I should have known. I definitely saw him in a track suit in an elevator before pre-season, but at the time I thought it was Josh Brown. They actually sort of look alike. I remember thinking, "I think that's Josh Brown but there is no way he's 6'5." The guy was still pretty big, and thinking back now based on what I've just learned, it was definitely Emberson.
Pre-Game Talk: Edmonton vs Vegas
- Thread starter Da McBomb
- Start date
Stoneman89
Registered User
- Feb 8, 2008
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I'm hoping to never see Kapanen wear an Oilers jersey again.
bellagiobob
Registered User
- Jul 27, 2006
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BudBundy
Registered User
- May 16, 2005
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Drivesaitl
Time to Drive
As per usual fair assessment. I also think our series against the Kings was harder than people seem to think a day later. We were 30secs away from going down 3-1 in that series, against the Kings. Sure the Oilers put up some bigtime resolve and took back 4 games straight while needing some fortune along the way to get to those results. It wasn't any indelible performance. It was in game 5. Most games in the series could've gone either way against a Kings club that some thought would be a speed bump.
Degree of difficulty gets higher with this series and for those that didn't watch any Vegas vs Wild was a War. Wild were much better than regular season indicated getting their players back. Including Kaprisov. Was a tough enough out.
Thing about the Oilers, this year, they haven't been able to play their peak game for very long, and they didn't even do that in game 6 against the Kings. Oilers had a ton of passengers in regular season who have decided to show up now. But how many games in a row can those older players play hard? We were relatively fresh to start LA series due to parking several players. How long will we be looking fresh and fast in the next series? Will guys that haven't played hard throughout season be able to lock in for a longer period. many questions.
Lastly I'm a Pickard fan but while even knowing he can't carry all the mail and never has. He's on a heater. How long it lasts? Goaltending is still a question mark despite his play, because I don't know he can do this many games in a row. But you touched on something critical. Oilers played half the games in the LA series well. They were guilty of playing into the games in the other 3. We won't have same luxury against Vegas.
bone
5-14-6-1
Wierd looking back at it, but I seem to remember Desharnais being terrible in this series vs. Vegas in 2023, but much like we saw last year a big part of the story was Nurse and Ceci being eaten alive.
bone
5-14-6-1
Another interesting observation looking back at that series in 2023. Looking at xGF%, of the 9 guys that were sub 50%, only 3 remain, Janmark, RNH and Kane. While RNH hasn't looked great, he does have three goals, and Kane and Janmark were dealing with injuries.
And Yamamoto being tossed around. If he wasn't playing at 110% he wasn't effective....
Duke74
Registered User
- Jan 13, 2018
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I agree, but I'd like to see some new wingers for Leon. Kane, Hyman, and/or Perry would work nicely, even with Podkolzin one the other side. Try putting Brown with McDavid because he seems to have rediscovered his scoring touch.
Drivesaitl
Time to Drive
Drai is having difficulty draggng himself around. Something definitely off again. Hurt, injured, fatigue, who knows. Having to drag Arvid around is completely laughable. The tool shouldn't even be on the ice. I'm not even a Jeff Skinner fan but how could anybody be worse option than Arvid? Pods still doing his thing but we need more in topsix, like Kane inserted there. At least some of the time. Give Drai something to work with. This season he's had the equivalents of Yamamoto and Khaira.
McShogun99
Registered User
But when we started hammering them the refs started to make up penalties against us which caused the team to ease up.
Duke74
Registered User
- Jan 13, 2018
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If he's still feeling the effects of his ailment, I wonder if that's why coach put him with McDavid?
GhostfaceWu
Shi Shaw
- Feb 11, 2015
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Gonna beat Vegas then Colorado then Florida avenging the last three playoff exits to each of the three cup winners
bone
5-14-6-1
That Broberg penalty in Game 5 that parlayed itself into a 5 on 3 because of a must call high sticking shortly after giving a long 5 on 3 and ultimately a quick 3 goal swing is probably the most frustrating penalty call against an Oiler in the McDrai era. Such a terrible call. Frustration like that may only be matched by the non-call that cut up Ekholm in the third period of Game 6 leaving him look like this.
I don't believe in reffing conspiracies, but f*** is it frustrating when you're on the wrong end of multiple bad calls or non-calls that directly impact the result.
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Heater? He's got a 0.893 SV% and 13 GA on 11xGA, I don't think that's exactly lighting the world on fire.
Other than maybe that second LA goal last night (which I chalk up to Nurse as much as Picks) I don't think he's given up any howlers, which is all we need from a guy like that.
Wouldn't be the playoffs if Draisaitl wasn't f*cking injured.
NotAVacuumSalesman
Positive Mistake Culture™
- Jun 19, 2017
- 4,007
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The top guys gotta manage the puck better than last night. There were a few grade A odd man rushes that was self inflicted between the offensive blue line and the neutral zone.
I must’ve aged another 10 years watching that atrocious puck management..
I must’ve aged another 10 years watching that atrocious puck management..
Strangely, the top line was probably our biggest issue last night with puck management being the problem. The other lines mostly continued where they left off in Game 5, but the top line relapsed into risky and unnecessary plays.
29 and 97 were starting to steer a bit into "they've been playing together too long and are starting to be dumb" mode in Game 6 and need to reverse that.
Drivesaitl
Time to Drive
2.93GAA the way the series was played was pretty acceptable. he had the best goalie metrics across board of any goalie in the series. he had the disadvantage of having to play in mid series and not being starter from outset and thus less than ideal prep.
Pickard came in and was pretty good considering the prospects and the pressure and the team being down 2-0 and needing him to offer some solidity. he comes out of series 4W 0L and the only goalie in the playoffs anywhere near those numbers.
Remember the team was playing Woody’s stupid hybrid man zone system then which Vegas tore to shreds so much so that Marshesault was laughing about it. Woody refused to adapt and played right into the trap Vegas set for him.
I was at Game 6 screaming for him to get the Leon line away from Eichel. He didn't listen.
Not making any adjustments at all before or during Game 6 lost that series.
Drivesaitl
Time to Drive
Fatigue is an alternate explanation. McD and Drai have played as many minutes as any forward in the playoffs and both played over 30mins in the OT game. Neither seems to be at 100% either.
In the time it took the rest of the team to check into this series McD and Drai had been running themselves ragged in first 4 games trying to pull the cart.
guymez
The Seldom Seen Kid
- Mar 3, 2004
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I think that McDavid and Draisaitl fall into this mindset that they can just create, create, create and essentially out score any mistakes that might happen.
That has to change against Vegas.
They need complete team buy in defensively from this point forward.
Then he tried and failed miserably to coach zone the following fall and got exposed for the fraud of a coach that he is. All the fancy quotes from self help books in the world can’t fix stupid.
