GDT: WCSF | GM 3 | Vancouver Canucks @ Edmonton Oilers | Sunday, May 12th | 6:30PM PST | SPAC

[CanucksSayEh]

Define "threat".

Mik has like 1 goal in the last 60 games.

I think he is not a liability in the sense that he has the right defensive instincts, but there is literally never a time I see Mikheyev getting a scoring chance and think he's actually going to score.

Hoglander is working hard, but the playoff pace is too much for him. He can't make plays at this level.

They occasionally are in a position to shoot. The goalie has to move around in their presence.

PDG or even Lafferty? not so much.

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

My thoughts are that something like a Suter - Blueger - Mik line could maybe limit the McDavid unit somewhat. But then you could free up the Lotto Line and Lindholm line to beat the Oilers' depth.

The best mechanism to contain that McDrai line is by having control of the puck in the offensive zone...All 3 guys handle the puck like a grenade.

 

[Vector]

 

[alicia]

Do we hit the panic button if we lose this one?

 

[mossey3535]

With the preds, shooting too many low percentage shots played right into their shot blocking strategy. Now against Edmonton they need to just take advantage of skinner being mid.

More shots would be nice but more importantly they played the system but very passively. They need smart pressures to really make the system sing.

I also don't think the Oilers defense is that good, certainly not the same as nashville. I thought Hughes might not survive the previous series. This series not so much. We need to take advantage of that and force possession in their zone. Make them work for it.

Play last game wasn't even that bad but they were deflated by the tying goal.

Tocchet needs to change up his lines more. The worst is that there are established combinations right in front of him that worked earlier in the year such as Blueger with Joshua and Garland. Lindholm has been good but the line is not nearly as dangerous offensively as it has in the past.

Still think we can take these guys. We're playing our third string goalie, we played like shit, and they played the crap out of McDrai to eke out an OT win.

 

[mossey3535]

Do we hit the panic button if we lose this one?

Hell no, we'd only be down one. The longer it lasts, the more tired mcdrai will be and the closer we are to getting Demko back.

 

[rypper]

Do we hit the panic button if we lose this one?

Nope. If they take both home games I might say "oh dear. " but that's it.

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

Do we hit the panic button if we lose this one?

Depends how we lose.

If we get thoroughly outplayed like in Game 2, concede 5 v 5 goals and show signs of fatigue....we are probably done in 5.

If we are evenly matched but lose because they get 4-5 powerplay goals then I will have some hope.

 

[Kryten]

Im thinking Demko might force himself back for Game 5 if we lose both these next two or will play in a game 7 this series

 

[thecupismine]

Do we hit the panic button if we lose this one?

No shot the team does. Down 1 game after playing 2 tight ones to start a series is no reason to go into full blown panic mode.

In the last 10 years, the only team to win a cup without going down in a series was the Colorado Avalanche, who absolutely shit kicked everyone with an unbelievably stacked roster en route to a cup. Every one of the Tampa & Pittsburgh teams were down at some point in a series during their cup runs.

 

[EpochLink]

Play like Dallas tonight and we will be fine

 

[crazychimp]

Time to play the role of the villain and take that win from there barn it will be so satisfying.

 

[M2Beezy]

Delete

 

[EpochLink]

Also, please shut that trailer park trash of a human being Ryan Whitney.

I’ve never seen such trash in my life.

 

[JAK]

I just hope Sutherland never comes back to our games, that is all.

 

[deadinthewater992]

Play like Dallas tonight and we will be fine

 

[rea]

Might as well go with 7D

Concur. If you're playing that 12th fwd so low in ice time, I'd rather have extra d

 

[DimitriL07]

I get the missed calls on both sides to a degree but how tf do Oiler fans think the Kane hit on Hughes was clean. Slew foot was clear as day lol

 

[God]

I get the missed calls on both sides to a degree but how tf do Oiler fans think the Kane hit on Hughes was clean. Slew foot was clear as day lol

Unfortunately their reasoning skills are the lowest in all of Canada. At least they have Connor McDavid!

 

[Bleach Clean]

There is no winning that matchup. The Petey-Miller-Boeser line also got roasted by them.

It's finding the best tradeoff. Should they allocate all their best resources toward damage control against the McDavid unit, or play lesser players against them and punt those shifts, but hopefully win the matchups elsewhere?

My thoughts are that something like a Suter - Blueger - Mik line could maybe limit the McDavid unit somewhat. But then you could free up the Lotto Line and Lindholm line to beat the Oilers' depth.

Or just play the Joshua-Lindholm-Garland line against the Draisaitl-McDavid-Hyman line? They have to try that or the Pettersson line before going to Lotto imo.. If something clicks, then you save Miller and Lindholm/Pettersson for the opposition's depth.

Moving Pettersson up to the Lotto Line basically scuttles any hope of Hoglander and Mikheyev chipping in during this series. The other aspect of Lotto that is unappealing is that Tocchet doesn't play Pettersson in the middle. This prevents Miller from being first man on the forecheck (ideal) and it stalls Pettersson's movement. Too many starts and stops on the wing. He doesn't move his feet enough already.

This is a big decision that I'm hoping Tocchet gets right from the outset of Game 3.

 

[The Optimist]

While another top 6 forward to play with Pettersson would have been nice, not getting Tanev has been really impactful. A Tanev Soucy pairing to match up against McDavid is exactly what the team needs right now.

 

[David71]

Took a look to see what the lines looked like when we hammered the Oilers in the regular season. Biggest take away Di Giuseppe 1st line, Hoglander 4th line.

Lines when we hammered Edmonton:

Di Giuseppe-Miller-Boeser
Kuzmeko-Pettersson-Garland
Joshua-Suter-Beauvillier
Hoglander-Lafferty-Studnicka

Hughes Hronek
Soucy Myers
Cole - Freidman/Hirose

The closest lineup would be:

Di Giuseppe-Miller-Boeser
Lindholm-Pettersson-Garland
Joshua-Suter-Blueger
Hoglander-Lafferty-Mikheyev

Lindholm replaces Kuzmenko (trade)
Blueger replaces Beauvillier (trade)
Mikheyev replaces Studnika (injury return)

Line 1: Exact Same
(Di Giuseppe was very effective to start the season, especially against the Oilers)

Line 2: Lindholm replaces Kuzmenko
(Lindholm over Kuz is an upgrade, he can take the draws, Garland and EP played great together, Kuz was the weak link)

Line 3: Blueger replaces Beauvillier (slight upgrade)

Line 4: Mikheyev replaces Studnika (slight upgrade)


A hybrid version to keep the 3rd line intact could be:

Di Giuseppe-Miller-Boeser
Sutter-Lindholm-Pettersson
Garland-Blueger-Joshua
Hoglander-Lafferty-Mikheyev


Why change what worked brilliantly?
Have Di Giuseppe on the Miller line
Have either Suter or Garland with EP
Play Hoglander on the 4th where he spent the majority of the regular season.

i like this. need to change it up. maybe the d pairings change too. hronek has been so bad.. hughes/zadorov
soucy/myers
cole or juulssen/hronek

 

[David71]

While another top 6 forward to play with Pettersson would have been nice, not getting Tanev has been really impactful. A Tanev Soucy pairing to match up against McDavid is exactly what the team needs right now.

tanev is slow but would be needed for those defensive plays. stay man on man on mcdavid.

 

[crazychimp]

Hopefully McDavid doesn’t go down easy on another Suter hit tomorrow. I watched a replay on Reddit wow he should have been called on for embellishment as well.

Edit: And I mean that both ways I don’t want to see Zadorov pulling that shit either at least Tocchet ripped into him after doing it can’t say the same for their team though.

 

[David71]

need mikeyev to pot some in. good chances the past 2 games.