how do we turn around our special teams?

[Alowlyoilersfan]

we have essentially the same pp unit as last year, yet we aren't producing. is it just our shooters misfiring(Letestu and klefbom) or is our net front not getting there(Lucic and Maroon)? is it just a matter of collapsing on mcdavid to prevent zone entry?

as for our penalty kill, some of it is certainly on goaltending, but where is the defensive pride? right now the only difference in Pk is pouliot; we should be average, not terrible.

what is the right mix on both fronts?

( I realize that Sekera has an impact on both fronts, but I feel like this has to do more with structure and execution)

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[PatrikOverAuston]

Simple- fire Woodcroft. He's easily the worst special teams coach we've had in... ever.

 

[SomeDudeOTI]

Tmac's post game addresses a lot of this from his perspective.
IMO the special teams right now is just a symptom of the general poor play. Also remember it took a while last year for the PP to get going as well.

 

[Alowlyoilersfan]

Simple- fire Woodcroft. He's easily the worst special teams coach we've had in... ever.

it seems pretty unlikely for that to happen, considering that tmac brought him in. so then it would have to go above his head(coming from Chia) and that is a bit of an overreach imo. I also think it sends the wrong message to the players.

as a general aside though, how often are ancillary coaching staff fired without the head coach being changed?

 

[YakDavid]

Simple- fire Woodcroft. He's easily the worst special teams coach we've had in... ever.

like another poster said it won't happen. Though he is super unadaptive on hi style. Took him how long to get a right handed shot on the powerplay.

 

[guymez]

I am not sure how 'we' turn around the special teams but IMO the Oilers can make a giant leap towards success by doing 1 thing....Execute.

Simple execution is the missing ingredient for this team in every aspect of their play.

 

[oobga]

Need Letestu to earn his salary to get back to scoring on the PP like he's OV.

 

[CornKicker]

an easy solution to the PK is - McDavid.

take a bum off that unit and insert CMD97. then we can roast some sweet shorthanded marshmallows

 

[AM]

Turn around special teams?

We play some more games.

 

[ohheyhemsky]

Score more goals. Let less goals in.

 

[harpoon]

Get more NHL defencemen.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Get more NHL defencemen.

which non NHL defensemen are playing the PK right now?

 

[GhostfaceWu]

hmm when you have a guy like Woodcroft thinking having Russel as the point man for the pp is a good idea than guess what your powerplay is going to suck. How long did it take this guy to finally make a change last year when the team was putrid on the pp? like mid season and Letestu bailed out his ass. Now for some unknown reason its like he is coaching players to feed him the puck going into the zone instead of just being the 1 time option and it results in a turnover 90 percent of the time its frustrating to watch. Its like this guy will give anyone a try on the point except for Larsson. Lets put Benning there which he obviously isn't ready for which was apparent during the preseason he looked like a total goof at the point for that pp. His solution? Throw no shot Russel who might actually have a worse shot than a guy like PRV. I wouldn't be surprised if he put Gryba out there ahead of Larsson its ridiculous. Larsson has a good one timer/slapper and he is the opposite hand of Mcdavid and he can actually keep plays alive better than a Russel/Benning oh and he can play defense if there is an opportunity going back his way. We have no one time options for one of the best pp set mans in the league. There is no tick tack toe because we have the puck going to Klefbom who has to stop the puck before winding up.

 

[thadd]

I feel like more than a handful of our players aren't in the zone.
Coach needs to keep up with putting them through the drills until they iron the kinks out.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

At least on the PK, speed/quickness has been a big issue.

For example: overall I like Letestu, but I bloody hate him on the PK (or in the defensive zone at any time), as whomever he's assigned to cover end up with all the time in the world to work because he can't pressue them.


Though in general, this team's gap control has been horrendous through the first few games outside of the one vs. Calgary. The defencemen are backing off to no end and the forwards aren't backchecking. Thus opposing forwards have all day to pick this team apart on the rush and gain the zone.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Also who ever had the brilliant idea to have Letestu be the go to guy for zone entries on the PP deserves to be shot into the sun.


Though at the same time it wouldn't surprise me if this was just Mark getting the puck and refusing to pass it to better option's. While I don't doubt he's a great teammate (just so I'm not opening that can of worms), he does at times strike me as selfish when he gets the puck.

 

[Oilslick941611]

Simple- fire Woodcroft. He's easily the worst special teams coach we've had in... ever.

definitely the worst PP coach we've had since last year... wait, he was our coach last year and we did well.

time, give it time.

 

[Canada Drai]

Going back to the year 2000, last year was the best PP% the Oilers have had (6th highest all-time). I wonder who the PP coach was and why people are blaming him? Even the year before was 5th best (since 2000).

Too much negativity less than 5 games in. If it was game 40 I would be worried even though at game 40 more than half of your season is still left.

 

[joestevens29]

Simple- fire Woodcroft. He's easily the worst special teams coach we've had in... ever.

A thread was started last year and then all of a sudden the PP was great. He's not the issue.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

A thread was started last year and then all of a sudden the PP was great. He's not the issue.

Hopefully this thread works this year too.

I think the main thing is they just aren't executing or making smart plays, they proved last year that this setup worked for us.

One thing I would like to see is larsson on the powerplay, atleast until sekera is back

 

[Canovin]

The Oilers need a right hand PP specialist to run the powerplay. Klef isn't good enough.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Honestly we need a better guy than Letestu there. Period. He was good for us last year I just... Don't see it. I'd run..

Lucic - Strome - McDavid
Klefbom - Draisaitl

Maroon - Letestu - RNH
Auvitu - Jokinen/Cagguila

Strome has a good shot just doesn't use it. Put him in a spot where that's his only job and it could pay off