Post-Game Talk: Oilers lose late to Vegas

[CupofOil]

"Matter of time"... We're 14 games into the season and our offense is so bad it makes the "Taylor Hplsall #1 Center" days look enticing. No we're not going to stay 30th forever but is the team going to explode offensively like we want them to? The longer this goes on the more likely it is that this is just reality.

Yes, I virtually guarantee that the Oilers will score at a much higher rate once they get going. You think that everybody outside of Draisaitl will continue career low paces for the rest of the season?

Same shit happens every season. Oilers start.slow, HFOil goes into panic mode wanting to fire this person trade that person, Oilers are done etc. then team plays as expected and the naysayers go quiet.
Hey, maybe this is the year that they don't turn it around but I'd be shocked if that's the case.

 

[McDNicks17]

I feel like McDavid's skating is still off too.

Like Hyman has the fastest top speed on the team(with a surprising 23 mph) so far this year.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Yes, I virtually guarantee that the Oilers will score at a much higher rate once they get going. You think that everybody outside of Draisaitl will continue career low paces for the rest of the season?

Same shit happens every season. Oilers start.slow, HFOil goes into panic mode wanting to fire this person trade that person, Oilers are done etc. then team plays as expected and the naysayers go quiet.
Hey, maybe this is the year that they don't turn it around but I'd be shocked if that's the case.

Every game they lose they fall further behind. They just lost a key game to arguably the best team in the division, who widened the gap. Of course they’ll start scoring more but this is starting to become worrying. They lost the Cup last year because they couldn’t score enough. The guys they brought in aren’t getting it done.

 

[TheNumber4]

Yes, I virtually guarantee that the Oilers will score at a much higher rate once they get going. You think that everybody outside of Draisaitl will continue career low paces for the rest of the season?

Same shit happens every season. Oilers start.slow, HFOil goes into panic mode wanting to fire this person trade that person, Oilers are done etc. then team plays as expected and the naysayers go quiet.
Hey, maybe this is the year that they don't turn it around but I'd be shocked if that's the case.

Visually, we are playing well. Just need that damn shooting percentage to normalize and we should be fine.

I'm surprised to see so many people in panic mode though, like it's time to blow it up. My issues with the team are not that we are bad. It's that I was hoping to go from Elite last year to Elite++ this year, but the offseason losses of players that presented the potential to do that were lost when we lost our youth.

 

[Oilslick941611]

Did you forget the player has one goal? Or your inane comment that he could score 6 games in a row and I wouldn't be happy? I'd be surprised with 6 goals by Christmas.

Arvid is butchering scoring chances. Countless scoring chances and taking almost the most shots on the team with a tidy 3% shooting %. Worse shooting % than Connor Brown. mic drop.

His only goal came on a wide open look at an empty net from 4ft away. he almost flubbed that one.

If Arvid finishes frigging anything including open net looks last night we probably win.

Your axe to grind with him is hilarious. Hilariously sad.

 

[CanadasTeam99]

I suspect you’re being facetious with this comment but it does underline a huge problem this team has and that’s its embarrassing lack of physicality. You don’t need to be fighting every game but you do have to hit people. This team has been single digits for hits after the second period frequently this year. I’ve never seen a successful team play this way before and there’s a reason for it. Hitting wears team down as the game goes on. We are the team being worn down as the game goes on. If this coaching staff is intentionally focusing the team on not playing physical then the coaching staff is the issue. If they’re not then the players are. I know Knoblach has made comments about this but I’m not sure if that’s really his philosophy or if he’s just covering for his players. I never got the impression he was a moron last year.

Lowest hits per game per 60. 2+ under 2nd last

 

[Drivesaitl]

Your axe to grind with him is hilarious. Hilariously sad.

Your obsession with my posts is" hilarious. Hilariously sad. "

Fortunately I won't ever see another reply of yours and will be missing absolutely nothing.

More volunteers?
I'm specifically looking for those that I might have forgot. Can never be too sure.

 

[CanadasTeam99]

Fair point. Hill is struggling a bit this year but a hot offence is masking that. Funny enough our offence is usually like the golden knights which covers up Skinners garbage numbers.

No doubt offence is an huge issue right now but your refusal to admit that our starting goalie having a bottom of the league GSAE also is a significant issue is hilarious. He’s the sole reason our PK has been historically bad.

The offence will turn it on and then you will start blaming Holland again.

The Oilers could start averaging 4-5 GPG and go off all year. I would still 100% try to get a goalie upgrade. Skinner just cannot be trusted to have any consistency. He lets in so many shit goals

 

[Drivesaitl]

Yes, I virtually guarantee that the Oilers will score at a much higher rate once they get going. You think that everybody outside of Draisaitl will continue career low paces for the rest of the season?

Same shit happens every season. Oilers start.slow, HFOil goes into panic mode wanting to fire this person trade that person, Oilers are done etc. then team plays as expected and the naysayers go quiet.
Hey, maybe this is the year that they don't turn it around but I'd be shocked if that's the case.

This isn't exactly going out on the limb though. yes they will score at higher rate. But how high?

Would be improbable for the rate to stay this low on a team basis anyway.

 

[TheNumber4]

Lotta ya'll need to listen to what Knob says starting at 5:18 of this clip:

https://x.com/i/web/status/1854632980045873326

 

[Reasonable Oil Fan]

The amount of times plays die on McDs stick have been increasing steadily for like a year and a half now……….

That’s what SHE said!

 

[Spawn]

Yes, I virtually guarantee that the Oilers will score at a much higher rate once they get going. You think that everybody outside of Draisaitl will continue career low paces for the rest of the season?

Same shit happens every season. Oilers start.slow, HFOil goes into panic mode wanting to fire this person trade that person, Oilers are done etc. then team plays as expected and the naysayers go quiet.
Hey, maybe this is the year that they don't turn it around but I'd be shocked if that's the case.

To be fair, often times it does take a big move for the Oilers to really start firing on all cylinders.

2021-2022 season the team needed to fire Tippet and sign Kane before going on a run
2022-2023 season the team had won 3 of 10 games and were sitting 8th in the playoff race before trading for Ekholm and going on a late season run
2023-2024 season the team was what... 2-9-1 before firing Woodcroft and needing to win 16 in a row to get back into things

So yes, traditionally the Oilers have turned it around. But traditionally it has also taken some sort of big shakeup for it to happen.

So while I don't actually thing the Oilers should fire their coach, there is some validity to the people who are calling for a major shake up of some kind since that has tended to be the thing that has gotten this team going in each of the last three seasons.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Yes, I virtually guarantee that the Oilers will score at a much higher rate once they get going. You think that everybody outside of Draisaitl will continue career low paces for the rest of the season?

Same shit happens every season. Oilers start.slow, HFOil goes into panic mode wanting to fire this person trade that person, Oilers are done etc. then team plays as expected and the naysayers go quiet.
Hey, maybe this is the year that they don't turn it around but I'd be shocked if that's the case.

I mean all our forwards over 30 having career low paces wouldn’t be shocking. Hyman it would, but the rest I can definitely see it. Arvidsson is broken, Skinner has slowed down and Henrique is 34. Nuge looks pure awful not just unlucky.
It’s actually crazy that hat the only players at the start of the year in our top 9 not 30+ was McDrai.

 

[CupofOil]

Every game they lose they fall further behind. They just lost a key game to arguably the best team in the division, who widened the gap. Of course they’ll start scoring more but this is starting to become worrying. They lost the Cup last year because they couldn’t score enough. The guys they brought in aren’t getting it done.

The Oilers were in a far worse position this time last year. Am I worried about them winning the division? Yeah, that's going to be an uphill climb. Am I worried about them missing the playoffs? Not at all really.
They do this all the time, every season. Until they prove that they can't bounce back then I'll always believe that they'll bounce back. The 31st shooting percentage in the league will normalize, the 14.3% PP will almost certainly normalize, the absurdly laughably bad 59.5% PK percentage will normalize. The Oilers are basically .500 despite nobody scoring and bottom of the league Special Teams. Kulak is tied for their 2nd leading goal scorer, these things are hugely unsustainable. I'm not really concerned about their offense especially.

 

[K1984]

The Oilers could start averaging 4-5 GPG and go off all year. I would still 100% try to get a goalie upgrade. Skinner just cannot be trusted to have any consistency. He lets in so many shit goals

I’ve been in the camp for over a year now that trading major assets for a goalie was stupid, risky, and counter productive. No longer in that camp. We still need a #2 RD, but I don’t think that’s where the home run has to happen in terms of acquisition.

Thinking about it this way - would you rather have a mediocre #4 D like say Ceci + a goalie that can be relied upon to stay within the ~.900-.910 guardrails consistently, or the stud #4 with Skinner?

Right now I’m betting on the former, not the latter to give us better odds of winning the cup.

 

[CanadasTeam99]

I’ve been in the camp for over a year now that trading major assets for a goalie was stupid, risky, and counter productive. No longer in that camp. We still need a #2 RD, but I don’t think that’s where the home run has to happen in terms of acquisition.

Thinking about it this way - would you rather have a mediocre #4 D like say Ceci + a goalie that can be relied upon to stay within the ~.900-.910 guardrails consistently, or the stud #4 with Skinner?

Right now I’m betting on the former, not the latter to give us better odds of winning the cup.

I don't know how it can be done, but a goalie would be my move before a #4 dman

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I don't know how it can be done, but a goalie would be my move before a #4 dman

Schwartz waves and ruins your goalie.

 

[TheNumber4]

To be fair, often times it does take a big move for the Oilers to really start firing on all cylinders.

2021-2022 season the team needed to fire Tippet and sign Kane before going on a run
2022-2023 season the team had won 3 of 10 games and were sitting 8th in the playoff race before trading for Ekholm and going on a late season run
2023-2024 season the team was what... 2-9-1 before firing Woodcroft and needing to win 16 in a row to get back into things

So yes, traditionally the Oilers have turned it around. But traditionally it has also taken some sort of big shakeup for it to happen.

So while I don't actually thing the Oilers should fire their coach, there is some validity to the people who are calling for a major shake up of some kind since that has tended to be the thing that has gotten this team going in each of the last three seasons.

2024: Gully shaves his head sporting a brand new earth shattering look.

 

[Cloned]

I’m not surprised that his confidence in going 1 on 2 or 1 on 5 like that Rags moment is low. He gets stifled trying it more often then not, loses the puck and it’s out of our zone. But whatever, that’s just highlight reel stuff and we know he can do put up 120pts+ without doing that on the regular. And his sniping disappeared from his game like 2 years ago.

What I’m most concerned about his is passing. Like how many times do we see him pass directly into a defenders stick.

I’m hoping it’s all just confidence. I worry that years of the NHL allowing him to be a punching bag might be catching up with him too. He’s just a step less quick and it’s throwing his game off in ways he will need to readjust to.

It’s not even 1 on 3. He rarely tries to beat 1 on 1 anymore. He used to be dynamic with the puck on his stick, now he’s settling for mundane plays he never would’ve been happy with before.

 

[Throttlehead]

Shots for per game - top 5 best in the league
Shots against per game - top 5 best in the league
Power Play - top 5 worst in the league
Penalty Kill - worst in the league

Its obvious by stats that our specialty teams and our goalies are killing us, with some really bad/unlucky shooting % sprinkled in.

Your goalie has to be your best penalty killer which so far is a no, and we did lose two really good penalty killers from last year. We lost a lot of speed.

Our power play has lost all confidence and not enough hunger retrieving pucks. Go simple, shoot more and more movement by all of them.

I'm sure things will get better soon but so far there is no gel anywhere.

 

[McBeastMode]

Isn't he trying to sell that former Spelling Manion/F1 Heiress Mansion? lol

I didn't even know he bought that absolutely massive place. Probably stressing out

He never bought that place, that story was proved false..

 

[Soundwave]

I don't know how it can be done, but a goalie would be my move before a #4 dman

It's not like spending big on a goalie is the only option.

There are always guys who fall through the cracks that can be had for cheap. We should be taking chances on a guy like Thompson who's had solid GSAA numbers and is cheap.

Vegas employed the strategy of having multiple cheaper goalies and it led to them winning a Cup when Adin Hill emerged out of nowhere and gave them like .930 goaltending for the 2023 playoffs.

The Oilers need to learn the meaning of the term buy low.

 

[McShogun99]

Copied from The Athletic.

16. Edmonton Oilers, 6-7-1​

Last week: 14
Sean’s ranking: 18
Dom’s ranking: 14

Stuart Skinner hasn’t been his best this season, there’s no dancing around that. But his current .885 save percentage and minus-2.1 GSAx is a bit misleading thanks to an opening night stinker where he allowed five goals on 13 shots. Since? He’s been mostly fine with a .901 save percentage and two goals saved above expected.

That’s one less problem to worry about for an Oilers team that’s started very slow again this season — and you have to figure the rest of the roster will sort itself out soon.

Some hope for Skinner.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Copied from The Athletic.

16. Edmonton Oilers, 6-7-1​

Last week: 14
Sean’s ranking: 18
Dom’s ranking: 14

Stuart Skinner hasn’t been his best this season, there’s no dancing around that. But his current .885 save percentage and minus-2.1 GSAx is a bit misleading thanks to an opening night stinker where he allowed five goals on 13 shots. Since? He’s been mostly fine with a .901 save percentage and two goals saved above expected.

That’s one less problem to worry about for an Oilers team that’s started very slow again this season — and you have to figure the rest of the roster will sort itself out soon.

Some hope for Skinner.

Shhhh, he's the worst starter in the league, you know?

Also the Jets are, at least standings-wise, the best team in the league, so....

 

[CycloneSweep]

Copied from The Athletic.

16. Edmonton Oilers, 6-7-1​

Last week: 14
Sean’s ranking: 18
Dom’s ranking: 14

Stuart Skinner hasn’t been his best this season, there’s no dancing around that. But his current .885 save percentage and minus-2.1 GSAx is a bit misleading thanks to an opening night stinker where he allowed five goals on 13 shots. Since? He’s been mostly fine with a .901 save percentage and two goals saved above expected.

That’s one less problem to worry about for an Oilers team that’s started very slow again this season — and you have to figure the rest of the roster will sort itself out soon.

Some hope for Skinner.

A little, but sure. If you are going to remove his worst game might as well remove his best too, his shutout against Pitts. That leaves him at an .882 save percentage, and a -0.62 GSAx.

So outside of one great game and one awful game he has still been below average overall.

Shhhh, he's the worst starter in the league, you know?

Also the Jets are, at least standings-wise, the best team in the league, so....

Not the worst starter in the league, but out of the "contenders" he is up there with Georgiev for worst.