Vegas Golden Knights defeat Edmonton Oilers 4-2 - Advance to WCF

[WhataKnight]

He does that by getting a single win in the 3rd Round.

Bump.

 

[Three On Zero]

The game last night really highlighted how much Edmonton needs to grow 5on5 and defensively.

 

[Garbageyuk]

This just cemented it for me: the Oilers are never going to win with McDrai, and both are gone when their contracts are up. This was their best chance, and they blew it by losing to a mediocre team like the Knights (even the much-maligned, lowly Habs spanked the Knights out of the playoffs two years ago - the same year that Habs swept the Jets, who had just swept the Oilers). Absolutely inexcusable. And it’s only going to get harder from here on out - EDM’s cap situation, other western teams getting better/bouncing back. RIP Cup hopes of the McDrai era. Those two are as good as gone in Edmonton.

 

[EverTheCynic]

The game last night really highlighted how much Edmonton needs to grow 5on5 and defensively.

I said earlier that I thought their lack of systems and structure prevented them from being serious contenders. That they needed a new coaching staff that's more X's and O's oriented.

Then I walked it back after paying attention. Seeing how Woodcraft employed 11F and 7D. Moving McDavid and Drai around the lineup. Loading up at specific times. Tinkering with the lineup all game to manage momentum.

It all seemed so forward thinking to me. But then Vegas 4 lines deep with an outstanding systems based coach took them to the cleaners. Vegas was simply the better team. They played a superior brand of hockey. Normally I don't like saying a team was outcoached, but I feel like that applies here.

So I've kinda spun back around to my initial stance on it. I think Edmonton needs a new system, and I think the new coaching staff is going to need to demand McDavid make some alterations to his game to find post season success.

It's cup or bust with this group. Clearly a lack of talent in the room is not the reason for coming up short so far.

 

[Hank Plank]

The fact that "McDrai" has become a things proves the Oilers are not a team. Teams win, PP specialists lose.

 

[VivaLasVegas]

So I've kinda spun back around to my initial stance on it. I think Edmonton needs a new system, and I think the new coaching staff is going to need to demand McDavid make some alterations to his game to find post season success.

Not sure that it is fixable. In tough games (you can do anything old thing and win in easy games), McDavid and Draisatl are usually ineffective without both being on the ice at the same time: They've just played too long together, and have a symbiotic relationship to each other to where the two individual parts are less than the sum of the whole. This is why Woodcroft was having to put "McDrai" together almost immediately against Vegas.

The problem with that is that the tougher teams have realized that the Oilers' other lines become largely ineffectual, so when McDrai are on the ice a great deal of attention is placed on neutralizing them to the exclusion of everything else going on, with the idea that the game will be won at the level of the lower lines. The result of this is that McDrai end up having to play more than they probably should to keep the game from getting out of hand or to protect a lead, and by the end of the game are simply worn out. Thus, the frequently late collapses of the Oilers after an unreal early performance only because McDrai are totally gassed by the end.

So not only would a presumably new coach have to get McDavid and Draisatl to buy into the idea that they need to be 200' players to win championships, the new coach would also have to force them to split apart and stay apart except for PPs -- and to learn to be more effective when not constituted as McDrai.

That's all a big ask.

It also highlights the Oilers' real problem in that they may have two superstars but much of the rest of the team is arguably below-average, which no new GM or coach is going to fix anytime quickly. Woodcroft is a good coach, but he's having to play a losing hand when things go deeper into the playoffs and it is no longer a cupcake every other night.

IMHO, the obvious starting solution is to trade one of the two (Draisatl is probably the easiest to move) and build some downline depth, as well as sever the symbiotic relationship, but we all know that ain't happening. To the contrary, after next season when Draisatl goes UFA he will probably demand pay closer to McDavid and the Oilers will likely pay it, and then there will be even less to spread around the rest of the team.

 

[Pia8988]

This keeps being parroted and it's simply not true.

Shot attempts, scoring chances, dangerous chances, and expected goals all were in Edmonton's favour.

Vegas did a better job at clearing away rebounds and burying the chances they got, but Edmonton was actually not "heavily outplayed" 5v5. They WERE heavily outscored 5v5, but that's not the same thing.

They were utterly dominated 5 on 5.

 

[Three On Zero]

The fact that "McDrai" has become a things proves the Oilers are not a team. Teams win, PP specialists lose.

They need success without having to staple them together

 

[ChaoticOrange]

They were utterly dominated 5 on 5.

They were outscored 5v5. Outplayed and outscored are different things. Humble yourself and learn.

 

[Pia8988]

They were outscored 5v5. Outplayed and outscored are different things. Humble yourself and learn.

They were categorically outplayed 5 on 5. Humble yourself and learn.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

They were categorically outplayed 5 on 5. Humble yourself and learn.

Oh really? Prove it without using goals for and against then. If you can’t, then they were outscored, not outplayed.

 

[Coffey]

Wtf this thread is still going? Just let us die like the Leafs thread.

 

[Pia8988]

Oh really? Prove it without using goals for and against then. If you can’t, then they were outscored, not outplayed.

You're just showing the flaws in xgf and those counting stats, not all chances are created equal. Edmonton was an AHL team 5 on 5

 

[ChaoticOrange]

You're just showing the flaws in xgf and those counting stats, not all chances are created equal. Edmonton was an AHL team 5 on 5

So you can’t prove it then, good to know .

Aren’t you a Ranger fan? ECHL quality 5v5 play and only make the playoffs because of goaltending. Sit down.

 

[WhataKnight]

I recall portions of game 6 during which the Knights would get a lead, hem the puck up behind the EDM goal, and just cycle the shit out of it, forcing Edmonton to go 200 feet through 4-5 skaters in order to try and score.

Call it what you want. Would I say “outplayed by extension of being out-coached”? Probably a fair amount of that. Considering how offensively gifted the Oilers are compared to Vegas and the end result, Vegas as a team outplayed the Oilers’ “turgid dependency on 97/29 to be principal drivers of offense.”

 

[Gruyeriev]

 

[thaman8765678]

They were outscored 5v5. Outplayed and outscored are different things. Humble yourself and learn.

Lol, the Oilers were completely outclassed 5v5.

Their Powerplay was the only thing that kept the series close, as usual.

 

[mattihp]

Someone needs to walk in Edmonton. Not getting to the Conference finals with McDrai is quite the feat.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Wtf this thread is still going? Just let us die like the Leafs thread.

Because some jackass bumped it (which I actually thought was against forum rules but may not be).

 

[Pia8988]

So you can’t prove it then, good to know .

Aren’t you a Ranger fan? ECHL quality 5v5 play and only make the playoffs because of goaltending. Sit down.

Outscored 18-9 at even strength. Case in point. Draisaitl had a possive xgf in game 6 despite being directly responsible for two GA. xGF has been and will always be flawed. Oilers lost at 5 on 5 regularly all series. But taking shots at a team im not even a fan of. Real winner stuff.

 

[Three On Zero]

Because some jackass bumped it (which I actually thought was against forum rules but may not be).

That’s for bumping thread that are essentially archived, not for bumping something that’s still recently happened

 

[HanSolo]

This just cemented it for me: the Oilers are never going to win with McDrai, and both are gone when their contracts are up. This was their best chance, and they blew it by losing to a mediocre team like the Knights (even the much-maligned, lowly Habs spanked the Knights out of the playoffs two years ago - the same year that Habs swept the Jets, who had just swept the Oilers). Absolutely inexcusable. And it’s only going to get harder from here on out - EDM’s cap situation, other western teams getting better/bouncing back. RIP Cup hopes of the McDrai era. Those two are as good as gone in Edmonton.

Username checks out.

 

[Garbageyuk]

Username checks out.

Wow you’re clever.

 

[HanSolo]

Wow you’re clever.

Well I was getting ready to do a proper response but you made so many hot takes in one post I didn't want to write an essay. In brief:

The Oilers are still a young team and this was not their best chance. The series loss isn't on McDavid and Draisaitl. Without them Vegas probably sweeps.

Mediocre teams don't lead their conferenece and get two wins removed from a Stanley Cup final while spending more than a third of the year playing with their third and fourth string goalies.

The Montreal series was two years ago and Vegas had a different coach who refused to make adjustments that series. Was the rest of the league mediocre when Tampa won two cups after getting swept by the Blue Jackets in round 1? What happened two years ago in the Covid bubble has no relevance to where the Knights are now as a team. The same goes for the false equivalency of Montreal beating Winnipeg who beat the Oilers.

 

[McDoused]

Outscored 18-9 at even strength. Case in point. Draisaitl had a possive xgf in game 6 despite being directly responsible for two GA. xGF has been and will always be flawed. Oilers lost at 5 on 5 regularly all series. But taking shots at a team im not even a fan of. Real winner stuff.

No one is arguing that Edmonton was outscored 5v5. However to suggest that the Oilers were dominated is false. Edmonton did a better job generating offensive chances while limiting chances against.

For example the Oilers lost 5-2 in game 6 but were at like a 77% on the deserve to win o meter (based on expected goals and chances). Also, Skinner had one of the lowest expected goals against in the 2nd round but couldnt make a save.

Edmonton lost the 5v5 battle but calling them an AHL team is idiotic given that they outchanced and outworked Vegas, despite not getting the results.
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