GDT: WCSF | G5 | Oilers @ Knights | 5.12.23 | T-Mobile Arena | 8:00PM | SN

[Soli]

(image cred: Eric Poole // @Epoole88)

SERIES TIED 2-2

Game Day: Friday May 12th 2023
Game Time: 8:00 PM
Location: T-Mobile Arena
Broadcast: SN

-----

THE SERIES SO FAR...

GAME 1


GAME 2


GAME 3


GAME 4


-----



Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Connor McDavid - Zach Hyman
Evander Kane - Leon Draisaitl - Kailer Yamamoto
Warren Foegele - Ryan McLeod - Derek Ryan
Klim Kostin - Nick Bjugstad - Mattias Janmark

Mattias Ekholm - Evan Bouchard
Brett Kulak - Cody Ceci
Philip Broberg - Vinny Desharnais

Stuart Skinner

-----




Ivan Barbashev - Jack Eichel - Jonathan Marchessault
Brett Howden - Chandler Stephenson - Mark Stone
Reilly Smith - William Karlsson - Mike Amadio
Will Carrier - Nicolas Roy - Keegan Kolesar

Alec Martinez - Nicolas Hague
Brayden McNabb - Shea Theodore
Ben Hutton - Zach Whitecloud

Adin Hill

-----


SOLI'S SHORTSIDE​

• Lineups and particularly the defense pairs are just my projection with Nurse & Pietroangelo serving suspensions. Have your say in the poll.
  
  
• Just win.

Click to read more...

 

[Kinibo]

No Nurse, no problem. We beat their asses and Darnell gets some rest. Win/Win.

 

[McJC]

You would have to think that them losing Pietro hurts more than losing Nurse? Anywho, the refs are gonna be on high alert. Stay out of the bs and we got a good chance imo

 

[NedPlimpton]

Hell yeah. Play some new Zelda all day and then watch the Oilers take it to these guys.

It's gonna be spice. It's gonna be good.

 

[tiger_80]

Probably
Ekholm-Bouchard
Ceci-Kulak
Broberg-Desharnais

With Ekholm, Kulak and Ceci taking extra shifts with young bed-poopers.

 

[Oilhawks]

You would have to think that them losing Pietro hurts more than losing Nurse? Anywho, the refs are gonna be on high alert. Stay out of the bs and we got a good chance imo

In theory, yes. Dom’s model on The Athletic had Edmonton and Vegas 50/50 after game 4 and now has it 51/49 in favour of Vegas after the suspensions. Odd since Nurse gets so much hate everywhere (though he’s been decently rated on there)

 

[T-Funk]

 

[Drivesaitl]

In theory, yes. Dom’s model on The Athletic had Edmonton and Vegas 50/50 after game 4 and now has it 51/49 in favour of Vegas after the suspensions. Odd since Nurse gets so much hate everywhere (though he’s been decently rated on there)

Basically because Vegas have been running 6 D considerable minutes, just rotating through pairings whereas Oilers have run primarily 4D getting big minutes and 3 other D getting whats leftover. So that now we have 3D left that have been carrying minutes. Vegas have 5 left. It isn't really just a Nurse vs Pietrangelo. Its that Vegas have better D depth.

 

[Oilhawks]

Basically because Vegas have been running 6 D considerable minutes, just rotating through pairings whereas Oilers have run primarily 4D getting big minutes and 3 other D getting whats leftover. So that now we have 3D left that have been carrying minutes. Vegas have 5 left. It isn't really just a Nurse vs Pietrangelo. Its that Vegas have better D depth.

Pietrangelo and Theodore, two of their supposed best D have been mediocre, which probably helps make one of their absences less of a negative.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

No Nurse No Problem.

 

[tiger_80]

Basically because Vegas have been running 6 D considerable minutes, just rotating through pairings whereas Oilers have run primarily 4D getting big minutes and 3 other D getting whats leftover. So that now we have 3D left that have been carrying minutes. Vegas have 5 left. It isn't really just a Nurse vs Pietrangelo. Its that Vegas have better D depth.

That's simply not true. Only Nurse was playing what can be called big minutes. Bouchard, if you factor in all the juidy PP minutes. As to the rest, even Ekholm, who's arguably a top pairing d-man plays less than 20 mins, which basically is a benchmark for a top 4 d-men on most teams. Running 7 d-men allows them to reduce minutes significantly.

 

[tiger_80]

btw, Broberg has done surprisingly well in limited minutes. He's +3 in the playoffs; so, unlike Desharnais, he has not be a sieve. Maybe he could shoulder some extra responsibility for one game and not drown.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

I'd love to see Niemelainen crush some Knights. I think you have to go with Kulak-Ceci and try to shelter the 3rd pairing of Broberg-Desharnais.

 

[syz]

I'd love to see Niemelainen crush some Knights. I think you have to go with Kulak-Ceci and try to shelter the 3rd pairing of Broberg-Desharnais.

I think they'll essentially treat it like they have 5 D and rotate both Broberg and Desharnais in for shifts.

Either way the team needs to be careful. Refs are going to have a bullseye on the Oilers in this one. Going to go from game managing to game directing; they don't want shit to get out of hand but they're also too scared to give the Oilers a lot of PPs.

 

[Navx94]

Biggest game in what.. 17 years considering how open our path is. That being said! Let’s go oilersssss !!!

 

[HallOfGreatness4]

Is this the biggest game of the Mcdavid era ?

 

[McFlyingV]

Not really nervous at all about Broberg getting in and getting some more minutes. He's looked calm in limited minutes, and his skating should be a major plus at evading the aggressive forecheck. Kulak has been very good these playoffs and both he and Ekholm should be able to absorb Nurse's minutes.

To me the loss of Pietrangelo is much bigger because now you're asking Theodore to try to shut down McDavid and Draisaitl. He's already struggling to shut down just one of them, but with them playing on separate lines Vegas no longer has a capable D to go head to head with both of them. Thats a huge opportunity for the Oilers to capitalize on. Guys like Martinez and McNabb can't handle either of these guys without a much better Dman on their pairing, and one of the two of them is going to be playing with a bottom pairing D.

 

[Navx94]

Is this the biggest game of the Mcdavid era ?

I considered game 7 against LA when I made my post but I think this definitely leads us on a path to the cup so I went with this one.

 

[5 14 6 1]

BELIEVE

 

[trojansoilers]

Just win, baby!

It'll be important to play our game and not let emotions take over. You know the refs are going to look for any retaliation.

 

[Sheikyerbouti]

This game looks rough to me. Broberg is going to have to be good in the front of the net. Forwards can't cheat for offense. You would also think given the suspensions the coaches are preaching team defense so it could be a really tight checking game. bruh

That all scares the hell out of me, but I still believe in this team showing up when it really matters and this is a huge game.

I'm a little disappointed we didn't call up an echl players to directly skate to Adin Hill and Tonya Harding him at puck drop. Quick is looking saucy.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Basically because Vegas have been running 6 D considerable minutes, just rotating through pairings whereas Oilers have run primarily 4D getting big minutes and 3 other D getting whats leftover. So that now we have 3D left that have been carrying minutes. Vegas have 5 left. It isn't really just a Nurse vs Pietrangelo. Its that Vegas have better D depth.

Yes, and no. Edmonton still has 4 left, as Kulak isn't far off Vegas' 3rd pairing guys in terms of minutes, and actually matches them when the Oil skate just 6 on the backend. Though yes. it is still 5 to 4 for trusted options.


But Pietrangelo is very much their main pillar defensively. Pair him with Alec Martinez and it's a legit shutdown pair that can go up against the league's best; Without him, do you still trust Martinez with that role? And on the right side Vegas doesn't really have a replacement for him.

For Edmonton, replacing Nurse on the left side is easier. Kulak and Broberg can step up and replace some of his minutes for a game, plus they still have Ekholm leading the left side. Had Edmonton lost Ceci, it would have been way more difficult. Even if he isn't as good as Nurse, the Oil don't have a good replacement for his role/minutes. That (but worse) is where Vegas is at the moment.

 

[Fourier]

You would have to think that them losing Pietro hurts more than losing Nurse? Anywho, the refs are gonna be on high alert. Stay out of the bs and we got a good chance imo

The win is what really matters. The Oilers have to play this smart. Hit guys hard, especially Theodore, but nothing after the whistle. Let Vegas take the penalties and hit them where it really hurts with the pp. Discipline is big here. Kane in particular needs to be very careful. He will have a big target on his back. He can still play physically, but really needs to watch the extracurricular stuff.

 

[LemmyUlanov55]

A win is all I care for, take the game right from the get go and beat them down!

Go Oilers!

 

[EchoesoftheEighties]

I get on a 10 hour flight about an hour before gametime. I'm hoping I land to good news.

Let's go Oilers don't let me down, because I'm gonna have anxiety for that whole trip