Pickard's lateral movement is pretty weak. I'm not sure he's an upgrade on skinner. The counter argument is for the playoffs is all you need one guy to get hot. Maybe Pickard can do it? I'd probably give Skinner another game.
I don’t agree they outworked and outplayed the kings, in the second yes. But not at all in the third and half of the first was gone before they had 3 shots. They were just too inconsistent tonight as a team. The Kempe second goal was a great play by him at the end, but the problem was how it developed. They had just scored and had the place rocking and then they just get loose and let that happen. The first goal is a bad giveaway by Bouchard but both Foegle and draisaitl jump past the man there too. Either one of them stops up and there is no scoring chance.
The Kings haven't played Pickard a lot.
Sorry, I should have clarified that, that his confidence was shot by the latter part of the Vegas series, and I guess we'll see if mentally that plays a factor going forward. Sure hope he's able to shake it off and string together some good games.
. Gotta give credit where it's due, and Kopitar for being in good position.
I’m looking at this picture and wondering if it’s necessary that Ceci pinches on an icing dump.
He still got beat by Kopitar and was on his belly when the game ended.
Definitely a lot of truth to your first point. You watch guys like Vasi or Quick in his prime and they're dipping, crouching, leaning, on their tip toes looking over, under, around guys to pick up shot releases to have an idea where pucks are going even when they can't see it the whole way through and I have never seen that with Skinner. Screened point shots are yet another weakness of his alongside his glove hand and lateral movement.
Its a part of his game that he needs to improve at for sure. I suspect he will.
I think the Oilers will respond and give him a predictable game to get one of those good number games in. But can we do that 2 in a row, 3 in a row? Tough to say considering the breakdowns we are seeing.
4 Oilers standing around watching the play, 3 of them out of position. Lets Blame Nurse, the only one that was back and that was in position. That was a monster thinking play by Byfield that worked. There's no way Nurse could know where that was going or that it would end up right to Kopitar. That whole play took a second. 3 Oilers are just assuming it was icing. I don't blame Nurse there, you don't either, and probably nobody should.
I'm not sure what analytics you think outside shots drove up, but their shot location analytics don't support anything that you said.
He's like Russell Wilson. Wish McDavid was like Michael Jordan. He put the fear of God in his teammates to perform.
It’s been shown time and time again to hurt us. Even game 1, I realize Ceci and Nurse were the victims of bad luck, but I wonder if another defencemans stick breaks if he doesn’t throw that into the corner. Or if that puck is headed towards the boot if another defenceman just lifts the boot instead of letting it deflect off it. It’ll be tough sledding if these guys don’t find a way to play a 100% solid in terms of mistakes.
Well...it wouldnt be the first time that analytics fell short.
Pickard is quicker and faster than Skinner and makes reflex saves. Pickard has an NHL quality glove hand. Skinner does not and has poor mobility. Kings go high on Skinner a lot. Not for the first time. its been a constant.
here's a good look at the redirect by Byfield. My brain couldnt comprehend what happened for a while
Again Ceci and Nurse both were doing the right thing IMO, it looked like a dump in and Nurse was just trying to be first man back. No one expected the deflection to bounce out like that
Even Stu, thats Kopitar coming down on a break away... he has a hell of a shot. If we want to shit on Skinner for anything it was that Fiala goal from the sidewall, that was just atrocious
