Where are McDavid and Draisaitl when it matters?

[ORRFForever]

McDrai aren't the problem.... The problem is that the Oilers are a lottery team in every respect when McDrai aren't on the ice.

^^ This. ^^

If you don't want McDavid, I know a ton of teams who do.

If Archibald doesn't act like a selfish POS, it is 2-1.

 

[mouz135]

Just regular season players. And Edmonton is just a regular season team.

Match made in heaven. That blown lead was pure bliss to watch.

Go, Jets, Go!

 

[DavePoulin4PM]

McDavid is not a natural leader and doesn’t elevate those around him. This has been proven repeatedly at the OHL and NHL levels. He is just a guy who is born with freakish speed/skill. He lacks the intangibles that make guys like Crosby winners at every level they’ve played.

 

[Kamina]

No one player can get it done. Every player will have games they don't take control. I don't think McDavid or Draisaitl are the issues at all. But you need so much more than that to make a deep playoff run.

If you need one player to do as much as possible, it's gotta be a goalie. McDrai can only be on the ice for half the game at the very most.

 

[Cup or Bust]

The team is no good no matter how good McDavid and Draisaitl are. When Holland did nothing at the trade deadline and said he hoped they would go on run in the playoffs I thought he was delusional.

 

[bambamcam4ever]

He was doing the same thing in the meaningless final game against Vancouver; hanging out by the blue line and blowing the zone. It’s all about the offence for that guy.

He's a loser. Always has been.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

To be fair, 1, or 2 players won't carry you to a championship like other sports.

However, they seem to do a lot of their damage on the pp, game opens up a bit to try and tie it up and McDrai get more opportunities.

Playoffs there are less pps. You're likely to play a good pk, teams remain reserved when down unless it's a do or die game.

 

[bambamcam4ever]

I mean they were good for 52 minutes tonight. But Hockey is a 60 minute game.

The fact that the best player in the league has garbage for wingers is just unacceptable and embarassing. They are wasting him like the Angels are wasting Trout.

He's playing with two top-4 overall picks.

 

[Dust]

I thought the Mcleod line and the line with Yamamoto/Ennis/Haas were good. Having possession and outshooting your opponent doesn't do a lot of good if you can't score though.

 

[edog37]

McDavid is not a natural leader and doesn’t elevate those around him. This has been proven repeatedly at the OHL and NHL levels. He is just a guy who is born with freakish speed/skill. He lacks the intangibles that make guys like Crosby winners at every level they’ve played.

couldn’t have said it better.

 

[DearDiary]

McDrai aren't the problem.... The problem is that the Oilers are a lottery team in every respect when McDrai aren't on the ice.

They are the problem. Oilers would have stood a chance in this game if McDavid could be relevant without needing a player like Draisaitl to help him every shift.

Malkin put up the best post season ever outside Lemieux and Gretsky... with Talbot and Fedetenko (two 3rd line players) as his wingers. He didn't need Crosby on his line to be elite every shift. Same the other way around.

Reality is that Oilers could run McDavid, Draisaitl, RNH on 3 lines but they can't do that because McDavid needs to be insulated with elite talent.

 

[Hockeyholic]

He's playing with two top-4 overall picks.

RNH is one of the weaker #1 OA's in recent memory. Not a bust. But a dissapointment.

Not all drafts are created equal.

 

[Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk]

That's the same McDavid in every post season game of the last 3 years. If he's not scoring, he's not contributing. After it was 4-1 McDavid disappeared

This might be part of the problem.
Your best players need to be in on the backcheck, trying to dislodge pucks, maybe even throwing a hit now and then to wear down the opponent. Eventually, McDavid will turn into a Selke-level forward. But...he's going to need a ton of help getting there.
Teams know to key in on those two and they also know the team as a whole isn't solid enough (or deep enough, rather...) to push them through.
(Also, allowing Jets to score 4 straight goals...unforgivable, and there is coaching to blame there as well.)

 

[ConnorMcMullet]

McDavid lacks the leadership to turn his abysmal supporting cast into competent NHLers. Also, shame on him for not scoring over 3 points today.

This team is pathetic.

 

[Muffin]

McDavid will never win anything until he learns to play in his own zone. Look who gave away the puck in his own zone on the tying goal:

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

The guy puts up a 3 assist game, his team shits the bed defensively and they lose.

There’s no way the blame should be on McDavid and Draisaitl. The Oilers would be a basement team without them.

 

[edog37]

McDavid is terrific in the regular season.

Playoffs... eh.

and that’s the difference between the very good & the greats.

 

[bambamcam4ever]

McDavid is not a natural leader and doesn’t elevate those around him. This has been proven repeatedly at the OHL and NHL levels. He is just a guy who is born with freakish speed/skill. He lacks the intangibles that make guys like Crosby winners at every level they’ve played.

Crosby has lifted his (usually lesser) team to at least one championship with every single team he's played for since he was 9.

Has McDavid ever won a championship with a team that was together for more than 3 weeks?

 

[Bandit]

Where are the other 18 guys when it matters? The problem the Oilers haven’t figured out in 10+ years.

 

[Matty Sundin]

I hate picking on Bear but that guy was awful tonight

 

[JT Kreider]

 

[Docgonzo]

I mean they were good for 52 minutes tonight. But Hockey is a 60 minute game.

The fact that the best player in the league has garbage for wingers is just unacceptable and embarassing. They are wasting him like the Angels are wasting Trout.

It’s not like the Angels and Trout because Trout doesn’t have another MVP winner riding shotgun in the lineup.

 

[Muffin]

The guy puts up a 3 assist game, his team shits the bed defensively and they lose.

There’s no way the blame should be on McDavid and Draisaitl. The Oilers would be a basement team without them.

You mean HE shit the bed defensively. It was his giveaway that created the tying goal.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

McDavid will never win anything until he learns to play in his own zone. Look who gave away the puck in his own zone on the tying goal:

McDavid needs to become a 200ft player. Sacrifice some points and become better all round.

Crosby went through the same thing. When he became a 200ft player, he started winning cups.

 

[TippinOn44s]

I hear Colorado needs a 2C