Pre-Game Talk: Final Game 4. Stu needs to come thru. Unlimited Pole responses.

[iCanada]

"All this violence is bad for the sport, bad for the growth of the game. Kids aren't going to want to watch or play. Someone think of the children."

The children;

 

[GhostfaceWu]

I have a gross feeling he's gonna give Skinner next game just because it's game four he proceeds to still suck and it's too late for pickard to do anything. The book is out on Skinner unless you're Dallas you can shoot from anywhere and get 5 goals per game.

 

[oXo Cube]

Ideally you would really like Skinner to have one or both of the second period goals. Pretty classic examples of Stu not really giving the team a chance.

Also ideally the skaters would not put themselves down 2 by spending the entire 1st period taking penalties in the offensive zone.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

I have a gross feeling he's gonna give Skinner next game just because it's game four he proceeds to still suck and it's too late for pickard to do anything. The book is out on Skinner unless you're Dallas you can shoot from anywhere and get 5 goals per game.

It really sucks, and you hope the leash is short, but he has largely played well in games 4-7, so maybe this is when he turns it on or whatever it is.

 

[29Beast97Mode]

Yes it is an inside joke. We all understand it. You know, the guys that actually post here all year.

 

[tardigrade81]

Pick should be on for Skinner, but I feel the oilers organization is too f***ing stubborn and won't do it. Then we will fall to 3 games to 1, and by then it's too f***ing late. What team can honestly win 3 straight against Florida ?

I know we did it last year, but a team with their kind of talent chances of doing it two years in a row is slim to impossible

 

[94 Oil Drops]

Pick should be on for Skinner, but I feel the oilers organization is too f***ing stubborn and won't do it. Then we will fall to 3 games to 1, and by then it's too f***ing late. What team can honestly win 3 straight against Florida ?

I know we did it last year, but a team with their kind of talent chances of doing it two years in a row is slim to impossible

Florida just seems invincible with the additions of Marchand and Jones. I knew as soon as those moves were made, the entire eastern conference was doomed and that they would be going to final again. As much as I hate them, they are a whole different level of good. Probably even dynasty level good.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Klingberg ate a 1-hand slash from Barkov (defensive dynamo that he is, so good he can hack and slash with impunity), then Barkov grabs him in a full hold with his left arm and starts to pull him down, then he is hit by the official and is fully taken down.

Just a gigantic clusterf*** of non-calls and ref ineptitude and them allowing defensive wunderkind Russian f***stick barkov to get away with absolutely everything.

The embellishment was off the charts insane. I have come to expect the odd head snap or dive from a tiny cross check come playoff time but it was non stop last night and some of it bordered on the ridiculous. Bobrovsky launching himself into low earth orbit, 42 falling over from the tiniest of cross checks that are handed out 1 million times per game, the head snaps from sticks nearing a face. I mean it was non stop last night, the worst I have ever seen.

And what does the media and many fans say? Great gamesmanship from the Panthers! The Oilers shouldn't put themselves in a position for those calls to be made! The Oilers need to do it if they want to draw penalties!

Now I know how soccer got to be the sport I hate. Hockey is on the slippery downward slope to becoming soccer on ice, and the fans and media, and the caretakers of the game, the aging out goblins in NHL head office, are just fine going this way.

Goodbye hockey. It was nice knowing you.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Thats total nonsense.

Gooning it up when a game is out of reach is as old as hockey. This is the first time Ive ever seen ten straight called against one team. Literally. They generally start tossing players from both sides to calm it down. Except, suddenly, last night.

I love when suddenly its, 'oh, its always been like that' when anyone who watches the games can tell you its not.

You know who goons it up when the game is out of reach? The Calgary Flames.

Not exactly a team we should emulate. Where was that emotion earlier in the game? They played themselves right into the Panthers hands and they only have themselves to blame for it, and the other team just proved they can get under our skin and bait us into more stupid penalties that we can't kill. The Panthers will happily let us try to goon it up while they're busy checking everything in sight and winning the game.

You want to beat that team? Ignore their shitty antics and play to our strengths. They're not invincible, the Leafs more than proved that.

 

[TB12]

The embellishment was off the charts insane. I have come to expect the odd head snap or dive from a tiny cross check come playoff time but it was non stop last night and some of it bordered on the ridiculous. Bobrovsky launching himself into low earth orbit, 42 falling over from the tiniest of cross checks that are handed out 1 million times per game, the head snaps from sticks nearing a face. I mean it was non stop last night, the worst I have ever seen.

And what does the media and many fans say? Great gamesmanship from the Panthers! The Oilers shouldn't put themselves in a position for those calls to be made! The Oilers need to do it if they want to draw penalties!

Now I know how soccer got to be the sport I hate. Hockey is on the slippery downward slope to becoming soccer on ice, and the fans and media, and the caretakers of the game, the aging out goblins in NHL head office, are just fine going this way.

Goodbye hockey. It was nice knowing you.

Extremely well said. Used to be a time where that shit was seen as dishonorable and a disgrace to the game. Now the American media eats it up and celebrates these diving p***yes under the guise of "gamesmanship".

Devolving into soccer is the worst thing that has happened to this sport and it's a f***ing shame and embarrassment. The p*ssification of North America continues. Disgusting.

 

[FlameChampion]

Hard to be hopeful but honestly everything is even if they win the next one.

Special teams are killing us. PK has been bad all year. PP been stale all year. Its finally catching up to us. Hopefully they can find a way.

Our defense is being neutralized. Knoblauch needs to make some adjustments and the players need to execute.

Florida just has too many legit forwards.

Bobrovsky is outplaying Skinner.

 

[BlackDogg]

Dig in. Don't like what I've seen from any game really so far. Was hoping they would come out a tier above the Panthers, but its basically still last year and possibly worse.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Darnell Nurse is too heavy for any partner at this point. This guy can’t be on the roster next year. Do whatever’s necessary to move him out.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Darnell Nurse is too heavy for any partner at this point. This guy can’t be on the roster next year. Do whatever’s necessary to move him out.

I've never stopped beating this drum

 

[Arpeggio]

Hard to be hopeful but honestly everything is even if they win the next one.

Special teams are killing us. PK has been bad all year. PP been stale all year. Its finally catching up to us. Hopefully they can find a way.

Our defense is being neutralized. Knoblauch needs to make some adjustments and the players need to execute.

Florida just has too many legit forwards.

Bobrovsky is outplaying Skinner.

Given that we have home ice, winning the next game would be absolutely huge. Probably essential if we're being honest, but I won't count this team out down 3-1 either.

I feel the same way today that I felt after game 2 against LA. I thought we were done then. And now we're still playing two months later. They can turn this around, just need to make a couple of adjustments.

It's a must that Stetcher and Skinner come in.

 

[soothsayer]

In the past, I would have paid for this team's head stone by now. But I've seen this story too many times to count the Oilers out. It shouldn't shock anyone if this team blows the doors off Florida on Thursday.

 

[Hemsky4pm2]

It should be Brown out for J Skinner but it’ll be Frederic, so I voted that way

It won't be Frederic if they are trying to resign him. Kapanen was shot out of a cannon vs. VGK but is back down to earth. Has made bad defensive reads on early goals against. I think he will be out unless Brown is super injured (broken bone in foot, concussion symptoms).

I want to see:

RNH McDavid Kane
Podz Drai Arvi
Skinner Henrique Brown
Frederic Janmark Perry (he's still on PP1)

Kulak Bouchard
Ekholm Walman
Nurse Stetcher

Skinner (short leash)

 

[Ck1]

does Stu have to stay in for game 4 due to his history?

At this point I want to see Pickard play

I think stu gets the start from his game 4 history and all
But if he lets in 1 goal on the first or second shot and looks shaky you yank him
No more waiting till the 4th or 5th goal
And if you pull him it’s Pickards net for the remaining of the series

 

[redgrant]

I think stu gets the start from his game 4 history and all
But if he lets in 1 goal on the first or second shot and looks shaky you yank him
No more waiting till the 4th or 5th goal
And if you pull him it’s Pickards net for the remaining of the series

This just isn't going to happen. For some reason management has it in their head that Stuart skinner is a true #1 goalie.

 

[CupofOil]

One win away from a 2-2 series and a Best of 3 with home ice, easier said than done but that's the reality. I'm not giving up on the team and neither should any of you.

 

[Niten Ichi Ryu]

Every time a franchise/fanbase has boasted or rubbed the loss in our face, it initiated their own demise

Round 1: Kings social media releases photo of team mocking Skinner. Fans after game 2 already bringing out the brooms. We know the rest of the story

Round 2: Vegas fans buy over 100 billboards in Edmonton to rub in the 0.4s loss. We know the rest

Round 3: Stars fans releasing videos of Edmonton, calling it a shithole city, and sharing McDavid in a leafs jersey across social media. Alot of talking after game 1. We know the rest

Round 4: Fan spills drink on player blowing a kiss, throw rats on the ice, some with fake blood and an Oilers logo. Spamming social media comments with "crybaby oiler fans"....
We wait

 

[Drivesaitl]

Better be Pickard. To recant, in series thus far Marchant and Bennett have both beaten Skinner 4X already in only 3 games and have both beat him twice on posts as well. So 10X these two have beaten Skinner in only 3 games. They quite clearly have his number.

The Reinhart and Verhaege shots, they were also plays discussed. Both beat Skinner yesterday identical spot. Made it look easy.

no other contender team would be seeing their goalie lit up this badly and not remove him. It can't be Skinner against the Panthers. Eating him alive.

 

[gretzkyoilers]

If we're winning game 4, it starts with not letting in the first shot - and progresses to not letting in 3+ within 10 shots like we have in 3 straight games.

It's kind of remarkable to have won a game when you consider the Goaltending performance we've received in these 3 games. Realistically we should have won 2.

.920 vs .855 through 3 games. Bobrovsky has been a standard deviation better than league average all series, and Skinner has been 3 standard deviations worse. You can't win in this sport when there's a 4 standard deviation spread in net.

It means if you score 4 on 50 shots, you need to hold the other team to 30 shots to not just outright lose the f***ing game.

The Oilers are shooting low again just like in the 1st three games last year. They dominated game 1 and are capable of pulling this off. Getting the 1st goal is crucial in all these games...

 

[Drivesaitl]

Every time a franchise/fanbase has boasted or rubbed the loss in our face, it initiated their own demise

Round 1: Kings social media releases photo of team mocking Skinner. Fans after game 2 already bringing out the brooms. We know the rest of the story

Round 2: Vegas fans buy over 100 billboards in Edmonton to rub in the 0.4s loss. We know the rest

Round 3: Stars fans releasing videos of Edmonton, calling it a shithole city, and sharing McDavid in a leafs jersey across social media. Alot of talking after game 1. We know the rest

Round 4: Fan spills drink on player blowing a kiss, throw rats on the ice, some with fake blood and an Oilers logo. Spamming social media comments with "crybaby oiler fans"....
We wait

The bleeding rat freaked me out. That was a good Halloween stunt.

I hope your right but there was no moment between McD and Drai on the bench like there had been in the other games.

never heard about the Stars stuff.

heres a thing though. Neither Vegas or Dallas really bested us in any game. They were lucky to win the game they won, in both instances. The Panthers have been in every game, and blew it open last night. its a different opponent. Oilers can still win, never count em out, but its gonna take Pickard, and lineup subs.

 

[K1984]

Totally agree.

Listening to the GYB podcast today, read Spector and its the same narrative as HNIC last night: Oilers got distracted, started looking to play dirty and it cost them in penalties.

I disagree with all that. The Oilers saw the standard that was established in games 1 and 2 and went to play to that standard, only to suddenly have the referees decide that goalie interference, shots after the whistle, retaliation and too many men calls were now going to be enforced.

Call it whining all you want but these teams are officiated so differently, they may as well be playing different sports.

I agree with everything you said, but we may as well stop playing now if we think that complaining about the refs is going to do anything.

We are getting f***ed by them with a clear double standard. Fact.

They are obsessively calling penalties in the bushel early in games no matter what. Fact.

Kane and Perry are being targeted and currently aren't able to get away with indiscretions that wouldn't get called in pre-season. Fact.

All of this is bullshit and not fair, and a stain on the league and the sport. Not going to change in the next week. We have to do absolutely f***ing nothing. Don't look at them after a whistle. Take one hand off our stick in front of the net for battles so we don't take ticky tack cross check or high stick penalties. Don't do a single f***ing thing. Turn the other cheek and maybe, possibly the refs send them on a parade to the box early for once. They are going to do everything in their power to suck us into their game with antics again. We have to let them do it with no response. The league has forced this outcome, and we have to accept it.

The officials are forcing us to play a different game and it's horse shit, but it is what it is. If we're going to win the Stanley Cup we cannot take early first period penalties. This series is over if we keep doing that no matter what happens after.