Edmonton Oilers dogged by questions about work ethic and effort

The Edmonton Oilersstruggles have been no secret this year, but a5-0lossat home earlier this week has fans questioning the team's effort and desire to compete.

The home-ice loss to Buffalo has pushed some of theteam's fan base fromfeeling frustrated to downright outrage.

What's followed has been a barrage ofhurtful tweets and gifsthat lit up theTwittersphere something fierce.

Despite what appeared to bean obvious lack of effort on Tuesday, players like Drake Caggiulaequated the game to a bad day at the office.

'I don't question anyone's work effort'

"Use it as fuel, there's nothing else you can really do," said the speedy winger, who has struggled to find last year's form with just six goals and five assists so far this year.

Many of those tweets were aimed directly at the work ethic of individual players, with fans calling out the Oilers for coasting through gamesin neutral and too easily accepting demoralizing losses.

"I don't question anyone's work effort in here, I know I have a 100-per-cent belief in everyone in here," said Caggiula,who not too long ago was a healthy scratch ascoach Todd McLellan tried to light a fire under his butt.

"If people want to question our work ethic, I'm sure people go to work every single day in their jobs and they don't have the best day either. It's a long season, 82 games. I can't say anyone in here isn't giving their full effort."

So, if not effort ... then what?

The Oilers are26thin league standings, their penalty kill at home (54.2 per cent)is at a historicall-time low, and the playoffs are anastronomicallong shotat best.

ConnorMcDavidsaid he doesn't blame fans for their anger.

"Obviously we're well aware of what's going on around us and outside the locker room," the Oilers captain said. "Inside, we still believe in each other, believe that we can go in and beat any team on any given night. I don't think that's ever wavered."

Making sure his team is ready to compete every night seems to be one of McLellan'sbiggest hurdles this season.

At this level, you'd think that would be the least of his worries.

Yet that hasbeen a recurring theme, especially at Rogers Place.

Since New Year's Eve, the Oilers have sufferedthree 5-0 losses on home ice, to the Winnipeg Jets, the Los Angeles Kings, and most recently the Buffalo Sabres.

"We put our names on the backs of our jerseys, too, and we represent ourfamilies," said McLellan.

"I know when my dad calls me and asks me what the hell's going on and what am I doing,I have to accept that responsibility," he said.

McLellansaid his players are hearing it from external motivators as well as internal ones right now.

And it'scertainly not going to get any easier Thursday night against the Calgary Flames.

Though they've lost six in a row to Edmonton, the Flamescomeinto the match-up as one of the league's hottest teams, having collectedpoints in each of theirlast 10 games.

And they'dlove nothing more than to collect two more points,rubbing their provincial rivals noses in it even further.