Post-Game Talk: Sewart Skinner in the FLA Swamp

[TheNumber4]

Yeah they will tell you that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are forces of nature and the Oilers play a much tighter defensive system these days than in the past.

Not one of those guys will say Skinner is better than them, because deep down they don't believe that.

Do you really think Jake Oettenger thinks Stuart Skinner is better than him? lol, f*** no.

And neither do I. Good thing I believe in the team and coaching. And realize there's more than one way to win a game.

 

[Soundwave]

And neither do I. Good thing I believe in the team and coaching. And realize there's more than one way to win a game.

Yeah there is, the better question is why the Oilers insist on making McDavid's life so much harder than it was for Crosby or Ovechkin.

Neither of those guys would win jack shit with the Oilers roster because they would get relatively poor goaltending compared to what they got in their Cup runs.

Even MacKinnon, lets look at his last two years now that he has rosters normalized more in line to what McDavid plays with here (he has Rantanen, Makar, Nichushkin, Toews, Middelstadt is fairly in line with Draisaitl, Hyman, Ekholm, Bouchard, RNH as McDavid's supporting core, fair?).

Lost to Seattle in round 1 (worst team to make the playoffs maybe in the last 5+ years) and then got whupped by Dallas in round 2.

McDavid does way better than that, give him that 22 Avalanche team and he wins the Cup easily too.

The organization dithering around here is the main reason McDavid doesn't have a Cup, at minimum he should have one of the last two Cups, a big part of the reason he doesn't is .883 and .901 in net ... who's winning with that shit? That's f***ing trash. The fact that he damn near did is more of a testament to how good he is and why he won the Conn Smythe anyway as a skater even on the losing side (something that hasn't happened in like 50 years and probably won't happen again unless it's McDavid for another 50).

 

[TheNumber4]

Yeah there is, the better question is why the Oilers insist on making McDavid's life so much harder than it was for Crosby or Ovechkin.

Neither of those guys would win jack shit with the Oilers roster because they would get relatively poor goaltending compared to what they got in their Cup runs.

Even MacKinnon, lets look at his last two years now that he has rosters normalized more in line to what McDavid plays with here (he has Rantanen, Makar, Nichushkin, Toews, Middelstadt is fairly in line with Draisaitl, Hyman, Ekholm, Bouchard, RNH as McDavid's supporting core, fair?).

Lost to Seattle in round 1 (worst team to make the playoffs maybe in the last 5+ years) and then got whupped by Dallas in round 2.

McDavid does way better than that, give him that 22 Avalanche team and he wins the Cup easily too.

Okay. Enough of this getting sucked into your negativity spiral. The soundwave truly never stops. Let's agree to disagree. You can doubt us every step of the way this year like you did last year on way to one of the greatest playoff runs this organization has in 40 years. The Oilers are playing well and with it so has Stu. We lost a 1 goal game against literally the best in the League. I take those chances, better chances than any other team in the League according to oddsmakers.

So lets agree to disagree, even though hilariously our thoughts about Stu are mostly in line.

 

[Soundwave]

Okay. Enough of this getting sucked into your negativity spiral. The soundwave truly never stops. Let's agree to disagree. You can doubt us every step of the way this year like you did last year on way to one of the greatest playoff runs this organization has in 40 years. The Oilers are playing well and with it so has Stu. We lost a 1 goal game against literally the best in the League. I take those chances, better chances than any other team in the League according to oddsmakers.

So lets agree to disagree, even though hilariously our thoughts about Stu are mostly in line.

Well they're not in line. I believe McDavid should have a Cup ring already and one of the central reasons he doesn't is because .883 and .901 in net. I take it you think that's just fine and dandy.

Ain't no one winning with that shit unless they have a miracle team constructed for them like the 22 Avs because MacKinnon was on a ridiculous 6 million contract and even he got better goaltending than that.

I don't really see much reason to believe .901 is going to be any better this year. Could just as easily be worse (as he's worse this regular season thus far than last year at this point too).

 

[TheNumber4]

Well they're not in line. I believe McDavid should have a Cup ring already and one of the central reasons he doesn't is because .883 and .901 in net. I take it you think that's just fine and dandy.

Ain't no one winning with that shit unless they have a miracle team constructed for them like the 22 Avs because MacKinnon was on a ridiculous 6 million contract and even he got better goaltending than that.

I don't really see much reason to believe .901 is going to be any better this year. Could just as easily be worse (as he's worse this regular season thus far than last year at this point too).

"Thougts on Stu" are aligned, not thoughts on the team. I know you think we, as a team, have no chance with Stu, and that's why you were wrong 15 times in the playoffs last year.

 

[Soundwave]

"Thougts on Stu" are aligned, not thoughts on the team. I know you think we, as a team, have no chance with Stu, and that's why you were wrong 15 times in the playoffs last year.

I don't think anyone in the history of the sport would win a Cup with Stuart Skinner in net on this Oilers team (some good talent, but we're not exactly loaded like the 80s Oilers or 22 Avs or 13 Blackhawks or something like that).

Not Gretzky. Not Lemieux. Not Crosby. Not Ovy.

Connor damn near doing it last year just shows what kind of player he is. Maybe the 2nd best player ever, maybe the most skilled player ever. Maybe even better than Gretzky in some respects (more of an unstoppable force of nature kind of thing).

The Oilers should be winning Cups fairly easily, at least similarly to how the Penguins shoved aside teams from 2016 and 2017. It's the organization's fault they are not and probably no.1 on that shit list is their handling of the goaltending here during McDavid's era.

He operates with an enormous handicap relative to other great players.

 

[TheNumber4]

I don't think anyone in the history of the sport would win a Cup with Stuart Skinner in net on this Oilers team (some good talent, but we're not exactly loaded like the 80s Oilers or 22 Avs or 13 Blackhawks or something like that).

Not Gretzky. Not Lemieux. Not Crosby. Not Ovy.

Connor damn near doing it last year just shows what kind of player he is. Maybe the 2nd best player ever, maybe the most skilled player ever. Maybe even better than Gretzky in some respects (more of an unstoppable force of nature kind of thing).

The Oilers should be winning Cups fairly easily, at least similarly to how the Penguins shoved aside teams from 2016 and 2017. It's the organization's fault they are not and probably no.1 on that shit list is their handling of the goaltending here during McDavid's era.

He operates with an enormous handicap relative to other great players.

Yes know. You've said it 100000 times. Anyways, I'm out.

 

[Soundwave]

Yes know. You've said it 100000 times. Anyways, I'm out.

Yeah and I'm right.

 

[TheNumber4]

Yeah and I'm right.

So right you were one goal away from being wrong last year. And while making the easiest call y ou could make in the NHL, predicting any team won't win it all.

 

[Soundwave]

So right you were one goal away from being wrong last year. And while making the easiest call y ou could make in the NHL, predicting any team won't win it all.

In the big picture if I told you about 9 years ago when we won the draft lottery for McDavid, that Draisaitl would also be an MVP level player and McDavid would be better than Crosby and then I also told you the closest they've come to a Cup is 1 Finals in 9 years ... you'd probably be pretty dissapointed in that. I don't think "yeah but 2 goals away" really makes that much better.

The organization is the biggest hold up and impediment to having a Cup here, and as long as they decided to keep trotting out .901 shit in net, they should be criticized. They are lucky if anything in Edmonton people swallow up their PR bull shit quite often and many people are apt to not question much unless the wheels completely fall off the wagon.

Having David Riitich tier goaltending while trying to win a Cup is monumentally stupid. Maybe they can eek one out (probably while pissing 1 or 2 Cups away in the process) riding McDavid into the ground. I don't really think that's much to be proud of.

 

[TheNumber4]

In the big picture if I told you about 9 years ago when we won the draft lottery for McDavid, that Draisaitl would also be an MVP level player and McDavid would be better than Crosby and then I also told you the closest they've come to a Cup is 1 Finals in 9 years ... you'd probably be pretty dissapointed in that. I don't think "yeah but 2 goals away" really makes that much better.

The organization is the biggest hold up and impediment to having a Cup here, and as long as they decided to keep trotting out .901 shit in net, they should be criticized. They are lucky if anything in Edmonton people swallow up their PR bull shit quite often and don't many people are apt to not question much unless the wheels completely fall off the wagon.

Having David Riitich tier goaltending while trying to win a Cup is monumentally stupid. Maybe they can eek one out (probably while pissing 1 or 2 Cups away in the process). I don't really think that's much to be proud of.

Enjoy the year friend. Last year was the best time I've had as an Oilers fan, pity you couldn't have joined me.

 

[Soundwave]

Enjoy the year friend. Last year was the best time I've had as an Oilers fan, pity you couldn't have joined me.

It was OK. Honestly beating Calgary in 2022 was more fun because we actually won that when we weren't really favored at all.

2006 was more fun because that was a real Cinderella team and the whole Whtye Ave/Red Mile schtick in Alberta was kind of a new novelty.

2024 doesn't sit right with me and probably never will because that's OUR Cup. It should be here. It should have been brought to Joey's grave and Ben's grave, and it wasn't because this team can't invest shit in goaltending in large part. If we have a goalie that's as tier up on what we had (not even a star goalie necessarily) that's our Cup.

There were some fun moments in there, sure, but after 2006 I'm over all this "just happy to be in game 7 only to have your heart ripped out of your ass".

 

[Niklas Lidholm]

I’ve absolutely enjoyed like 25 years or so lurking these boards. I’ve gotten so more info from these boards than any other outlet available. But the ”negativity squad” like above example, totally destroys whats good about this place.

Anyways, hopefully this is the year. Otherwise there is always next year!

 

[foshizzle]

You have suspend your disbelief to believe the Oilers are an elite defensive team imo

They may have elite shot suppression and scoring chances against, no doubt there is evidence of an elite defensive team, but all Oilers stats should be viewed through a McDrai lens.

What? All the metrics show the Oilers are an elite defensive team. Lol, your literally said the team has elite shot suppression and scoring chances against- that’s the definitions of an elite D team

Honestly stats often lie. Watch the game the Oilers played great

Panthers are a hell of a team and we win 7/10 times

That’s what matters here

Stats don’t lie. They tell you exactly what happened in a game. They don’t tell a story. They don’t make analysis or decisions. They simply record what has happened

 

[foshizzle]

and the 2 best players in the world didn't do their jobs either

So your only defence is to point to the 2 players who have been carrying this franchise. That’s your go to defence

 

[GrumpyKoala]

I believe average goaltending get us to playoff quite comfortably but if we are serious about winning it all you need good, not great, but good goaltending.

Stuart Skinner range from atrocious to good depending the weeks and over the course of a 20-25 game marathon his low will get exposed again, handicapping the team chances.

The question is not could Edmonton win a cup with Skinner in net, because of course they can, anything can happen. The reality is that we go in with a disadvantage to overcome.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

So your only defence is to point to the 2 players who have been carrying this franchise. That’s your go to defence

that's by go to defense...the 2 guys that have "carried" the franchise didn't manage to score in game 6 or 7
I'm sorry facts hurt your feelings

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I believe average goaltending get us to playoff quite comfortably but if we are serious about winning it all you need good, not great, but good goaltending.

Stuart Skinner range from atrocious to good depending the weeks and over the course of a 20-25 game marathon his low will get exposed again, handicapping the team chances.

The question is not could Edmonton win a cup with Skinner in net, because of course they can, anything can happen. The reality is that we go in with a disadvantage to overcome.

But there's no upgrade coming. This team has struggled with goaltending for decades because it's always an afterthought to them. They hitched their wagon to Jack Campbell without digging deeper and when that failed the task fell to his backup who wasn't ready to be a starter yet. The signing of Jack Campbell might have cost this team a Cup because whoever scouted him (most likely Dustin Schwartz) couldn't be bothered.

 

[TB12]

I don't think anyone in the history of the sport would win a Cup with Stuart Skinner in net on this Oilers team (some good talent, but we're not exactly loaded like the 80s Oilers or 22 Avs or 13 Blackhawks or something like that).

Not Gretzky. Not Lemieux. Not Crosby. Not Ovy.

Connor damn near doing it last year just shows what kind of player he is. Maybe the 2nd best player ever, maybe the most skilled player ever. Maybe even better than Gretzky in some respects (more of an unstoppable force of nature kind of thing).

The Oilers should be winning Cups fairly easily, at least similarly to how the Penguins shoved aside teams from 2016 and 2017. It's the organization's fault they are not and probably no.1 on that shit list is their handling of the goaltending here during McDavid's era.

He operates with an enormous handicap relative to other great players.

I think Skinner sucks but the bolded simply isn't true. Toughest trophy to win in team sports AINEC.

I don't think Skinner is the guy to bring the team to a Cup but saying "fairly easy" to win the Cup is just ridiculous. Ask anyone that's actually won a Cup and they'll tell you how fu*king hard it was. Skinner's bad but even with elite goaltending saying a Cup win was easy is disrespectful to the entire process to win one.

 

[bobbythebrain]

Chi, Det, Col, Pit all won cups with mediocre goaltending

Somebody on this board is addicted to stats and thinks he has found the DaVinci code to winning

 

[GrumpyKoala]

But there's no upgrade coming. This team has struggled with goaltending for decades because it's always an afterthought to them. They hitched their wagon to Jack Campbell without digging deeper and when that failed the task fell to his backup who wasn't ready to be a starter yet. The signing of Jack Campbell might have cost this team a Cup because whoever scouted him (most likely Dustin Schwartz) couldn't be bothered.

Quite possible, I am not disillusional about finding a diamond in the rough anymore but I am kinda sad we're not even looking.

I mean you framed it well, it's been a decade we haven't got any great goaltending, and this team / media around the team seems comfortable with that, like a fate we have get on board with.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Chi, Det, Col, Pit all won cups with mediocre goaltending

Somebody on this board is addicted to stats and thinks he has found the DaVinci code to winning

Meanwhile Hellebuyck has only won 3 playoff series in his career and got absolutely shredded in his last two playoff appearances. Carey Price never won a Cup, nor did Lundqvist, Miller, Kipprusoff...

Goaltending is voodoo.

 

[Soundwave]

I think Skinner sucks but the bolded simply isn't true. Toughest trophy to win in team sports AINEC.

I don't think Skinner is the guy to bring the team to a Cup but saying "fairly easy" to win the Cup is just ridiculous. Ask anyone that's actually won a Cup and they'll tell you how fu*king hard it was. Skinner's bad but even with elite goaltending saying a Cup win was easy is disrespectful to the entire process to win one.

I mean Crosby has 3 of them even with several years of his prime wiped out by injuries and McDavid is probably an even better player and the rest of the roster has been somewhat comparable to the Pens for at least a couple of years now.

The main difference between the Oilers and Pens is the Pens had outstanding goaltending in their Cup runs. That puts them over the top, that's the difference.

Put Skinner on those same Penguins teams as a starter and they win 0 Cups, maybe they make a Finals once.

 

[NeverForget06]

I mean Crosby has 3 of them even with several years of his prime wiped out by injuries and McDavid is probably an even better player and the rest of the roster has been somewhat comparable to the Pens for at least a couple of years now.

The main difference between the Oilers and Pens is the Pens had outstanding goaltending in their Cup runs. That puts them over the top.

Put Skinner on those Penguins teams as a starter and they win 0 Cups, maybe they make a Finals once.

One of the biggest factors in winning a cup is luck. The pens org aren't a bunch of geniuses for bringing in Matt Murray - they drafted him and he happened to turn into a God mode .930 save percentage guy. Lucky for that org.

Same thing with Aiden HIll on the Knights. Binnington for the Blues, etc

 

[Soundwave]

One of the biggest factors in winning a cup is luck. The pens org aren't a bunch of geniuses for bringing in Matt Murray - they drafted him and he happened to turn into a God mode .930 save percentage guy. Lucky for that org.

Same thing with Aiden HIll on the Knights. Binnington for the Blues, etc

The Pens were still more proactive than the Oilers, in years where MAF was bad after their first Cup win they brought in Vokoun, who's probably a better goalie than anyone McDavid has had. He gave them .919 goaltending for a year and then developed a blood clot issue if I recall. So not the greatest luck there, at least they weren't completely oblivious.