Post-Game Talk: Oilers die on the Hill

[Cloned]

Bit confused on why Podkolzin was taken off the 1st line, especially since he had the hot hand lately


But very few clean shots. They jammed the shooting lanes like most teams do to us now

We jammed Vegas more than they jammed us.

We just whiffed on open looks. Brown x 3, Bouchard, Perry, Kapanen all missed open chances.

 

[Old Boys Club]

Enough of a sample size now to see that when the VGK go lockdown mode, Hill isn't going to let in a softie for free.

Park two guys in front of the net, put a point shot low and just f***ing whack his pads to death. Make it hard for him instead of all this crest seeking bullshit.

 

[McAsuno]

Usually I’d agree, but the mustard clowns didn’t get a PP either. And I saw a few plays that could have easily been called against the Oilers on another night.

Bettman probably wanted it. First time since 1944 that an NHL game has been played without a penalty and one goal or less. Great way to market the league's offense by completely having the whistles held in the pockets.

 

[TheNumber4]

Here's ground breaking news ... when you make a Cup final (get this) team's will watch something called video (vid-e-o, recorded motion images of your team at 24 or 30 fps) on you a lot more. Then they will adjust to you.

Knoblaugh is not making any offensive adjustments, he still thinks he's in a last year where all he is responsible for is getting the group to play lower event hockey defensively and that's good enough.

He is going to have to wake up and actually start coaching offensive adjustments, this is the NHL now, not the AHL, you can't just coach one side of the rink and call it a day.

Dude made insane adjustments all playoffs long, from possession game to rush game to back, to crazy line up decisions inputting rookies, to prison rules hockey to soft Stars hockey and back..

He’s earned a lot more rope than you’re giving him.

 

[Soundwave]

The Oilers are well coached for the most part and outplaying and outshooting clubs almost every game. Theres some roster problems on the team and also injury problems. But we were 5-1-1 coming into the game and playing pretty well. The game in Colorado was a master class. Oilers played well tonight too and didn't give Vegas anything.

I think the offensive side of their game coaching wise is getting exposed this year.

It's pretty clear other teams coaches are making adjustments based on scouting us very thrououghly, whereas Knoblaugh has zero adjustments other than putting McDavid and Draisaitl together.

The other night he was patting himself on the back for putting McDavid on the other side of the PP sometimes like he was a genius or something ... you better have some better tricks up your sleeve than that in this league. This ain't the AHL anymore, you can't just coach half the rink even with McDavid.

 

[harpoon]

Expected goals are a bs stat and tell us nothing on their own. The deserve to win meter is a hacks tool.

Sure. Know who’s also a hack? Skinner, letting in a dribbler off a perfectly played two on one by Bouchard.

The oilers lost this game because they had no finish and didn’t get in the hard areas.

No finish? For sure. Didn’t go to the hard areas? Not what I saw at all. I saw Oilers around the slot all night. And Mr. Horseshoes making one lucky stop after another.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

I’m 99% sure Skinner scores that chance nuge had at the end.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Don't think I can agree with the Eberle statement. Yes, his playoffs here was awful, but he's been relatively fine after with other teams. Was a damn mistake trading him after one bad playoffs season.

Whether or not you think Skinner would pot 30 goals here or not doesn't still justify him playing him in a bottom 6 role IMO. If I'm gonna have a one-dimensional player who's primarily known to play offensively and score, I'd put him in that spot to succeed especially with the likes of McDavid or Draisaitl as the center on his line. Him being put in a bottom 6 role doesn't do shit to help the team in any way offensively whatsoever. I already had to watch Connor Brown put pucks on goalie chest pads or firing pucks and missing the net completely last regular season. Do we have to stomach that again?

Same kind of player imo. I give Eberle credit for a better total game and finding some maturity as a player to try to at least play the right way. I think he's a solid vet now more of the time. Skinner isn't showing he is. He did tonight, but backchecking hasn't featured in a lot of his games. This is the current 2024. if you want to play topsix you have to be able to play all aspects. Its not 1984 when you can just put Kent Nilson somewhere and hope the puck is never in your own zone.. I'm even flattering Skinner with the Kent Nilson mention. The latter had some sublime talent.

 

[Soundwave]

Dude made insane adjustments all playoffs long, from possession game to rush game to back, to crazy line up decisions inputting rookies, to prison rules hockey to soft Stars hockey and back..

He’s earned a lot more rope than you’re giving him.

Where are those adjustments on the offensive side of the ice this year? Because I'm seeing dick all. The only thing he does offensively is hit the McDrai panic button, but other than that, it's clear to me teams are zeroing in on certain things the the team likes to do, and we're not making any adjustments.

 

[nexttothemoon]

Should Ryan be waived and bring up a rotating squad of guys like Philp/Savoie/Jarventie/Hamblin/Pederson


Magic 8 ball says YES... but Oilers management says NO.

 

[Soundwave]

I’m 99% sure Skinner scores that chance nuge had at the end.

No doubt.

 

[Old Boys Club]

Should Ryan be waived and bring up a rotating squad of guys like Philp/Savoie/Jarventie/Hamblin/Pederson


Magic 8 ball says YES... but Oilers management says NO.

Well 2 of the 5 you mentioned are injured. The rest have been sucked into the black hole of suckitude that is a Chaulk coached offense. Those poor guys probably haven't seen the offensive zone in weeks.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I think the offensive side of their game coaching wise is getting exposed this year.

It's pretty clear other teams coaches are making adjustments based on scouting us very thrououghly, whereas Knoblaugh has zero adjustments other than putting McDavid and Draisaitl together.

The other night he was patting himself on the back for putting McDavid on the other side of the PP sometimes like he was a genius or something ... you better have some better tricks up your sleeve than that in this league. This ain't the AHL anymore, you can't just coach half the rink even with McDavid.

Seems like he's doing OK. The Oilers haven't been more airtight defensively in the entire McDrai era than under Knob. That isn't small fry, its what contending clubs have to do and it got us to the mountain just last season. I hated the offseason, but I'm not blaming KK for where we are, and frankly we're in an OK spot. Really its amazing how well the team is doing without say Kane and Hyman.

 

[bellagiobob]

 

[yukoner88]

Oilers shutout for a FOURTH time already this year, in 25 games

but clearly this seasons problems lie with Skinner

Hopefully Skinner isn't getting his drinking water from the same fountain Tobias Reider did.

 

[McAsuno]

Same kind of player imo. I give Eberle credit for a better total game and finding some maturity as a player to try to at least play the right way. I think he's a solid vet now more of the time. Skinner isn't showing he is. He did tonight, but backchecking hasn't featured in a lot of his games. This is the current 2024. if you want to play topsix you have to be able to play all aspects. Its not 1984 when you can just put Kent Nilson somewhere and hope the puck is never in your own zone..

I'll agree with Skinner floating early on in the season, but he's been playing more without the puck for the past couple of games effectively. Surely that deserves more than just a bottom 6 checking role, don't you think at least? I think he learned to change his game without the puck after being placed in a 4th line. We're having trouble scoring and having Connor Brown over him in the top 6 doesn't solve anything on the offensive side of the game.

 

[Old Boys Club]

Something that hasn't been mentioned yet is this team is chasing the game (TM) too many times again. 3rd straight where they're scored against first. Becoming an issue again. This game could've been entirely different if VGK had to try to score. Although perhaps not after that abomination of a game these two teams played in Edmonton.

 

[Soundwave]

Same kind of player imo. I give Eberle credit for a better total game and finding some maturity as a player to try to at least play the right way. I think he's a solid vet now more of the time. Skinner isn't showing he is. He did tonight, but backchecking hasn't featured in a lot of his games. This is the current 2024. if you want to play topsix you have to be able to play all aspects. Its not 1984 when you can just put Kent Nilson somewhere and hope the puck is never in your own zone.. I'm even flattering Skinner with the Kent Nilson mention. The latter had some sublime talent.

In a salary cap world you're not going to have 20 perfect 200 foot players. It doesn't work that way.

A great coach is one who can take an Eberle or Skinner and utilize them to get them feeling good to where they do contribute. If Eberle was on, maybe we make the Conference Finals in 2017, shit maybe we make the Finals.

That can be the difference right there. IMO as a coach you gotta be aware of that stuff and understand a big part of your job is to make the player feel good about themselves. Put them in positions to get an easy goal.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Bit confused on why Podkolzin was taken off the 1st line, especially since he had the hot hand lately


But very few clean shots. They jammed the shooting lanes like most teams do to us now

When you collapse 4 low in a box all night in own zone its going to make getting clean shots hard. Thats the whole point is to impede point shots, passes and plays across etc. Its hard to play against and finish. The strongpoint of the Vegas team is their D , their backend and with Hill the right type of goalie. Hill is basically like having a third D because he boxes out. its one of his strongest attributes.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Same kind of player imo. I give Eberle credit for a better total game and finding some maturity as a player to try to at least play the right way. I think he's a solid vet now more of the time. Skinner isn't showing he is. He did tonight, but backchecking hasn't featured in a lot of his games. This is the current 2024. if you want to play topsix you have to be able to play all aspects. Its not 1984 when you can just put Kent Nilson somewhere and hope the puck is never in your own zone.. I'm even flattering Skinner with the Kent Nilson mention. The latter had some sublime talent.

You put a known goal scorer out when you desperately need a goal.

It’s common sense. You utilize players strengths.

 

[McAsuno]

In a salary cap world you're not going to have 20 perfect 200 foot players. It doesn't work that way.

A great coach is one who can take an Eberle or Skinner and utilize them to get them feeling good to where they do contribute. If Eberle was on, maybe we make the Conference Finals in 2017, shit maybe we make the Finals.

That can be the difference right there.

Yep, exactly.
The organization's been searching for top 6 NHL scoring wingers after having to play McDrai with the corpses of Yamamotos, Puljujarvis, etc. They signed Jeff Skinner who in his career has shown multiple times that the thing he does best is put the puck into the net. Which basically means you play the f***ing guy on either McDrai's line and let the linemates gel rather than get all desperation mode and load up McDrai making this team's offense more easy to shut down which has been shown enough for the past couple of years.

Enough is enough, already.

 

[Oilhawks]

Probably an NHL mandate to make some sort of story, I wouldn’t be shocked if that’s the case. Gary Buttman is a clown of the highest order

 

[Bryanbryoil]

That goal against should not happen against a NHL goalie. Bouch took the pass away, Skinner screwed us again.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Oilers shutout for a FOURTH time already this year, in 25 games

but clearly this seasons problems lie with Skinner

That game should've gone to OT if Skinner actually did his job.

 

[Oilhawks]

That goal against should not happen against a NHL goalie. Bouch took the pass away, Skinner screwed us again.

Yup, but players don’t grip sticks tighter playing in front of the beach ball king