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

[kilowatt]

It's kind of impressive how shitty the West is.

Five of the top seven teams in the league right now are from the West

 

[MS]

The funniest part is that their analytics are actually significantly better than... maybe ever?

Corsi%: 3rd all situations, 2nd 5 on 5
Fenwick%: 3rd all situations, 2nd 5 on 5
Shots for%: 9th all situations, 8th 5 on 5
Expected goals for%: 5th all situations, 1st 5 on 5
Scoring chance%: 7th all situations, 3rd 5 on 5
High danger scoring chance%: 3rd all situations, 1st 5 on 5

Unfortunately they're 26th in high danger shooting percentage at 5 on 5 (31st in all situations) and 32nd in high danger save percentage. So they aren't finishing and if they make any mistakes they aren't getting saves.

A lot of that is score effects, though.

25 shots last night in the 3rd period once they were down 4-1.

Both Canucks losses were the same deal - tons of shots in the second half of the game once they were behind.

 

[Shane Diesel]

Five of the top seven teams in the league right now are from the West

Huh, I retract my statement. I didn't realize how shitty the East is.

 

[syz]

A lot of that is score effects, though.

25 shots last night in the 3rd period once they were down 4-1.

Both Canucks losses were the same deal - tons of shots in the second half of the game once they were behind.

There was no real uptick in their first game. Their advanced stats and regular stats were both bad.

They had significant advantages in every period of the 2nd Canucks game and the Stars game. 8 high danger chances to 2 in the first period of that 2nd Canucks game yet they came out of it trailing 2-1. That's much of their season in a nutshell so far.

Also worth noting that those are the numbers with McDavid out for 2 games where their numbers took a bit of a dive.

 

[Three On Zero]

The funniest part is that their analytics are actually significantly better than... maybe ever?

Corsi%: 3rd all situations, 2nd 5 on 5
Fenwick%: 3rd all situations, 2nd 5 on 5
Shots for%: 9th all situations, 8th 5 on 5
Expected goals for%: 5th all situations, 1st 5 on 5
Scoring chance%: 7th all situations, 3rd 5 on 5
High danger scoring chance%: 3rd all situations, 1st 5 on 5

Unfortunately they're 26th in high danger shooting percentage at 5 on 5 (31st in all situations) and 32nd in high danger save percentage. So they aren't finishing and if they make any mistakes they aren't getting saves.

The funniest part is using advanced stats in the first place, they are far too heavily flawed to be reliable.

The biggest issue with Edmonton right now is that they have one of the worst defensive groups in the league

 

[Realgud]

They need to bring Mike Smith back

 

[EdmFlyersfan]

Oilers today: "What we're focused on is the all-consuming pursuit of the next solution."

They continue to feed the local fans like sheep...

 

[Javaman]

This is all very hilarious to me.

 

[HugginThePost]

They’ll beat Nashville tomorrow and the Oiler fans will be back telling everyone they’ve turned the corner!! Just like after beating the hapless Flames! Christ, even Gretzky was slobbering all over Kane after that game.

It‘s always boom or bust with the Oil faithful.

Always.

 

[The Panther]

They've been through how many coaches now though? The roster has the same issues it did when Holland took over. Heck the same issues since McDavid was drafted. If McDavid and Draisaitl aren't in god mode the team struggles.

You are correct. Woodcroft is the least of the Oilers' problems, and if they were to let him go, another team would snap him up quickly. Even after the current skid, he's still sitting on the best win-percentage of any coach in Oilers' franchise history, and he's won three playoff rounds (i.e., the Leaf's total playoff series wins since the Civil War). The current problems that plague the team are exactly the same problems that plagued them when McLellan was in his last days, when Hitchcock was put in briefly (ugh!), when Tippett was failing, etc., etc. At some point, it isn't the coach. Oilers' nuts have decided to hate Woodcroft because he's well-spoken and doesn't blow a gasket in front of the media (as if that's ever mattered a whit) after every loss.

There are obviously issues with the defensive system and the way the coaching staff (possibly more Manson than Woodcroft) is "teaching" the players. Simply put, the young players---and sadly, some veterans---are not displaying the ability to learn what the coaching staff are telling them. As an example, take Dylan Holloway. Going back to early last season (his rookie year), he continues to make disastrous line-changes that lead directly to goals against (as in yesterday's game vs. Dallas), and he continues to flub his defensive assignment in covering for a rushing defenceman (as in yesterday's game vs. Dallas). Had Holloway just learned those two basic skills, the Oilers were have gotten at least 1 point yesterday and possibly 2.

That's the kind of basic stuff that smart players master at about age 17, but somehow the Oilers either specialize in drafting low-IQ players or they don't "teach" the players correctly. And, since the problem goes back four or more coaches, and since Woodcroft didn't seem to have this problem in Bakersfield or in his role with other NHL clubs, I conclude the problem is not him. (Oilers' fans continue to be idiots, however, and think if we just change the coach for the 47th time, everything will fix itself!)

So, what's the problem? I've been feeling, for a few years, that there is a leadership problem with Edmonton. The core group is Nugent-Hopkins, Nurse, Draisaitl, and McDavid (now you can maybe toss in Eckholm, as a vet). These all seem to be solid, likeable, nice, pleasant fellows.

But maybe they're a little too nice. Maybe they don't want to step on toes enough. They need a personality like Messier in 1988 when Jimmy Carson threw his jersey on the floor to be washed and Mess grabbed him by the throat and said, "You don't throw the jersey on the floor!"

Maybe they need a lot more 'grit' on the ice, too. Look at Sam Gagner last night. Drove the net hard, scored twice. His first goal was just a result of dogged will and determination to get to that net and drive a puck home. Other than the occasional Zach Hyman goal on the PP, I literally cannot remember the last time I saw an Oiler score a goal like that.

The fact that a mid-30s AHLer brought up to play a few minutes is possibly the highlight of the season so far is perhaps a cause for concern.

 

[Crosby2010]

I honestly thought that in the 2022 offseason they were going to bring in a different coach. Then Woodcroft came in on what I assumed was the interim and had a strong finish to the season and then the Oilers went to the semis and lost to the Avs who were basically the only team in the NHL who could do offensively what they could do. So he wasn't going to be replaced. Then a great year last year with again losing to the eventual Cup champs. So normally a coaches job is safe that way. But I honestly think in the summer of 2022 it was their chance to bring in a more experienced coach. One with sizzle and one who has won before. I was surprised that Babcock didn't get brought in since Holland had him in Detroit. There are enough people that don't want Babcock to be back in the NHL to the point that they'll invent anything to keep him out (the Columbus situation) so it won't be him but I think Joel Quenneville was a perfect fit for this team in the summer of 2022. Or even now. I am not 100% caught up on his eligibility for coaching in the NHL but from what I know he was just fired from Florida, not banned.

Anyway, I could see a veteran coach with Cup rings as the perfect medicine for that team right now. Honestly, there were times they looked better than Vegas in that series last year. I think with the right discipline that team sails to the Cup because when a team has the two best centres in the NHL for as long as they have then I think they should have more to show for it. Maybe they could have lured Barry Trotz over at the right time too. Who knows. At least with Quenneville it isn't too late.

 

[Avs2022]

Not really. MacKinnon led the league in even strength points last year. It’s not a secret Edmonton feasts on the PP.

And Rantanen lead the league in even strength goals as well last I believe.

 

[daver]

Whenever a comment is made about the Oilers not being able to roll two elite scoring lines despite having two franchise C's which hurts their offensive depth come playoff time, it is disputed. We are told that they don't spend that much time together at ES and Draisaitl still is elite when not with McDavid.

So far this season, it seems that they are joined at the hip at ES: Line Combinations - Frozen Tools

Can we agree that they are more like C/W hybrids than traditional C's. Or maybe that McDavid is more of that hybrid and while Draisaitl takes a significant drop at ES when not playing with McDavid.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

Whenever a comment is made about the Oilers not being able to roll two elite scoring lines despite having two franchise C's which hurts their offensive depth come playoff time, it is disputed. We are told that they don't spend that much time together at ES and Draisaitl still is elite when not with McDavid.

So far this season, it seems that they are joined at the hip at ES: Line Combinations - Frozen Tools

Can we agree that they are more like C/W hybrids than traditional C's. Or maybe that McDavid is more of that hybrid and while Draisaitl takes a significant drop at ES when not playing with McDavid.

I have often found it weird that from day one both are automatically considered centres while that seems somewhat impossible.

 

[Ezpz]

Mcdavid is Carey Priceing them. Edmonton's team is literally a bottom feeder sans mcdavid. They have no assets either. At least oilers fans get two more years of mcdavid before going back to a rebuild.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Incredible depth on this roster. When McDavid is out of the lineup, you got Janmark and Foegore playing on the top 2 lines.

 

[CherryToke]

What happened to their historically great powerplay, unlucky or did teams figure them out? It's essentially just Drai doing the same thing every time, camping at the side of the net.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

What happened to their historically great powerplay, unlucky or did teams figure them out? It's essentially just Drai doing the same thing every time, camping at the side of the net.

Their 90% PP wasn't sustainable. Teams likely have adjusted too after watching 100 games of clips. We all know it's "get the puck to McDavid" and while he's triple teamed and draws 3 defenders, he passes it cross ice to Draisaitl for a one-timer.

 

[Fraser28]

Do you guys think McDavid will re-sign with Edmonton? I think he might if they make the West Final one of the next two years. If not, he’s out.

 

[Oleksiak]

Do you guys think McDavid will re-sign with Edmonton? I think he might if they make the West Final one of the next two years. If not, he’s out.

Unlikely. I'm sure he'd like to play for an NHL team before he's 30.

 

[WarriorofTime]

It's kind of impressive how shitty the West is.

The last two cup winners were west teams.

 

[Heldig]

Oilers fans will be bumping this thread when McDavid and Draisatl go on a heater and score 30+ points each on a 10 game winning streak.

 

[deleted user]

It's not like he or Drai are cooked, lol. Of course it's probably likely that they surge in point production, as they always have, at some point. Probably for a sustained amount. It's early.

That being said.. what we see is that they don't win a ton without McDrai being on heaters. By the time playoffs are happening you better hope they absolutely are at peak -- or, as we've seen, the goaltending and defensive play aren't tight enough or good enough to win a championship.

I'm a Flames fan and often the deflection starts from my Edmonton friends concerning MY team. I don't get why. Calgary has a tire fire for a team. I don't hide that. Pointing out what Islanders fans, what Avs fans, hell.. what many Oilers fans see about their defense and tending is totally valid.

I personally don't want to see them do well. I don't think it's likely with McDrai that you miss the playoffs. But I'm glad it's looking like their age old aforementioned problems will rob them of a cup. I sure hope so lol.

 

[Fraser28]

It’s funny to me how much people say the West sucks. Meanwhile, the past two cup winners are from the West. I’d also take the trio of Vegas, Colorado, and Dallas over Boston, New York, New Jersey (or Carolina).

 

[GreeningOil]

They’ll beat Nashville tomorrow and the Oiler fans will be back telling everyone they’ve turned the corner!! Just like after beating the hapless Flames! Christ, even Gretzky was slobbering all over Kane after that game.

It‘s always boom or bust with the Oil faithful.

Always.

The team is literally always a stressful piece of shit. It’s hard to be a fan. We want success but they never deliver.