Post-Game Talk: Montreal - where the people are beautiful and Oilers hockey is ugly

[Dazed and Confused]

• Hyman's shooting 6% while usually standing within 10ft of the net.
• Nuge is down at 2.6%
• Bouchard's 7.8% looks better than it should with how often he misses the net... 6 apples in 19 games despite being stapled to McDrai is the bigger concern there.

I expect all 3 of them to work their way through this, but at this point it's more than a cold streak. All 3 should move down in the lineup and earn their way back to their current roles.


Skinner-McDavid-Arvidsson
Henrique-Drai-Hyman
Podz-RNH-Brown
Janmark-Ryan-Perry

PP
Hyman-McDavid-Drai
Arvidsson-Ekholm


It might also be worth a look breaking up Ekholm-Bouch at 5v5.

Ekholm-Emberson
Kulak-Bouchard
Dermott-Stecher

 

[The Panther]

(Thank goodness Skinner didn't start or we'd have had 187 posts from @Drivesaitl by now blaming him.)

This inability to score is becoming a problem.

Can anyone explain why a team with a talented forward roster and a good offensive D-man needs 493 shots on average before they can score 1 goal?

 

[The Panther]

Well if Knob wants to get himself fired he can keep on scoring at this rate then.

Todd McLellan doubled down on the same idea with Ryan Strome ... refused to let him play in the top 6 even when the team was dying for goals, got himself fired as head coach thinking he was invincible because of 16-17. Strome got traded and immediately scores at a 20 goal rate in NY.

Yes. Not only was Strome a 20-goal guy, he was nearly a point-per-game player and a 1st-unit PP player for a very good NY Rangers' team. Yet the Oilers' "brain"-trust (I think it was Dave 'I-love-Mike-Smith' Tippett) couldn't find a way to give him any ice-time on an Oilers' club that lacked quality forwards. Then Chiarellli traded him for Spooner, who didn't play at all. Can't make this stuff up. Seriously, they're just idiots most of the time.

This past summer, they seemingly wanted to impress Draisaitl (pre-contract signing) by getting a winger or two to play with him. So, sure, signing Arvidsson or J. Skinner makes some sense. But why TWO guys, who have a similar skill-set? The obvious thing would have been to sign one of those guys (I prefer Arvidsson) rather than signing two and barely playing one.

Then, there's the Perry-Ryan insanity. It was pretty clear last season that Corey Perry was done. He had great hands, yes, but he moves at 10 meters an hour and doesn't backcheck. Derek Ryan has been wonderful for Edmonton, but when his contract expired (I think?) last season, he was done, too. He faded last season and was healthy scratched here and there. Right now, he should at home, watching the games, like us. So, again, I could at least understand maybe signing one of those guys, but BOTH? Nuh-uh.

So, if nothing else, not signing (say) Perry and J. Skinner would have freed up a couple million that could have been used to keep McLeod or Broberg.... You know, players who aren't over 50. I get that Henrique is (was?) a good player and their "win now" mentality made him seem preferable to McLeod, but you can't ice a line-up of all old guys in today's zippy NHL.

Anyway, despite the usual managerial lunacy, the Oilers should still not be losing or being shut-out by Montreal. This is just crazy. They have way too much talent for that. I'm starting to get the impression that Knoblach and Coffey are a little too nice. This can be a problem with a veteran team, which starts to feel a sense of entitlement. "We're veterans... we play the way we want to... the coach can't tell us what to do, and anyway he's very nice and supportive so we can get away with anything". Kind of getting the impression that this might be a problem.

Previous old-man Ken Holland clubs (2002 Red Wings; 2008 Red Wings) had a bunch of old guys and decorated veterans also, but they had hard-ass coaches that the players were wary of and scared of. This might be necessary.

 

[Fishy McScales]

I think the Oilers feel a bit cursed. They can't hold a third-period lead to save their lives and they consistently don't get rewarded for their offense to a tune of a 28th-overall PDO.

This game they came out flat-out the better team, but here we go again with a mediocre goalie standing on his head for the other team. The frustration on the players was visible, they even had a whole segment of McDavid banging his stick against the boards etc.

They got progressively worse as the game went on instead of digging down. When the Habs predictably got a late lead in the second period off a deflection in a game where they hadn't had much up until that point, the Oilers deflated instead of pushing back.

I know you shouldn't give up rah rah rah but I honestly don't blame them for losing their spirits. This season is tremendously frustrating so far, and I know many like to blame an organizational fringe individual like Dustin Schwartz, but so far this team is largely just really unlucky as they're trying to find their bearings with a new team makeup that has less speed than before.

I'm not too worried but man is this disheartening to watch and they could use a shake-up or two with call-ups. I don't think we can solve our goalie problems easily in the short term unfortunately.

We need one of those MSG third periods in a bad way. Was hoping for one tonight, but instead they let in a stinker to go down 2-0. Oh well, on to the next one.

 

[LemmyUlanov55]

Season just started and I'm already fed up with Oilers hockey, this org knows how to disappoint.

 

[nexttothemoon]

Oilers are the 2nd lowest scoring team in 1st periods this season... just 9 goals in 19 games so far in the opening frame. Outscored 15-9 in the 1st

And on top of those slow starts... the team lets in the 2nd most goals against in the 3rd period as well... 26 against in 3rd periods.

Essentially, they take time to get warmed up and then they get played out in the 3rd... outscored 26-19 there.

Is this a sign of an older/slower/less energetic/less hungry/lower stamina team? Could be... and I also think it's a sign that opposing teams are usually ready from the start as they get up for the Oilers and bring their A games almost every night.

 

[The Panther]

We need one of those MSG third periods in a bad way. Was hoping for one tonight, but instead they let in a stinker to go down 2-0. Oh well, on to the next one.

That MSG third period you refer to was led by McLeod and Foegele, so all we need is for them to... oh, wait...

 

[The Panther]

Geez, I like the Cult of Hockey guys, but David Staples' player-grades for this game are wacko, off-the-charts strange.

It must be said that of the three guys who write game-reviews / player-grades (Staples, McCurdy, Leavins), David Staples' are always the oddest and man, his writing is terrible. Here's one of his sentences that currently appears on EdmontonJournal.com

Edmonton had ten Grade A shots, Montreal eight, with both teams have four of the most dangerous 5-alarm shots.

I mean, I realize probably nobody is editing this stuff, but McCurdy's writing is always professional and accurate, and Leavins' is pretty good, too. Staples is a professional journalist (or commentator... or something), so he really should be able to write a grammatically correct sentence.

Then, his player grades:
-- He gave McDavid a 4 / 10
-- Draisaitl 2 / 10
-- RNH got a 5 / 10 -- so, apparently, he was 2.5 times better than Drai
-- Brown got a 5 / 10 likewise
-- J. Skinner a 6 / 10 ("Edmonton's best forward")

In fairness, he correctly noted that Emberson was good and he said Pickard was their best player overall.

 

[PuckG]

Well…the Bouchard contract should come in cheaper with his abysmal play.

 

[Fishy McScales]

That MSG third period you refer to was led by McLeod and Foegele, so all we need is for them to... oh, wait...

There have been two instances recently of the Oilers coming back from the dead in the third at MSG if I'm not mistaken.

I'm a bit taken aback that you think Ryan McLeod and Warren Foegele are the only two players in the league capable of orchestrating such a comeback, however.

 

[tardigrade81]

Well makes even more sense now that McDavid took losing in the cup final so hard. Looking like zero chance they will make it back this year or anytime soon

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

(Thank goodness Skinner didn't start or we'd have had 187 posts from @Drivesaitl by now blaming him.)

This inability to score is becoming a problem.

Can anyone explain why a team with a talented forward roster and a good offensive D-man needs 493 shots on average before they can score 1 goal?

Because the shots they take are perimeter muffins that have virtually no chance of going in. The "We always get more shots" argument falls flat when few are quality.

 

[GrumpyKoala]

Crasy considering our trademark was coming into the third down 4-1 and winning 6-5

 

[syz]

Because the shots they take are perimeter muffins that have virtually no chance of going in. The "We always get more shots" argument falls flat when few are quality.

Oilers are 3rd in the NHL in high danger scoring chances. Muffins? Yea. Perimeter? No. Unfortunately everybody on this team forgot how to hit a corner of the net.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Because the shots they take are perimeter muffins that have virtually no chance of going in. The "We always get more shots" argument falls flat when few are quality.

You just make things up.

 

[The Panther]

Yeah, so can anyone explain the following?:

Jan. 11th to April 13th (end of season), 2023
Edmonton Oilers:
40 games played
4.45 goals per game = 1st NHL
Power-play 34.2% = 1st NHL

Oct. 2024 to Nov. 18th 2024
Edmonton Oilers:
19 games played
2.63 goals per game = 24th NHL
Power-play 16.3% = 24th NHL

This is the same club, with the same players on the PP, and the 2024 edition has more skilled offensive players than the 2023 one.

 

[Sra1974]

What miserythis is turning out to be. Aside from the 1000 point moment there is just zero joy in this season so far. They have been shut out 3 times already, thye show no real life or identity, guys aren’t producing. Don’t see the solution either, the roster is what it is, so either this group figures it out fast, a coach gets fired and we complete the unholy union and bring in Quenville, or this just ends uo being a wasted season. Possibly more than one of those is true.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Oilers are 3rd in the NHL in high danger scoring chances. Muffins? Yea. Perimeter? No. Unfortunately everybody on this team forgot how to hit a corner of the net.

They’re an extremely perimeter team. I don’t know how anyone who watched that game last night would think otherwise. It’s not “everyone forgot how to score”, they’re not getting to the dirty areas. They’re happy to cycle for hours on end only for a limp wrister from Dermott to get through.

 

[DaGap]

Oilers are 3rd in the NHL in high danger scoring chances. Muffins? Yea. Perimeter? No. Unfortunately everybody on this team forgot how to hit a corner of the net.

LOL Most of those shots a directed directly at the goalies chest......

 

[Whoshattenkirkshoes]

Prime telecast tonight "This is such a good game" It was 0-0 at the time and two teams trying to constrict each other. Then the Habs scored one deflection goal in late 2nd period to win the game....

Like I said earlier I'm lol at the Prime games being so f***ing bad. Hopefully they don't ever come back. WTF as well with a paid prescription service having all these adds and then having adds on screen DURING play. Prime can f*** right off. Big logos all over screens, weird camera angles, way too much behind the net footage and to top it shining up the shitturd this game was.

McDrai playing like nobody in Canada is watching. Maybe they saw the ratings.

For it being their first year Prime has actually done a pretty good job. You want a shit broadcast? Go watch ESPN.

Btw Prime is probably here to stay.

 

[Messrules11]

RNH has to be one of the biggest jokes of the year. He has the same point totals as Janmark and a worse plus/minus despite perennial top 6 minutes and cushy pp time.
He’s on pace for another 4 goal year, what a complete f***ing phony and fraud this player is.

 

[CupofOil]

True!

But I also I know that if we kept them they’d also be doing nothing.

This is bigger than 3 forwards.

True, it's just funny that the 3 cast-offs (McLeod and Foegele in particular were cast-offs) would be leading the Oilers forwards in goals outside of the two generational talents. Hyman, RNH and Skinner in particular need to be giving the team much more than they're giving them, Arvidsson too, and why is Philp in the AHL again? Complain about the defense and goaltending all you want (just a general statement, not directed at you) but scoring continues to be the biggest issue and god awful 3rd periods when the team crumbles time and time again, the last 4 games to be exact.

I still say these issues are very correctable because these guys aren't going to continue playing at career worst paces but it's a hell of a grind to watch them work through it.

 

[Whoshattenkirkshoes]

True, it's just funny that the 3 cast-offs (McLeod and Foegele in particular were cast-offs) would be leading the Oilers forwards in goals outside of the two generational talents. Hyman, RNH and Skinner in particular need to be giving the team much more than they're giving them, Arvidsson too, and why is Philp in the AHL again? Complain about the defense and goaltending all you want (just a general statement, not directed at you) but scoring continues to be the biggest issue and god awful 3rd periods when the team crumbles time and time again, the last 4 games to be exact.

I still say these issues are very correctable because these guys aren't going to continue playing at career worst paces but it's a hell of a grind to watch them work through it.

It doesn't really work like that though. They could have no goals. It's all circumstance based.

Oilers are a bit snake bit right now, but the bigger problem is their age is showing.

It sounds weird to say, but we might need a couple fast forwards just as much as we need to upgrade the defence or goaltending.

 

[CupofOil]

Ty Emberson getting the least 5v5 TOI when he had the best shot metrics and XGF is hilarious. I think a lot about the Philip Broberg interview and his comments about this organization and young players.

These coaches always lean way too heavily on the top guys. It's no wonder the Oilers can't develop prospects and depth players for shit because these guys never get a fair chance. Another one is Ryan up over Philp, what the heck are they doing? I don't even blame Knoblauch, this has been an issue under every coach in the McDrai era. It's like there's two teams, the McDrai inner circle and everybody else.

 

[CanadasTeam99]

(Thank goodness Skinner didn't start or we'd have had 187 posts from @Drivesaitl by now blaming him.)

This inability to score is becoming a problem.

Can anyone explain why a team with a talented forward roster and a good offensive D-man needs 493 shots on average before they can score 1 goal?

BC they play pu**y outside hockey and take a lot of stupid shots. No willingness to play the right way.

Just go look at their NHL edge shot chart and how many times these Idiot shoot from low danger areas compared to medium danger areas