Post-Game Talk: 9 games over

[Oilhawks]

I just don't understand why people are so angry/frustrated. I said this in another thread, but this team is exactly where it should be.

All year everyone has been saying the leafs are the class of the division and everyone else is battling for 2nd. Here we are, battling for second while still having a shot at first, and people are still bitching that the team just isn't good enough.

Say a couple of those TO games go our way, and we drop a couple of the Ottawa games like TO has. The team is still sitting right where they are. Or if 2/3 of those Leaf/Habs losses went our way, the Oil are then sitting in first place despite being a class below the team that's been deemed the cream of our division.

I literally don't understand half of what people are even complaining about anymore because most of it just seems like whining for the sake of whining.

There are posters here that would complain if this team didn’t make it out of the 2nd round this season

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

There are posters here that would complain if this team didn’t make it out of the 2nd round this season

I'll certainly complain if we don't make it out of the first round.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

I'll certainly complain if we don't make it out of the first round.

You complain regardless.

 

[Little Fury]

There are posters here that would complain if this team didn’t make it out of the 2nd round this season

I mean we're unlikely to have a clearer path to the final four than this year so if all Holland does at the TDL is bring in some piece of crap like Luke Glendening he should be launched into the sun.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

You complain regardless.

I've made my stance clear on this season many times, a first round exit at this point of McDavid's career is a failure of a season. This is not a strong division by any means.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

I've made my stance clear on this season many times, a first round exit at this point of McDavid's career is a failure of a season. This is not a strong division by any means.

And you complain regardless.

 

[OfCorsiDid]

I'll certainly complain if we don't make it out of the first round.

Why? We're likely playing WPG which isn't exactly minced meat. Its not like we're playing Chicago again.

If we lost, I'd be upset for sure, but I wouldn't be sending anyone through the woodchipper.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

And you complain regardless.

Imagine holding a team to a higher standard than the likes of the mediocre teams in the league when it has not one, but two powerhouse centers that almost any other team would give their left nut for.

I don't think asking to not be a free space on the playoff bingo card with McDavid and Draisatl is asking too much.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Why? We're likely playing WPG which isn't exactly minced meat. Its not like we're playing Chicago again.

If we lost, I'd be upset for sure, but I wouldn't be sending anyone through the woodchipper.

I feel very strongly that this is the Oilers best chance for a deep run because we sure as hell aren't going to beat Vegas in a series.

I think we can beat Winnipeg.

 

[GOilers88]

I mean we're unlikely to have a clearer path to the final four than this year so if all Holland does at the TDL is bring in some piece of crap like Luke Glendening he should be launched into the sun.

He has said repeatedly he isn't looking to add depth. Whether anyone believes him or not is up for debate.

I'd like to see a team built to compete with the Tampa's and the Vegas' consistently moving forward instead of trying to exploit another f***ed up covid year.

 

[OfCorsiDid]

I feel very strongly that this is the Oilers best chance for a deep run because we sure as hell aren't going to beat Vegas in a series.

I think we can beat Winnipeg.

I think we can too. But let's say we get through Winnipeg and Toronto to get re-seeded in the third round. Most likely the seeds coming out of the other divisions are Colorado, Tampa, Washington/NYI

So based on points % the matchups would be:

Tampa v. Washington/NYI

annnddddd

Colorado v. Edmonton


And as much as I have a ton of faith in the boys, there's a near zero chance of us getting through Colorado.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Imagine holding a team to a higher standard than the likes of the mediocre teams in the league when it has not one, but two powerhouse centers that almost any other team would give their left nut for.

I don't think asking to not be a free space on the playoff bingo card with McDavid and Draisatl is asking too much.

If thats how you want to characterize continuous complaining about a team that has gone 20-8-2 in their last 30 games fine. The team is making progress and are in a much better state than they were a year ago and that team was in a better state than the one the year before that.

Endless complaining "holding a team to a higher standard" doesn't change the fact that it takes years to shovel all the shit out of the barn and now perhaps longer thanks to a Covid damaged salary cap.

Is the team perfect? Far from it. Has it made progress? Certainly has but I can perhaps count on one finger how many times you have posted anything positive about this team this year.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

If thats how you want to characterize continuous complaining about a team that has gone 20-8-2 in their last 30 games fine. The team is making progress and are in a much better state than they were a year ago and that team was in a better state than the one the year before that.

Endless complaining "holding a team to a higher standard" doesn't change the fact that it takes years to shovel all the shit out of the barn and now perhaps longer thanks to a Covid damaged salary cap.

Is the team perfect? Far from it. Has it made progress? Certainly has but I can perhaps count on one finger how many times you have posted anything positive about this team this year.

Clearly you haven't checked the threads where I laughed at the times we beat the Flames.

To me the measure of success for this team comes playoff time.

I think we can too. But let's say we get through Winnipeg and Toronto to get re-seeded in the third round. Most likely the seeds coming out of the other divisions are Colorado, Tampa, Washington/NYI

So based on points % the matchups would be:

Tampa v. Washington/NYI

annnddddd

Colorado v. Edmonton


And as much as I have a ton of faith in the boys, there's a near zero chance of us getting through Colorado.

I would agree with that. I also don't think we get through Toronto (although Montreal could upset them).

I still think we can beat Winnipeg at the very least.

 

[CrazyJoeDavola]

I just don't understand why people are so angry/frustrated. I said this in another thread, but this team is exactly where it should be.

All year everyone has been saying the leafs are the class of the division and everyone else is battling for 2nd. Here we are, battling for second while still having a shot at first, and people are still bitching that the team just isn't good enough.

Say a couple of those TO games go our way, and we drop a couple of the Ottawa games like TO has. The team is still sitting right where they are. Or if 2/3 of those Leaf/Habs losses went our way, the Oil are then sitting in first place despite being a class below the team that's been deemed the cream of our division.

I literally don't understand half of what people are even complaining about anymore because most of it just seems like whining for the sake of whining.

Do you even watch the games? This team is getting screwed by a coach that refuses to change anything as we watch our bottom 9 get caved in game after game (except vs OTT).

 

[GOilers88]

Do you even watch the games? This team is getting screwed by a coach that refuses to change anything as we watch our bottom 9 get caved in game after game (except vs OTT).

So the gist of this is that the team as it currently is constructed is in fact better than or equal to the Leafs and should/would be taking the division if not for Dave Tippett?

I commend you on your bold take, as I can't say I've seen anyone say the same.

 

[Little Fury]

He has said repeatedly he isn't looking to add depth. Whether anyone believes him or not is up for debate.

I'd like to see a team built to compete with the Tampa's and the Vegas' consistently moving forward instead of trying to exploit another f***ed up covid year.

And I'd like to find a bag with a million bucks in it, but there's a better chance of that happening than you getting your wish. Tampa built their team with incredible drafting over the course of 13 years and Vegas got a clean slate and favourable rules to build an instantly competitive team. The best chance we have in the next few years is just to get in and hope to catch lightning in the bottle because we don't have the talent depth of those teams or any prospects to fit the bill.

 

[Little Fury]

Do you even watch the games? This team is getting screwed by a coach that refuses to change anything as we watch our bottom 9 get caved in game after game (except vs OTT).

Maybe he needs to play Larsson and Russell more.

 

[GOilers88]

And I'd like to find a bag with a million bucks in it, but there's a better chance of that happening than you getting your wish. Tampa built their team with incredible drafting over the course of 13 years and Vegas got a clean slate and favourable rules to build an instantly competitive team. The best chance we have in the next few years is just to get in and hope to catch lightning in the bottle because we don't have the talent depth of those teams or any prospects to fit the bill.

That's why Holland was brought in. To right the ship for the years to come. That takes a little longer than a season and a half.

If you honestly think it's this year or bust, I don't rightly know what to tell you. Making deals and trading assets under the premise of maybe catching lightning in a bottle for one shortened season seems like a surefire way to wind up back in Chiarelliville to me.

I think the worst thing Holland could do is to sell whatever it takes to make McDavid happy right now at the expense of helping turn this franchise into an actual winner, a la Tampa.

McDavid be damned imo. If we aren't going to do it right this time around then just fold the f***in team and relocate them to new owners.

 

[Little Fury]

That's why Holland was brought in. To right the ship for the years to come. That takes a little longer than a season and a half.

Yeah they probably should have brought a guy in who isn't several decades past his prime then to set the team up for long term success.

If you honestly think it's this year or bust, I don't rightly know what to tell you. Making deals and trading assets under the premise of maybe catching lightning in a bottle for one shortened season seems like a surefire way to wind up back in Chiarelliville to me.

Didn't say "this year or bust" but sitting on assets like this yers first rounder when there's as good an opportunity to go deep in the playoffs as you'll ever have is pretty dumb, especially since the going gets a lot tougher next season.

I think the worst thing Holland could do is to sell whatever it takes to make McDavid happy right now at the expense of helping turn this franchise into an actual winner, a la Tampa.

That's another false choice. But the fact is they don't have the time to build a team the way Tampa did with great drafting because the clock is already running on McDavid and Draisaitl. They need to find another way.

 

[GOilers88]

Yeah they probably should have brought a guy in who isn't several decades past his prime then to set the team up for long term success.



Didn't say "this year or bust" but sitting on assets like this yers first rounder when there's as good an opportunity to go deep in the playoffs as you'll ever have is pretty dumb, especially since the going gets a lot tougher next season.



That's another false choice. But the fact is they don't have the time to build a team the way Tampa did with great drafting because the clock is already running on McDavid and Draisaitl. They need to find another way.

When you say this year is the best chance we'll have you're basically saying it's this year or bust.

What would be different about facing Vegas or Tampa next year as opposed to this year?

I'm also not saying they shouldn't make any moves. If there's a deal to be made where we somehow manage to bring in a legit impact player and they're willing to eat equal salary going back I'm all for it. I just don't see it happening. But pinning your hopes on Buffalo taking a mid to late first and James Neal for Taylor Hall is a one way ticket to disappointment.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

When you say this year is the best chance we'll have you're basically saying it's this year or bust.

What would be different about facing Vegas or Tampa next year as opposed to this year?

After this year the road to a lengthy playoff goes through Vegas. There's a chance that they could lose before we would have to worry about them (and maybe even Colorado if we're lucky).

I feel like the playoffs are wide open this year given how much uncertainty there is, but once we're back in the same division as Vegas, we're going to play second fiddle to them as they'll be the uncontested best team in the division.

 

[GOilers88]

After this year the road to a lengthy playoff goes through Vegas. There's a chance that they could lose before we would have to worry about them (and maybe even Colorado if we're lucky).

I feel like the playoffs are wide open this year given how much uncertainty there is, but once we're back in the same division as Vegas, we're going to play second fiddle to them as they'll be the uncontested best team in the division.

I get what you're saying, and you guys definitely aren't wrong. But the fact is that probably as soon as next season we're back to normal divisions. Either we properly build a team that can compete year in and year out or we hope to sneak past all the real competition this year and pack it up for the foreseeable future.

Just how I interpret that. I think expecting a move as big as the ones (we need more than one) required to make this team a legit contender happening before this deadline is so beyond unrealistic based on how everything has played out this year.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I get what you're saying, and you guys definitely aren't wrong. But the fact is that probably as soon as next season we're back to normal divisions. Either we properly build a team that can compete year in and year out or we hope to sneak past all the real competition this year and pack it up for the foreseeable future.

Just how I interpret that. I think expecting a move as big as the one required to make this team a legit contender happening before this deadline is so beyond unrealistic based on how everything has played out this year.

I'm not saying push all the chips in, but at the same time, doing nothing or next to nothing feels like waving the white flag.

 

[Little Fury]

When you say this year is the best chance we'll have you're basically saying it's this year or bust.

"As good a chance as you'll get" is not the same as "the only good chance you'll ever get."

What would be different about facing Vegas or Tampa next year as opposed to this year?

I'd rather worry about them in the conference or Cup final than get wiped in the first round.

I'm also not saying they shouldn't make any moves. If there's a deal to be made where we somehow manage to bring in a legit impact player and they're willing to eat equal salary going back I'm all for it. I just don't see it happening. But pinning your hopes on Buffalo taking a mid to late first and James Neal for Taylor Hall is a one way ticket to disappointment.

I don't see it happening either but that's on the GM for not having the chops or vision to make something happen.

 

[GOilers88]

"As good a chance as you'll get" is not the same as "the only good chance you'll ever get."



I'd rather worry about them in the conference or Cup final than get wiped in the first round.



I don't see it happening either but that's on the GM for not having the chops or vision to make something happen.

All fair points. As someone who has played competitive sports almost my whole life I've never prescribed to the "dodge them until the end" sort of idea. If you want to be the best ya gotta beat the best, and if that's in the first round or the last round has never mattered much to me. But I do see where you're coming from.