Pre-Game Talk: Game 4 Hot Stew, the perfect meal. (with new & improved Pole)

[Arpeggio]

Problem is with Dallas is that they have gotten back into a series. The Oilers are superior but they cannot afford to sit back at all. Tomorrow they should play a tight defensive game and limit any chance Dallas has. No "lost" period.

Exactly. Oilers should be up 3-0 in this series, but they let Dallas get going in game 1. Can't make that mistake again, you have to step on their throats when you have the chance.

 

[BlackDogg]

That looks so much better than the can of Campbell Chunky Stew I was planning on having for lunch so now I will just eat my computer screen.

Maybe try the Skinner's Special Stu?

 

[McHelpus]

So assuming 11-7, here's what I would go with next game.

McDavid - Draisaitl - Perry/Skinner(yes Jeff)
Kane - Nuge - Hyman
Podkolzin - Henrique - Frederic
Janmark

Ekholm/Kulak - Bouchard
Walman - Klingberg
Kulak/Ekholm - Stetcher
Nurse

I don't think they are taking out Kapanen tbh

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

I don't think they are taking out Kapanen tbh

Maybe, he's been good, but largely un-remarkable the last few game, imo.

 

[OilerTyler]

With the way Nuge, Hyman and Kane are playing these playoffs I don’t know why we wouldn’t stack McDavid and Draisaitl right now. Especially with the next game being a home game where we can control the matchups.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

It's Stu's crease, but this is huge.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

They've all more than earned it.

 

[bone]

It's Stu's crease, but this is huge.

For sure. Stu likely has earned a couple sloppy games before he'd lose the crease, but nice to know there will soon at least be an option if he has a bad start or has some kind of injury.

 

[McShogun99]

With the way Nuge, Hyman and Kane are playing these playoffs I don’t know why we wouldn’t stack McDavid and Draisaitl right now. Especially with the next game being a home game where we can control the matchups.

If we get the the Cup finals then I think that should be the play against Florida. Power against power with Mcdavid's line going against the Barkov line. Run the same lineup of forwards we used against LA since they are both play similar styles with Florida being deeper.

 

[McFlyingV]

So a rested and hopefully more healthy Arvidsson in for Brown. Came at a pretty good time if Brown was gonna get banged up tbh. Up 2-1 in the series. Arvidsson should be able to be effective depth against a Dallas team that isn't overly physical. It's nice being able to inject some rested guys in the line up like this. No reason for Ekholm to sub in if they keep winning. Save him for the finals when they will need his size and physicality against a heavy physical Florida team.

Great to see Pickard back on the ice. Having him as insurance backing up Skinner makes this a stronger team.

 

[Arpeggio]

So a rested and hopefully more healthy Arvidsson in for Brown. Came at a pretty good time if Brown was gonna get banged up tbh. Up 2-1 in the series. Arvidsson should be able to be effective depth against a Dallas team that isn't overly physical. It's nice being able to inject some rested guys in the line up like this. No reason for Ekholm to sub in if they keep winning. Save him for the finals when they will need his size and physicality against a heavy physical Florida team.

Great to see Pickard back on the ice. Having him as insurance backing up Skinner makes this a stronger team.

If Arvidsson plays I expect him to have a really strong game, I think the guys that get inserted into the lineup are going to be very motivated to make a good impression and try to stay in. I wouldn't mind seeing Skinner in for Kapanen either for the same reason.

Can't underestimate the impact of having fresh legs at this stage of the playoffs either.

 

[Little Fury]

Petrovic even gonna get a phone call for that headshot or nah?

 

[WaitingForUser]

Petrovic even gonna get a phone call for that headshot or nah?

He should but won’t. But to be honest I would rather he stays in the lineup

 

[oobga]

Game 4 Stuuuuu!

 

[bellagiobob]

 

[oobga]

Head shot interference play swept under the rug by Parros.

 

[Dhockey16]

I think you go with J.Skinner and hope he can give you what Brown has been giving you. The physical traits are pretty similar, he just has to adjust his game for the moment. If he's given a shot and can't deliver he's probably done for the remainder of the post-season.

 

[soothsayer]

He should but won’t. But to be honest I would rather he stays in the lineup

On the other hand, imagine how bad the guys are in Dallas' reserve that Petrovic is playing 15 minutes in the WCF. *Checks roster, sees Matt Dumba is next in line* Okay, it wouldn't be the worst thing if Petrovic got suspended.

 

[bone]

Petrovic even gonna get a phone call for that headshot or nah?

There must be some better angles out there. The one we got you can't say for certain where first contact was made, but the way the head snapped back before the body, it looks like it could have been a headshot.

I'm not going to lose sleep much either because Petrovic vs. Lyabushkin isn't much of a difference and I don't think there was intent even if he did catch head.

That said, I'll swear up and down to Dallas fans that it should be a major after all the super smart Dallas fans claimed the slash should have given the ref no choice but to call a major because of "injury" while failing to acknowledge how often a player taking a puck to the skates is hurt enough to leave the game briefly only to return after walking it off. How does a ref know the difference between something "hurting like hell" vs. an actual injury there.

 

[bellagiobob]

Fair, but if he is indeed "ready" it's the perfect time to ease him in and go 11-7 assuming Brown might have to sit one out.

I guess it depends on what % of full health he is at and how much more room for improvement there is in his health. If the Drs have said that he’s at say 85% now, and might be at 90% in two weeks, with the same chance of reinjury at either stage, I probably play him now, going 11-7, as we have the one game buffer on our side to ease him in.

 

[bellagiobob]

 

[Drivesaitl]

Noticed that even last year in the series, they seem to regularly find a way to look extremely dominant for 20 minute segments. If you can survive those 20 minutes, you're likely to win. Coming out of that 20 minutes of domination in the 2nd yesterday even, basically finished them off. They don't seem to have it in them to push for 40-60 minutes to bury a team.

A thing I didn't mention is that a lot of the Dallas schemes seem to feature a club they no longer have. Dallas used to have deeper D pairs. Now they have to rely on Heiskanen and Harley so much they inevitably make mistakes. With the Oilers pounding constantly it also just wrecks them after awhile. But they're not at fault for whats gone on.

A lot was said about the Dallas D being the weak point of the club but in this series its most of the forwards that have been abysmal. Essentially the Stars forwards have existed to press forward too much for the desperation of goals that never come, while the D and OTT are left alone and helpless. So many oddman rushes, so many poor dumps by Dallas forwards, so many poor decisions by Dallas forwards. its actually the forwards that are killing Dallas. Its supposed to be a strength. Theres no goaltending and D anywhere that are gonna stop the constant diet of odd man rushes the Dallas forwards are giving up.

Dallas jumped and abandoned the game plan. ironically the forwards that did it have done so because they are so inept at playoff finishing and cheat to try to get what they're not getting.

MacT used to say you have to be able to read when to pinch, when to skate back and without that you're not much help. Dallas were cheating all 3 periods and eventually got burned.

 

[bellagiobob]

 

[PULSATING]

Holy crap imagine getting to meet the GOAT

 

[oobga]

"Nobody is a passenger if you're in the 3rd round"

Carolina Hurricanes: