Post-Game Talk: Oilers lose 3-2 in OT ...so close, yet so far

[KarmaPolice]

On top of the trades you can add Sykora, Souray, and Penner. Yes Souray ended bad but he played well here.

Add: Samsonov. He was MONEY in the playoffs. He really had some chemistry with Hemsky. Not sure what happened, but I'll guess that injuries caught up with him, because he certainly didn't lack skill.

 

[DareDoiler]

But if you fail then you're still damned. And you're trusting Tambellini with a trade. Are you willing to give up on a player of Hall's ilk (or someone similar) for a chance? Hell look at the Gilbert trade. We gave him up for a chance at defensive help, something we sorely needed. Whether or not we won the trade is debatable but now we're missing PMD.

And I'm really not comfortable with giving up a first rounder unless it's a Chris Pronger-like player. Especially not to someone in the same conference.

I can't argue that really except by saying what if it doesn't fail? Yay

I would love it If it wasnt tambo behind the curtain. I hope that changes asafp. I do believe 1 or 2 kids have to go though if we want to get this team off the ground.

A rework is needed. I don't think it will happen overnight and I definitely don't have specific trade answers. But trading hemsky for less skill/more size would be a good start. Trade a kid or 2 for older/skilled vets that can guide/teach the remaining youth. I think that is a far greater team than what we have.

I know Im in the minority and I don't foresee it actually happening but once the tears dried that we lost a kid (my tears included) i think the oilers as a team would be better, now and in the future.

 

[Mr Forever]

I'm pretty amazed that we managed to grind out a point in Chicago.

 

[Moonlapse Vertigo]

I'm pretty amazed that we managed to grind out a point in Chicago.

Luck with a capital L. It was Men vs Boys tonight.

 

[nexttothemoon]

The one constant that the Oilers seem to be preserving basically every single game is they can't buy a goal at even strength. It's still all special teams and goaltending and has been all season... and that isn't changing one tiny bit.

The team has 16 ES goals in 18 games.

They have 19 PP goals and 3 shorties.

4th worst in the NHL now in goals per game.

They would be truly horribad if their PP wasn't staying at least semi decent.

7th on the PP and 4th on the PK is saving their *****. How a team can be so bad at ES is startling when you consider the supposed talent in the lineup.

I have no idea how they will change that and I'm sure Krueger must be scratching his head as well. They are still shooting at something like 3.9% accuracy at 5 on 5 play.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Why would you dismiss the Wild out of hand? Tambo clearly has a comfort level dealing with them already.

I see what your saying here and its a glass half full mentality....

No one wants to play in Edmonton...no quality vets will come to Edmonton...nobody wants any of the Oilers undersized forwards. There aren't any teams that are viable trading partners...the Oilers will have to trade one of the core players to improve the team...the Oilers are operating from a position of weakness...etc, etc.

Do you see a pattern in what you're saying here?

Is this really how you want the GM of this team to approach things?

I just don't see the Wild dealing with us in such a shortened season. Plus there really isn't anything over there that I want so maybe that factored in.

And I'm not saying don't try, but the fact of the matter is that we just don't have a lot of attractive assets apart from the main 5. GMing is a very complicated business that factors in more things than you or I could ever hope to understand.

And even further to the point is that the trade market is basically non-existant at this point of the season. I really don't see a team like San Jose dangling anything better than a bottom 6 forward or a 5-6 defenseman. MV also pointed out how much we nearly overpaid just to get Dany Heatley...

 

[Evil Ernie]

Originally Posted by Moonlapse Vertigo
Hah. I totally forgot about Cole. We botched that one too.

He very clearly did not want to be here.

I believe that he stated that he did NOT ask for a trade.

 

[Mr Forever]

Luck with a capital L. It was Men vs Boys tonight.

You have to be good to be lucky

 

[Raab]

Add: Samsonov. He was MONEY in the playoffs. He really had some chemistry with Hemsky. Not sure what happened, but I'll guess that injuries caught up with him, because he certainly didn't lack skill.

I was just looking post Pronger and pre Tambo.

 

[jmoss45]

David Staples ‏@dstaples
#Oilers get just 8 hard shots on net from slot, just 4 of them even strength. #Blackhawks get 18, 15 of them even strength.

Kind of an odd state but it does tell an important story. The team isn't good enough as it stands now.

 

[jbean]

I would rather have a GM like Burke that has the balls to make a move than Tambellini. He lost the Kessel trade (but at least got a very good piece in return) but won the Phanuef, Lupul, and JVR trades. Lowe was a lot more willing to make moves as well. Sitting on his hands and staying the course when the team absolutely stinks is shameful. Players don't develop on their own, they need to have a good team around them to really thrive. If Datsyuk was drafted by the Oilers he would be a 4th liner in the Swiss league given how we develop players.

 

[guymez]

I just don't see the Wild dealing with us in such a shortened season. Plus there really isn't anything over there that I want so maybe that factored in.

And I'm not saying don't try, but the fact of the matter is that we just don't have a lot of attractive assets apart from the main 5. GMing is a very complicated business that factors in more things than you or I could ever hope to understand.

And even further to the point is that the trade market is basically non-existant at this point of the season. I really don't see a team like San Jose dangling anything better than a bottom 6 forward or a 5-6 defenseman. MV also pointed out how much we nearly overpaid just to get Dany Heatley...

I am sorry but most of this post is just more of the same...defeatist nonsense.

According to you there are NO options...after everything myself and others have presented so far all you can see is negativity.

I am not sure I have anything further to add...your doom and gloom approach is unwavering.

 

[Mr Forever]

I would rather have a GM like Burke that has the balls to make a move than Tambellini. He lost the Kessel trade (but at least got a very good piece in return) but won the Phanuef, Lupul, and JVR trades. Lowe was a lot more willing to make moves as well. Sitting on his hands and staying the course when the team absolutely stinks is shameful. Players don't develop on their own, they need to have a good team around them to really thrive. If Datsyuk was drafted by the Oilers he would be a 4th liner in the Swiss league given how we develop players.

We did have that guy. Kevin Lowe. We almost moved 4 firsts for Vanek for christ sales.

 

[CorpseFX]

David Staples ‏@dstaples
#Oilers get just 8 hard shots on net from slot, just 4 of them even strength. #Blackhawks get 18, 15 of them even strength.

Kind of an odd state but it does tell an important story. The team isn't good enough as it stands now.

Soft + mediocre/low IQ Hockey = Oilers

not sure if core maturity is going to fix that completely. they need a lot of overhaul in depth players. (even the guys who round out top lines with two kids on each line)

trade deadline time should probably see Gagner and Hemsky both out of town.

 

[Soundwave]

Chicago was the better team, they deserved to win.

RNH and Eberle left their skating legs back in Edmonton it looked like. No energy whatsoever from them, Hall's absence was painfully evident all game long.

Still we had our chances to steal the game. Yak and Jonesy had point blank chances, Gagner got a little too nifty on that 3 on 1.

Hemsky played decent, Jones too. Everyone else was kinda "meh", lol.

The Blackhawks are the best team in the NHL right now. Hossa/Toews/Kane are in beast mode.

 

[KarmaPolice]

I was just looking post Pronger and pre Tambo.

Ah, okay; fair enough.

 

[McDeepika]

Got beat by a much better team tonight. No point in over-analyzing this one.

Eberle and RNH could use some time apart for a little while I think. I wouldn't mind drastically changing the lines for the next couple of games. Maybe something like

Paajarvi Gagner Eberle
Hall Belanger Yakupov
Jones RNH Hemsky

2 skilled guys on each line and every line has at least one fast player. We might be harder to shut down if teams can't focus on a particular line.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I am sorry but most of this post is just more of the same...defeatist nonsense.

According to you there are NO options...after everything myself and others have presented so far all you can see is negativity.

I am not sure I have anything further to add...your doom and gloom approach is unwavering.

I'm sure there are options, I'm just not seeing them. What's out there? I really don't know. I haven't heard anything from the insiders. I believe Gregor had an interview earlier with the Hawks asst GM and he said the trade market was very quiet. If teams aren't looking to deal what do you do? Force them?

Again, I'm only going by what I've heard from others. If you've heard something different I'd be interested to hear it.

 

[guymez]

We did have that guy. Kevin Lowe. We almost moved 4 firsts for Vanek for christ sales.

Had that deal gone through its unimaginable what this team would look like now.

Dumb luck has intervened repeatedly to keep this franchise from being much worse than it is now.

 

[Soundwave]

Got beat by a much better team tonight. No point in over-analyzing this one.

Eberle and RNH could use some time apart for a little while I think. I wouldn't mind drastically changing the lines for the next couple of games. Maybe something like

Paajarvi Gagner Eberle
Hall Belanger Yakupov
Jones RNH Hemsky

2 skilled guys on each line and every line has at least one fast player. We might be harder to shut down if teams can't focus on a particular line.

It's not a bad idea, I'd like to see RNH with Yakupov though.

MPS Gagner Eberle
Jones RNH Yakupov
Hall Belanger Hemsky

Belanger is such a black hole offensively though, argh.

 

[ZJuice]

Why are people so opposed to trading Eberle/RNH?

They would garner a much bigger return than Hemsky/Gagner which would help the team more as a whole.

When Hemsky is on, he is money. Same with Gags.
They will also be cheaper in the long run.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Had that deal gone through its unimaginable what this team would look like now.

Dumb luck has intervened repeatedly to keep this franchise from being much worse than it is now.

Again it's that "win now" mentality that plagued us for years and is currently plaguing Calgary.

You have to overpay to get people to come here. Marian Hossa turned down a long term deal worth something like 9 million per year for a year in Detroit.

 

[Soundwave]

Why are people so opposed to trading Eberle/RNH?

They would garner a much bigger return than Hemsky/Gagner which would help the team more as a whole.

When Hemsky is on, he is money. Same with Gags.
They will also be cheaper in the long run.

Because you don't trade players like that to fill needs. Whoever bends you over in that deal will be laughing at you in 3 years, book it.

Nugent Hopkins as far as I'm concerned IS the Oilers. They go nowhere without him, they are a nothing franchise in the middle of nowhere with his skillset gone. Have to be patient and let him develop into his body. Hemsky and Gagner take this franchise nowhere, they are complimentary players.

 

[Moonlapse Vertigo]

Got beat by a much better team tonight. No point in over-analyzing this one.

Eberle and RNH could use some time apart for a little while I think. I wouldn't mind drastically changing the lines for the next couple of games. Maybe something like

Paajarvi Gagner Eberle
Hall Belanger Yakupov
Jones RNH Hemsky

2 skilled guys on each line and every line has at least one fast player. We might be harder to shut down if teams can't focus on a particular line.

There shouldn't even be a question regarding RNH moving down the line-up. He's being given first line minutes (led the team with 24 tonight) and has 7 points in 17 games. It's time for Krueger to shelter him a bit. He hasn't been able to handle the extra pressure of being a first line centre. Understandable given his age and the lack of quality veterans around him.

 

[guymez]

I'm sure there are options, I'm just not seeing them. What's out there? I really don't know. I haven't heard anything from the insiders. I believe Gregor had an interview earlier with the Hawks asst GM and he said the trade market was very quiet. If teams aren't looking to deal what do you do? Force them?

Again, I'm only going by what I've heard from others. If you've heard something different I'd be interested to hear it.

I have already posted my opinion on the matter and how I can see things being done...a GM needs to do his job but the catch is it needed to be done BEFORE this season started. Now it becomes harder but it is still doable with a savy enough GM.

Unfortunately the Oilers don't have that GM.