Post-Game Talk: Team is still broken

[OilfaninTO]

Just because someone writes some junk article in a newspaper that no one reads anymore or hosts an internet podcast doesn’t give them some sort of otherworldly knowledge on hockey.

So you agree then? You think you, random Joe Blow, know more than the people who have been covering hockey their entire careers? Good on you little buddy.

 

[NeverForget06]

So you agree then? You think you, random Joe Blow, know more than the people who have been covering hockey their entire careers? Good on you little buddy.

Listen "little buddy" - a lot of the American journalists who get to vote for NHL awards are straight up homers and dummies who don't know jack

There are at least five journalists in this City who supposedly cover hockey for a living and nearly everything that comes out of their mouth is moronic

 

[Spawn]

So you agree then? You think you, random Joe Blow, know more than the people who have been covering hockey their entire careers? Good on you little buddy.

lol

 

[CycloneSweep]

So you agree then? You think you, random Joe Blow, know more than the people who have been covering hockey their entire careers? Good on you little buddy.

I mean, it happens all the time.
I hear people whose jobs are to cover a single topic get shit wrong all the time. And easily verifiable shit too.
“journalists” and sports media aren’t infallible. Like shit look at how many old timey guys are left that clearly have had the sport pass them by.

 

[CanadasTeam99]

I mean, it happens all the time.
I hear people whose jobs are to cover a single topic get shit wrong all the time. And easily verifiable shit too.
“journalists” and sports media aren’t infallible. Like shit look at how many old timey guys are left that clearly have had the sport pass them by.

Nah, remember , these writers are the experts. Hell, the year everybody voted for McDavid for the Hart, we had one PWHA member from Pittsburgh be the only one in hockey to not vote for 97 (He voted Crosby with his hilarious homer vote). But hey, he's an expert.

 

[OfCorsiDid]

McLeod looks like 10 times the player Arvidsson is right now and growing. Fn clueless organization.

Well it was a calculated risk. Too bad the organization is terrible at math.

 

[McDNicks17]

Well it was a calculated risk. Too bad the organization is terrible at math.

Meh. McLeod and Arvidsson aren't really tied.

It's what they get from three cheap years of Savoie that matters there.

 

[Stoneman89]

They were just in game 7 of a Cup Final where the result is a coin flip. McDavid just won the freaking Conn Smythe trophy too. They already proved they can play a style that gets you there.

We're just shooting a ridiculously low shooting percentage and everyone wants to point fingers at 5000 different things.

It's never one thing though, and this is definitely not the same team as last year.

 

[Reasonable Oil Fan]

They were just in game 7 of a Cup Final where the result is a coin flip. McDavid just won the freaking Conn Smythe trophy too. They already proved they can play a style that gets you there.

We're just shooting a ridiculously low shooting percentage and everyone wants to point fingers at 5000 different things.

There have been a lot of changes with this team though. Personnel wise, I tend to agree with those who are saying that we are worse and there definitely need to be more changes, especially on the back end

 

[McFlash97]

It's never one thing though, and this is definitely not the same team as last year.

The style includes a young and fast team through the middle of the lineup.

They abandoned that, the minute Holland took off. OK I get Jackson took a calculated risk, but Bowman turned stupid and walked away from both players. Instead opting to sign pylons as replacements. Some fans lauded this move.. those fans probably also lined up at 3 am at WEM to get Emberson and Dermotts autograph

 

[oobga]

Hockey world disagrees.

Maybe was a bad time for Oilers fans, but I think many people did watch Crosby absolutely dominate 2-way hockey to get his last 2 cups. The first one more than the 2nd to be fair and there were all kinds of crazy goaltending messes that the Pens worked through with Fleury. Crosby had a 0.960 PDO in 2016, but he came up big when it mattered and played hard minutes.

That said, Crosby never dominated offensively like McDavid did last playoffs. McDavid did all you could ever ask of a player to try to win a cup. He ended the playoffs with 2 completely useless wingers, and his 2nd line C being an injured mess and Florida was able to just swarm him all night long in the series with multiple players. Not really his fault.

 

[Stoneman89]

Maybe was a bad time for Oilers fans, but I think many people did watch Crosby absolutely dominate 2-way hockey to get his last 2 cups. The first one more than the 2nd to be fair and there were all kinds of crazy goaltending messes that the Pens worked through with Fleury. Crosby had a 0.960 PDO in 2016, but he came up big when it mattered and played hard minutes.

That said, Crosby never dominated offensively like McDavid did last playoffs. McDavid did all you could ever ask of a player to try to win a cup. He ended the playoffs with 2 completely useless wingers, and his 2nd line C being an injured mess and Florida was able to just swarm him all night long in the series with multiple players. Not really his fault.

Agreed with all you said. And of course McDavid is a marvelous talent and did great last year in the playoffs. But there is always room for improvement and to round out his game. At this point, no one is going to consider either he or Draisaitl a serious threat for the Selke award, and that is an understatement. Plenty of time for that to happen, but this is now.

Crosby could retire tomorrow and rest his case.

 

[oobga]

Agreed with all you said. And of course McDavid is a marvelous talent and did great last year in the playoffs. But there is always room for improvement and to round out his game. At this point, no one is going to consider either he or Draisaitl a serious threat for the Selke award, and that is an understatement. Plenty of time for that to happen, but this is now.

Crosby could retire tomorrow and rest his case.

Yeah, if I had to guess, I think McDavid in his 30's is gonna end up dominant on faceoffs and more of a 2-way guy. Too much passion for the game for him to not keep trying to add things to try to stay effective as his speed declines.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Meh. McLeod and Arvidsson aren't really tied.

It's what they get from three cheap years of Savoie that matters there.

That’s IF we get anything from Savoie. He’s still 2 years away most likely.

 

[McDNicks17]

That’s IF we get anything from Savoie. He’s still 2 years away most likely.

He's been the best player in Bako by a country mile. He'll be up sometime this year.

 

[The Panther]

Crosby would have lost in round 1 or 2 last year even in his prime (in place of McDavid) with Stuart Skinner in net.

The Oilers were literally 1 win away from winning the Stanley Cup with Stuart Skinner in net. And that with Draisaitl injured, and with Nurse and a rookie on defense.

Crosby won the Cup with Matt Murray in net.

 

[CycloneSweep]

He's been the best player in Bako by a country mile. He'll be up sometime this year.

Doesn’t make him ready. Like we have nothing on Bako outside of him.

 

[McDNicks17]

Doesn’t make him ready. Like we have nothing on Bako outside of him.

Being really good in the AHL is usually a pretty good step to being ready.

And they've got plenty of good players down there.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Being really good in the AHL is usually a pretty good step to being ready.

And they've got plenty of good players down there.

Agree to disagree on good players down there. it’s a rough lineup with very very little NHL potential outside of Philp and Savoie.

 

[GMofOilers]

McLeod finish the playoffs with a hit or goal last year? I can’t remember

 

[KCC]

The horrific game management by our best players in OT. Draisaitl fn forgets to backtrack and blow the zone multiple times in the last 30 seconds is just pathetic. Like he goof its 30 seconds to go. Wtf are you doing

draisaitl has been this way dating back to all of last season. I remember many of us questioning if he was hurt or something because of it. How he even put up 100 points despite awful work ethic, blind forced passes and taking stupid penalties every game was beyond me. Well actually it’s because of Mcdavid feeding him on the PP but still. lol. He even admitted there were long stretches where he could play better. And it has carried over into this season. But, he’s a beast come playoff time which is the most important thing, right?

 

[Spawn]

McLeod finish the playoffs with a hit or goal last year? I can’t remember

3 goals in 7 games in the finals. Tied for most on the team with McDavid. Only Evan Rodriguez had more in the series

 

[oobga]

3 goals in 7 games in the finals. Tied for most on the team with McDavid. Only Evan Rodriguez had more in the series

But he didn’t hit enough. Mortal sin if you use the Marc Spector technique of evaluating players.

 

[Duke74]

draisaitl has been this way dating back to all of last season. I remember many of us questioning if he was hurt or something because of it. How he even put up 100 points despite awful work ethic, blind forced passes and taking stupid penalties every game was beyond me. Well actually it’s because of Mcdavid feeding him on the PP but still. lol. He even admitted there were long stretches where he could play better. And it has carried over into this season. But, he’s a beast come playoff time which is the most important thing, right?

I think Draisaitl has always been this way, or at least people have perceived him as such. I think it's a combination of his unorthodox stride and energy conservation that makes him seem "lazy." Whether he actually lacks effort in some games or not, I don't know. It's an 82-game grind (plus playoffs) so it only makes sense that some players conserve their energy over the course of the season. Maybe Draisaitl saves his energy for the homestretch and playoffs and it's unfortunate that injuries have decimated him each of the last three playoff runs.

But the things you mention, the blind passes, the turnovers, and the apparent lack of back checking are nothing new. People have complained about these since before time. What is new, and just started last year, or even the 2022 playoffs, is the stupid penalties. I don't know if its frustration on his part, but they certainly don't help matters and he needs to find a better way to deal with his frustration. Maybe writing in a journal during the intermissions?

 

[guymez]

I think Draisaitl has always been this way, or at least people have perceived him as such. I think it's a combination of his unorthodox stride and energy conservation that makes him seem "lazy." Whether he actually lacks effort in some games or not, I don't know. It's an 82-game grind (plus playoffs) so it only makes sense that some players conserve their energy over the course of the season. Maybe Draisaitl saves his energy for the homestretch and playoffs and it's unfortunate that injuries have decimated him each of the last three playoff runs.

But the things you mention, the blind passes, the turnovers, and the apparent lack of back checking are nothing new. People have complained about these since before time. What is new, and just started last year, or even the 2022 playoffs, is the stupid penalties. I don't know if its frustration on his part, but they certainly don't help matters and he needs to find a better way to deal with his frustration. Maybe writing in a journal during the intermissions?

Good post with an even better finish.

Seriously though. Draisaitl is 1 year away from being 30 years old.
Maturity should be showing itself now...not later.