Around the NHL - The dog days of the season

[Tender Rip]

There are no reasons to look for issues to bag on McDavid for, IMO. He is awesome, full stop. Best player in the league and tremendous to watch, making gold out of crap. I think one has to be a small person to not allow Oilers fans to be gaga with him, as there are otherwise so many things to be currently suicidal about if you were a fan of that franchise.

That he gets a high amount of OZ draws is natural as that team hardly ever scores when he is off the ice. He has been on the ice for 71 of their 113 goals, and factored in on 61 of those himself.
For Crosby for instance the numbers are 72 out of 139 goals, with Sid getting in on 50. And that's also very good although no longer among the top ratios in the league. Kucherov has been on for 80 goals for instance, factoring in on a somewhat freaky 69 of those, but Tampa has scored 171, so its still a markedly lower rate than McD.

It'd be stupid for Edmonton to not utilize him as much as possible there, and with him playing heavy, heavy minutes it is only more logical. That he takes fewer draws than Sid is very much down to the fact that Draisaitl is often used with McD and of course on the PP too, and Drai is objectively better at that, so why not? (same with Brodziak when he is out with him). Lots of times he stays out there for extended shifts which often makes him a winger with new C's jumping on for a number of those occasions.

 

[EightyOne]

Edmonton's issues stem back to one thing: no longer entering the ice through the oil derrick.

@Tender Rip ....yeah, EDM has to maximize McDavid, but, they've set up the whole team to fail via terrible trades/bad roster management---so maximizing him does exactly what for success?

 

[Turin]

There are no reasons to look for issues to bag on McDavid for, IMO. He is awesome, full stop. Best player in the league and tremendous to watch, making gold out of crap. I think one has to be a small person to not allow Oilers fans to be gaga with him, as there are otherwise so many things to be currently suicidal about if you were a fan of that franchise.

That he gets a high amount of OZ draws is natural as that team hardly ever scores when he is off the ice. He has been on the ice for 71 of their 113 goals, and factored in on 61 of those himself.
For Crosby for instance the numbers are 72 out of 139 goals, with Sid getting in on 50. And that's also very good although no longer among the top ratios in the league. Kucherov has been on for 80 goals for instance, factoring in on a somewhat freaky 69 of those, but Tampa has scored 171, so its still a markedly lower rate than McD.

It'd be stupid for Edmonton to not utilize him as much as possible there, and with him playing heavy, heavy minutes it is only more logical. That he takes fewer draws than Sid is very much down to the fact that Draisaitl is often used with McD and of course on the PP too, and Drai is objectively better at that, so why not? (same with Brodziak when he is out with him). Lots of times he stays out there for extended shifts which often makes him a winger with new C's jumping on for a number of those occasions.

Nobody is bagging on him. I’m bagging on the Oilers turning their generational Center into a winger because they want to run him into the ground.

 

[Tender Rip]

Nobody is bagging on him. I’m bagging on the Oilers turning their generational Center into a winger because they want to run him into the ground.

Say relativizing instead of bagging then... comes out the same to most readers.
My only point is that none of it comes back on McD - and shouldn’t.

Anyway, I don’t see him being “turned into a winger” at all. Edmonton is all about McD whenever he is on the ice, nevermind if others take faceoffs. At least there are some who can help with that a little.

I’d never otherwise disagree with Chiarelli criticism.

 

[Turin]

Say relativizing instead of bagging then... comes out the same to most readers.
My only point is that none of it comes back on McD - and shouldn’t.

Anyway, I don’t see him being “turned into a winger” at all. Edmonton is all about McD whenever he is on the ice, nevermind if others take faceoffs. At least there are some who can help with that a little.

I’d never otherwise disagree with Chiarelli criticism.

It’s not just face offs, he’s literally a winger defensively which is stupid because he’s better defensively at center. That team is a mess .

 

[Tender Rip]

It’s not just face offs, he’s literally a winger defensively which is stupid because he’s better defensively at center. That team is a mess .

... and a lot of the season he has been played with RNH who is a lot more capable at C than wing. Other times Drai. What gives?
McD is a lot more dangerous at wing than they are, and Edmonton are trying to win hockey games.
He plays 24 minutes a night. A lot of it as a C. I don’t get why these things should even register among the litany of things to criticize the Oilers for.

 

[Turin]

... and a lot of the season he has been played with RNH who is a lot more capable at C than wing. Other times Drai. What gives?
McD is a lot more dangerous at wing than they are, and Edmonton are trying to win hockey games.
He plays 24 minutes a night. A lot of it as a C. I don’t get why these things should even register among the litany of things to criticize the Oilers for.

Because they have no depth and McDavid can carry any line by himself. Instead they load up the top line and play their generational talent on wing, leaving the rest of the team to be feasted on.

 

[Tender Rip]

Because they have no depth and McDavid can carry any line by himself. Instead they load up the top line and play their generational talent on wing, leaving the rest of the team to be feasted on.

They have tried the alternatives repeatedly, yes? They’ve gone McD, Drai, RNH down the middle also.
That just reduced the efficacy of McD while leaving the rest of the lineup as limp as it is now.

Anyway... I don’t think I even understand the argument at this point.

 

[Rossi Rat]

Are the Lightning the new Caps? Pretty regular season stats, by far the best record in hockey. But choke in the playoffs.

I can’t take them too seriously til they actually win the East.

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

Are the Lightning the new Caps? Pretty regular season stats, by far the best record in hockey. But choke in the playoffs.

So choking = winning the SC?

Guess I stepped into an alternate universe

 

[Rossi Rat]

So choking = winning the SC?

Guess I stepped into an alternate universe

Are you referring to their team that won it with Torts and basically an entire different team 15 years ago, or?

Also - not to discredit Tampa as a threat or anything. They are obviously very good.

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

Are you referring to their team that won it with Torts and basically an entire different team 15 years ago, or?

Also - not to discredit Tampa as a threat or anything. They are obviously very good.

I must have misread your post because I thought you were insinuating the Caps are chokers.

But TB made it to the SCF's a few years back. SJ also made it to the SCF and seemed to have their choking label removed

 

[FlightlessBird]

To be fair, the Caps were chokers.

 

[bathroomSTAAL]

To be fair, the Caps were chokers.

That last part is...what the hell? It's the Blues' fault he took an unnecessary brutal headshot on a 4th liner? He has to avoid the temptation now?

 

[Tom Hanks]

To be fair, the Caps were chokers.

Looks like he’s gone fishing in the sympathy river. Hard to catch anything when you use a chainsaw as bait.

 

[Tom Hanks]

 

[EightyOne]

Congratulations, NHL. You've created a league of vigilantes.

*I do not blame Bortuzzo, or Reaves, or anyone. Wilson was given too much leeway and now the pendulum swings the other way to balance.

 

[Tom Hanks]

Edmonton's issues stem back to one thing: no longer entering the ice through the oil derrick.

@Tender Rip ....yeah, EDM has to maximize McDavid, but, they've set up the whole team to fail via terrible trades/bad roster management---so maximizing him does exactly what for success?

Dreger and LeBrun examine state of Oilers

 

[BHD]

Wilson only has himself to blame. I’ll never wish injury on another player, but it’s hard to feel bad for him.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Congratulations, NHL. You've created a league of vigilantes.

*I do not blame Bortuzzo, or Reaves, or anyone. Wilson was given too much leeway and now the pendulum swings the other way to balance.

It's a shame that Reaves doesn't play Washington again this season.

Here's a thought: why doesn't Vegas just trade RR (for futures) to Washington's next opponent? And then that team trades RR (for futures) to the next opponent and so on.

 

[EightyOne]

It's a shame that Reaves doesn't play Washington again this season.

Here's a thought: why doesn't Vegas just trade RR (for futures) to Washington's next opponent? And then that team trades RR (for futures) to the next opponent and so on.

Lol everyone just trades Reaves before every Washington game.

I mean, as long as no one retains salary, I think it's legal to round robin to same team multiple times through trades. No one actually gives anything up. Just paper trades of like a 7th rounder until Reaves completes his tour lol lol lol lol

It might crash Hockey References database to have 82 trades on one player.

 

[Shady Machine]

To be fair, the Caps were chokers.

Good. Supplemental discipline is used to make you change your game. It’s on you to figure it out. Shouldn’t be that hard to stop being a total meathead.

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

To be fair, the Caps were chokers.

"After the 20th time they told me what I was doing was wrong, I may have to rethink my actions"

 

[BHD]

Are the Lightning the new Caps? Pretty regular season stats, by far the best record in hockey. But choke in the playoffs.

I can’t take them too seriously til they actually win the East.

Meh... on one hand they’ve run into some pretty good teams in the ECF. On the other hand, they dropped they ball in key games each series. Reminds of the Sharks during their peak. Good teams that had to beat Chicago (2010) and Vancouver (2011).

 

[Honour Over Glory]

To be fair, the Caps were chokers.

SO he's hurt players with illegal dirty hits and finally started to get in shit for and now he's afraid of what is a proper hit and what isn't?

Go f*** yourself Tom.