Post-Game Talk: Big Oil warming up, Penguins lose habitat

[Shaquille Oatmeal]

i have an iron stomach so its mostly ok with me. the kind of iron stomach where i can get a stomach flu and just will it away.

Alright bro. Give me a review after. Lol

 

[walktheboulavard]

Hell yeah Walk, at least he showed up and did something. That's his 3rd fight already this year. Haha. I don't think he had a single fight last year

Yeah, I think it might have been because he was playing well last year after getting hit in the head with a puck and Coffey taking over as the defensive coach. I remember him playing really well after that and then spiraling down hill after new years on. But yeah he's a much better player when engaged physically.

Get him a Ethan Bear or Tyson Berry puck moving type and you got solid to game changing 2nd pair.

 

[Soundwave]

Yeah, I think it might have been because he was playing well last year after getting hit in the head with a puck and Coffey taking over as the defensive coach. I remember him playing really well after that and then spiraling down hill after new years on. But yeah he's a much better player when engaged physically.

Get him a Ethan Bear or Tyson Barry puck moving type and you got solid to game changing 2nd pair.

He plays better with a small player on his pairing because he realizes he has to do all the physical heavy lifting which brings out the meaner player in him.

When he has a bigger partner, whether he means to do it or not, he starts to slip into wanting to make fancy plays and figures his partner should take some of the physical load.

 

[Shaquille Oatmeal]

Yeah, I think it might have been because he was playing well last year after getting hit in the head with a puck and Coffey taking over as the defensive coach. I remember him playing really well after that and then spiraling down hill after new years on. But yeah he's a much better player when engaged physically.

Get him a Ethan Bear or Tyson Berry puck moving type and you got solid to game changing 2nd pair.

I honestly think that Woodcroft told him he's not allowed to fight because he's too important defensively. Frick, was he wrong! We need a Darnell Nurse that drops the gloves and plays aggressively

 

[McTonyBrar]

Nurse has been a surprise this year. He seems to have finally realized that his game needs to be angry and physical. Love what I've seen from him so far.

Agreed. I think what he tried to do for the last couple of years was just become a full skill player. Clearly that is not him. He's more of a Guhle type player. He should stick to his strengths

 

[Drivesaitl]

At your age I’m sure that can’t possibly be true either. More hyperbole. The Pens were bad tonight, for sure. Nobody would argue that. But it’s a long step from there to ‘Sid needs to retire’. We can show a little respect to one of the best Canadian players of the last twenty years. Right? He had a bad night. It happens.

Also take exception to your comment above about Perry. He had several excellent shifts tonight. Could have easily had a couple points. And a nice screen on the Ekholm goal. Connor Brown? Yeah, I’ll reluctantly agree with you there. He was bad tonight and has been poor for several games in a row now.

So name one instance in which an OIlers opponent was outshot 34-5 halfway through a game. You can't because this is a legendary bad shot count. Should never happen really in cap era either. everything I said about the Pens team fully deserved and I'm sure their fans are saying the same.

Was a great ride for the Pens but is it better to go out when you should or just keep milking it. If you noticed Malkin once in this game. I think he was grabbing an extra cheeseburger and fries before a period started and he wasn't on the bench.

yes, I'm not serious about that.

That aside the most imbalanced shot count I've ever seen live was 51-19, but it WHA and the Oilers actually lost while getting 51 shots. Long time ago against the Minnesota Fighting Saints. That Oilers club lost that game 5-1. I think it was 1975.

I've respected Crosby lots through the decades. You do know that. But nothing about this present Pens team is worthy of any respect. Pens aren't building anything. Why even be part of this? It isn't even a rebuild its a garbage club. Does he love pain?

 

[Drivesaitl]

So i just checked. yep, the Pens fans comments on their own team far worse than anything I lobbed. In fact identical comments occurring. ONe poster there saying exactly that theres no way ever in a capped league that one team should be this bad. Pens fans ALL thought the Pens would get annihilated tonight. That was the betting line too.

The funniest comment in the thread:

"I might cancel my streaming subscription mid-game."

Really if the Pens were my team right now laying shits on ice for the next several years just to get to "20yrs that Crosby, Malkin, Letang" play together I'd start watching another sport or another team. Letang is either color blind or just doesn't give a shit how many times he assists on opponent goals. Karlson don't give a f***, nothng new there.

Being that Pens don't look to have even a rebuild going I don't even know what the point is other than misery on ice. haha

How much they paying Karlson? Why? How many rooms does he have to deepsix before managers get it. EK Cancer.

 

[rboomercat90]

I was at the game and didn't stay for the ceremony. This might be an unpopular opinion (especially around here where the average age is higher) but I think the amount of people who care about the 80s Oilers is decreasing as time goes on. I'm a 90s kid myself and never saw a single second of it. What I did see was countless ceremonies celebrating these guys while I suffered for a decade watching the terrible hockey teams that they built. Nothing against MacT and Gregg personally but it just feels overdone at this point. It's cool that the 80s dynasty happened but I just don't really care anymore.

If they were honouring Hemsky or Horcoff I would've stayed though .

Most of those dynasty guys haven’t played for the Oilers for 35 years, for some it’s even longer. That’s a long time, long enough that most fans have no personal connection to those teams anymore. I was a teenager in those years and was an even bigger fan than I am today and even I think they should have stopped these celebrations years ago. Maybe this will be the last one from this era. I’m sure they’d have loved to have honoured Mactavish years ago but had no choice but to wait for the fan base to calm down after his disastrous front office career here. Randy Gregg is another one that should have been honoured 20 years ago, I’m not sure why he wasn’t.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Big win but I did not see that extra gear that Connor usually hits when facing Sid. That is concerning IMO.

 

[Soundwave]

Most of those dynasty guys haven’t played for the Oilers for 35 years, for some it’s even longer. That’s a long time, long enough that most fans have no personal connection to those teams anymore. I was a teenager in those years and was an even bigger fan than I am today and even I think they should have stopped these celebrations years ago. Maybe this will be the last one from this era. I’m sure they’d have loved to have honoured Mactavish years ago but had no choice but to wait for the fan base to calm down after his disastrous front office career here. Randy Gregg is another one that should have been honoured 20 years ago, I’m not sure why he wasn’t.

Guys like Gregg and Mac T deserve to be honored.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Most of those dynasty guys haven’t played for the Oilers for 35 years, for some it’s even longer. That’s a long time, long enough that most fans have no personal connection to those teams anymore. I was a teenager in those years and was an even bigger fan than I am today and even I think they should have stopped these celebrations years ago. Maybe this will be the last one from this era. I’m sure they’d have loved to have honoured Mactavish years ago but had no choice but to wait for the fan base to calm down after his disastrous front office career here. Randy Gregg is another one that should have been honoured 20 years ago, I’m not sure why he wasn’t.

Randy had refused it and he didn't want it this time. It was just his view that a slow defensive D "his words" shouldn't be in the Hall. It was in the end Lowe's decision and Kevin said you're goin in anyway get a speech ready.

Randy Gregg is humble despite being so accomplished. Met him several times in my work. Nice man, and he just isn't into fame or anything like that. He's as proud of Golden Bear Championships as anything and says Clare Drake is the best coach in history of hockey and he's right. Said he's just led a charmed life and "fortunate" and isn't the type to take credit for anything. He's not that ego. Didn't want to be there.

MacT, and I'll say it, he ws getting a woody any time anybody was saying something great about him. "the 3 best Centers Gretz, Mess, McT. Nah, one wasn't like the others. I think it was bucky saying that though.

I watched it in between the CFL carnival game that was going on. Get your redhot TD's coming right up. Get a dozen...

Big win but I did not see that extra gear that Connor usually hits when facing Sid. That is concerning IMO.

First 10minutes then it went away. Good thing 2nd line had other ideas.

 

[McOilers97]

One thing I’ve been thinking about for the last couple days:

The nice shot tonight aside, RNH has been a nothing player at 5v5 for this team. Meanwhile, Adam Henrique has drawn the short-straw of not getting any looks in the top 6 or on any PP unit, despite still being a very good offensive player.

Play RNH at 3C and flip Henrique up into one of the LW spots in the top 6 (and move Skinner up as well). I think 93-97-18 is looking very stale as a combination.

 

[The Panther]

Oilers' last 7 games vs. Pittsburgh:
4-0 win
6-1 win
4-0 win
7-2 win
6-3 win
5-2 win
5-1 win

Overall, since autum 2021, the Oilers have outscored the Pens 37 to 9.

This is akin to how they used to beat-up on the Maple Leafs in the 1980s...
________________

Nice to see Avridsson get three points, and he almost scored a few times, too. I think the Oil were listening to me after the last game because guys were actually firing some slapshots in this one (McDavid fired a slapper on the PP... albeit a muffin that missed the net).

Stu Skinner was dy-no-mite for the second straight game, and while Hyman didn't score, he had about six grade-A chances. Once he gets going, we'll be good.

Finally, how about some love for Nurse? He played quite well for about the third game in a row, and great respect for his throw-down with Pettersson. That was cheap.

(I watched the Pens' broadcast, which was interesting. Four or five times, the play-by-play guy identified Brown as "Draisaitl", while Colby Armstrong called his own team's goaltender "Lundqvist".)

 

[FlameChampion]

I almost feel bad for the Pens board. Some sad fans over there.

 

[The Panther]

Penguins looks awful. Did they even try today ? Such an unacceptable level of effort. Yikes. Otherwise good game. Need to play at this level against a good team.

They always look like trash vs. Edmonton. And never worse than this one:

Edmonton Oilers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Box Score: February 23, 2023 | Hockey-Reference.com

Get the latest box score updates on the Edmonton Oilers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins game played on February 23, 2023 on Hockey-Reference.com

www.hockey-reference.com

They looked like Cup champs tonight compared to that utter trash-fest of AHL-incompetence on February 23, 2023. That was the worst opponent I've seen the Oilers face in the entire McDavid era.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I almost feel bad for the Pens board. Some sad fans over there.

Yep. If there was a rebuild even occurring its reason to sit through these slaughters. But to know that once again the org is headed for the rocks with no life line in sight must be hard to watch. The Pens are the only other franchise to have had such gifts. Lemieux, Jagr, Crosby, Malkin and yet each time after they've had legends they've gone completely into the rocks. So did the Oilers though. Neither org really all that well run. Crosby was gifted to the Pens in a lottery after a lockout.

I keep saying it but I've never seen ever before SC winning veterans just lay down so much to the newer kids on the block. The Pens are getting run out of the rink everytime they face the Oilers and have been for 5yrs. Again grab some pride. Even Guy Lafleur with several cups and smoking hindering him at least tried against the new kids on the block. Crosby and Malkin have been surrendering this matchup for 5yrs. 7 slaughters in a row. The collective scoreline in the last 4 matches is now 22-3 and that scoreline flatters the Pens who haven't shown up anytime they're facing the Oilers.

KInd of odd too that its a marquee matchup. 200bucks minimum to get into this game tonight. That was the price as of yesterday. Without the # you wouldn't recognize Crosby on the ice except for complaining to officials every shift.

 

[CupofOil]

The team and HFOil badly needed a game like this. Truth be told,the team hasn't been playing badly lately, they've just had an absurdly low shooting percentage which was bound to correct itself. Time to start stringing some wins together so they can play from ahead by American Thanksgiving for a change.

 

[harpoon]

So name one instance in which an OIlers opponent was outshot 34-5 halfway through a game. You can't because this is a legendary bad shot count. Should never happen really in cap era either. everything I said about the Pens team fully deserved and I'm sure their fans are saying the same.

Im not going through all the games you’ve ever watched in your life man. That’s a fools errand. You’ve also added the ‘cap era’ distinction since I quoted your post. I can say that I’ve seen the Oilers team look that bad (certainly that disinterested) on several instances over the last fifteen years. Domination is not determined by the exaggerated shot clock alone. As you well know. But whatever … carry on calling for the retirement of one of the all time greats cause he had a bad night.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Glad to see some guys exorcise a few demons from a bad start, but I'm not celebrating yet. Still, a much better effort and some really good saves by Skinner on a few 10 bell chances. Gotta clean that up.

Its almost like theres another hockey team over there with good players trying to score on your net.

Teams are going to get chances to score.

Crosby was good last year. This tonight was an awful performance and not at all isolated. Anytime the mighty Pens go up against McDrai they get annihilated. Usually senior players have a bit more pride than that.

AGain it was the single worst opponent performance I've ever witnessed. Name one game in cap era where we were outshooting a club 34-5. No pride left in that Pens room. Karlson has this torpedo effect on any team hes' involved with. The Pens looked drunk in the first half of the game. They look uncoached or not listening at this point. I stopped counting at around a dozen own zone turnovers in first period.

Did you miss the first 3 games of the season by McDavid and Draisaitl?

Should they retire also?

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Im not going through all the games you’ve ever watched in your life man. That’s a fools errand. You’ve also added the ‘cap era’ distinction since I quoted your post. I can say that I’ve seen the Oilers team look that bad (certainly that disinterested) on several instances over the last fifteen years. Domination is not determined by the exaggerated shot clock alone. As you well know. But whatever … carry on calling for the retirement of one of the all time greats cause he had a bad night.

It's his thing.

Throw out absolutes, move goal posts, and then claim thats not what he meant, or that he didnt say it.

Rinse repeat.

 

[5 14 6 1]

Two great starts from Stu last two games

 

[BertMcDrai]

Great game overall

Stu was lucky to not get tested until the two great saves near the end...kudos to him to not let one in.

RV finally with some points.

That Emberson pass do Drain was great, pleas more.

Drai goal was awesome and his overall play

Point and Goal for Zach and RNH finally.

Nurse dropped the gloves, every W came after a fight.

Let's go streaking.

 

[rboomercat90]

So name one instance in which an OIlers opponent was outshot 34-5 halfway through a game. You can't because this is a legendary bad shot count. Should never happen really in cap era either. everything I said about the Pens team fully deserved and I'm sure their fans are saying the same.

Was a great ride for the Pens but is it better to go out when you should or just keep milking it. If you noticed Malkin once in this game. I think he was grabbing an extra cheeseburger and fries before a period started and he wasn't on the bench.

yes, I'm not serious about that.

That aside the most imbalanced shot count I've ever seen live was 51-19, but it WHA and the Oilers actually lost while getting 51 shots. Long time ago against the Minnesota Fighting Saints. That Oilers club lost that game 5-1. I think it was 1975.

I've respected Crosby lots through the decades. You do know that. But nothing about this present Pens team is worthy of any respect. Pens aren't building anything. Why even be part of this? It isn't even a rebuild its a garbage club. Does he love pain?

I asked in the GDT what exactly the Dubas plan was because this looks like a lottery team with a lot of old players recently signed to long contracts. Not sure why Pen’s ownership paid him all that money if they had no interest in winning anything for several years, any idiot could do that. Sweet gig, he’s got to be the luckiest fraud in hockey.

 

[Chet Manley]

I didn't catch why Nurse got the instigator on a fight straight off of a face-off. He said mean things to instigate it? /jk Perhaps you guys can explain what happened.