Pre-Game Talk: Lets Light This Candle. Edmonton v Winnipeg, Wednesday 8 PM.

[McAsuno]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1843702028842971242

 

[Drivesaitl]

I live in North Abaco in the Bahamas and usually spend April/May to Sept/Oct in Alberta. This year I’ve had to return to the Bahamas a bit earlier than usual for work while my wife stayed in AB. I’m supposed to fly back Friday to help her get everything ready for our fall migration and was planning on catching the Hawks game Saturday and maybe another since I don’t get the chance to go to games for most of the season but it’s looking like this storm could delay flights out of south Florida.

Hurricanes and Tropical storms are just a fact of life around here, you learn how to live with it. But generally we are in AB for most of hurricane season.

Thanks. Wasn't meaning to pry. Appreciate the answer.

Must be worse things than working and living in the Bahamas. heh. Still I wouldn't want to be in Hurricane paths in low lying areas and islands. I have a healthy respect for the damage and carnage they cause. Thankful to live in an area that never see's them or precipitious events due to being at sea, and at sea level.

I'm not a water person so prairies, inland, its probably the perfect place for me to live.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

Far less worried about a pre-game 1 practice tweak of an elite top 9 forward group than the team's goal suppression work with a rebuilt right-side defense. Very interested to see how this team starts the year after clawing to a Cup Final Game 7. I'm a 2023-24 8-1 Opening Game attendee 'survivor' so let's see what ya got guys to start another year as lead dog.

Good coaching challenge to start the season.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Bigger issue is that apparently our next option if someone slides out of the top 6 is Janmark. Thats as big brain as Pat Quinn starting JFJ on the first line.

Proviso that were not landing on Janmark being there and its not even positive he will be. Suspect its a couple shifts if that and an occasional thing. Janmark deserves to be said can play a defensive role on an offensively geared line and freeing up Drai some of the responsibilities in that area. If RV was healthy this would work. If Janmark had younger legs this would work.

edit: Janmark already not on 2nd line. So there we have it. Probably just a wake up call for Skinner that things can change.

Glad to see Stecher in there too. Some people were saying he didn't make the cull...

Kulak-Stecher looks about right to me.

 

[VeteranPresence]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1843702028842971242

About the lines we all expected after cuts concluded, but boy would I rather 1) a proven top four RHD over Emberson 2) at least one scoring winger over Janmark/Brown in the top nine. I think we'll regret not giving Hoffman and Lavoie longer looks when the bottom six inevitably struggles to score.

 

[jesusbuiltmyhotrod]

That bottom 6 looks bad again except henrique...maybe brown can continue his playoff play

 

[GOilers88]

Not creating depth and balance while continuing to be a one-line team? Weird

They haven't played a single game and you're already acting like the coach doesn't have a clue about his own team and that they're somehow already painted into some corner.

I'm sure KK has a far better read on his team and players than we do.

 

[McFlyingV]

About the lines we all expected after cuts concluded, but boy would I rather 1) a proven top four RHD over Emberson 2) at least one scoring winger over Janmark/Brown in the top nine. I think we'll regret not giving Hoffman and Lavoie longer looks when the bottom six inevitably struggles to score.

1) isn't possible at this point of the season, and 2) there is very little reason at this point to believe that Hoffman or Lavoie can outscore their poor defensive games on a 3rd line at this point. I'd liked for them to give Lavoie a chance, but I wasn't all that optimistic he would succeed with the current line up. Maybe if Kane was healthy they could have made it work with 3 scoring lines, but right now they're short one winger to run 3 lines like that.

 

[TB12]

Leon doesn't have pride now? Why do you sink your ship on comments like these? You defeat your own arguments. We all do at times.

But again you're talking about Drai taking it up a notch subsequent to new contract that hasn't taken effect yet in a season that hasn't taken effect yet.

Chicken just a little?

Drai has already earned the 14M contract and teams that could would line up for the rights to pay him that. He's established as one of the most valuable players in the world. Thats the reality already here.

I can't see who you're responding to. And I am glad. The people constantly shitting on Drai for the dumbest reasons don't have a clue. At worst, a top 5 player in the world and he's an Oiler and just constantly gets shit on. I choose to enjoy greatness while we have it.

 

[Duke74]

Imagine sitting on your couch and never playing a competitive high level game and calling a solid nhl player junk

I have played competitive, high-level sports but thanks for pretending to know a single thing about me

 

[Drivesaitl]

I can't see who you're responding to. And I am glad. The people constantly shitting on Drai for the dumbest reasons don't have a clue. At worst, a top 5 player in the world and he's an Oiler and just constantly gets shit on. I choose to enjoy greatness while we have it.

This is the correct Tom Brady approach. Man, just appreciate excellence. The world is Messi without it.

 

[TB12]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1843698563060248616

Coach sends a message to a player for 1 day and my goodness, the pearl clutching in here!

 

[Duke74]

They haven't played a single game and you're already acting like the coach doesn't have a clue about his own team and that they're somehow already painted into some corner.

I'm sure KK has a far better read on his team and players than we do.

You're right. They haven't played a single meaningful game, so the coach is a bit premature in shuffling lines, especially since one of the goals of the offseason was to give Leon better wingers. I guess we'll see what happens.

Coach sends a message to a player for 1 day and my goodness, the pearl clutching in here!

lol...looks like my panic was premature and ridiculous

 

[Tobias Kahun]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1843698563060248616

You mean we were freaking out about nothing?

 

[Arpeggio]

That bottom 6 looks bad again except henrique...maybe brown can continue his playoff play

Yeah I feel like Henrique is really getting the short end of the stick here. He's still a 25 goal guy. Janmark and Brown are not going to be sufficient wingers for a guy like him.

I wouldn't be shocked if we end up seeing Henrique in the top six, maybe even as the second line centre. Once Kane returns it opens up some more options too.

 

[GOilers88]

You're right. They haven't played a single meaningful game, so the coach is a bit premature in shuffling lines, especially since one of the goals of the offseason was to give Leon better wingers. I guess we'll see what happens.


lol...looks like my panic was premature and ridiculous

It is absolutely premature and ridiculous.

Add to it that you seem to think you know better than the coach, I really don't know what else to say.

 

[K1984]

Coach sends a message to a player for 1 day and my goodness, the pearl clutching in here!

Alternatively, I'm sure we would be hearing complaints about how Skinner was "gifted" (god I hate that term) a spot next to Leon after a bad pre-season.

 

[McFlyingV]

This board is "old man yells at cloud" meets "angsty teenager". Some of you need to pop an Ativan.

 

[K1984]

Yeah I feel like Henrique is really getting the short end of the stick here. He's still a 25 goal guy. Janmark and Brown are not going to be sufficient wingers for a guy like him.

I wouldn't be shocked if we end up seeing Henrique in the top six, maybe even as the second line centre. Once Kane returns it opens up some more options too.

I think that Henrique will still be able to score ~20 goals with those guys due to how he scores and how they play.

Both those wingers drive wide and drive to the net, while Henrique is a good net front finisher. I think that line will produce something like ~10 goals for Brown and Janmark individually and 20 for Henrique.

 

[Arpeggio]

I don't think there's anything wrong with exploring a Skinner-Henrique pairing. I'm sure we'll see Podkolzin get a shot with Draisaitl as well, I think we saw that a little bit in the last preseason game.

Henrique will need some wingers to play with if Janmark and Brown look like they did during the last regular season. The team is far better off if Draisaitl - Arvidsson and Skinner - Henrique can give them solid production.

 

[Drivesaitl]

It is absolutely premature and ridiculous.

Add to it that you seem to think you know better than the coach, I really don't know what else to say.

I thought I knew better than Woodcrap but thats me.

KK is a legit headcoach who has earned and gained trust and makes sentient statements and evaluation. Not so much, the other guy.

Its possible to detect charlatan, and the whole league has regarding Woody. Also possible to detect a coach that knows what he's doing.

 

[Arpeggio]

I think that Henrique will still be able to score ~20 goals with those guys due to how he scores and how they play.

Both those wingers drive wide and drive to the net, while Henrique is a good net front finisher. I think that line will produce something like ~10 goals for Brown and Janmark individually and 20 for Henrique.

I think that's best case scenario, but we can't completely dismiss that those guys scored 8 goals combined last season.

I'm really pulling for Brown, if he turned back into an effective offensive player, it would have a huge impact.

 

[North]

I think that Henrique will still be able to score ~20 goals with those guys due to how he scores and how they play.

Both those wingers drive wide and drive to the net, while Henrique is a good net front finisher. I think that line will produce something like ~10 goals for Brown and Janmark individually and 20 for Henrique.

I think Brown showing well towards the end of the season indicated he was on the other side of his recovery from the leg injury.

He should be better to start this season.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I think that's best case scenario, but we can't completely dismiss that those guys scored 8 goals combined last season.

I'm really pulling for Brown, if he turned back into an effective offensive player, it would have a huge impact.

Even I acknowledge Brown is playing better and with more verve EV. He's attacking EV like he tends to on the pk. Thats a good thing.

 

[jesusbuiltmyhotrod]

They haven't played a single game and you're already acting like the coach doesn't have a clue about his own team and that they're somehow already painted into some corner.

I'm sure KK has a far better read on his team and players than we do.

People like Duke and others here are why I don't post here much anymore....We were 1 game away from being champs and have not played 1 game this year..and this is what he posts..just toxic

I have played competitive, high-level sports but thanks for pretending to know a single thing about me

That doesn't mean you know what you are talking about at all...