Post-Game Talk: Oilers (McDavid 2) 2 - Sabres 1 (Eichel 0)

[Pressure]

Pardy looked awesome out there. Besides the one bad fumble on the offensive blueline, he played a solid game. Great pinches and he's got good board work. The puck does not get by him and he's in a position to receive it to make a play. Oilers need to start training or developing players that are strong on the boards. Right now our kids just shy away from all that. Hall and Eberle especially. Anything on the boards and it's by them. How sad

 

[joestevens29]

yeah i mentioned to the wife when that PP was happening that the puck was bouncing more than i can almost ever remember a puck bouncing... it was like a tennis ball on concrete out there

Speaking of this has anyone noticed how at Rexall we see a lot less of this now? I remember previous years numerous complaints on a regular basis.

 

[PinSeeker]

As previously noted, Eberle is certainly a good fit with McDavid. However that effort on the goal was disappointing. It wasn't that he made a mistake, he just didn't put in the effort to track his man all the way to the net, simple as that.

 

[fuswald]

Apparently this management team only claims players named Adam off of waivers. Its a strategy that looks okay so far.

Need a bit of Adam Antium throughout.

 

[blupye*]

My dad has been telling me stories about how back in the day Semenko would skate out for the warmup looking like he was ready to kill anyone, and was curious how they got him so pumped up for the games.

Gretzky would be allowed to stand behind the net for as long as he wanted because everyone knew going back there would result in Semenko taking your head off.

Your Dad is right. I was in my early teens in the early 80's. Oilers became my team as soon as they came in league. I was 10 in the year 1979 and I remember crying my eyes out (you have to remember I was 10) when Philly beat them out in 1980 playoffs. When Semenko was out there, he held players accountable. I read a story that an Oilers players threw his jersey on the floor after a game. Semenko made him pick it up and told in a way clearly that the shirt was never to touch the floor again. He made Gretzky better by being the police-man

 

[CornKicker]

so to coles notes the game


Mcdavid is x2 better than Eichel


no wonder tim murray was crying at the lottery

 

[Young Lions*]

As previously noted, Eberle is certainly a good fit with McDavid. However that effort on the goal was disappointing. It wasn't that he made a mistake, he just didn't put in the effort to track his man all the way to the net, simple as that.

The worst thing was he had his man, he just needed to keep his feet moving, but he got beat on the first step and just coasted. It was his "controller disconnected" moment. Frustrating, for sure.

At the same time, though, there's not many players who can do what he can with the puck on his stick, so I'm willing to overlook the brain farts if he can outscore his issues on the other side of the puck (and he's been nearly even stevens since McDavid came back).

 

[Kerricthebig]

Need a bit of Adam Antium throughout.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

As previously noted, Eberle is certainly a good fit with McDavid. However that effort on the goal was disappointing. It wasn't that he made a mistake, he just didn't put in the effort to track his man all the way to the net, simple as that.

The other thing about that goal was that they had two guys circle away from the puck carrier behind the net. Was that miscommunication? It looked weird as hell and lazy as hell. Then the Sabres made the simples breakout I've ever seen to lead to the blown coverage by eberle. I'm not sure but it seems like several things went wrong there.

 

[I am the Liquor]

The worst thing was he had his man, he just needed to keep his feet moving, but he got beat on the first step and just coasted. It was his "controller disconnected" moment. Frustrating, for sure.

At the same time, though, there's not many players who can do what he can with the puck on his stick, so I'm willing to overlook the brain farts if he can outscore his issues on the other side of the puck (and he's been nearly even stevens since McDavid came back).

You don't win with lazy cowards. Chia knows this. Eberle's days are weighed and numbered.

 

[Kerricthebig]

The other thing about that goal was that they had two guys circle away from the puck carrier behind the net. Was that miscommunication? It looked weird as hell and lazy as hell. Then the Sabres made the simples breakout I've ever seen to lead to the blown coverage by eberle. I'm not sure but it seems like several things went wrong there.

True, but the goal itself was on Ebs. You could tell McLellan thought so too, as Ebs missed the next shift or two.

 

[McBeastMode]

What's with Hall hanging on the net?




Non believer!!!

Getting to be a habit, with him....

 

[oobga]

What a difference it makes to not have a D out there every 2 or 3 shifts that is not willing to put any effort in his own zone. We might not have the most skilled D, but everyone is at least putting an honest effort in now.

 

[Trobes]

Sabres fan comes in peace:

I watch McDavid in Erie and when they played here in Buffalo. There has never been a question in my mind who the better player was/is/will be. Its McDavid. I am totally ok with that btw. Getlaf isnt as good as Crosby...but Getzlaf is a freaking great player. I wanted one of the two, because I felt that McDavid was the best player since Lemieux to be drafted, while Eichel was the best player since Crosby to be drafted. The Sabres fans have a lot of frustration and IMO it stems from a lot of different areas.

Bylsma didn't start Eichel last night...I was at the game...we didnt know what was going on!! Eichel wasn't on the 1st PP to start the year...again we didn't know what was going on!! But for me, the main frustration is that we have not found someone who can play with Eichel. Kane carries too much and Ennis has been hurt (wasn't doing much when he was healthy). As soon as we find a winger who can play with him...the kid (who is obviously really good) will be fine. But I digress as I am not trying to turn this into a Sabres thread. Just trying to explain the rational Sabres fan who isn't down on Eichel.

McDavid is amazing, he was fun to watch live again and I think this isn't the last time we will see these two kids in a hyped game.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

if we ever had a semblance of a PP, and Klefbom in the whole year....we may be a .500 hockey club

my goodness is our PP ever awful

 

[Paralyzer]

Getting to be a habit, with him....

Rofl that picture looks like Hall drank from the goalies water bottle, or spat into it

 

[iCanada]

Sabres fan comes in peace:

I watch McDavid in Erie and when they played here in Buffalo. There has never been a question in my mind who the better player was/is/will be. Its McDavid. I am totally ok with that btw. Getlaf isnt as good as Crosby...but Getzlaf is a freaking great player. I wanted one of the two, because I felt that McDavid was the best player since Lemieux to be drafted, while Eichel was the best player since Crosby to be drafted. The Sabres fans have a lot of frustration and IMO it stems from a lot of different areas.

Bylsma didn't start Eichel last night...I was at the game...we didnt know what was going on!! Eichel wasn't on the 1st PP to start the year...again we didn't know what was going on!! But for me, the main frustration is that we have not found someone who can play with Eichel. Kane carries too much and Ennis has been hurt (wasn't doing much when he was healthy). As soon as we find a winger who can play with him...the kid (who is obviously really good) will be fine. But I digress as I am not trying to turn this into a Sabres thread. Just trying to explain the rational Sabres fan who isn't down on Eichel.

McDavid is amazing, he was fun to watch live again and I think this isn't the last time we will see these two kids in a hyped game.

I think that's a big difference between the two. Eichel needs a fit and needs chemistry. McDavid just betters whomever you throw on his wing.

Oilers Fans always argue about whether Yak or Eberle is the right fit,but I don't think it matters. McDavid makes either one the right player.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Cant see the team sitting Lander...he has been very good lately.

Hall-Drastaitl-Kassian
Yakupov-McDavid-Eberle
Maroon-Letestu-Hendricks
Korp-Lander-Cracknell

Agreed. I think Lander's earned back McLellan's trust and he's easing off the gas on Letestu. Testube only played a minute more than Lander last night.

 

[McFlyingV]

I think that's a big difference between the two. Eichel needs a fit and needs chemistry. McDavid just betters whomever you throw on his wing.

Oilers Fans always argue about whether Yak or Eberle is the right fit,but I don't think it matters. McDavid makes either one the right player.

Yeah I think you're right. Eberle fits because he's a good finisher and good playmaker. Yak fits because he knows his role and gets the puck to McDavid every chance he gets, and is better on the forecheck. Eberle will most likely always out produce Yak playing with McDavid, but I think Yak gives McDavid more touches of the puck which allows him to be more effective at his game than Eberle does.

 

[iCanada]

Yeah I think you're right. Eberle fits because he's a good finisher and good playmaker. Yak fits because he knows his role and gets the puck to McDavid every chance he gets, and is better on the forecheck. Eberle will most likely always out produce Yak playing with McDavid, but I think Yak gives McDavid more touches of the puck which allows him to be more effective at his game than Eberle does.

I think you could play him with Gazdic and Belanger and he'd be successful.

 

[Digger12]

if they are getting on eichel, that is beyond stupid

I think it was just frustration and disappointment over hoping that Eichel would REALLY have a good game against the guy the fanbase was dying to get initially, and essentially having it rubbed into their collective faces that "their" guy was clearly a step below McDavid, at least for this game.

Eichel comes back and scores the next game, and they'll be swooning over him all over again.

 

[Da McBomb]

Eichel is a tremendous player but its clear that McDavid is in a class of his own. I actually think this whole McDavid vs Eichel thing is a little unfair to Jack. By comparing the two, some people are expecting him to play at or near McDavid's level and thats just not possible. Now some Sabre fans are hating on Eichel b/c of McDavid's performance.

 

[Beerfish]

The oilers are so monumentally lucky to have McDavid fall into their laps, as a leaf fan on the main forums pretty well correctly stated, they are garbage without him.

 

[McDrai]

Wasn't Hall clearly better than Seguin in their rookie seasons? It's far from over due to the Oilers factor

 

[Musashi]

Besides a few wild scrambles in the 1st, the boys did a great job keeping all the shots to the outside. Buffalo seemed content trying to beat Talbot from the outside and he did a good job with his rebound control.