Pre-Game Talk: Decisions decision decisions

[Oilhawks]

Tochett's team would be 0-3 if the Oilers had an actual goalie instead of a cardboard cutout in net which shows how much that stuff you're talking about actually matters.

Yup, Rick Talk-shit’s antics are a sideshow that will be exposed as is by a team that has a goalie that can stop a puck here or there (hopefully this team, but it might be too late).

 

[bellagiobob]

Hypothetical. PIckard gets the next start and the Oilers go on to win the series.

Oilers eventually win the championship with Pickard starting the entire rest of the way.

In the offseason, he wants 3 mil per to re-sign for multiple years.

Do the Oilers re-sign their cup winning goalie or go with Skinner and someone else next year?

Let's just try and win the first period of next game. And go from there.

 

[Oilers in NS]

Fuk
Skinner answered one question stating he would like to get more shots. Wtf, u want it in double digits

 

[bobbythebrain]

Holloway McDavid Hyman
Kane Draisaitl Brown
Henrique RNH McLeod
Janmark Carrick Perry

Ekholm Bouchard
Kulak Stetcher
VD Broberg

Picard

Sit Nurse and Ceci.

 

[Jarvi]

I know this "5 man unit" is giving us a ton of offense, but you can't stack your 5 best players and expect to still have great depth. I'd like to see that shaken up. They will still dominate on the PP.

I'd you wanna play the forwards together, maybe throw a different D pair out there once in a while. Another line could use Bouchards outlet pass to gain the zone easier, as Mcdavid can take it end to end nearly at will so won't miss it as much.

Or move Drai back to center his own line. He seems to be moving well. I'd like to see something like

Henrique-McD-Hyman
Nuge-Drai-Holloway
Foegele-Mcleod-Kane
Janmark-Ryan-Perry

Both the superstars get a Swiss army knife player. McDavid gets his bumper and someone to help on faceoffs, and imo Drai can work with anyone, so he should be able to help a confident Holloway and unconfident Nuge get back on the scoresheet. If anyone is looking out of place, move Kane up.

I'd also consider sitting Perry for Carrick or Brown, depending what the coaches see/hear on the bench and in the room. I like Perry, but we need to see something on the scoresheet besides dashes. So if he isnt the one rallying us in the room in these periods we look dominant, then I prefer Browns PK ability or to see if maybe Carrick can be the guy to really get under the nucks skin. Or maybe bring in Stecher and go for 11-7 letting the top dogs get some extra minutes here and there that they will probably have lost playing on separate lines.

Bring up Campbell and start Pickard. Give Stu a night off entirely. If it blows up, well he will be coming in with every bit of motivation possible down 3-1. If it works out, keep riding the hot hand but maybe give Stu the backup spot. Worry about the next game when it comes and hopefully we are in a better position with the series tied.

 

[Emotive]

We used to call him Farhan Lousy. Terrible take.

The McDavid Soucey situation was largely incidental heat in the moment at game's end. The non-hockey play and suspendible one was after the horn non-hockey behind the back cross check that put McDavid's head down and into the Soucey cross check. Strange to me that the latter isn't the focus of NHL discipline. But not surprised as the league is entirely erratic in all supervisory aspects of the game whether highly volatile standards of officiating or determining suspensions or not.

As soon as I saw zadorov get a 5000 fine I knew they were targetting the wrong guy for suspension. How is two hand cross checking a guy from behind after the game is already over not looked at for a suspension, it's not like zadorov is some model player. That was not even close to a hockey play, that's a hot headed goon seeing someone in a vulnerable position and intentionally trying to hurt him.

 

[GOilers88]

This also heavily implies that he is going to be in and lose game 4. Lovely.

Didn't get that feeling or implications at all. He literally said he has no idea who is starting the next one.

Also for everyone asking about Henrique, I'm positive on the after show panel last night Bieksa and Gazdic were talking about Rico trying to play with a high ankle sprain last night and it didn't go well.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

How are you still employed by a national broadcaster? Embarrassing take after embarrassing take.

he thought high stick drawing blood is a 5 minute penalty when discussing the missed call on McDavid.

Its best to just ignore him.

 

[Emotive]

They are insufferable. It’s no wonder they’d burn their city down over a sport

Probably the most toxic, delusional, hypocritical fanbase in the league (yes much worse than Toronto and it's not even close) everyone has a right to be a passionate sports fan, but they think their team is some model citizen or some shit and everyone is out to get them. The refs are unfair and against Vancouver (PPs are 9-8 Canucks in the series) Edmonton whines about everything and dives according to them, yet they can't admit their team has gotten away with blatant calls or dives all over the ice.
I've always hated this team and it's fanbase, they somehow keep getting worse, and I'm legit worried for the people who live there when Vancouver inevitably gets knocked out of the playoffs again.

 

[GOilers88]

To be fair, it wouldn't be a topic of discussion if the Oilers didn't have Dan Cloutier 2.0 sewering the 2nd round for the consecutive year.

I give him a pass last year since he was a rookie, but he has no center ice goal against to point to this year.

 

[GOilers88]

Their hardcore fans (not many of them, but there are some) won’t like this, but I feel like it has a lot to do with the large bandwagon contingent. I recall during the peak of the fervour to get rid of Benning, there was something about ownership shutting down media dissent (taking away privileges or something). So could be related

Obviously you know I like the Canucks too, but I agree with you. I think it's one of the biggest bandwagon cities ever. People on the mains were saying it was bullshit, but I've lived here almost my whole life. I know what I see.

 

[Kerberos]

Probably the most toxic, delusional, hypocritical fanbase in the league (yes much worse than Toronto and it's not even close) everyone has a right to be a passionate sports fan, but they think their team is some model citizen or some shit and everyone is out to get them. The refs are unfair and against Vancouver (PPs are 9-8 Canucks in the series) Edmonton whines about everything and dives according to them, yet they can't admit their team has gotten away with blatant calls or dives all over the ice.
I've always hated this team and it's fanbase, they somehow keep getting worse, and I'm legit worried for the people who live there when Vancouver inevitably gets knocked out of the playoffs again.

It's a fairweather fanbase that has no real allegiance to the sports teams they cheer for. Vancouver sports fans have one guiding principle; chasing the popular trend and hitching themselves to whatever bandwagon is the in thing at the moment.

Never a good day when a sports team gets re-located but thank God they lost the Grizzlies. That market never deserved an NBA team in the first place.

 

[iCanada]

Fuk
Skinner answered one question stating he would like to get more shots. Wtf, u want it in double digits

It's never his fault. When he's bad the defense either didn't help him, or helped him so much he couldn't get into the game.

 

[TB12]

Obviously you know I like the Canucks too, but I agree with you. I think it's one of the biggest bandwagon cities ever. People on the mains were saying it was bullshit, but I've lived here almost my whole life. I know what I see.

You like the Cucks? f***ing gross, bro.

 

[Oilhawks]

I give him a pass last year since he was a rookie, but he has no center ice goal against to point to this year.

I was mad last year but I had that in mind as well. This playoffs I'm not willing to give him a pass (game 2 against LA retrospectively was a nothingburger but ended up a sign of what has happened so far in this series).

Obviously you know I like the Canucks too, but I agree with you. I think it's one of the biggest bandwagon cities ever. People on the mains were saying it was bullshit, but I've lived here almost my whole life. I know what I see.

Agreed. I talk a lot of shit about their fanbase and media and while some of it is certainly hyperbolic, I am sincere in placing the bandwagon label (for example, I would never call Leafs fans bandwagoners...annoying in other ways, for sure). I've mentioned that the girl is a Canucks fan and we went to a random game while in Vancouver last season as I wanted to see the arena and we had some free tickets. The atmosphere was very odd, it seemed like more corporate fans than usual and there was a strange vibe of anger which I understood as it was just after the Boudreau firing but it was already a lost season. I guess some emotion was better than none. On the streets, it was like the team didn't exist. Pubs / breweries, restaurants, public areas, I saw next to 0 Canucks team wear, signs etc. Even during the peak DoD, Oilers were a big deal here and you didn't have to go far to see signs of fandom. I haven't had a chance to make it back to Vancouver this year but imagine there are probably a lot more signs of the team's existence in the city

 

[brentashton]

Fuk
Skinner answered one question stating he would like to get more shots. Wtf, u want it in double digits

The fan base understands what this play off run means to the organization, the players, and City.

Skinner basically thumbing his nose at everyone with a comment like that. If not already, he will be getting close to being persona non grata if he doesn’t deliver (and that’s if he’s even given the net again).

As Foghorn Leghorn would say, “Something ain’t quite right with that boy”.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Just remember, according to the Oilers, the real Stanley Cup is the friends you made along the way.

 

[Oilers88]

Fuk
Skinner answered one question stating he would like to get more shots. Wtf, u want it in double digits

To be fair, the question he was responding to (asked by Gregor) was "You're not facing a lot of shots, can that sometimes be more challenging?" Skinner essentially responded "yes, sometimes, but that's my job and I've got to be better".

I don't think it was a terrible answer, it's not like he spontaneously brought that up himself. Honestly our media asks some of the dumbest effing questions sometimes.

 

[bone]

To be fair, the question he was responding to (asked by Gregor) was "You're not facing a lot of shots, can that sometimes be more challenging?" Skinner essentially responded "yes, sometimes, but that's my job and I've got to be better".

I don't think it was a terrible answer, it's not like he spontaneously brought that up himself. Honestly our media asks some of the dumbest effing questions sometimes.

Just like Spector's yesterday creating the sound bite that posts aren't good goaltending. Question alluded to a lot of posts and can it be attributed to good goaltending. So his response was moreso directed at the dumb question and he followed it up with the comment that they needed to be better at bearing down on the opportunities they get.

So really the way the question was asked creates a response for an easy headline to make him look disrespectful to a rookie goalie when really his point was that if they are hitting that many posts it iis on them to improve on those shots to make them count.

 

[brentashton]

To be fair, the question he was responding to (asked by Gregor) was "You're not facing a lot of shots, can that sometimes be more challenging?" Skinner essentially responded "yes, sometimes, but that's my job and I've got to be better".

I don't think it was a terrible answer, it's not like he spontaneously brought that up himself. Honestly our media asks some of the dumbest effing questions sometimes.

He’s not stopping the ones he’s getting and he’d like more? No f***ing thank you.

 

[bone]

He’s not stopping the ones he’s getting and he’d like more? No f***ing thank you.

Edmonton media be like...

"the team needs to be better at limiting scoring chances to help out their goalies. It's all on the defensive structure of the team leading to the goals against".

Now they are saying "the team isn't allowing enough scoring chances to help out their goalies. The defensive structure of the team is too strong leading into too much time between scoring chances leading the to goalie being ill-prepared to make the saves".

What the f*** do they want, is it ever the goalies fault? Is the goalie at least not somewhat culpable in his own poor performance?

 

[McTonyBrar]

What do we do guys? Series is 2-1 but how do we win this?

If Skinner can somehow, out of nowhere, just SOMEHOW find his game, we can win this series. That's the only way.

 

[bone]

What do we do guys? Series is 2-1 but how do we win this?

If Skinner can somehow, out of nowhere, just SOMEHOW find his game, we can win this series. That's the only way.

Who knows. It's just so f***ing sad that management has put the team into a situation where they either start a goalie who currently has the worst playoff save percentage in the salary cap era, or a 32 year old goalie who has only started 3 total playoff games at any level in this pro career with only 1 win. Even in junior Pickard started 5 total playoff games going 1-4. He literally has zero experience in this type of situation despite being a 12 year pro.

This is why I'm still pissed they didn't try Campbell in a game or two in that final week where they played 5 in 7 days.,

 

[elmeroil]

What do we do guys? Series is 2-1 but how do we win this?

If Skinner can somehow, out of nowhere, just SOMEHOW find his game, we can win this series. That's the only way.

If that's the plan I'd say start booking tee times because Skinner isn't magically going to find his game in round 2. His history so far is he gets worse with each playoff game and he's shown that he can't sustain any kind of goaltending that's needed to win while starting every game.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

What do we do guys? Series is 2-1 but how do we win this?

If Skinner can somehow, out of nowhere, just SOMEHOW find his game, we can win this series. That's the only way.

Just start firing people now. Get a head start.