Post-Game Talk: Build The Wal

[K1984]

phew!

-PK stinks
-love the physicality the new guys are bringing
-McDavid and Hyman look back to normal
-boys stopped skating in the 3rd for some reason...still fragile
-Emberson had a game from hell
-Nurse struggled

either way much needed win...onto Buffalo

The 3rd goal against was the biggest sin. Not overly thrilled with Brown's work on that PK, or Skinner's rebound on the 4th one, but those were more on the side of "Shit happens" plays then pure ineptitude. The 3rd goal they weren't playing. Kulak soft on the puck carrier, Bouchard soft behind the net, McDavid wandering into no man's land (he has developed a bad, bad habit of puck chasing in the D zone) and then all of a sudden the Stars made it a game without really having to try that hard.

Teams know that we're apt to disintegrate after giving up a goal, especially when we do it with a lead. This has to be something that's addressed by the coaching staff. Not sure if it's examining personnel deployments after GA's or what, but this can't be a thing again. Even at our heights last year this was still a thing.

Still a great game overall, but we nearly lost it in the details again.

 

[FiveFourteenSixOne]

Why save either?

lmao.

Family being held hostage?

 

[unicornBLOOD]

Good post.
You made some points that needed to be made because the noise on here can get way over the top.
Despite some bad luck and poor D reads Skinner out dueled Oettinger in this game.
He deserves credit.

There are only a couple of things I would add....Kulak didnt have his best game last night. Have to give him a break though because he has been so reliably good this season.
The other is that I cant emphasize emotion enough. That more than anything has been the lacking ingredient when this team is slumping.
You cant expect this level of energy/emotion all season either. Its just not realisitc.
April is going to fun because we got a glimpse of what this team is capable of and these new additions are just what the team needed.

agreed, Saturday night got me so excited for what is to come in April. Playoff hockey is the best, it's unlike any other sport, and don't get me wrong, playoffs in all sports are great. Baseball playoffs are super intense, do or die with each pitch. NFL playoffs are great, each game is a battle and war to the end. NBA playoffs, the game ramps up, games are tighter, plenty of drama. But, none of these come close to the NHL, it's a whole other game, guys who never hit all year, are now throwing huge checks, every whistle ends in a scrum, so intense, so exciting... I can't wait.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Nobody is a more pompous ignoramus than that f***ing clown.

If Gregor and Spector were stranded on a desert island, and I happened upon them while piloting my two person boat, able to save just one, you can be damn sure Gregor would spend whatever remained of his life eating f***ing coconuts.

The whole stranded on a desert island thing takes on different meaning in this current nutty world. I'd think there might be even worse fates than making rum out of cane and stuffing coconut, pineapple and fresh seafood down your face.

Reminds me of Gilligans Island. With Ginger and Maryanne around I'd be praying not to be rescued. The whole premise of trying to get off the island seemed odd to me, even as a 9yr old. lol

I went OT there as usual.

Spector, this never gets old.

 

[guymez]

The 3rd goal against was the biggest sin. Not overly thrilled with Brown's work on that PK, or Skinner's rebound on the 4th one, but those were more on the side of "Shit happens" plays then pure ineptitude. The 3rd goal they weren't playing. Kulak soft on the puck carrier, Bouchard soft behind the net, McDavid wandering into no man's land (he has developed a bad, bad habit of puck chasing in the D zone) and then all of a sudden the Stars made it a game without really having to try that hard.

Teams know that we're apt to disintegrate after giving up a goal, especially when we do it with a lead. This has to be something that's addressed by the coaching staff. Not sure if it's examining personnel deployments after GA's or what, but this can't be a thing again. Even at our heights last year this was still a thing.

Still a great game overall, but we nearly lost it in the details again.

I agree with the entirety of your post but Kudos to you for mentioing the highlighted.

This is a real thing.
That 3rd goal is a great example and you just have to watch that goal a few times and its very easy to see.

This team has these really soft moments which means the oppostiion really doesnt have to work to get a goal. Uncontested 10 bell chances are gifted to the opposing teams and high quality teams will burn you.
This isnt a new thing and its not just one player thats responsible.
From a goalies perspective it like multiple WTF moments in one possession.
Very tough for a young goalie to get his footing with that unfolding in front of you.

Its something I just dont see nearly as often with teams like Florida or Vegas who make the opposition earn almost everything. They have a goal suppression mindset.
Committing 100% to goal suppression is a championship strategy.

The Oilers have an offence first mindset which has never been a formula for winning championships.
Its hard to say anything negative about Connor but his brain is so wired for offence that he can be very very soft in his own zone...its like half his brain is always thinking offence. All it takes is one player to be soft and it can break down the defensive framework in the D zone.

The leadership group has to be part of the solution by committing 100% to the defensive part of the game.
If they do that it leaves any other player not comitting 100% open to criticism....eventually the other players will follow.
Im hoping that when the intensity is dialed up (and the team is more emotionally invested) that issue will resolve but the concern is that you can just flip a switch and eliminate bad hbits. You have to cultiavte good habits so this team has approx 20 games to do that before the playoffs start.

 

[MessierThanThou]

Kap's time here is likely getting close to its end. I don't see how he makes the lineup when Frederic comes back, let alone when Kane does.

Put Kap on waivers, bring up Philp. Then figure out what bottom 6 combo works best.

Agreed, but I'd call up Savoie instead. I want to see him get another crack at the top six.

 

[Drivesaitl]

The 3rd goal against was the biggest sin. Not overly thrilled with Brown's work on that PK, or Skinner's rebound on the 4th one, but those were more on the side of "Shit happens" plays then pure ineptitude. The 3rd goal they weren't playing. Kulak soft on the puck carrier, Bouchard soft behind the net, McDavid wandering into no man's land (he has developed a bad, bad habit of puck chasing in the D zone) and then all of a sudden the Stars made it a game without really having to try that hard.

Teams know that we're apt to disintegrate after giving up a goal, especially when we do it with a lead. This has to be something that's addressed by the coaching staff. Not sure if it's examining personnel deployments after GA's or what, but this can't be a thing again. Even at our heights last year this was still a thing.

Still a great game overall, but we nearly lost it in the details again.

Hockey is very much a momentum sport however. We notice it more on our club but most clubs are very subject to this sort of thing. Look at the disastrous collapses of Nashville in playoff games last year against Vancouver or Dallas crashing in games they're winning several times last playoffs. The Colorado-Dallas series I seem to remember epic crashes.

That said its hard to ignore that the McDrai Oilers have had epic PTSD inducing kinds of crashes. The "oh no here we go" or waiting for shoe to drop, I'm afraid its become part of the psyche of the club. But I think such things are memory and situation induced. The Jets series and the Hawks series cratered this group, was a worse experience for them than the pandemic going on. I think we forget too how awful it must've been to have the bubble playoffs played here and crash out of the party immediately.

Exits against Vegas/AV's were bookends but at least those years having some playoff success. But always crashing in the end.

Its psyche too though and it for McDavid, it is for the logo, and it is for fans that nothing but the top, the SC, is considered failure. Last season and playoffs should be considered success but neither the team or its fanbase roll that way. The 5 cups Oilers, home of the legend of all time Oilers club makes anything short of that seem also ran. This is kind of a curse. What came in bushels for that 80's club has been heartbreak since. 2006 and now.

Good to remember as Oilers fans that no other Canadian club is ever getting it all done either and the Oilers have done as well as any and frankly have the most cups of any Canadian club since the merger.

 

[K1984]

Hockey is very much a momentum sport however. We notice it more on our club but most clubs are very subject to this sort of thing. Look at the disastrous collapses of Nashville in playoff games last year against Vancouver or Dallas crashing in games they're winning several times last playoffs. The Colorado-Dallas series I seem to remember epic crashes.

That said its hard to ignore that the McDrai Oilers have had epic PTSD inducing kinds of crashes. The "oh no here we go" or waiting for shoe to drop, I'm afraid its become part of the psyche of the club. But I think such things are memory and situation induced. The Jets series and the Hawks series cratered this group, was a worse experience for them than the pandemic going on. I think we forget too how awful it must've been to have the bubble playoffs played here and crash out of the party immediately.

Exits against Vegas/AV's were bookends but at least those years having some playoff success. But always crashing in the end.

Its psyche too though and it for McDavid, it is for the logo, and it is for fans that nothing but the top, the SC, is considered failure. Last season and playoffs should be considered success but neither the team or its fanbase roll that way. The 5 cups Oilers, home of the legend of all time Oilers club makes anything short of that seem also ran. This is kind of a curse. What came in bushels for that 80's club has been heartbreak since. 2006 and now.

Good to remember as Oilers fans that no other Canadian club is ever getting it all done either and the Oilers have done as well as any and frankly have the most cups of any Canadian club since the merger.

I agree, and the biggest issue is they'll allow themselves to be victim of the game turning even when they are in complete control.

Game 7 against the Canucks, Game 5 against the Panthers, and to a lesser extent Game 5 against the Stars followed a similar theme. Be up multiple goals, have the game completely in control on the scoreboard and the ice to the point the opposing fans are silent, only to do a single stupid thing that ends in our net. Then after that the game takes a 180 turn and we flail. For other teams being up. 5-1 and giving up a PP goal means you're probably winning 5-2 or 6-3 in a relatively uneventful rest of the game. Here it means hold on to your hat.

The problem now isn't even that we ourselves are afraid of blowing it again (although that is still a problem), its that the other team and their fans know that we piss leads into the wind. You can sense the players on the other team and the fans just waiting for something to jump on to spark them and conversely leave us scrambling. The second anything good happens the other way you can just feel their bench instantly energize knowing that they're going to have a pretty good chance of getting into it again.