from Mark Spector of Sportsnet,

If any organization should have it figured out by now, it is the Edmonton Oilers. Firing the coach at the first sign of disappointment is not a long-term solution, and general manager Peter Chiarelli said as much Sunday evening.

“I have no intentions of firing Todd (McLellan). I want to work with the coach, and I think he’s a very good coach,” Chiarelli said over the phone from Nashville. “As far as Todd goes, and (his staff), I am not considering firing them. At this point we’re going to solve it together.”

The Oilers season has been an abject disappointment, but it is the team’s ongoing search for rock bottom that is most disconcerting. The Oilers pulled their record up to .500 just before Christmas, but have lost six of seven games since, outscored 28-10 in those games.

Right now they’re barely competitive, outscored 20-4 in their past five games.

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