Oilers now 13-12-1: THE THREAD THAT'S FUN FOR EVERYONE

[Czechboy]

I'm really enjoying the win streak. We are still sub .500. lots of work left. Today .538 is the final playoff spot.

We also don't have a second goalie.

 

[BurnabyJoe7]

Bouchard is an NHLer from the neck down. He's still a complete liability and belongs in the ECHL.

He has to work on some things but he's not getting walked as much as Quinn Hughes. Does that mean Hughes belongs in men's A?

 

[Hippasus]

I'm really enjoying the win streak. We are still sub .500. lots of work left. Today .538 is the final playoff spot.

We also don't have a second goalie.

They better get some support for him soon. He could crash and burn otherwise and then the Oil would have zero goalies when they really need at least one. Some healthy competition is also good for young players like him.

 

[Coffey]

Holland better trade the farm for a f***ing goalie.

Also this thread is now a refugee camp for Oiler fan migrants from their own board.

 

[MessierII]

I'm really enjoying the win streak. We are still sub .500. lots of work left. Today .538 is the final playoff spot.

We also don't have a second goalie.

That’s the biggest concern for me right now. Stuey has been playing well but he will start to slip if he doesn’t get some reprieve.

 

[WestCoast CyberG]

I hate to get in the way of some good math and stats. but, I looked at the standings as of DEC 8 and if the Oilers just win the games in hand they have on the teams above them, they are 1 point behind a wild card spot. If I am correct, aren't all these teams pretty well on a level playing field and all the Oilers have to do is play slightly better than them to make the playoffs. Just saying. To me, I don't think its as much of a long shot as you are implying.

First - I hope Edmonton, Calgary and Colorado all make it in (with Vancouver) it would be good hockey to watch.

February will break Edmonton’s season. They have an easy schedule in January, mostly home games and no back to backs. In January they play 12 games and 10 of them are in the West.

Starts with a 3 game road trip (VGK/ANA/LAK), home to Detroit, on the road to STL/DAL/ARI, home to Boston followed by MIN/CAL/LAK/STL.

They likely will have to run the tables or too many points will be given back to teams currently above them.

 

[Arpeggio]

First - I hope Edmonton, Calgary and Colorado all make it in (with Vancouver) it would be good hockey to watch.

February will break Edmonton’s season. They have an easy schedule in January, mostly home games and no back to backs. In January they play 12 games and 10 of them are in the West.

Starts with a 3 game road trip (VGK/ANA/LAK), home to Detroit, on the road to STL/DAL/ARI, home to Boston followed by MIN/CAL/LAK/STL.

They likely will have to run the tables or too many points will be given back to teams currently above them.

Or they'll just keep beating all of the teams ahead of them.

 

[WestCoast CyberG]

Or they'll just keep beating all of the teams ahead of them.

Absolutely….the “just win every game” game plan. LOL. Would be awesome to watch.

 

[McShogun99]

Holland better trade the farm for a f***ing goalie.

Also this thread is now a refugee camp for Oiler fan migrants from their own board.

MAF was playing like he wanted to get dealt to the Oilers at the trade deadline.

 

[King'sPawn]

Can never really discount the Oilers. I'm not fond of their management in general, but a healthy McDavid is just showing what a menace he can be.

 

[JianYang]

I love how people think playoff races are mostly decided before the New Year.

Statistically, there's alot of truth to that, though, right? I always hear about that Thanksgiving checkpoint typically being a strong indicator, so new year should be even more so.

The oiler case was an outlier because it was an expected playoff team sitting in the basement of the league 15 games into the year, but it doesn't change the fact that most teams fate at the new year checkpoint is pretty much mapped out.

 

[ijuka]

Bouchard is an NHLer from the neck down. He's still a complete liability and belongs in the ECHL.

ECHL defenseman is over a point per game in NHL?

 

[Mr Positive]

I love how people think playoff races are mostly decided before the New Year.

And that nonsense about American Thanksgiving being this all important deadline to be in a spot.

 

[ijuka]

Statistically, there's alot of truth to that, though, right? I always hear about that Thanksgiving checkpoint typically being a strong indicator, so new year should be even more so.

The oiler case was an outlier because it was an expected playoff team sitting in the basement of the league 15 games into the year, but it doesn't change the fact that most teams fate at the new year checkpoint is pretty much mapped out.

Remember when STL won the cup?

 

[Three On Zero]

ECHL defenseman is over a point per game in NHL?

Bouchard is fine offensively, it’s his glaring warts defensively that most people don’t like. The guy is a terrible “defenceman”

 

[JianYang]

Remember when STL won the cup?

I do. Does it make the statement inaccurate though?

 

[Mr Positive]

Bouchard is fine offensively, it’s his glaring warts defensively that most people don’t like. The guy is a terrible “defenceman”

"Fine" offensively. He's behind Makar and Hughes in D scoring. On pace for 93 points. He did that with a big chunk of the season where he was handicapped by the team around him being bad.

As for his D play, it is his weakness but he's getting better and better at it, like a lot of young dmen

 

[Macheteops]

Won't go planning the parade yet, but nice to see the team getting rewarded for good play.

In all honesty I don't think they were playing all that bad in a lot of the games they lost either when they were on their skid. Several of the those games the Oilers very much deserved to win, but they were unlucky or their goaltending failed them.

Basically all I'm saying is their 2-9-1 record could have very easily been a .500 record. They weren't nearly as bad as their previous record indicated.

They

Statistically, there's alot of truth to that, though, right? I always hear about that Thanksgiving checkpoint typically being a strong indicator, so new year should be even more so.

The oiler case was an outlier because it was an expected playoff team sitting in the basement of the league 15 games into the year, but it doesn't change the fact that most teams fate at the new year checkpoint is pretty much mapped out.

This is exactly it. The Oilers were picked by lots as favourites so it's a unique situation the way the season started. Not many teams in history started this bad with this much talent

Pretty much anything and everything went wrong from injuries to terrible goaltending to being absolutely stoned vs opposing goalies and it definitely sent them into a funk

This is the same team that rolled into last years playoffs. They'll be there again unless major injuries and they ll be a nasty 7th or 8th seed

Would love another LA rd 1 matchup

 

[JianYang]

They


This is exactly it. The Oilers were picked by lots as favourites so it's a unique situation the way the season started. Not many teams in history started this bad with this much talent

Pretty much anything and everything went wrong from injuries to terrible goaltending to being absolutely stoned vs opposing goalies and it definitely sent them into a funk

This is the same team that rolled into last years playoffs. They'll be there again unless major injuries and they ll be a nasty 7th or 8th seed

Would love another LA rd 1 matchup

I have never subscribed to the idea of them being a cup favorites, but I had them as a shoe in for the playoffs.

 

[North Cole]

Im happy that the Oilers are winning some games because when they lose in Round 1 it's funnier than if they miss the playoffs. I'm just worried once they lose another game if McDavid and Draisaitl starting whining and pouting again they might tailspin

If the Copium lasts more than four hours, please seek medical attention.

 

[Petey O]

Oh lawd dey comin

 

[GreeningOil]

The Oilers six game winning streak...

1. @caps against Lindgren
2. vsDucks against a team that lost like 5-7 prior games
3. vsVegas against Thompson
4. @Jets against Hellebuyck (credit here)
5. vsHurricanes against AHL level goaltending
6. vsWild against Fleury

Wake me when they actually face against good competition, but more notably, against a good goaler.

Wake the rest of us when this is a valid opinion.

Guess we will be comatose

 

[ijuka]

Bouchard is fine offensively, it’s his glaring warts defensively that most people don’t like. The guy is a terrible “defenceman”

Metrics say he's a good "defenseman".

Prove he isn't.

 

[GreeningOil]

Bouchard is an NHLer from the neck down. He's still a complete liability and belongs in the ECHL.

When you say these things out loud, do they sound like good statements?

The man scored 2 times yesterday. One with a 97mph slapshot.

 

[ijuka]

Bouchard such an incompetent, terrible defenseman defensively that he allows the 4th-fewest shot attempts out of all NHL defensemen(min. 100min of ice time).