Post-Game Talk: Sewart Skinner in the FLA Swamp

[iCanada]

The best team in the history of hockey lost a game 7 to Calgary of all clubs in 86 and had trouble scoring in that game. The deciding goal ended up being the faux paux where Smith from behind the net banked the series winning goal off his own goalie, Grant Fuhr. you'd be sitting here saying its all of Gretz or Mess or Coffeys fault for not getting that goal back.

Leads, any of them, are huge in game 7's. Its easy to feel stymied in such games and hard to have to chase from behind in such games. Its again the nature of game 7s.

Only goaltender I can recall giving up gifts in game 7 is basically Skinner.

The two he gave Vancouver were egregious after we were up 3 and parked the bus. They had three shots in 30 minutes and scored twice.

And that SC winning goal will haunt me.

 

[iCanada]

In selected short sample Goalies having a great game can trump all. This is the nature of hockey. I can point to a lot of SC's that were decided by goalies. Its why you don't let it get to a game 7 as anything can happen. But Skinner cost us game 3, in a game where we had a wide edge in play. Skinner cost us around 6-7 losses in the playoffs that caused the team to be fatigued by the final, and that caused the team to have to work that much harder to even get to the SC final game 7. By rights Skinner ought to have cost us the Vancouver series and against any better club it would have. Skinner wasn't even adequate in that series.

Yup.

We should have swept the kings but he lost us game 4.

We should have pretty much swept Vancouver but he cost put up numbers below .800 for half of it.

That's four games right there prior to the finals. 4 of 18. 22% more games played, 22% less rest, for an accumulation of 49% more fatigue.

You can't tell me that doesn't make an absurd difference in game 7 of the SCF.

 

[Fixed to Ruin]

I agree.
Kane will help but its going to take some time for him to get up to speed. Its not unusual for a player to miss that much time (especially the start of the season) and take half a season or more to get his feet under him.
Hopefully that isnt the case for Kane.

Im tired of seeing this team get its lunch handed to them physically. Its not enjoyable to watch at all.
I appreciate teams that have the ability to impose themselves physically. To change the flow of the game by being the hammer.
That just isnt on the menu for this team...they are the nail most of the time.
Knoblauch does seem to embace the Eakins approach in that regard and (like you) I am not a fan of that.

One stat stands out for Florida more than all the others.

 

[iCanada]

Panthers had 6 high danger chances.
Oilers had 12 high danger chances.

Edit

To add to this. The high danger chances that were stopped by Skinner was one from Tkachuk, one from Verhaeghe and one from Nosek.

Literally two of their high danger chances were then icing the puck with the net empty.

For those who are crapping on goaltending there isn't a better option out there. We need to play a good team defense game night in and night out to take the pressure off of our average goaltending.

There's no goalie out there available who is clearly a better option than what we already have. There's no Dwayne Roloson we can pick up that solves everything.

Oilers have to focus on you know, not falling down in the neutral zone and not letting the Panthers #6 defenseman stand all alone by himself in the slot.

Lucky for us, there probably isn't a worse option either - so we should go gambling, and I'm feeling lucky.

 

[Oilhawks]

One stat stands out for Florida more than all the others.

Meh, hitz are overrated by some here. They've been physical enough otherwise since that slow start. More hits usually mean less possession and chasing the game as well

Also, Oilers better in every other stat, which is also a clue

The problem is they got sucked into the rats (plural) antics and played Florida's game by the third period. A leaky and unfocused Stu, idiotic Bouchard and Ekholm were the main differences. I give Bouchard and Ekholm more of a pass here as they've had periods of elite play, with Ekholm generally a very good defensive player, and Bouchard one of the best offensive defensemen in the league that was doing Hall of Fame shit in the playoffs.

It would have been nice if Skinner could have bailed out the team and help settle down their game a bit last night

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Yup.

We should have swept the kings but he lost us game 4.

We should have pretty much swept Vancouver but he cost put up numbers below .800 for half of it.

That's four games right there prior to the finals. 4 of 18. 22% more games played, 22% less rest, for an accumulation of 49% more fatigue.

You can't tell me that doesn't make an absurd difference in game 7 of the SCF.

"The Oilers should've swept the Kings and Canucks" is definitely up there with the all-time delusional takes. The team played one more game than the Panthers, and that's not even taking into account the Panthers went to the Cup Final the year before.

Also game 4 against the Kings? I seem to remember that going differently:

 

[TheNumber4]

Anyone else give a shit that we once again looked like wussies on the ice?

Or is there only one game story last night. Stu.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Meh, hitz are overrated by some here. They've been physical enough otherwise since that slow start. More hits usually mean less possession and chasing the game as well

Also, Oilers better in every other stat, which is also a clue

The problem is they got sucked into the rats (plural) antics and played Florida's game by the third period. A leaky and unfocused Stu, idiotic Bouchard and Ekholm were the main differences. I give Bouchard and Ekholm more of a pass here as they've had periods of elite play, with Ekholm generally a very good defensive player, and Bouchard one of the best offensive defensemen in the league that was doing Hall of Fame shit in the playoffs.

It would have been nice if Skinner could have bailed out the team and help settle down their game a bit last night

Florida was constantly chasing hits giving up odd man rushes. We punished them on that, too bad skinner tried to return the favour

Anyone else give a shit that we once again looked like wussies on the ice?

Or is there only one game story last night. Stu.

The main story is skinner, and then Bouchard

 

[BlackDogg]

Meh, hitz are overrated by some here. They've been physical enough otherwise since that slow start. More hits usually mean less possession and chasing the game as well

Also, Oilers better in every other stat, which is also a clue

The problem is they got sucked into the rats (plural) antics and played Florida's game by the third period. A leaky and unfocused Stu, idiotic Bouchard and Ekholm were the main differences. I give Bouchard and Ekholm more of a pass here as they've had periods of elite play, with Ekholm generally a very good defensive player, and Bouchard one of the best offensive defensemen in the league that was doing Hall of Fame shit in the playoffs.

It would have been nice if Skinner could have bailed out the team and help settle down their game a bit last night

You score five and it's still not enough. They came back twice from deficits to have Skinner give it away again. I can't wait until this team gets a competent goalie who hasn't been to Schwartz Ed.

 

[NotAVacuumSalesman]

The Oilers need to figure out how to respond when a team starts running around and trucking you all night.

A bad but legal hit on JSkinner and they stand there like deer in the headlights not knowing what to do.

We aren’t built to play the same way as the Panthers. They are scouted and built on their abilty to hit and shit disturb.

Maybe Take the fight off ice. And make it a real fight. Throw the gloves off and force these panther dirtbags to put their money where their mouth is.

A fight immediately following that JSkinner hit would have stopped play and prevented us from giving up a 3 on 1 by the way.

Our guys just seem disjointed and not at all prepared to switch up the tempo.

I think a lost like this isn’t that bad (speaking from a fan perspective here, I’m sure it stung for the players). The new guys like J Skinner and Podz should know what to expect going forward. Emberson carried himself pretty well I thought, he went about his business.

To the bolded, just wait till they get Kane back. At this point in the season, they shouldn’t invite the rough stuff, at least not yet. Having a bunch of guys banged up would suck at this point in time. I do hope we pick up McCarron at the deadline.

 

[CanadasTeam99]

I think back to that Avs series. And I think back to Bowman-era Hawks. These were skilled and fast teams like us, that weren’t built like the Panthers but they always gave as good as they got.

Hawks could get dirty when they needed to. An errant elbow to Sedins jaw to help you win? Superstar Defenceman Duncan Kieth’s got it covered. A slew foot on Drai to hobble him while he’s already injured? Superstar MacK’s has got you covered.

If we aren’t built like the Panthers we better find a way to give as good as we get. I think McDrai and friends need to get dirty in ways they never thought they could if we ever want to push past the best in this League. Outskilling them can only work for so long, once prison rules playoff hockey sets in, you better be ready to play in that jungle. Shank or be shanked.

The rules are different for different teams. If we start doing what FLA was doing last night, tack on some more PK's for us.

Yup.

We should have swept the kings but he lost us game 4.

We should have pretty much swept Vancouver but he cost put up numbers below .800 for half of it.

That's four games right there prior to the finals. 4 of 18. 22% more games played, 22% less rest, for an accumulation of 49% more fatigue.

You can't tell me that doesn't make an absurd difference in game 7 of the SCF.

Yup

People don't think about this

Drai got injured in that VAN series as well.

 

[TheNumber4]

Florida was constantly chasing hits giving up odd man rushes. We punished them on that, too bad skinner tried to return the favour


The main story is skinner, and then Bouchardget bruised and battered in every playoff series leading to injuries to our Stars that slow their production isn’t an issue

I think we need to acknowledge that we get bruised and battered in the playoffs and it’s affect the top potential of this team. Drai was hobbled going into the Florida series. Hobbled going into the Avs series.


JSkinner getting rocked and we freeze like deer in the headlights. No idea what to do isn’t an issue.

It’s becoming more and more of an issue now that I think about it.

 

[Oilhawks]

The rules are different for different teams. If we start doing what FLA was doing last night, tack on some more PK's for us.


Yup

People don't think about this

Drai got injured in that VAN series as well.

Yup, even just 2-3 games shaved off the total games last playoffs and they might have done it

 

[Tobias Kahun]

I think we need to acknowledge that we get bruised and battered in the playoffs and it’s affect the top potential of this team. Drai was hobbled going into the Florida series. Hobbled going into the Avs series.


JSkinner getting rocked and we freeze like deer in the headlights. No idea what to do isn’t an issue.

It’s becoming more and more of an issue now that I think about it.

We got bruised and battered because we played more games than we should’ve, if skinner didn’t completely shit the bed we play 3-4 fewer games

 

[TheNumber4]

The rules are different for different teams. If we start doing what FLA was doing last night, tack on some more PK's for us.


Yup

People don't think about this

Drai got injured in that VAN series as well.

It definitely feels that way. But I wonder if we just arent as good at bending the rules as teams that spend a whole season doing just that.

Avs, hawks, and panthers included. A slewfoot might not look as slewfooty if McD is doing is. Its an element of our game we don't have. That Cup winners do have. And its something we need to address.

We got bruised and battered because we played more games than we should’ve, if skinner didn’t completely shit the bed we play 3-4 fewer games

Yeh okay. Not the forearm shiver to Drais back. Or a twisting his ankle in a scrum. Or slewfooting him while he was already injured. No it can’t be those specific physical plays.

Every single bad thing that happens to Oilers has to lead right back to Stu. Everytime all the time.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

It definitely feels that way. But I wonder if we just arent as good at bending the rules as teams that spend a whole season doing just that.

Avs, hawks, and panthers include. A slewfoot might not look as slewfooty is McD is doing is.


Yeh okay. Not the forearm shiver to Drais back. Or a twisting his ankle in a scrum. Or slewfooting him while he was already injured. No it can’t be those specific physical plays.

Every single bad thing that happens to Oilers has to lead right back to Stu. Everytime all the time.

The arrogance to assume the Oilers should win every single game in the playoffs is utterly astounding to me. I mean the Panthers faced a couple of patsies in the first two rounds and a completely overmatched Rangers team. Why didn't they sweep any of those teams?

 

[OilerTyler]

It definitely feels that way. But I wonder if we just arent as good at bending the rules as teams that spend a whole season doing just that.

Avs, hawks, and panthers include. A slewfoot might not look as slewfooty is McD is doing is.

Nurse getting suspended for his instigator penalty in the 2023 playoffs tells you all that you need to know. That suspension was rescinded every other time that season and has been rescinded every single time since. Nurse being the lone outlier shows that the Oilers will be held to a different standard.

 

[McBeastMode]

that game alone tanked bouchards contract value by half

Just imagine if his contract was up for renewal this summer....

 

[Scrapin Ice]

Anyone else give a shit that we once again looked like wussies on the ice?

Or is there only one game story last night. Stu.

This is the much bigger story. I 've tried to tell people about things since the Bouchard problem and posted at the beginning of the Vegas game thread but people here don't understand the game within the game. If i tell them we have lost miserably the last three games no matter the score on the board they won't understand. The solution then (before the Vegas) game was direct and simple. (You might say a Golden opportunity). Now its much more complicated.

The Edmonton P-55ie5

or the Edmonton Cowards if you take management into account.

Soon one of our stars will be hurt. McD or Drais or Bouch or Ekholm or Stuart or Hyman. Imagine if it's Stu. Imagine trying to trust Pickard for more than one game and having to bring someone from the farm. We have no one close on the farm. Another great failing of these morons in management.

The response to the Bouchard attack was fantastic. AND OH YEAH they gave a stern talking to to Jack Eichel.
LOL every player in the league knows its open season on our stars. Ryan Reaves type players are licking their chops and opposing managers are going to direct their players to hit hard finish their checks especially against our main players. "Get in the blue paint and don't give up an inch", battle for all your worth. LOL.

 

[TheNumber4]

The arrogance to assume the Oilers should win every single game in the playoffs is utterly astounding to me. I mean the Panthers faced a couple of patsies in the first two rounds and a completely overmatched Rangers team. Why didn't they sweep any of those teams?

Playoffs bring the best out of every team. And margins can get thin and do get thin. Yeh I don’t think we should assume dominance over any opponent. Especially the Nucks who had our number all year and they obviously have a chip on their shoulder to prove something by beating the Oilers who’s turnstiled them for years.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Playoffs bring the best out of every team. And margins can get thin and do get thin. Yeh I don’t think we should assume dominance over any opponent. Especially the Nucks who had our number all year and they obviously have a chip on their shoulder to prove something by beating the Oilers who’s turnstiled them for years.

Right, the majority of the teams that make the playoffs are very good. Even the Kings were a solid team, they just keep coming up against the team that can beat them.

And Dallas was the top team in the conference and a favourite to win the Cup. But because we beat them I guess they weren't that special?

 

[TheNumber4]

Our guys just seem disjointed and not at all prepared to switch up the tempo.

I think a lost like this isn’t that bad (speaking from a fan perspective here, I’m sure it stung for the players). The new guys like J Skinner and Podz should know what to expect going forward. Emberson carried himself pretty well I thought, he went about his business.

To the bolded, just wait till they get Kane back. At this point in the season, they shouldn’t invite the rough stuff, at least not yet. Having a bunch of guys banged up would suck at this point in time. I do hope we pick up McCarron at the deadline.

I think we need to stop relying on Kane as our one and only tough guy. We are putting all our eggs into one basket and we've already paid for that. Cause when Kane couldn't go, we lost ALL of our toughness at the drop of a hat, as we saw in the Florida series. That toughness, that DIRTINESS needs to be through out the line up.

Don't think the Cup Winning Hawks had an Evander Kane. But when needed, a guy like Superstar Keith would elbow a Sedin. Same with the Cup Winning Bolts, do you remember Superstar Hedman just wrecking Gallagher making him a complete non-issue? Or how bout the Cup winning Avs, and Superstar Mackinnon slew footing an already injured Draisaitl? Or Superstar Tkachuk punching McDavid square in the face 5 times?

It's the STARS of these teams that get dirty to push their team over the top. We need that element out of McDrai otherwise we will be bullied instead of being the bullies.

 

[iCanada]

Yup, even just 2-3 games shaved off the total games last playoffs and they might have done it

Yeah, even two of 18 games is 25% less cumulative fatigue when you consider both the additive extra games played and the additive lost rest.

Three is 36%.

Makes a big difference in the finals.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Right, the majority of the teams that make the playoffs are very good. Even the Kings were a solid team, they just keep coming up against the team that can beat them.

And Dallas was the top team in the conference and a favourite to win the Cup. But because we beat them I guess they weren't that special?

You didn’t think they were special.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Yeah, even two of 18 games is 25% less cumulative fatigue when you consider both the additive extra games played and the additive lost rest.

Three is 36%.

Makes a big difference in the finals.

Weird, the team that went to the Cup Finals the previous year and played one less game than us going into the championship series didn't seem to have this issue.

They had one less day of rest going into the Finals against the Panthers to boot.