Post-Game Talk: OT Heartbreaker

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Almost all of them go the exact same way too.

Airhead play in the neutral zone and scored on off the rush no more than about 3 mins into the first OT period. Since 2017 that exact scenario has happened at least 4-5 times. We don't even make it to the 5 min mark.

Zero killer instinct. The game was there for the taking but the Kings knew all they had to do was wait for the inevitable Oilers screwup. I knew as soon as it went to OT we weren’t winning.

It also doesn't help much when your starting goalie is rocking a 11.48 GAA and .667 save percentage through his career so far in playoff OTs.

Did the Oilers ever consider scoring?

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Go watch the Vegas game from last night. Night and day the defensive posture from the Knights. The Stars were completely stifled. The Oilers coasted through the third and OT and look what happened.

Vegas has nothing to do with what we are talking about.

 

[ManofSteel55]

That’s a rough one.

Skinner had a not so good game.

Most of the team had a not so good game. The defense was brutal tonight. Only Ekholm didn't have a bad night in our own zone.

Skinner better sit next game. This game is on him.

Skinner had a bad game, but 5 of our 6 defensemen made awful plays that led directly to those scoring chances that went in. I get it, we want some big saves from Skinner, but we also need to not hand grade-A scoring chances to the other team too.

 

[foshizzle]

Didn't like his post game either. There is letting things roll off your shoulders and not giving into negativity and focusing on being better, and there is also avoiding responsibility and a more unhealthy attempt to convince yourself you did nothing wrong. That interview felt like the latter.

We so badly need him to be confident and play well, sigh.

You are exactly right. No ownership at all.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Vegas has nothing to do with what we are talking about.

Vegas is a team that knows how to win. The Oilers played like they assumed they’d win. That the Kings would just roll over and die after game one.

 

[foshizzle]

Zero killer instinct. The game was there for the taking but the Kings knew all they had to do was wait for the inevitable Oilers screwup. I knew as soon as it went to OT we weren’t winning.


Did the Oilers ever consider scoring?

Well- when its sudden death and your goalie lets in 1 of 3 shots- OT ends before Oilers can

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Well- when its sudden death and your goalie lets in 1 of 3 shots- OT ends before Oilers can

The vast majority of OTs end early. This is hardly an Oilers exclusive problem. Why not be that team that attacks aggressively instead of playing timid hockey? The Kings saw their opportunity and took it. The Oilers looked like they never left the locker room.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Vegas is a team that knows how to win. The Oilers played like they assumed they’d win. That the Kings would just roll over and die after game one.

Vegas also has 2 better goalies.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Vegas also has 2 better goalies.

And a better defense, coach, and GM.

 

[bucks_oil]

It also doesn't help much when your starting goalie is rocking a 11.48 GAA and .667 save percentage through his career so far in playoff OTs.

You realize that air headed play in the NZ and your goalies SPCT can be correlated correct? Getting one perfectly placed Shot On Goal on a major defensive breakdown a minute or two into OT also doesn't tend to be good for your GAA or SPCT.

You can blame Skinner on the Fiala goal for sure, or even the Doughty goal, but there wasn't much he, or any goalie, was gonna do on Kopitar's last night.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

And a better defense, coach, and GM.

Sure. You can deflect all you want from admitting Skinner has been a major issue in the playoffs.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Sure. You can deflect all you want from admitting Skinner has been a major issue in the playoffs.

He wasn’t great this game, there’s no denying that. But the team as a whole was nowhere near as good as they were in game 1. They let the Kings get comfortable instead of piling on them early like last game.

Simply pinning everything on the goalie is absolving the rest of the team.

 

[bellagiobob]

Go watch the Vegas game from last night. Night and day the defensive posture from the Knights. The Stars were completely stifled. The Oilers coasted through the third and OT and look what happened.

Vegas D core is now healthy and unmatched league wide. Pietrangelo, Theodore, Hanifin, and McNabb are as good a top four as you will find. Throw in Martinez and Whitecloud and it’s a solid top 6. Any team is going to be screwed going against that. Vegas played possum all year.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

You realize that air headed play in the NZ and your goalies SPCT can be correlated correct? Getting one perfectly placed Shot On Goal on a major defensive breakdown a minute or two into OT also doesn't tend to be good for your GAA or SPCT.

You can blame Skinner on the Fiala goal for sure, or even the Doughty goal, but there wasn't much he, or any goalie, was gonna do on Kopitar's last night.

I kind of disagree. I would have liked to see Skinner challenge a bit more there. He shot from like 20 feet out. I guess hindsight.

 

[barry halls]

They were fat and happy after game 1, the core 4 all had poor moments in this game. It’s all good though, if they lose this series they’ll surely learn many valuable lessons and be more mature and consistent next year!

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

He wasn’t great this game, there’s no denying that. But the team as a whole was nowhere near as good as they were in game 1. They let the Kings get comfortable instead of piling on them early like last game.

Simply pinning everything on the goalie is absolving the rest of the team.

That’s true but it’s getting to the point where he’s consistently a problem in the playoffs.

I’m not completely blaming Skinner. The defence… especially Bouchard were so frustrating. We need our D to be better but we also need our goalie to make some big saves… not just the ones he’s supposed to.

 

[K1984]

Two positive things I will say about Knoblauch:

1 - after the second Bouchard f*** up of the night he got him away from the Kopitar/Kempe matchup. This is a minor thing, but the last coach we had probably would have rode that matchup into another one or two goals against.

2 - I liked his post game comments about Skinner. Media (justifiably) looking for blood, and he basically said that Skinner threw away a game earlier in the year against Tampa, but did a good job adjusting and went on a good run after that. All true. He needs to do everything in his power to get his goalie back in that mindset, because his focus was simply not there.

Focus being the key word here across the board. Lack of attention to detail by everyone, from Skinner all the way out to McDavid was ultimately the problem. With the exception of the 4th goal, all goals were off stupid rush plays. Should Skinner have had some of them? Unquestionably yes, but there were multiple parties at fault for creating the chance in the first place, all focus and detail related.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

That’s true but it’s getting to the point where he’s consistently a problem in the playoffs.

I’m not completely blaming Skinner. The defence… especially Bouchard were so frustrating. We need our D to be better but we also need our goalie to make some big saves… not just the ones he’s supposed to.

We also need some offense from our top six at even strength. McDavid, Draisatl, RNH, Kane, Perry… all ofer right now. Not good enough.

 

[ManofSteel55]

Well- when its sudden death and your goalie lets in 1 of 3 shots- OT ends before Oilers can

I don't know if we can blame Skinner alone on that one. It was a grade A scoring chance given to a future Hall of Famer, who made an amazing shot. Again, I want to see some gave saving stops by Skinner, but can we really hang the game on him when we give Kopitar a breakaway minutes into OT? This team needs to tighten it up on the back end.

I'm just hoping for a bounce back from both Skinner, and the defense. Bouchard had a rough, rough, rough game.

Sure. You can deflect all you want from admitting Skinner has been a major issue in the playoffs.

Nobody is saying that Skinner has been an issue. We're just pointing out that last night, he wasn't the only major issue, and I would even go as far to suggest that he wasn't the biggest issue at all. I'd say that Bouchard, Ceci, Desharnais and Nurse all made bigger mistakes than Skinner did last night. Kulak too on the goal that they scored right after his. Only Ekholm was good on our blueline last night.

 

[onetweasy]

It has been a roller coaster of a season with lots of highs and lows but deep down we all knew that goaltending would determine where this teams goes come playoff time.

Nothing has changed.

 

[WEMCHUD]

He wasn’t great this game, there’s no denying that. But the team as a whole was nowhere near as good as they were in game 1. They let the Kings get comfortable instead of piling on them early like last game.

Simply pinning everything on the goalie is absolving the rest of the team.

And he still let in 4 goals in game 1. Close to his playoff average.

 

[bucks_oil]

I kind of disagree. I would have liked to see Skinner challenge a bit more there. He shot from like 20 feet out. I guess hindsight.

That's fair, it was a perfect shot... but I do remember wondering last night what might have happened if he were more aggressive. I didn't watch it again this morning.

Still the neutral zone play was piss-poor, I tend to focus on the most egregious error(s) (and therefore preventable) on any given play... there will always be multiple, that's how goals go in.

 

[TheNumber4]

Last night in one word: f***!

Needed a save on that 4th goal. And would have liked 1 save on either of the breakaways. Or we don’t give up one of two breakaways.

That said, we either gave LA everything they got or they made a a low percentage skill play. I don’t see them batting pucks out of mid air to bank off the post or make a perfect outlet pass again. Clean up mistakes and Skinner plays atleast average and we’ll still take this in 5.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

And he still let in 4 goals in game 1. Close to his playoff average.

Yes, two of which were classic f***ups by the vaunted Nurse/Ceci pairing in garbage time.

 

[Shanahanigans]

2nd and 3rd lines need to step up...Nuge needs to up his intensity significantly, and the Perry-Kane line might need a bit more speed.