Post-Game Talk: The more things change…

[Stoneman89]

I have to disagree with you there. McDavid looked dangerous all night, and was almost back to his old self imo.

Perry and skinner were excellent again in this one. 5v5 the team was solid top to bottom imo. Best effort of the season pretty easily.

The PP needs to get in gear tho. Might be time to consider a personnel swap or two to try and get that engine going a bit, at least in the short term.

Agree with you on Perry and Skinner (hard not to), but I'll stick with my assessment of McDavid. Not firing pucks with the same velocity and authority as he did a couple years ago. Just like most of last year.

RNH has been hurt in two of the games. What are people watching. In one game it looked like he lost some chiclets. He's probably been playing through some pain, playing a bit conservative but he hasn't been costing the club and he's been getting a real hard assignment on 2nd line. If this was a couple years ago RV could handle being 2nd on a topsix line. He can't now. Podz shouldn't be anywhere near a topsix. I mean what are you going to produce with these guys?

Yeah RNH Has generated some chances and he's had several scoring chances.

RNH has been trash so far this year. And that's coming from a big fan.

 

[harpoon]

Well you did take some effort to invent a narrative that Brown was somehow bad in the playoffs last year, and have just mysteriously gone quiet after deciding that Skinner was a failure on October 9. Ditto for Perry, where a narrative was invented about how he hasn't technically shot a puck in the net in order to dismiss his play, despite being objectively strong to start the year. Now the failure of established players like Draisaitl and RNH are exclusively the problem of another Drive target - Arvidsson.

That's nice that you've backed off Brown for this year though. So far.

A beautiful post. He’ll be tooting his own horn and reminding everyone for the next five years that he identified Yamamoto as less than. Big deal. But when it comes to all the other many over the top ridiculous player evaluations he has posted repeatedly here (and been dead wrong about), he will say nothing or claim he ‘re-evaluated’. Like I don’t expect Jeff Skinner to maintain this level of game through the entire season, but why make a dozen venomous posts about how bad the guy is before he’s even played a real game for the team? Oh wait, I know. Attention.

 

[TheNumber4]

He needs to put up 40-50 points to justify that deal after 81 games played in his career. This is just the reality of it.

He will. While being completely solid defensively. I don’t see the need to revise history, we all saw what Broberg did in the playoffs. Well, except Bowman, who knows if he saw.

 

[syz]

It's been frustrating to watch, because teams crowding Bouchard should be considered a good thing in theory because it would open the seam over to Leon again. However, to make that a real threat you need to make plays fast off the wall below the hash marks, and he simply isn't capable of doing that for whatever reason.

The team went from frustratingly forcing pucks to Leon when plays weren't there to now frustratingly forcing pucks to Bouchard when plays aren't there. It's like they have to be slapped in the face with it for a month before they realize what they need to adjust.

Something they could try to fix is how often McDavid and Bouchard are on the right side of the ice. Teams get to overload that side and leave RNH by himself but getting the puck to RNH so far this year hasn't amounted to anything.

 

[syz]

RNH has been hurt in two of the games. What are people watching. In one game it looked like he lost some chiclets. He's probably been playing through some pain, playing a bit conservative but he hasn't been costing the club and he's been getting a real hard assignment on 2nd line. If this was a couple years ago RV could handle being 2nd on a topsix line. He can't now. Podz shouldn't be anywhere near a topsix. I mean what are you going to produce with these guys?

Yeah RNH Has generated some chances and he's had several scoring chances.

At even strength RNH is credited with 1 more high danger scoring chance than Travis Dermott so far this year...

 

[Drivesaitl]

At even strength RNH is credited with 1 more high danger scoring chance than Travis Dermott so far this year...

Not convinced those stats are all they are shaked up to be. Nuge has stepped into a few plays this season getting a shot away, not necessarily on target..
A healthy Nuge should be fine. He's been hurt.

Yep most of the crap posted here is nonsense. Drivesaitl was going on non stop about how bad skinner is lol. Clueless

Not actually what I was saying. The question with Skinner is will he play an honest 200ft game. He's fine around the net. The goals will come. So will a lot of GA. Been his career story.

 

[joestevens29]

Just watched this one. Good game. My takes:

-- Key to this win is that our top-D (Eckholm) was better than their top-D (Josi). We must not undervalue the staggering importance of the bearded Viking.

-- Nice to see Kulak, of all people, with the first 2-goal game of his career.

-- McDavid and Drai were fine.

-- Hyman couldn't score... again. He looked good in this game though, so I predict he will score in the next one. Not concerned yet, but his hands have been kind of failing him thus far.

-- Nuge finally seemed quite engaged. Took some hits, controlled some puck.

-- I thought Derek Ryan was done after last year and was surprised they contracted him. To give him his due, he was really good in this game.

-- Cal Pickard wasn't great, but he was good enough. Obviously the key was keeping the shots against way down (until late in the third).

-- In general, Nashville (at 0 - 4 now on the season) does not look good. Man, they suck at pressuring the opposition puck carriers. Very easy for Edmonton to gain the zone.

Honestly this game is as meaningful as preseason. It’s like an auto win when we play Nashville lol

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

Something they could try to fix is how often McDavid and Bouchard are on the right side of the ice. Teams get to overload that side and leave RNH by himself but getting the puck to RNH so far this year hasn't amounted to anything.

They also moved a static Draisaitl around and into mid-range centre slot to show new looks away from the obvious Predator killer one time. Showing more looks with the PP breadwinners Draisaitl, Bouchard and McDavid is a good thing. McDavid stirs the drink and he's been largely perimeter and overhanding the puck without driving shots on net. His strength is a penetration game with speed which hasn't really clicked yet. Predators were highly aggressive with their PK in neutral zone and extending into the Oilers end.

It was actually a good little tweak to put Nurse into PP1 for a look giving them a second shot option and a guy who get his shots through to the net (and also willing to shoot). He's also a defenseman so they have cover for blueline bobbles which has been an early season hiccup for this established elite PP group.

The PP as a five man unit hasn't been good. Old habits with wheeling around low quality ice and often looking off shot opportunities in favour of more passing.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

I don't think the critique of RNH last couple games is warranted. Drai struggled immensely with RV on his line and now expecting Nuge to center RV and Podz is a ridiculous expectation. Thats a lot to carry. Neither of the wingers are topsix at this point. Neither of these guys are going. Podz by my take shouldn't even be in the NHL. Sure theres some try there and he hits. He botches any play that comes to him.

Nuge is paying the price right now so that we can park the uber talented Henrique on a third line and get easier matchups for that line. The 2nd line is in for some tough sledding. Not Nuge's fault.

What was RNH’s excuse when he was on McDavids line, or his excuse on the powerplay

Not convinced those stats are all they are shaked up to be. Nuge has stepped into a few plays this season getting a shot away, not necessarily on target..
A healthy Nuge should be fine. He's been hurt.


Not actually what I was saying. The question with Skinner is will he play an honest 200ft game. He's fine around the net. The goals will come. So will a lot of GA. Been his career story.

Where’s the evidence that nuge is hurt

He will. While being completely solid defensively. I don’t see the need to revise history, we all saw what Broberg did in the playoffs. Well, except Bowman, who knows if he saw.

You mean shoot at 18% and get dominated in every other metric?

Bowman saw that and knew he wasn’t worth 4.6

 

[Drivesaitl]

What was RNH’s excuse when he was on McDavids line, or his excuse on the powerplay


Where’s the evidence that nuge is hurt

Watching the games? he was hurt first or 2nd game with a big check. Then more recently he had been highsticked and was looking for chiclets while going to the bench bleeding. He missed some and then came back. Nuge doesn't appear to have the highest pain threshold.

 

[syz]

Agree with you on Perry and Skinner (hard not to), but I'll stick with my assessment of McDavid. Not firing pucks with the same velocity and authority as he did a couple years ago. Just like most of last year.

I thought McDavid was at least skating better last night as well. Wishful thinking that his shot is just rusty from spending over a year not really being able to shoot. His faceoffs have also rebounded which is a good sign from a strength perspective, imo.

 

[LTIR]

Just watched the highlights, McCarron tried to jump Nurse from behind .. also not sure why Nurse turned his back on him after knowing there is going to be a fight.

 

[TheGingaNinja]

What was with those hit stats anyway? No way those were remotely accurate...

 

[K1984]

Something they could try to fix is how often McDavid and Bouchard are on the right side of the ice. Teams get to overload that side and leave RNH by himself but getting the puck to RNH so far this year hasn't amounted to anything.

The PP always goes cold when there is a lack of movement, and what you describe is the antidote most of the time IMO.

Put guys in places they aren't used to, and they will organically rotate to put themselves in the right place.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

What was with those hit stats anyway? No way those were remotely accurate...

Feels like a guy boosting stuff for guys in their building, I actually was wondering if they broadcast might have got him canned lol