Pre-Game Talk: Dallas vs Oile-OMG IS THAT A CAT WORKING AT MCDONALDS!?!

[Cloned]

Probably need to keep winning. Oilers don’t have a spot locked down yet and the teams behind them are winning.

 

[McDrai]

Man the out of town scoreboard has sucked for awhile now. Every team in the playoff race seems to be running the table

 

[Drivesaitl]

The Oilers are in 14th place in league in Regulation W's. We've had a pretty healthy club until lately. We'd be having to fight for a WC without all the 3 on3 wins we've had this season. We're 11-5 in extra time ftr. If we were .500 in extra time we'd be right on the very brink.

Without the 3 on 3 trick pony this team is almost where Calgary is. Sad as it is. This reminds of a season yrs ago when we were so reliant on OT.

Nothing about this is looking like SC favorite. In regulation time we're just another team.

 

[MessierThanThou]

The Oilers are in 14th place in league in Regulation W's. We've had a pretty healthy club until lately. We'd be having to fight for a WC without all the 3 on3 wins we've had this season. We're 11-5 in extra time ftr. If we were .500 in extra time we'd be right on the very brink.

Without the 3 on 3 trick pony this team is almost where Calgary is. Sad as it is. This reminds of a season yrs ago when we were so reliant on OT.

Nothing about this is looking like SC favorite. In regulation time we're just another team.

Meanwhile, Calgary is showing us how important good coaching and goaltending is... It's unbelievable what the coaching and management has squandered...the unprecedented incompetence of this organization continues unabated.

 

[ThePhoenixx]

Man the out of town scoreboard has sucked for awhile now. Every team in the playoff race seems to be running the table

 

[Drivesaitl]

Meanwhile, Calgary is showing us how important good coaching and goaltending is... It's unbelievable what the coaching and management has squandered...the unprecedented incompetence of this organization continues unabated.

Its absolutely ridiculous that only 8pts separates the Oilers and Flames and that the entire margin is based on how the respective teams fare in 3 on 3 circus. Without considerable success in Extra time, and being 11-5 we would not have an edge. Calgary has not had extra time success and is only 8-11. Put these both at .500 in extra time and the teams would be real close in pts. Thats an indictment of the Oilers whole operation, who have the benefit of Magic McDavid and Magic Draisaitl. Without which, how bad would we be?

This segues into Nuge again being hailed by the local press as such a fantastic captain and leader? Why" because he's shown up for about the last 4 games and didn't squat the brunt of the season where without McDRai doing everything the team wouldn't even be in a playoff spot. What kind of true leader shows up in earnest in March, in hockey? Kind of annoyed me all the glazing Nuge gettting as if he's been some kind of star this season. As recently as two weeks ago the talk was of Nuge being invisible. Even Poogent Hopkins was being stated here often.

I dunno. Maybe they just all decide to show up in the playoffs and this has been some kind of possum exercise. you never know. But its been a very underwhelming season.

 

[Zerotonine]

Gesus fk them kings are on a heater 9-1 last 10 !!!!

Fk how we have fallen. We won't even have home Ice advantage ANY round at this rate....

 

[GMofOilers]

The Oilers are in 14th place in league in Regulation W's. We've had a pretty healthy club until lately. We'd be having to fight for a WC without all the 3 on3 wins we've had this season. We're 11-5 in extra time ftr. If we were .500 in extra time we'd be right on the very brink.

Without the 3 on 3 trick pony this team is almost where Calgary is. Sad as it is. This reminds of a season yrs ago when we were so reliant on OT.

Nothing about this is looking like SC favorite. In regulation time we're just another team.

This is what happens when your starter is a .500 winning percentage goalie with a 3 GAA

 

[WhiskeyEE]

Gesus fk them kings are on a heater 9-1 last 10 !!!!

Fk how we have fallen. We won't even have home Ice advantage ANY round at this rate....

The Kings have the best home record in the league too. Kind of weird.

 

[russ99]

Oilers now 2 points behind LA with the same games played. We got a lot bigger fish to fry than how many points Connor will get or whining about Holloway and Broberg.

 

[russ99]

The Kings have the best home record in the league too. Kind of weird.

And something like 20-0-3 when they score three goals.

 

[Zerotonine]

And something like 20-0-3 when they score three goals.

Scary part is 3 goals on us is easy peasy. Plus they solidified there goaltending with kuemper as well. Not really liking are post season this year. Seriously atull cant believewe never adressed goaltending.
Fk bowman was in afterhours on Saturdayand continues to beat the goaltending isn't t an issue and wven went as far to say it gets unwarrantedcriticism........

Kings probably averaged 4 goals a game in there heater steak including potting 7 in b2b games vs canes and bruins. Yeah I'm worried to say the least

 

[The Panther]

Goaltending aside, the Oilers are a team built for playoffs, not for the regular season... and they've proven it, being thoroughly mediocre this regular season.

If everyone's healthy, I still think the Oilers beat out Vancouver and/or Calgary (if they make it in), and L.A. too. I know the Kings are having a good season, but I think the Oil win.

Last year, the Oilers would have taken down Vegas, I'm sure, but this year I doubt it.

So, I don't see the Oilers getting past round 2, if they even make it that far.

Since 1990, the most fun I've had watching the Oilers was from midway through 2019-20 through 2022-23. (Last year was okay but they weren't as enjoyable to watch as before.) This year, they're kind of boring to watch, honestly.

I dunno, they have some good names and if Kane were back and healthy, Frederic healthy, Ekholm rested and healthy, etc., then the Oilers definitely could catch lightning again and go on a run. I mean, it wouldn't shock me, but it would surprise me a bit.

The most likely scenario is that they've just entered a decline from the 2020-2024 period of competitiveness.

 

[bucks_oil]

I knew something wasn’t right before the steak. It was when the cat was smiling doing his job. Nobody is that happy working at McDonalds.

16-year old me LOVED it, lol. It was the place to be in my town on the weekends

 

[Niten Ichi Ryu]

In regards to Holloway and Broberg, I'm ALL about the playoffs. Could give a sht about any regular season accolades at this point, as with most of us. Holloway is having a breakout regular season, but let's see if that translates into the 16 team tournament

Don't want to jinx it, but ever since Christmas, been reciting how Jeff Skinner is going to have a breakout playoff entry, in his first ever playoff run. Sure we lost Dylan and Phillip (and Foegele/Desharnais), but we also got Jeff, Viktor, Jake, Trent, Max and Kasper in exchange. Don't know about ya'll, but i much prefer the latter. Guess we'll see

Saw a stat that us and Carolina are the only top 3 division teams in the bottom half of the league's PDO (luck) standings. And then this graphic yesterday. Perhaps good fortunes could be earned and redeemed come April

 

[russ99]

Goaltending aside, the Oilers are a team built for playoffs, not for the regular season... and they've proven it, being thoroughly mediocre this regular season.

If everyone's healthy, I still think the Oilers beat out Vancouver and/or Calgary (if they make it in), and L.A. too. I know the Kings are having a good season, but I think the Oil win.

Last year, the Oilers would have taken down Vegas, I'm sure, but this year I doubt it.

So, I don't see the Oilers getting past round 2, if they even make it that far.

Since 1990, the most fun I've had watching the Oilers was from midway through 2019-20 through 2022-23. (Last year was okay but they weren't as enjoyable to watch as before.) This year, they're kind of boring to watch, honestly.

I dunno, they have some good names and if Kane were back and healthy, Frederic healthy, Ekholm rested and healthy, etc., then the Oilers definitely could catch lightning again and go on a run. I mean, it wouldn't shock me, but it would surprise me a bit.

The most likely scenario is that they've just entered a decline from the 2020-2024 period of competitiveness.

I don't know, this team is too in love with firewagon hockey even if we miraculously get better goaltending. Look at the Rangers game, up a goal late, they're still pushing the rush and getting caught in odd man situations at the back.

We're not going to be able to defend a lead unless Knoblauch suddenly changes gears, not to mention if the players actually listen to him and can make those reaction plays after a season ignoring it.

Playoff competition is well known for exposing flaws in a team no matter how much they try to hide them.

Hopeful for a good playoff run, but realistically we're in a state of flux, and an offseason with more cap space, lots of players Jackson reupped this summer not coming back (and a few that are - traded, hopefully) , a smart move with Bouchard rather than just giving a fundamentally flawed player the keys to the bank vault, Connor hopefully signed long term, and Bowman can put his stamp on the team (as sickening as that makes me feel) along with his choice of coach - I don't see Knoblauch back if they have an early playoff exit.

 

[bucks_oil]

What crystal ball is required. I was saying Holloway was can't miss all along and saying he'd found his game last season and in playoffs. Almost anybody with a pulse recognized this, including STL.

Just because you didn't recognize anything in this player doesn't mean you should double down with a blind take after he's proven you wrong.

As I state this Dylan Holloway scores yet again. yet the denial that runs strong here calls him a nothing player.

The decision wasn't really about Holloway though, it was about D. The decision tree was:

1) Match Holloway, have zero cap space accruing, no obvious replacement for Ceci (or Broberg/Desharnais) and have Kulak as your 2RD, vs
2) Let Holloway walk, have $685K in cap space which accrues enough to allow you Klingberg + Walman

That was basically it.

If they'd kept either of Broberg or Holloway they'd have had zero flexibility to address any area of need.

 

[CupofOil]

No regrats. What an idiot.

Complete idiot, hard to have any confidence in somebody that delusional to outright say there's no regrets not signing a 30+ goal, 60+ point budding star power forward to 900K/yr more than they were offering for the next two years. Just shut your trap if you have nothing constructive to say. I usually don't get worked up over stuff like this but this one sticks in my craw.
Baffling how the Oilers consistently scrape the bottom of the barrel for these GMs year after year, decade after decade.

 

[bucks_oil]

The Oilers are in 14th place in league in Regulation W's. We've had a pretty healthy club until lately. We'd be having to fight for a WC without all the 3 on3 wins we've had this season. We're 11-5 in extra time ftr. If we were .500 in extra time we'd be right on the very brink.

Without the 3 on 3 trick pony this team is almost where Calgary is. Sad as it is. This reminds of a season yrs ago when we were so reliant on OT.

Nothing about this is looking like SC favorite. In regulation time we're just another team.

/ ...

 

[CupofOil]

The decision wasn't really about Holloway though, it was about D. The decision tree was:

1) Match Holloway, have zero cap space accruing, no obvious replacement for Ceci (or Broberg/Desharnais) and have Kulak as your 2RD, vs
2) Let Holloway walk, have $685K in cap space which accrues enough to allow you Klingberg + Walman

That was basically it.

If they'd kept either of Broberg or Holloway they'd have had zero flexibility to address any area of need.

They wouldn't have had needs if those two were here and they didn't even wind up accruing lol. They had to wait on Kane's LTIR to make the Walman trade and, furthermore, instead of having Broberg and Holloway they had to give up assets (1st+2nd+4th+) to acquire these guys to fill the Holloway and Broberg voids so essentially it was Holloway+Broberg+1st+2nd+4th for Walman+Frederic+underperforming vets+2nd+3rd. I take the former package quite easily. Just brutal asset management that not only made the Oilers worse short term but much worse long term as well.

 

[russ99]

They wouldn't have had needs if those two were here and they didn't even wind up accruing lol. They had to wait on Kane's LTIR to make the Walman trade and, furthermore, instead of having Broberg and Holloway they had to give up assets (1st+2nd+4th+) to acquire these guys to fill the Holloway and Broberg voids so essentially it was Holloway+Broberg+1st+2nd+4th for Walman+Frederic+underperforming vets+2nd+3rd. I take the former package quite easily. Just brutal asset management that not only made the Oilers worse short term but much worse long term as well.

Not to mention running a good third of the season with 2 regular defensemen being #7 quality at best, and the other defensemen running up crazy amounts of minutes to shelter them.

 

[FlameChampion]

The decision wasn't really about Holloway though, it was about D. The decision tree was:

1) Match Holloway, have zero cap space accruing, no obvious replacement for Ceci (or Broberg/Desharnais) and have Kulak as your 2RD, vs
2) Let Holloway walk, have $685K in cap space which accrues enough to allow you Klingberg + Walman

That was basically it.

If they'd kept either of Broberg or Holloway they'd have had zero flexibility to address any area of need.

I don’t think they wanted either player after they signed the offer sheets to put them in a bad spot. They obviously didn’t expect either player to break out like they have. They made a huge mistake especially with Holloway. But now they are doubling down (even with hindsight) and spouting nonsense. Its hard to have much faith in this egotistical management group going forward.

I will say that I don’t think either player would have the same success here this year. Which is another question to be answered. Something about the organization has no patience for the majority of younger or inexperienced players.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Probably need to keep winning. Oilers don’t have a spot locked down yet and the teams behind them are winning.

Yep. We are 3rd in the division, Calgary is 8 points back, Vancouver is 9 (one extra game played). I think there is next to no chance we don’t make the playoffs but getting third in the division is most likely and a wildcard drop is possible. Both are awful outcomes. We need at least 2nd in the division to help in a deep playoff run.

 

[tardigrade81]

Time to kick some ass

 

[CycloneSweep]

The decision wasn't really about Holloway though, it was about D. The decision tree was:

1) Match Holloway, have zero cap space accruing, no obvious replacement for Ceci (or Broberg/Desharnais) and have Kulak as your 2RD, vs
2) Let Holloway walk, have $685K in cap space which accrues enough to allow you Klingberg + Walman

That was basically it.

If they'd kept either of Broberg or Holloway they'd have had zero flexibility to address any area of need.

We used all of our accrued cap space on Klingberg. Walman was added because we had Kanes LTIR.
We let Holloway walk and got Klingberg out of it. Just, awful.