Post-Game Talk: Welcome to the Boneless Oiler Ranch

[Soundwave]

I understood that thought, but this is a veteran team that's played in a lot of big games throughout their careers.

If they completely fold up the tent and give up because of a goal that puts them down 2-1 with 39 minutes left in the game, then these problems go well beyond goaltending or team defense. Particularly when in this specific game, Skinner looked ready to play through the first period unlike most of his last 12 starts.

That’s twice in back to back games. Pickard did the same shit in the Caps game … 1-1, gifts them a freebie.

This league is too good to keep doing that, you give other teams an inch and they will take a mile.

 

[Vagabond]

Even Curd-boy gets it.

 

[bone]

That’s twice in back to back games. Pickard did the same shit in the Caps game … 1-1, gifts them a freebie.

This league is too good to keep doing that, you give other teams an inch and they will take a mile.

Very similar situations as Pickard also looked decent until then. I'd argue that was a worse team reaction though as they had a full intermission to try and regroup and didn't. Last night it was early in a period, then they got into penalty trouble on errant high sticks shortly after and that was all she wrote.

 

[Duke74]

I think what's wrong with this team is mostly mental. The same group of players performed well in November, December and January. Maybe an investment in a high-end psychiatrist and team-building activities away from hockey can help. This isn't a team. This is a collection of individuals that can play like a team but need the spark to do so.

That being said, we still need a goaltender and a top-four D. As others have said, a goalie that can make key saves rather than letting in backbreaking goals can go a long way towards motivation.

 

[oobga]

Even Curd-boy gets it.

Arvidsson is one of those "try hard" guys that coaches love. Even if he's just running in place, looks like he's working his tail off to do it.

I think what's wrong with this team is mostly mental. The same group of players performed well in November, December and January. Maybe an investment in a high-end psychiatrist and team-building activities away from hockey can help. This isn't a team. This is a collection of individuals that can play like a team but need the spark to do so.

That being said, we still need a goaltender and a top-four D. As others have said, a goalie that can make key saves rather than letting in backbreaking goals can go a long way towards motivation.

It's nuts we have to say this every single year, every single deadline. We need a goalie and a top 4 D. Almost always for a decade straight.

Keep JJ the hell away from our cap space this coming summer. Quota for borderline washed up wingers needs to be 0 for a while.

 

[tardigrade81]

Honestly, a root canal is not as bad as watching a game and I’m absolutely serious. You get anaesthetic during a root canal. You don’t get anaesthetic watching an Oilers game.

Lol. Well said

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

I don’t know how much I believe in hitting, fighting etc.

But this team really struggles with intensity, urgency, passion etc.

Maybe it’s coming in the playoffs but it hasn’t been here all year. They have to figure out some way to generate it if they aren’t going to rely on energy lines, hitting etc.

Hitting doesn’t have to be chasing players down or fighting. Get in on the forecheck and seperate puck from player causing turnovers.

Case in point, Floridas 4th goal last night. Clinical energy / physical forecheck by Bennet causing the turnover and leading directly to a goal.

Samoskevich buries a backhand | NHL.com

Mackie Samoskevich gets a dish from Sam Bennett and deposits a silky backhand into the net, extending the lead to 4-1 in the 3rd period

www.nhl.com

Right now the team is as bland and lifeless as plain yogurt, like their coach. They need some players who step up and create some urgency and intensity in their game.

Hyman used to bring that but this year he has fallen off a cliff. Brown we were told was Hyman Lite but he’s not even Dylan Mulvaney’s Bud Light. Perry does but your team cannot rely on a geriatric to do the heavy lifting every game. Podkolzin was but he’s fallen behind the play more often than not. Kane is LTIR. The rest are not up for it whatsoever.

 

[Stoneman89]

I agree most of us were excited with the work on July 1st, but ultimately this is where JJ needs to be smarter than us fans. He blew his load and prioritized the older player depth additions over the younger players firstly in trading McLeod to fit them in and secondly in leaving us susceptible to the offer sheets by bringing us too close to the cap with those moves.

His job was to foresee the team deficiencies and agressively go after them. Hindsight shows us that depth defense, goaltending depth and depth scoring are the weaknesses, but it wasn't too much of a stretch to think that a professional hockey mind would have seen these as the potential weaknesses.

Instead he focussed on keeping the older depth players we acquired over the past couple years (who weren't providing much depth scoring while on the wrong side of the age curve) and made all his additions to be smaller top 6 scoring options that wouldn't be useful down the lineup because of their size, when he had a top 6 forward with size bubbling under that could play down the lineup.

As such we actually ended up taking a slight step back in depth defense, standed pat on goaltending and generally treading water with depth scoring in that some of them are worse this year at scoring and some better but overall very similar and our top 6 isn't any better at all (maybe even worse).

Jackson failed and left Bowman in a position where he didn't have much flexibility to fix those errors.

I was one of the ones who was actually okay with the summer moves. (the main thing I didn't like was the 2 year deal given to Arvidsson) But I also was under the giant assumption that there was at least a handshake agreement to fit both Holloway and Broberg as well in before doing that.

 

[frag2]

Arvidsson is one of those "try hard" guys that coaches love. Even if he's just running in place, looks like he's working his tail off to do it.



It's nuts we have to say this every single year, every single deadline. We need a goalie and a top 4 D. Almost always for a decade straight.

Keep JJ the hell away from our cap space this coming summer. Quota for borderline washed up wingers needs to be 0 for a while.

I wrote earlier in the year...he's playing awfully like Yakupov lol

 

[Stoneman89]

I wrote earlier in the year...he's playing awfully like Yakupov lol

He's like a fly, buzzing around your head, annoying you but not really doing much else like stinging, until you finally swat him silly.

 

[bone]

I wrote earlier in the year...he's playing awfully like Yakupov lol

Personally I saw KY in him, but that's probalby underselling KY as he at least occasionally completed a one timer.

 

[Missing smitty]

Disagree with people angry at coaching. The issue is the lack of defense. They will start scoring when they start defending. Jeff Skinner is definitely not the answer and leaning on Janmark is smart.

Regardless, how does Bouchard come back from the break like this, after the year he has had? That death stare from ekholm said it all. Dig in right now

p.s. our goalies stink

Or just don't let in a wrap around goal that would get an AJHL goalie benched?

Defense is crap, but it always looks worse when the goalie can't stop a beach ball....