Post-Game Talk: Preseason Game #9 wasn’t a very good one

[Soundwave]

nah, this team has the pieces IMO...we saw it last year FFS with essentially the same roster

this team lacks legit leadership sometimes, they yap and yap all summer about the loss against Vegas and how it stings so much and you'd have thought they would have come out like gang busters but instead looked like an AHL team

hopefully this loss wakes them the f*** up

They don't have the pieces on the blue line and probably not in net either.

Just because McDavid/Draisaitl can will enough offence to win you 6-8 playoff games a year doesn't mean you have "all the pieces".

 

[Burnt Biscuits]

Clearly some things to iron out with the new defensive system.


If I was going to point fingers I think the D let us down more than the forwards or goalies. Kulak very much looked like a guy who didn't play any games in the pre-season.

Switching from a man on man to a zone system might be a rough transition for Nurse, not the best at reading and reacting, he's much better at marking one guy and playing them hard.

For all the bitching about Desharnais in the off-season, was one of the more reliable defenders amongst a group that didn't defend well (the only d-man without a negative +/-). Also Broberg tonight looked like he had zero business being in the NHL, he was lost and uncertain for the majority of his mins and was deferring at times when he should of been handling it himself.

Only semi-bright spot was our 3rd line which was on the whole getting good looks and pushing back the momentum.

 

[TheNumber4]

It's a dark truth because many think this team is now a contender. I seriously don't see it. They might end up having a great regular season but come playoff time, it'll be the same outcome as the last 2 playoffs.

Beating everyone but the eventual Cup winners is kinda being a contender though. Cup Contenders doesn’t mean Cup Guaranteers.

 

[CycloneSweep]

I know it’s blasphemy (not just to this fanbase) but I’m kind of tired of the same bullshit from this core. They have the talent and have shown that they can battle through adversity but the lack of consistent effort is difficult to ignore. Not sure what the solution is at this point

I just don’t know. I have said this before and I get shit on for it. I don’t like McDavid as the leader and captain of the team. Love him as a player but the whole atmosphere and lacksadaisical attitude and effort top to bottom from the team till they are often behind is baffling to me.
Something about it just has always felt off.

 

[Ibanez]

I know it’s blasphemy (not just to this fanbase) but I’m kind of tired of the same bullshit from this core. They have the talent and have shown that they can battle through adversity but the lack of consistent effort is difficult to ignore. Not sure what the solution is at this point

McDavid needs to have messier mentor him. sometimes you can’t just lead by scoring. Have tear someones ass from time to time

 

[Cloned]

Someone needs to take control of preseason from Woodcroft next season if he’s still coach here.

Force him to run a regular preseason. You know, where you give your top prospects an actual chance with other good vets in a few games, then play your expected lines in a few more to let them gain chemistry again after a long offseason.

The way he’s run the last two preseasons has been just about the worst possible way you could run them.

 

[oobga]

Here is our new zone defense in action. First everyone goes to their designated area as Bouch battles. The puck gets free and Bouch still has his guy, but no one cares about Miller just skating in there to get it all alone. Then Boeser just skates into the middle of 3 Oilers all just standing in their designated area, and Boeser gets to snipe a perfect top corner shot under zero pressure.

Well done boys. Textbook zone defense

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

I know it’s blasphemy (not just to this fanbase) but I’m kind of tired of the same bullshit from this core. They have the talent and have shown that they can battle through adversity but the lack of consistent effort is difficult to ignore. Not sure what the solution is at this point

I think one too many press clippings were being read.

 

[Soundwave]

I just don’t know. I have said this before and I get shit on for it. I don’t like McDavid as the leader and captain of the team. Love him as a player but the whole atmosphere and lacksadaisical attitude and effort top to bottom from the team till they are often behind is baffling to me.
Something about it just has always felt off.

Yeah it's called having an organization behind him that can't draft for shit and cannot for the life of them ever build a half decent D-corps or find a starting goalie who isn't like 85 years old.

Year what? 9 for McDavid? And the D still blows.

 

[Ibanez]

They have a funny way to show it. If we just got out skilled then you can blame the makeup.

Tonight the loss was 1000% the effort.

Effort is a strong word

 

[guymez]

to be fair his two best defenders in Klefbom and Larsson had injuries and left in FA
he had no choice but to re-build the D corps on the fly

Thats very true. He was put under the gun by bad luck.
That being said....how many years ago was that now?
Aside from acquiring Ekholm, in all that time, what has he done to make the defence better?

 

[CycloneSweep]

Clearly some things to iron out with the new defensive system.


If I was going to point fingers I think the D let us down more than the forwards or goalies. Kulak very much looked like a guy who didn't play any games in the pre-season.

Switching from a man on man to a zone system might be a rough transition for Nurse, not the best at reading and reacting, he's much better at marking one guy and playing them hard.

For all the bitching about Desharnais in the off-season, was one of the more reliable defenders amongst a group that didn't defend well (the only d-man without a negative +/-). Also Broberg tonight looked like he had zero business being in the NHL, he was lost and uncertain for the majority of his mins and was deferring at times when he should of been handling it himself.

Only semi-bright spot was our 3rd line which was on the whole getting good looks and pushing back the momentum.

I totally get it now.
They designed the D system for Desharnais. The entire system highlights his strengths. Being on the PK and zone defense while neutering his weaknesses…literally everything else.

 

[TheNumber4]

They have a funny way to show it. If we just got out skilled then you can blame the makeup.

Tonight the loss was 1000% the effort.

Even the most effortful and hungry teams can lay a 1 game egg. But yeh their effort blew tonight. But in general, these guys care and want it bad. If we fail to lift Stanley it won’t be on their lack of effort, it’ll be our roster just wasn’t good enough.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

They don't have the pieces on the blue line and probably not in net either.

Just because McDavid/Draisaitl can will enough offence to win you 6-8 playoff games a year doesn't mean you have "all the pieces".

they never lost 8-1 last year and this is the exact same D-corps

it's on the players and coaches not being ready

 

[Drivesaitl]

No natural goals scorers in the bottom 6--I think that's why some posters said that Lavoie (with his shot) might be an upgrade even if he is often underwhelming. I imagine he'll get called up with the Holloway injury.

The team as composed seriously lacks battle. I was told all offseason that players like Bjugstad, Kostin, they didn't even matter.

We're depending on guys like Foegele, McLeod, Janmark, ancient Ryan etc to be battle energy players.

Anybody remember the Kidline here starting in 90? That line is the reason that team got its mojo going and won the cup that year.

You're not going to find a lot of infectious youth energy on this lineup because its not there. We have 30 something yr old energy players without energy.

 

[rboomercat90]

But hey at least we started Campbell!

This team would have lost 8-1 tonight even if Demko was in our net. Goaltending isn’t our only problem. I’d suggest all 6 of the defensemen we iced tonight is an even bigger issue.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Someone needs to take control of preseason from Woodcroft next season if he’s still coach here.

Force him to run a regular preseason. You know, where you give your top prospects an actual chance with other good vets in a few games, then play your expected lines in a few more to let them gain chemistry again after a long offseason.

The way he’s run the last two preseasons has been just about the worst possible way you could run them.

If we don’t make the cup final at least he won’t be here.

Also JJ will want his own manager who will want his own coach.

 

[Shaquille Oatmeal]

Would have won if we played Ekholm in net

Haha, honestly just pull the goalie and bring back Kris Russell. That man could block a shot.

 

[guymez]

Here is our new zone defense in action. First everyone goes to their designated area as Bouch battles. The puck gets free and Bouch still has his guy, but no one cares about Miller just skating in there to get it all alone. Then Boeser just skates into the middle of 3 Oilers all just standing in their designated area, and Boeser gets to snipe a perfect top corner shot under zero pressure.

Well done boys. Textbook zone defense

Well...Nurse was doing his patented 'skate into no mans land and screen the goalie' thing...lol

 

[CycloneSweep]

Someone needs to take control of preseason from Woodcroft next season if he’s still coach here.

Force him to run a regular preseason. You know, where you give your top prospects an actual chance with other good vets in a few games, then play your expected lines in a few more to let them gain chemistry again after a long offseason.

The way he’s run the last two preseasons has been just about the worst possible way you could run them.

Yep.
The fact that the team lineup is decided before training camp and no one can take a job from anyone else just shows you the message being sent. Vets don’t give a shit and don’t play or work cause their jobs are completely safe.
THEN he spends all preseason playing those young or AHL guys a bunch and then just sends them down. It’s, nonsense.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Thats very true. He was put under the gun by bad luck.
That being said....how many years ago was that now?
Aside from acquiring Ekholm, in all that time, what has he done to make the defence better?

Ceci was good that first year but was brutal tonight
Kulak was our most consistent d-man in the playoffs last year..I'd cut him some slack

as for Nurse, he has no choice but to overpay him...imagine lost Klefbom, Larsson and Nurse? the Oilers would be screwed

 

[McTonyBrar]

Jeff Jackson checking available coaches resumes right now.

Yeah whenever we lose badly, fire the coach!! It's worked the last 10 times right?

 

[Soundwave]

they never lost 8-1 last year and this is the exact same D-corps

it's on the players and coaches not being ready

It will happen from time to time. This just isn't a good defensive team, and I don't think this coach knows what he is doing defensively at an NHL level either.

 

[Oilhawks]

This team would have lost 8-1 tonight even if Demko was in our net. Goaltending isn’t our only problem. I’d suggest all 6 of the defensemen we iced tonight is an even bigger issue.

Agreed, but would add the forwards were also MIA. An offensive juggernaut scored 1 goal against an AHL (plus Hughes) defense tonight

 

[TheNumber4]

Here is our new zone defense in action. First everyone goes to their designated area as Bouch battles. The puck gets free and Bouch still has his guy, but no one cares about Miller just skating in there to get it all alone. Then Boeser just skates into the middle of 3 Oilers all just standing in their designated area, and Boeser gets to snipe a perfect top corner shot under zero pressure.

Well done boys. Textbook zone defense

Calling what Bouch did there a “battle” is generous.

But your zone defence critique is apt.