Post-Game Talk: 2017 redux

[Drivesaitl]

Sometimes Leon tries to do too much. Like last night.

Sure does. But it has to do with the coverage as well. he was getting trapped high and double teamed. That was more as the game went on. Because as well anytime he was feeding lower to Janmark or Kane they were doing much of nothing. The sense that Drai would have is if he isn't setting up plays no goals are happening.

Rangers were playing Drai as if none of the other Oilers on the ice mattered. Drai even made several great feeds in game and no one cashed. Conversely nobody was getting DRai the puck.

Holloway was a better option than Janmark but not seen with Drai until late in game. Maybe that sticks but I doubt it.

 

[94 Oil Drops]

If they trade either one of those guys just fold the franchise.

Not even for financial reasons, just out of sheer embarrassment.

Well actually.... IF one of the 2 asked for a trade, it would give us a chance to balance the roster. One of those guys could give you a starting goalie, a number 1 D, a second pairing D, and prospects/draft capital. The return would be astronomical and you would still hang onto one of the megastars. I'm not suggesting this is what I want to happen, but it's a solution that we may be forced to make if we miss the playoffs.

If we lose both Connor and Leon however, I'm done... There would be absolutely no reason to keep cheering for this team.

 

[WaitingForUser]

Sure does. But it has to do with the coverage as well. he was getting trapped high and double teamed. That was more as the game went on. Because as well anytime he was feeding lower to Janmark or Kane they were doing much of nothing. The sense that Drai would have is if he isn't setting up plays no goals are happening.

Rangers were playing Drai as if none of the other Oilers on the ice mattered. Drai even made several great feeds in game and no one cashed. Conversely nobody was getting DRai the puck.

Holloway was a better option than Janmark but not seen with Drai until late in game. Maybe that sticks but I doubt it.

At 3-0 we should have said screw it and put Nuge with Leon. He needed help and none of his line mates were providing it.

 

[CupofOil]

Chin up fellas, it could be worse.
I swiped this from the main board...



Then again, they aren't wasting the career of arguably a top 5 player of all time already and perhaps the 2nd best player in the league but those Huberdeau and Kadri contracts are something else. Two of maybe three or four contracts in the league that are worse than Nurse's.

 

[guymez]

Sure does. But it has to do with the coverage as well. he was getting trapped high and double teamed. That was more as the game went on. Because as well anytime he was feeding lower to Janmark or Kane they were doing much of nothing. The sense that Drai would have is if he isn't setting up plays no goals are happening.

Rangers were playing Drai as if none of the other Oilers on the ice mattered. Drai even made several great feeds in game and no one cashed. Conversely nobody was getting DRai the puck.

Holloway was a better option than Janmark but not seen with Drai until late in game. Maybe that sticks but I doubt it.

If that happens then Drai needs to eat the puck.
Not send hopeful passes up the middle of the ice like he is prone to doing.
That adds to the issues because it creates on the fly scoring chances for the opposing team.
The very thing that this team is struggling with.
Happened a few times in yesterdays game and in most of the games so far this season.
I am obviously not suggesting that Drai not try to generate offence but he needs to be smarter about managing the puck IMO.

 

[Drivesaitl]

If that happens then Drai needs to eat the puck.
Not send hopeful passes up the middle of the ice like he is prone to doing.
That adds to the issues because it creates on the fly scoring chances for the opposing team.
The very thing that this team is struggling with.
Happened a few times in yesterdays game and in most of the games so far this season.
I am obviously not suggesting that Drai not try to generate offence but he needs to be smarter about managing the puck IMO.

You can't eat the puck while being double teamed.

The worst pass of the night was by McLeod, in ownzone. The other by Foegele.

What adds to the issues is when Drai is playing with lunks like Janmark 10yrs into his career, or Kane that has been incapble of puck possession this season. I just don't know what he can do other than dump the puck in as he's getting zero help.

Nor was Drai on ice for any GA last night. yeah he got stripped a number of times. he's hard coming back on pucks too. The majority of times Drai was stripped was when he was trying to hold.

 

[belair]

6EVP in 7 games is a pace that would place him top 5 in the NHL last season. Better than he managed last year.

The only thing out of wack here is the player you people are opting to scapegoat.

EDIT: actually with 70 EVP he would have finished 6th, minor but notable correction

He has 1 goal and 4 assists at even strength so far this season.

I'm not scapegoating anyone. I'm actually impressed by his attention to detail so far this year defensively.

 

[Stoneman89]

You can't eat the puck while being double teamed.

The worst pass of the night was by McLeod, in ownzone. The other by Foegele.

What adds to the issues is when Drai is playing with lunks like Janmark 10yrs into his career, or Kane that has been incapble of puck possession this season. I just don't know what he can do other than dump the puck in as he's getting zero help.

Nor was Drai on ice for any GA last night. yeah he got stripped a number of times. he's hard coming back on pucks too. The majority of times Drai was stripped was when he was trying to hold.

Then you dump it in and live to fight another day. Get it back from their end with a strong forecheck. You don't need to make a pretty play every single time. That's what we're trying to say. Not saying he didn't play hard or make some nice passes or not play with others that helped, but as the saying goes, "you need to know when to fold em....." He was fortunate he didn't get any minuses.

 

[Soundwave]

The offence not going I think is a bit of a case of mental exhaustion.

I think they bought into the hype that they were taking the next step as a team and were past the gong show phase, when Vancouver went up 3-0 in game 1 again and you're asking McDavid and Draisaitl to bring the team back *again*, I think it just sunk the team mentally.

Like it was "oh ... same old shit as last year".

This is a team that I think is basically traumatized of continually having to come back and only being able to win games one way -- outscoring everyone.

They needed in the worst way for that new defensive system to show some results early, for Campbell or Skinner to stand on their head for a game here or there to start, when it just showed up as the same ol', same ol', I think the morale of the team sank badly.

And then McDavid gets hurt and voila. Total shit show then.

 

[OfCorsiDid]

Well actually.... IF one of the 2 asked for a trade, it would give us a chance to balance the roster. One of those guys could give you a starting goalie, a number 1 D, a second pairing D, and prospects/draft capital. The return would be astronomical and you would still hang onto one of the megastars. I'm not suggesting this is what I want to happen, but it's a solution that we may be forced to make if we miss the playoffs.

If we lose both Connor and Leon however, I'm done... There would be absolutely no reason to keep cheering for this team.

If one goes the other isn’t resigning so you might as well trade both.

 

[94 Oil Drops]

If one goes the other isn’t resigning so you might as well trade both.

I suppose that would depend on whether or not they would think the players coming back would be enough to help the team win. Impossible to say for sure though and I hope that's a question we never have answered.

 

[Mav3rick07]

Remember when we were tied 2-2 with the Golden Knights ? Both franchises have gone in completely opposite directions since then.

 

[ThePhoenixx]

I just don't know what he can do other than dump the puck in as he's getting zero help.

Remember, I'm the one whose advocating that we give Drai and McDavid blank contracts to fill in and sign...

...but that's exactly what he has to do when he is being double teamed and left with low percentage pass options. Then communicate that to his linemates. It's much preferable to the really bad cross ice giveaways.

It's also good to dump it in periodically as it makes one's play unpredictable. So let your wingers chase it, forecheck, punish a few Dmen.

Let them fly free, Leon.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Remember, I'm the one whose advocating that we give Drai and McDavid blank contracts to fill in and sign...

...but that's exactly what he has to do when he is being double teamed and left with low percentage pass options. Then communicate that to his linemates. It's much preferable to the really bad cross ice giveaways.

It's also good to dump it in periodically as it makes one's play unpredictable. So let your wingers chase it, forecheck, punish a few Dmen.

Let them fly free, Leon.

The trouble is these comments are occurring in a 3-0 loss where the team again failed to score and they were behind for vast majority of game. So again making safer plays was going to accomplishing nothing other than losing 3-0. Right?

Its not like he was even scored against. The team desperately needed goals and Drai showed that desperation at times. Because that was real. I just don't see the benefit earned in making conservative plays while behind multiple goals

If the Oilers were ahead in the game at any point and Drai was getting stripped then all the concerns expressed apply.

 

[The Hound]

It's worse than that.

No kidding.

 

[KCC]

Yup. They lost against Vegas because he stubbornly stuck with Skinner when he was clearly struggling, not because of the defensive system. They misdiagnosed the problem. That is malpractice.

All Woody had to do was stay the course of what he and the team has built the last few seasons and hope that Skinner and Campbell bounced back. That's what everyone and the media was thinking would happen and why so many were picking EDM for the cup. It was a simple formula. But Woody had other plans and as you said, has completely destroyed what they built up because of his misdiagnosed problem. Doesn't look like Woody is budging so this is it. Unless Holland fires him in the next game or two and staff reverts back to a man to man defense, it's going to be a very long year. lol

 

[BlackDogg]

All Woody had to do was stay the course of what he and the team has built the last few seasons and hope that Skinner and Campbell bounced back. That's what everyone and the media was thinking would happen and why so many were picking EDM for the cup. It was a simple formula. But Woody had other plans and as you said, has completely destroyed what they built up because of his misdiagnosed problem. Doesn't look like Woody is budging so this is it. Unless Holland fires him in the next game or two and staff reverts back to a man to man defense, it's going to be a very long year. lol

I think Woody has a misdiagnosed issue. He thinks he's smarter than everyone. Pompous

 

[FanOfSadTeam]

This team could easily end up the way the Sharks did. They were (real) contenders for years, could never get it done, and are now at rock bottom.

Making it to the playoffs every year isn't enough. You need certain key pieces like an elite defenseman, a really good goalie and depth to really make progress. And even with those, you still might not win, as is the case with the Sharks (and the Canucks).

Now do these Oilers have any of that? And yet they were considered contenders? Lmao

 

[ThePhoenixx]

The trouble is these comments are occurring in a 3-0 loss where the team again failed to score and they were behind for vast majority of game. So again making safer plays was going to accomplishing nothing other than losing 3-0. Right?

Its not like he was even scored against. The team desperately needed goals and Drai showed that desperation at times. Because that was real. I just don't see the benefit earned in making conservative plays while behind multiple goals

If the Oilers were ahead in the game at any point and Drai was getting stripped then all the concerns expressed apply.

Dumping it in is not the conservative play.

If done improperly you are just giving it up to the other team. If done properly it can create opportunities and wear down opposing Dmen.

If you never dump it in, then you become predictable.

Additionally, getting scored on is not the only metric. Giveaways at the blue lines seem to result in play being in ones own end for the next few minutes.

This is something every player needs to learn.

 

[Stoneman89]

The trouble is these comments are occurring in a 3-0 loss where the team again failed to score and they were behind for vast majority of game. So again making safer plays was going to accomplishing nothing other than losing 3-0. Right?

Its not like he was even scored against. The team desperately needed goals and Drai showed that desperation at times. Because that was real. I just don't see the benefit earned in making conservative plays while behind multiple goals

If the Oilers were ahead in the game at any point and Drai was getting stripped then all the concerns expressed apply.

The thing is, you can't score 3 goals with one shot. And when there is still plenty of time on the clock, you don't have a need to force all the time. That's how you wind up with multi goal losses. The chances will present themselves if you play the right way. And sometimes they go in, and sometimes they don't. But you always need to play the right way. There is no excuse not to, at this point in the career. And when things turn around (as they inevitably will), those good habits will come in handy, especially during tight playoff games against quality competition. Panicking now is not a solution. No one is saying dumping it in is the only play. But Drai rarely does that, making him very predictable despite his awesome talents, and he needs to round his game out by doing that.

 

[GOilers88]

Well actually.... IF one of the 2 asked for a trade, it would give us a chance to balance the roster. One of those guys could give you a starting goalie, a number 1 D, a second pairing D, and prospects/draft capital. The return would be astronomical and you would still hang onto one of the megastars. I'm not suggesting this is what I want to happen, but it's a solution that we may be forced to make if we miss the playoffs.

If we lose both Connor and Leon however, I'm done... There would be absolutely no reason to keep cheering for this team.

If the Oilers had a legit starting goalie, a legit #1D, a solid 3/4D, and some B+/A prospects in the organization, would you trade them for a year of Draisaitl?

I don't think there's any way the team gets a haul like that, and I think people will be supremely disappointed if a trade happens given the return. It would likely be mostly all futures, imo.

 

[Yuke]

McDavid said last year training camp wasn’t good. This year I’d say the results thus far speak for themselves.



Ok ok, Spa Days.

McD saying training camp wasn't any good can have many meanings.
Not good because the players were not prepared, not good because the ice was bad, not good because the coaching staff was not prepared, not good because some injuries, contract issues, arguments etc etc etc..
You guys are reaching.

 

[gordonhught]

Remember when we were tied 2-2 with the Golden Knights ? Both franchises have gone in completely opposite directions since then.

Woody got out coached. Instead of figuring out how to fix things next time, he completely changes the defense

 

[bobbythebrain]

Woody got out coached. Instead of figuring out how to fix things next time, he completely changes the defense

Man2man vs zone is not completely changing. It's basic coaching.

Vegas switched it up w/ complete ease

I'd say it's certain individuals on the team who can't grasp the concept who are ruining it for others.

A prime example would be that 3rd goal. Nurse refuses to step up on a lonely forward. He could have anticipated and jumped the player or the pass to go the other way. But he collapsed so far he became irrelevant and gave the guy all day.
The forward getting back played man2
man and followed the trailor.
All said and done, Nurse allows the player to walk in uncontested, set up for several seconds and then make a CC pass without an iota of pressure on the entry and the setup
Totally clueless if you watch it in replay

 

[mkatcherin00]

These no namers on the Canucks I've never heard of would skate circles around us in another game.

Canucks effort is on another level