Post-Game Talk: That win was like pulling teeth

[Oilslick941611]

It’s just so unlike him. This is not a man who’s used to not being the best, and not being at the top of his game. He’s fighting it big time right now, someone needs to remind who he is and what he is capable of. You don’t expect that play from him at that time of the game.

Conner needs to find his love for the game again and stop being obsessed with brand deals and the bright lights of stardom. The Hendrix hockey endorsement was the worst thing to happen to him. Someone needs to send him some rollerblades so can go skate alone on a basketball court and find his love for the game again.

If he can find himself again, we still have a chance at winning the Jr Goodwill games.

 

[BlackDogg]

Everyone ready to step away from the cliff edge? Lol

Not so fast

 

[elmeroil]

Everyone ready to step away from the cliff edge? Lol

Until Skinner is gone and we have a much better option to ride with Calvin, I'll be sitting here on the ledge with a bottle of Tequila wondering if this franchise is seriously going to let the 2 best Oilers in history never lift the Cup.

I'm certainly not stepping back because they beat a struggling team....barely.

 

[RegDunlop]

I've been preaching Pikard needs way more starts. He's had the odd bad game but overall he's been fantastic. I don't think he has it to be a starter but Skinner was a backup who got the job originally because Campbell was terrible. Well Skinner has been just as bad so do it all over again. Might as well. Ride Pikard now IMO. At least until management wakes up and gets a true starter. Anyone is better than keeping Skinner in net.

Agreed
I don't think he's a starter either but could be a strong 1A

I've seen nothing but positives from him since joining the Oil. It was apparent to me he'd resurrected his game and was very happy management noticed for a change and gave him a chance.

Wouldn't be surprised if he took it further if given more games.

 

[RegDunlop]

this franchise is seriously going to let the 2 best Oilers in history never lift the Cup.

2 best Oilers in history?
...Hmmmm

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Everyone ready to step away from the cliff edge? Lol

Did we suddenly get faster, tougher to play against and got a better starting goaltender since I went to sleep last night?

 

[Cloned]

Did we suddenly get faster, tougher to play against and got a better starting goaltender since I went to sleep last night?

If Pickard is the starter now, maybe.

 

[Messrules11]

2 best Oilers in history?
...Hmmmm

My thoughts exactly. Gretzky and Messier played in all situations and have 9 cups between them. McDrai have a ways to go.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Knob has normally been fairly quick to give Skinner rebound games, but idk about this one.

His fundamentals are in the toilet, and he's already had 2 weeks off to "reset" mentally. They've tried letting him play through it in games and now the only course left is letting him work on it in practice.

Really I'd be surprised if Skins doesn't see the next couple of starts. Its how this org has rolled and its even by accounts how they've listened to Dustbin say "Skinner tells me he's ready for the start and feeling real good" For years thats apparently been enough. Its never been about merit.

My thoughts exactly. Gretzky and Messier played in all situations and have 9 cups between them. McDrai have a ways to go.

While this is true look at the relative rosters. Younger fans don't know this but for years Anderson for instance was better than Messier. They had Kurri, Coffey, Fuhr, loaded at every position. When they added players it was of the quality of Ken Linseman or Kent Nillson. They'd add star players to that lineup and not mops like Arviddson.

 

[Soundwave]

Draisaitl was saying how much the team loves playing in front of Pickard in the post game, lol.

 

[Messrules11]

Really I'd be surprised if Skins doesn't see the next couple of starts. Its how this org has rolled and its even by accounts how they've listened to Dustbin say "Skinner tells me he's ready for the start and feeling real good" For years thats apparently been enough. Its never been about merit.


While this is true look at the relative rosters. Younger fans don't know this but for years Anderson for instance was better than Messier. They had Kurri, Coffey, Fuhr, loaded at every position. When they added players it was of the quality of Ken Linseman or Kent Nillson. They'd add star players to that lineup and not mops like Arviddson.

Sure, they had a supporting cast and a GM that knew what he was doing but let me know when McDrai play in all situations.

 

[MessierII]

Until Skinner is gone and we have a much better option to ride with Calvin, I'll be sitting here on the ledge with a bottle of Tequila wondering if this franchise is seriously going to let the 2 best Oilers in history never lift the Cup.

I'm certainly not stepping back because they beat a struggling team....barely.

These guys are not close to the best players in oilers history. Looooong way to go.

 

[Duke74]

The problem with our roster is we are not built to win 2-1 games, but that is how we play and how we are actually winning.

To be built to win 2-1 games you need a very good goalie.

Go get some more offensive wingers, we have the best Centres in the game.

I think in general, scoring is down league-wide.

Draisaitl was saying how much the team loves playing in front of Pickard in the post game, lol.

Indirect shade at Skinner?

 

[McDrai]

What a beaut

Draisaitl was saying how much the team loves playing in front of Pickard in the post game, lol.

Draisaitl is by far my favorite player on this team. Wears his heart on his sleeve and tells it like it is. He should be our Captain.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Sure, they had a supporting cast and a GM that knew what he was doing but let me know when McDrai play in all situations.

Not sure what you mean by this. Draisaitl is more a 200ft player than either Mess or Gretz were. It was Kurri and others that were the best two way players on that team.

Many other factors as well. Back then we had Glen Sather as coach and architect building the best team in history, and no doubt it was that, it was also in a non cap era where we had star players in the league basically begging to come into that lineup. To put it into perspective it was often like an allstar club. Sure they had role players but even those were best in class players like Dave Hunter or Lumley. That team had it all and there were no fill players. Team also had consummate enforcers like Semenko making life as easy as it could be on NHL ice.

That said I will say that there is no comparison between Gretz and McDavid. Gretz understood and recognized patterns in the game much better and on a completely different level. Gretz better scorer, better playmaker, and better at efficiently and consistently exploiting defenses around the league or world. McD has better speed but Gretz underestimated as a skater. He was a hovercraft that could stop and start so much in any direction defenders would be falling down trying to even touch him.

I'd never seen anything like Gretz and likely never will again.

 

[Soundwave]

Indirect shade at Skinner?

“Everybody in our room loves him (Pickard). We love playing in front of him,” said Leon Draisaitl

Skinner:

 

[Duke74]

“Everybody in our room loves him (Pickard). We love playing in front of him,” said Leon Draisaitl

Skinner:

Maybe Draisaitl has said similar things about Skinner in the past? I know that Draisaitl always compliments his teammates and never speaks a harsh or even questionable word against them.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I think in general, scoring is down league-wide.


Indirect shade at Skinner?

Its not isolated as you know. There was the tirade at end of game and Drai mocking Skinners goal push and seemingly yelling back at him.

In one post game last year the pressers were trying to feed Drai the line that Skinner was very good in the game and Drai shot back that the team in front of him had played great, done all the work and Skins didn't have much to do. It was one of the sequences where Drai looked visibly annoyed at the suggestion that Skinner had much to do with the win.

This has been going on for awhile.

Theres also been multiple stinker games from Skinner when the team or at least many of its players don't go back and tap his pads and console. They just leave him there.

I can't imagine either that the team was too into the Skinner Desharnais postgame hijinx as if they were the star players trumping the W. I don't think either are too well liked here.

 

[Messrules11]

Not sure what you mean by this. Draisaitl is more a 200ft player than either Mess or Gretz were. It was Kurri and others that were the best two way players on that team.

Many other factors as well. Back then we had Glen Sather as coach and architect building the best team in history, and no doubt it was that, it was also in a non cap era where we had star players in the league basically begging to come into that lineup. To put it into perspective it was often like an allstar club. Sure they had role players but even those were best in class players like Dave Hunter or Lumley. That team had it all and there were no fill players. Team also had consummate enforcers like Semenko making life as easy as it could be on NHL ice.

That said I will say that there is no comparison between Gretz and McDavid. Gretz understood and recognized patterns in the game much better and on a completely different level. Gretz better scorer, better playmaker, and better at efficiently and consistently exploiting defenses around the league or world. McD has better speed but Gretz underestimated as a skater. He was a hovercraft that could stop and start so much in any direction defenders would be falling down trying to even touch him.

I'd never seen anything like Gretz and likely never will again.

Messier killed penalties, Drai doesn’t, Messier also won the first Conn Smythe and became one of the best leaders from that point on. With all the ‘all star’ players Slats brought in Mess and Gretz were still deployed in all situations and that’s saying something right there.

 

[Duke74]

Its not isolated as you know. There was the tirade at end of game and Drai mocking Skinners goal push and seemingly yelling back at him.

In one post game last year the pressers were trying to feed Drai the line that Skinner was very good in the game and Drai shot back that the team in front of him had played great, done all the work and Skins didn't have much to do. It was one of the sequences where Drai looked visibly annoyed at the suggestion that Skinner had much to do with the win.

I don't remember that. Hmmm. Combined with the weird scene at the end of the Florida game, it would seem to suggest that maybe Draisaitl isn't a big fan of Skinner? Not good to have one of your star players disliking the starting goalie. All the more reason to try to nab one at the deadline.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Messier killed penalties, Drai doesn’t, Messier also won the first Conn Smythe and became one of the best leaders from that point on. With all the ‘all star’ players Slats brought in Mess and Gretz were still deployed in all situations and that’s saying something right there.

Drai kills penalties and is often the Center starting a penalty kill to get the faceoff win. In critical moments in games or playoffs this occurs. When the team is struggling on pk they put Drai in there at times. Drai IS employed in all situations. he would be stalwart on either club.

 

[Messrules11]

Drai kills penalties and is often the Center starting a penalty kill to get the faceoff win. In critical moments in games or playoffs this occurs. When the team is struggling on pk they put Drai in there at times. Drai IS employed in all situations. he would be stalwart on either club.

Drai doesn’t kill penalties, find a new argument

 

[Drivesaitl]

Drai doesn’t kill penalties, find a new argument

You're simply wrong on this one. Under Knobs what you say is more accurate, Drai is used far less on the pk now but in his career he's been there. Like I said usually used to win own zone faceoff and start pk on a good note.

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[Ritchie Valens]

Its not isolated as you know. There was the tirade at end of game and Drai mocking Skinners goal push and seemingly yelling back at him.

In one post game last year the pressers were trying to feed Drai the line that Skinner was very good in the game and Drai shot back that the team in front of him had played great, done all the work and Skins didn't have much to do. It was one of the sequences where Drai looked visibly annoyed at the suggestion that Skinner had much to do with the win.

This has been going on for awhile.

Theres also been multiple stinker games from Skinner when the team or at least many of its players don't go back and tap his pads and console. They just leave him there.

I can't imagine either that the team was too into the Skinner Desharnais postgame hijinx as if they were the star players trumping the W. I don't think either are too well liked here.

This was the Florida game? I’m still not sold this was directed at Skinner. Skinner was behind him and Draisaitl looked like he was directing his movement towards the seats and said something to a fan.

 

[brentashton]

Really I'd be surprised if Skins doesn't see the next couple of starts. Its how this org has rolled and its even by accounts how they've listened to Dustbin say "Skinner tells me he's ready for the start and feeling real good" For years thats apparently been enough. Its never been about merit.

You’re not wrong. And that’s why it pisses me off. (Not the fact you are correct, but that your comment is. Wanted to clarify ).

Indirect shade at Skinner?

Love that big German.

It’s not even that subtle.

Its his way of saying “check”, your move Coach Kris.