Post-Game Talk: Drai eats Kraken for lunch

[brentashton]

delete

 

[McShogun99]

You don't say. heh

Yeah. SNL starting late 70's was must watch TV. given it was the 70's usually under some influence on a Saturday late night.

SNL now is unwatchable except for weekend update. It was still pretty good up until the early 2000's but comedy has changed now for the worst.

 

[MessierII]

I’m just happy they didn’t mess around with the empty net this time.

I get more excited for empty netters than actual goals on goalies these days

 

[McShogun99]

Adam Larsson looks like a dumb ass for choosing Seattle over a Cup contender.

Imagine having him in the lineup over Ceci these last few years.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

I get more excited for empty netters than actual goals on goalies these days

Its more impressive for this group when they score an empty netter

 

[iCanada]

Oh man, that video of the flames bench watching kuzmenko kill the pp with his brain dead broken stick penalty is hilarious.

 

[brentashton]

Except we did get to game 7 of the finals with Skinner.

I’d like to see if we can upgrade Pickard into Talbot.

Not because he was hot. I recall Pickard having to mop up some of the debris.

 

[Cloned]

Best part of the game was Jack telling a story while McDavid was on a breakaway.

 

[K1984]

Anyway OIlers win and Flames lose. Saturday Night Hockey doesn't get better.

In the Flames telecast: "Flames have clearly been the better team but theres the fancy stats and Preds are leading. It was 3-0 at one point. This is the same game Hrudey was saying Flames are playing so damned well. "Remember that time years ago when the Flames were the best team in the galaxy (no I don't) Well, humps Hrudey, the Flames are back there again soooooo guuuuuud soooooo fuuuun to watch. No I don't see it.

lol post game I hard a lot of “the Flames outplayed them in the first though!!!”

 

[K1984]

Watching the replay. Team is likely good enough to challenge for the cup again if they can upgrade G.

No more moms trips though. That could have cost them home ice.

Beyond upgrading G, the first step is to stop simply handing teams free goals at the worst possible times. Two games in a row we’ve had the game under total control with the other team showing no signs of life. Then we decide to sift a dumb one east west on the blue line and effectively score in our own net.

Team with no life gets life, they push back, then the goaltending weakness becomes a factor again when the team that couldn’t muster a shot is all of a sudden pushing hard.

This was an issue in the playoffs last year too, Game 7 against the Nucks and Game 5 against the Panthers stick out this way as well. They had nothing, we gave them one for free, they push back and make it a game.

This is a critical issue that isn’t personnel related. They need to drill into this group a style of play when they have multi goal leads, and that can’t include continuing to dick around with the puck in dangerous areas of the ice. It really isn’t hard to just play safe North-South out and in hockey, but they mentally just can not seem to do it.

 

[AddyTheWrath]

The question is, where does Skinner play in the top 6. The 2nd line has obvious chemistry and Podz is now putting up a few goals here and there, can't see them taking Nuge out of the top 6 especially with his scoring coming around now so does Skinner play on McDavid's RW?
I don't know, not really seeing an opening currently but he is playing well the last few so maybe he should get a look as a reward.

When fully healthy I would consider running

Kane - McDavid - Kapanen
Podkolzin - Draisaitl - Arvidsson
Skinner - RNH - Hyman
Janmark - Henrique - Brown

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Best part of the game was Jack telling a story while McDavid was on a breakaway.

Sportsnet needs an upgrade on the 2 idiots who call our games.

 

[OilerTyler]

Sportsnet needs an upgrade on the 2 idiots who call our games.

I've never seen a commentator that HFOil doesn't complain about though. You can't ask Sportsnet to do the impossible.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

I've never seen a commentator that HFOil doesn't complain about though. You can't ask Sportsnet to do the impossible.

They could start by having a guy who doesnt actively cheer against the team, sitting next to a guy who is too busy talking about random shit during the play.

 

[iCanada]

Beyond upgrading G, the first step is to stop simply handing teams free goals at the worst possible times. Two games in a row we’ve had the game under total control with the other team showing no signs of life. Then we decide to sift a dumb one east west on the blue line and effectively score in our own net.

Team with no life gets life, they push back, then the goaltending weakness becomes a factor again when the team that couldn’t muster a shot is all of a sudden pushing hard.

This was an issue in the playoffs last year too, Game 7 against the Nucks and Game 5 against the Panthers stick out this way as well. They had nothing, we gave them one for free, they push back and make it a game.

This is a critical issue that isn’t personnel related. They need to drill into this group a style of play when they have multi goal leads, and that can’t include continuing to dick around with the puck in dangerous areas of the ice. It really isn’t hard to just play safe North-South out and in hockey, but they mentally just can not seem to do it.

I mean it's exactly a personnel issue - all you need to do is get better goaltending.

This is the NHL, the other team is going to get chances for crying out loud.

 

[TheNumber4]

Notable from last night is that JSkins was freed from the dog house for a shift with McDrai.

Wonder if we seen him moved up the line up next game. In a 4th line role, he’s been generating chances which isn’t easy to do.

 

[K1984]

I mean it's exactly a personnel issue - all you need to do is get better goaltending.

This is the NHL, the other team is going to get chances for crying out loud.

Ugh. I am fully aware of this. Know what other teams also don’t do? Send high risk zero reward passes blind along the offensive blue line with multi goal leads.

What do you think is easier? Acquiring magic better goalie, or just simply not making the dumbest plays imaginable at certain points of the game that are 100% preventable?

You don’t see the teams with goaltending doing this repeatedly like we do, so I don’t understand why it’s just ok for the Oilers to play like absolute morons for no reason other than you wish they had goalies that are expected to save the bushel of preventable breakaways we give up.

 

[yukoner88]

Buckle your seat belts boys it’s Flames vs. Predators time

This ride only goes in one direction

 

[rboomercat90]

They could start by having a guy who doesnt actively cheer against the team, sitting next to a guy who is too busy talking about random shit during the play.

What they could immediately do that would make a big improvement imo, is put Louie back in the booth with Jack permanently. It’s when Louie is broadcasting from the players bench where Jack is his most annoying. It’s as if he misses Louie and spends more time talking to him about useless shit to over compensate for that. When they are both in the booth together, like they were for last nights game, they seem to focus more on the game itself.

 

[K1984]

What they could immediately do that would make a big improvement imo, is put Louie back in the booth with Jack permanently. It’s when Louie is broadcasting from the players bench where Jack is his most annoying. It’s as if he misses Louie and spends more time talking to him about useless shit to over compensate for that. When they are both in the booth together, like they were for last nights game, they seem to focus more on the game itself.

I feel like the issue at this point is just Louie in general. He’s devolved to the point where he provides pretty much nothing of substance. 90% of what he says is any of:

- suggesting that nearly every Oiler goal should be subject to review

- agreeing with literally any call that the refs make on the ice

- “shooting mentality”

- “but it was screened/tipped!” (one of those infuriating people that think that basically no screen or tip goal should ever be saved)

- bullshitting with Jack

 

[Fourier]

For what he is paid Skinner's 5 vs 5 goal production has been fine. I am sure the issue for him with Knoblauch has been on the defensive side of the coin. GA when he is on the ice has been too high. But it is coming down. Since Dec 1 he is actually even 5 vs 5 and his own G/60 is actually second highest on the team behind only Hyman. The sample size is too small to read much into this latter stat but at least it is pointing in the right direction.

 

[McShogun99]

For what he is paid Skinner's 5 vs 5 goal production has been fine. I am sure the issue for him with Knoblauch has been on the defensive side of the coin. GA when he is on the ice has been too high. But it is coming down. Since Dec 1 he is actually even 5 vs 5 and his own G/60 is actually second highest on the team behind only Hyman. The sample size is too small to read much into this latter stat but at least it is pointing in the right direction.

I think it will just take Skinner some time to learn how to play on a good team. For his entire career all he had to worry about was scoring goals and individual play since the teams he was on were usually out of the playoff race by game 20.

 

[TheNumber4]

I think it will just take Skinner some time to learn how to play on a good team. For his entire career all he had to worry about was scoring goals and individual play since the teams he was on were usually out of the playoff race by game 20.

I think that’s exactly what it is. And Knob isn’t punishing him per se, just giving him low responsibility minutes as he figures out how to play within this system. Skinner seems like he’ll be smart enough and a pro enough to figure it out though. I bet he gets back to a top 6 role on this team, the story ain’t over with Skinner.

 

[Bring Back Bucky]

I think that’s exactly what it is. And Knob isn’t punishing him per se, just giving him low responsibility minutes as he figures out how to play within this system. Skinner seems like he’ll be smart enough and a pro enough to figure it out though. I bet he gets back to a top 6 role on this team, the story ain’t over with Skinner.

10 days ago I declared it over. Apparently he and Knob read that and are trying to disprove me. I’m sure hoping I am wrong !

 

[TheNumber4]

10 days ago I declared it over. Apparently he and Knob read that and are trying to disprove me. I’m sure hoping I am wrong !

One thing that seems consistent with Oilers management, either now or in the past, is that they aren’t cutthroat and tend to see their commitments through. I didn’t think they’d be cutthroat enough to call it quits on Skinner 3 months into his tenure here. Not a good look when you’ve always been a UFA-starved location looking to attract UFAs every year. It would be in everyone’s best interests to have the Skinner experiment work, so I see it continuing until and if it becomes completely untenable. But really I don’t see that happening, not much damage can be done “defensively” with Skinner in a 4th line role, and producing from that role is a benefit to this team. That’s the floor of the Skinner experiment and I think the ceiling is still very attainable, with Skinner being a Top 6 contributor.