I disagree, again, because finishing first is not the goal. Nor does it matter. It matters that you make playoffs in a divisional spot preferably, and 2nd place is fine. The Vegas series didn't even come down to that, the Oilers lost game 6 at home, they lost multiple games in the playoffs at home. In playoffs home or road hardly matters.
You're missing my point, Making the playoffs is the goal, not necessarily finishing first, and I never said otherwise. The issue is that for a big period of last year, we were in the very real danger of not qualifying for the playoffs, and we needed to have a big spike in wins to finally feel secure in that. It's not like we went wire to wire in a spot.
I'm not even convinced he was ready to be IN the NHL at times last year, but they had depth issues, no question.
Solid post and 100 % agree, especially with the bolded. Some posters on here think it was a cakewalk for us during the season. i think they're forgetting it was tough sledding for quite some time until we got our footing. Las Vegas may have won the cup this past year, but the one before, they ran into injuries, played badly, and then f***ed around until it was too late to make that last push to get in.
I hope the rest of the team makes sure the coaching staff has the ability to play him through the mistakes. That didn’t happen last year.
I really don't share the view. At no point did I really figure the team was missing playoffs. Did you?You're missing my point, Making the playoffs is the goal, not necessarily finishing first, and I never said otherwise. The issue is that for a big period of last year, we were in the very real danger of not qualifying for the playoffs, and we needed to have a big spike in wins to finally feel secure in that. It's not like we went wire to wire in a spot.
This is really starting to sound like the Puljujarvi/Yakupov arguments.
The Oilers were in a playoff spot from early to mid January on. Nobody is ever guaranteed a playoff spot in the first half of seasons. The Oilers had around 3 months where it crystal clear they were making playoffs. Woody was still shortening bench until the last game. its what he does.
Given the lack of depth, he will get opportunities in the top 9. It's a question whether he will take advantage. There was a time everybody complained about Jay Poo not getting opportunities. Then they put him on McDavid's wing and it turned out he could not keep up.
Exactly Bryan. Its the most reasonable view that Woody was not using players adequately, and not developing players adequately, and was instead riding his major horses to every point that could be squeezed out of the standings. You'll remember myself and others clamoring for other players to be played the last two weeks of the season, and to even give the horses some rest.
Look at the Oilers record in the standings this past season and tell me there was no breathing room. Only 5 clubs in the whole league finished with more pts.
That lead was largely built up by the blazing finish to the season, while Holloway was injured or could be assumed to not be 100%. For most of the first half of the season the team was around 3 points away from the 2nd wild card. A bad stretch of games would have put us under the line. If that happened does Holland even bother to be a buyer at the deadline and add Ekholm? Maybe still but maybe not. He's shown to want to keep picks if he feels the team won't go deep in the playoffs.
If Edmonton doesn't have a top 3 pick they shit the bed on Prospects...Holloway is one they should have left in College for a couple more years so he could develop and play heavy minutes...the Oilers as an organization stink when it comes to bringing their prospects along and developing them properly
His point is that if we're meant to be an actual Stanley Cup contender, putting a guy like Holloway in for 18 minutes a game would never be the difference between us making the playoffs or not. Same goes for a Bourgault/Lavoie. These guys need big minutes to start the season to see what we have. No exceptions. Allow them to play creatively, play their game, and refine what needs to be refined on the go. Let them turn pucks over trying to make beautiful passing plays. They will learn the speed and timings by pushing limits.
I did say earlier that I anticipate Holloway and/or Lavoie making the team. I just understand why we didn't last year, because we were not a true contender. Only after adding Ekholm did we become that. Woody couldn't give those minutes to a guy like Holloway while we needed every win we could get.
Agreed, but if Holloway tries to do too much again he's just forcing the coach's hand. When he simplifies the coach will play him more. He tried to skate through defenders too much, he has to change his game a bit and realize that he can't skate through/by everyone at this level. Instead he needs to drive the net and create chaos.
Holloway's biggest issue was his wrist injury and subsequent surgeries and a lack of training.
He was great at the AHL level though, that promotion was probably right on track.
lavoie too. Both had injuries that effected their play. Very important parts of their development.
So, you admit they weren't even in a playoff spot till January.
And for a team even with Drai and McDavid, that is a little precarious and scary, especially if you still don't know at that point if Stuart Skinner is going to be the one to save the season, or that jack Campbell has successfully tanked it. If Woody was doing this stuff in game 74, then okay, I can agree with you somewhat, but for the first 3 months, and based on what was happening, I think he handled it fine. We were on some mighty thin ice, as they say.
Excellent post. The young-uns have been gifted too many jobs and too many minutes in the past due to our lack of depth and also our position in the standings at times (hopeless). We're a good enough team now, that you make it and get your minutes by merit, not draft standing, or success in the minors. This is big boy hockey up here with the biggest implications.
You seem to forget how putrid Jack Campbell was during the season, and how all the pundits had predicted that, that was the position that could sewer our season. Nobody knew that Skin was capable of killing it, other than a lick and a prayer. So, yes, at points during the first three months, there was the definite fear that those 2 things (goalie issues) could destroy our season. I don't care how good your top end players are, you cannot win without goaltending. The Oilers found that lesson out painfully year after year during the first few years of McDavid and Drai.
Skinner didn't save the season and Campbell didn't tank it. Campbell had actually a slightly higher win % with Campbell in net.So, you admit they weren't even in a playoff spot till January.
Please name all these pundits and cite those saying Campbell was going to make up miss the playoffs. I'm asking because its absolute fabrication. Any pundit had us making the playoffs. Several had us being first place team. Some had us being top team in league.
This is significant to you? If your sentence had read for most of the season then I could see it as some kind of concern. If on the other hand the Oilers were not establishing margin in first 20 games I see it as no reason for concern. The Oilers found traction which is predictable.
No "shrieking" here. Guess we'll have to agree to disagree on the Oiler predicament the first few months of the season. You obviously thought our goaltending was not going to be a question mark coming into the season, and was not an issue during the first 3 months of the season. I know a whole lot of others who thought otherwise.Skinner didn't save the season and Campbell didn't tank it. Campbell had actually a slightly higher win % with Campbell in net.
Again the Oilers made the playoffs by 17pts, your shrieking that they were going to miss notwithstanding. At no point did I believe the team was going to miss playoffs. I guess its on you that you're such a doubter.
Please name all these pundits and cite those saying Campbell was going to make up miss the playoffs. I'm asking because its absolute fabrication. Any pundit had us making the playoffs. Several had us being first place team. Some had us being top team in league.
Even with all the struggles, the Kane injury etc the Oilers were always in the mix and anybody knows the Oilers are always better in last 2-3mths of season.
This isn't the Edmonton Oilers roster with McDrai and Nuge and a bunch of punters. We have better scoring depth now and scoring more goals.
Very solid post. We'll have more of an idea as to what we have with him this year. No bubble wrap or seat belt this year.
You complaining about sarcasm. Wow.
