GDT: WHC day 4: Sweden France, Canada Denmark

[KarmaPolice]

Larsson looks like he's back to last season's form. Hope it carries over to next season. We're gonna need it.

 

[McTrashBoat]

Those two cover NHL games too. I would be so embarrassed if foreigners could hear what they say on a nightly basis, they're like two even cringier versions of Pierre McGuire. Just two quotes from last night: "Klingberg is tussling with the little frenchman" and "Zibanejad is naked!" (= he's alone on a breakaway).

seems like as good a time as any to post this

Tyler EEENIS!
Wrap around!
Wooo!

 

[KarmaPolice]

seems like as good a time as any to post this

Tyler EEENIS!
Wrap around!
Wooo!

LOL
Who the hell are these guys? Sound like they belong calling soccer/football games in Europe or something. GOALLLLLL!!!

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Any discipline on larsson for the hit?

 

[LaGu]

Any discipline on larsson for the hit?

Not yet.

Larsson a short while ago:
"I have not heard anything yet [from IIHF]. Maybe later tonight, or maybe they just won't be calling"
"I still think it was a good hit, after having seen it again. The primary contact was the chest and the it is a natural reaction to push away with the arms, but I don't think you can call that an elbow"

 

[LaGu]

Larsson looks like he's back to last season's form. Hope it carries over to next season. We're gonna need it.

Best D on team Sweden so far.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Best D on team Sweden so far.

Great to hear. Defensive Dman always take longest to develop, so let's hope this coming season is his true breakout party.

 

[MoneyGuy]

Great to hear. Defensive Dman always take longest to develop....

They do?

 

[KarmaPolice]

They do?

So I've heard, yeah. Jason Smith and Steve Staios are two example that come immediately to mind with regards to the Oilers. Maybe it's not actually true, but was a commonly used trope for a long time. It's now stuck in my head, and I have assimilated it as fact. I hope it's true or else I'm screwed!

 

[Phil McKraken]

I don't watch Edmonton much, so I have a hard time putting two and two together watching Larsson in the WC. He seems to have pretty good offensive instincts when he puts his mind to it, yet he can't seem to crack 30 points. Do you think he's not able to do it, or is he just too schooled into a pure defense role in the NHL?

 

[McTrashBoat]

I don't watch Edmonton much, so I have a hard time putting two and two together watching Larsson in the WC. He seems to have pretty good offensive instincts when he puts his mind to it, yet he can't seem to crack 30 points. Do you think he's not able to do it, or is he just too schooled into a pure defense role in the NHL?

he does spend a lot of ice time away from McDavid

 

[LaGu]

I don't watch Edmonton much, so I have a hard time putting two and two together watching Larsson in the WC. He seems to have pretty good offensive instincts when he puts his mind to it, yet he can't seem to crack 30 points. Do you think he's not able to do it, or is he just too schooled into a pure defense role in the NHL?

This season scoring went up a bit, but still there were only 20 defensemen who cracked 30 EV+SH pts. The last three seasons there have been around 10 defensemen per season reaching 30 EV+SH pts.

30 pts is a pretty tough number to reach if you dom't play anything on the PP. Right now he is playing excellent hockey for team Swe, but still with no PP time. OEL Klingberg on PP1 and Lindholm Gustafsson on PP2. So I kind of doubt that he'll get PP time in EDM, but you never know.

All that said, I actually do think he can and will reach 30 pts without PP time. But that is because I think that he has better offense in him than what he has shown so far.

 

[Aerrol]

I don't watch Edmonton much, so I have a hard time putting two and two together watching Larsson in the WC. He seems to have pretty good offensive instincts when he puts his mind to it, yet he can't seem to crack 30 points. Do you think he's not able to do it, or is he just too schooled into a pure defense role in the NHL?

I agree with what LaGu has said, but I would also add that Larsson had a really rough year outside of the rink. Back injury followed by the unexpected death of his father. And then on top of all that, the team totally imploded this year. So I imagine that as a natural defence mechanism, he focused on what he knew at the NHL level - playing solid, safe defence. His passing looked a lot worse this year IMO, so it's good to see he still has some of those instincts when playing in a good environment. Near the end of last year I thought Larsson was starting to open up offensively a bit: I was impressed with his break-out passes and ability to get his shot through traffic. Sounds pretty similar to reports from the WHC this year (I unfortunately haven't been able to watch).

 

[joestevens29]

Any word if Pageau is the guy moving up to the Oiler line? Rishaug figured Peters was pretty clear that there would be someone new and him and Dreger did some math and they think it was Pageau

Then again I think Rishaug has been sipping on the cough syrup quite a bit so that math could be wrong.

 

[PositiveCashFlow]

seems like as good a time as any to post this

Tyler EEENIS!
Wrap around!
Wooo!

I think one of those guys was an actual PBP guy, and I think the other is a random YouTuber screaming on the track afterwards. If not, and if they're both legit PBP guys, wow, that's TERRIBLE

 

[theslatcher]

Best D on team Sweden so far.

He literally makes no mistakes, except for the hit in the France game which he thought was a good hit when asked about it(he hadn't seen the footage yet). His interviews though... Like watching paint dry.

Since he's paired with OEL he doesn't have/get to chip in offensively, but he did have a really nice feed to Rakell against France.

Also to add something; OEL's mother passed away 1 month(was diagnosed with cancer a year before and they knew she'd pass away) before last years' worlds and played there for pretty much the sane reason Larsson plays this year, so Larsson has a player who was in his shoes alongside him.

 

[McTrashBoat]

I think one of those guys was an actual PBP guy, and I think the other is a random YouTuber screaming on the track afterwards. If not, and if they're both legit PBP guys, wow, that's TERRIBLE

sagweeeen!

 

[Drivesaitl]

What a game by Larsson. The feed on that first goal was unreal.

Too bad we never see much of that here.

Really if a player isn't doing it during the Oilers season I could care less. Would never watch a single Sweden game unless they are playing Canada.

 

[Throttlehead]

Too bad we never see much of that here.

Really if a player isn't doing it during the Oilers season I could care less. Would never watch a single Sweden game unless they are playing Canada.

Thats too bad. If you want to see well coached players who get the most out of their physical abilities, watch Sweden. Sweden is a hockey factory.

 

[LaGu]

Too bad we never see much of that here.

Really if a player isn't doing it during the Oilers season I could care less. Would never watch a single Sweden game unless they are playing Canada.

Thanks for bringing down the good mood in this thread

Look, it's already been stated several times, they are playing fairly weak nations, well Czech Rep were pretty decent but not really that many NHL players on there (5-6 I think). I and some others are just happy to see him playing good because of how this season went in terms of his personal issues and the general performance of him and the team on-ice. That is basically it.

I also don't think this is a completely new Larsson, he looks a lot like the guy who played for the Oilers last season, especially in the playoffs. If this is any indication that he gets back to that form next season it would be great for the team.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Thats too bad. If you want to see well coached players who get the most out of their physical abilities, watch Sweden. Sweden is a hockey factory.

I watch Olympics and some international hockey. I'm rarely a fan of the World Championships which by NA standards is a consolation tournament for NHL losing teams and its players. My conditioned process is that usually after watching an Oilers season I have zilch desire to watch them play more games regardless of the tournament. tbh I haven't watched 1 minute of the WC this year. Don't intend to.

As for international play I always lean to Finland.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Thanks for bringing down the good mood in this thread

Look, it's already been stated several times, they are playing fairly weak nations, well Czech Rep were pretty decent but not really that many NHL players on there (5-6 I think). I and some others are just happy to see him playing good because of how this season went in terms of his personal issues and the general performance of him and the team on-ice. That is basically it.

I also don't think this is a completely new Larsson, he looks a lot like the guy who played for the Oilers last season, especially in the playoffs. If this is any indication that he gets back to that form next season it would be great for the team.

Its no knock on Larsson but I've rarely seen any offense out of him. He just isn't that kind of player in the NHL for whatever reason. Outside of very outlier plays he never has been in the NHL.

In anycase I don't look at it as a positive if any of our players play better elsewhere than they do here. I tend to be concerned about that. With Larsson he obviously gets the Mulligan from me because he lost his dad and went through a lot. But the Oilers need him to be a lot better next season.

 

[LaGu]

Its no knock on Larsson but I've rarely seen any offense out of him. He just isn't that kind of player in the NHL for whatever reason. Outside of very outlier plays he never has been in the NHL.

In anycase I don't look at it as a positive if any of our players play better elsewhere than they do here. I tend to be concerned about that. With Larsson he obviously gets the Mulligan from me because he lost his dad and went through a lot. But the Oilers need him to be a lot better next season.

Well, to be fair McDavid is above 2 PPG, Drai is almost at 2 PPG, RNH is 1 PPG ... Are you concerned about them as well?
Everyone is doing better in the WHC, that was why I pointed out the weaker opposition.

I also don't really think Larsson is better than ever in this WHC, I think he looks as good he was last season. This season, every time he got a bit of rest, he had a bit of jump in his game and at least tried to get involved offensively. In WHC it helps playing with OEL and often behind Zibanejad, Rakell and Janmark who have been gold do far this tournament.

He has never been that guy, but he should be good for around 20 EV pts per season, this season was what it was for him. Next season I am betting he hits 30 pts next year though because I think he and the team are bound for a re-bound. But I have been known to be overly optimistic in the past


Anyhow, I know these WHC become a lot about Larsson. That is my fault because I watch every Swe game and post about it while others don't seem to follow as closely. Also it is Larsson's fault because against the common wisdom he has so far outplayed OEL, Klingberg and Lindholm.