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

[TopShelfGloveSide]

This entire season is looking like a write off. It’s as if we did nothing at the trade deadline aside from getting Max Jones. Not even management is to blame for that. It’s just garbage luck. All the valuable upgrades we have are hurt. Sounds like not even Kane is ready to go for game 1 ffs! Im not saying we will for sure lose to the Kings but the more I think about the playoffs, the less I'm looking forward to them. This could be a real short trip.

You guys fold like a cheap lawn chair. Oilers are going to bring it. We have a healthy McJesus.

 

[McTonyBrar]

Spector is a complete buffoon. They joined the group right after

 

[Bring Back Bucky]

wtf happened to Walman?

Spector

 

[McTonyBrar]

Good news on Walman. Knob loves his krapanen. Kane must not be ready.

I think Kane's ready ahaha. His instagram story is very telling

 

[McTonyBrar]

So Frederic is actually on the ice and skating?

 

[McTonyBrar]

This entire season is looking like a write off. Its as if we did nothing at the trade deadline aside from getting Max Jones. Not even management is to blame for that. Its just garbage luck. All the valuable upgrades we have are hurt. Sounds like not even Kane is ready to go for game 1 ffs! Im not saying we will for sure lose to the Kings but the more I think about the playoffs, the less I'm looking forward to them. This could be a real short trip.

I guarantee you Kane, Frederic and Walman are in for Game 1

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Our captain knows how important a guy like Frederic is to playoff success. If we can have all of Frederic, Kane, Hyman, Perry and Podkolzin crashing the crease and wearing down defenders, it bodes well for our team scoring rebounds, deflections and screened shots when goals are hard to come by.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Still have the whole weekend before game day. Lots could change.

 

[dss97]

It’s baffling to me that Podkolzin is still in the top 6 with Skinner getting thrown back down the lineup to the bottom 6 when you look at how each has produced lately

 

[MessierThanThou]

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.

And don't forget that four of those points were freebies from us in games without both Connor and Leon. So they pretty much had the same record.

 

[CupofOil]

Emberson-Brown? So we have an all lefty pairing and an all righty pairing? Hyman bumped to the top line after injury? No Kane? Not liking the looks of this at all.

With Stecher hurt it messes things up a bit but just do Walman-Bouchard, Nurse-Kulak and whatever on the 3rd pair. At least those two pairs have played together before with some decent success.
In terms of the forwards, just switch Hyman and Skinner, it ain't that hard. Sheesh

This team could be so good if healthy but the injuries are kind of screwing up the lineup but, still, Knoblauch just isn't making any sense with these choices, if this is indeed what they start Game 1 with.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Our captain knows how important a guy like Frederic is to playoff success. If we can have all of Frederic, Kane, Hyman, Perry and Podkolzin crashing the crease and wearing down defenders, it bodes well for our team scoring rebounds, deflections and screened shots when goals are hard to come by.

Having healthy Kane and Frederic on different lines, will drive teams nuts

 

[PitkanensGitch]

And don't forget that four of those points were freebies from us in games without both Connor and Leon. So they pretty much had the same record.

Again, looking at SRS is a great indicator of what level a team is actually at.



It does an incredible job of identifying which teams are actually up to the station of the other contenders. For example the last two seasons we were at 0.6 and 0.7 ish -- last year we were absolutely dominant in this regard and went to game 7.

This year, we are doing very poorly around a 0.2, while the Kings have a 0.6 ish. They have consistently improved year by year and have become much more stingy against top competition, while playing one of the most aggressive in your face styles of hockey the league has.

We are CLEARLY the underdogs here. Keep in mind this rating is WITH our #1 defenceman in Ekholm. Without him we drop even further. I hate to be a doomer about all of this, but this stat reliably determines who the contenders and pretenders are.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

With Stecher hurt it messes things up a bit but just do Walman-Bouchard, Nurse-Kulak and whatever on the 3rd pair. At least those two pairs have played together before with some decent success.
In terms of the forwards, just switch Hyman and Skinner, it ain't that hard. Sheesh

This team could be so good if healthy but the injuries are kind of screwing up the lineup but, still, Knoblauch just isn't making any sense with these choices, if this is indeed what they start Game 1 with.

Agreed. Kulak-Walman makes no sense IMO.

 

[McShogun99]

What a TDL. Seriously. Jones + Injured Frederic and now Walman out indefinitely too. We can't have more nice things.

No MORE soup for you Oilers fans you already got McD and Drai.

At least we get Walman for another year. Frederic trade is looking like a complete waste like the AA trade.

 

[McShogun99]

All said and done, the Oilers have to be at 110 % to beat this Kings team. We cant be on cruise control this season like others. Winning 4 series in a row against any pro sports team is a rare feat. You cant have guys like Podkolzin, Arvidsson, Skinner, Kapanen etc flubbing open net scoring chances because of "nerves" its put up or shutup time for every aquisition we made since August.

Winning the series is the only acceptable result.

We used to beat Winnipeg all the time in the 80’s. Every cup win went thru Winnipeg.

 

[McShogun99]

Thanks and what in the living f*** are those lines?
He literally put together 3 lines and 3 pairings that have never or hardly ever played together before. Hopefully that's just a temporary practice setup because those are some weird configurations.

Smoke and mirrors.

 

[bellagiobob]

With Stecher hurt it messes things up a bit but just do Walman-Bouchard, Nurse-Kulak and whatever on the 3rd pair. At least those two pairs have played together before with some decent success.
In terms of the forwards, just switch Hyman and Skinner, it ain't that hard. Sheesh

This team could be so good if healthy but the injuries are kind of screwing up the lineup but, still, Knoblauch just isn't making any sense with these choices, if this is indeed what they start Game 1 with.

I would read absolutely nothing into these practice lines. Just gamesmanship.

 

[MoontoScott]

4 future Hall of Famers in the game on Monday night.

McDavid (certain) Drai (likely) Doughty and Kopitar (possible).

I love watching quality talent--its exciting.

 

[McJadeddog]

Again, looking at SRS is a great indicator of what level a team is actually at.



It does an incredible job of identifying which teams are actually up to the station of the other contenders. For example the last two seasons we were at 0.6 and 0.7 ish -- last year we were absolutely dominant in this regard and went to game 7.

This year, we are doing very poorly around a 0.2, while the Kings have a 0.6 ish. They have consistently improved year by year and have become much more stingy against top competition, while playing one of the most aggressive in your face styles of hockey the league has.

We are CLEARLY the underdogs here. Keep in mind this rating is WITH our #1 defenceman in Ekholm. Without him we drop even further. I hate to be a doomer about all of this, but this stat reliably determines who the contenders and pretenders are.

Yeah it is beyond baffling to me that people think we are going to win this series. We are the clear, and by a large margin, underdogs in this series.

 

[94 Oil Drops]

I guarantee you Kane, Frederic and Walman are in for Game 1

Now it sounds like Spector is barking out fake news so I stand corrected on Kane and Walman. Still not sure about Frederic but I like your optimism.

 

[Senor Catface]

Yeah it is beyond baffling to me that people think we are going to win this series. We are the clear, and by a large margin, underdogs in this series.

@Oilhawks

 

[Soundwave]

Hyman McDavid Brown
Frederic Draisaitl Arvidsson
Kane RNH Skinner
Podkolzin Henrique Perry

Is probably the forward group I'd run assuming they're all available to play, that said Knob sure loves him some Janmark and Kapanen.

 

[bellagiobob]

Yeah it is beyond baffling to me that people think we are going to win this series. We are the clear, and by a large margin, underdogs in this series.

Count out the team with two of the best players in the league at your own peril.

 

[MoontoScott]

Count out the team with two of the best players in the league at your own peril.

.....correction....in the World.