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

[brentashton]

It doesn't help that this team is looking wingerless. Draisaitl set up some great finishes by Foegele and Holloway last year. Certainly Leon can produce more. It is still a team game and everyone needs to bring their best to beat Florida. Even that could come up short.

Yup , lose Hyman to season ending injuries, RNH compromised, Frederic never healed, and now move all your “depth” upwards to fill. Who wudda thought wingers would be an issue with all that. Skinner, Kane, Arviddson, Brown and Kapanen need to be nuclear the next 2 games.

Too many injuries to key players to go this far. They need to rely on heart and memories of last year at this point.

 

[Navx94]

God damn that skinner so trash hopefully he picks it up…..!

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

That’s the series right there

I have bitched and complained all year about the Oilers slow starts in games (and in seasons and after breaks) and now it seems to be coming home to roost. They must get the first goal in each of the next 2 games to win. This chasing games isn't a winning strategy.

 

[McShogun99]

You can arrive at your own conclusions. Some glaring stats here.

Stanley Cup Finals Individual Player Stats This Season | StatMuse

stanley cup finals individual player stats this season

www.statmuse.com

We’re essentially getting killed by Bennett and Marchand.

 

[lopper]

Like a sucker I will be watching this game with the heart hoping for a win and the head expecting the worst. Please just win.

 

[redgrant]

Yup , lose Hyman to season ending injuries, RNH compromised, Frederic never healed, and now move all your “depth” upwards to fill. Who wudda thought wingers would be an issue with all that. Skinner, Kane, Arviddson, Brown and Kapanen need to be nuclear the next 2 games.

Too many injuries to key players to go this far. They need to rely on heart and memories of last year at this point.

Exactly what this team is lacking is the late 90s blue collar oiler team heart. Buchburger, weight, Guerin, Smyth, Moreau. No where near as skilled as these guys but they'd gladly block a puck with their face if it helped the team.

Still remember that Dallas game 7 like yesterday or Colorado game 7. What I would give to have prime cujo in net for us now.

 

[McHelpus]

Who else feels numb. Last year I couldn't sleep, I've basically accepted that we ain't winning

 

[zoo99]

I also don't for the life of me understand why we're wasting so much of McDavid's energy on the PK. He's gassed because he's killing penalties for half a period at times.

I get it against the Kings five forwards where the Oilers also really needed a spark, but the fact that he's remained on the PK unit the entire playoffs is just awful load management.

He doesn't create any rushes. No team has had to worry about him except that one time he got a chance and hit the bar. All he does is risk injury blocking a shot or something.

Agree 100%, sure if you want to give him 20-30 seconds on the backend once and a while go for it but you’re killing his legs when someone else can/should be

 

[Salvaged Ship]

Agree 100%, sure if you want to give him 20-30 seconds on the backend once and a while go for it but you’re killing his legs when someone else can/should be

Agree with this, you are wearing him out even more I guess they hope he will score a shorty.

 

[KCC]

Who else feels numb. Last year I couldn't sleep, I've basically accepted that we ain't winning

Pretty much. It has become very apparent that last year was their best shot. Florida got better and it has shown. Also the fact that we are still talking about which goalie should be starting this deep into a playoff run is ridiculous. Any other team at this stage would have their starting goalie locked in and wouldn't even take a second glance. That goes to show you how disjointed the team has been. Unless McDavid and Drai go nuclear and they can get some stops, Florida is hoisting the cup again at home tomorrow night. The sad thing is this might be the only other time McDavid and Drai have at a cup.

 

[Oilslick941611]

Edit: didn’t realize I was in the Oilers sub. My bad. I’ll remove.

lol it’s crazy you’re allowed to be here after that I’ve been banned/removed from threads and teams forums for less.

 

[Oilslick941611]

Can someone explain to me why the Oilers look more tired and exhausted than the Panthers?

We finished Vegas and Dallas off in 5 games.
I realize that Florida plays punishing and have been hitting us in this series. But playing that way has to piling up on them and they have made it to the finals in 3 years…

I don’t get it or understand it personally. I understand why they would be tired but I don’t understand why Florida looks fresher.

Does Florida just want it more? Are the Oilers also just playing frustrated/confused?

Fatigue doesn’t affect everyone the same way, our tops guys were hurt for the last 3rd of the season. I dont they really fully recovered.

Our team had to travel a lot more than the panthers did. The panthers could be home after road games within 3 hours of the game finishing. They played Tampa, Toronto and Carolina, they never had to go far home.

Meanwhile Edmonton went to LA, Vegas and Dallas. Travel wears on the body. Also our D seemly fell apart when Ekholm returned, chemistry was disturbed and the alignment is all wrong. They can’t seem to get it back.

It’s not an excuse, but Florida does appear to be a lot sharper than the Oilers. Florida might be team we look back on in 20-25 years and say were among the top teams in NHL history.

 

[Oilslick941611]

Pretty much. It has become very apparent that last year was their best shot. Florida got better and it has shown. Also the fact that we are still talking about which goalie should be starting this deep into a playoff run is ridiculous. Any other team at this stage would have their starting goalie locked in and wouldn't even take a second glance. That goes to show you how disjointed the team has been. Unless McDavid and Drai go nuclear and they can get some stops, Florida is hoisting the cup again at home tomorrow night. The sad thing is this might be the only other time McDavid and Drai have at a cup.

It helps when a future HOF’er says “if you trade me, I’m only going to Florida”

 

[Oilslick941611]

Makes sense, The Florida organization is trash, as witnessed by their co-owners tweets earlier in the playoffs and Paul Maurice is a classless piece of filth of a coach who thinks he’s gods gift to coaching, despite being mired in mediocrity until he willingly walked away from the Jets in the middle of a season to jump ship to a team that would have won a cup with a scarecrow behind the bench.

 

[McJadeddog]

Makes sense, The Florida organization is trash, as witnessed by their co-owners tweets earlier in the playoffs and Paul Maurice is a classless piece of filth of a coach who thinks he’s gods gift to coaching, despite being mired in mediocrity until he willingly walked away from the Jets in the middle of a season to jump ship to a team that would have won a cup with a scarecrow behind the bench.

Yeah they really are maybe the most classless team I can ever remember. No, I'm not just saying that because we have played them twice in the finals. They are a GREAT team actually, and I 110% respect their team's abilities. They are just classless outside of their skill, nobody would ever deny this. Great players, terrible humans.

 

[zoo99]

Anytime you have McDrai on your side you have a chance, even with
0% Hyman
60% Nuge
60% Ekholm
Who knows what % Fredric and Kane , both coming off long term injuries.
If they can some how pull this off it will be a small miracle

 

[Mr Positive]

Who else feels numb. Last year I couldn't sleep, I've basically accepted that we ain't winning

Well that's silly. We could win this still

 

[PitkanensGitch]

Makes sense, The Florida organization is trash, as witnessed by their co-owners tweets earlier in the playoffs and Paul Maurice is a classless piece of filth of a coach who thinks he’s gods gift to coaching, despite being mired in mediocrity until he willingly walked away from the Jets in the middle of a season to jump ship to a team that would have won a cup with a scarecrow behind the bench.

If Maurice wins two Cups in a row after three straight SCF appearances, he will have earned the right to talk however the f*** he wants really.

How many other coaches have done that in league history? Any?

 

[redgrant]

It helps when a future HOF’er says “if you trade me, I’m only going to Florida”

I can't believe how gutless some of these management teams are. If I had an employee talk to me like that it's you'll do exaclty as I say. What an awful deal Boston got for a hof player.

 

[Oilslick941611]

If Maurice wins two Cups in a row after three straight SCF appearances, he will have earned the right to talk however the f*** he wants really.

How many other coaches have done that in league history? Any?

Jon Cooper just did it, right before Maurice might.

But Jon cooper doesn’t have a 2 decade coaching history like Maurice does of being low to mid table finishes.

Florida wins because of the players, not the coach. Like i said earlier, Paul Maurice walked into this team that was ready for the next step. They were winning regardless who was standing behind the bench.

 

[McHelpus]

Well that's silly. We could win this still

Yeah, maybe it's better for me mentally having 0 expectations lool

 

[MessierII]

Yeah, maybe it's better for me mentally having 0 expectations lool

I’m kind of numb too. If they are going to lose I’d almost rather just get it over with tomorrow. Losing 3 game 7 cup finals in 19 years would be rough. On the flip side coming back and winning at home would be glorious. It’s still possible i suppose there is a faint hope. That effort game 5 really shook my belief in the team though. I still can’t believe they came out with that first period.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Yeah, maybe it's better for me mentally having 0 expectations lool

My slogan!

 

[M Ace]

Barkov's officially the most overrated centre in the game

I'm with you for that take. He lives on that because of Panthers amazing 2-way depth!
Switch teams for Barkov and McDavid/Draisaitl. Oilers would not even get past Kings. Panthers would have swept Oilers this series with one of our Superstars.

 

[Whoshattenkirkshoes]

Do you guys think if we lose the Oilers battle and play hard/competitive? Or do you think we just get slapped around again like game 5?