Pre-Game Talk: Final Game 6. Do or Die. That is the Pole.

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

I don't trust our tending enough to say "do", so I choose "die", unfortunately. I won't be shocked or anything if Skinner (assuming its him) plays well enough that we have a shot at winning, but I'm certainly not EXPECTING it by any means. Tending just too variable in a series as tight as this.

Now would be a nice time for Smilin' Stu to go on one of his heaters. We only need 2 games of it. Is that too much to ask???

 

[Dieseloil]

Like I said the other day, they have to make it harder on Ratshit and Bentover, but for some reason they don’t. Bennett’s goal last night perfect example. This team is way too easy to score against.

 

[foshizzle]

Complete ass is a bit harsh. He has collectively been pretty good since he came back.

I believe prior to tonight's debacle he had been on the ice for very few high quality chances for Florida.

No- he has been bad.

CF% 46
SF% 49
XG% 47
SCF% 39
HDCF% 47

That and the rest of the pairs have lost their chemistry and alignment. He needs to come out

 

[foshizzle]

Worst part of that is it sounds like Dustbin will survive yet another season

Salesman of the decade

He is here for life

 

[Stoneman89]

Here's something to give hope and cheer everyone up a bit. The sad sack Leafs were down 3-2 to the Panthers and went into Florida and shut them out 2-0 to force a game 7. That's where I will end the comparison though.

 

[foshizzle]

Marchand was inside the faceoff circle and the 3rd goal shouldn't have counted. I hate that the NHL has come this but here we are. Awful product on and off the ice. View attachment 1050576

In the offensive zone, 200 feet away from the Oilers goal. You think his skates being 8 inches inside the circles had anything to do with goal against, I want some of what you’re smoking.

What you’re missing is that guy wearing 90 not getting in his way…twice…2 goals against

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Curlock tells it like it is for what the D pairings need to be for the next game. Coffey is messing up big time and I agree 100% with this line of thought.

14-2
25-96
27-36 or 51 personally prefer 36.

 

[foshizzle]

Here's something to give hope and cheer everyone up a bit. The sad sack Leafs were down 3-2 to the Panthers and went into Florida and shut them out 2-0 to force a game 7. That's where I will end the comparison though.

I watched that game 6.

- Leafs defence has been way better than the oilers in staying in their structure. They protected the house well
- Leafs were much better at attacking the Florida net with bodies.

Since Ekholm came back- their D structure has fallen to shit.

 

[foshizzle]

Curlock tells it like it is for what the D pairings need to be for the next game. Coffey is messing up big time and I agree 100% with this line of thought.

14-2
25-96
27-36 or 51 personally prefer 36.

He is excellent. I’m still taking out Ekholm

 

[Lay Z Boy GM]

Get everyone on PEDs for the last two games, gotta even things up

Jokes aside the series isn’t over until it’s over. One win and we have a chance to eliminate Florida. That’s it. Maybe game 7 goes differently in Edmonton.

It feels like Knoblauch is out of answers though. We always seem to get better throughout series under him, but not this time.

Never know what to expect with this team. Would it be outrageous for them to win the next game? Not at all. But I don’t think Florida is gonna get cocky now that they have 3 wins this time.. they learned their lesson. But hopefully they can’t help themselves and think they got it in the bag and take their rat feet off the gas.

Connor, Leon, everyone, we need you to step up. Just win the next one and see what happens. They’ve been in worse situations before.

 

[brentashton]

Would love for the much (and deserved) maligned Stu to be the gracious winner in the next series ending handshake line.

Oilers face another critical goalie call against unflinching Panthers

As the Edmonton Oilers try to force a Game 7, the biggest question facing head coach Kris Knoblauch is his starting goalie. It's a stark contrast from the reliability of the Panthers' Sergei Bobrovsky on the other side.

www.sportsnet.ca

 

[Cloned]

Hail in June - that’s a sign we’re winning this f***ing thing

 

[Jarvi]

It feels like Knoblauch is out of answers though. We always seem to get better throughout series under him, but not this time.

Coaching is definitely my biggest concern from that last game. When every player is making the same stupid mistakes and avoiding the same areas of the ice, it's hard not to fault coaching. Individual lost battles and errors will happen, but you don't get hemmed in for a full game essentially due to individual errors.

Putting Ekholm at RD, avoidance of the middle of the ice, our forecheck being nonexistent, taking out Kapanen for Arvy, running stecher back after benching him for an hour, Frederic staying in. All decisions that cost us or at the least, look incorrect by the results.

I also don't like how today he is just handwaving away any concerns over the poor starts and blaming it on PP's. He was asked today, and that was basically his answer. That might have had some legs in the previous games, but yesterday that wasn't the story. I really hope he just doesn't want to tip his hand to any systemic changes, because they need to happen imo.

 

[94 Oil Drops]

I voted die. Don't worry too much though, I acknowledge that we still have a chance and I'm almost always wrong.

Happy Father's day to all of you dads!

And to the ones who are lucky and have no kids to drive you nuts. Have a great day as well! Lol just kidding.

Anyway

I chose Do

Because I don't want the oilers to die

Happy fathers day to you as well as the others of HF Oil! I'm going to be a father this December. I get the feeling that this final is going to be some of the last hockey I pay very close attention to for a long time. My wife's pregnancy has been absolutely brutal. Lots and lots of nausea. I had to take her to the hospital after she got in a car accident a couple months back which has made her feel even worse! I've watched very few playoffs games and in a number of instances, I've had to just turn on the radio in the back ground a number of times while comforting her and not watch the game on tv.

Having a new born just changes everything and that's all parents end up being able to focus on. Some part of me is always going to be an Oilers fan but I don't think they'll be a part of myself like they used to be once this season passes... That's why I'm going to be absolutely heartbroken if they lose this. We may never see them come back to the final for a very long time afterwards. Anyway, regardless hockey is just a dumb sport at the end of the day that we all happen to love watching. We have no control over what those men do... We can only watch what they do unfold.

I'm sorry for the big ramble. A cup victory would certainly lift my spirit. Crosby's 09 Penguins and Messier's 94 Rangers got stuck in this exact same position. We might pull this off if Florida doesn't play their best. You never know.

 

[foshizzle]

Time to load them up, boys.

11-7

Kane-McDavid-Draisaitl. Take the shackles off of Kane. Tell him to keep his stick down

Frederic- Hopkins- Skinner
Janmark-Henrique-Brown
Kap-Perry

Bouchard - Ekholm
Walman- Klingberg
Kulak/Nurse- Stetcher

No more D playing their off-side, Florida is destroying and exposing that.

Let’s go back to the collapsing D that won us the first 3 rounds. Protect the f***ing house

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Just win this one, do everything to win just Tuesday's game.

 

[Arpeggio]

The Panther's pressure is just relentless. The series was going to be decided by whether the Oilers could figure out how to neutralize it, and they haven't been able to. When the Panthers get any Ozone time, it turns into 3-4 minutes of pressure, nearly every time.

I'm hoping for the best here, but the Oilers need to be able to carry the play for extended periods in order to have a chance, and I'm just not sure we have the horses right now.

 

[Drivesaitl]

No- he has been bad.

CF% 46
SF% 49
XG% 47
SCF% 39
HDCF% 47

That and the rest of the pairs have lost their chemistry and alignment. He needs to come out

Ekholm is done for this year. had trouble skating, moving. Looks to be in constant pain. Even a Viking can't always pillage.

This is a better thread than the PGT. haha, I should've come here.

Oilers have the gift of an extra day of rest before game 6, and game 7. This is required and helpful to the Oilers. if you're the Panthers the remaining game(s) feel like an eternal wait. Especially considering they blew game 4.

Panthers will still be nervous facing generational superstars. Anything can happen.

 

[bellagiobob]

Hail in June - that’s a sign we’re winning this f***ing thing

Nice that both weather apps I follow showed a sunny sky with no chance of rain. Wasn’t until we were half way thru the storm that I got a weather warning.

 

[Drivesaitl]

The Panther's pressure is just relentless. The series was going to be decided by whether the Oilers could figure out how to neutralize it, and they haven't been able to. When the Panthers get any Ozone time, it turns into 3-4 minutes of pressure, nearly every time.

I'm hoping for the best here, but the Oilers need to be able to carry the play for extended periods in order to have a chance, and I'm just not sure we have the horses right now.

Extra day of rest helps. if the game is Monday then I tend to agree with you. We have just enough of a layoff to work on some things and get rested. There should be no practices or drills. Nothing hard. More film than anything at this point. Players are tired, clearly. Give this team the mental assignments, these are veterans who know how to play. Rest and study. Take time off the ice.

 

[Cloned]

Nice that both weather apps I follow showed a sunny sky with no chance of rain. Wasn’t until we were half way thru the storm that I got a weather warning.

Technically it wasn’t rain so it wasn’t completely wrong

 

[Hemsky4pm2]

The Oil are now the final team to face an elimination game these playoffs. Even the Panthers did vs the Leafs. I still believe.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Curlock tells it like it is for what the D pairings need to be for the next game. Coffey is messing up big time and I agree 100% with this line of thought.

14-2
25-96
27-36 or 51 personally prefer 36.

We essentially don't have Ekholm. not the version of Ekholm that can play. he's done. Stecher has to stay in. I don't that Klingberg can go either but maybe. Ekholm should come out. Unless he's for some reason feeling remarkably better before gametime.

 

[bellagiobob]

Technically it wasn’t rain so it wasn’t completely wrong

We actually got a fair bit of rain out our way. Which was nice, but unexpected.

 

[bellagiobob]