Post-Game Talk: Oilers lose Duck Hunt

[Juxta Position]

I did. I'm not a fan of Katz and his braindead hires.


They also won the Cup last year, softening the blow of losing players to injury.

Those braindead hires also took us to within 1 goal of one of, if not the greatest comebacks in North American sports history. but you know, Katz sucks because reasons....

And before you come back with that was a different management group, Katz also hired that group. I'm just tired of the constant whining here. the Oilers have been a legitimate Stanley Cup threat for 3 years running and will be again this year in the playoffs.

 

[K1984]

Nope having 30+ million injured is just an “excuse” guys.

The Panthers are in the same situation and are totally killing it.

It's astounding to me that people are catastrophizing because we are losing narrow, competitive games while we don't have our #1C, our #2C (which is really just a second #1C), our #1D man, and the starting goalie. We have been competitive throughout this situation, even more competitive than they were a lot of the time with 29 and 97 in the lineup since the 4 Nations if we're being honest with ourselves. If Pickard starts last night we probably win on that alone.

Being mad that 3rd and 4th liners aren't just sniping it up when the team's offensive catalysts are out is ridiculous IMO.

 

[bucks_oil]

Don't think Oliver could of had a worst first start tbh. Only 21 shots against lets in 3 while the Oilers dominate and put shoot the ducks 2-1 and still loose with Oliver
.857 save percentage. Had high hopes but I guess that ship has sailed......

Man you guys and your goaltending hot-takes! It's not a math equation and even if it were, there's a thing called n-size.

Which of cross-ice, well-executed, one-timer, breakaway 1 or breakaway 2 do you think was particularly weak?

I suppose you could argue there was an unnecessary rebound (followed by a very poor clearing attempt) prior to the one-timer goal, but seriously... that's enough to write off your hopes?

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Those braindead hires also took us to within 1 goal of one of, if not the greatest comebacks in North American sports history. but you know, Katz sucks because reasons....

And before you come back with that was a different management group, Katz also hired that group. I'm just tired of the constant whining here. the Oilers have been a legitimate Stanley Cup threat for 3 years running and will be again this year in the playoffs.

But they didn't win. I realize how unfair that sounds but they failed to win the big prize. "Cup or bust" was the manta. McDavid and Draisatl are world class talents capable of carrying a team very far, but we already know that simply isn't enough. Ken Holland has also left this team bereft of up and coming prospects, and the only ones we did have are gone for a pittance.

Katz sucks because he never bothered to hire competent hockey minds in important positions and the only reason this team is even relevant today is because they won a draft lottery a decade ago. They've hitched their wagon now to Jackson and Bowman who have done an admirable job of tanking a Stanley Cup contender into a middling team. Sure, there's a chance this team has another amazing run in them but their body of work this year hasn't inspired that sort of confidence. They really don't look like the team they were last year, even when they were healthy. There's regression across the board, both on and off the ice. The team has had a weakness in net all year that management just flat out refused to address, and if the plan is just "Let's run with Pickard", I'm sorry... That's not going to end with a Stanley Cup.

 

[ManOfSteelI]

Kapanen has NHL wheels but the rest of his game is ass, Janmark is slightly better at managing the puck.

Janmark has his own problems, but he's significantly better at managing the puck than Kapanen.

 

[Ibanez]

To be fair, when you look at where our shots are coming from, they're not very dangerous.

This to me is another coaching issue. Players have completely stopped going to, or driving the net. Instead they pull up on the wing, and drop the pass back to the blue line for a long distance blast. This is basically the Oilers calling card at this point. It also kind of explains why the team doesn't draw any penalty's despite controlling play in the O zone for large swathes of the game.

We allergic to playing tough. Playing tough requires going to the front of the net

 

[Ibanez]

Janmark has his own problems, but he's significantly better at managing the puck than Kapanen.

Kapanen is hot garbage…

He’s not good at anything. Other than turnovers

 

[McShogun99]

Agree...

This team is admittedly only hanging on by a thread without McDrai... but jeezus... did anyone expect them to play much better than 0.500 hockey without McDavid, Draisaitl, Ekholm, Skinner (for what it's worth), Kane, Frederic (mostly), Klingberg? That's literally your top three players (by a mile), your starting goalie (cough, cough), a recent top-6 guy who's still eating top-6 money, your deadline middle six addition and your most logical 7th defensemen to step in for Ekholm's injury.

You take any team in the league and remove 4 top 6 forwards, their top Dman and starting goalie and see how they do. It’s like Colorado losing Mackinnon, Necas, Nelson, Landeskog, Makar and Blackwood.

 

[bucks_oil]

But they didn't win. I realize how unfair that sounds but they failed to win the big prize. "Cup or bust" was the manta. McDavid and Draisatl are world class talents capable of carrying a team very far, but we already know that simply isn't enough. Ken Holland has also left this team bereft of up and coming prospects, and the only ones we did have are gone for a pittance.

Katz sucks because he never bothered to hire competent hockey minds in important positions and the only reason this team is even relevant today is because they won a draft lottery a decade ago. They've hitched their wagon now to Jackson and Bowman who have done an admirable job of tanking a Stanley Cup contender into a middling team. Sure, there's a chance this team has another amazing run in them but their body of work this year hasn't inspired that sort of confidence. They really don't look like the team they were last year, even when they were healthy. There's regression across the board, both on and off the ice. The team has had a weakness in net all year that management just flat out refused to address, and if the plan is just "Let's run with Pickard", I'm sorry... That's not going to end with a Stanley Cup.

This team hasn't iced the lineup that will play game one ONCE. Not ONCE.

One of our "top prospects" became four years of Ekholm @ $6M, another became 2 years of Walman at $3.4M, another priced himself out and became Savoie who has 47 points in 60 games of his first pro season and yes, two others priced themselves out and were lost for nothing. It is BECAUSE we are a contender with two of the best, most expensive players to ever play the game that we won't always be able to afford to pay youth when it commands big-bucks prior to actually earning them (even if it is predictable)... sadly that part also comes with the territory.

If you already know the ending, and you don't like it, maybe you should stop watching?

 

[Mr Positive]

We outshot and outchanced them. Tbh this game was mostly encouraging. Our team without the best players controls the play and is just better than the Ducks, but just don't have much for finishing. These are our depth guys for the most part.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

I was merely pointing out how a large contingent of posters on this board want nothing more than to bitch and complain and it seems like they are almost happy when the team is struggling so they can revel in their own misery, and try to pass that misery off to others. Because the second the team is rolling along, those same people disappear. It's exhausting, and they need to be called out on it.

That’s what the block button is for.

 

[Stoneman89]

Sorry, not the 1980's anymore. This is isn't a gentleman's Dance Hall. If you want to send a message, you grab him from behind and pound away, and push his face into the ice. and alternatively, hack him on his wrist and/or ankles. and if you really want to send a message, run one of their kids into the boards from behind accidentally on purpose. Calling Max Jones? Your NHL career is likely ending soon anyway, and I'm sure Katz will pay your fine, and maybe even give you some bonus money after the fact.

Bottom line, as you said earlier, the NHL is a joke league with their officiating and lack of protection for players. It is clear that they aren't going to change, and the Radek Gudas of the world will continue to do this shit and get away scot free, because he "won't accept an invitation to fight". Last night it was Perry and Podkolzin who were victims of his act.. Fortunately, it appears they both managed to escape far worse. But next time, it very well could be McDavid or Drai. (Mikey Anderson and his slewfoot from a couple years ago say hi, just as an example). If the league isn't going to protect you, then you need to deal with it internally.

 

[MessierII]

We outshot and outchanced them. Tbh this game was mostly encouraging. Our team without the best players controls the play and is just better than the Ducks, but just don't have much for finishing. These are our depth guys for the most part.

Yeah I find it hilarious everyone is so doom and gloom on here. I’m actually impressed with how they’ve played with the skeleton crew. They’ve been better than I thought they would be.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

This team hasn't iced the lineup that will play game one ONCE. Not ONCE.

One of our "top prospects" became four years of Ekholm @ $6M, another became 2 years of Walman at $3.4M, another priced himself out and became Savoie who has 47 points in 60 games of his first pro season and yes, two others priced themselves out and were lost for nothing. It is BECAUSE we are a contender with two of the best, most expensive players to ever play the game that we won't always be able to afford to pay youth when it commands big-bucks prior to actually earning them (even if it is predictable)... sadly that part also comes with the territory.

If you already know the ending, and you don't like it, maybe you should stop watching?

The team is not as good as last year, full stop. both GF and GA are worse than last year. Their PP and PK are also statistically worse than last year.

There's also that tiny matter between the pipes which you didn't seem to address for some reason.

I want to win the Stanley Cup. McDavid deserves at least one. Hopefully they deliver it.

 

[Stoneman89]

Don't think Oliver could of had a worst first start tbh. Only 21 shots against lets in 3 while the Oilers dominate and put shoot the ducks 2-1 and still loose with Oliver
.857 save percentage. Had high hopes but I guess that ship has sailed......

It's a painfully small sample size, but combined with his mediocre season and apparent step back, and being in the org for 6 seasons, I don't think we need to see more. Time to move on from another goalie graveyard, and give the next group a chance.

 

[K1984]

It's a painfully small sample size, but combined with his mediocre season and apparent step back, and being in the org for 6 seasons, I don't think we need to see more. Time to move on from another goalie graveyard, and give the next group a chance.

We seem to have an addiction to small goalies that perform well in the lower leagues and have talent, but don't have enough talent to overcome the size issue. For every Wolf or Saros there are about 100 sub 6'1 goalies that will never have a hope.

Need to just stop drafting these guys.

 

[Stoneman89]

Yeah I find it hilarious everyone is so doom and gloom on here. I’m actually impressed with how they’ve played with the skeleton crew. They’ve been better than I thought they would be.

Playing well, but they just can't finish. I guess expecting Brown to hit the odd open net is a big ask. Same with Janmark. God bless them for trying and giving their all. But the guys that are a real disappointment are Nuge and Hyman. Zak tries hard every game, but reverts to his "bread and butter" wrap around anytime he's near the net. Everyone has seen it a thousand times and are ready for it. He might want to try to mix it up a bit and introduce some creativity. Nuge has gone back to his bad habit of playing on the perimeter, and when he does that, he becomes invisible and a non-factor. And due to the pressure of not scoring, it also highlights some defensive deficiencies. Bouchard's 3 or 4 brainfarts every game get magnified if you can't score your way out of them.

 

[Mr Positive]

It's a painfully small sample size, but combined with his mediocre season and apparent step back, and being in the org for 6 seasons, I don't think we need to see more. Time to move on from another goalie graveyard, and give the next group a chance.

Yesterday people were too high on the chances for Rodrigue, but today it's too dismissive. The painfully small sample basically kills a real evaluation of him. Apparently Skinner is coming back soon so I doubt we see Rodrigue again anyway. Not until training camp. So it doesn't matter much now

 

[Mr Positive]

Playing well, but they just can't finish. I guess expecting Brown to hit the odd open net is a big ask. Same with Janmark. God bless them for trying and giving their all. But the guys that are a real disappointment are Nuge and Hyman. Zak tries hard every game, but reverts to his "bread and butter" wrap around anytime he's near the net. Everyone has seen it a thousand times and are ready for it. He might want to try to mix it up a bit and introduce some creativity. Nuge has gone back to his bad habit of playing on the perimeter, and when he does that, he becomes invisible and a non-factor. And due to the pressure of not scoring, it also highlights some defensive deficiencies. Bouchard's 3 or 4 brainfarts every game get magnified if you can't score your way out of them.

I generally prefer players who win possession and get the chances, vs players who lose possession but make the most of their chances. Yes it is annoying af to see Brown miss a simple goal but I guess I just believe that when the chips are down, in the playoffs, players like that will find the back of the net more. Thats the easy part. The hard part is winning possession.

 

[soothsayer]

The team is not as good as last year, full stop. both GF and GA are worse than last year. Their PP and PK are also statistically worse than last year.

There's also that tiny matter between the pipes which you didn't seem to address for some reason.

I want to win the Stanley Cup. McDavid deserves at least one. Hopefully they deliver it.

I think there is a sober way to look at this team without being needlessly pessimistic or relentlessly optimistic. At this point, I think it's hard to argue that the team is as good as they were in the regular season last year. But what matters is how they perform in the playoffs.

I feel pretty good about Arvidsson and Skinner continuing their upward trajectory into the playoffs, though Knoblauch's handling of Skinner has been absurd and I'm not sure he's going to give Skinner the opportunity to be this year's Sergei Samsonov (a potentially fatal mistake, even?).

But last year, everything lined up to put the Oilers in the Stanley Cup finals despite their .900 sv%. My biggest concern is that it seems unlikely that enough things will break the Oilers away to overcome a .900sv% again. Last playoffs, their PK was historically good; their PP was elite; they were scoring a ton; other teams had key injuries (e.g., Demko, Boeser); McDavid played so well that he won the Conn Smythe on the losing team; and they were stil inches away from being bounced by an inferior Canucks squad in the second round.

I think we have to assume Skinner is a 900 goalie at this point. Maybe he flips a switch and gets into that 910-915 territory, but there is nothing that suggests he's going to do that in the payoffs--it would be a surprise. So the Oilers need to overcome that. I haven't seen any indication that their PK is going to be historically good again; they aren't scoring as much; their PP isn't as good; and now there are questions about the health of McDavid, Draisaitl, and Ekholm going into the playoffs. We need them at their peaks.

To me, it all starts and ends with Skinner. I think it is virtually impossible that the Oilers win the cup with a 900 sv%. I was hoping he would take a step forward and the Oilers wouldn't need as many things to break their way these playoffs, but he has gotten worse, so I am very concerned about their chances. They also just haven't looked like the same team as last year, but I am hopefuly that Arvidsson and Skinner can move the needle with their offence in the playoffs. Hopefully Kane can be a contributor. Who knows what is going to happen with Frederic. But there are just too many questions right now about the things the team will need to do extremely well to overcome a 900 sv % to be very optimistic about their cup chances. And I think that's a reasonable, not pessimistic, view.

 

[Mr Positive]

I think there is a sober way to look at this team without being needlessly pessimistic or relentlessly optimistic. At this point, I think it's hard to argue that the team is as good as they were in the regular season last year. But what matters is how they perform in the playoffs.

I feel pretty good about Arvidsson and Skinner continuing their upward trajectory into the playoffs, though Knoblauch's handling of Skinner has been absurd and I'm not sure he's going to give Skinner the opportunity to be this year's Sergei Samsonov (a potentially fatal mistake, even?).

But last year, everything lined up to put the Oilers in the Stanley Cup finals despite their .900 sv%. My biggest concern is that it seems unlikely that enough things will break the Oilers away to overcome a .900sv% again. Last playoffs, their PK was historically good; their PP was elite; they were scoring a ton; other teams had key injuries (e.g., Demko, Boeser); McDavid played so well that he won the Conn Smythe on the losing team; and they were stil inches away from being bounced by an inferior Canucks squad in the second round.

I think we have to assume Skinner is a 900 goalie at this point. Maybe he flips a switch and gets into that 910-915 territory, but there is nothing that suggests he's going to do that in the payoffs--it would be a surprise. So the Oilers need to overcome that. I haven't seen any indication that their PK is going to be historically good again; they aren't scoring as much; their PP isn't as good; and now there are questions about the health of McDavid, Draisaitl, and Ekholm going into the playoffs. We need them at their peaks.

To me, it all starts and ends with Skinner. I think it is virtually impossible that the Oilers win the cup with a 900 sv%. I was hoping he would take a step forward and the Oilers wouldn't need as many things to break their way these playoffs, but he has gotten worse, so I am very concerned about their chances. They also just haven't looked like the same team as last year, but I am hopefuly that Arvidsson and Skinner can move the needle with their offence in the playoffs. Hopefully Kane can be a contributor. Who knows what is going to happen with Frederic. But there are just too many questions right now about the things the team will need to do extremely well to overcome a 900 sv % to be very optimistic about their cup chances. And I think that's a reasonable, not pessimistic, view.

I do think there is a huge difference between the playoffs and regular season. For instance last year Desharnais was hugely important in the grind of the regular season, clearing the crease and making that part of the game easier for the rest. But, over the playoffs it took painful lessons to see that he couldn't keep up with the play once it got elite.

We kept the players who rose to the occasion in the playoffs. I also think veterans are better in the playoffs than in the regular season. The regular season is just too much of a grind. It favors the young. The playoffs are far fewer games and veterans usually are saving something for the playoffs. This is Hyman now imo. He is avoiding injuries and trying not to burn out. When a playoff series goes intense, all that goes out the window. We have a lot of players potentially making that bargain right now.

 

[soothsayer]

I do think there is a huge difference between the playoffs and regular season. For instance last year Desharnais was hugely important in the grind of the regular season, clearing the crease and making that part of the game easier for the rest. But, over the playoffs it took painful lessons to see that he couldn't keep up with the play once it got elite.

We kept the players who rose to the occasion in the playoffs. I also think veterans are better in the playoffs than in the regular season. The regular season is just too much of a grind. It favors the young. The playoffs are far fewer games and veterans usually are saving something for the playoffs. This is Hyman now imo. He is avoiding injuries and trying not to burn out. When a playoff series goes intense, all that goes out the window. We have a lot of players potentially making that bargain right now.

I agree that we might be seeing players saving fuel for the playoffs. I've posted on here before that I think that might be happening, and it wouldn't totally shock me if McDavid, Draisaitl, etc., flip a switch and blow the doors off LA in 4 games.

Another thing I keep thinking about: I keep thinking about the 2012 LA Kings. They were actually just okay in the regular season, finishing 3rd in the Pacific with "only" 95 points. They then proceeded to kick the living hell out of everyone in the playoffs, losing only 4 games (what?) all playoffs. They were one of the best playoff teams in the modern era. I still think goaltending is a significant concern (Quick was lights out for the Kings), but I also don't think finishing 3rd in the division is a death knell.

 

[Juxta Position]

That’s what the block button is for.

I've never used it, and I never will.

If someone is willing to put their opinion out there then i will do them courteousy of reading it, but that doesn't mean if it's a shitty opinion it doesn't deserve to be called out.

The constant negativity from some gets very old, but it's their opinion, and they have a right to it, just like I have the right to push back against that negativity.

Kind of defeats the purpose of a message board if you just block everyone you don't agree with. That's just moving into an echo chamber, which I have no desire to be in.

 

[MessierThanThou]

What's happening right now is what always happens when the Oilers slightly struggle: the fanbase cannibalizes itself, the players, the coaches, and the management. This fanbase is chalk full of loudmouth piss babies who aren't happy unless they're whining about something, and the Oilers having the 2 best players in the world and their best defenseman out to injury is apparently a good enough reason for those fans to throw tantrums about the owner for some reason.

It's like clockwork, the Oilers struggle, the piss babies come out in full force complaining about every possible thing you can imagine, and when the Oilers do well, they disappear to yell at the neighbors kids for playing outside or some other miserable shit like that.

There's always someone on here who has to complain about all of the people complaining. As if venting about strangers venting about sports on the internet is somehow more productive.

 

[29Beast97Mode]

Kapanen is hot garbage…

He’s not good at anything. Other than turnovers

He's a KHL player if I ever saw one