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

[frag2]

Nobody is "crapping" on Ekholm. He's not been anywhere near his usual play since coming back and frankly Ekholm wasn't Ekholm this season. The Viking is injured and he's aging. Its hard to say if he ever gets back to the great D we previously had.

That's how I see it. He's been okay to great in spurts but that's so few and far between this season, it's hard to be positive about it. And playoffs, hes been pretty bad. It's ironic Bouch is the one stabilizing that pairing

 

[Drivesaitl]

It was nice of the Oilers to feel so bad for lighting him up in game 4 so they decided to give him a night off in game 5. 11 shots and 3 HDSC at 5v5 all night.

I guess they can't be much worse next game.

Turn around between OT game 4 and game 5 was very short and with the longest possible travel day between games. It was a given Panthers would have more legs in game 5 and that it would probably factor. Given the age of our club its almost a scheduling loss. As I've mentioned the next two games have the appropriate breaks and gives an old team more time to rest and hopefully have more legs. I expect they will.

From what we've seen of the core group here they will bring their best in game 6. Or all they have left.

 

[Dieseloil]

The Oilers PK isn't good enough for them to do that, theres 2 tiered officiating in this series and though the players/team won't say it publicly it's clearly in their heads

I wasn’t talking about the PK, but yes agree about the officials.

 

[BobbytheBrain]

Go with

Skinner-McD-Kane
RNH- Drai- Arvy

 

[Little Fury]

Turn around between OT game 4 and game 5 was very short and with the longest possible travel day between games. It was a given Panthers would have more legs in game 5 and that it would probably factor. Given the age of our club its almost a scheduling loss. As I've mentioned the next two games have the appropriate breaks and gives an old team more time to rest and hopefully have more legs. I expect they will.

From what we've seen of the core group here they will bring their best in game 6. Or all they have left.

The scheduling has been mystifying. One day between games in Edmonton, then two games between the games in Florida, rush back to Edmonton for Game 5 and then another long break between 5 and 6.

 

[Arpeggio]

Go with

Skinner-McD-Kane
RNH- Drai- Arvy

Rishaug has

Nuge - McD - Brown
Skinner - Drai - Kane
Frederic - Henrique - Arvidsson
Kapanen - Janmark - Perry

for those interested.

 

[gretzkyoilers]

Turn around between OT game 4 and game 5 was very short and with the longest possible travel day between games. It was a given Panthers would have more legs in game 5 and that it would probably factor. Given the age of our club its almost a scheduling loss. As I've mentioned the next two games have the appropriate breaks and gives an old team more time to rest and hopefully have more legs. I expect they will.

From what we've seen of the core group here they will bring their best in game 6. Or all they have left.

Could be this....I found that game weird: zero effort and then McDavid realized at the end he was McDavid. Game 4 they played well in the come back. Florida is totally beatable and the Oiler's mental breakdowns are a head scratcher. That being said the loss of Hyman has been huge.

 

[Fishy McScales]

He has been bad since coming back though. His xGF has been about 47% these playoffs. The only D that has been worse is Stecher at 45%.

Kinda unfair to compare him against the others' full runs when that includes lesser teams than Florida, don't you think?

In the final he is the third best guy on most metrics, including a positive xG% of 51.

 

[brentashton]

Rishaug has

Nuge - McD - Brown
Skinner - Drai - Kane
Frederic - Henrique - Arvidsson
Kapanen - Janmark - Perry

for those interested.

Brown should not see the top 6. I know Perry had a rough game, but he’s a play-uh. Season’s in the line, Perry and Brown swap.

I actually like @BobbytheBrain s line suggestions posted earlier.

 

[Fishy McScales]

This place absoulutely is a drag after loss, its all chicken littles.

However, there is something to the Ekholm talk. Our D was doing fine before he came back and when he was put back in the line up, its almost the D lost all chemistry. Personally, i dont feel Ekholm is 100% recovered, and is playing hurt, and the nature of his injury is preventing him from moving around effectively. He was already slowing down. I think he'll be fine next year though. Just really bad timing here for him.

I disagree that he's been bad, but I do agree that we've seen him play better.

When it comes to messing with the pairings, it might hold water. Or we just ran into a much better team and it looks like they lost chemistry when in fact they just got overwhelmed.

I personally still think we're better off with Ekholm in the lineup and one of Stecher and Klingberg in the PB.

 

[9GWG9]

The FLA team we are playing this year is last years on steroids. The addition of the rat, Bennett's contract year play and sadly being outcoached have been the difference. Toss is shoddy officiating, weak goaltending and the fact we haven't came close to bring our best I think we are fortunate to still be playing.

My heart says we rattle off two games like we did mid Vegas series.

 

[GhostfaceWu]

Rishaug has

Nuge - McD - Brown
Skinner - Drai - Kane
Frederic - Henrique - Arvidsson
Kapanen - Janmark - Perry

for those interested.

Brown has been objectively one of the worst players. A whole lot of defending and skating up and down the ice not hitting making it extremely easy for Florida's d. Meanwhile pod has been way more of a factor in the series and actually hits.

 

[Oilslick941611]

I disagree that he's been bad, but I do agree that we've seen him play better.

When it comes to messing with the pairings, it might hold water. Or we just ran into a much better team and it looks like they lost chemistry when in fact they just got overwhelmed.

I personally still think we're better off with Ekholm in the lineup and one of Stecher and Klingberg in the PB.

healthy, i agree

 

[Fishy McScales]

Nobody is "crapping" on Ekholm. He's not been anywhere near his usual play since coming back and frankly Ekholm wasn't Ekholm this season. The Viking is injured and he's aging. Its hard to say if he ever gets back to the great D we previously had.

People want our third best D in the series in the pressbox after a rough outing.

They are crapping on him.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

For what it’s worth.

 

[Fishy McScales]

healthy, i agree

He's healthy enough to be significantly better than those two in the series.

 

[Arpeggio]

Brown should not see the top 6. I know Perry had a rough game, but he’s a play-uh. Season’s in the line, Perry and Brown swap.

I actually like @BobbytheBrain s line suggestions posted earlier.

Perry is just too slow for this series imo.

 

[Drivesaitl]

People want our third best D in the series in the pressbox after a rough outing.

They are crapping on him.

The reason stated, at least by me, is around whether Ekholm can really play right now with his injury, or whether we're just forcefeeding him in lineup through need. remember his prognosis was originally longer injury.

This is not on Ekholm at all or the type of player he is when healthy. I love him. Its whether he can suit up and play now with his injury. He should be assessed as a game time decision. Very clearly he's been in pain.

 

[bone]

The FLA team we are playing this year is last years on steroids. The addition of the rat, Bennett's contract year play and sadly being outcoached have been the difference. Toss is shoddy officiating, weak goaltending and the fact we haven't came close to bring our best I think we are fortunate to still be playing.

My heart says we rattle off two games like we did mid Vegas series.

Funny way of putting it knowing that there were allegations of last year's team juicing, then suddenly Jones and Marchand have complete rebirth's once joining the team, and don't forget they also added another formally "convicted" juicer.

 

[Fishy McScales]

The reason stated, at least by me, is around whether Ekholm can really play right now with his injury, or whether we're just forcefeeding him in lineup through need. remember his prognosis was originally longer injury.

This is not on Ekholm at all or the type of player he is when healthy. I love him. Its whether he can suit up and play now with his injury. He should be assessed as a game time decision. Very clearly he's been in pain.

I personally think a lot of people are projecting injuries on players in the playoffs.

Whether it's rust or an injury or Ekholm simply losing a step due to age this year, he's still playing better than four of our other D.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I personally think a lot of people are projecting injuries on players in the playoffs.

Whether it's rust or an injury or Ekholm simply losing a step due to age this year, he's still playing better than four of our other D.

When I'm seeing players grimacing on bench and on ice and favoring themselves in play and avoiding some contacts its not really projecting. Nor is it the case with Ekholm who is known to be injured and with an injury that kept him out of the lineup a long time.

In this series Ekholm deferred on a fight in a way never seen before. yeah he's protecting himself from further injury because he's clearly playing through injury. This is not the Ekholm that any fans here have seen.

 

[foshizzle]

Brown has been objectively one of the worst players. A whole lot of defending and skating up and down the ice not hitting making it extremely easy for Florida's d. Meanwhile pod has been way more of a factor in the series and actually hits.

Knob just can’t quit Brown. No goals in what 13/14 games, 3 points since LA…you get promoted to play with McDavid. Im sure it’ll help the offence.

 

[MessierThanThou]

Knob just can’t quit Brown. No goals in what 13/14 games, 3 points since LA…you get promoted to play with McDavid. Im sure it’ll help the offence.

Yup. Brown should've been sitting in the press box last game, not doing cardio on the first line. Sitting Kapanen made us slower and easier to bully.

 

[brentashton]

Perry is just too slow for this series imo.

yes, he’s slow but his hands still work. We need goals not breakaways that end up missing the net.

 

[McJadeddog]

Right from the source

NHL Playoff Drug Test​

The NHL does not conduct drug testing during the playoffs. According to the league's drug-testing policy, testing for performance-enhancing drugs does not occur during the playoffs and off-season.However, players are tested at least two times per season for performance-enhancing drugs such as steroids, and individual players can be selected for random testing during the regular season and playoffs. The testing is conducted "at work on the day of a scheduled practice or meeting," but not on game days.

So they can selected at random during the playoffs.