“The worst day is when my boss and the players’ boss has to come in here and get pelted with bullets and questions about the team. That responsibility falls on me, my staff, and the players in that room. It’s something that I take personally, and certainly all of our players should be taking it personally.”
So yeah...not a fun day in Edmonton, where this morning Oilers GM Craig MacTavish was grilled by reporters about the troubling state of his team.
Another telling Eakins quote:
“The biggest pain for me is the pain of the city, and the divide this team has put in the city between our fans. And we’re doing everything we can to repair that and to give them something to really cheer about.
“But all of that other stuff (trade speculation, coaching change speculation, etc.), personally, and personally for the players, believe it or not, you just don’t really think about it much. You get ready to do your job.
“My main concern is the divide between the fans and our team. We don’t want it. We’re trying to repair it. But if you’re going to coach in fear (of being fired), if you’re going to play in fear (of being traded), you better go find another way to make a living.”
The Oilers host the Sharks Sunday, looking to end an 11-game losing streak.
Related: Oilers fans are feeling ripped off
