Pre-Game Talk: The Oilers But The Difficulty Is Set To Nightmare Mode

[brentashton]

Soooo...

Podz-RNH-RV
Skinner-Henrique-Hyman
Janmark-Kap-Perry
Jones-Ryan-Brown

Honestly not as bad as I was expecting, considering the circumstances.


PP
Hyman-RNH-Skinner
RV-Bouch

Kap-Henrique-Perry
Ekholm-Nurse

That 4th line is prime to get caved in every shift.

 

[brentashton]

I'm coming all the way up from Lethbridge for this one my first ever Oiler game and only second ever NHL game with my Dad. Not going to lie feels like kind of a bummer and waste of time without Connor and Leon but oh well tickets are paid for.

I went to an NHL exhibition game in the 1990s in Saskatoon.

It was Chicago v NYI, I believe.

Believe me, this Oiler roster is like watching hall of famers compared to that game.

Enjoy the game pal. You’re with your dad. That in itself will make it memorable.

 

[Louis Cypher]

The strangest thing with this team, and hard to look at, is the deferring goes on even when McD and Drai are on different lines. or the supporting cast are. To wit I don't know wny it has to be wait until both are down with injury for Pods to have his best on puck game of the season last night. There seemed to be a determination from him, from J Skinner, and has been lately from Nuge, but all these players that aren't packing punch much of the season, and so many others. Theres pods last night dancing with the puck on sideboards, effectively using body to protect it, beating coverage and making plays. Is it like impossible to do that just because McD or Drai are on ice? Drai particularly WANTS his linemates to retain and cycle puck.

Maybe the game plan with McDrai is Don't Get Scored On. Kind of always been that way even with other coaches. Anyone trying stuff that failed usually got benched or scratched. Kind of forcing the coach to coach now. Also the players probably feel they have a purpose now.

 

[McBeastMode]

Maybe the game plan with McDrai is Don't Get Scored On. Kind of always been that way even with other coaches. Anyone trying stuff that failed usually got benched or scratched. Kind of forcing the coach to coach now. Also the players probably feel they have a purpose now.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Maybe the game plan with McDrai is Don't Get Scored On. Kind of always been that way even with other coaches. Anyone trying stuff that failed usually got benched or scratched. Kind of forcing the coach to coach now. Also the players probably feel they have a purpose now.

If I'm somebody like Podkolzin on the precipice of a hockey career I would do anything to save it. If he doesn't theres 100's of role players that would be willing to take it on that are toiling on somewhere still hoping for the dream.

I don't buy the excuse. Nor is it role matters that are unattainable. Sure he can't score much, could be doing more than he is. Players on the edge have to develop as many niche roles as possible. The only reason a guy like Derek Ryan got into the bigtime and stayed so long. A guy like Ryan did that because he will simply bring more and outwork opponents until his body wasn't able to anymore. There seems to be few players now that we have down the lineup that have the heart of a Derek Ryan. Sure Ryan is done, but seems like the org kept him around hoping it would rub off on some others. .

 

[Drivesaitl]

So heres another thing. Within a week of each other either Drai or McD come off the ice angry, very upset at another one goal loss where the team didn't get much down the lineup. Drai was furious coming off the ice. A week later McD comes off the ice after another loss gesturing to the bench. People thought it was KK. I think he was signalling some displeasure to the whole bench.

Now I think McD and Drai have known all along, Hyman too, that if the team is going to get traction in playoffs tht it needs everybody rowing hard. Inexplicably its blatant how little of this has been occurring. Not a game later we have Nuge waking out of a months long slumber and suddenly being an impact player. We have J Skinner and Perry doing more. We have Hyman looking like Hyman (scoring wise) again.

I really think McD and Drai were imploring the club do to more and were incensed it wasn't happening. Well now we're at this point. Now we learn what team is here.

 

[PitkanensGitch]

So heres another thing. Within a week of each other either Drai or McD come off the ice angry, very upset at another one goal loss where the team didn't get much down the lineup. Drai was furious coming off the ice. A week later McD comes off the ice after another loss gesturing to the bench. People thought it was KK. I think he was signalling some displeasure to the whole bench.

Now I think McD and Drai have known all along, Hyman too, that if the team is going to get traction in playoffs tht it needs everybody rowing hard. Inexplicably its blatant how little of this has been occurring. Not a game later we have Nuge waking out of a months long slumber and suddenly being an impact player. We have J Skinner and Perry doing more. We have Hyman looking like Hyman (scoring wise) again.

I really think McD and Drai were imploring the club do to more and were incensed it wasn't happening. Well now we're at this point. Now we learn what team is here.

Wild how Washington is dominating the league so hard with their forward group when you look at the numbers. Really tells you we're lacking in areas past point totals.

You watch Washington play and they're dialed in. Staunch, aggressive. Led by guys like Ovechkin and WIlson by the way. Ovechkin going to end his career with the most hits in NHL history and Wilson who is another one of the premier power forwards in the NHL. Easy to get behind these guys into the war when the best goal scorer of all time is going down there and rocking someone on the forecheck and blocking shots. Ovechkin had a bad rap there for a while many years ago, but it's clear now he is a true champion of the sport. The culture there is just incessant, delirious hard work starting from the man himself.

Probably not hard to get going with Tom Wilson out there too telling you that you better throw your body around. They have Dylan Strome going. They have Dubois going who in my estimation I thought would end up being a very impactful power forward in the NHL.

Speaking of which, have you gone and looked and their forward group? In order of points -- they're all huge.

Strome - 6'4"
Protas - 6'6"
Dubois - 6'4"
Ovechkin - 6'3"
Wilson - 6'4"

Their entire top 6 is just monsters barreling down on you. Their back end doesn't give up much, they're all busting their asses. You see teams built like this, Florida the same way with Tkachuk, Bennett, Barkov leading the charge. Their best players are also their harder workers and their most physical players.

Look to Colorado and it's the same. Mackinnon running people over, barreling through, working harder than anyone while leading the league in scoring. Easy for a club to battle with him leading the way.

We're all men here, can you not see how you are the product of the environment you're in? Dubois falters in Columbus, ends up in Washington with other huge, powerful forwards and finally starts looking like the star player we knew he could be.

Contrast to Edmonton and you have McDavid and Draisaitl performing, while beautiful, plays that nobody can attempt to replicate. You sit there in awe but at what cost? You can't follow that into battle. We don't have a player in this lineup like Wilson, like Tkachuk, like Ovi.

We have RNH playing tummy sticks, McDavid lashing out in frustration without the physical power to actually make a difference on a forecheck. McDavid has blown one person up on the forecheck and it was by mistake -- the Oduya hit in his rookie year or whatever. Ovi is crushing people constantly. Tkachuk too. These teams are scared to play against the top clubs.

Nobody is scared playing Edmonton. The slowest group in the league carried by two very impressive dipsy doodlers. I'm frustrated man.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Wild how Washington is dominating the league so hard with their forward group when you look at the numbers. Really tells you we're lacking in areas past point totals.

You watch Washington play and they're dialed in. Staunch, aggressive. Led by guys like Ovechkin and WIlson by the way. Ovechkin going to end his career with the most hits in NHL history and Wilson who is another one of the premier power forwards in the NHL. Easy to get behind these guys into the war when the best goal scorer of all time is going down there and rocking someone on the forecheck and blocking shots. Ovechkin had a bad rap there for a while many years ago, but it's clear now he is a true champion of the sport. The culture there is just incessant, delirious hard work starting from the man himself.

Probably not hard to get going with Tom Wilson out there too telling you that you better throw your body around. They have Dylan Strome going. They have Dubois going who in my estimation I thought would end up being a very impactful power forward in the NHL.

Speaking of which, have you gone and looked and their forward group? In order of points -- they're all huge.

Strome - 6'4"
Protas - 6'6"
Dubois - 6'4"
Ovechkin - 6'3"
Wilson - 6'4"

Their entire top 6 is just monsters barreling down on you. Their back end doesn't give up much, they're all busting their asses. You see teams built like this, Florida the same way with Tkachuk, Bennett, Barkov leading the charge. Their best players are also their harder workers and their most physical players.

Look to Colorado and it's the same. Mackinnon running people over, barreling through, working harder than anyone while leading the league in scoring. Easy for a club to battle with him leading the way.

We're all men here, can you not see how you are the product of the environment you're in? Dubois falters in Columbus, ends up in Washington with other huge, powerful forwards and finally starts looking like the star player we knew he could be.

Contrast to Edmonton and you have McDavid and Draisaitl performing, while beautiful, plays that nobody can attempt to replicate. You sit there in awe but at what cost? You can't follow that into battle. We don't have a player in this lineup like Wilson, like Tkachuk, like Ovi.

We have RNH playing tummy sticks, McDavid lashing out in frustration without the physical power to actually make a difference on a forecheck. McDavid has blown one person up on the forecheck and it was by mistake -- the Oduya hit in his rookie year or whatever. Ovi is crushing people constantly. Tkachuk too. These teams are scared to play against the top clubs.

Nobody is scared playing Edmonton. The slowest group in the league carried by two very impressive dipsy doodlers. I'm frustrated man.

View attachment 997370

View attachment 997371

You're probably heard me talking about the Caps. God demonstration of how to rebuild a club. Look at all the star players and in key roles they brought in. Strome Dubois alone transforming the club. Getting a solid D like Chycrun. McMichael was always going to hit. Takes time and Protas had all the ingredients.

Thing is the two Centers have had huge roles in building the offense and confidence of the wingers. No accident that the coming out years of McMichael, Protas, and re-emergence of Wilson is right now.

LA was completely lost on how to use Dubois. I kept saying just play him with size. Get him more with Byfield, whenever he was they were getting it done. But LA kept parking Dubois down the lineup playing with guys that couldn't get much done and that lost pucks easy. A line of any of Dubois, Protas Wilson is a f***ing wrecking ball. Thats the secret sauce they throw out when nothing else is working and then its hammer time. Of note Protas and Dubois are among league leaders in EV points. The gold standard.

OV has had a coming out year as well as its suddenly exciting again to be a Capital with the team they have.

A week ago I contrasted Caps having 6 forwards over 50 pts and the Oilers had two forwards over 40pts. Well thats a defining tale right there.

 

[BlackDogg]

Lineup posted

Hall-Lander-Eberle
Pouliot-Roy-Yakupov
Purcell-Hendricks-Klinkhammer
Gazdic-Pitlick-Fraser

Klefbom-Schultz
Marincin-Musil
Aulie-Davidson

Scrivens/Skinner

 

[Duke74]

Lineup posted

Hall-Lander-Eberle
Pouliot-Roy-Yakupov
Purcell-Hendricks-Klinkhammer
Gazdic-Pitlick-Fraser

Klefbom-Schultz
Marincin-Musil
Aulie-Davidson

Scrivens/Skinner

That's actually better than what we have today.

 

[MoontoScott]

I wish Savoie was in the lineup. It would have been a good time for him to prove his worth and add a bit of offense to our depleted lineup.

I wish he was too. 8 4th liners and yet there's no room for a guy who is emerging as a goal scorer?

I'm not one of these fire the coach guys but it seems to me that this is rather obtuse.

 

[MoontoScott]

Lineup posted

Hall-Lander-Eberle
Pouliot-Roy-Yakupov
Purcell-Hendricks-Klinkhammer
Gazdic-Pitlick-Fraser

Klefbom-Schultz
Marincin-Musil
Aulie-Davidson

Scrivens/Skinner

Madam Tussad's chamber of horrors.