Post-Game Talk: McDavid hated that goal

[McSpecial DraiBlend]

McDavid defers to Drai so much that goalies automatically know what to expect. It's like 5% chance McDavid shoots and just slide to the left to cover Drai's shot.

Be interesting to see if his wrists have been taped. Wonder if he has a injury there.

 

[K1984]

Maybe.
Nurse is his own worst enemy at times. Ceci sure didnt force him to skate with a Vegas forward all the way from the net front to outside the blueline in last years playoffs.
That kind of decision making isnt an isolated incident either. He just doesnt read situations very well at times.
Nurse wanders and he does that of his own accord.
Its really telling when a $9.25M dman needs an upgrade to make him better...instead of him making his D partner better but the reality is that Nurse needs an Ekholm type player to make him a better player. For any team thats a problem but for a contending team with cap issues its an even bigger problem.

I'm with you on those faults, the scrambling is a problem for sure in the macro picture.

However, over the last 2-3 weeks I'm often seeing the scramble kicked off by Ceci either pinching like an idiot, having zero idea where to be defending around the net, botching a simple breakout pass, or all of the above. When this happens it's always Nurse trying to bust his ass to cover off whichever f*** up just occurred and sometimes it isn't pretty to the eye even if he's not really doing anything wrong.

Nurse having a D partner that simply knows when to pinch and where to be when the puck is behind the net would probably cut out his need to scramble by 50% at least compared to now.

 

[alanschu]

That Thomas shot was picked clean like Bouchard does. Those are tough ones to stop for any goalie.

Skinner did his job and then some last night. Made some big saves at crucial points of the game.

If it's a bar-down type of goal I'm typically more inclined to give player credit for picking a great spot. That was a laser beam of a shot.

 

[fuswald]

Kane is just invisible again. Guy doesn't score for a month, then he gets a hat trick, and then he's back to doing nothing again. Blues were picking pucks from him all night. Kane was like a cooler on that line. Hopefully he's saving it for playoffs as this is not a good performance. He's just there.

Disagree. Kane worked hard tonight. That line Kane Rnh Janmark may be a keeper. Maybe switch Janmark with Foegele or Holloway for a whole game.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Disagree. Kane worked hard tonight. That line Kane Rnh Janmark may be a keeper. Maybe switch Janmark with Foegele or Holloway for a whole game.

I thought Nuge was great in the game and that Janmark has been strong lately. Kane has not been and was fumbling pucks all over and making misplays. The plays tended to end with Kane.

Kane is an example on this club of a player that is inconsistent and brings his peak play when the mood moves him. He's immensely talented and can dominate games, or disappear.

To wit in 25GP this year Kane has scored a goal in only 4 of them. Oddly when Kane does get untracked he often scores multiple goals. This year he's had a hatrick, a 2 goal game, could single goal games and 21 where he hasn't been on the scoreboard. For a guy that is an elite level allstar player.

Worse, no one line or center have been able to breath life into Kane. He's been with McD, with, Drai, with both, with Nuge etc. At this same time the player with a heart, Hyman is flying having the greatest success of his career playing with the same players.

 

[fuswald]

Nurse is dragging down Ceci

Imagine who we could get for nurses salary and trade.

Hmm. Maybe not.

 

[MessierII]

I thought Nuge was great in the game and that Janmark has been strong lately. Kane has not been and was fumbling pucks all over and making misplays. The plays tended to end with Kane.

Kane is an example on this club of a player that is inconsistent and brings his peak play when the mood moves him. He's immensely talented and can dominate games, or disappear.

To wit in 25GP this year Kane has scored a goal in only 4 of them. Oddly when Kane does get untracked he often scores multiple goals. This year he's had a hatrick, a 2 goal game, could single goal games and 21 where he hasn't been on the scoreboard. For a guy that is an elite level allstar player.

Worse, no one line or center have been able to breath life into Kane. He's been with McD, with, Drai, with both, with Nuge etc. At this same time the player with a heart, Hyman is flying having the greatest success of his career playing with the same players.

I don’t know I thought Nuge was putting passes in his feet all night. Nuge was playing well away from the puck but I thought he struggled moving the puck all night. He did pick up a point on the pp I think but I didn’t think he was feeling it with the puck on his stick at all.

 

[FiveFourteenSixOne]

What a backcheck by RNH.

That was my play of the game. I literally jumped out of my chair and fist pumped when he did it. 100% effort.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Nostradumbass

That’s the GM of Pittsburgh. I’m more like the Amazing Kreskin

 

[bellagiobob]

Jay Onrait stated that Zach Hyman is the first oilers left-winger to score 40 goals.

And he’s now sitting in 2nd place in the league:

View attachment 826937

Messier scored more than 40 twice when he was a winger, and Simpson scored more than 40 his first year with the Oilers. And Hyman has played RW this year.

 

[fuswald]

Notice both D (especially Bouchard) didn't even try to catch up and nuge blew past both to make the highlight reel backcheck. Not that they could have caught but at least show effort.

 

[fuswald]

Nurse was moving towards Ceci a lot to unnecessarily cover for or help him. Was quite noticeable all game. Second goal for example.

The worry is taking Nurse off his game.

 

[Coffey]

Nurse and Ceci will cost you a series on their own.

BUT IM GLAD WE WON! YAY! FRIGGIN WOO!

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Holloway looked great on the 2nd line in his limited minutes there.

Skinner looks like he’s rebounding back into Streak Skinner.

The hot chicken wings at Rogers were a huge disappointment. “Rogers” style hot sauce isn’t very good. Need to bring my own Franks Red Hot next time. Or get @Bobieque to make me a batch and sneak them in next game.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Zach Hyman is an absolute beauty. Such a classy guy. By the time he is done he will be one of my favorite all-time Oilers. Hopefully there is a place for him in the organization after he is done.

Its quite possible he's the most saint like player ever in the history of this org. I'm not religious, just spiritual and Zach is an example to us all. he gets my entire respect as player and person.

Like I said a couple days ago I will never forget this player.

He'd also get lots of diving penalties if he played for us.

Hes a clown, keep him away

Which one? Bush or Sundwich

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

 

[Stoneman89]

There are more than a few Blues players who would look good in Oiler silks.

Blues are a pretty decent team. They were playing 2nd game in 2 nights, and I know that's been used as an excuse around this parts when it happens to our team. Not sure if they'll make the playoffs, as they are in tough against a surging Calgary squad (they need to move more players, lol), a tough Nashville unit, a very good Minny team, and an LA team that's built up a lead on everyone.
Not sure how someone can crap on the Blues a whole lot when they clobbered us one game and took us to OT at home in their 2nd of back to backs.

 

[Stoneman89]

Jesus Christ dude. Skinner could cure cancer and you’d call him out for not doing it fast enough.

He puts up back to back .940+ games and that’s still not enough for you. Give it a rest.

He'd whine and complain if he wasn't hung with a new rope.

Thomas also had all day to walk in and pick his spot. The defenders should have challenged him.

Nurse tried. By turning to the side and holding his stick lamely out, hoping the puck might hit it.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Nurse was moving towards Ceci a lot to unnecessarily cover for or help him. Was quite noticeable all game. Second goal for example.

The worry is taking Nurse off his game.

That second goal was ceci moving towards nurse, not the other way

 

[Stoneman89]

What a backcheck by RNH.

Best thing about that, is that I hope it inspires the rest of the team to make more of a commitment to the defensive side of the game, as well as giving maximum effort. That play brought people out of their seats as much as a McDavid goal.

 

[bobbythebrain]

Double screen on the first goal from 8ft away and ppl ripping on Skinner. Use your brains

 

[Stoneman89]

That second goal was ceci moving towards nurse, not the other way

Either way, there was confusion and it resulted in a pass coming in front cleanly to the one guy on that team you don't want it to go to.

 

[Stoneman89]

Disagree. Kane worked hard tonight. That line Kane Rnh Janmark may be a keeper. Maybe switch Janmark with Foegele or Holloway for a whole game.

Agree with you. I thought Kane was fine. That whole line was pretty good as well. No scoring, but there wasn't a lot of that from anyone other than McDavid and Hyman.

 

[guymez]

I'm with you on those faults, the scrambling is a problem for sure in the macro picture.

However, over the last 2-3 weeks I'm often seeing the scramble kicked off by Ceci either pinching like an idiot, having zero idea where to be defending around the net, botching a simple breakout pass, or all of the above. When this happens it's always Nurse trying to bust his ass to cover off whichever f*** up just occurred and sometimes it isn't pretty to the eye even if he's not really doing anything wrong.

Nurse having a D partner that simply knows when to pinch and where to be when the puck is behind the net would probably cut out his need to scramble by 50% at least compared to now.

I think that some of Nurses faults/mistakes have been atributed to Ceci. There have been so many times this season where Nurse has made a bad decision I stopped posting about it.
Too much work.
Its very difficult to play with a dman that wanders. Especially for a player that is being paid like a 4/5 dman who is expected to be a 2/3 dman. Now I am not saying that Ceci is without faults...he most definitly makes bad reads. The thing is that Nurse is being paid to be a #1 dman. With that comes a requirement to be a player that can be relied upon. A player that can help compensate for a lesser player (Ceci).
Nurse doesnt do that.
Just consider how Ekholm was not only able to compensate for Bouchard defensive deficiencies but he actully made Bouchard a better player. His impact has been so impressive that the Bouchbard/Ekholm pairing now eats up a substantial amount of tough minutes.
Nurse for me is what he is and he will never out perfrom his contract. I am not advocating for trading Nurse but his albatross contract absolutely negatively affects this team.
I think trading Ceci is inevitable and I also think that unless Holland replaces him with a legit 2/3 dman then the Nurse/? pairing will be no better than it is now and thats on Nurse IMO.

 

[K1984]

I think that some of Nurses faults/mistakes have been atributed to Ceci. There have been so many times this season where Nurse has made a bad decision I stopped posting about it.
Too much work.
Its very difficult to play with a dman that wanders. Especially for a player that is being paid like a 4/5 dman who is expected to be a 2/3 dman. Now I am not saying that Ceci is without faults...he most definitly makes bad reads. The thing is that Nurse is being paid to be a #1 dman. With that comes a requirement to be a player that can be relied upon. A player that can help compensate for a lesser player (Ceci).
Nurse doesnt do that.
Just consider how Ekholm was not only able to compensate for Bouchard defensive deficiencies but he actully made Bouchard a better player. His impact has been so impressive that the Bouchbard/Ekholm pairing now eats up a substantial amount of tough minutes.
Nurse for me is what he is and he will never out perfrom his contract. I am not advocating for trading Nurse but his albatross contract absolutely negatively affects this team.
I think trading Ceci is inevitable and I also think that unless Holland replaces him with a legit 2/3 dman then the Nurse/? pairing will be no better than it is now and thats on Nurse IMO.

I don't disagree in theory, I just think that in this case Ceci is playing so poorly and is creating so many problems that its at the point where expecting Nurse to cover all that off is unreasonable.

During the streak that pair was more than fine and Nurse was considered to be playing great hockey. I don't perceive much of a change in Nurse's game compared to then, but with Ceci he's currently playing at about a 1GA/game average that are 100% his fault.