GDT: Panthers@Oilers - 8PM - Nice kitty…

[BlackDogg]

Heart skipped a bit, Campbell was trending.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Heart skipped a bit, Campbell was trending.

I think Campbell will get a start vs the Sharks and/or Ducks after Christmas.

 

[tiger_80]

Been saying it for awhile Bryan. Drai is starting to age and he has a ton of mileage and past injury. Theres lots of bullwork on that odometer and he survives a lot of hits and double teams. it adds up.

I'm not convinced Drai is a Malkin in regards to longevity. Drai has already had so simplify his game and cut some corners. We've seen the best of Drai at this point. Its now about retaining it. The EV goals particularly have been dropping off for awhile, not just this season. The PP prowess kind of disguised that there has already been Drai drop off.

We've leaned far too heavily on McDrai. McD is superhuman, Drai isn't.

Only 27. Most men are only entering their physical prime at this age, and these guys have access to the most advanced training methods, healthcare, and nutrition. Athletes do have poor seasons. (look at Crosby, Ovechkin, and others). McDavid and Draisaitl have epitomized consistency over the years, but they are still people.

 

[Vagabond]

I'm happy to see Picks getting the start tonight. I'm a believer in playing a goalie until a loss then give them a break and play the other netminder.

Huge game to avoid a skid and show resilience and maintaining confidence.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Only 27. Most men are only entering their physical prime at this age, and these guys have access to the most advanced training methods, healthcare, and nutrition. Athletes do have poor seasons. (look at Crosby, Ovechkin, and others). McDavid and Draisaitl have epitomized consistency over the years, but they are still people.

Drai is 28, and with pretty incredible mileage on. His and McD's minutes alone in regular seasons are well and above what other forwards get. Add that they have responsibilities on all units. All have been used on pk as well as their other duties.

Drai isn't having a poor season, his EV scoring is steadily declining. 20EV goals last season, while still good is the least he's had per game since he established as a goal scorer. This year he has a paltry 4EV goals.

Drai established his benchmark superstar level in 18-19 season. Since then it hasn't been going up. The pt totals that have are PP induced. Fallback has occurred in EV play which is my primary for evaluation of players.

Drai has only 16EV pts so far this season. For him thats pedestrian.

 

[SupremeTeam16]

I think Hollands official remaining role is to be the figurative next fall guy if anything goes wrong. heh. I'm being a bit tongue and cheek but not totally. I agree that Holland doesn't seem to be calling shots anymore but he did enough times to do some harm here.

Knob is in a difficult spot as well. He came into a listing titanic. The prognosis wasn't great and he knew could hurt his NHL aspirations if things didn't work out. Knob gambled and so far won. But this is a hard first assignment for him and Coffey. I dare say as well they took the job knowing that with the cap situation there wouldn't be much or any player help incoming. That the solutions would have to be in the room. This hamstrings them somewhat.

Holland is basically an accessory for Jackson, he’s borrowing the respect and credibility that Holland has within the NHL executive ranks. He’s been on the other side of the table for a long time so he knows the business but between him and Coffey, who I’m sure is meant for more of an executive role but they’ve been forced to deploy into action on the bench, they don’t have much credibility or rapport in these circles yet but Holland has plenty.

When it comes to Knoblauch I think he’s protected and has been offered assurances no matter what. Jackson looked at the ugly start and saw that much of it was a perfect storm of statistical anomaly and that regression to the mean was likely but took the opportunity to remove Woodcroft so he can get someone he thinks is more likely to get more out of the team. The early hole was a bit of an opportunity in a way, bad enough to justify the coaching change but not quite deep enough to sink the season with plenty of runway.

In the summer, once the ground level of the vision is up and running, Coffey will probably join Jackson in the executive suite, they and Knoblauch will recruit Coffey’s replacement on the bench and then Holland will ride off into the sunset and Jackson will install whoever he has in mind and finish shaping the staff how he wants.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I don't think that he's playing at his best right now but maybe that's just me?

The results aren't coming. He's bringing the puck hard to the house the most he has in sometime. The finish is failing him, and the goalies are stoning him. He's really having a hard time scoring EV. He has 4 EV but the one was an own goal by opponent.

Part of it is that Drai is so heavily scouted and next to McD gets schemed a lot. You can see this for instance on PP where the Oilers will put Drai into around 4 different spots and before slotting him in his killzone spot. They're having to mix it up because everybody has seen his stuff. This happens with all superstars. Which then involves the players having to find yet other ways to score. But the thing with Drai, and it may sound nuts to say this, is he's not a natural goal scorer. He had to learn rote ways to score like Messier did. Neither were prolific earlier in careers.

Drai has exceeded any and all expectations and so that its created expectation. He's mortal.

 

[Duke74]

Leon has been snakebit and still has a dozen goals. He has been taking it to the house as well, just getting stoned silly by goalies lately. That and now he's with Janmark and Foegele so not really a topsix config. Oilers going with top nine attempts somewhat.

Our topline has been bread and water but its really loaded up.

Something I was wondering about. I thought I read somewhere that he worked on his shot over the summer, particularly shooting through defenders, which I found weird because he has been very hesitant to shoot this year and when he does, it's either wide or saved. His shot is shot, so to speak. I wonder if whatever he did in the summer has thrown his rhythm off and now maybe he's lost confidence in his shot. That might account for his reluctance to shoot and his lack of accuracy.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Blunt is good.

Blunt and specific. Both good. A little bloody too! heh. I bet there were some quiet moments in the room during this.

Its also the good and the bad in having Coffey, a figurative higher up (tight with Katz) that can say whatever and the players have to accept it. Plus they do because he's a legend. How could any D not listen to Paul Freaking Coffey?

Thats the good thing about having legend panache, you can say some things. If articulate like Coffey they can be very meaningful things. I bet these D are liking him and his upfront manner. Coffey has never been shy.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Something I was wondering about. I thought I read somewhere that he worked on his shot over the summer, particularly shooting through defenders, which I found weird because he has been very hesitant to shoot this year and when he does, it's either wide or saved. His shot is shot, so to speak. I wonder if whatever he did in the summer has thrown his rhythm off and now maybe he's lost confidence in his shot. That might account for his reluctance to shoot and his lack of accuracy.

Definitely been passing off this season and not feeling the mojo at evens. A reminder that even the best can have prolonged confidence spells. Drai scored 13 in playoffs and then went cold in an instant. Really he hasn't heated up since the last 4 games of playoffs. That said Drai often has much more prolific back halves of seasons.

 

[RegDunlop]

Pickard is starting tonight according to Jack Michaels.

https://x.com/EdmontonJack/status/1736081396664598650?s=20

Impressed with this call from Knoblauch.

I think it's the right call.
Not a Stu hater but this particular game to sit is a message. HNIC coast to coast for an Edm boy is still a thing. Not to mention that CP is more than capable.

 

[Duke74]

Definitely been passing off this season and not feeling the mojo at evens. A reminder that even the best can have prolonged confidence spells. Drai scored 13 in playoffs and then went cold in an instant. Really he hasn't heated up since the last 4 games of playoffs. That said Drai often has much more prolific back halves of seasons.

Actually, that's true. I wonder if he's still feeling the effects of Pietrangelo's slash? I'm still seething that the league didn't suspend him for the remainder of the playoffs while Nurse got suspended for basically nothing.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Actually, that's true. I wonder if he's still feeling the effects of Pietrangelo's slash? I'm still seething that the league didn't suspend him for the remainder of the playoffs while Nurse got suspended for basically nothing.

Maybe some Mansschaft as well. Germans can be on top of things one moment and doubt after. Hard to explain but its somewhat part of the psyche. Look at WC. Germany on top of the world in 2014 and yet with very similar teams bombed in subsequent WC's going out at group stage just not feeling it, not playing well, and have never got it back again.

Drai despite his clowning around is a pretty serious sort. One saw that in some of his pressers during the team struggling. he takes it real hard. I think tbh it was a massive blow for him losing yet again in the playoffs. A bit soul crushing. Drai stated he considered the season "a failure" I worry about that because of how he is. I knew some funk would be around this season. He wasn't going to be the ignition or motor this season. Good thing Booch and McD have been.

 

[RegDunlop]

Thanks CROTT for GDT
Bout time that loser 5 mins didnt make it.
Look at last game

(JK of course! Thanks for the work and a great run 5!)

 

[tiger_80]

Actually, that's true. I wonder if he's still feeling the effects of Pietrangelo's slash? I'm still seething that the league didn't suspend him for the remainder of the playoffs while Nurse got suspended for basically nothing.

Nurse got suspended for being dumb. If you gonna fight in the final 5 mins, at least knock the guy out. lol.

 

[TKB21]

Holy crap. That’s blunt

Finally someone with some balls. Coddling grown men and not wanting to hurt their feelings is the absolute worst thing you can do. I remember coaches saying the same things to us as 12 year olds….

 

[Gordy Elbows]

Still feeling badly for the team taking the loss against TB when they deserved much better.
Moving on, let’s jump these Panthers hard and fast and not even let them into the game! Just piss off, Panthers!
It shouldnt be hard to get average goal tending occasionally….maybe tonight.
We owe it to the boys! We owe it to 5minutes for his GDT efforts!
Go Oilers!!!

 

[CROTT]

Been saying it for awhile Bryan. Drai is starting to age and he has a ton of mileage and past injury. Theres lots of bullwork on that odometer and he survives a lot of hits and double teams. it adds up.

I'm not convinced Drai is a Malkin in regards to longevity. Drai has already had so simplify his game and cut some corners. We've seen the best of Drai at this point. Its now about retaining it. The EV goals particularly have been dropping off for awhile, not just this season. The PP prowess kind of disguised that there has already been Drai drop off.

We've leaned far too heavily on McDrai. McD is superhuman, Drai isn't.

He’s still on pace for 100 points and will probably surpass that easily with the team season starting slump over.

But in the eyes of some.

 

[PositiveCashFlow]

ECHL superstar

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Been saying it for awhile Bryan. Drai is starting to age and he has a ton of mileage and past injury. Theres lots of bullwork on that odometer and he survives a lot of hits and double teams. it adds up.

I'm not convinced Drai is a Malkin in regards to longevity. Drai has already had so simplify his game and cut some corners. We've seen the best of Drai at this point. Its now about retaining it. The EV goals particularly have been dropping off for awhile, not just this season. The PP prowess kind of disguised that there has already been Drai drop off.

We've leaned far too heavily on McDrai. McD is superhuman, Drai isn't.

I wonder if that high ankle sprain of his ever really healed properly? Lots of hockey for him the last couple of seasons and a good chunk of it he was playing hurt. It'd be very sad if we've already seen the best that he has to give, but man if that's the case he sure was something else in that tme!

 

[Drivesaitl]

He’s still on pace for 100 points and will probably surpass that easily with the team season starting slump over.

But in the eyes of some.
View attachment 784713

jk with this I assume. I'm the biggest Drai backer on the board. To a fault I'm told. Yeah. He managed decent production even while slowing down.

 

[CROTT]

jk with this I assume. I'm the biggest Drai backer on the board. To a fault I'm told. Yeah. He managed decent production even while slowing down.

Pretty much yes, but it wasn’t really directed at you in particular.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

8??

 

[TheNumber4]

Shitty goaltending withstanding we dominated the Bolts, this right here is the real test. Can we will dominate against one of the actually contenders in this League? Time to find out.

 

[Louis Cypher]

Booch finally getting the recognition. But now he's not so secret weapon anymore. haha. It was amazing how much the league was sleeping on this player. he would unleash his characteristic bomb and opponents and goalies would somehow be surprised by it.

If they start trying to move out to block or pressure him it will open up downlow and give us other options.