Oilers are good at hockey again: Back in the plofs

[dj4aces]

Sometimes, all it really takes is for a team to get their crap together and play the game with purpose. The Oilers are doing just that.

 

[WolfgangPuck]

It’s amazing to see Oiler go on a heater with McD and Drai not scoring like usually self
Speaks about team play and forwards committed to play D and back checking

 

[Spawn]

Under their new coach they are:

3rd in goals/game
2nd in goals against/game
5th in PP (frankly that feels like a “slump”)
1st in PK
4th in shots for
3rd in shots against
11th in Shooting percentage at 5v5
8th in 5v5 save percentage
7th in PDO

The expected result ratios are all elite as well.

This is largely the same team that finished 2 points out of 1st in the conference last season. 15 wins in a row is obviously a surprise, but a significant turn around shouldn’t have been.

 

[ijuka]

They were a cup favorite before the season started. Even during the terrible streak, they had strong advanced stats and metrics. Their issue was that they were getting something like .860 goaltending, which made them lose even games where they dominated. Lately, Skinner has been doing fine rather than terribly, and so they've won games. It's not some magical transformation, they've just been getting the saves that they earlier weren't.

 

[ACLEVERNAME]

Under their new coach they are:

3rd in goals/game
2nd in goals against/game
5th in PP (frankly that feels like a “slump”)
1st in PK
4th in shots for
3rd in shots against
11th in Shooting percentage at 5v5
8th in 5v5 save percentage
7th in PDO

The expected result ratios are all elite as well.

How were they after the Woodcroft bump? I need to be shown that I haven't watched this movie before. Otherwise it's a big 'meh' from me bro.

 

[Heffyhoof]

Not really? Mcdavid and drasaitl haven’t even been top 10 in scoring during their streak. lol.



who knows. Edm has a really good shot if their goaltending holds up. Something they lacked last pos5 season. And they still took Vegas to 6 in the second round despite skinner being atrocious.

They've been outside the top 10 in total or in scoring over that span?

 

[Soundwave]

Under their new coach they are:

3rd in goals/game
2nd in goals against/game
5th in PP (frankly that feels like a “slump”)
1st in PK
4th in shots for
3rd in shots against
11th in Shooting percentage at 5v5
8th in 5v5 save percentage
7th in PDO

The expected result ratios are all elite as well.

This is largely the same team that finished 2 points out of 1st in the conference last season. 15 wins in a row is obviously a surprise, but a significant turn around shouldn’t have been.

That statistic obviously stands out as a massive change. Last year, even as a 109 point team they were 17th in the league for goals against (so bottom half of the league).

 

[Spawn]

How were they after the Woodcroft bump? I need to be shown that I haven't watched this movie before. Otherwise it's a big 'meh' from me bro.

They were one of the best seasons in the league under Woodcroft as well with the exception of the teams horrendous 12 game stretch to start this season that got him fired.

That sort of supports my point doesn’t it? The bottom 5 start this season was an aberration of some of the worst goaltending you’ll ever see and a team that couldn’t buy a goal. If that slump had happened at a different point in the season people probably wouldn’t have noticed nearly as much.

 

[winnipegger]

Never made sense to me that they would miss the playoffs with that roster. I've followed Edmonton close since the dark days and this is definitely the best roster they've had since Pronger.

 

[Dhockey16]

McDavid definitely isn't playing like he did last year - the powerplay has been good, but only 5th in the league last I checked. The big question that remains has been in net. Skinner has been legitimately good during this streak, even very good, and Pickard hasn't really had a bad game in spot duty. If the Oilers get Skinner while he's hot they could go on a run but his play to start the year was so unbelievably awful I don't know how you can trust him. The price for a goalie will be high but I think it needs to be paid. If the defensive strategy and discipline remains static, and I expect it will under Knoblauch, the powerplay starts clicking like it was last season and/or McDavid remembers he had 64 goals last year...better make sure they trust the guy(s) in net, because that's all that would stand in the way of a run to the final.

 

[ijuka]

Not really? Mcdavid and drasaitl haven’t even been top 10 in scoring during their streak. lol.

McDavid appears to be #8 in scoring over the streak, so this isn't accurate.

But of course, #8 isn't amazing for McDavid, and Draisaitl being #16 during the streak is even less so.

 

[majormajor]

Woodcroft tried to make a change to the man to man system and the Oilers looked like a bantam team and confused. They were still generating a lot of scoring chances, but were giving up about 4 goals a game their first 18 games I think? Also goalies were getting peppered, but still letting in bad goals. They would play great to start a bunch of games and then just let in 1 or 2 quickies.

New coach is much more familiar with zone D and the few games they did need it, the goalies have made some big saves to keep a couple games tied. Entire team Defense is reason #1. Play more structured.

PK has been like #1 or close since the coaching change. It was down near the last with Woodcroft. This coach is using THREE pairs of PKers. Woody used a combined 23sh different pairs.

Top guys are all backchecking consistently. You can see it. They rarely cheat for offense. Whole team has a better commitment to team defense.

Besides tonight, the new coach keeps 29/97 split. They usually play together right at the end of a PK.

The funny thing is, I don't even think we have been getting a lot of puck luck. We are not finishing and clicking on offense.

They had some brutal games, but contrary to what people think, the Oilers were not "brutal" in that terrible 2-9 stretch. They have got goalied a ton too during that bad stretch. At least 4 games I think they should have won.

It's funny though. During this streak, McDavid and Drai have not been top 10 in scoring. The PP has been average at best.

It was the other way around. It looks like you misspoke. Not a huge deal but would you mind editing your post, it is leading people in the wrong direction.

 

[Soundwave]

McDavid appears to be #8 in scoring over the streak, so this isn't accurate.

But of course, #8 isn't amazing for McDavid, and Draisaitl being #16 during the streak is even less so.

They're both honestly underachieving this year. They are both better than that.

Both are overpassing like crazy and not shooting enough, they both have another level or two higher they can play at.

 

[Bank Shot]

Vegas is a great team (when healthy), but people forget. Oilers had a lead in EVERY SINGLE game in that series. Jonathan M said it during the summer. He said the man to man was easy to break. Vegas got a lot of goals just moving around the Oilers zone and crossing up guys. They got into the paint a lot and scored goals there a lot.

Edmonton did not "protect the house" well in that Vegas series. Some bad timed penalties too. I am not saying Edmonton would have won the series, but you don't get up every single game by being a bad team. Flawed yes.

They got poor goaltending so people over analyzed every scoring chance.

Vegas on the other hand got superb goaltending after the Brossoit injury and that was the difference in the series.

 

[snag]

McDavid definitely isn't playing like he did last year - the powerplay has been good, but only 5th in the league last I checked. The big question that remains has been in net. Skinner has been legitimately good during this streak, even very good, and Pickard hasn't really had a bad game in spot duty. If the Oilers get Skinner while he's hot they could go on a run but his play to start the year was so unbelievably awful I don't know how you can trust him. The price for a goalie will be high but I think it needs to be paid. If the defensive strategy and discipline remains static, and I expect it will under Knoblauch, the powerplay starts clicking like it was last season and/or McDavid remembers he had 64 goals last year...better make sure they trust the guy(s) in net, because that's all that would stand in the way of a run to the final.

Mot too shabby at all

NHL Stats

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[Regal]

Not really? Mcdavid and drasaitl haven’t even been top 10 in scoring during their streak. lol.



who knows. Edm has a really good shot if their goaltending holds up. Something they lacked last pos5 season. And they still took Vegas to 6 in the second round despite skinner being atrocious.

They’re 23-3 in their last 26 and McDavid is 3rd in scoring during that time after being 59th in the 18 games before that. Draisaitl hasn’t really been hot yet, but McDavid turning it around after injury is definitely a part of their rise in the standings, even if he’s been quiet recently

 

[AppreciateHockey]

Easy to blame goaltending. The defense was abysmal and goalies left out to dry.

 

[Pucklington]

They're both honestly underachieving this year. They are both better than that.

Both are overpassing like crazy and not shooting enough, they both have another level or two higher they can play at.

They are also playing safer, and not forcing chances. Scoring and giving up less.

 

[Bounces R Way]

They won a draft lottery 9 years ago.

Told ya'll Woodcroft was a fraud.

 

[ozzie]

I'm still not a believer or sold on them, I fully expect a collapse from the goalie or defense come playoffs. The only positive right now is their 2 best players are underperforming if anything on a consistent basis. At least to their lofty standards.

If this means come playoff time they are rested and ready to roll, that's a huge concern for every other team.

Believe me, I want a Canadian team to win the cup and I want Mcdavid to have that cup for the historians.

 

[Weezeric]

Of course you play the games you have, but doesn’t it seem like the Oilers have played a ton of horrible teams over this streak?

 

[amnesiac]

new coach new mindset

 

[DamonDRW]

They are not cup favorite

 

[Soundwave]

How were they after the Woodcroft bump? I need to be shown that I haven't watched this movie before. Otherwise it's a big 'meh' from me bro.

Didn't they make the Conference Finals and finish with 100+ points with that initial Woodcroft bump? lol.

 

[Bounces R Way]

This is also why I laugh in the face of these statistical models and the people that freak out over them who put out shit like 11.3% chance to make the playoffs after 20 games. Like a team is only as good as what their math says. That's just not how sports work.