Post-Game Talk: Built. Different.

[Oilslick941611]

A team we dominated when they returned. Its just sour grapes from other fanbases.

Colorado was bad before the cup, won a cup, then haven't won anything since. They are overrated and got worse after trading Rantanen. there is no more of an overrated team that lives on the hype and accomplishment of 3 seasons ago than the Avs.

 

[Section337]

I don't get the Colorado love affair at all.

I don't usually post hyper confident takes like this either but the Oilers would have smoked the Avalanche.

Yep, I don't understand this almost mythical "whataboutism" they have going for them. Particularly since they are no where as deep as their cup run year, they got rid of their 2nd best forward and their #1 dman has not played to his peak for a few years.

 

[redgrant]

One major positive is if we win a cup this season might be easier to break away from Nurse.

 

[dssource]

Game 1 was the Oilers B-game. Like I said in the last series, we win 50% of those and all the A-games. Lots to clean up:

-Passing was terrible. Likely b/c of nerves/anxiety/excitement (whatever you want to call it). Had this same issues at the start of the other series as well, so this will quickly improve.
-Faceoff's, especially in the D-zone.
-Turnovers at the blue line. Way too many times got it close to out but not over the line.

These will improve as soon as game 2. I think we see the Oilers A-game in game 2.

Funny though, is I believe that was Florida's A-game.

 

[redgrant]

Yep, they have almost mythical "whataboutism" going on. Meanwhile, they are no where as deep as their cup run year, they got rid of their 2nd best forward and their #1 dman has not played to his peak for a few years.

Losing Kadri was a big deal. How Toronto could let guys like Hyman and Kadri go is mind boggling. You need guys like that to win. Matthews type players will get a few goals in game 73 of the regular season vs the Sabres. They will be complete no shows when there is not an inch of ice in a playoff game.

 

[Bumblebee Man]

Not considered a giveaway. Sorry, Bob.

Pathetic that the team just won based partly on the strong play of Bouchard and yet here you are looking so hard for something, anything, to shit on him...it helps when you watch the entire game, not just the occasional clip on NHL.com.

As already stated, to you, it was not a post directed at Bouchard.

Thanks for proving my point

 

[GhostfaceWu]

meh, Hyman finished his checks and hit lots. Kane pummeled through players and inflicted pain.

comparing jabs to knockout punches. Kane didnt really care about separating puck from the player... He wanted to inflict pain.

Non sense hyman made everyone he hit feel it all game and after the game.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I loved the way our D was able to absorb and roll away from pressure and support eachother. Really well executed tactically by the entire team.

We have the personnel to execute long stretch passes reliably, and the forwards were stretching the Panthers out to respect this. Then we had huge back pressure that rushed the Panthers dump ins, and eliminated the attackers overload on the far side. This enabled our D consistently get to pucks first, and it creates a bit of space to break free from pressure and calmly skate or pass the puck up the ice instead of making panic plays.

That to me was incredibly impressive. I'm not sure there's another team in the league with the horses to do that reliably against this Panthers team.

If we can continue that trend it bodes very very well for us going forward. The Panthers are a hell of a team though - I expect they'll have some different kinds of looks we'll have to fight through.

Really enjoy these breakdowns with fans that take the time. I thought the Panthers coped with our stretches reasonably well and that the NZ was well contested by both clubs. Once in Ozone however the Oilers tended to be better and be able to retain puck with elite unit puck movements. Felt that Panthers had to overcommit side to get that, to bring 3 players into puck area. They're so mobile its a wealth they have (not sure how people say they are a slow team)

One area of struggle in game one for Panthers was forwards not getting zone outs, losing those battles or not getting pucks deep. They were getting some shallow pucks out situations where they could've done better. As we've seen from Dallas and Vegas its eventual death when teams just start to be satisfied getting the puck out. I mean its coming right back down your throat. Its also why I thought Ekblad had a monster game. There was so much he was having to do and with a Panthers club that was allowing us to have puck and tilt ice.

I disagree with others that this wasn't an A Oilers game. For 3 periods it was. Just harder opposition.

One thing to look out for is the Panthers are usually better than they were at situational sets and they can be lethal, and we gave them those sort of looks. Barkov himself botched about 4 open look plays where he should've been able to push something. I can't see the Panthers only having Bennett going as series progresses. nerves from both clubs and it was a bad Barkov game. We'll see the good ones too.

 

[MessierThanThou]

As already stated, to you, it was not a post directed at Bouchard.

Thanks for proving my point

So why are you arguing so passionately that he made two giveaways?

 

[Oilhawks]

Tim Peel thinks it was a good goal.

You can bet on that!

 

[GhostfaceWu]

As already stated, to you, it was not a post directed at Bouchard.

Thanks for proving my point

Whats your point? That you're not an oiler fan wasnt around seemingly for any of the regular season and now just want to be argumentative for the sake of it?

 

[McShogun99]

Kapanen right now looks like what I always wanted Ryan McLeod to be

Kapanen is a big game player. His entire career he's looked good in the playoffs. He's probably thanking the hockey gods right now for not being in an alternate universe where Holloway plays on Draisaitl's line while he's at a golf course in Canmore.

 

[McShogun99]

Colorado was bad before the cup, won a cup, then haven't won anything since. They are overrated and got worse after trading Rantanen. there is no more of an overrated team that lives on the hype and accomplishment of 3 seasons ago than the Avs.

Everything lined up perfect for them. Star players on low contracts but about to be renewed. Makar on an ELC. Once they had to pay everyone they lost their depth and basically became a 3 man team.

 

[Shanahanigans]

Game 1 was the Oilers B-game. Like I said in the last series, we win 50% of those and all the A-games. Lots to clean up:

-Passing was terrible. Likely b/c of nerves/anxiety/excitement (whatever you want to call it). Had this same issues at the start of the other series as well, so this will quickly improve.
-Faceoff's, especially in the D-zone.
-Turnovers at the blue line. Way too many times got it close to out but not over the line.

These will improve as soon as game 2. I think we see the Oilers A-game in game 2.

Funny though, is I believe that was Florida's A-game.

This! The breakdown that led to the second Bennett goal was one we haven't seen since early LA series. The Oilers coming out on top and dominating the 3rd and OT on a night where they were sloppy for some stretches, especially the 2nd and the first 5 minutes of OT, is very encouraging. They will clean up their defense in game 2.
Full marks to Walman, Kapanen, Podkolzin, and Arvidsson. 4 guys who weren't on the team last year but gave it everything yesterday. This team lost some regular season skill and speed last summer but picked up some jam- its hard not to think that the goal all along was to beat Florida in the trenches over 7 games, a task that they knew the Mcleod's and Foegele's would not be able to accomplish, but these new guys could. What a win!

 

[MessierThanThou]

Whats your point? That you're not an oiler fan wasnt around seemingly for any of the regular season and now just want to be argumentative for the sake of it?

Bingo.

 

[Draiskull]

Game 1 was the Oilers B-game. Like I said in the last series, we win 50% of those and all the A-games. Lots to clean up:

-Passing was terrible. Likely b/c of nerves/anxiety/excitement (whatever you want to call it). Had this same issues at the start of the other series as well, so this will quickly improve.
-Faceoff's, especially in the D-zone.
-Turnovers at the blue line. Way too many times got it close to out but not over the line.

These will improve as soon as game 2. I think we see the Oilers A-game in game 2.

Funny though, is I believe that was Florida's A-game.

yeh, we usually burn game 1s and then adjust afterwards.
getting the lead is a bit unexpected but gladly take it.

Knob now has plenty of video to make the adjustments.

 

[Slats432]

I would love oil fans to not stop calling out the horrible officiating.. how can anyone be blaming the refs they won… Fact is the officiating is sub par in this league and they should be held to the fire…. That was a horrible display with the faceoffs and Goalie interference. It should be called out the league should be better

We don't know the instructions the linesmen received before the game. Also, everyone other than Oiler fans thought it wasn't interference. There are times when the reffing sucks. Most of the time it is even with calls going both ways. It shouldn't be a point of focus.

 

[Draiskull]

Non sense hyman made everyone he hit feel it all game and after the game.

not sure what point you are trying to make...
okay fine... Hyman was a truck who was hitting as hard as Kane scaring the opponents shitless and we are now screwed without him.

 

[TB12]

We don't know the instructions the linesmen received before the game. Also, everyone other than Oiler fans thought it wasn't interference. There are times when the reffing sucks. Most of the time it is even with calls going both ways. It shouldn't be a point of focus.

I mean this is just objectively not true.

 

[AlanHUK]

Thinking of spending the stupid amount of money it costs to get tickets to fly from TO to Edmonton for game 5. I live in London, but still leaf land. Anyone have any idea's on the best place to get a hotel room. Any gems to consider or what have you? Likely the play is to try and get into the Moss Pit to watch the game. My 17 year old son and I need to experience this crazy energy we keep seeing on TV.

I stayed at Sandman downtown last year short walk from Rogers/fan park/moss pit

For game 7 there were some people at the Moss Pit from around 10am


edit: wish I hadn't looked up the cost, starting to consider a trip I really shouldn't take

 

[BeranekAndNeck]

I loved the way our D was able to absorb and roll away from pressure and support eachother. Really well executed tactically by the entire team.

We have the personnel to execute long stretch passes reliably, and the forwards were stretching the Panthers out to respect this. Then we had huge back pressure that rushed the Panthers dump ins, and eliminated the attackers overload on the far side. This enabled our D consistently get to pucks first, and it creates a bit of space to break free from pressure and calmly skate or pass the puck up the ice instead of making panic plays.

That to me was incredibly impressive. I'm not sure there's another team in the league with the horses to do that reliably against this Panthers team.

If we can continue that trend it bodes very very well for us going forward. The Panthers are a hell of a team though - I expect they'll have some different kinds of looks we'll have to fight through.

Good analysis and I fully expect Florida to try and sell out in Game 2. It’s worth the risk from their side- they win and it wrestles back home ice, they lose and oh well they are going back to Sunrise having already climbed out of a similar hole once this playoffs.

I predict Maurice will go with four guys down low in a jumbo overload to try and counter the 2+1 retrievals we are using to kill their forecheck. If it works the Panthers will be able to win more of those battles and thus increase zone time. The downside is it leaves only one man to guard against a quick out and that’s plain nitrous for a team like ours. The key as you said is just support each other and don’t panic. Ringing it around will just lead to it coming right back at us. There need to be layers around the boards so we can funnel it towards and out the far side with short, quick passes.

If Knoblauch can get his charges to work in tandem like that we’ll frustrate Florida even further. If not this one could be 1-1 going back down south.

 

[K1984]

Good analysis and I fully expect Florida to try and sell out in Game 2. It’s worth the risk from their side- they win and it wrestles back home ice, they lose and oh well they are going back to Sunrise having already climbed out of a similar hole once this playoffs.

I predict Maurice will go with four guys down low in a jumbo overload to try and counter the 2+1 retrievals we are using to kill their forecheck. If it works the Panthers will be able to win more of those battles and thus increase zone time. The downside is it leaves only one man to guard against a quick out and that’s plain nitrous for a team like ours. The key as you said is just support each other and don’t panic. Ringing it around will just lead to it coming right back at us. There need to be layers around the boards so we can funnel it towards and out the far side with short, quick passes.

If Knoblauch can get his charges to work in tandem like that we’ll frustrate Florida even further. If not this one could be 1-1 going back down south.

Good post and I have full confidence that Knoblauch will make the necessary adjustments to hold them off. As you said, if they want to overload they're just going to end up handing us rushes, and when we smell a team is exposing themselves to fast break chances we usually will jump on those in spades.

As I said in a post pre-series, the Panthers only have one way to create 5v5 and that is to attack low and on the walls. If we break that the only other option they have is to sit back and try to win 2-1 on the back of heroic goaltending. We can play a bunch of different ways.

 

[aggressive forecheck]

I loved the way our D was able to absorb and roll away from pressure and support eachother. Really well executed tactically by the entire team.

We have the personnel to execute long stretch passes reliably, and the forwards were stretching the Panthers out to respect this. Then we had huge back pressure that rushed the Panthers dump ins, and eliminated the attackers overload on the far side. This enabled our D consistently get to pucks first, and it creates a bit of space to break free from pressure and calmly skate or pass the puck up the ice instead of making panic plays.

That to me was incredibly impressive. I'm not sure there's another team in the league with the horses to do that reliably against this Panthers team.

If we can continue that trend it bodes very very well for us going forward. The Panthers are a hell of a team though - I expect they'll have some different kinds of looks we'll have to fight through.

Even last year against Dallas. The Oilers have proven they can keep the opposition and the opposition's chances coming from the perimeter.

If the Oilers own the center lanes in the offensive zone and deny them to Florida in the defensive zone, if we can maintain the excellent transition from the backend, hitting the neutral zone with control and speed... we'll have the cup.

 

[OfCorsiDid]

I stayed at Sandman downtown last year short walk from Rogers/fan park/moss pit

For game 7 there were some people at the Moss Pit from around 10am


edit: wish I hadn't looked up the cost, starting to consider a trip I really shouldn't take

For the Moss Pit, I showed up around 1 pm for Games 5, 6, 7 at about 1 pm.

For 5 and 6 I was basically at the front of the line when they opened the gates at 3.

However, in Game 7 the line was already 3 blocks long and every bar was full by 1 pm. Fortunately I was able to snake a table at Match inside the arena but yeah, if its a potential winning game be there really early.

 

[bone]

yeh, we usually burn game 1s and then adjust afterwards.
getting the lead is a bit unexpected but gladly take it.

Knob now has plenty of video to make the adjustments.

I'm not overly sold on the narrative that Edmonton burns Game 1s. Overall KK is now 4-4 in Game 1s, and looking at the losses, Game 1 vs. Vancouver we had a 3 goal lead (granted weren't playing great), Game 1 vs. Florida were the better team but got completely goalied, Game 1 vs LA wasn't good, but the team battled back to tie it in the 3rd from 4 down, Game 1 vs. Dallas they were likely the better team for all but 6 minutes.
Clearly they get better as the series goes along, but Game 1s are no longer a complete write off.