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

[ScrillaVilla]

Difference I see from Eberle this year from last season ,is he is waiting for things to happen instead of making them happen.

The difference I see is a regression towards the mean in terms of shooting %. If he was firing at the same 20 something % level as last season we wouldn't be having this conversation.

Where has the crowd that was mocking the idea that Eberle wouldn't suffer from regression gone?

 

[McShogun99]

I would try these lines:

Hall - Gagner - Eberle
1st line, will draw top checking unit

Jones - RNH - Yakupov
Try to give them favorable match ups

Smyth - Belanger - Hemsky
Checking line

Eager - VV - PRV

Once team is healthy Horcoff takes third line C, Belanger to 4th line, Petrell is 4th line RW. VV, PRV and Hairtikanen go back to OKC.

By next season get rid of Belanger, Eager, Petrell and Smyth to make room for PRV, Hairtikanen and two new bottom 6 players acquired thru trade or free agency.

 

[Oiltankjob Fail]

The difference I see is a regression towards the mean in terms of shooting %. If he was firing at the same 20 something % level as last season we wouldn't be having this conversation.

Where has the crowd that was mocking the idea that Eberle wouldn't suffer from regression gone?

Eberle assists have dropped as well this has nothing to do with sp his whole play has dropped and he is not getting the quality shots from prime scoring spots he was from last year.

 

[joestevens29]

Eberle assists have dropped as well this has nothing to do with sp his whole play has dropped and he is not getting the quality shots from prime scoring spots he was from last year.

Look at his stats from last year to this year. He is doing better at scoring goals at this point.

 

[Dr_oil]

You hear drunk ranting fans come on occasionally but I'm not sure what you mean about Tencer flipping out. The show is usually pretty tame.

It's more the interaction when some dumbas calls in to make dumb comments. It's a good show and being out of town I never get to hear it.

 

[Njoy Oilers]

I feel it's time for some of that accountability to include Ebs as well. To not play well is fair enough, everyone goes through slumps, but the effort isn't quite there and he's sloppy. Sit him for the next game, maybe shake him up a bit.
Our young players need to realize they're not close to being stars in this league, they still haven't accomplished ****.

My lines would be:
Hall-RNH-Yaks(might be a horror show defensively but decent wheels on the wings...)
MPS-Gagner-Hemsky(best line vs Hawks)
Eager-Belanger-Jones(energy line)
Petrell-VV-Smyth(spare parts/PKer line)

Eberle ofc draws in again after one night in the PB.

This is unnecessary. Moving them back to 2nd line mins would suffice. Yak has to be at least 2nd line. Duby needs to make at least 4-5 starts as well.

 

[Njoy Oilers]

I can assure you that the reason for Eberle's struggles has nothing to do with him "playing defence".

Right now he's not playing Canadian hockey. No will to get in the paint, playing tentative, peripheral hockey, a guy with fantastic mitts not getting into spaces where he can properly use them.

Heres the thing, and a number of us are commenting on it. Eberle got rocked a few times early in the season (this being one facet of NHL adjustment to his play) and is now backing off as he thinks more about getting drilled than the punishment he can administer to opposition.

Theres one cure for this. To finally become so angry and frustrated that it makes you get to a fearless around the net game. The one that Ryan Smyth chose to play his whole career in.

Eberle will start sniffing the net more when he's finally convinced that there won't be much feeding from farther out.

Excellant read on Ebs woe's. Give him Hemsky's TOI and roll with that for a while. Ralph might do well to hypnotize his first 2 lines before games and instruct them to shoot more.

 

[Oilfan2]

I would try these lines:

Hall - Gagner - Eberle
1st line, will draw top checking unit

Jones - RNH - Yakupov
Try to give them favorable match ups

Smyth - Belanger - Hemsky
Checking line

Eager - VV - PRV

Once team is healthy Horcoff takes third line C, Belanger to 4th line, Petrell is 4th line RW. VV, PRV and Hairtikanen go back to OKC.

By next season get rid of Belanger, Eager, Petrell and Smyth to make room for PRV, Hairtikanen and two new bottom 6 players acquired thru trade or free agency.

I don't think you can put Hemmer on a checking line..

Jones is a hard worker, etc, but not a 2nd line player.

Simply need to get Eberle over on LW, slide RNH down a line to give him a bit of a break and maybe rest the shoulder from 1st line duties.

Eberle-Gagner-Hemsky
Hall-RNH-Yakupov
Smyth-Belanger-Jones
Eager--VV-Petrell/MPS
MPS/Petrell

When Horcoff is back, he slips between Smyth and Jones, Belanger to 4th and VV to OKC.
Keep Harti (when he's healthy) and MPS and switch out as required.

Smid-Petry
J Schultz-N Schultz
Fistric-Peckham
Whitney

Waive Potter and if he clears, send him to OKC.
or trade Whitney for a 5th,,,

 

[GMofOilers]

I dont think we should be worried about Eberle at all. He played bad last night, but that is the first game of the year he played that way.

What we know is hes a streaky scorer. All scorers are streaky.

It will come, and when it comes he will be at the top of the league.

 

[ScrillaVilla]

Eberle assists have dropped as well this has nothing to do with sp his whole play has dropped and he is not getting the quality shots from prime scoring spots he was from last year.

The assists would be there if Hall wasn't shooting 4% and RNH a brutal 2.5%. That really has nothing to do with his level of play. I also don't buy the "not getting the quality shots from prime scoring spots" argument either, at least not at face value. The reason I say that is this:

If a player gets higher quality chances his shooting percentage should naturally be higher, and both these things were true for Eberle last season. Both these things are highly correlated, and hence both were highly unlikely to continue (since they are essentially the same thing). There really is no reason to expect Eberle to be getting more "quality shots from prime scoring areas". His scoring rate is in range with what can be expected from a player who shoots as much as Eberle does.

 

[Da McBomb]

Someone should put together a highlight package of all of Yakupov's NHL goals. I bet the puck hasn't been on his stick for more than 5 seconds if you add all his goals together. All of them have been one-timers or goals batted out of the air (except maybe his empty net goal but even then the puck was barely on his stick that long).

 

[McDreamy]

Someone should put together a highlight package of all of Yakupov's NHL goals. I bet the puck hasn't been on his stick for more than 5 seconds if you add all his goals together. All of them have been one-timers or goals batted out of the air (except maybe his empty net goal but even then the puck was barely on his stick that long).

That's why he should always be used on the halfwall on the first PP. He has the deadliest shot on the team by far.

Very questionable coaching decisions last game. Smyth is useless, it hurts to watch him struggle his way around the ice.

 

[ponokanocker]

Top 2 lines are too soft, so things need to be shaken up. It's tough with Belanger there, so put him with players that will look to shoot rather than pass. Horcoff fills in for him as he gets bumped to the 4th line. The top 3 lines are not in any order, whoever plays the best, gets the most ice time.

Hall - Belanger - Eberle
Yakupov - RNH - Jones
Smyth - Gagner - Hemsky
PRV - Van - Eager

A mixture of toughness and skill, and reward one of the top 3 lines with the most playing time. Leave the PP lines together. The softness needs to be split up.

 

[Turrican*]

Top 2 lines are too soft, so things need to be shaken up. It's tough with Belanger there, so put him with players that will look to shoot rather than pass. Horcoff fills in for him as he gets bumped to the 4th line. The top 3 lines are not in any order, whoever plays the best, gets the most ice time.

Hall - Belanger - Eberle
Yakupov - RNH - Jones
Smyth - Gagner - Hemsky
PRV - Van - Eager

A mixture of toughness and skill, and reward one of the top 3 lines with the most playing time. Leave the PP lines together. The softness needs to be split up.

Belanger is not soft in what regard?

 

[Da McBomb]

That's why he should always be used on the halfwall on the first PP. He has the deadliest shot on the team by far.

Very questionable coaching decisions last game. Smyth is useless, it hurts to watch him struggle his way around the ice.

I agree, especially when the Oilers have a 2 man advantage, Yakupov needs to be out there with his deadly one-timer. As good as Nuge was on the halfwall last year on the PP, he's not accomplishing much this year.

 

[Bobblehead]

Clipping is in the rulebook and technically that's more or less what Yakupov did.

It wasn't note, penalty or suspension worthy to me though.

The late, high hit attempt by Carcillo is probably more noteworthy.

I disagree. Clipping as its stated in the rulebook is throwing your body into someone or across someone's knees or below the knees. There was ZERO forward momentum by Yakupov towards Carcillo. He, in fact, is moving out of the way. No way that qualifies as clipping. Unsportsmanlike would be more appropriate, but even that is a HUGE stretch. You'd have to penalize any player who spiuns away to avoid a check.... just like Schultz did earlier this year against Weiss from Vancouver (I think?). This is getting ridiculous.

 

[Shanahanigans]

Top 2 lines are too soft, so things need to be shaken up. It's tough with Belanger there, so put him with players that will look to shoot rather than pass. Horcoff fills in for him as he gets bumped to the 4th line. The top 3 lines are not in any order, whoever plays the best, gets the most ice time.

Hall - Belanger - Eberle
Yakupov - RNH - Jones
Smyth - Gagner - Hemsky
PRV - Van - Eager

A mixture of toughness and skill, and reward one of the top 3 lines with the most playing time. Leave the PP lines together. The softness needs to be split up.

 

[Shanahanigans]

PS- I know he's not very well liked on here but Potter has done a decent enough job on the bottom pair when he is called in. He's not bad when he doesn't have to carry Whitney with him on that third pair.

 

[Oiltankjob Fail]

Top 2 lines are too soft, so things need to be shaken up. It's tough with Belanger there, so put him with players that will look to shoot rather than pass. Horcoff fills in for him as he gets bumped to the 4th line. The top 3 lines are not in any order, whoever plays the best, gets the most ice time.

Hall - Belanger - Eberle
Yakupov - RNH - Jones
Smyth - Gagner - Hemsky
PRV - Van - Eager

A mixture of toughness and skill, and reward one of the top 3 lines with the most playing time. Leave the PP lines together. The softness needs to be split up.

I see nothing wrong with these lines It spreads out the scoring through the lineups, the amount of puck handling Hall is doing this year makes Rnh redundant as a playmaker , also Belanger taking a lot of draws in offensive zone is a benifit imo. only change would be making sure Yakupov is on right side of RNH

 

[Mr Forever]

Top 2 lines are too soft, so things need to be shaken up. It's tough with Belanger there, so put him with players that will look to shoot rather than pass. Horcoff fills in for him as he gets bumped to the 4th line. The top 3 lines are not in any order, whoever plays the best, gets the most ice time.

Hall - Belanger - Eberle
Yakupov - RNH - Jones
Smyth - Gagner - Hemsky
PRV - Van - Eager

A mixture of toughness and skill, and reward one of the top 3 lines with the most playing time. Leave the PP lines together. The softness needs to be split up.

Not bad actually, I'd mix it up a little for when Horcoff is back:

Hall-Horcoff-Eberle
Eager/Jones-RNH-Yakupov
Paajarvi/Harti-Gagner-Hemsky
Paajarvi-Harti-Belanger-Jones/Eager

 

[ponokanocker]

Belanger is not soft in what regard?

Belanger, Gagner and RNH are soft. Hall is not soft on that line. Each line has 1 or 2 soft players. Horcoff fills in for Belanger when he is back. Horcoff plays a more physical game than Belanger, but is far from a beast or anything.

 

[ponokanocker]

I see nothing wrong with these lines It spreads out the scoring through the lineups, the amount of puck handling Hall is doing this year makes Rnh redundant as a playmaker , also Belanger taking a lot of draws in offensive zone is a benifit imo. only change would be making sure Yakupov is on right side of RNH

Exactly with regards to Belanger. He is there to play a defensive role and get his linemates the team the puck on a faceoff. Offensively, he shouldn't be asked to do too much. Horcoff will be asked to go to the net more, but I just don't see that out of Belanger. If he hangs back further in the zone and let's a d-man jump in, great.

 

[ponokanocker]

I really want to see RNH and Yakupov on a line together in more sheltered minutes. I think it could be dynamite 5 on 5.

 

[Mcnofool6110]

PS- I know he's not very well liked on here but Potter has done a decent enough job on the bottom pair when he is called in. He's not bad when he doesn't have to carry Whitney with him on that third pair.

You... you like POTTER? You must BURN!

I actually agree. He's been better than Whitney, which says more about Whitney than it does about Corey Potter.

 

[I am the Liquor]

PS- I know he's not very well liked on here but Potter has done a decent enough job on the bottom pair when he is called in. He's not bad when he doesn't have to carry Whitney with him on that third pair.

I guess we know what username Krueger is using these days.