Line Combos: Down 2-1 Against LA, Time to Shuffle the Lines?

[Bryanbryoil]

Load up McDrai when you have to. Even start the game with it if we think scoring the 1st goal is a necessity. But loading up that top line makes our bottom six susceptible to mismatches when Fiala returns. We need to use our depth efficiently.

IMO the bigger change needs to be in terms of D usage. I'd like to see Ekholm's minutes ramped up. Get rid of the 7th D and get another forward out there.

I think people are giving Yamamoto too much grief as well. He's been getting his fair share of very good looks. He's been positionally sound and he's had his motor running. Need to get the big three of Hyman, Nuge and Kane going.

If you get chances in these tight checking games you need to convert on some of them. He hasn't.

 

[duul]

McDrai + Holloway first line. Change everything.

 

[rickysusedsht]

Zero doubt in my mind this series heads back to Edmonton tied , leaving no guesses as to who the better team is .

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

I’m not sure I agree honestly. While I do agree we should change it up, I think Tmacs line matching may have been successful so far at slowing down Mcdavid, but it’s also part of why Drai is currently tied for the league lead in 5v5 points, despite the oilers leading the league in time spent short handed per game.

Slowing down McDavid is a major part of the battle and Drai was on the ice for 2 5v5 goals which came on the 4th line speaking to success avoiding the match up TMac wants.

Look, I’m not saying he’s getting killed in the coaching arena but he’s certainly not winning it.

 

[Heavy Dee]

This is what I'd be looking at:

Kane-McDavid-Bjugstad
Hyman-Draisaitl-Foegele
Kostin-RNH-Ryan
Shore-McLeod-Yamamoto

Line 1: Time to play Bjugstad with Connor, he brings size, defensive awareness, another faceoff guy and someone that can make a smart little play. I mentioned in another thread that we might want to purposely ice the puck every now and then if they are stacking the neutral zone to try and open some space on the transition. Bjugstad's faceoff and defensive prowess helps in this regard.

Line 2: Yamamoto doesn't work in the top 6 and Hyman hasn't worked with Connor. Tell Drai's wingers to crash the net and cycle the puck so that we can get some sustained pressure and maybe a few gritty goals unless Drai makes a spectacular play or 2 to create offense.

Line 3: RNH hasn't been all that great as a winger in this series,, but he should be able to do very well against lesser competition. Ryan thinks the game like Nuge and Kostin adds size and puck retrieval to the line.

Line 4: Not expecting much from this line, but Shore was playing well before finding himself a HS.

Holloway in for Shore and you nailed it.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

I don't know if you want to expose Holloway to these refs

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

Woody needs to make major changes. He’s playing right into TMacs strategy and despite our favourable shot share it’s not translating to goals which is all that matters.

Time to load up. Recall Holloway. Play the top line every 3rd shift, equal ice time to the other 3 lines. Run 12-6 as Broberg is not getting meaningful ice time anyway.

Kane - McDavid - Draisaitl
Hyman - RNH - Yamo
Holloway - Bjugstad - Kostin
Foegele - McLoed - Ryan

Getting close if now break in case of emergency, McDavid Draisaitl Stack.

A couple things I wonder about... maybe Bjugstad to 2C for size and face-off match up against big Kopitar. Nuge stays at 2LW. Yamamoto move to 3RW energy role. He's been decent in own zone and neutral zone with good forecheck in o-zone but no finish. Roll top elites with 4th line Kostin and Ryan and/or insert Holloway at 4LW, move Ryan to centre (or still rotate the top elites).

Kane - McDavid - Draisaitl
Nuge - Bjugstad - Hyman
Foegele - McLeod - Yamamoto
Kostin - Ryan (*maybe dress Holloway)

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Getting close if now break in case of emergency, McDavid Draisaitl Stack.

A couple things I wonder about... maybe Bjugstad to 2C for size and face-off match up against big Kopitar. Nuge stays at 2LW. Yamamoto move to 3RW energy role. He's been decent in own zone and neutral zone with good forecheck in o-zone but no finish. Roll top elites with 4th line Kostin and Ryan and/or insert Holloway at 4LW, move Ryan to centre (or still rotate the top elites).

Kane - McDavid - Draisaitl
Nuge - Bjugstad - Hyman
Foegele - McLeod - Yamamoto
Kostin - Ryan (*maybe dress Holloway)

Yeah I think that has legs as well - I like moving Yamo down too. Ryan at C is a mild concern. I think with the limited minutes Broberg is getting that Holloway should be inserted instead for size and speed.

Either way Woody needs to throw a new look and wrinkle at TMac next game.

 

[Oilhawks]

I don't know if you want to expose Holloway to these refs

Yup, he could get slewfooted and then these drones would call him for embellishment as he hobbles to the dressing room

 

[Kerberos]

Not sure what to do with Hyman at this point. He has been MIA for a couple of months now.

RNH and Kane obviously have to get it going. Swap em around and load up McDrai.

 

[McAsuno]

Insert our damn spark plug black ace.

 

[The Panther]

This is what I'd be looking at:

Kane-McDavid-Bjugstad
Hyman-Draisaitl-Foegele
Kostin-RNH-Ryan
Shore-McLeod-Yamamoto.

I think this looks promising, too. Some mix-ups are to be expected after dropping two of three, as long as Woody doesn't do a Tippett and massively panic after one loss, thereby desperately playing the top players 40 minutes a night the rest of the way.

Yamamoto has just done nothing thus far (see also: 2020 play-in... 2021 playoffs... 2022 playoffs...). He just doesn't seem to be capable of raising his level, so I'd like to see Foegele get a chance on the second line again, where he often looked good late in the season. Unfortunately, Yamamoto just cannot shoot a puck and beat an NHL goaltender, to save his life. (He can deflect pucks with skill sometimes, but there's no space out there to get easy shots from the point.)

 

[Steve253]

Swap Holloway for Yamo

 

[Dynamic]

I don't mind having RNH moved down to give us 3 more balanced lines. The top do lines outside Drai have been somewhat underwhelming anyways. Start with three lines, roll the lines, don't take stupid penalties and see what happens.

However this would be done with a pretty short leash. It is not panic time but one goal for the Kings and it certainly is panic time. If that happens automatically we need to load Mcdrai up.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Inserting Holloway wouldn't be a bad thing as we could use more speed since Janmark is out. Holloway also has a good enough shot to beat a goalie clean like Kostin did.

 

[CycloneSweep]

This is what I'd be looking at:

Kane-McDavid-Bjugstad
Hyman-Draisaitl-Foegele
Kostin-RNH-Ryan
Shore-McLeod-Yamamoto

Line 1: Time to play Bjugstad with Connor, he brings size, defensive awareness, another faceoff guy and someone that can make a smart little play. I mentioned in another thread that we might want to purposely ice the puck every now and then if they are stacking the neutral zone to try and open some space on the transition. Bjugstad's faceoff and defensive prowess helps in this regard.

Line 2: Yamamoto doesn't work in the top 6 and Hyman hasn't worked with Connor. Tell Drai's wingers to crash the net and cycle the puck so that we can get some sustained pressure and maybe a few gritty goals unless Drai makes a spectacular play or 2 to create offense.

Line 3: RNH hasn't been all that great as a winger in this series,, but he should be able to do very well against lesser competition. Ryan thinks the game like Nuge and Kostin adds size and puck retrieval to the line.

Line 4: Not expecting much from this line, but Shore was playing well before finding himself a HS.

Woodcroft wouldn’t like that cause that would make it hard to sit lines 3 and 4

 

[guymez]

I really don’t think woodcroft is being outcoached. McClellan is doing nothing special, he’s just riding a goalie who’s got a league high 4.6 goals saved above expected at 5v5.

I agree there should be changes though.


I’d hope Woody would be smart enough to put someone who can more reliably drive the net there over Yam, like Hyman.

Woody isnt being out coached at all.
The Oilers are ahead in virtually every 5x5 statistic. If he was being out coached then that wouldnt be the case.

The 2 biggest factors are self inflicted wounds (penalties and defensive gaffs) and the fact that the ONLY players in the top 6 producing right now are McDavid and Draisaitl.

Thats not good enough against a good team with a good goalie.

 

[guymez]

Inserting Holloway wouldn't be a bad thing as we could use more speed since Janmark is out. Holloway also has a good enough shot to beat a goalie clean like Kostin did.

Holloway has good wheels, adds some physicality, and has a decent shot. But as we saw over the course of the season his defensive reads are extremely weak.

If it was possible to shelter his minutes somewhat then I would be comfortable putting him in the lineup.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Woody isnt being out coached at all.
The Oilers are ahead in virtually every 5x5 statistic. If he was being out coached then that wouldnt be the case.

The 2 biggest factors are self inflicted wounds (penalties and defensive gaffs) and the fact that the ONLY players in the top 6 producing right now are McDavid and Draisaitl.

Thats not good enough against a good team with a good goalie.

Desharnais behavior and comportment, and no consequence for it at all is every indication that Woody is in over his head and couldn't even run a platoon let along a pro hockey team in the highest caliber league in the world.

I was a Desharnais fan but there was no intervention by the coaches to get the fool off the ice, no intervention from players. I'll maintain throughout that raging at officials post game and screaming and pointing fingers at them, and "you're f***ing dead" gestures is not helpful in anyway. Any tosser that acts like that even in the worst bar in town gets tossed out on his ass and not allowed back. The Oilers let that back alley shit go on. You can be sure that all the officials noted it. The opponent did too.

Desharnais now is a liability to even be on the ice because if he sneezes on somebody he's getting a penalty. Its sad for him to do this to his own career. he crossed the line and then some.

I've seen this happen with teams and players too. If you allow this sort of thing it gets worse. A strong message from team itself should have been sent to Desharnais. He was completely unglued.

Somebody tell Desharnais this isn't the Quebec Iron League.

 

[guymez]

Desharnais behavior and comportment, and no consequence for it at all is every indication that Woody is in over his head and couldn't even run a platoon let along a pro hockey team in the highest caliber league in the world.

I was a Desharnais fan but there was no intervention by the coaches to get the fool off the ice, no intervention from players. I'll maintain throughout that raging at officials post game and screaming and pointing fingers at them, and "you're f***ing dead" gestures is not helpful in anyway. Any tosser that acts like that even in the worst bar in town gets tossed out on his ass and not allowed back. The Oilers let that back alley shit go on. You can be sure that all the officials noted it. The opponent did too.

Desharnais now is a liability to even be on the ice because if he sneezes on somebody he's getting a penalty. Its sad for him to do this to his own career. he crossed the line and then some.

I've seen this happen with teams and players too. If you allow this sort of thing it gets worse. A strong message from team itself should have been sent to Desharnais. He was completely unglued.

Somebody tell Desharnais this isn't the Quebec Iron League.

Holy hyperbole!

Are you drinking tonight?

 

[Drivesaitl]

Holy hyperbole!

Are you drinking tonight?

Nah. Loose cannons sink ships. A team needs to be disciplined on focus, on point. Its pretty clear that some of the Oilers are a bit too amped and too susceptible to getting drawn into stuff. Also clear that Kane, Drai, Desharnais are being looked at closely by officials.

Desharnais wasn't a liability in regular season. But in a 7 game series where you play the same team every night he is potentially. Hasn't he been penalized every game thus far?

Desharnais needs to realize that his time in the NHL is very tenuous. He's just here as a fill, nothing more. To that end he can't be taking dumb penalties he isn't even an enforcer and he's not a fighter either.

 

[guymez]

Nah. Loose cannons sink ships. A team needs to be disciplined on focus, on point. Its pretty clear that some of the Oilers are a bit too amped and too susceptible to getting drawn into stuff. Also clear that Kane, Drai, Desharnais are being looked at closely by officials.

Desharnais wasn't a liability in regular season. But in a 7 game series where you play the same team every night he is potentially. Hasn't he been penalized every game thus far?

Desharnais needs to realize that his time in the NHL is very tenuous. He's just here as a fill, nothing more. To that end he can't be taking dumb penalties he isn't even an enforcer and he's not a fighter either.

Now I get where you are coming from and I agree.

I do think that Refs are prone to 'keep an eye on' certain players. I also think that the increasing emotion of repeatedly playing the same team game after game really plays into that.

I think the solution is for Drai, Desharnais and Kane to have a zero tolerance for being drawn into anything.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Now I get where you are coming from and I agree.

I do think that Refs are prone to 'keep an eye on' certain players. I also think that the increasing emotion of repeatedly playing the same team game after game really plays into that.

I think the solution is for Drai, Desharnais and Kane to have a zero tolerance for being drawn into anything.

Your solution is the exact solution I stated a couple posts ago. heh. Woody needs to reign this shit in and speak to the players. Judging on continued behaviors it doesn't seem the right conversation has taken place.

Heres the deal. 2 time cup winners like Doughty or Kopitar are not going to get run out of the rink. The Oilers seemed to think maybe they could intimidate them, i really don't know. The Oilers got in their position by playing with talent and using that talent. Not by being frustrated, angry, and off their game.

Theres a mental aspect to this team that is still subject to being distracted, put off, and moments in games where they lose their confidence, focus. I'll tell ya, to watch the AV's play tonight and watch the Oilers, they're worlds apart still. Colorado was exectuing EV play tonight the way the Oilers play only on the PP. Colorado scored 4EV goals tonight and were generating constant 5 bell chances. Grubauer was fantastic in giving up 5 goals.Colorado got a shorty as well.

 

[guymez]

Your solution is the exact solution I stated a couple posts ago. heh. Woody needs to reign this shit in and speak to the players. Judging on continued behaviors it doesn't seem the right conversation has taken place.

Heres the deal. 2 time cup winners like Doughty or Kopitar are not going to get run out of the rink. The Oilers seemed to think maybe they could intimidate them, i really don't know. The Oilers got in their position by playing with talent and using that talent. Not by being frustrated, angry, and off their game.

Theres a mental aspect to this team that is still subject to being distracted, put off, and moments in games where they lose their confidence, focus. I'll tell ya, to watch the AV's play tonight and watch the Oilers, they're worlds apart still. Colorado was exectuing EV play tonight the way the Oilers play only on the PP. Colorado scored 4EV goals tonight and were generating constant 5 bell chances. Grubauer was fantastic in giving up 5 goals.Colorado got a shorty as well.

LOL...its late.
Clearly my reading comprehension is dropping dramatically.

Seriously I think you are highlighting something thats very important. I havent watched any of the Av's series but I likely will watch their next game.

Good stuff.

 

[harpoon]

Seriously I think you are highlighting something thats very important. I havent watched any of the Av's series but I likely will watch their next game.

Good stuff.

Not really. He’s scapegoating Desharnais who is a rookie playing arguably the most difficult position in the game. Physical play is what kept him in the game for this long. It’s what got him called up to the NHL. And it’s what kept him in the lineup against all odds. Expecting him to back off from that now is wrong think. The coach should have had some words with him after his outburst the end in game 1. We have no evidence to say that that didn’t occur. My guess is that it did.

What would be more effective than a talking to from the coach would be if the leaders on the team led by example. But instead we get one of the undisputed leaders behaving like a spoiled little rec hockey brat. Draisaitl’s penalty in the last game (which cost the team the game tying goal and the momentum) is every bit the result of the refs knowing the kind of antics Draisaitl is prone to, and looking for him to repeat past behavior. Worse, it isn’t even in the heat of the play. Not in a scrum. Not retaliation. Not the result of a player trying to do too much (like Desharnais’ penalties have been). It’s a me first ego penalty that serves no function whatsoever taken by a veteran player who should and does know better.

Unfortunately the team needs Draisaitl on the ice so the coach can’t just ‘get this fool off the ice’, and Draisaitl knows that .. which actually makes his selfish play even worse. He’s untouchable on this roster. I guess he thinks that means he can just go out and cost the team games whenever he feels like it. Terrible example to set for the rookies, and more than likely a factor in the kind of undisciplined play we have seen from a guy like Desharnais in this series so far.