The culture problem on this team stems from there being no accountability to the top end players. It has been this way since the Oilers drafted Hall. Hall/Eberle/Nuge/McDavid/Draisaitl all can do whatever they want without consequence. lay up a pizza on the power play, opponent goes down and scores. No problem stay out there and then go right back out after. Unable to backcheck due to staying on too long in the offensive zone. Its ok no worries, you will get them next time. Then on the other hand, Ryan, Yamamoto, Pulijarvi (just about anyone) does the exact same thing, and they get stapled to the bench. I get that McDavid and Drai should have some leeway, as without them the Oilers are in serious trouble,
McDavid has 73 points and is +4
Leon has 55 points and is +3
Tage Thompson has 55 points and is +14
On the Saturday Panel, they highlighted JT Miller not backchecking and a bad change going slowly to the bench. Bieska said I can't even defend that. Honestly that has got to be how the bottom 6 on this Oilers team feel.
I have never played any sports at an elite level such as the NHL, but I can tell you I have always played better and been more engaged when I am getting regular/consistent shifts then when I am sitting on the sidelines for long stretches at a time. The Oilers bottom 6 barely play any minutes and then when they do, they likely play scared as if they make a mistake they will be playing even less. Except JP cause for some reason, he is stapled on the top line.
When McDavid and Draisaitl start playing 18-22 minutes per game and playing at both ends of the ice, backchecking as hard as they do when they have the have the puck on their stick or want the puck on their stick. That is when this team will be a contender.
The Oilers bottoms 6 is not great, but I feel if they were not playing afraid and getting regular consistent minutes, they would be more productive. There are definitely holes, but I think the culture and Ice time is a major factor. Oilers down by a couple goals 10 minutes left= Leon and conner playing about 7-8 of those 10 minutes. Everyone on that team knows it. Even if Ryan is having the game of his life, he likely won't see the ice in that situation.
I had stuff to get done last night, so I only had the game going on in the background and wasn't watching intently. So, I did not notice the play in question here. However, there are times when the defenseman should stay on his man even up to the blue line if he has the puck. Typically, this is in a man-on-man type system. When Bouchard follows his man up top, someone else should be covering that lone man in front of the net.
You actually see this happen a fair bit when teams are trying to contain McDavid. If the defenseman just lets him go and circle around by the blue line and cut to the middle across the blue line, McDavid will have too much time and space to make a play before the forward picks him up. Or if the D and the winger try to switch, it likely leaves someone open while the defenseman tries to get to him, not to mention that winger is probably flat footed already at the top of the circle and McD is going to burn him if they switch. So, when that is the coverage/system teammates should rotate the winger on the side he is up needs to drop down and add coverage down low, with the other D and the Center. That said I am not really sure what Woody's system is so no idea if Bouch was doing the right thing or not.
