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Post-Game Talk: Connor Magic!

Drivesaitl said:
I wondered a bit about this. Especially after game 1. That the Oilers just unmasked the way the Knights have to play. On their home ice.

What was most striking though and I don't know how this happens the Knights were fighting pucks, having trouble making plays and passes and struggled with the ice and bouncing pucks. The Oilers were much better with the puck, making plays, shooting, faceoffs etc.

Credit to Stone, he played very well. he had few with him.

That said I think Knights have to be more agressive and expend more energy. After first they were really getting outplayed and outworked. They had to mount a better third period and really failed to. Would be a demoralizing way to lose on home ice and the Oilers had the crowd right out of it for two periods.

This just an aside but the Oilers won't be playing one round against another Canadian Club (or I doubt it) no matter how far they advance. So that playing against US teams so much easier to take their home fans out of the equation. This may as well have been a neutral rink last night. No pressure for the Oilers and no real animus from the crowd either. Vegas, what a strange and surreal place to play NHL hockey in. Still doesn't seem right.
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If the path is Vegas - Dallas - any of Panthers/Capitals/Hurricanes we'll have a decisive home ice advantage.
 
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Oilslick941611 said:
no trolls is a pretty damn good reason. Its more welcoming and has a better userbase. Twitter is all bots fighting with people. Being away from miserable people is a win in my book. Its a big reason im hanging on the mains lately. The trolling from non oiler fans is better than the in fighting between oiler fans. Bluesky is refreshing.

There are other sources to get hockey insider information than Twitter, im a big fan of this site for keeping me informed. I haven't clicked on a twitter link in about 4 years. Its just better not being surrounded by hate and misinformation.
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that's only if you're dumb enough to click on the replies
like all social media, just need to stay away from comments
 
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Oilslick941611 said:
no one is calling him a starter, but he isn't exactly losing games for us. Hes the best chance we have to win, and im getting behind that, because i want to see the team win, not find pre-excuses for a loss. Picard has given us no reason not to think we have a chance to win games. A lot of "better" and higher paid goalies aren't in the second round, picard is, and currently winning. Its all the about the chance he gives us, no goalie gives any team a 100% to win. You take what you can get and run with it.
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Yep agreed. Haven't suggested anything different.

Just don't think a .891 is a sustainable forumla over 4 rounds. Hope I'm wrong.
 
K1984 said:
Yep agreed. Haven't suggested anything different.

Just don't think a .891 is a sustainable forumla over 4 rounds. Hope I'm wrong.
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well did actually. You said he was a bad goalie ( he isn't) then when called out, you moved the goal post to he was a dead average goalie ( which exactly what he is, so kudos for getting it right) then you moved on to we wont win with him. So, im not sure we actually agree on Picard.

Theres other factors that go into winning games other save percentage, a .929 doesn't guarantee a win, the only save percentage that guarantees a win in the playoffs is 1.00% and no goalies do that night in and night out. You can absolutely win with .891 if the rest of the team is performing. So far, for the last 5 games we've been firing on all cylinders. Its not going to be easy, but it never is, even with the best goalie.
 
Oilslick941611 said:
well did actually. You said he was a bad goalie ( he isn't) then when called out, you moved the goal post to he was a dead average goalie ( which exactly what he is, so kudos for getting it right) then you moved on to we wont win with him. So, im not sure we actually agree on Picard.

Theres other factors that go into winning games other save percentage, a .929 doesn't guarantee a win, the only save percentage that guarantees a win in the playoffs is 1.00% and no goalies do that night in and night out. You can absolutely win with .891 if the rest of the team is performing. So far, for the last 5 games we've been firing on all cylinders. Its not going to be easy, but it never is, even with the best goalie.
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I actually didn't, said he was dead average being generous.

Agree with everything else you're saying, don't know why it offends you that I am not yet confident that a backup goalie can go all the way and win a cup because there is almost no precedent for it. Sorry.
 
K1984 said:
We'll have to agree to disagree. He's a backup goalie in the NHL. We could win the cup and that wouldn't change.
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But it would change. He'd be a starter somewhere, guaranteed, if a Pickard Cup happened.

In goalie spots particularly its a very vague career most have. Many goalies rarely get a chance to really show their skills and when they do its often one and done and teams go with other guys. Pickard is one of many, guy that can play but was never really put into the right situation, and with faith. If a team doesn't land on you and doesn't think you're the one the options and starts are limited.

Goaltending is unique in that theres only one starter spot. Not like D where you have 6-7 guys that hit the ice every game or 12 forwards. Its very subject to just who gets picked.

We see with Adin Hill the Knights weren't even going to feature him in goal. They were even preferring nothings like Brossoit. For goalies its often like that the opening has to occur, and you get one chance to make good on it. If not guys can go a whole career being characterized as AHL or backup or third etc.

Soon as I saw Pickard play a handful of games here I knew fundamentally, and skillwise he was Better than Skinner, who should not have been a starter, or certainly not for this long a period.

Pickard may even have a few years left in him. All that determination to prove people wrong, and to have to ahve done that for so many years. Its a steel forging that makes you better, that improves your compete, focus, everything. Those that have to work the hardest for something are often better ultimately as a result.
 
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Elite tenders are expensive so a lot of teams rely on average goalies. I trust the coaching and management of this team to convince 18 guys to play a 200 ft game far more than I trust any of them to pick a competent starting goalie. More likely they spend big and get a Campbell
 
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K1984 said:
I actually didn't, said he was dead average being generous.

Agree with everything else you're saying, don't know why it offends you that I am not yet confident that a backup goalie can go all the way and win a cup because there is almost no precedent for it. Sorry.
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it might not be you, it might be my frustrations with the general dishonesty around here from HFoilers. But you did say he was a bad goalie, which there is empirical proof that he isn't.
 
fireantz said:
Elite tenders are expensive so a lot of teams rely on average goalies. I trust the coaching and management of this team to convince 18 guys to play a 200 ft game far more than I trust any of them to pick a competent starting goalie. More likely they spend big and get a Campbell
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Goal scoring is rising and teams with traditionally good to great goalies are also giving up big leads. Goaltending is important, but team D is more important. As a team we havn't done a good job until recently of playing responsible in our zone. There are some fantastic goalies sitting at home right now.
 
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K1984 said:
If the path is Vegas - Dallas - any of Panthers/Capitals/Hurricanes we'll have a decisive home ice advantage.
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Can't speak for all of those, but having attended Washington and Carolina games in person, those environments do have the potential to be intimidating if you fall behind, especially Carolina. Definitely saw that happen when I attended the infamous "sad McDrai glove-tap" game back in 2023.

Now I'm not saying their fans are intelligent, though...just intimidating... :sarcasm:
 
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Drivesaitl said:
But it would change. He'd be a starter somewhere, guaranteed, if a Pickard Cup happened.

In goalie spots particularly its a very vague career most have. Many goalies rarely get a chance to really show their skills and when they do its often one and done and teams go with other guys. Pickard is one of many, guy that can play but was never really put into the right situation, and with faith. If a team doesn't land on you and doesn't think you're the one the options and starts are limited.

Goaltending is unique in that theres only one starter spot. Not like D where you have 6-7 guys that hit the ice every game or 12 forwards. Its very subject to just who gets picked.

We see with Adin Hill the Knights weren't even going to feature him in goal. They were even preferring nothings like Brossoit. For goalies its often like that the opening has to occur, and you get one chance to make good on it. If not guys can go a whole career being characterized as AHL or backup or third etc.

Soon as I saw Pickard play a handful of games here I knew fundamentally, and skillwise he was Better than Skinner, who should not have been a starter, or certainly not for this long a period.

Pickard may even have a few years left in him. All that determination to prove people wrong, and to have to ahve done that for so many years. Its a steel forging that makes you better, that improves your compete, focus, everything. Those that have to work the hardest for something are often better ultimately as a result.
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I'll just agree to disagree.

The only other precedent for anything similar to this is Michael Leighton and he was quickly in the American league the next fall. Hill rose from the ashes a bit, but he had a few years in the league behind him and upward trajectory as a younger goalie.

I just don't see a 33 year old undersized career minor leaguer as likely to be an every day starter in the NHL. He can definitely catch lightning in a bottle, but I just don't ever see him as consistent starting material. Or if he finds that level, it would pretty much be a first time ever occurrence.
 
fireantz said:
Elite tenders are expensive so a lot of teams rely on average goalies. I trust the coaching and management of this team to convince 18 guys to play a 200 ft game far more than I trust any of them to pick a competent starting goalie. More likely they spend big and get a Campbell
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The Oilers basically don't lose when their goaltending is average. They just don't often get even that much.

Not to come off as a hater but Pickard really hasn't been very good either. Better than Skinner but that bar is on the floor.
 
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oXo Cube said:
The Oilers basically don't lose when their goaltending is average. They just don't often get even that much.

Not to come off as a hater but Pickard really hasn't been very good either. Better than Skinner but that bar is on the floor.
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Given the way this team played thru reg season I don’t believe we’d of won the division with Hellebuyck in the net
 
fireantz said:
Given the way this team played thru reg season I don’t believe we’d of won the division with Hellebuyck in the net
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To each their own but IMO this take is crazy. Edmonton was like 30-1-2 in the regular season in games where they got .900 goaltending or better.

The way this team consistently never got any saves really warped the perception of it and how it plays.
 
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