Edmonton Oilers left wing Taylor Hall, center, takes the puck through Anaheim Ducks defenseman Andy Sutton, left, and defenseman Cam Fowler, right, in the first period of a NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., Sunday, Nov. 21, 2010. (AP Photo/Lori Shepler)Lori Shepler/The Associated Press
It had all the markings of a great hockey weekend.
Like a lot of teams, the Edmonton Oilers decided to set aside a few days in their schedule so that the fathers of the players on the roster can join their sons for a road trip; some payback for all the early mornings and hours and hours of dedication it takes to be a hockey Dad to an aspiring NHL player.
Sounds great, right? Start with a home game in Edmonton; fly to Southern California and finish in Phoenix. What could go wrong?
But what if the Dads watch the sons get pasted 5-0 and the coach rakes them after the game?
That's what happened last night when Edmonton, who had boosted the mood by beating Anaheim in front of the Dads on Sunday to break a six-game losing streak, lined up against Phoenix, the hottest team in the NHL after a day of father-son golf in Arizona and played liked they'd spent the day before golfing and celebrating their golf game.
Oilers coach Tom Renny?
Not happy as "joke" and "travesty" figured prominently among his adjectives after his team dropped to 5-11-4.
"We win a game and we figure we're going to be hoisting the Cup. Our battle level was non-existent tonight; the pride in the jersey was not even close to what it needs to be," he said.
"It starts in the morning when the guys come to the skate. That's when you get prepared. You have a night (with their dads after a golf tournament) to take a breather, but when you get up the next day, its game day. Doesn't matter what time it is," said Renney. "We're a team that has to come to the rink every day and work on something. We had a complete lack of focus and a commitment to each other and the game plan."
Probably nothing the Dads wouldn't be telling their sons on their way home in the private jet.