Post-Game Talk: We only need five players

[Mez]

People need to chill on AA. This board in general is way too over dramatic about short sample sizes. If they click on that 2-on-1 then everyone and their grandma is falling over themselves.

Case in point at one time Draisaitl + RNH together were awful ... but now, lo and behold it's not so bad is it?

At camp Joel Persson and Evan Bouchard were the focus on the blue line and no one was talking about Ethan Bear until the end of camp, he was basically discarded on the pecking order.

Kailer Yamamoto was supposedly a dud as a prospect for us 8 months ago.

Maybe give some players more than 3 freaking games before with only one whopping practise. McDavid himself looks a little rusty after 2 weeks out to boot.

This is the same stupidity that led to Ryan Strome getting yanked off McDavid's line after only trying it for like 2 games ... that was a mistake.

Yah the usual suspects have already formed a complete analysis of AA...they have seen all they need to see and he will be their whipping boy forever...sooooo HFoil.

 

[Beerfish]

Huge win. Smith had an excellent game but he sure looks like the startfish on goals he lets in.

I've thought out defense core gets too much flack over the years but our D zone coverage late has been just terrible.

RNH has such an underrated shot.

 

[Giggli G]

Drivesaitl, rein in your BS already, you've been wrong many times and we will know what we have with AA over a much longer period of time.

You should have learned your lesson with your Yamamoto hate. I mean how wrong can a person be?

 

[Captain Controversy]

Good game. Really good game.
AA will come around. It takes a while to get chemistry going when you have a particular set of skills. He may work best as a checking forward on this group with elevated play on the top 6 every now and then. He doesn't have the hands in tight currently to be playing with Connor.

 

[5 14 6 1]

Also really not a fan of K Russell. Guy is not a puck mover in the slightest. Really hope Jones stays in the lineup over him.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Drivesaitl, rein in your BS already, you've been wrong many times and we will know what we have with AA over a much longer period of time.

You should have learned your lesson with your Yamamoto hate. I mean how wrong can a person be?

I dislike uncoachable type players. Invariably. Players that come with that kind of baggage get the red flag up from me immediately. I'm open to certain kinds of projects but this player has a lot of cost, as well as perceived benefit. I mean we are talking about the worst GA player in the league. Who is in a whole other area code of bad than anybody else on the Detroit Red Wings team. Player needed a change of scenery. yeah I suppose. But he needed that in Junior as well after conflict with a coach and org so I kind of wonder.

I'm not just taking a flyer on this player and concluding in 4GP. Theres a whole career history I have trouble averting my eyes at.

Curiously the same player played like ass last night in a huge game, on Saturday night, in a game with playoff implications and where he started on the topline with a best player in hockey.

Can a player like this be relied on. I don't think so, but moving on.

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

I dislike uncoachable type players. Invariably. Players that come with that kind of baggage get the red flag up from me immediately. I'm open to certain kinds of prospects but this player has a lot of cost, as well as perceived benefit. I mean we are talking about the worst GA player in the league. Who is in a whole other area code of bad than anybody else on the Detroit Red Wings team. Player needed a change of scenery. yeah I suppose. But he needed that in Junior as well after conflict with a coach and org so I kind of wonder.

I'm not just taking a flyer on this player and concluding in 4GP. Theres a whole career history I have trouble averting my eyes at.

Curiously the same player played like ass last night in a huge game, on Saturday night, in a game with playoff implications and where he started on the topline with a best player in hockey.

Can a player like this be relied on. I don't think so, but moving on.

Your analysis is bad.

 

[Anarchism]

Your analysis is bad.

AA is a really hard player to get a read on...

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

AA is a really hard player to get a read on...

Especially after three games.

But hey. Let’s judge him based on his attitude as a teenager, from 7-8 years ago. Because that’s totally relevant right now.

 

[SK13]

McDavid didn't McDavid tonight so he can't be effective with anybody and Drai's line was the only functioning unit tonight (they had dominate shifts in the 3rd when the rest of the team had nothing) so not sure I agree with this.

Draisaitl's line has been openly mediocre since Yamamoto went down. They had a decent third and an okay first, but the GWG was that lines first point at even strength in three games since Yamamoto got hurt. McDavid has 4 5v4 points away from Draisaitl in 4 games since being back.

Nevermind that we actually had longer samples of Draisaitl with the type of linemates Connor has and normally gets when they're split up, and he wasn't even on a 50 point pace in those games. He needs a functioning unit, Connor does not. He doesn't explode at the net, he doesn't create odd man breaks by himself (at least to anywhere near the same degree, and with the same finish). He needs to feed people and be fed. That's not an insult, that's just the kind of players they are.

 

[duul]

Especially after three games.

But hey. Let’s judge him based on his attitude as a teenager, from 7-8 years ago. Because that’s totally relevant right now.

Interesting. I've come to a pretty similar conclusion as @Drivesaitl has re: AA.

His two McPoints aside, he has looked bad. Hilarious how Mike Green was the one who spoke poorly about him in that quote, and they got traded together here. You know Green was speaking as amicably as possible as well. What does he say to his buddies or wife about AA off the record? Probably that he's an ignorant f***ing shithead.

We all want the Oilers to win here. I would love if AA figures it out and becomes a good hockey player for us. Adding another scoring winger would be so valuable given the current state of the team. However, I have a hard time believing that will happen. I'll gladly eat crow if it does, but nothing about his game or demeanor indicates he will amount to much here. Dude looked anemic in one of the most important game of his career so far while gifted a top line spot with a ( LMAO @Drivesaitl ) best player in the game. He has to be a lot better, and I wonder if it was a bit of a wakeup call starting the 3rd with Josh Archibald stealing your spot on the top line.

Probably not for this guy.

 

[ThePhoenixx]

She was too busy saving the Oilers to date you.

Don't be jealous.

I heard they had a good time.

 

[tardigrade81]

Yah the usual suspects have already formed a complete analysis of AA...they have seen all they need to see and he will be their whipping boy forever...sooooo HFoil.

Sports fans at their finest it’s amazing the conclusions people come to after literally 3 games lmao. Happens in every sport though.

Mookie Betts is a Dodger now. Guarantee if he starts the first 10 games slow, they will regret signing him lmao. It’s the way sports fans are. Thank friggin God they aren’t coaches.

 

[duul]

Sports fans at their finest it’s amazing the conclusions people come to after literally 3 games lmao. Happens in every sport though.

Mookie Betts is a Dodger now. Guarantee if he starts the first 10 games slow, they will regret signing him lmao. It’s the way sports fans are. Thank friggin God they aren’t coaches.

You're assuming none of us have bothered watching AA at any point through his career. It's not as if we are forming opinions of the player based on 'literally 3 games'. We have numerous seasons to work with.

 

[Mr Sakich]

	Team	Pts	GR	RW
P1	Vegas	80	16	28	vs LAK	vs NJD	@ WPG
P2	Edmonton	76	17	29	@ NSH	@ DAL	@ CHI
P3	Vancouver	74	18	26	@ CBJ	vs ARI	vs COL
WC1	Calgary	73	16	23	@ FLA	vs CBJ	vs ARI
WC2	Nashville	72	18	25	vs EDM	@ MIN	vs DAL
6	Winnipeg	72	15	26	vs BUF	vs VGK	vs ARI
7	Arizona	72	15	25	@ VAN	@ CGY	@ WPG
8	Minnesota	71	18	28	vs WSH	vs NSH	@ SJS

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

if my math is correct, the flames are on pace for 90 to 91 points. Because of our RW advantage, 91 would get us in. We only need 15 points in final 17 games to get there.

We have 7 games that are extremely winnable vs Ana, CHI, CBJ, BJs, NYI, Ott, and SJ. If we win all of those games, we only need 1 tie vs in the other 10 games vs better opponents.

 

[BlackDogg]

What a goody tray...

 

[Oil Dood]

You're assuming none of us have bothered watching AA at any point through his career. It's not as if we are forming opinions of the player based on 'literally 3 games'. We have numerous seasons to work with.

Your judgement is clearly flawed. You are the same poster that thinks Caleb Jones is better than Nurse and that Nurse/Larsson are bottom pair dmen.

Whatever you are stating now, I am just going to go with the opposite. AA will be very good for us.

 

[duul]

Your judgement is clearly flawed. You are the same poster that thinks Caleb Jones is better than Nurse and that Nurse/Larsson are bottom pair dmen.

Whatever you are stating now, I am just going to go with the opposite. AA will be very good for us.

Caleb Jones had a CF% of 76 last night. He carried Larsson, and frankly, the team. Say what you want about that goal where him and Larsson were both nowhere to be found. He dominated the game otherwise.

I will admit that Larsson played well last night as well with a 60% CF, but we are beginning to see him defer the puck to Jones in almost every situation. It's obvious they've figured out or been told how to find success as a pairing.

 

[tardigrade81]

You're assuming none of us have bothered watching AA at any point through his career. It's not as if we are forming opinions of the player based on 'literally 3 games'. We have numerous seasons to work with.

Fair enough. But Edmonton is not Detroit. Detroit has been a dumpster fire for a long time. Give him a few games with one of the best players in the game. 3 games is entirely too early to base an opinion.

 

[ThePhoenixx]

Jets had about 10 players out of the lineup. Key players as well. We're missing what three?

How can ten players be all key players? May as well say that all players on a team are key players. That's just silly.

 

[McShogun99]

Also really not a fan of K Russell. Guy is not a puck mover in the slightest. Really hope Jones stays in the lineup over him.

When our Dcore is fully healthy I'd rather have Russell over Jones in the playoffs. We'll have 4 players that are good to decent at moving the puck forward in our lineup (Klefbom, Nurse, Bear and Green). We need a couple of defensive Dmen like Larsson and Russell to deal with the more physical playoff game. Jones gets pushed off the puck to easily in the Dzone and would get exposed badly in a 7 game series against a heavy team like the Jets or Blues.

 

[duul]

I would also like to point something out.

In 19 minutes of ice time last night, Winnipeg only had 5 shot attempts against Caleb Jones. In 20 minutes for Larsson, they had 12. In 26 minutes for Nurse, they had 36!!!!

Caleb Jones is becoming a shot supression beast. Get this guy on the top pairing ASAP. Nurse has been nothing but a debacle against top comp this year. Figure it out, Tipp.

 

[Oil Dood]

Caleb Jones had a CF% of 76 last night. He carried Larsson, and frankly, the team. Say what you want about that goal where him and Larsson were both nowhere to be found. He dominated the game otherwise.

I will admit that Larsson played well last night as well with a 60% CF, but we are beginning to see him defer the puck to Jones in almost every situation. It's obvious they've figured out or been told how to find success as a pairing.

Do not feel the pressure to respond here, you are embarassingly wrong on your assessment of Jones/Nurse(give Jones either Nurse or Klef's minutes and we are out of the playoffs), quit digging yourself a deeper hole.

 

[ThePhoenixx]

Sports fans at their finest it’s amazing the conclusions people come to after literally 3 games lmao. Happens in every sport though.

Mookie Betts is a Dodger now. Guarantee if he starts the first 10 games slow, they will regret signing him lmao. It’s the way sports fans are. Thank friggin God they aren’t coaches.

Looks like it is going to be a painful time for you.

Which Power Ranger are you going to have done tomorrow? I'd advise you to go a little bit smaller. Might run out of space if they go on a winning streak.

 

[duul]

When our Dcore is fully healthy I'd rather have Russell over Jones in the playoffs. We'll have 4 players that are good to decent at moving the puck forward in our lineup (Klefbom, Nurse, Bear and Green). We need a couple of defensive Dmen like Larsson and Russell to deal with the more physical playoff game. Jones gets pushed off the puck to easily in the Dzone and would get exposed badly in a 7 game series against a heavy team like the Jets or Blues.

How do you come to this conclusion other than using archaic stereotypes of defencemen?

player 1 - 14:59 ice time, 17 chances against (3rd comp)
player 2 -18:50 ice time, 5 chances against (2nd comp)