Post-Game Talk: A successful season?

[McFlyingV]

To think the Blues, so far, gave the Avs the most trouble. 5 seconds away from OT and a chance to force a game 7.

Full credit to the Avs though, they are rolling. 12-2 so far.

The league and especially the officiating can deep throat a cactus thought.

They just had better defence and goaltending. That should be Edmonton's focus as their current mix on D doesn't make a lot of sense. Nurse, Bouchard, Ceci and Kulak make sense. The other 2 spots need to be more of that. Big, mobile D who can move the puck, and preferably play with some physicality. They also need an upgrade in net. You can't have a goalie that just gives the other team momentum for no reason at all. The 3rd Avs goal when the game was 4-2 is what let them back into the game. Oilers were playing a pretty sound defensive 3rd period up until that point and then Smith plays a puck off the ref on a puck that Nurse would have won the race to with ease.

 

[Burnt Biscuits]

I'm a little relieved we lost, I would of enjoyed another game, but seeing the amount of pain Drai is in I'm just glad he can rest up and heal, no sense worsening an injury or creating any long lasting damage just to squeeze out an extra game or 2.

Also I think Makar might be a generational talent, the last d-man I seen this good this early into his career was Doughty, but I see a higher ceiling with Makar and his style I think lends more towards him having greater longevity on the top end of his game.

 

[Cloned]

This isn’t cp. Most of us are normal

You’re still my favourite Flames poster on HF.

 

[WaitingForUser]

Boys and Girls this was a wild ride. Nobody expected us to make the dance let alone the WCF in February. McDrai did absolutely everything they could each had over 30 points in the playoffs and will probably stand a top the leader board after the cup is awarded. In the End we are still a couple pieces away from getting to that finish line. Goaltending was not great this series and the watched plenty of tapes on our defence and exposed an injured Nurse badly. But the boys left it all out there tonight there were no quitters. Was it a high stick we may never know but in the end we need to acknowledge the amazing this team did this year. A bad stretch of games where two of the most important we’re playing not just hurt but significantly injured ended up being too much to overcome. A healthy Nurse and Drai and this was a different series and we all know it. Proud of the team and nothing but mad respect for what they accomplished. Hell a year play La Bamba anyway.

 

[TypeSly]

Me thinks that's JPs last game as an Oiler

I sincerely hope so. I really hope he fluorishes somewhere, but I don't know. I just know that I'm tired of waiting for his hands of stone to soften up. I honestly think he's too fragile minded to live up to his potential in this league.

 

[rec28]

Absolutely a successful season! The Avs are an extremely deep, elite, and complete team firing on all cylinders. There’s no shame in losing to them - even in a sweep.

If the Oilers had above average goaltending and a healthy Drai/Nurse they could have made it a series, but I think the Avs were winning this no matter what. The better team won and provided an excellent bar for the Oilers to meet in their own evolution.

 

[Zenos]

Nurse discloses he played 3 series with a torn hip flexor. Such a shame this warrior was not at 100% to help this team. I hope some of the intense negativity for this player will be mitigated with a hard truth of a significant injury he played through.

But I was told we should Stop giving Nurse a pass cause he is injured

 

[CycloneSweep]

If Smith wasn't ass they lose at least 1 of those games. They are the better team but not by lightyears like you are trying to portray. Draisaitl being clearly injured and Nurse being badly injured really screwed us along with poor goaltending. I wonder if we consider buying out Smith? You can't be serious about winning the cup with a Smith/Skinner tandem next season IMO unless you really believe in Skinner.

We had a few injuries but so did Colorado. If Kuemper didn’t get hurt in the St Louis series game 1 isn’t that close. Maybe we make it 5 games but both these teams fully healthy, Colorado wins the series 100/100 time. There is no shame in that, their roster is simply better than us. When a team has big guns that can mostly keep up with ours and 2-3 defenders better than your best guy…and two goalies better than your goalie, it’ll happen

 

[soothsayer]

Edit

 

[iCanada]

The Oilers played 16 playoff games.

The oilers had games where they gave up: 4,4,5,9,4,8,4,4,6 goals. A full 9 of 16 games they gave up 4 or more.

Anyone that defends our tending or Holland for doing nothing about our tending should have his head examined.

The Top players on this team played well enough to try and force us to get to the cup but the 100% obvious weakest part of the team has not been addressed for years.

Successful year? No, it was there for us this year imo.

Can't wait till next year when people will be okay with a skinner smith tandem as long as smith is a 'good backup'....laughable.

This is what I've been saying for two years.

Smith did well for us down the stretch, but he's not good enough to get us over the hump unless our D is significantly improved.

 

[Mr Positive]

I'm a little relieved we lost, I would of enjoyed another game, but seeing the amount of pain Drai is in I'm just glad he can rest up and heal, no sense worsening an injury or creating any long lasting damage just to squeeze out an extra game or 2.

Also I think Makar might be a generational talent, the last d-man I seen this good this early into his career was Doughty, but I see a higher ceiling with Makar and his style I think lends more towards him having greater longevity on the top end of his game.

I struggled with similar thoughts often but didn't post it. It's just clear that Nurse and Drai are suffering and it can only get worse. They'd agree that they have to keep going but it's just crazy

 

[FlameChampion]

Offseason its time to reasess our bottomsix again. Look at the stuff AV's are getting from players like Compher, Lehkonen, and Helm, just to mention a few. The last two were imminently available. How did a Canadian club not spot the value in Lehkonen, a playoff warrior and just great 200ft player. Or a veteran Helm. How did you not be interested in that one Holland.

That we went for Brassard is real strange. A lot of the player usage in this series and playoffs was real strange too. The only bottomsix players that did anything were Kass and Mcleod.

I'd argue that McLeod was really the only one who was consistently good. He has a great playoffs even if he didnt score much.

Kassian had his moments but he didnt show up enough imo. Not a bad playoffs from him, he was fine, but largely inconsistent like the majority of the bottom 6. He did probably do more than most of the bottom 6 though, which is saying something.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Only problem is refs squarely in Avs corner.

How that Landeskog hit from behind is 2 minutes for holding I'll never know.

Tell it bro. That was awful. that was a dirtier play because Landeskog piles in and tries to direct Kass's head into the boards. Thats the primary thing that made Kass go ballistic, the deliberate attempt to injure, but he's an AV so... Wheres the guy that flaming Kane for the dirty play. I called that poster out for never having the comment on Landeskog or the AV' dirty plays. Of course nothing from that poster on any of this. Also that the dirty play happened 3 times tonight from AV's trying to bust Oilers helmets and melons into the boards.

 

[TB12]

The sweep and watching Colorado celebrate a conference title win in their barn will hopefully not just light a fire under their asses, it better ignite a f***ing rocket.

I’m hoping for an Oilers losing in ‘83 to the Isles type of learning curve

 

[bobbythebrain]

You’re still my favourite Flames poster on HF.

 

[TheNumber4]

Awesome season. Started off awesome, a bit hairy in the middle, ended off great. Playoffs were mostly awesome. Can’t complain about the ride, it was a fun one with some amazing moments. Had more joy overall about these Oilers than maybe any other season I’ve followed.

Series was horrendous though. I don’t mind losing to the better team, that wouldn’t have made it horrendous. But the stupidity on display was a bit much, bad giveaways, bad penalties, bad plays. We could have been much better.

 

[48g90a138pts]

I still can’t believe we have 4.3 million in dead cap next year.

I see 3.9 mil on cap friendly.

Kind of shocking some still scream for Holland to buy a contract out this offseason. That's giving up a decent veteran player year after year the team is losing out on. That shit needs to stop.

 

[LTIR]

Imagine if Holland actually earned his ridiculous salary and got us a competent goalie? Wish that wasn't a f***ing pipe dream. Dude should be fired tonight, do not wait until tomorrow.

Driedger/Korpisalo ? Who exactly was available?

 

[Shaquille Oatmeal]

You’re still my favourite Flames poster on HF.

How can you possibly pick a favorite? It's like deciding if you'd rather have tastebuds in your asshole, or having to shit through your mouth.

 

[Zerotonine]

I'm just absolutely livid, I can't say we were gonna win that series given the injuries but to get swept.

This loss is on fcking Woodcroft. Absolute horrible decision making this hole series. And to continue to go back to Smith game after game with how many blown saves and giveaways he was doing is inexcusable.

Facking embarrassing. Amd woodcroft won't be remembered for the season he saved yet rather the round we were swept....

 

[Gordy Elbows]

Do you think it's possible to start a GoFundMe for Mike Smith and raise the 2 million he'd make next year so that he'd retire?

I'm dead serious by the way.

Get rid of Smith without bribes…..if we can’t trade him send him to Bako for the season.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Tell it bro. That was awful. that was a dirtier play because Landeskog piles in and tries to direct Kass's head into the boards. Thats the primary thing that made Kass go ballistic, the deliberate attempt to injure, but he's an AV so... Wheres the guy that flaming Kane for the dirty play. I called that poster out for never having the comment on Landeskog or the AV' dirty plays. Of course nothing from that poster on any of this. Also that the dirty play happened 3 times tonight from AV's trying to bust Oilers helmets and melons into the boards.

Let's not forget MacKinnon targeting Hyman's knee. The Oilers better beef up because next season's games against Colorado and Calgary are going to be physical.

 

[LTIR]

Yeah, never seen someone with the head snapback to draw penalties quite like that.

Idk, he's a good player, but legitimately several times through the series he initiated contact then dove to sell contact.

No wonder PPs 2:1 for Colorado.

Makar will be figured out soon enough... Wait til he becomes a target

 

[CycloneSweep]

They just had better defence and goaltending. That should be Edmonton's focus as their current mix on D doesn't make a lot of sense. Nurse, Bouchard, Ceci and Kulak make sense. The other 2 spots need to be more of that. Big, mobile D who can move the puck, and preferably play with some physicality. They also need an upgrade in net. You can't have a goalie that just gives the other team momentum for no reason at all. The 3rd Avs goal when the game was 4-2 is what let them back into the game. Oilers were playing a pretty sound defensive 3rd period up until that point and then Smith plays a puck off the ref on a puck that Nurse would have won the race to with ease.

We need someone to push Ceci and Bouchard down. I liked Ceci a lot but with Nurse as your #1 d, you need a legit #2 guy to play with him

Nurse - New
Kulak - Ceci
New - Bouchard

Is ideal

But most likely it will be

Nurse - Ceci
Keith - Bouchard
New - Barrie

 

[Captain Fantastic]

We had a few injuries but so did Colorado. If Kuemper didn’t get hurt in the St Louis series game 1 isn’t that close. Maybe we make it 5 games but both these teams fully healthy, Colorado wins the series 100/100 time. There is no shame in that, their roster is simply better than us. When a team has big guns that can mostly keep up with ours and 2-3 defenders better than your best guy…and two goalies better than your goalie, it’ll happen

I do think that St. Louis would have beaten Colorado in the last round if Binnington wasn't injured. Huso wasn't that good .