Pre-Game Talk: Can the Oilers continue to roll?

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

5 in a row and in comes one our nemesis teams who we always have a tough time with, on a heater and new coach bump of their own.

They’ve got a tough back to back though on the ice 20 hours or less after flying out of Vancouver. And we’ve beaten John Hynes coached teams for fun over the years so. And he looks like bald Dracula so there is that.

McDavid is absolutely back as is The Viking. Skinner playing solid, the D and PK have come right around under KK and Coffey. If the refs would ever call a penalty on the other team we might see what our PP looks like even!

Cannot see the lines changing at all.

RNH-McDavid-Hyman
Kane-Draisaitl-Brown
Foegele-McLeod-Janmark
Gagner-Hamblin-Ryan

Nurse-Ceci
Ekholm-Bouchard
Kulak-Desharnais

Skinner

Should be fun!

Click to read more...

 

[bone]

5 in a row and in comes one our nemesis teams who we always have a tough time with, on a heater and new coach bump of their own.

They’ve got a tough back to back though on the ice 20 hours or less after flying out of Vancouver. And we’ve beaten John Hynes coached teams for fun over the years so. And he looks like bald Dracula so there is that.

McDavid is absolutely back as is The Viking. Skinner playing solid, the D and PK have come right around under KK and Coffey. If the refs would ever call a penalty on the other team we might see what our PP looks like even!

Cannot see the lines changing at all.

RNH-McDavid-Hyman
Kane-Draisaitl-Brown
Foegele-McLeod-Janmark
Gagner-Hamblin-Ryan

Nurse-Ceci
Ekholm-Bouchard
Kulak-Desharnais

Skinner

Should be fun!

I think if there's ever a game for us to beat Minnesota, this is one of them, and it's not like we never beat them, it's just that we lose the majority of the time against them.

Long time nemesis... check
Team is well rested and now well practiced... check
Team got it's rust off already with game last night and early lead allowed for balanced player deployment.... check
Opponent is coming in playing a back to back and 3rd game in 4 nights.... check
It's also a back to back where they are coming from the West coast instead of down the QE2 meaning the team likely only gets into their hotels around 2:30 AM local time... check..
Opponent is also in the middle of a stretch where they will be playing their 7th straight game where the game before was in a different city.

If this was us going up against a team with the same circumstances, I'd see people calling it a schedule loss, .... so what will it be? Will this team do what it's supposed to do, or allow the demons of past losses vs. Minnesota haunt them again.

This is a game where if the Oilers can get out to a quick 2 or 3 goal lead early, which they have done frequently this year, they could have Minnesota just pack it in early and play for the next game.

We can also hope the John Hynes curse has followed him to Minnesota. His all time record is 4-10-5 vs. Edmonton as coach.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

I believe yes, because they way they're playing is conducive to it.

 

[ConnorNova0929]

I really hope Brown can get a goal soon.

 

[Duke74]

Please for the love of God, take Brown off the second line.

 

[Gordy Elbows]

What we’re seeing in the current version of the Oilers is a real commitment to process and good systems. The commitment was never strong before, as the players seemed to lack some buy-in, for whatever reasons.
If this continues, we’ll be talking about a lot more than just making the playoffs……way more!
Oh, and bring on the Wild….next!

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Please for the love of God, take Brown off the second line.

They should probably leave the lines the same.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

They should probably leave the lines the same.

He’s getting sooooo close.

 

[Duke74]

They should probably leave the lines the same.

I respectfully disagree. That second line isn't clicking and needs another player that can make plays from time to time. I'd put either Foegele there or take someone like Ganger from the bottom six. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I almost miss Yamamoto. Almost...

 

[VainGretzky]

They need to rest Skinner in between games

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

He’s getting sooooo close.

Haha I feel like he’s hitting a post a game lately.

I respectfully disagree. That second line isn't clicking and needs another player that can make plays from time to time. I'd put either Foegele there or take someone like Ganger from the bottom six.

And then you break apart a line that is clicking.

 

[Duke74]

Haha I feel like he’s hitting a post a game lately.


And then you break apart a line that is clicking.

Fair point. Maybe bring up someone from Bakersfield? That can't be worse than Brown.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Fair point. Maybe bring up someone from Bakersfield? That can't be worse than Brown.

Brown needs to start getting points for sure but his game as a whole is better than anyone in Bakersfield imo.

 

[FlameChampion]

B2B game for the Wild. Need to punish them.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Have to start Pickard sometime. Not sure this is the game to do it. Skinner has been very good during the streak.

 

[FlameChampion]

Have to start Pickard sometime. Not sure this is the game to do it. Skinner has been very good during the streak.

Starting him against the Devils might not be a bad idea. I assume Pickard is a bit quicker than Skinner? I haven’t watched him enough to know.

 

[bone]

Starting him against the Devils might not be a bad idea. I assume Pickard is a bit quicker than Skinner? I haven’t watched him enough to know.

After tomorrow, the rest of the schedule up to Christmas is vs. teams that at least Edmonton won't be competing with for playoff spots, so it doesn't really matter to me which one he gets. Chicago's next up after Jersey, so do you let him deal with Bedard (and not much else) or a strong offense by Jersey. Both teams are ones Edmonton should be able to score against even if he lets in a couple.

 

[Stoneman89]

5 in a row and in comes one our nemesis teams who we always have a tough time with, on a heater and new coach bump of their own.

They’ve got a tough back to back though on the ice 20 hours or less after flying out of Vancouver. And we’ve beaten John Hynes coached teams for fun over the years so. And he looks like bald Dracula so there is that.

McDavid is absolutely back as is The Viking. Skinner playing solid, the D and PK have come right around under KK and Coffey. If the refs would ever call a penalty on the other team we might see what our PP looks like even!

Cannot see the lines changing at all.

RNH-McDavid-Hyman
Kane-Draisaitl-Brown
Foegele-McLeod-Janmark
Gagner-Hamblin-Ryan

Nurse-Ceci
Ekholm-Bouchard
Kulak-Desharnais

Skinner

Should be fun!

Time to make these so called nemesis' our beaotches, beginning last night and continuing through the home stand.

As for a Dracula/Nosferatu lookalikes, I hereby nominate Derek Lalonde, coach of the Wings. This guy just looks like someone who can't wait to take a chunk out of your neck.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Starting him against the Devils might not be a bad idea. I assume Pickard is a bit quicker than Skinner? I haven’t watched him enough to know.

The devils will eat Pickard alive. Skinner just had a week off he should be good to go. Give pickard the start against Chicago.

 

[bone]

Time to make these so called nemesis' our beaotches, beginning last night and continuing through the home stand.

As for a Dracula/Nosferatu lookalikes, I hereby nominate Derek Lalonde, coach of the Wings. This guy just looks like someone who can't wait to take a chunk out of your neck.
View attachment 779337

 

[fireantz]

Season started “Cup or Bust” Then they went straight to San Jose!!! From here goals s/b short term 1) get past Minnesota, Seattle and Calgary by Christmas. 2) be in the playoff race by trade deadline 3) Play their best hockey down the stretch. Hopefully Holland can add to the roster and the core stays healthy. Baby steps!!!!

 

[Stoneman89]

Delete

Season started “Cup or Bust” Then they went straight to San Jose!!! From here goals s/b short term 1) get past Minnesota, Seattle and Calgary by Christmas. 2) be in the playoff race by trade deadline 3) Play their best hockey down the stretch. Hopefully Holland can add to the roster and the core stays healthy. Baby steps!!!!

They might be past all three of Seattle, Calgary and Minny by tomorrow night if things turn out. Could be past 2 of them on points and get the next position on the Flames due to less games played as well as more wins. I see them catching St. Louis, Nashville and Arizona by Christmas, and then closing in on the Canucks sometime in January.

 

[K1984]

Last time we played them we had a handle on the game except for every single time the Kaprizov - Hartman - Zuccarello line was out. They abused us mostly due to a combination of abject defensive and goaltending incompetence combined with garbage work ethic.

If we continue to play a disciplined, smart brand of hockey in the middle of the ice like we have the last two games we'll win.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Haha I feel like he’s hitting a post a game lately.

Brown's getting chances, but I feel like playing him on the 2nd line is similar to "beatings will continue until morale improves." Especially as he still doesn't have his speed back.

Hamblin's done a nice job stabilising the 4th line, and I don't mind the idea of having Brown play with Ryan (another heady defence-first guy). I do think he will eventually get his legs back under him towards the end of the season, but right now he's not at a top 9 level.

RNH-McDavid-Hyman
Kane-Drai-Gagner
Foegele-McLeod-Janmark
Ryan-Hamblin-Brown

Though I admit, I'd be tempted to give Lavoie, X or Holloway a shot in that RW slot over Gags. But that's not how the Oil roll sadly.

 

[Stoneman89]

Brown's getting chances, but I feel like playing him on the 2nd line is similar to "beatings will continue until moral improves." Especially as he still doesn't have his speed back.

Hamblin's done a nice job stabilising the 4th line, and I don't mind the idea of having Brown him play with Ryan (another heady defence first guy). I don't disagree he could get his legs under him towards the end of the season, but he's not at a top 9 level right now.

RNH-McDavid-Hyman
Kane-Drai-Gagner
Foegele-McLeod-Janmark
Ryan-Hamblin-Brown

Though I admit, I'd be tempted to give Lavoie, X or Holloway a shot in that RW slot over Gags. But that's not how the Oil roll sadly.

Pretty sure that when Holloway comes back, he'll slot right in as one of the bottom 6, and Gags is the 13th forward, unless there are injuries of course.