GDT: Game 18: VIVA LAS VEGAS: Baby we need some goals!!!!! 7pm

[Connor McFries]

Do the Oilers need to win 3 out of every 4 games to make the playoffs?

Or would 5 points out of 8 be enough?

 

[nabob]

We traded a topsix player for Ryan Strome. So clearly I would have an expectation in that trade, and along with the club saying so, that Strome was pencilled in for the topsix here. Why is another question.

I agree players like Perron are far more skilled.

You were the one that mentioned the expansion draft as a reason for Vegas depth, but what you don't mention, and lot of pundits have, is that any good player that Vegas picked could have been dealt if some other team was making offers.

It stands to reason that teams would rather have assets in return for good players and lose somebody else in the draft instead.

The expansion draft actually provided a unique one offseason only opportunity for a lot of GM's to get on the horn and see which players clubs were fearful of losing and might want to deal instead. Given that Vegas has acquired multiple good depth players and we could use them its curious Chia didn't utilize this opportunity.

Who here wouldn't want Neal in the lineup? Anybody?

Now who wouldn't rather have a Neal than a Strome? Anybody.

What prevented a 3 way deal or some kind of package?

So you're assuming that trading Eberle for Neal was somehow an option?

Your expectations vs the reality of the situation are kind of your own issue. I, and most of the media was expecting him to be #3C, which was what was speculated after the trade.

Ever think that Vegas didn't and hasn't traded Neal because they want him on the roster? How many good players did Vegas pick and then trade away. Teams gave up very little to Vegas to be able to keep the good players that they didn't want selected as well. Vegas was the only team they could negotiate with to be able to keep those players. Not sure how Chia could have got in there to get those players...

 

[Yablo21]

Do the Oilers need to win 3 out of every 4 games to make the playoffs?

Or would 5 points out of 8 be enough?

5/8 would give them ~95 points, should be more then enough to make the playoffs. But they could easily do much better, there are still 65 games left.

I am worried about the Oilers play, but if they can fix the PK and PP that would be all they needed to right this ship.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Makes you wonder if McDavid has told TM that he wants Drai on his line. His refusal to even try different lines seems weird to me.

I think its often forgotten that both McD and Drai are young kids. The org is giving them each other because this helps them currently as both find their way as continuing elite players in the NHL. As much as is wrong with this club incubating these two kids with each other is a good idea right now. Its good because they like playing with each other, are comfortable with each others style, and work off of each other.

Plus people talk as if so much of our contract dollars are on that topline. McD is still on an ELC and Maroon is paid very little. This is not a line that is costing us all that much this season. We pay as much for the 2nd line depending on who the 3rd is on any given night.

I think the sense the org has is that you want to continue one of the few good things happening regarding this club.

 

[Drivesaitl]

So you're assuming that trading Eberle for Neal was somehow an option?

Your expectations vs the reality of the situation are kind of your own issue. I, and most of the media was expecting him to be #3C, which was what was speculated after the trade.

Ever think that Vegas didn't and hasn't traded Neal because they want him on the roster? How many good players did Vegas pick and then trade away. Teams gave up very little to Vegas to be able to keep the good players that they didn't want selected as well. Vegas was the only team they could negotiate with to be able to keep those players. Not sure how Chia could have got in there to get those players...

You seem to not consider what Nashville might have wanted in return. They got nothing for Neal. Why would they not want to acquire an asset, not saying has to be Eberle but some asset, even picks. Why not take that instead of losing Neal outright for nothing?

As for the Strome he slotted, in to start, on oilers topsix, just where the Oilers had stated he would slot in all along. That's not my imagination, that's what occurred and what was stated would be attempted.

Your reality must not include the several games thus far this season where Strome was playing on the 2nd line.

 

[KCC]

If EDM actually worked hard like Vegas every single night, they'd def be out of the bottom of the league.

 

[nabob]

You seem to not consider what Nashville might have wanted in return. They got nothing for Neal. Why would they not want to acquire an asset, not saying has to be Eberle but some asset, even picks. Why not take that instead of losing Neal outright for nothing?

As for the Strome he slotted, in to start, on oilers topsix, just where the Oilers had stated he would slot in all along. That's not my imagination, that's what occurred and what was stated would be attempted.

Your reality must not include the several games thus far this season where Strome was playing on the 2nd line.

There's many reasons why Nashville could have let Neal go in the draft.

- free up cap space and not take another contract or cap hit in return
- they had to lose someone and the other possibilities were less favorable to them.
If they trade away Neal before the draft then in means they lose someone else, someone who they valued more than Neal to begin with.

Strome did play a few games on the second line and a bit with McDavid when Drai was out with an injury. But the majority of his minutes have been, as speculated before the season started, on the 3rd line.

 

[CupofOil]

Want to see where all of our scoring went?

Hall 17 GP 6G 13A 19 Pts
Eberle 17 GP 6G 7A 13 Pts
Perron 16 GP 5G 9A 14 Pts


Then you have guys like Pouliot, Desharnais, Yakupov, etc outproducing the likes of Ryan Strome and everyone else in our bottom 6. Also don't forget what we could have had in Barzal. There is another 14 pts out of him. Oilers Management has completely gutted pretty much all of the scoring depth on this team, and for what exactly? Just to get"bigger" and "meaner"? That's not going to win you games in this league. May as well acquire the Hanson bros while at it

If you think those guys would have put up those numbers here, you're dreaming. TMac would have found a way to get as little offense out of them as possible.

 

[Weitz]

5/8 would give them ~95 points, should be more then enough to make the playoffs. But they could easily do much better, there are still 65 games left.

I am worried about the Oilers play, but if they can fix the PK and PP that would be all they needed to right this ship.

95 points isn't "More than enough". Its probably 50/50 you make it.

 

[Drivesaitl]

There's many reasons why Nashville could have let Neal go in the draft.

- free up cap space and not take another contract or cap hit in return
- they had to lose someone and the other possibilities were less favorable to them.
If they trade away Neal before the draft then in means they lose someone else, someone who they valued more than Neal to begin with.

Strome did play a few games on the second line and a bit with McDavid when Drai was out with an injury. But the majority of his minutes have been, as speculated before the season started, on the 3rd line.

In order among forwards he's spent the most minutes with Jokkinen, Lucic, Nuge. Not much separating either. So not as clear as you make it and more the point that just a week ago most of his minutes up to that point at EV WERE with Lucic, and Nuge.

Anyway, back to the game topic.

 

[GameChanger]

I think its often forgotten that both McD and Drai are young kids. The org is giving them each other because this helps them currently as both find their way as continuing elite players in the NHL. As much as is wrong with this club incubating these two kids with each other is a good idea right now. Its good because they like playing with each other, are comfortable with each others style, and work off of each other.
Plus people talk as if so much of our contract dollars are on that topline. McD is still on an ELC and Maroon is paid very little. This is not a line that is costing us all that much this season. We pay as much for the 2nd line depending on who the 3rd is on any given night.

I think the sense the org has is that you want to continue one of the few good things happening regarding this club.

Yes, I see your point. I'm sure the main thing is to make decisions that they believe to bring the team as many points as possible, but a minor factor might be that they want McDavid's and Drai's numbers to look good so that were would be less critique towards the money they're getting paid. McDavid's salary should not be the problem, but many people feel Drai is getting paid a bit too much and if he had a say 50-60 point season those voices would get louder.

 

[McDNicks17]

I think I've figured out why we're losing.

The playoff avatars are giving us bad luck.

Time to change 'em up, boys.

 

[StupidGenius]

I've been about as okay as one could be with being mired in mediocrity like the team has been, but that's because we haven't played many divisional games yet. We can wet the bed against the East all we like if we have a record against the West like we did last year. So far, we're 1-1 against the Pacific, and we absolutely need to be collecting points from the Knights and Yotes.

The good news is that we've not been anything resembling good enough, but we're still not very far back from the pack. It wouldn't take a miracle to get back on track, just some reasonable improvement.

 

[Davo Ikinzom]

I think I've figured out why we're losing.

The playoff avatars are giving us bad luck.

Time to change 'em up, boys.

I'm doing my part.

 

[shoop]

5/8 would give them ~95 points, should be more then enough to make the playoffs. But they could easily do much better, there are still 65 games left.

I am worried about the Oilers play, but if they can fix the PK and PP that would be all they needed to right this ship.

Agreed 5 out of 8 should be good. Need at least one good run soon though.

 

[Lacaar]

I'm not sure what's going to happen tonight. It seems our first game back from a road trip is always lack luster. I dunno maybe that's in my head.

Edmonton can be lulled to sleep pretty easy. I'd tell my team to play ultra defensive and give up the outside shots. We have no shooters capable of scoring there.
Protect the half boards against us and it's ok to let the puck get back to the d-men. None of them can shoot and they aren't anything to be worried about passing wise from the point. They'll most likely take it for a run around the outside and perhaps make a weak muffin shot to the net. If the D does shoot get that half board guy ready for the break out as the puck misses the net and comes around the boards.

Don't piss them off.. lull them to sleep.
Do scoring damage on the pp and transition where the Oilers have a hard time reacting with speed.

Do that and we got a tough game.
If we come out with some urgency I think we can win this.

 

[McFlash97]

The real question of the month is Can McDavid catch Gaudreau ? ! Midget is on fire ! McDavid getting Double teamed , tripled teamed due to a severe lack of depth. Thank you Chia you ....

 

[nabob]

In order among forwards he's spent the most minutes with Jokkinen, Lucic, Nuge. Not much separating either. So not as clear as you make it and more the point that just a week ago most of his minutes up to that point at EV WERE with Lucic, and Nuge.

Anyway, back to the game topic.

Actually most of his minutes were with some kind of combo of Caggiula, Jokinen, Pak and Slepy in what has been a revolving door of 3rd line wingers for him.

Anyways, back to the game topic.

We have more skill, size and better goaltending, just need to have a better effort.

 

[Weitz]

The real question of the month is Can McDavid catch Gaudreau ? ! Midget is on fire ! McDavid getting Double teamed , tripled teamed due to a severe lack of depth. Thank you Chia you ....

I never understand the fascination with McDavid's points. Don't you want the team to win? I'd rather be in the playoffs with him having 80 points then him having 100+ and missing which is likely what is happening this year.

 

[SupremeTeam16]

We are losing a lot of close games and that is with low S%, no depth scoring, brutal PP/PK and a slow start for the net minders that is only starting to turn around. Not to mention McDavid and Draisaitl haven't looked great.

It doesn't take much for some of these close games to start ending up in the W column and the confidence to start flowing. I mean I look at the team's on ice play, regardless of management and coaching and it simply is not good enough and not at a level that this roster is capable of.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I think I've figured out why we're losing.

The playoff avatars are giving us bad luck.

Time to change 'em up, boys.

Wait, you're changing yours every 5 minutes... pre game ritual superstition? I see its Ranford now just to denote. You going with that for game time?

 

[TheRebuild]

The Oilers vs. a team that works hard. Gonna be honest, I don't like the sound of that matchup. I'd prefer they play a defensively lazy team, with a bad goaltender.

 

[nabob]

If

Wait, you're changing yours every 5 minutes... pre game ritual superstition? I see its Ranford now just to denote. You going with that for game time?

If I could find a good Replacement for mine I'd switch things up. Maybe we need a theme and some of our photoshop geniuses to help is out. Not everyone is as good at finding a Replacement for Replacement as you are.

 

[nabob]

The Oilers vs. a team that works hard. Gonna be honest, I don't like the sound of that matchup. I'd prefer they play a defensively lazy team, with a bad goaltender.

An inter- squad game?

 

[Mav3rick07]

I don't care what any one says, Vegas is off to a fluky start, they are a horrible team. We should roll over them tonight.

I agree. Vegas is garbage and they are starting to come back down to earth.

With that being said , the Oilers have looked pretty crappy up to this point especially at home .

Just please win.

Please .