GDT: Game #21: Call of the Wild: Wild @ Oilers - 7 PM - SNW

[FlameChampion]

Stacking McDrai bothers me less when they aren’t including Hyman (at least in the past). Even if they play together still need to spread the talent around so I don’t mind someone like Podkolzin with them.

They are historically bad defensively when together especially after multiple game but it is what it is

 

[JeffSkinner53]

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

I have to say, he looks like a dude you play Rec League with lol.

Edit: Holy shit, he's Finnish? He sounds like a dude you play Rec league with. Well, I hope he does well.

 

[guymez]

The media in Edmponton is brutal.
A dumb question is asked and then another reporter asks the same dumb question in a different way.
Rinse Repeat.

As for Kapanen...I am really curious to see how he looks.

 

[russ99]

Fair enough, he just seems distinctly more equipped to play and contribute than Derek Ryan at present.

That depends if you want to trust a rookie to the important 4th line own zone starts and PK in the postseason.

Ryan has had a poor season (like most of our bottom six, except Janmark) but he's got a good track record in that role.

 

[Morpheus]

Kapanen to wear #42

PROJECTED LINEUP: Kapanen to debut on second line vs. Wild | Edmonton Oilers

Forward Kasperi Kapanen will debut on Edmonton's second line against Minnesota in the absence of Zach Hyman & Viktor Arvidsson from the lineup on Thursday night at Rogers Place

www.nhl.com

 

[Arpeggio]

I'd like to see the Oilers record in games where they stack the top line vs games where they don't over the last two seasons. I think they were separated for most of that big winning streak, but aside from that I feel like they win more when they play together vs. not.

I like the idea of putting Nuge, Skinner, Arvidsson, Hyman, and Henrique on lines without McDavid and Draisaitl because there's enough talent there that they should be able to figure out how to score. A healthy bottom six of:

Skinner - RNH - Hyman
Kane - Henrique - Arvidsson
Perry - Janmark - Brown

should be able to do something.

 

[K1984]

We’re currently doing the thing where we generally play well on the road, but are more or less a joke at home one way or another. There are exceptions of course (we seem to choose to play like dogs in Columbus and Montreal annually), but generally that’s been the theme.

Like anything with the Oilers, this could be a 5-0 win just as easily as a 5-0 loss, but based on how we generally choose to mope around the ice at home the latter is more likely. Especially against a team that works hard. Teams that simply work hard are our kryptonite, actual talent level be dammed.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Its the Wild. Expecting a 5-3 loss in this one. But who knows.

 

[oXo Cube]

Arvidsson is gonna join Klefbom and become the second Oiler ever to be out day to day for 60 games straight.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Arvidsson is gonna join Klefbom and become the second Oiler ever to be out day to day for 60 games straight.

When Oilers say day to day it’s code for amputation.

 

[VainGretzky]

The media in Edmponton is brutal.
A dumb question is asked and then another reporter asks the same dumb question in a different way.
Rinse Repeat.

As for Kapanen...I am really curious to see how he looks.

They don't even think of new questions to ask they all have a list with the same garbage

 

[K1984]

Top line stack seems reasonable given all the talented support forwards are out of the lineup.

Gonna need 29 & 97 to combine for 6+ points to have any shot in this game either way so may as well make it easier on them.

Also going to need the two of them to actually give a f*** and pay attention in the D zone.

Kaprizov embarrassed them in this matchup in a game around this time last year in Minnesota because they were fully in “stand around at wait for the puck to come to me” mode in the D zone. Kaprizov is very underrated, probably one of the scariest guys to play against if your team is defensively nonchalant.

 

[Spawn]

Then why hasn't stacking the top line worked the last 200 times we tried it?

It works more often than not. When no one else in the forward group can pull their head out of their ass there aren’t a tonne of other options.

 

[VeteranPresence]

Kapanen to wear #42

PROJECTED LINEUP: Kapanen to debut on second line vs. Wild | Edmonton Oilers

Forward Kasperi Kapanen will debut on Edmonton's second line against Minnesota in the absence of Zach Hyman & Viktor Arvidsson from the lineup on Thursday night at Rogers Place

www.nhl.com

Kapanen-RNH-Skinner is an interesting look. It's a positive that Knoblauch has wised up and is willing to give Skinner a shot on the side he's had the most success at, and who knows, maybe Kap is the missing piece as the forechecker with speed who gains the zone for the two puck cyclers to do their thing.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1859675297811136708

 

[Spawn]

Stacking McDrai bothers me less when they aren’t including Hyman (at least in the past). Even if they play together still need to spread the talent around so I don’t mind someone like Podkolzin with them.

They are historically bad defensively when together especially after multiple game but it is what it is

The bold isn’t true.

The Oilers wildly outscore the opposition with McDavid and Draisaitl together over the past 3 seasons and McDavids GA numbers actually go down. Draisaitls increase marginally but his GF/60 sky rockets.

 

[yukoner88]

Then why hasn't stacking the top line worked the last 200 times we tried it?

Is our winning percentage that bad when we do stack the top line?

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

It works more often than not. When no one else in the forward group can pull their head out of their ass there aren’t a tonne of other options.

They got to the Cup Final last year by keeping them on separate lines except for certain situations. It was the games they stapled them together that they typically lost.

There's a reason why the fanbase jokes about stacking the top line as some sort of last resort.

 

[Morpheus]

OP updated

 

[guymez]

We’re currently doing the thing where we generally play well on the road, but are more or less a joke at home one way or another. There are exceptions of course (we seem to choose to play like dogs in Columbus and Montreal annually), but generally that’s been the theme.

Like anything with the Oilers, this could be a 5-0 win just as easily as a 5-0 loss, but based on how we generally choose to mope around the ice at home the latter is more likely. Especially against a team that works hard. Teams that simply work hard are our kryptonite, actual talent level be dammed.

You nailed it.
This team seems to have it in their heads far too often that talent is enough and hard work is optional.
So when they come up against a hard working team they cant seem to find their game.
Its like they just expect their game to 'show up' in lieu of hard work.

That is in part why I would like to see an energy line on this team. A line that will go out there and just physically dominate.
They dont have anything that even comes close to that and I think that this team really needs that element.

 

[Drivesaitl]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1859675297811136708

Yoyo championship started.

That'll be 23.5cents in cap relief and some frequent flyer miles.

Watch him be the other winger on the Drai line now..

 

[Oilers88]

The media in Edmponton is brutal.
A dumb question is asked and then another reporter asks the same dumb question in a different way.
Rinse Repeat.

As for Kapanen...I am really curious to see how he looks.

Did I mishear, or was the opening question literally "How's it feel....Lots of new stuff?????"

 

[JeffSkinner53]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1859675297811136708

He deserves to stay up in my opinion. Should be the 7th guy. Flame me lol.

 

[NotAVacuumSalesman]

Remember when Darnell got hit in the head with the puck and played exceptionally well for a good stretch?

Reaves might’ve done us a favour.