GDT: The Hangover. Oilers v Flames, 6 PM, SN.

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

They had a helluva time which lasted into the wee hours of last season.
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But now dawn has arrived on the new season and the boys are hungover as hell.
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They woke up and can’t remember a thing. Forgot how to hit, forgot how to tend goal, forgot how to PK, forgot where the opponents net is, forgot team defence, they forgot it all.

Except Nurse remembered to score on his own goal.
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Now that they are 2 games in the realization is slowly setting in. They f***ed up. Expecting the worst 3 Arizona D and a 30 game rookie from the worst team in 30 years to play D with a career AHL goalie and another with a history of slow starts while losing most of the team speed might not have been the best idea.
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They have to wake up, clear their heads and get rolling. Then they realize they play the Flames tonight and upchuck everywhere.
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Gathering all their courage they head to the game. Ignoring their hangover they will have fight through it.
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Projected Lines

RNH - McDavid - Hyman
Skinner - Draisaitl - Arvidsson
Janmark - Henrique - Brown
Podkolzin - Ryan - Perry

Ekholm - Bouchard
Nurse - Dermott
Kulak - Emberson

Skinner

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Projected Lines

Honzek - Kadri - Kuzmenko
Zary - Backlund - Coleman
Huberdeau - Pospisil - Mantha
Lomberg - Kirkland - Klapka

Weegar - Miromanov
Bahl - Andersson
Bean - Pachal

Vladar

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GD Music

Hangover - Alestorm



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Fearless Prediction

Oilers 5 - Flames 4

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Thread goes live @ five!

Click to read more...

 

[Porkleaker]

If they don't win this game for my bday I'm going suggest a new coach and GM.

 

[TB12]

At least @5 Mins 4 Ftg has been ready to start the season (unlike the team) with the GDT's! Bravo

 

[FlameChampion]

Surprised so many people think this is a cup hangover. This is just how the Oilers start. They can’t get up for games until their backs are against the walls.

Were just a bizarre team with inconsistent goaltending.

 

[94 Oil Drops]

It's so tempting to just not watch this one... Lose this game and serious questions need to start being asked concerning what management must do to fix this mess. An 0-3 start would be an even worse than the first 3 games of last year.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Surprised so many people think this is a cup hangover. This is just how the Oilers start. They can’t get up for games until their backs are against the walls.

Were just a bizarre team with inconsistent goaltending.

I am looking for any excuse but in the end you’re 100% correct.

 

[McDrai]

The Oilers locker room before the season opener:

Knob: “Let’s treat this season like it’s a 7 game playoff series.”

Oilers: “So lose the first 3 games and then try to win the next 4?”

Knob: “Yes. Think back to the Finals and how you battled back from 0-3”

*Oilers go on to lose the first 3 games of the season *


In all seriousness, I don’t think we have a chance in hell of winning this one. Are we as bad as the scores have indicated? I don’t think so. But it seems like we are playing hockey on expert mode at the moment. Every chance ending up in the back of our net, colossal breakdowns on defense, and an offense that has to work their asses off for a goal or two. Calgary will feast on us tonight. We need a bit of break in order to reset from whatever the f*** this is.

 

[McFlash97]

Whatever the problem is. Its sure in hell isn't coaching.

At least we know that.

Too old down the lineup. Too slow, to passive and lack any good defenseman after our top pair.

Recipe for a disaster.

 

[Kerberos]

The best way to consume Oilers hockey is to check the score periodically during the game.

If I wanted to waste 3 hours being bored out of my mind I'd find something less boring to waste it on.

 

[Louis Cypher]

2 killer GTDs to start the season. Unfortunately our team looks like they have 2 killer STDs to start the season. LFG!!!

 

[BlackDogg]

The Oilers are on the Deja Vu channel tonight again.

 

[McOilers97]

16.7% on the PK so far this season is

 

[Drivesaitl]

The best way to consume Oilers hockey is to check the score periodically during the game.

If I wanted to waste 3 hours being bored out of my mind I'd find something less boring to waste it on.

Best way, jmo, is to approach it from the standpoint of sporting drama. Two valid opponents exist in the ring. You could have the best fighter in the history of boxing and sometimes they lose, and they lose at the most inauspicious times, to opponents that nobody thought they would. I cite Muhammad Ali, human performance being imperfect, and even in the best ever athlete.

This is the highest rung of hockey in the world. Opponent teams are not garbage and few if any are. Each night its a true battle. Its not like the 70s or 80's where strong teams would just lean on weak teams and run them out. This is a capped league with parity and almost all the best players in world play in this league.

A note about tonight specifically, and I can understand it, the whole Calgary rink was feeling the Gaudreau tragic loss and the whole team was too. Flames have been playing with a bit of mission in their step. Humans and people draw inspiration from tragedy. There wasn't a dry eye in the house in Saddledome and the players were jacked. Even Huberdeau is looking like a player now, and not a Petey.

This is the NHL. Every night is a challenge. Teams don't just lay down. Especially to hated rivals that were just in the SC final.

But heres the thing to those watching. This is better entertainment, and much more contested, every night in the NHL than 80% of the games in the 80's were. It was much much easier then for the highskill clubs to just school the weak clubs. Many nights it was baby seals getting clubbed. I prefer this because its hard. That creates much more drama, emotion. People can hate that or accept this is NHL in 2024.

 

[alphahelix]

16.7% on the PK so far this season is

Who could have possibly predicted that cutting out McLeod, Ceci, Desharnais, Carrick etc. (even Foegele and Holloway did some) all in one offseason and replacing them with nothing would negatively impact the PK?

 

[Messrules11]

Flames suck

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

16.7% on the PK so far this season is

With a Save Percentage of 0.00%

Yes 0.00%. Look it up.

I’m at the bottom right.

 

[Stealth1616]

I fear the Flames are going to be the much more motivated group. Hopefully the guys begin to realize regular season hockey means something too

 

[MoontoScott]

A very slow start for the boys but I am going to defend them a bit here and say that particularly last night they got no puck luck whatsoever.

That usually evens up after a while so I'll take the Oilers to win tonight with a lucky bounce in the 3rd period.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Perry's probably the one that brought the roofies. f*** that guy.


jk

Classic GDT again @5minsforfighting.

This place wouldn't be the same without you.

Hey Edmonton sporting fans. At least the Elks sweeped the Stamps this year. We already got that.

 

[nabob]

Hopefully tonight is a physical battle right from the start. The boys need something to get them engaged and playing with more intensity and focus.

 

[booyakasha]

If they don't win this game for my bday I'm going suggest a new coach and GM.

Happy Birthday!

Woot, Woot

 

[McHelpus]

Oilers have the worst defensive group in the NHL.

Flames are going to bully us.

 

[brentashton]

Happy Birthday!

Woot, Woot

Is that you Wen??

 

[DavidHasselhoffsFist]

I’m going to be a pessimist and say I’m not overly confident this group will get it done tonight(I hope I’m wrong). But I am positive enough to say we have 80 games to go as of this morning and we will be fine. This team has proven over and over their ability to put in the work.

 

[Stealth1616]

9 hits last night and 15 game 1.

We are no where close to making the games hard to play against