What was Brett Kulak doing?

[viper0220]

Flames Legend Brett Kulak

Kulak is a great Flame, he is a legend for sure

 

[Double Dion]

The better question is why is Brett Kulak playing that many minutes?

Because our former #8 defenseman is the Oilers 2nd best defender?

 

[Matty Sundin]

They lost as a team.

 

[CaptainScrewy]

Who was the Oiler D who in the final minute had the puck behind his net and took about 5 seconds to get his team set? I get it, gotta get set...but man. Little more urgency there is needed.

 

[King In The North]

Who was the Oiler D who in the final minute had the puck behind his net and took about 5 seconds to get his team set? I get it, gotta get set...but man. Little more urgency there is needed.

I believe that would be Bouchard

 

[The Hockey Tonk Man]

Draisaitl no show in the finals has more questions than Kulak on two goals in game 7

 

[PanniniClaus]

This is the best long clip. Start at 35 second mark. You see Carter V skating the puck out behind the net. Drai sees Foegele turn and head back while Drai opts to try to check Carter V. Doesn't get there before the pass is made to Reinhart. Thus, Drai is caught.

Can see Ceci at the 38 second mark turn between the Panther blue line and center ice.

Kulak does appear to look to his right 3 separate times but really, seemed to not trust Ceci to take Carter Verheage. Backed up too far inside trying to stay in between the 2 F. Not sure he saw Foegle on the far side catch up to the wide Panther.

Yep - Kulak should be challenging sooner and Ceci should be telling him as much.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

He cost the Oilers the cup. Was responsible for both goals.

 

[StreetHawk]

Yep - Kulak should be challenging sooner and Ceci should be telling him as much.

No communication. Once Ceci hit center ice, never checks on the far winger. Was there any communication from Foegle that he had the far winger? Cause Ceci has his back to the far panther once he turned at the red line.

Kulak has to take control as the Dman closest to the puck. Tell Ceci to take Verheage so that he can play Reinhart. Kulak played that as if it was a 2 on 1 instead of a 2 on 2 that it turned out to be.

 

[TheOrganist]

I hate when defenseman play non-odd man rushes like that. Reminded me of Alex Burrows GWG against the Blues years ago in the playoffs to win the series when Barrett Jackman backed in like 40 feet on what should’ve been a non-threatening rush.

 

[TheNumber4]

He didn't gap up properly in Goal 2. Not a huge mistake but a mistake. He also had puck flub giveaway earlier these playoffs, I think he gifted the Nucks a goal.

That said, he's been awesome in the playoffs for the Oil for like 3 years straight now. Kulak isn't an issue.

 

[ottawah]

The better question is why is Brett Kulak playing that many minutes?

Apparently you have not been watching Nurse these playoffs ......

 

[JianYang]

Kulak is a decent hand. Smooth skater, and fits quite well as a #5. I liked him quite a bit as long as he was in the appropriate chair as a hab.

What I saw from him in Montreal is if you ask him to play top 4, then eventually his game would fall off.

 

[Maliks PlusMinus]

Kulak wasn’t responsible for either goal. His partner wandered away at the first and he backed his goalie on the second. He’d play both differently if he could now, but blaming him is unfair

 

[abo9]

Oh come on.

The guy was a 7th D on bottom feeder Montreal (in icetime anyway).
In the playoffs, he was the Oiler's 7th used D behind Vincent Desharnais.

He alone certainly didn't cost the Oilers a Cup.

Edit: I just looked at his playoff game logs. If anything you'll find a positive correlation between his icetime usage being larger and the Oilers winning. I bet it's because the rest of the defense isn't particularly that good, and he might actually be better than half of them.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

On a 3v2 or a 3v3 rush, defending players need to communicate about who has who when getting back. The play that sticks in my mind is the Alec Martinez Game 5 OT Cup winner where Kevin Klein, John Moore, and Mats Zuccarello are defending the Kings rush: Moore is defending Tyler Toffoli, who is shooting the puck, Klein goes to the net to defend Kyle Clifford, while Zuccarello, who is getting back, skates to cover Toffoli instead of taking the weak side attacker, who happens to be Martinez. As as a result, Martinez is wide open for the rebound slam dunk to win the Cup. Looks like poor communication.

Similar thing with Kulak, Ceci, and Foegele defending Reinhart, Verhaeghe, and Barkov. Foegele does a good job getting back to cover Barkov, Ceci takes Verhaeghe, meanwhile, Kulak isn't aware that the middle is already defended pretty well, so instead of taking the puck carrier with a better gap, he skates back basically into Skinner's line of sight. Looks like poor communication. Of course this all happens fast, but gotta be aware when defending the rush.

 

[sbhnur]

Draisaitl no show in the finals has more questions than Kulak on two goals in game 7

Pretty obvious injured. Remember Tkachuk in last years finals? Injuries are not the same, just look at how he tried to shoot the puck (most times he just didnt). This was not regular Drai.

 

[nbwingsfan]

McDrai combined for 0 goals, 0 assists and 2 shots. Not really Kulak's fault of all people.

They also needs abdominal surgery/had a broken rib and Was the sole reason they even got to game 7.

 

[StreetHawk]

Similar thing with Kulak, Ceci, and Foegele defending Reinhart, Verhaeghe, and Barkov. Foegele does a good job getting back to cover Barkov, Ceci takes Verhaeghe, meanwhile, Kulak isn't aware that the middle is already defended pretty well, so instead of taking the puck carrier with a better gap, he skates back basically into Skinner's line of sight. Looks like poor communication. Of course this all happens fast, but gotta be aware when defending the rush.

The way Ceci got back was puzzling.. He didn't skate backwards which would have allowed him to front Verheage and at least battle him to keep him as far from Skinner as possible, plus use his stick to defend a pass.

But, yeah, no communication between the 2 Dmen. Someone needed to take control and tell the other guy what to do. Or confirm which guy they were taking. Kulak played that as if he thought Ceci was taking the wide player in Barkov not defend the middle. Kulak played that like it was a 2 on 1 basically on him.

 

[RogerRoger]

Kulak collapsed which was the adjustment the Oilers had made after game 3. I'm sure the HC had a caveat in his system that collapsing shouldn't be done when it's a 60 goal scorer coming in with puck control.

The first one is on Bouchard leaving Carter alone in front because he's anticipating a dump in by Arod.