Post-Game Talk: An Avalanche of Goals buries the Oilers 5-1

[TheRebuild]

Oilers will beat the Jets next game. I feel it. I watch all the Jets games as well, their goaltending is as **** as ours. Also, I fully expect Schultz to be sitting in the PB eating popcorn with Ference. I don't care who they call up to replace him, sit his ass down, for as long as it takes.

 

[BlackDogg]

So, we put Talbot back infor a couple and now Nilsson is back to **** goaltending.

Injuries, terrible defense and subpar goaltending - plus lack of effort by key players. Not a good recipe.

Wonder what Torts would do as coach - guaranteed one of the top 6 would have sat out a game or two by now.

 

[McJadeddog]

Perhaps Chiarelli has already decided to get rid of Schultz and McLellan is just giving him more playing time so he can get more points to increase his value at the deadline. Doesn't seem to be working though. At this point it's better giving him up for nothing than keeping him on the team.

yeah just sitting schultz in the pressbox would be "addition by subtraction" at this point... just an awful player who is almost guaranteed to cause at least 1 goal against per game through his own mind-boggling ineptitude

 

[frag2]

So, we put Talbot back infor a couple and now Nilsson is back to **** goaltending.

Injuries, terrible defense and subpar goaltending - plus lack of effort by key players. Not a good recipe.

Wonder what Torts would do as coach - guaranteed one of the top 6 would have sat out a game or two by now.

He'd tell everyone to block shots with their faces

 

[McJadeddog]

I have a hard time believing Justin Schultz is going to be in the league in 3 years time.

We're going to let him walk at the end of the season. Someone is going to offer him a $1.5-2 million contract, in which he will severely under-perform. At that point he will be lucky to get league minimum the next year.

Not a single positive attribute to that player.

yeah this is exactly how i see it working out as well... he'll be in europe in 2-3 years from now... he'll get one more 1-way deal for around 1.5 like you said... some team will pick him up as a reclamation project, he will abjectly fail as he is wont to do... i could see him getting a try-out of 2-way deal after that, and fail again... then he'll be in europe

 

[BlackDogg]

He'd tell everyone to block shots with their faces

At least they'd be doing pushups on the ice today

 

[Mr Positive]

I feel we were the better team. Our D was bad but their's was worse. We had a lot cross crease chances that we either squandered or that Varlamov simply robbed us on. Varlamov was super human and Nilsson was bad.

If we can get Klefbom back and if Schultz can either get a clue or get lost, we will have nights like last night swing in our favour. We have lots of time left in the season

 

[Mc5RingsAndABeer]

Honestly I thought we were even or possibly outplayed then, despite the score. Variance happens.

 

[Measles]

I don't think theres any way Yak gets traded until both he and McDavid are healthy and we can see if their chemistry is for real. The problem is we won't get much for trading him right now and I think it's worth giving him one last look. Giving him another look with McDavid means he wouldn't be traded until trade deadline at earliest, but since I can't see Yak being a trade deadline acquisition-type player I can't really see him being moved until the off-season. I personally still have some hope Yak can be salvaged.

 

[frag2]

I don't think theres any way Yak gets traded until both he and McDavid are healthy and we can see if their chemistry is for real. The problem is we won't get much for trading him right now and I think it's worth giving him one last look. Giving him another look with McDavid means he wouldn't be traded until trade deadline at earliest, but since I can't see Yak being a trade deadline acquisition-type player I can't really see him being moved until the off-season. I personally still have some hope Yak can be salvaged.

Yak - cheap, works with McDavid [somewhat]
Eberle - weak, exp, but scores
Nuge - weak, exp, doesn't do much of anything it seems lately

You keep Yak cuz he's cheap and like you said, see if he is for real like how Kunitz was to Crosby.

You keep Ebs because he actually scores but he is expensive and chicken **** it seems. RW depth is crap too

You keep Nuge only because McDavid and Drai are cheap still. He literally does more harm these days with his piss poor effort and little to no offense.

 

[McDrai]

Don't fool yourselves. We have 2 good goalies on the team. They just lose their confidence because of the terrible defense and the overall losing culture. See Dubnyk, Devan

 

[frag2]

Don't fool yourselves. We have 2 good goalies on the team. They just lose their confidence because of the terrible defense and the overall losing culture. See Dubnyk, Devan

To be fair, Dubnyk was a different case. He just didn't adapt until reality hit him in the face hard

 

[Mc5RingsAndABeer]

RNH is top ten in the league in TOI. I look forward to replacing that with Letestu

Why don't we just wait until healthy and roll three effective lines? RNH Pou Ebs have gotten it done as a one line team in the past. They'll find their form again.

 

[MinimaMoralia]

How is it possible that so many players on this team are this bad at playing hockey?
How does that happen?
I'm sick of looking at Gazdic try and figure out how to skate like it's his first time ever. I'm sick of Nikitin try to figure out how to make a pass like it's his first time ever. I'm sick of watching Eberle half-halfheartedly wave his stick in the general direction of an opposing player and call it a defensive play. I'm sick of Sekera and his unfailing ability to get his weak wrist shots right into the shin pads of the player immediately in front of him. I'm sick of McLellan and Woodcroft and their capacity to let this catastrophe happen. I want to punch Justin Schultz right in his stupid, lazy, smug, Justin Schultz face. And what happened to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins? This guy is looking lucky to reach 50 points this year. And he's our number one center. He was supposed to be this grand offensive whiz when he was drafted, his passing game was compared to Wayne Gretzky's, he was considered a lock for a perennial 80 point player. What happened to that ability?
This team is deplorable outside of the new wave of Drai, Nurse, Klef and McDavid.

 

[oobga]

What happened to the playoff drive energy

We were in a playoff spot that one day. Mission accomplished for the season. Next season the goal can be to hold a playoff spot for 1 week.

 

[Psychoil]

We were in a playoff spot that one day. Mission accomplished for the season. Next season the goal can be to hold a playoff spot for 1 week.

woah woah woah lets not get ahead of ourselves, next year we need to hold a playoff spot for 2 days first!

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

woah woah woah lets not get ahead of ourselves, next year we need to hold a playoff spot for 2 days first!

How about a day and a half?

 

[NateTheGreat]

Just dropping in to say I thought the this was a poorly played game from both sides but you guys probably slightly outplayed us, it was just a matter of the how the goalies played. I thought the refs really let the Avs get away with too much, they weren't calling anything out there. Hall and LD are a hell of a duo to stop my god. When McDaddy comes back you guys should be fine as long as they start playing better on the road.

I do have one question however. Rnh didn't impress me much last night, it might have been a bad game for him i don't know. But if you guys had to choose, who would you guys move first? Ebs or Rnh?

 

[Psychoil]

Just dropping in to say I thought the this was a poorly played game from both sides but you guys probably slightly outplayed us, it was just a matter of the how the goalies played. I thought the refs really let the Avs get away with too much, they weren't calling anything out there. Hall and LD are a hell of a duo to stop my god. When McDaddy comes back you guys should be fine as long as they start playing better on the road.

I do have one question however. Rnh didn't impress me much last night, it might have been a bad game for him i don't know. But if you guys had to choose, who would you guys move first? Ebs or Rnh?

Tough question, I think you'll find most oiler fans are split on RNH right now. Some people think he's going through a rough patch, others think he is just not strong or physical enough to be a top center.


The dichotomy is you can get more for RNH, but he's more valuable than Ebs. If I had to choose, I'd say Ebs first

 

[frag2]

RNH is top ten in the league in TOI. I look forward to replacing that with Letestu

Why don't we just wait until healthy and roll three effective lines? RNH Pou Ebs have gotten it done as a one line team in the past. They'll find their form again.

I think the thing is it's not just a forward issue but also D issue. Team is lacking and the only parts upfront that have value and are "okay" to trade off are Eberle and RNH.

Personally, I don't have much faith for RNH to "return to form"...and by form, I mean the slick rookie version RNH. Sure, he's defensively "better" now but his offensive ceiling seems to have capped. If he were to play all 82 games this season, he's getting 57 pts.

At least Eberle can score still.

Both still piss me off for how lackadaisical they are at both ends.

And I don't put too much credence into the annual post-elimination drive.

 

[frag2]

Tough question, I think you'll find most oiler fans are split on RNH right now. Some people think he's going through a rough patch, others think he is just not strong or physical enough to be a top center.


The dichotomy is you can get more for RNH, but he's more valuable than Ebs. If I had to choose, I'd say Ebs first

They are both at 6M. Lose RNH, you still have McDavid and Drai. Lose Ebs, you have...?

 

[NateTheGreat]

Tough question, I think you'll find most oiler fans are split on RNH right now. Some people think he's going through a rough patch, others think he is just not strong or physical enough to be a top center.


The dichotomy is you can get more for RNH, but he's more valuable than Ebs. If I had to choose, I'd say Ebs first

This is why I would move RNH first. He would get a better return, and you guys would still have LD and McDavid as your 1 and 2 Centres. Along with Hall,Yak,Pouliot, and Ebs to round out the top 6.

I honestly think you guys will make the playoffs this year, with Klef and McDavid coming back from injury, there will be more wins than losses from here till the end of the season. Here's to two young teams making the playoffs! Cheers!

 

[Peter Zezel]

As much as I like Eberle, really if it came down to it and McDavid/Drai were the centres, you could move RHN to the wing.

 

[McDeathbyCheerios*]

They are both at 6M. Lose RNH, you still have McDavid and Drai. Lose Ebs, you have...?

I've been kind of thinking the same thing.

Once McDavid and Yak get back I think you try Eberle and McDavid together and retry Yak and McDavid. If Eberle and McDavid are head and shoulders above him and Yak and look Hallsaitl good its worth keeping Eberle. If not trade him for value.

Hall - Drai - Purcell or a better Purcell
Pouliot - McDavid - Yak/Eberle
UFA - Vet Middle Six Guy - Someone
Hendricks - Letetsu - Korpi

Klefbom - Actual top 4 guy
Nurse - Sekera
Davidson - Reinhart/Someone

Legit Starter
Nilsson/Talbot

Quick note on Nilsson, I think o mentioned how he is a good goalie but is going to get burned out. Which he is, he is tired. Riding young goalies who have great potential but are not quite ready for a starter job does not help the team. Look at Condon in Montreal. He looked great when Price first got hurt. Now he is struggling hard.

 

[oljimmy]

Guys, while recent performances have indeed been abominable, let me rant, here. Three facts. 1. we very often dominate 3v3. 2. Several of our skill players have gone out long-term because of *very* sketchy plays (I would count McDavid, Davidson, Pouliot and Yakupov amongst these, I'm sure I'm missing some). 3. In terms of pure on-paper offensive ability and skill, no team is better than us.

The lesson? This franchise has put together a group of exciting, fast, young skilled players, as it did in 1980-83. These players, when given the space, often dominate (as 3v3 shows). But the NHL is no longer built to accommodate teams like this. The recipe for success is: clog up the neutral zone, stock the lineup with guys with good hands who know how to survive nasty hockey, make sure you get a goalie who really knows how to use those big pads.

The injury time to the Oilers this year is off the charts and continues to worsen. We are not playing particularly dangerously, we are just getting hurt, very often by BS "defensive" plays (on Davidson, Pouliot, McDavid) which only serve to destroy offense in the cheapest way possible. Just think about the kind of league that allows Dion Phaneuf to dangerously run our players without penalty, targeting Klef's head and injuring Pouliot, or which allows a blossoming young defensive talent like Davidson to be put out of commission by a lazy BS neutral zone cross check. When that is how you win hockey games, there can never be a fun, exciting, skilled young team that does well. They will have to "toughen up", trading away young skill for guys who know how to dump and chase, stick their butts out on the forecheck and grind out boring goals. Greeeeeat. //rant over