhanded compliments, mind you.

Another update: Pouliot takes another penalty! This one wasn’t really his fault, but does it really matter?

Not bad for one period’s worth of work, boys! Pretty soon you can write your story about how they’d be lucky to get a 3rd round pick back for him.

Now, obviously, Pouliot is taking too many penalties, and yes, it’s a habit of his, but he’s a great player and the Oilers are now short of great forwards after trading Hall and Yakupov and getting no forwards back for them. If you’re an Oilers fan, you migth want to ask your local media to consider applying their hatchets to the opposing team’s players now and then instead of ours.

Update:

As the second period starts, another backhanded compliment:

Post game update:

Just as was the case with Yakupov, the media parrots the coach’s narrative because it helps ensure their access to said coaches. McLellan has found his new whipping boy, and Oilers fans continue to be left with just a single perspective on the team.

I’ll give the last word to Derek Blasutti:

Go Oilers Go…


Jim RoepckeJim Roepcke is a software developer living in Penticton, BC. He was 4 years old when the Oilers joined the NHL, and grew up thinking it was normal for the teams he cheered for to win the Stanley Cup and Grey Cup every year. Sigh.