Post-Game Talk: 2 Down, 2 To Go

[Jarvi]

Pardon my French but why in the living **** would you make that many changes? Keep it going until it doesn’t work don’t mess with the groove

I mean, I did think of that. It is a lot of movement, but the team got outplayed the last half of the game, and 2/4 lines looked pretty bad for most of the game. Right now I trust Brown to be a difference maker on that line as much as anyone, and we need that line to wake up. Nuge has done very little there.

I don't want the second line to remain together, and I want DR (as much as I love him) out and Kane in, with Mcleod staying on the wing. How would you approach that?

 

[Thomas Tatar]

Pardon my French but why in the living **** would you make that many changes? Keep it going until it doesn’t work don’t mess with the groove

I’m not agreeing with the changes but there really isn’t a keep it going until it doesn’t work because it not working means we are done.

 

[Jarvi]

I’m not agreeing with the changes but there really isn’t a keep it going until it doesn’t work because it not working means we are done.

Exactly my thoughts. We are out of mulligans, we need to identify and minimize issues as best we can.

 

[ChaosLord]

Caps fan here ,pulling for the Oil. Here's some reason to hope: the Caps team that won our first Cup in 2018
was not even close to being our best team, roster wise (arguably 2017 was our strongest team). However,
they were easily the scrappiest team in our history. They were on the ropes against Columbus, came back to win it.
They lost 3 straight against Tampa, didn't phase them, came back to win it.

Its not always the best teams that win Cups. Its the most resilient. And right now there is no quit in this 2024 Oilers
franchise.

Oilers will win it. They were underdogs against Dallas, didn;t phase them, they emerged victorious. Everyone expected
the Panthers to win Game 5, they didn't, the Oil now smell blood. McDavid will rise to the occasion, as all great players do.

I have nothing but confidence in your team and your inevitable success.

 

[Arty Spooners Bsmnt]

Is that TommyLee Jones from the Men In Black MIB movies?

I think it's Fred Flintstone in a suit.

 

[midnightcopper]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1803279606600048647

Jack’s call

So good

 

[Coffey]

Caps fan here ,pulling for the Oil. Here's some reason to hope: the Caps team that won our first Cup in 2018
was not even close to being our best team, roster wise (arguably 2017 was our strongest team). However,
they were easily the scrappiest team in our histroy. They were on the ropes against Columbus, came back to win it.
They lost 3 straight might Tampa, didn't phase them, came back to win it.

Its not always the best teams that win Cups. Its the most resilient. And right now there is no quit in this 2024 Oliers
franchise.

Oilers will win it. They were underdogs against Dallas, didn;t phase them, they conquered. Everyone expected the Panthers
to win Game 5, they choked, rhe Oil now smell blood, McDavid will rise to the occasion, as all great players do.

I have nothing but confidence in your team and your inevitable success.

Thanks brother. I cheered all hell for you guys when you won. I wish most of your fanbase would reciprocate that haha

 

[JeffSkinner53]

Guess what I’m eating on Friday

A&W?

 

[TheNumber4]

Brown was so good in this game.

First 3 shifts, with his poise and vision sets up 3 shots on net. Our first 3 shots generated cause of Browns work in the o-zone.

4 shot of the game? Well that was Browns breakaway PK goal.

He pretty much set the stage for this game. Him and Stu. Panthers were the better team in the first 5 mins, generating 5 shots and a PP with their o zone pressure. Stu kept us in it and Brown got us started.

 

[elmeroil]

Brown was so good in this game.

First 3 shifts, with his poise and vision sets up 3 shots on net. Our first 3 shots generated cause of Browns work in the o-zone.

4 shot of the game? Well that was Browns breakaway PK goal.

He pretty much set the stage for this game. Him and Stu. Panthers were the better team in the first 5 mins, generating 5 shots and a PP with their o zone pressure. Stu kept us in it and Brown got us started.

Brown found his wheels at the right time, has really shown what they saw in him. What's done is done but he's been fantastic in this series and that's been a much needed boost from the bottom 6. Imo he's redeemed himself and that bonus doesn't look so bad now.

 

[tardigrade81]

I shit on Ceci hard (with good reason), but he was really solid tonight when the team needed one more solid guy with nurse's struggles

You shit on me sometimes and I gotta say I was solid too. Had 9 beers. Did my part!

 

[Whoshattenkirkshoes]

Lol you said he’s been bad all season.

He has been "off" all season

We have to admit this

You notice how you get disputed in almost 90% of your opinions?

Stop with the victim mentality.

But you said "That said Drai does take the regular season off and I think those bad habits can hurt him a bit in the playoffs. He has had some bad mistakes."

Drai does not take the regular season off.

Obviously he's not off on a beach chilling, but yes he's a player that takes it easier in the regular season

Foegele-McD-Hyman
Holloway-Drai-Brown
Janmark-Nuge-Kane
Mcleod-Henrique-Perry

Nuge/Drai hasn't worked this series, Brownie gets a chance with the big guns as he has shown he is built for this. Let's us sub out Ryan and keep amazing center depth, with Mcleod on the wing. Depending how things look, Rico can move up with Kane/Janitor dropping down depending on play.

Foegele has shown us the benefit of having a puck hound on the wing of our stars. Without him, Mcdavid doesn't get his first goal last game. Brownie gives Drai someone like that, Nuge is sneaky, but not quite the same.

Play the bottom 2 lines an equal amount, with the odd Mcdrai shift depending on game situation.

No runway left to change the lines

 

[brentashton]

He has been "off" all season

We have to admit this


Obviously he's not off on a beach chilling, but yes he's a player that takes it easier in the regular season


No runway left to change the lines

An 82 game season is going to see all players have off nights and not playing full out. It’s just not sustainable over that length of time.

That’s why playoffs are such a grind. For 2 months, players DO elevate their game, their output and emotion in a shorter window, because of the desire to win a championship.

Leon played 81 of 82 games in the regular season and was seventh in scoring with 106pts, one point behind Matthews who had a career season. Who else finished ahead of him- Kucherov, MacKinnon, McDavid, Panarin, Pasternak. No slouches in that group.

I’m not sure how you can continue this narrative that Draisaitl was “kinda crap, lazy” all season.

 

[Whoshattenkirkshoes]

An 82 game season is going to see all players have off nights and not playing full out. It’s just not sustainable over that length of time.

That’s why playoffs are such a grind. For 2 months, players DO elevate their game, their output and emotion in a shorter window, because of the desire to win a championship.

Leon played 81 of 82 games in the regular season and was seventh in scoring with 106pts, one point behind Matthews who had a career season. Who else finished ahead of him- Kucherov, MacKinnon, McDavid, Panarin, Pasternak. No slouches in that group.

I’m not sure how you can continue this narrative that Draisaitl was “kinda crap, lazy” all season.

Sure, some players are worse than others tho. What's wrong with saying Drai had an "off season" by his standards.

What's wrong with challenging ideas? Some of you guys have this idea that you can't talk bad about a player.

Was Drai off because of:
- Crap line mates
- Cup or bust, not caring
- Doesn't train as hard or have the energy
- Injured?
- bad luck

Let's hear some opinions why he's been off.

 

[JordanGalhanth]

My opinion is that Drai has forgotten more about hockey than most of the posters on this board will ever know.

For what it's worth, I don't think anyone takes issue with saying that he's had an "off season" by his standards. The issue is with the contrarian "holier than thou" grandstanding with which this opinion is being expressed.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

He has been "off" all season

We have to admit this


Obviously he's not off on a beach chilling, but yes he's a player that takes it easier in the regular season


No runway left to change the lines

Point is you were getting roasted because you said he’s been bad all season. If you said the last couple of series I bet most people would have agreed with you.

 

[McDoused]

Lets get to 1000 boys!

 

[Louis Cypher]

Hahaha the kings traded PLD for Darcy Kuemper. Thought this was kind of oiler related.

Wow surprised Blake still has a job. They gave up a ton to get him and now get a goalie who isn't very good.

 

[OilerTitanFan]

Hahaha the kings traded PLD for Darcy Kuemper. Thought this was kind of oiler related.

Now we can trade nurse for PLD, then dump draisaitl for a 2nd pairing RHD, a first and a prospect. Move broberg to 2nd LHD. That might actually workout.

 

[Fishy McScales]

If I’m not mistaken, Katz still owns Silver pictures so I’m sure he could get her connected with some projects if this was a big selling point for Leon which I doubt it is.

I would be absolutely shocked if either Leon or Connor left. The money wont be an issue, team competitiveness won’t be an issue, the two of them pretty much get what they want here. The only thing is Edmonton can’t offer the lifestyle of some other cities.

At the end of the day superstars like them can force their way out whenever they want so signing a long term deal doesn’t necessarily mean you’re tied to that place for the whole term. I’m sure there will be an understanding between the franchise and both of them that we’re going to sign you guys max term to keep the AAV down but in 4-5 years if you want to be traded we will do our best to accomodate.

Edmonton gets to extend their window and if it comes to it and they have to look at trading either or both of these guys 4-5 years down the road they’ll still get a real good haul.

I agree superstars can force their way out, but I would say that

a) this does not seem to be in the character of either Connor or Leon, and

b) there is no way they kick off an extension to the partnership by agreeing on a way out of it halfway through.

 

[TheNumber4]

Interesting quote from Maurice’s presser:

Maurice: “for the first time we got some stick on some hands for the first time and ended up in the penalty box for it, so we’re going to have to be mindful of that cause we know that’s going to lead to a penalty”

Sticks on hands are penalties in this League?! No f***in shit Maurice. How long has he been coaching in this League again? Forever? And he’s pretending like he’s just now realizing that stick on hands are penalties?

What he means to say and what he really means is that he didn’t realize the Refs are calling that now, cause they f***in didn’t call that at all in Games 1-2 despite Slasha Barkov and friends slashing the shit of everyone to complete their “defensive” plays.

In Game 5, Rodriguez gets McD right between the hands (not on the hands). And if you watch Rodriquez defend this play, i really don’t even think it was an accident. He is gapping up on McD and with full control of his actions he throws an up and down tomahawk slash to the stick between McDs hands. He wasn’t aiming for anywhere else to make a legal play. That “defensive play” doesn’t get called in the first 2 games. We saw that exact slash and another right on Leon’s wrist in game 1. And don’t forget about Nuge on a breakaway. I bet the Oilers sent video to the refs supervisor of this series and reminded them it was a penalty in this Joke ass League.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Brown found his wheels at the right time, has really shown what they saw in him. What's done is done but he's been fantastic in this series and that's been a much needed boost from the bottom 6. Imo he's redeemed himself and that bonus doesn't look so bad now.

Sure it does, but....Of course it would be easier to play with this kind of pace now 105games into the season when he took most of the season off doing barely anything. I'll take it, this is what people had hoped is he would bring some game at right time. Brown looks fresh out there. Most of the players at this point in season are very tired.

 

[grego]

A draisaitl off year is actually called a career year and will get you a 9 to 11 million dollar contract in the NHL.

He is just so insanely consistent through his career that people freak out.

Even a hurt, or slacking drai if it happens is better than the leafs core four

 

[WaitingForUser]

An 82 game season is going to see all players have off nights and not playing full out. It’s just not sustainable over that length of time.

That’s why playoffs are such a grind. For 2 months, players DO elevate their game, their output and emotion in a shorter window, because of the desire to win a championship.

Leon played 81 of 82 games in the regular season and was seventh in scoring with 106pts, one point behind Matthews who had a career season. Who else finished ahead of him- Kucherov, MacKinnon, McDavid, Panarin, Pasternak. No slouches in that group.

I’m not sure how you can continue this narrative that Draisaitl was “kinda crap, lazy” all season.

It should be obvious to anyone that watched all year that nothing was off with Leon. Both he and a Connor didn’t give a shit about the regular season it was all about the playoffs. Judging by both of their play during this run I would say they held back during the regular season. The only that mattered was the cup and now they are two wins away.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Sure it does, but....Of course it would be easier to play with this kind of pace now 105games into the season when he took most of the season off doing barely anything. I'll take it, this is what people had hoped is he would bring some game at right time. Brown looks fresh out there. Most of the players at this point in season are very tired.

He didn’t take the season off he was obviously still not 100%. I don’t know how someone with eyes can watch his skating now and not notice a massive difference.

He looks fresh? No he looks recovered and like the old brown.