Oilers are good at hockey again: Back in the plofs

[McFlyingV]

Even a massive nuck fan like myself knew they weren't nearly as bad as they were the first 20ish games and unlike the oiler posters (not you) I have no problem giving credit.this 17 game stretch is impressive and shows just how insanely good #97 is and how much he affects his teammates. But there are repercussions and revelations that standout. Since oiler fans like bankshot, oilhawk love to talk about sustainable numbers with Vancouver, history tells us #97 will not continue at 2 points a game, the oilers won't win 80% of their games and skinner will not rock a 960 sv%.
and with all the teams fighting for two spots the oilers there is very little room for error and they're banking on skinner who showed he struggles under a heavy load and he's likely playing what 37+ games cuz pikard sucks arss.

Lastly on skinner and the defense, it seems like not all but even during this streak they still look leaky against the better teams while boosting stats against impotent teams.
The last thing I'll say is for all the dick grabbing from the extremely obnoxious sect of oil fans, the main reason the oilers win or lose is #97.
When he was only a ppg player nobody, nobody, stepped up.
I'm not saying #97 drops to a ppg but his pace will drop and history shows the oilers are a lottery team when McDrai average less than 2.75 ppg combined. I'm sure the usual suspects will call me names and spew the usual rhetoric but I guess time will tell.

You're using some serious hyperbole in this post. For starters Skinner has a .926sv% not a .960 over their 15-3 stretch. Secondly McDavid goes on 2+ppg stretches like this regularly. If anything you should expect Draisaitl to go on a heater at some point given his slow start if we're looking at history.

The Oilers don't need to win 80% of their games moving forward. A divisional spot in the pacific was 104 points last year which is right around what Vegas and LA are currently on pace for. The Oilers would need a .685 point % of their remaining games to reach 104. Thats not even close to unachievable.

I will agree they should look for an upgrade on Pickard though because we don't know how Skinner will handle being played this much, but I'd say its too early to say that he crumbles in that role. Its only his second season in the league as a starter and he's still developing. It would be smart to insulate him better, but he very well could handle the role he's playing just fine with more maturity.

 

[canuckster19]

So do the Canucks wins against the Oilers count now? /s

 

[McFlyingV]

I mean the NHL average SV% is .904 these days. You get even .900 from Skinner and you're going to win a lot more games than you lose. He only gave them .883 in the playoffs last year.

For sure. I just think you can probably expect better than .900 going forward if he and the team in front of him keeps playing to their ability. The Oilers are top 5 in most and at worst top 10 in every defensive metric. That alone will usually have your goalie playing .910+ hockey.

 

[Wayward Son]

It'll be interesting to see if Holland acquires another goalie and/or dman now that they're back to business.

 

[McFlyingV]

League average is/was .902... I think Skinner is in that range.

I actually think the 30-40 guy is Rodrigue.. but not till next year. I feel like we may have an internal solution for next year. However, this year we need something.. I keep suggesting some Czechs as placeholders.. so Mrazek, Vladar and Vejmelka would be the guys I'd want as cheap placeholder options.

I'd have time for Mrazek or Vejmelka, but not a huge fan of Vladar. Depending on the price of Vejmelka he might be a better option instead of just penciling Rodrigue in for next year. I'd still prefer a more established goalie, but the Campbell contract causes some major issues with that. With a buyout in the summer they would have more freedom. The nice thing about Skinner's contract is we have 2 more years of him at 2.6M which is dirt cheap so you have room to spend another 5-6M at goalie. Of couse the flip side to that is if you can create a good tandem with a cheaper goalie and you're only spending 4-5M total at the position then you can spend a lot more elsewhere.

 

[McFlyingV]

It'll be interesting to see if Holland acquires another goalie and/or dman now that they're back to business.

I think that closer to the deadline makes more sense for them. There's not a ton of cap space there so deadline deals become much easier fit in with retentions/double retentions in 3 way trades. Campbell essentially limits their options earlier in the season.

They should be looking at picking up a goalie, a 2nd pair RD to either replace Ceci or knock him down to the 3rd pairing, and potentially a 3rd line centre if they keep McLeod at wing, but I think they want to try Dylan Holloway in that role soon now that he's back from injury.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

So do the Canucks wins against the Oilers count now? /s

They do, of course, but it's semi fortunate that the Canucks got most of their wins against the Oilers when they were playing like hot garbage. Points are banked and there's nothing we can do about it now.

Actually might not be the worst thing that Vancouver kicked our asses up and down the rink opening night. Could make for some playoff bad blood. I assure you, a pissed off McDavid and Draisaitl are not what anyone wants to face in the first round.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

I think that closer to the deadline makes more sense for them. There's not a ton of cap space there so deadline deals become much easier fit in with retentions/double retentions in 3 way trades. Campbell essentially limits their options earlier in the season.

They should be looking at picking up a goalie, a 2nd pair RD to either replace Ceci or knock him down to the 3rd pairing, and potentially a 3rd line centre if they keep McLeod at wing, but I think they want to try Dylan Holloway in that role soon now that he's back from injury.

I used to be on board with the "ceci to the third pairing" mindset but honestly, Vinny Desharnais has done his job extremely well this season. I don't want him to come out of the lineup in the slightest.

I don't want to burn Skinner out before the playoffs again. I think we see the Oilers add a right handed Ekholm type with Ceci going out, and then I think they add a steady vet goalie like Reimer to soak up some starts. I'd love to make another add up front because this team would be absolutely terrifying with a Konecny or a Guentzel added to it but I don't think we've got the assets to add all three of a top 4 D, backup G, and a top six forward.

 

[Fixed to Ruin]

If the McLeod - Draisaitl - Foegele line is going to stick long term then the Oilers would need to find a 3rd line centre to play with Kane.

 

[Sweetpotato]

Yeah they are a good team and I'm desperately hoping for the canucks to get them in round 1 because that would be too much fun.

As an Oilers fan after the battle of Alberta 2 years ago I would kill for a Van vs EDM series.

 

[DingDongCharlie]

If the McLeod - Draisaitl - Foegele line is going to stick long term then the Oilers would need to find a 3rd line centre to play with Kane.

My pick would be Monahan. Affordable contract and good in the circle.

Kane - Monahan - Holloway

I agree with others. We need another goalie and a D upgrade on Ceci. Cap move I want to see Kulak sold for a mid pick. We have Broberg/Gleason for the bottom pairing LD spot.

 

[ijuka]

Nice. At one point, Oilers were second-to-last and I believe that they tied Sharks for points at one point.

 

[McFlyingV]

My pick would be Monahan. Affordable contract and good in the circle.

I agree with others. We need another goalie and a D upgrade on Ceci. Cap move I want to see Kulak sold for a mid pick. We have Broberg/Gleason for the bottom pairing LD spot.

Rather not bet on an AHLer and inexperienced rookie come playoff time. Those should be your depth players that come in as injury fill ins not your starting bottom pairing guys. Kulak has performed well in the playoffs both years he's been here.

 

[joestevens29]

League average is/was .902... I think Skinner is in that range.

I actually think the 30-40 guy is Rodrigue.. but not till next year. I feel like we may have an internal solution for next year. However, this year we need something.. I keep suggesting some Czechs as placeholders.. so Mrazek, Vladar and Vejmelka would be the guys I'd want as cheap placeholder options.

First 13 games .863, next 14 .926

Just dug himself such a whole that it's hard to erase those first stretch of games.

 

[PaulD]

Anyone else looking to get into the playoffs should circle those upcoming Sens games.

Didn't the Oil just win 8 straight......again.
We're they all against the Sens. ha!

Much to the chagrin of many ...... Oilers are back in play offs spot. As many of us predicted they would be right on this board .....when they were celler dwellers in early November.

First 13 games .863, next 14 .926

Just dug himself such a whole that it's hard to erase those first stretch of games.

yet they just did.

 

[Czechboy]

As an Oilers fan after the battle of Alberta 2 years ago I would kill for a Van vs EDM series.

I won't lie.. that is my dream matchup right now. HF would melt.haha

They anhilated us in those 2 games and I'd like to see what a 7 game series looks like.

 

[joestevens29]

Didn't the Oil just win 8 straight......again.
We're they all against the Sens. ha!

Much to the chagrin of many ...... Oilers are back in play offs spot. As many of us predicted they would be right on this board .....when they were celler dwellers in early November.


yet they just did.

His spct overall is still under .900 though, so people continue to think he sucks for some reason. See it on our boards too lol

 

[K1984]

How were they so terrible to start the season anyway?

It made no sense to me at the time. I know Campbell sucked and McDavid got hurt, but why were they such a trainwreck? They should make the playoffs pretty comfortably now.

Combination of:

- Very nearly every player playing some of their worst possible hockey individually - by a lot of reports Woodcroft ran a shitty camp (for the second year in a row)

- McDavid playing with some kind of injury as well as Ekholm. Both our best forward and D man were shadows of their normal selves to be generous.

- Woodcroft started throwing shit against the wall to see what would stick, but the shit he threw had either been done before or made no sense

- In the midst of injuries and poor play from the defence, Woodcroft went with a new system that was unneeded and seemed to only confuse the group at a time when they didn't need it

 

[PaulD]

Combination of:

- Very nearly every player playing some of their worst possible hockey individually - by a lot of reports Woodcroft ran a shitty camp (for the second year in a row)

- McDavid playing with some kind of injury as well as Ekholm. Both our best forward and D man were shadows of their normal selves to be generous.

- Woodcroft started throwing shit against the wall to see what would stick, but the shit he threw had either been done before or made no sense

- In the midst of injuries and poor play from the defence, Woodcroft went with a new system that was unneeded and seemed to only confuse the group at a time when they didn't need it

2nd and 4th point huge.
With both those rectified the Oil righted the ship.

 

[AvroArrow]

What a crazy coincidence that their teams point pace, and players point paces all went up astronomically the moment McDavid returned to full health!

 

[Tobias Kahun]

What a crazy coincidence that their teams point pace, and players point paces all went up astronomically the moment McDavid returned to full health!

Ya, thank god McDavid Is on his game so he can tell skinner how to stop the puck

 

[Bleedred]

I’m not even shocked a fraction.

I’ve been one of the few at least non-Oilers fans that has been high on them all along. Overall they aren’t a great team, but McDavid won’t go his entire career without a cup.

 

[Super Cake]

There was a thread on the History boards where we looked for how far out of the playoffs a team has been, in a season where they ultimately qualified.

The answer, as far as we could tell, was 9 points - by the 2019 St. Louis Blues.

It looks like the Oilers were 10 points out of the playoffs about a month ago. Obviously there's no guarantee that they'll make the playoffs this year - but if they do, it'll be the largest comeback in NHL history.

The Sens a couple of years ago were like 14 points out of the playoffs, then went on a miracle run with the hamburgler and qualified for the playoffs.

 

[Czechboy]

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Some people are really not gonna like this one

What does this mean for McPowerPlaySaitl