What happened to the once high-powered Stars offense?

[Zerotonine]

There's an entire series thread discussing this.

Lot of guys have been no shows though. Other guys are too slow and Edmonton has been handling them well. Stars also seem to be changing their gameplan because they're so worried about McDavid/Draisaitl. Dmen aren't getting involved, forwards are worried about getting caught up ice, etc. They just need to play their game cause McDavid and Draisaitl are still doing their thing. It's almost impressive how the Stars basically go the entire game without a dman going below the faceoff dots every once in a while in this series. If they do, every forward drops back defensively lol

They dominated long stretches of play against Vegas and Colorado and throughout the regular season, but in this Edmonton series they've dominated maybe 10-15 minutes in game 3 in the 2nd period. Rest of the series has been all Edmonton or pretty even.

Edmonton has some underwhelming players on paper but their team defensive game is very strong. Just look at the way they transition or the way they defend the front of their net when a rebound occurs.

You also have Hintz refusing to shoot the puck I suppose due to injury, Duchene refusing to shoot the puck for whatever reason, Pavelski just being too old to do anything now, and guys like Marchment and Robertson are too slow to be truly effective at 5v5 consistently.

Also, doesn't help when your powerplay does absolutely nothing on a nightly basis. It was decent in the previous 2 series'. Credit the Oilers for some of that too, Stars PP really struggles under pressure and always has. Too slow to react in time

Surprisingly good post from a fan of another team about the oilers

Cheers for that take

 

[Fishy McScales]

I mean, if that's your interpretation of what I said, I can't help ya. Tocchet tried to protect his backup and third string goaltender and figured that'd win games.

When Vancouver actually played with any efforts to not park the bus, they always seemed to take over against Edmonton. Problem is, they were obsessed with defense and changing lines for whatever reason. The better game plan won that series. The sad part, is if Demko was healthy they could have played that poor hockey and still won because Edmonton struggled defensively in that series (despite low shot totals).

I heard you the first time. Your team was lucky to take it to seven games because they played a team that was better than them and played better than them.

I've heard the "third-stringer" explanation about a bazillion times, but extrapolating the third stringer is also indirectly to blame for the forecheck which in turn made the difference in the series is a few digs further down the rabbit hole than I'd heard before.

It's not that surprising, though. All this time I've spent agonising over the Oilers-Stars series, Nucks fans have continued agonising over the Oilers-Canucks series.

 

[Lannes]

Not to take anything away from Edmonton, but Dallas looks tired. I wonder a bit if their old players are too old and their young players are too young. Maybe they just don't have enough players in that prime window where McDavid and Draisaitl are right now. Dallas is still playing Pavelski in a top six role while Edmonton's Pavelski sat for five games and looks pretty fresh now.

 

[BudBundy]

Fatigue. The Stars didn’t even have the jump right at the puck drop and this was in front of their own crowd. They went to the final 4 last year and again this year. That’s a lot of hockey in 2 years. Plus going 7 against Vegas and 6 plus 2 OT games vs Colorado takes a toll.

But… but…. The depth tho!

Or maybe lots of people hadn’t noticed how well the team has been playing defensively since Knoblauch took over. Their forward group as a whole are smothering. Good size. Good speed. Playing with structure and determination. The much maligned D corps is big (6’5, 6’3, 6’4, 6’3, 6’3, 6’2, 6’7) and are getting it done. Ridiculously good pk in the playoffs. Bouchard and Eckholm have been wonderful together. The only iffy spot is that Skinner sometimes inexplicably goes off kilter. The Oilers are showing they aren’t what outsiders thought they were.

Series ain’t over though.

 

[Lannes]

Edit.

I mean, if that's your interpretation of what I said, I can't help ya. Tocchet tried to protect his backup and third string goaltender and figured that'd win games.

When Vancouver actually played with any efforts to not park the bus, they always seemed to take over against Edmonton. Problem is, they were obsessed with defense and changing lines for whatever reason. The better game plan won that series. The sad part, is if Demko was healthy they could have played that poor hockey and still won because Edmonton struggled defensively in that series (despite low shot totals).

Vancouver chose to build their team around a fragile goalie who's constantly breaking down.

'Demko was injured' isn't an excuse because that's who he is. Its like an Oiler fan saying they would've swept Vancouver if Janmark scored more powerplay goals. Well, that was never going to happen because that's not who he is. And Demko isn't a goalie you can count on.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

They ran into the best team they’ve played yet by a landslide.

The only team that beats the oilers is the oilers. When they are at their best they are the best team period. They aren’t at their best all the time but when they are no one in this league can stop them.

Ridiculous premise.

 

[TheUnusedCrayon]

Edit.


Vancouver chose to build their team around a fragile goalie who's constantly breaking down.

'Demko was injured' isn't an excuse because that's who he is. Its like an Oiler fan saying they would've swept Vancouver if Janmark scored more powerplay goals. Well, that was never going to happen because that's not who he is. And Demko isn't a goalie you can count on.

Great take. Probably best I've ever read.

 

[Hamilton Bulldogs]

Oilers are faster, tougher and just outright more skilled. Outside of Oettinger standing on his head, the Stars are in very deep trouble. The Oilers have completely shut down the stars when they enter the zone. The gaps are all filled and Skinner faces very few quality chances.

Can't say I expected things to go this way but we all knew the Oilers were capable of getting to the next level and its not ideal for the rest of the teams in the playoffs.

 

[Czechboy]

I feel like 'triing to play against' may be a new thing that we've developed.

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

”They don’t have the goaltending to win”
”They lack the depth to win”
”They lack the gamebreakers to win”

These are just lazy narratives that can easily made about every team in the playoffs, and it’s gettind tiresome to read them over and over again.

It gets lost that teams don't have to check every single box to win a Stanley Cup. Every team remaining has a disqualifying flaw to some segment of the overall fanbase. If it's the Panthers, they will have won without a Norris caliber D. If it's Edmonton, it's that and yet another cup won without a Vezina caliber goalie. If it's Dallas, it's the lack of gamebreakers. If it's New York, it's weak depth.

 

[ItWasJustified]

The way Pavelski plays it looks like he's already been retired for two seasons and just decided to make a comeback.

 

[dukeofjive]

Millage and injuries or Dallas is not as good as some people claimed.

 

[commie]

”They don’t have the goaltending to win”
”They lack the depth to win”
”They lack the gamebreakers to win”

These are just lazy narratives that can easily made about every team in the playoffs, and it’s gettind tiresome to read them over and over again.

the point of the post was that depth teams without gamebreakers rarely win the cup lately. They are great regular season team, and may get to the 2nd or 3rd round. Teams like Carolina, Boston, Dallas.
When was the last time a time without game breakers won the cup? St. Louis? then going back to maybe 2006 Carolina?
Analysts always overestimate 'depth'

 

[HanSolo]

I think a lot of us just have to admit the Oilers under Klonblach are better than we thought. In the past the Oilers lacked a complete team game behind McDavid and Draisaitl and obviously goaltending was suspect. It's possible that Skinner is still not the best goalie to be seriously contending for a cup win, and there were times this run that that the Oilers looked like they still had the same old issues while the Stars looked to have a potentially cup winning combo of systems, effort, depth, and team play.

A team doesn't neutralize a playoff opponent's offense to that extent multiple times on accident. They may not have the best defense corps ever, but their 5 man systems are getting the job done in the defensive zone and that's only been getting better the closer they've been getting to a Final appearance.

I may not want them to win but I can't deny they're doing what they have to to earn it. Dallas still has time to salvage this series but they're gonna need to up their game by a lot if they have any hope to do so. Really is time for DeBoer to prove he has what it takes as coach.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

High mileage team. They've played approx 200 games going back to the start of the 2022-23 NHL season, not including pre-season games. That's a lot of hockey and eventually it will catch up to you.

 

[BHD]

Too predictable. This is the main drawback of DeBoer's teams.

To their credit, the Oilers are playing well. However, the Stars aren't making it hard enough on them.

 

[Bertuzzzi44]

Never thought I’d be saying this but the Oilers are seriously underrated defensively. They take away so many shooting lanes and block a ton of high slot shots. Geeky rookie coach has got them playing really structured. Long gone are the Oilers of old where they would allow multiple 2 on 1’s per period, they now play stifling defensive hockey.

 

[Bumpus]

I have to say, this is a ridiculous thread. The copium is thick in here. OP gives no credit to the team Dallas is playing. Most posters beforehand predicted Dallas to win the series easy - completely roll over Edmonton. Now, when they are down 3-2 (it’s not over) it’s Dallas is playing poorly. Not that Edmonton is outplaying them, just that Dallas somehow forgot how to play. Most of HFboards will never give the Oilers credit. It’s quite laughable really.

I’m sorry, but who is this Ed-mon-ton you’re referring to?

I’m unfamiliar.

 

[PuckG]

Millage and injuries or Dallas is not as good as some people claimed.

And also Edmonton might be really good.

 

[Whoshattenkirkshoes]

Stuart Skinner happened! Dude is a WALL

 

[dukeofjive]

And also Edmonton might be really good.

Come on man you as an oiler fan should know better, oilers are just lucky…

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Never thought I’d be saying this but the Oilers are seriously underrated defensively. They take away so many shooting lanes and block a ton of high slot shots. Geeky rookie coach has got them playing really structured. Long gone are the Oilers of old where they would allow multiple 2 on 1’s per period, they now play stifling defensive hockey.

They had a stretch of 15 or so games after Knoblaugh was hired where they gave up less than 2 goals per game, IIRC.

Also, when McDavid is on the ice, the Oilers enjoy a puck possession advantage that no system can replicate or effectively stop. When he's carrying the puck, the other team can't shoot it.

 

[Oilslick941611]

Dallas will win games 6-7

Entirely possible. I don't like all the talk about this series being over. It's not. Edmonton fans show know this as well, as we won games 6 and 7 against Vancouver after they went up 3-2.


But the Stars are going to need show up and they haven't so far.

 

[Whoshattenkirkshoes]

I definitely would not say that, Florida, Carolina, NYR, Vancouver, LA, Dallas all allowed less goals in the regular season and those teams largely played in better divisions

TBH I don't know how much regular season stats matter.

The eye test combined with how the team played in key/Important regular season games is what maters.

A ton of teams/players take the regular season off.

 

[North Cole]

Lmao at OP claiming the Oilers are not good defensively, the team is an Elite goaltender away from being a cheatcode, if we had some guy in net saving 6-10 GSAA we would be running away with it. DAL is a very strong team who won the whole conference, through 5 games, only game 3 has them with a >50% xGF%, with most of the other games being near 40%...and in no game have they had better CF%.

People can talk about strength of their run so far until they're blue in the face, unless everyone in injured, it doesn't account for the discrepancy in the advanced stats. The Oilers are legitimately good, us fans have just been waiting for them to figure out the consistency side of the game.

Also, the Stars' top 4 D are all in the top 5 for total minutes played in the playoffs with only Bouchard breaking that up at #4.

Heiskanen is the far away leader having logged 500+ minutes. In their bid to shelter the Petrovics and Lundkvists of the world, they are running the rest of their guys into the ground. Even a guy like Suter is 23rd on the list.

The longer this series goes the tougher it gets for those guys to keep it up. Heiskanen is a beast and in a game of inches, adrenaline could still see the Stars through. Just wanted to add to your point.

Yeah, the issue is that posters just attribute the team running out of gas to playing a "harder" road, more so than the team choosing to deploy their players in such a way as to gas them. EDM has played plenty of OT too, and McDrai logged big minutes in the VAN series. Heisksanen's penalty was a prime example, guy is trying to get back to the end boards and has two oilers right on top of him to either side, with zero support. Benn trying to blow the zone, Stank was just peeling off and watching. So he chucks it up in the air and it happens to go out. Stars don't seem to have much left in the tank and Knob is actually rolling the lines now so everyone is coming in waves.

Dallas is a very deep team, it's just that the depth is all on the offensive side. If the forwards don't support on the D side of the puck, the D just gets run down, especially with Tanev being compromised and them trying to play 4 D all the time.