Pre-Game Talk: The Only Series We’ve Ever Known: Oilers @ Kings

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

It all comes down to Skinner IMO. I have the Oilers in 7 as I fully expect Skinner to crap away 1 game and then there’s the patented Oilers slow starting in every series costing them game 1. Toss in an OT win by the Kings for their 3 wins. But we win 4.

 

[Louis Cypher]

This Kings team is deeper, more experienced, Byfield is a star now and they have the best home record in hockey. Oilers have regressed and Kings have progressed since last year. Lets see where the chips fall

If there was a 2020 redraft Byfield may not even go in the top 10. He's a star with the LA media is all.

 

[Louis Cypher]

I am not so sure this Kings team is really all that different than last year. Byfield for example had almost the exact same stats both years. They lost Dubois, Arvidsson, Matt Roy and Talbot while adding Kuemper, Edmundson and Foegele. Clarke is a year older, but so are Kopitar, Danault and Doughty.

In the end this Kings team had 6 more points this year than last but basically the same goal differential. And all of their gains were driven by an incredible improvement in their home record and the fact that they went almost injury free the whole year. Typically those sorts of things don't carry over to the playoffs.

Goaltending is my only concern.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

This Kings team is deeper, more experienced, Byfield is a star now and they have the best home record in hockey. Oilers have regressed and Kings have progressed since last year. Lets see where the chips fall

Deeper how? Every time they have gotten more experience we have kicked them out quicker. Byfield is the same as last year.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Goaltending is my only concern.

Not the Ekholm-less defense?

 

[Mr Positive]

Byfield playing in a nothing game. I guess he was really hurt by Nurse. Eat shit Kings.

And he played almost 20 minutes.

I swear the whole thing was BS gamesmanship to posture for a longer suspension. Its no different than an embellishment penality, just on a huge scale. The league should remember that.

 

[GMofOilers]

Kuemper just had one of the top goalie seasons in the league

Meanwhile Skinner finished a 500 winning percentage and a save % under 900

No matter how good our team is, thats a huge hole to start each game.

 

[Salvaged Ship]

I guess the flip the switch theory will be tested, hopefully its real and there is a switch. The defense and Stu are my concerns, hopefully Stu has a switch as well.

 

[Heavy Dee]

Oof, shame about your luck Winnipeg


jk


But not really. Enjoy Singh singhing opposing players names as they beat your team in OT. That's fun.

I'd rather have Singh than Michaels. Singh at least sticks to calling the game.

 

[soothsayer]

This Kings team is deeper, more experienced, Byfield is a star now and they have the best home record in hockey. Oilers have regressed and Kings have progressed since last year. Lets see where the chips fall

A guy who has never scored more than 55 points is considered a star now? Interesting. The Oilers have lots of stars then.

And deeper in what way? Foegele turns into the Hollow Man in the playoffs--and he's basically their only replacement for PLD lol. On top of that, Danault has looked like a shell of his former self, a former self that still got shredded by the Oilers, by the way. He's in for an even bigger ride this year.

The only position they upgraded is in goal. Their team is virtually identical statistically and personnel-wise.

People in the media are talking about LA the way they talked about Dallas last year and Calgary in 2022. No one gave any specific reason Calgary or Dallas would dominate the Oilers...it just...felt right to them. Those of us who actually watched the games knew both of those teams were in trouble. Just like LA is at risk of getting dominated again this year.

 

[Fourier]

Goaltending is my only concern.

I think this is the big unknown in this series. LA will try to keep the scores down and is not really a dynamic offensive team at all. If the Oilers get decent goaltending I think they will be ok. But which Skinner shows upon any given day is anyone's guess.

 

[brentashton]

No but he gets one free video a month

And his choice of what goalie pads I wear (I'm totally nude otherwise)

This is what you’re competing against Tyler.

It’s a pretty high bar.

 

[Heavy Dee]

I’ll just leave this in here:



The odds may be against us due to injuries (particularly losing Ekholm who was a stud last season) but the boys will be hungry, no doubt. We might even see a new level from McDrai in these playoffs (if that is even humanly possible).

Also as an aside, Holloway and Broberg must have been taking dumps in the washroom during that Hyman speech where he said “I hope everyone comes back.”

Hyman didn't really have a season to back up that speech. Hopefully he shows up for the playoffs.

 

[PositiveCashFlow]

I’m just grateful for this could have been so much worse

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I'd rather have Singh than Michaels. Singh at least sticks to calling the game.

I honestly don't know why Singh is so disliked here, other than maybe association with some painful losses (like the Jets sweep).

Michaels I feel like tries to drum up artificial hype.

 

[Heavy Dee]

Good warning shot lol

 

[brentashton]

I honestly don't know why Singh is so disliked here, other than maybe association with some painful losses (like the Jets sweep).

Michaels I feel like tries to drum up artificial hype.

Ok. I’ll bite.

When I listen to his PBP, I find Singh’s cadence problematic for me. It can be halting and lacking flow, which when describing hockey (which is all about flow) is distracting for me.

His tone too at times is monochromatic. What I mean by that is the opposite of Jack Michael’s approach (who isn’t my favourite neither), is that the level of excitement sometimes doesn’t match the intensity and excitement in the on ice action. Jack on the other hand is prone to being excessive in both these approaches. If I have to choose between, I would lean to Jack. I actually turn the sound off when Harnaryan does games.

In my years of watching hockey, my favourites have been
- Bob Cole - the GOAT in my opinion him sure that will be challenged, )
- Mike Emrick
- and because I watch a lot of Detroit games too, Ken Daniels
- going way back to the 70/80s, Dan Kelly when he did games on CTV (I think, but might be wrong on the network he was on here in Canada)
- for a current CBC/Sportsnet guy, I’d have to go with Cuthbert. Hughson was always a go to in the past.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Ok. I’ll bite.

When I listen to his PBP, I find Singh’s cadence problematic for me. It can be halting and lacking flow, which when describing hockey (which is all about flow) is distracting for me.

His tone too at times is monochromatic. What I mean by that is the opposite of Jack Michael’s approach (who isn’t my favourite neither), is that the level of excitement sometimes doesn’t match the intensity and excitement in the on ice action. Jack on the other hand is prone to being excessive in both these approaches. If I have to choose between, I would lean to Jack. I actually turn the sound off when Harnaryan does games.

In my years of watching hockey, my favourites have been
- Bob Cole - the GOAT in my opinion him sure that will be challenged, )
- Mike Emrick
- and because I watch a lot of Detroit games too, Ken Daniels
- going way back to the 70/80s, Dan Kelly when he did games on CTV (I think, but might be wrong on the network he was on here in Canada)
- for a current CBC/Sportsnet guy, I’d have to go with Cuthbert. Hughson was always a go to in the past.

I mean I'm also one of the few who actually liked Kevin Quinn so maybe I just have poor taste.

Although I usually drown out PbP when watching anyway. I don't dislike Michaels but falsely injecting hype into any game is sort of annoying.

Cuthbert will be out East until all three teams are gone, that's just how it is. Singh will probably stick with the Jets for as long as they last.

 

[Satoru Gojo]

Never. All Oilers all the time. Just ticked off at the clown who let a young stud walk for 2 mill then signed 2 clowns for 3 million combined and doubled down on our horseshit goaltending.

To me this still goes back to Jeff Jackson, I’d get rid of him first

 

[McBeastMode]

Good warning shot lol

 

[brentashton]

There’s swagger and then there’s THIS!!

Love it.

 

[McHelpus]

I honestly don't know why Singh is so disliked here, other than maybe association with some painful losses (like the Jets sweep).

Michaels I feel like tries to drum up artificial hype.

The problem I had is his reaction to opponents scoring. It makes no sense to be yelling for like Kevin Fiala when he scores during the first period. During the Jets series he needed to appease both Canadian fanbases, so I don't hold him on that.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

This is what you’re competing against Tyler.

It’s a pretty high bar.

View attachment 1017023

Scrolling through this thread and for some reason I cant get this picture out of my head.

 

[KCC]

Skinner in net is a death sentence. The hockey gods aren’t listening to my prayers about wanting pickard to start.

 

[Ibanez]

Skinner in net is a death sentence. The hockey gods aren’t listening to my prayers about wanting pickard to start.

Our goaltending overall is so meh.

But I’m switching into “well I guess it’s time to cheer for who we do have”

I have no other choice

Go Stu! Or Picks! Just effing win!