Pre-Game Talk: Avalanche-rolled or get rolled. 7PM MTN

[Raab]

I don't think Lucic has looked good in one game all year. Khaira is still figuring out being a winger in the NHL and looks lost every other game. He's ready to center two out of three of our legit wingers now? That configuration should last for 1 shift.

It doesnt matter what their lines are when they have so many passengers on the team. I count 8 guys not good enough or not playing to potential on the forward side, and 4 guys on the defensive side. Half the team's not good enough right now.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Lucic-Drai-Slep (this line was good before the injury to Slep) but leave it to Mclellan to completely ignore that and have Camm or Cagguila in the top 6 instead of Slep.

Slep Cagguila and Camm are all useless and none should be in the top 6.

 

[Spawn]

I don't think Lucic has looked good in one game all year. Khaira is still figuring out being a winger in the NHL and looks lost every other game. He's ready to center two out of three of our legit wingers now? That configuration should last for 1 shift.

How can I have an honest discourse with you when you make a statement like that?

 

[Mr Positive]

welp

it's just February and the team is basically in must-win mode, and that's without hyperbole. That's a bad sign. But, other teams have done it. The team has the talent. If Sekera and Klef start playing at 100%, Talbot goes into god mode, and the winger depth holds up, we will be hard to beat.

 

[Drivesaitl]

How can I have an honest discourse with you when you make a statement like that?

What game in 2018 has Lucic played well in? name one.

 

[Drivesaitl]

welp

it's just February and the team is basically in must-win mode, and that's without hyperbole. That's a bad sign. But, other teams have done it. The team has the talent. If Sekera and Klef start playing at 100%, Talbot goes into god mode, and the winger depth holds up, we will be hard to beat.

When Mr Positive if prefacing posts with welp its all over but the opera singing.

 

[Mr Positive]

When Mr Positive if prefacing posts with welp its all over but the opera singing.

yes it is true. If you are being nothing but rational, you have to say that the odds are against us. That doesn't mean we won't make it. That's what sports is all about.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

A line with no center? Yeah I don't get it.

Khaira has played center in the AHL and is one of our best players this season when he's on his game. Puljujarvi seems to have good games after a lengthy rest as well. Looch flat out needs to get going.

 

[t0nedeff]

What game in 2018 has Lucic played well in? name one.

lmao so he's been bad in like what 5 games.

 

[voxel]

Is he on crack? We'd need to win 28 of our last 33 to make 103 points. If they can do it they'd have a pretty good shot at the cup. Maybe Talbot knows that theres an impact dman on the way? Only way I can see them getting remotely close to 25-28 wins out of 33.

We have to play exactly like we did last season in the last 25-30 games where we went something like 23-5 or better. I doubt we can because nothing is gelling this season compared to last. Maybe we’ll play .550 hockey and stay away from the bottom 10.

 

[LaGu]

He said we're making the playoffs.

To be fair to Talbot:

“We’re going to make the playoffs.” Cam Talbot looks you right in the eye as he says it.
“We’re going to play like our lives are on the line every single night,”
“Until eight teams have an ‘X’ beside their name we’re not out of it. That’s how we have to approach it.”

I think it is not really a guy being ignorant about their chances, that last sentence is the key to what was said. I would say it was more about calling out the team, and obviously explaining the mindset of how they should be approaching the games.

Last year we won 22 games in the last 33, that would give us 91 pts and seeing as most games are against the West (17 games vs Pacific, 6 game vs Central, 10 games vs the East) that could actually be enough.

 

[Drivesaitl]

lmao so he's been bad in like what 5 games.

Nice try. 10 games and he's been pathetic. At the most important juncture of the season and with it all on the line he flat out disappears. With 6M bucks and an A on his jersey. Some f***ing leadership.

This player hasn't scored a goal since Dec 23 2017. I think almost every other player on the team has scored at least a goal since then. For a player that has a role around the goal mouth, that is on first unit PP, and first line a lot of the time this is absolutely futile. Its flatline.

if the team was somehow unable to unload Lucic I'd be singing.

 

[Oilers Propagandist]

If varlamov plays we win 6-3.
Bernier: 6-0

win.

 

[Soundwave]

Nice try. 10 games and he's been pathetic. At the most important juncture of the season and with it all on the line he flat out disappears. With 6M bucks and an A on his jersey. Some ****ing leadership.

This player hasn't scored a goal since Dec 23 2017. I think almost every other player on the team has scored at least a goal since then. For a player that has a role around the goal mouth, that is on first unit PP, and first line a lot of the time this is absolutely futile. Its flatline.

if the team was somehow unable to unload Lucic I'd be singing.

He was good for a bit there when he first got put with McDavid, but he's always unable to stick with McDavid for too long because he's too slow and has garbage hands.

He's been terrible since Christmas break though no doubt. No leadership on the ice whatsoever.

 

[rboomercat90]

It’s hard to single anybody out of the lineup and say that they’re having a good year. Even saying that, some guys have been bigger disappointments than others. I’d put Lucic in that category. He’s been a non factor most nights and down right awful on others. I also expect more from a player making six million dollars and wearing a letter on his jersey. He hasn’t been remotely close to the dominant player we saw last year when he was taking over games physically. Again, he isn’t the only one but I see nothing wrong acknowledging his terrible season.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

yes it is true. If you are being nothing but rational, you have to say that the odds are against us. That doesn't mean we won't make it. That's what sports is all about.

 

[FlameChampion]

McDavid-Drai is Tmac's safety blanket.

Cammalleri-McDavid-Draisaitl
Lucic-Khaira-Puljujarvi
Maroon-Strome-Caggiula
Slepyshev-Letestu-Pakarinen

Just a disgusting lack of talent here.

Theres definitely a lack of talent. No doubt.

But the lines dont even make sense. And honestly for long stretches of this year, they havent. Maybe TM sees stuff in practice that we dont and he wants to send a message or something but to me, it just seems like hes stubborn.

With RNH out I think you have to run Draisaitl at center. But I get that TM thinks McDavid needs help. Even if thats the case, why is Cammalleri on the first line? Its just dumb. Maybe I will look bad who knows.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I never did beat Punch-Out. Stupid Great Tiger.

 

[ToeMcDrag83]

Those lines are pathetically bad.
The McD-Drai pairing couldn't save us in the first quarter / third of season, what's going to be different now especially with no Nuge?

Lucic-Drai-Slepyshev should've been a line for at least 10 straight games the moment Anton was healthy.
McDavid and Puljujarvi should be a tandem. Maroon/Caggiula should be in a constant battle for that LW spot.
Khaira and Strome should be a tandem. Maroon/Caggiula should be in a constant battle to show they want to be promoted form this LW spot.

With the injury to Nuge, depleting our center options further seems illogical to say the least.

 

[Supermassive]

I never did beat Punch-Out. Stupid Great Tiger.

Second Bald Bull always kicked my ass. Same with second Don Flamenco and Super Macho Man. Rarely ever got to fight Mike Tyson.
Hate to say it, but we're the Piston Honda of the NHL. Instant knockdown or KO, just need to know our weakness. Jam our d-man at your blue line and start an odd-man rush. Or dump it in on Klefbom/Russell/Benning's side. KO.

 

[McRpro]

I never did beat Punch-Out. Stupid Great Tiger.

Once you got by him it was smooth sailing the rest of the way.

 

[Digger12]

Second Bald Bull always kicked my ass. Same with second Don Flamenco and Super Macho Man. Rarely ever got to fight Mike Tyson.
Hate to say it, but we're the Piston Honda of the NHL. Instant knockdown or KO, just need to know our weakness. Jam our d-man at your blue line and start an odd-man rush. Or dump it in on Klefbom/Russell/Benning's side. KO.

Hey, we're moving up in the world. At least we're not Glass Joe anymore.

So does that make the Ducks Aran Ryan?

 

[Little Fury]

Theres definitely a lack of talent. No doubt.

But the lines dont even make sense. And honestly for long stretches of this year, they havent. Maybe TM sees stuff in practice that we dont and he wants to send a message or something but to me, it just seems like hes stubborn.

With RNH out I think you have to run Draisaitl at center. But I get that TM thinks McDavid needs help. Even if thats the case, why is Cammalleri on the first line? Its just dumb. Maybe I will look bad who knows.

You'd think they'd run the Maroon-McDavid-Drai line just to pump up the value a bit on Maroon before the TDL, but then again, Oilers.

 

[Staghorn]

Horrid lines bleccchhh

 

[Little Fury]

lmao so he's been bad in like what 5 games.

4 points and a fat zero for goals in the last 13 games.

Last year we won 22 games in the last 33, that would give us 91 pts and seeing as most games are against the West (17 games vs Pacific, 6 game vs Central, 10 games vs the East) that could actually be enough.

So we need a superhuman effort on par with last year's (in retrospect) miracle run to...still miss the playoffs.