Where are McDavid and Draisaitl when it matters?

[Llamamoto]

McDavid's performance is exactly why I was on the pro-Crosby side in the recent thread about who was better at the same age.

Crosby was turning his game up several notches come playoff time, at an even younger age than McDavid is now. And this was quite impressive when you consider Crosby was also a beast in the regular season.

McDavid can score a million points against a weak North Division, with a half-million points on the PP.

But Crosby at the same age was a better overall player. At 5-on-5, and all the little things that help you win a hockey game.

Crosby has 1 goal in his past 11 playoff games.

Also Hellebuyck playing at a .985 SV% has something to do with it.

 

[avsfan9]

At the beginning of next season the lists will come out again with Mackinnon #1 because of playoffs and oilers fans will lose their minds.

 

[bambamcam4ever]

Might as well move this thread to the main board because McDavid doesn't belong anywhere near the Stanley Cup Playoffs

Savage.

 

[Eternal Leaf]

Pretty disappointing.

McDavid is way too good for a bit of clutching and grabbing to slow him down this much. The first game he was pretty much a no-show.

This game he was decent in spurts but the Jets played him really well.

 

[Montag DP]

I put this in the game day thread right before it got locked...

I don't watch much of either team but tuned in tonight to catch McDavid in the playoffs. I was not impressed. I get that the Jets game plan was to shut him down, but I didn't see much that could be construed as effort. Lots of coasting, barely even challenging on the forecheck, and his few rushes got shut down. So is he just in a rut, or does his game not translate to the playoffs? Again, I don't watch him much, and just know that whenever I watch his highlights they're almost always goals on the rush.

 

[Mobiandi]

One or both will get a 3 point night in game 3, and there'll be a bunch of I told you so's but McDavid and Draisaitl are a victim of the Edmonton media worship where they can't do any wrong because they rack up the points.

The truth is that they're pretty flawed players when it comes to tight-checking games and the fatigue from playing 25+ min games will set in when there's less space out there during the playoffs.

 

[IranCondraAffair]

Crosby has 1 goal in his past 11 playoff games.

Also Hellebuyck playing at a .985 SV% has something to do with it.

Easy to have a high save % when all you face are unscreened perimeter shots.

I didn't see a lot of high danger chances.

 

[Three On Zero]

I wish I could quote all my "You shouldn't throw stones when you live in a glass house" comments that I used this season. That glass house appears to be cracking and crumbling

 

[Freudian]

Probably practicing for when they don't have to face teams from the North Division.

 

[William H Bonney]

Not even close, but he does need to adapt better as the style changes in the playoffs. McDavid's too big and fast with elite skill and hockey IQ to be as bad as he is defensively. He could be elite in his own zone, too, and impact the entire ice even if he's not scoring, but he doesn't even pretend to care about defense.

 

[T REX]

Apparently on a milk carton...

 

[bambamcam4ever]

Crosby has 1 goal in his past 11 playoff games.

Also Hellebuyck playing at a .985 SV% has something to do with it.

Pastrnak milks 2.3 goats per playoff series: an equally made-up stat

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

That's what happens when your top 2 players are dependent on each other. Crosby and Malkin were able to carry 2 lines to back to back finals at the same age as McDavid and Draisaitl are now.

Crosby was 20 and 21 those years actually. Malkin 21/22.

 

[jcs0218]

Crosby has 1 goal in his past 11 playoff games.

Also Hellebuyck playing at a .985 SV% has something to do with it.

I was talking about at the same age. Crosby isn't the offensive force now that he was at the same age as McDavid.

Go watch Crosby in the 2008 and 2009 Playoffs.

He was a MONSTER! And that was even younger than McDavid is now.

Crosby was also better in the 2011-2013 stretch than I have ever seen McDavid play. Yes, even including this year's McDavid.

 

[I Hate Philadelphia]

The 2021 "North Division" is unquestionably the worst division ever constructed in NHL history, every single team in this division is mediocre at best. It's easy to see why some above average players were able to rack up tons of points playing exclusively against other "NHL" teams in this division but then completely disappear when the games actually matter. Stats from North Division regular season games in 2021 should be wiped from the record books as they're about as valuable as the stats of a 25 year old playing a season in the OHL - a complete embarrassment for the sport which is only made more humiliating by this minor league division being the only one to still be playing games in front of zero fans. It's time to have a serious discussion about Canada no longer being allowed to have NHL franchises, they are only making our league look bad.

 

[The Grim Reaper]

Crosby has 1 goal in his past 11 playoff games.

Also Hellebuyck playing at a .985 SV% has something to do with it.

Crosby has 3 goals in his past 11 playoff games, annnnnnd three Stanley cups and two Conn Smythe awards.

 

[Czech Your Math]

McDavid has a long reach, but he's not very physical.

Players like Jagr & Crosby could/can beat you with skill, but also great at cycling and keeping possession.

It doesn't help that his team isn't great, but you have to produce regardless.

 

[Sugi21]

 

[jcs0218]

Crosby was 20 and 21 those years actually. Malkin 21/22.

Crosby was 4 years younger than McDavid is now when he wrecked the 2008 Playoffs.

 

[kingsholygrail]

They're getting bullied and singled out. The Oilers don't have the scoring depth to force the D to let up.

 

[Spirits]

His regular season convinced me he was the best in the world, then I remembered he was in the AHL all season playing Canadian teams and now can't get a secondary assist in the post season. He has a ton to prove anymore.

 

[PG Canuck]

Crosby has 1 goal in his past 11 playoff games.

Also Hellebuyck playing at a .985 SV% has something to do with it.

You somehow picked one of the more successful leaders of the last 10 years to try and prove your point?

 

[DearDiary]

Oiler fans:

 

[BillyOcean]

Crosby has 1 goal in his past 11 playoff games.

Also Hellebuyck playing at a .985 SV% has something to do with it.

Such a slump and still a 1.11 PPG player in the playoffs with a 171 game sample size.

 

[Llamamoto]

Easy to have a high save % when all you face are unscreened perimeter shots.

I didn't see a lot of high danger chances.

McDavid had 6 high danger chances today and was on for 14. (No Jets player was on for more than 6 high danger chances, in comparison).

 

[Mickey Marner]

What are the odds this happens... Unless the playoffs are indeed different than the RS.

They can't make adjustments. It's either unite McDrai or seperate them. If neither works they're f***ed. Deeply flawed team. Run some soft picks/interference on McDavid in the NZ and he loses his rush scoring, which is basically the only way he scores at 5v5. Combine that with whistles put away and no 3 on 3 in OT and they're not difficult to neuter.