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....

 

[Missing smitty]

I wouldn't be surprised if they start switching between every game until one gets traction again. That said, Skinner wasn't really the problem last night (stated as someone who's been bitching about him tons over the last month).

That second goal was absolutely atrocious. They played poorly, Skinner played worse.

 

[bone]

That second goal was absolutely atrocious. They played poorly, Skinner played worse.

I agree the second goal was bad, but that game is 3-1 Tampa 90% of the time even with the goalies being equal. Thus why I'm not really blaming yesterday on him. I'm not saying he was good, he just wasn't terrible overall considering he did make more tough saves than he usually does.

 

[ToeMcDrag83]

Thought we were done with these types of embarrassing stretches where they look like a coach is about to be fired. Every damn season man. How do you go from "SC favorite" to "fragile" in a 6-7 game stretch?

 

[oobga]

I agree the second goal was bad, but that game is 3-1 Tampa 90% of the time even with the goalies being equal. Thus why I'm not really blaming yesterday on him. I'm not saying he was good, he just wasn't terrible overall considering he did make more tough saves than he usually does.

We saw a lot of playing well and losing earlier this year. Super frustrating, lots of bad goaltending, lots of bad luck. At least we were doing some good things.

Lately though, this is playing bad and losing. I think ever since we were close to 1st in our division we have been playing pretty poorly. We somehow managed to get 1st with some luck and Vegas having a terrible run, but we have been kinda lost for a while now. We're at the mercy of LA for ending up 3rd in the division now. Keep this crap play up, who knows if the wildcard spots start to look close.

 

[frag2]

Thought we were done with these types of embarrassing stretches where they look like a coach is about to be fired. Every damn season man. How do you go from "SC favorite" to "fragile" in a 6-7 game stretch?

Nah it happens every year coming off a long break. It just so happens our long break this year is so late into the season, it's creating even more uneasiness heading into the playoffs

 

[Missing smitty]

I agree the second goal was bad, but that game is 3-1 Tampa 90% of the time even with the goalies being equal. Thus why I'm not really blaming yesterday on him. I'm not saying he was good, he just wasn't terrible overall considering he did make more tough saves than he usually does.

The second goal completely deflated them. If this was a one off, I wouldn't blame him either, but this happens 90% of games. He lets in absolute stinker and they're chasing. He's not all of their problems, but goaltending is absolutely the biggest one. They don't need great goaltending, they just need consistency. Skinner doesn't have it and Pickard is an AHL tweener. They cheaped out on the most important position in the game.

 

[brentashton]

I agree the second goal was bad, but that game is 3-1 Tampa 90% of the time even with the goalies being equal. Thus why I'm not really blaming yesterday on him. I'm not saying he was good, he just wasn't terrible overall considering he did make more tough saves than he usually does.

The second goal was awful and should not happen at the NHL a level. It was on the D to close the gap, but more so on that turd in goal to get across and close the wrap. f***ing bad. Dont make excuses.

 

[bone]

The second goal was awful and should not happen at the NHL a level. It was on the D to close the gap, but more so on that turd in goal to get across and close the wrap. f***ing bad. Dont make excuses.

I'm seeing a lot of excuses being made in this thread for the whole team because of the goalie. Plain and simply the players need to man up and do so quickly before it gets out of hand.

I've thrown plenty of blame at the goaltending situation all year and by no means am I trying to excuse Skinner's play, but simplifying this recent 4-6 game stretch (even the two wins vs. Chicago and St. Louis had unnecessary wobble) just down to goaltending is letting the players off the hook.

This isn't like earlier in the year or during some stretches last year where the goaltending struggled and lost the game but the team kept fighting hard to win. They are just out right giving up and getting manhandled particularly in the 2nd periods where there's still time to flip the script. That's not a good look on veteran team that fancies itself a contender.

 

[K1984]

I'm seeing a lot of excuses being made in this thread for the whole team because of the goalie. Plain and simply the players need to man up and do so quickly before it gets out of hand.

I've thrown plenty of blame at the goaltending situation all year and by no means am I trying to excuse Skinner's play, but simplifying this recent 4-6 game stretch (even the two wins vs. Chicago and St. Louis had unnecessary wobble) just down to goaltending is letting the players off the hook.

This isn't like earlier in the year or during some stretches last year where the goaltending struggled and lost the game but the team kept fighting hard to win. They are just out right giving up and getting manhandled particularly in the 2nd periods where there's still time to flip the script. That's not a good look on veteran team that fancies itself a contender.

The 3rd in the Philly game was possibly the most fundamentally unacceptable period of Oilers hockey I've ever watched.

Win a period, then lose a period, but are only down 2 to a bad team that the Oil dominated in certain stretches of the same game. They respond with....... 2 shots while getting embarrassingly outworked. And a PP with 6 mins left where they get 0 shots and give up a 2 on 0. Then they follow that up with two more ho hum games after.

Teams go through slumps, happens to the best. Not sure I know of another team that straight up just takes weeks of a season off. These are effort, not execution issues and that isn't remotely acceptable.

 

[Captain Controversy]

It's a good thing for the oilers to go through these situations of sucking ass. It's better to go through this now and make adjustments via trades or line up changes than to go through this in the playoffs. Mcdavid needs to be put on ice for a couple weeks me thinks.

 

[bone]

Over this four game losing streak here is the total xGF vs. GF and xGA vs GA by period.

1st period - GF 6, GA 7, xGF 3.03, xGA 5.1
2nd period - GF 3, GA 10, xGF 3.19, xGA 4.11
3rd period - GF 4, GA 5, xGF 2.61, xGA 6.65 (though xGA and GA is influenced by empty nets, but still 3 GA and 4.88 xGA with a goalie in the net).

What I'm basically seeing is a team that seems to survive the period despite being outplayed by outscoring the xGA almost 2 to 1. They then follow that up with an bad 2nd period where the team and the goaltending eventually completely collapse. Then they barely leave the dressing room for the third period and don't even threaten to make a game of it.

Goaltending has been inadequate for sure but the team is getting outplayed all 60 minutes every night. The only two periods in the entire 4 game stretch where they won the xGF/xGA share was the 2nd period vs. Colorago (68% and they did outscore 2-1 as well) and oddly the 2nd period of the Washington game (only 52% but outscored 3-0). In 6 of the 12 periods they were below even 30%.

This is why I'm not willing to let the players off the hook. I've sent a lot of venom towards goaltending and frankly there's been too many bad goals in this stretch as well, but the team needs to look at themselves and not just the goalie to see what's going wrong here.

 

[Stoneman89]

The thing that is really concerning for me is how badly we are being outplayed now. In our earlier slumps, at least we had games where we outshot the other team, and either had bad luck (posts, crossbars, hot goalies), or bad goaltending. And at least there were a few guys playing well. Other than Drai, the entire team is in a funk. Just bizarre.

 

[K1984]

Over this four game losing streak here is the total xGF vs. GF and xGA vs GA by period.

1st period - GF 6, GA 7, xGF 3.03, xGA 5.1
2nd period - GF 3, GA 10, xGF 3.19, xGA 4.11
3rd period - GF 4, GA 5, xGF 2.61, xGA 6.65 (though xGA and GA is influenced by empty nets, but still 3 GA and 4.88 xGA with a goalie in the net).

What I'm basically seeing is a team that seems to survive the period despite being outplayed by outscoring the xGA almost 2 to 1. They then follow that up with an bad 2nd period where the team and the goaltending eventually completely collapse. Then they barely leave the dressing room for the third period and don't even threaten to make a game of it.

Goaltending has been inadequate for sure but the team is getting outplayed all 60 minutes every night. The only two periods in the entire 4 game stretch where they won the xGF/xGA share was the 2nd period vs. Colorago (68% and they did outscore 2-1 as well) and oddly the 2nd period of the Washington game (only 52% but outscored 3-0). In 6 of the 12 periods they were below even 30%.

This is why I'm not willing to let the players off the hook. I've sent a lot of venom towards goaltending and frankly there's been too many bad goals in this stretch as well, but the team needs to look at themselves and not just the goalie to see what's going wrong here.

There was a stretch of about 10 games before the break where the effort wasn't necessarily bad, but the mistakes, the execution, and the goaltending buried them. The engine was there, but the details were way, way off.

They came back from the break making the same stupid mistakes and the same shitty goaltending, but now the effort is half cocked being generous. Impossible to win with that.