McDavid with a horrendous back-check

[BFLO]

What you are failing to see is the situation. Here is what the oilers PP does in that situation... RNH drifts back to the point when Barrie has the puck in that position and McDavid moves down to the half wall or attacks the middle. That is why RNH beat McDavid back, their motions were taking them in that direction. McDavid is flat footed because if Barrie opts not to blast a slapper into the forwards legs McDavid coming down is the passing option, or back across to RNH coming back to the blue line. The whole thing is rotating counter clockwise on the PP.

McDavid was in the same "flat footed" position as Karlsson, the man people are saying he should have covered.

No one is saying McDavid should have tried to get back to cover Smith, which was impossible. McDavid should have covered Karlsson.

 

[UrbanImpact]

What you are failing to see is the situation. Here is what the oilers PP does in that situation... RNH drifts back to the point when Barrie has the puck in that position and McDavid moves down to the half wall or attacks the middle. That is why RNH beat McDavid back, their motions were taking them in that direction. McDavid is flat footed because if Barrie opts not to blast a slapper into the forwards legs McDavid coming down is the passing option, or back across to RNH coming back to the blue line. The whole thing is rotating counter clockwise on the PP.

What?? counterclockwise flow? I'm sorry but thats just not what happened.

Here's the video.

RNH, Mcdavid and Karlsson all take their 1st stride towards the other way at the same time. Its just for some reason Mcdavid stopped skating and RNH and Karlsson kept going. Mcdavid just said F-it you take him Barrie. and Barrie who still had to pivot got smoked in the foot race.

 

[S E P H]

He hasn't been good at all for his standards since January

He hasn't been good throughout his entire career blud. Oilers play junior hockey which is all about offence, they haven't learned that coming back and breaking the puck out of the defensive zone as a unit can also lead to goals.

 

[BAdvocate]

Being this obsessed with hating McDavid can't be good for one's mental health.

I think most of us just hate that the Oilers are wasting his career.

 

[Dust]

He hasn't been good throughout his entire career blud. Oilers play junior hockey which is all about offence, they haven't learned that coming back and breaking the puck out of the defensive zone as a unit can also lead to goals.

"Hasn't been good".

 

[Ray S]

Oh wow look at those personal accomplishments!! I'll wait for the list of team accomplishments that go with those

 

[Machinehead]

He had no chance to get back into that play so setting up for the transition if Vegas missed was the right play.

 

[Buff15Sabres]

McDavid was in the same "flat footed" position as Karlsson, the man people are saying he should have covered.

No one is saying McDavid should have tried to get back to cover Smith, which was impossible. McDavid should have covered Karlsson.

Why would McD cover Karlsson when Barrie is in a significantly better position to do so ?

Is McD expected to skate through his own defender to try and cover Karlsson ?

 

[coopooter]

He’s been injured. Definitely has not been fast lately

 

[Funk21]

This play last night sums up why alot of people think Mcdavid plays the game for points rather than team wins. He coasts on a back-check while on the powerplay hoping for the play to go the other way and counter-attack. Instead Vegas scores a short. Mcdavid doesnt even take a stride past centre ice. He is supposed to be the leader of this team, his teammates will follow his lead. I wonder if Tippet has the guts to call him out in front of the team during video session.

Mcdavid is the best player on planet earth, you wont get an argument from me on that, but does he care more about individual stats or team wins? Down 1-0 in a massive divisional game while the Oilers are out of a playoff spot. Just unacceptable.




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Seriously he was going from a stand still and the other player was two or three strides ahead there is zero chance for McDavid to catch Karlsson. He was hoping to protect the puck if Smith makes the stop.

I really question all the heat this kid is getting from Oilers fan base and media. The management and coaching staff has been absolutely brutal his entire time there and it just seems this kid has to do everything otherwise the club can’t win.

Hire a competent GM, hire a good coach and build a proper team then you’ll have success.

 

[Hank Plank]

Oh wow look at those personal accomplishments!! I'll wait for the list of team accomplishments that go with those

You are very patient.

 

[Cup Or Bust]

Didn't the Oilers play last night?

Clueless about hockey and not even remotely funny, you are truly a double threat.

 

[QJL]

McDavid did the correct thing by slowing down and guarding for a potential third skater while two in front of him chased. He has no chance to catch up and it wasn’t his responsibility to.

 

[Panthaz89]

Damn not even Dahlin gets this much disrespect when a teammate gives the opposing team a breakaway you bash McDavid because he isn't the Flash.

 

[BlackSwanGreen]

I think most of us just hate that the Oilers are wasting his career.

They know this. They've just got a narrative to uphold is all.

 

[Hoglander]

I may be wrong, but in order for McDavid to commit a horrendous backcheck, wouldn't there have to be at least some semblance of backchecking involved?

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

That wasn't that bad.

McDavid does cheat on defense though, he often hangs around in passing lanes to try and pick off a pass and set himself up for a clean breakaway, when he should be doing a better job of pressuring in his own end. He'd be excellent at it too with his speed and agility. That's something the new coach should really focus on with McDavid, he's good enough that he doesn't need to cheat.

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

He hasn't been good throughout his entire career blud. Oilers play junior hockey which is all about offence, they haven't learned that coming back and breaking the puck out of the defensive zone as a unit can also lead to goals.

Saying McDavid hasn’t been good throughout his entire career is the stupidest f***ing take on this website.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

What?? counterclockwise flow? I'm sorry but thats just not what happened.

Here's the video.

RNH, Mcdavid and Karlsson all take their 1st stride towards the other way at the same time. Its just for some reason Mcdavid stopped skating and RNH and Karlsson kept going. Mcdavid just said F-it you take him Barrie. and Barrie who still had to pivot got smoked in the foot race.

Nah - this is a really bad take.

Barrie was 5-6 feet ahead of Karlsson when he started to transition up ice and Karlsson still blew by him.

That was a pathetic display of acceleration by Barrie - there is no other way around that.

McDavid read what me and almost anyone else with an ounce of hockey sense would see - that Barrie was well in position to cover Karlsson and his job was to watch for a trailer.

There is no way McDavid could anticipate Barrie skating like a drop in bender there.

 

[kook10]

Nah - this is a really bad take.

Barrie was 5-6 feet ahead of Karlsson when he started to transition up ice and Karlsson still blew by him.

That was a pathetic display of acceleration by Barrie - there is no other way around that.

McDavid read what me and almost anyone else with an ounce of hockey sense would see - that Barrie was well in position to cover Karlsson and his job was to watch for a trailer.

There is no way McDavid could anticipate Barrie skating like a drop in bender there.

That's lazy on the PP. Having the extra body means providing back pressure at the least. Why should he give away the man advantage?

 

[JPeeper]

Of all the plays to pick on McDavid not sure this one is it. Like yes he did pretty much nothing to get back into the play, but even if he went full speed the entire time he wouldn't be able to catch them.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

That's lazy on the PP. Having the extra body means providing back pressure at the least. Why should he give away the man advantage?

It’s not giving away anything - McDavid has to account for a trailer in that situation - he can’t assume one of the low men will get back in time.

That would be stupid ass hockey.

You expect your teammates to do their job and you do yours. Absolutely no way in hell he could anticipate Barrie, who had a good 3-4 steps on Karlsson, getting dusted like that.

People up in here who want to bag on McDavid’s D honestly need to find something better than him actually doing what we are taught since Squirt.

 

[DingerMcSlapshot]

He had no chance to get back into that play so setting up for the transition if Vegas missed was the right play.

Nope

 

[Heffyhoof]

Mcdavid plays the entire 2 minutes of every Oiler powerplay. They were 20-30 seconds into the powerplay. He wasnt tired. Gimme a break




Mcdavid doesnt even stay in the camera frame lol

Wow, that angle shows Karlsson and McDavid could've started skating at the same time. One just doesn't like putting effort into playing in the Oilers' zone. Funny how quickly McDavid's defenders came out for the best player in the game who doesn't know how to play a whole 100 feet of it.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

Clearly OP doesn't watch a lot of hockey to blame that squarely on McDavid. The man was Barrie's to defend.