Unnatural Disaster. Back to back in L.A. and Arizona.

I watched this documentary awhile back about the tsunami that hit the shores of Thailand in the mid-two thousands. What image sticks in my mind from it was the beginning, where they showed this person on the beach just standing there watching it roll in for what seemed like ever. In the distance, despite everything you know about the raw power of such a wave, it seemed inauspicious - a little hump across the ocean horizon making its way slowly to shore. Eventually, the wave reached the man and the water rose up. First to his knees, then to his waist, his shoulders...and then he was gone.

The man on the beach represents the Oilers and the wave is L.A.'s '70's line' of Toffoli, Pearson and Carter.

What followed, of course, was a natural disaster of epic proportions. The sheer force of that volume of water making its way past the beach, through the hotels and into the streets. It washed up boats, floated cars, tore people from their loved ones and wreaked havoc on anything in its path.

After the ocean had receded, the wave returned to where it had come from, and all that was left was destruction, desolation and heartbreak...and the last couple of days of  Oilers hockey brought the memories of it all, flooding back...

We knew the L.A. Kings and Arizona Coyotes were going to be a tough test. Like the man on the beach, we stood around all day listening to the talk of key members being out of the line-up, of questionable personnel decisions on the blue line and of a goal-tending tandem that needed to be better in order to survive what we were all told was coming.

The puck dropped and everything seemed all right for a few moments as we anticipated what to was unfold. Then it hit, wave after wave, with brutal force and it was worse than we could have ever imagined - the 'Tsunami of Suckitude'. What ensued was chaos and destruction at the highest level. Everything that could have gone wrong did and just when we thought it was over, it struck again with the desert dogs. Sure we put up a good fight, nobody doesn't want to go down swinging, but the end result was the same.

So here we are in the aftermath, confused, hurt, angry and demanding to know what the hell happened...

OILERS 1 - L.A. 6                  OILERS 4 - COYOTES 7

Sorry but these games were so bad on so many levels, I can barely bring myself to talk about them at all, let alone individually...

FORWARDS: Agree or disagree, but this isn't an area of great concern. Yes, we need some depth at center which is more prevalent with Nuge being injured, but on the whole THEY ARE NOT THE PROBLEM... Hall is a stud and even sandwiched on the bench with as much stink as this team is putting out, he still smells like potpourri...Eberle was hurt, which makes his slow start make sense but he's a quality player...Marcobello has filled in on the top line just fine. He looked really good in Arizona, not as much in L.A., but who did? He can make a pass, take a pass and play responsible defense. Whether or not he stays with the Oilers remains to be seen, but regardless, he'll be playing in the NHL for a while...Yakupov with Draisaitl isn't working. Yak's playing fine, better than last year, but his center man is too green and the line including Pouliot, have the worst +/- on the team. He's committed to the game plan this year, so commit to him some decent line mates!...Hendricks and Gordon are playing their hearts out. I just hope they have enough to carry them through all 82 games of this debacle...Joensuu has been held of the score sheet for the last two games but he's still playing a physical, responsible game AND generating scoring chances. No preseason slump, so 4 games down, 78 to go...

This is Arcobello wondering if maybe he should have taken his chances with free-agency this summer.

DEFENCE: I'm not impressed with Justin Schultz. He has trouble being aware of the man entering the slot behind him and isn't strong enough on his man driving to the net. By my count, opponents have scored at least three times against him and the Oilers on these types of poor plays in four games. And do argue about the offense he provides because so far what little he's produce doesn't outweigh the mistakes that are sinking this team...Fayne and Nikitin continue to improve and I'm starting to gain confidence in them. I just hope they can gain some confidence in their team mates...Nurse has been O.K. which is typical for a rookie. I'm just still wondering what the hell he's doing here...Hunt was badly exposed in L.A. Boy, that big shot of his was sure worth it, eh Dallas?...as much as I'm displeased with Schultz, Andrew Ference has been absolutely dreadful. If he wasn't the captain, would he be in the line-up with his performance so far? He's looks so slow and behind the play all the time. Either he's hurt or all of his early morning community exercising is catching up with him...

GOALTENDING: Yeeeeaaaaahhhhh....Fasth is out with a groin injury and they're never good, especially for a goaltender. It could be a while before he gets back...Scrivens, you suck. I know, I know, that's ignorant and very base of me, but it's really the only way I can put it. Insert "couldn't stop a beachball" jokes here and be done with it. Seriously, if you add the three mishandled puck goals, the three long-distance weak goals and the two 'how the f#@k did those just get through me?' goals the Oilers team GAA drops from 5.5 (that's not a typo) to 3.5.and this team has two wins in the bank. Get it together, buddy...

If I tried to do this, I would pull a whole lot more than just my groin. I'd also be out a whole lot longer than a couple of weeks...I'd probably have to change jobs.

OK, so we were promised a few things at the start of this season. We were told that the goal tending was easily superior to last year, the defense is improved with veterans, the forward core is deeper and the coaching staff has a year under its belt and the team will be more comfortable with its systems. No one guaranteed the play-offs or anything, but in no way shape or form would the team repeat its start from the previous season...

Anybody seen the goals for and against or the team record four games in? They are almost identical to 2013. 21 vs. 22 goals against, 11 vs 12 for and one measly point garnered for their trouble. Scary.

Every team enters the season with a certain number of question marks at its various positions. Will player A be able to preform in his new role, can player B regain his form of the past, can player C take the next step, can rookie D make the jump. The teams that excel have these questions answered in the positive. The Oilers on the other hand, have come up with a perfect storm of ineptitude in the early goings of this year and nearly every one of their uncertainties has gone the wrong way. Most of it self-inflicted and some of it bad luck.

Viktor Fasth played well in limited time, but his injury bug from the past has reared its ugly head yet again and we have no indication as to when he'll be back. Ben Scrivens looks like the Maple Leaf goalie I remember all too well. He's collapsing under the pressure. *NOTE: I hope this is the final Marlies reclamation project we see forever. Not one of them has worked out in any way so far. The wee Nugent-Hopkins has been hurt already and I wonder if his wee body will ever be built to last in the NHL. His injury has exposed Draisitl further and having a rookie as your 2C just isn't going to work. Fayne and Nikitin are taking their time assimilating to their new team. Schultz looks like the same guy as last year, bleeding scoring chance after chance. None of the rookie D-men have stepped up their game to play full time. All of this put together and you've got one disastrous team...

I just hope this team can pull itself together enough to start playing some decent hockey. I really need something to cheer for to help wash away the pain I've endured up to this point. If it goes on any longer, this team is going to need a lot more than FEMA to clean up the mess.