GDT: Around the League - 2021/22 PART II

[notDatsyuk]

Oilers held on for dear life in the 3rd to reach OT. Shots 15-2 Isles

Draisaitl is such a liability in the defensive zone.

Earlier in the season there was a huge amount of "Oilers are great" and "Islanders are garbage" talk. Now there's a lot of evidence that one or the other, or both, of those statements were, to be kind, premature.

Now the Oilers have lost three in a row (on the road), while the Isles are 3-0-1 in their last four, and 4-0-1 in their last five at home.

Did Edmonton manage only 2 shots in the last 29:45 of the game (including no shots in 3:52 of 3-on-3 OT) because they all forgot how to play (or decided not to bother), or because the Islanders finally got to play with an almost full team, and could play their game?

(Islanders have picked up nine points in their last six games, while outscoring their opponents 18-11.)

 

[Stephen]

I think there’s merit in the argument that the Oilers never gave McDavid proper mentorship at the NHL level and basically gave him the keys to the team and given their failures to date, McDavid’s attitude/leadership on the team could be poor.

That being said poor depth, goaltending, and defensive aren’t his fault either.

I have no doubts that a team built more properly would change his focus so he doesn’t feel that he has to carry the load. I bet there would be some buy in there.

But trading for him would gut your team in all likeliness.

McDavid, Draisaitl and Eichel always seem so sour when things aren't going well and the implication is always they have nothing to work with. For all of their brilliance offensively there's always an undercurrent of divisiveness in the way things have been tiered in Edmonton (and Buffalo) and it's always the supporting cast that's not good enough. You don't often hear about how those three players need to mature, get better defensively or learn to uplift their teams. It's always their teammates aren't worthy.

 

[MapleLeafs94]

I hope the Babcock to Edmonton rumours are true. Would be glorious seeing Nurse, Keith and Ceci firing grenades and icing the puck every 2 seconds with his amazing stretch pass offensive scheme. His wonderful collapse to the net and surrender 35+ shots a game defensive system seems like a perfect fit for the putrid goaltending duo they have also.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Earlier in the season there was a huge amount of "Oilers are great" and "Islanders are garbage" talk. Now there's a lot of evidence that one or the other, or both, of those statements were, to be kind, premature.

Now the Oilers have lost three in a row (on the road), while the Isles are 3-0-1 in their last four, and 4-0-1 in their last five at home.

Did Edmonton manage only 2 shots in the last 29:45 of the game (including no shots in 3:52 of 3-on-3 OT) because they all forgot how to play (or decided not to bother), or because the Islanders finally got to play with an almost full team, and could play their game?

(Islanders have picked up nine points in their last six games, while outscoring their opponents 18-11.)

Both teams are bad. Edmonton is just worse.

 

[Leafs at Knight]

Love seeing yet another player drafted soon after Korshkov having a lot of success (Kyrou)...

 

[supermann_98]

Love seeing yet another player drafted soon after Korshkov having a lot of success (Kyrou)...

Absolutely love Kyrou’s game ever since getting to see him on the WJHC team. Smart, skilled, patient, just a fantastic young player.

I’m not a good scout, I would’ve taken Dahlen (who’s having a decent rookie yea), but I’m good enough of a “scout” to know you don’t take a two-year over-ager over some of those guys taken in the rest of that 2nd round. Hunter’s drafting was some of the worst we’ve seen in Leaf-land, at least after the 1st round

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[notDatsyuk]

Both teams are bad. Edmonton is just worse.

I don't think either team is as bad as some of us here would like to believe.

I watched the game yesterday, and I completely agree with Barry Trotz about McDavid. He said that a lot of young defencemen, scared of his ability to make them look bad, give him too much room, which allows him the time to make them look bad. The older D, Mayfield, Greene, and Pelech in particular, didn't give him the time and space, and he looked almost ordinary. So did Draisaitl, who scored when a pass bounced in off an Islanders' skate. (Their other goal was created by Hyman's hard work.)

 

[Stephen]

Poor Barrie

There's got to be a team with low enough expectations where Barrie's combination of no defense and unreliable offense will work.

 

[Stephen]

I don't think either team is as bad as some of us here would like to believe.

I watched the game yesterday, and I completely agree with Barry Trotz about McDavid. He said that a lot of young defencemen, scared of his ability to make them look bad, give him too much room, which allows him the time to make them look bad. The older D, Mayfield, Greene, and Pelech in particular, didn't give him the time and space, and he looked almost ordinary. So did Draisaitl, who scored when a pass bounced in off an Islanders' skate. (Their other goal was created by Hyman's hard work.)

McDavid has a lot of those rush tendencies Kessel used to here in Toronto. The team could be a tire fire everywhere on the ice but the mentality was he could best help his team scoring that quick strike goal the other way and get his points he did his part.

My sense is when you have top dogs that think that way it creates a lot of leaky play and hurts your team's ability to control gaps in the five man unit, have good committed back pressure. Which then creates more leaks, more pressure for offensive heroics and a collapse in team cohesion.

Not to say having dynamic weapons like McDavid and Draisaitl is a curse, but I think the Oilers are guilty of having tried to make use of their pure production without trying to harness a more responsible 200 foot game.

 

[Stand Witness]

I know this is said about every high offense dman but would it not make sense to try Barrie on the wing considering how atrocious he is at defense?

like I think a replacement level dman + Barrie as a winger is better for the team than Barrie as a dman + a replacement level winger.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

I don't think either team is as bad as some of us here would like to believe.

I watched the game yesterday, and I completely agree with Barry Trotz about McDavid. He said that a lot of young defencemen, scared of his ability to make them look bad, give him too much room, which allows him the time to make them look bad. The older D, Mayfield, Greene, and Pelech in particular, didn't give him the time and space, and he looked almost ordinary. So did Draisaitl, who scored when a pass bounced in off an Islanders' skate. (Their other goal was created by Hyman's hard work.)

No no the Oilers are absolutely as bad as what everyone here is saying. They are a fundamentally bad hockey team. The Islanders are just not as bad as the Oilers. That doesn't make them good.

 

[CincoHolio]

Hopefully they were caught clearly on camera because why would you want to let that couple escape? Security should have held them until the cops could investigate.

Happy the Marleau family is alright but why just let the offenders off the hook? Like they're just going to go home and say 'oh well, we'll never try that again'.

edit: Just read the security did hold on to the couple. Good stuff!

 

[Gallagbi]

I wouldn't blame the Oilers woes on the top end forwards. Their D and goaltending is hot garbage, which is a really dangerous combination.

They've done well to upgrade their middle 6 upfront, but it's still not a strength and then the backend is an anchor.

 

[Stigma]

I have the perfect punishment for the man. Throw him on the ice and let the San Jose Sharks take care of him. Maybe even call up Evander Kane for the "event".

 

[BrannigansLaw]

Rangers just killing the Bolts right now. This division is totally up for grabs if they lose this one.

 

[notDatsyuk]

McDavid has a lot of those rush tendencies Kessel used to here in Toronto. The team could be a tire fire everywhere on the ice but the mentality was he could best help his team scoring that quick strike goal the other way and get his points he did his part.

My sense is when you have top dogs that think that way it creates a lot of leaky play and hurts your team's ability to control gaps in the five man unit, have good committed back pressure. Which then creates more leaks, more pressure for offensive heroics and a collapse in team cohesion.

Not to say having dynamic weapons like McDavid and Draisaitl is a curse, but I think the Oilers are guilty of having tried to make use of their pure production without trying to harness a more responsible 200 foot game.

Absolutely. And when they run into a team with experienced players, particularly D, who can shut down the solo rushes, they have a lot of trouble, as they did yesterday and in the playoffs last year.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Pens put up 6 goals against San Jose in the first

 

[notDatsyuk]

No no the Oilers are absolutely as bad as what everyone here is saying. They are a fundamentally bad hockey team. The Islanders are just not as bad as the Oilers. That doesn't make them good.

I didn't say they were good, just that they aren't as bad as some people would like.

There are posters here who would love to see them end up with the two worst records in the league, as long as neither wins the lottery. I don't think that will happen.

Seriously, would you be shocked if either or both of them made the playoffs this year?

 

[TheBeastCoast]

I didn't say they were good, just that they aren't as bad as some people would like.

There are posters here who would love to see them end up with the two worst records in the league, as long as neither wins the lottery. I don't think that will happen.

Seriously, would you be shocked if either or both of them made the playoffs this year?

The Islanders are not going to make the playoffs. Yes I would be shocked if they did. The Oilers no I wouldn't be shocked as they play in a dog shit division.

 

[Bellefour20]

How fortunate it has been for the Canucks to avoid facing the Leafs to continue their point streak against garbage teams.

 

[leafsfan5]

Tampa down 4-0

We'll be 3 points down with 3 games in hand after today

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[zeke]

Tampa down 4-0

We'll be 3 points down with 3 games in hand after today

We pass them today when they lose.

Of course, they (and fla and wsh) are only ahead of us right now thanks to shootout points, anyways.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Sharks have come back and it’s 6-5 Pens now