GDT: Game #58: Oilers @ Bolts - 5:30 PM - SN1

[Wreckus]

TV Optik tv is back....not sure if that's a good thing concerning the game.

 

[K1984]

That’s fair but I think he’s also relying on his goalie to make a save. It’s a f***ing wraparound

Both can be true.

If one of them did their job it isn’t a goal. Both are f***ing bums. Doesn’t have to be one or the other every time.

 

[Tarus]

I was thinking for a second there that Stan Bowman got really old, really fast.

Maybe Scotty can go give Knob some pointers while he's visiting

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Bouchard was skating towards and cutting off his man like he should.

Skinner was reacting late and doing a slow post to post skate push on what would be an easy stop for almost any other goaltender in the league.

I don’t know if you watch the analysis in between periods, they broke it down really well. Bouchard’s got to pressure Hagel prior to him even wrapping, but Bouchard was in full glide mode.

When Hagel went behind the net, Bouchard has to get to that far post and cut him off and he didn’t do that.

And yes, Skinner has to come across hard and make that save.

Two bad mistakes one goal against.

 

[unicornBLOOD]

The thing is that they were terrible the 7-8 or so games before the break so this is now a very long "slump". Nobody outside of Draisaitl, including McDavid relative to his normal level, has pissed a drop of anything most of the season, some of the worst goaltending in the league and now the defense is cratering. Think about it? Who has had a good season relative to their norms this season? Drai and Nurse? Kulak for a while. Perry too for a while. That's it, that's all.

oh ya, it isn't 1 or 2 guys, plenty of guys in slumps, not many having even "average" seasons so far.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Or they could? There is still A LOT of hockey to be played, both tonight and this year.

There is absolutely no reason to give up over a few weeks of crap hockey. I remember when we use to HOPE to be in the conversation for the playoffs by now. Give it some perspective dude.

I mean sure they could but you have to keep in mind that a lot of things went right for them last year. They were playing elite hockey for basically the entire back half of the season. This year they're likely going to have to win series in Vegas and either Winnipeg or Dallas to reach the Cup Final. They've lost key players and their replacements haven't been up to snuff. Add in some serious regression (looking directly at Bouchard) and you're looking at a team that isn't a SC contender.

 

[oXo Cube]

Looked to me like both Skinner and Bouchard just assumed the other guy was going to deal with it.

Which obviously is not remotely good enough to defend at the NHL level.

 

[McTedi]

Lack of trust in the goaltending having guys being in their head too much. We have seen it happen to this team a ton. When they trust their goalies they play looser and better hockey.

Yah maybe but how is Bowman so disconnected that he doesn’t see this then. Or maybe holding his cards close to his chest, not sure. They better figure this shit out quick though.

 

[nexttothemoon]

Bowman looks really good and sharp as a tack at 91.

 

[BlackDogg]

View attachment 982935

I give you the 2025 Edmonton Oilers!

Gary Larson! Right? lol

Also the Oilers:

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Bowman looks really good and sharp as a tack at 91.

Hire him to coach.

 

[K1984]

Bowman looks really good and sharp as a tack at 91.

No kidding. Had more meaningful analysis there than what I hear from the 40 year old “pros” a lot of the time.

 

[LeonDraisaitl29]

Great job sportsnet rushing a legend like Scotty Bowman

 

[McTedi]

Looked to me like both Skinner and Bouchard just assumed the other guy was going to deal with it.

Which obviously is not remotely good enough to defend at the NHL level.

It was the worst post to post slide I have ever seen.

 

[Uindicator]

Is it too early to be cavin for Gavin

 

[LeonDraisaitl29]

Bowman who be a million times better as commentary than Louie Debrusk

 

[unicornBLOOD]

no doubt, this is a tough road trip, but this team isn't losing close games, they are getting dominated game after game. They do not look like the same team.

 

[Senor Catface]

4 game losing streaks are super common for contenders right?

I know this sort of stuff gets you happy and a reason to post, but yes, it is common.

Florida last year lost 4 in a row.
Vegas, the cup winning team in 23, lost 7 of 8 games in a string of games that year.
Colorado, when they won the cup in 22, lost 4 in a row in their regular season the same year.

Want me to keep going?

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

The worst part about this stupid f***ing team is when they are like this they’re in it for a month.

Normal contending teams have a game like we did Saturday then they make sure they don’t repeat. Here? We’ll be lucky if we wake up by March 15.

Frankly embarrassing. The Oiler systems are holding pretty well. Substandard decision making, puck management and tendency team wide to slip into complacency. It's a chronic, systemic issue that some people mistake as coaching issue. It's endemic within the players.

No team is going to win 82 games. But my gawd you never have to be outworked. This team chronically is the one that eventually slips in the margins with a mistake. That's a killer against true deep Cup contender level teams.

 

[tardigrade81]

We have allowed 16 goals since 8 periods.

Wow

 

[OfCorsiDid]

Bowman looks really good and sharp as a tack at 91.

He's 91? Damn, I could listen to him talk hockey for hours.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Bouchard just casually skates to the corner and gets beat to the puck by a player who is a good two strides behind him when the play started.

 

[Tarus]

Very casually skating towards. Which is why he missed the easy play defending him.

He's not a guy that ever looks like he's skating hard, even when he's going top speed.

The easy play was Skinner making what should be a routine stop, the only thing Bouchard is guilty of is trusting in a bad goaltender to do his job.

 

[McFlash97]

We gave up Holloway and replaced him with Arvy. Holy shit

Now people are getting it lol

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Outside of Drai and occasionally Hyman, they don't have anyone that can get the puck down low and take it to the net with authority . Thus teams don't have to commit numbers defensively to contain the Oil in their own zone.

Although I do think Savoie's played well, he's not what they need right now. They need to find some legitimate size that can actually dominate along the boards and pull defenders out of position.