Speculation: Comparing this season to last.

[Stoneman89]

The division wasn't great last year either. Difference is that the Coyotes and Flames have switched spots.



You actually have to start winning for that to matter. Or at least get to OT. We're 6 games below .500 already. We have to go on a 6 game winning streak just to get back to .500.

You might want to check the standings comparison more carefully if that's what you believe. They should something different.

Last year

Anaheim 25 pts
Vancouver 24 pts
Los Angeles 20 pts
Calgary 20 points
San Jose 18 points

This year

Los Angeles - 22
Arizona - 19
Vancouver - 19
San Jose - 18
Anaheim - 14

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

You might want to check the standings comparison more carefully if that's what you believe. They should something different.

Last year

Anaheim 25 pts
Vancouver 24 pts
Los Angeles 20 pts
Calgary 20 points
San Jose 18 points

This year

Los Angeles - 22
Arizona - 19
Vancouver - 19
San Jose - 18
Anaheim - 14

The Central rules the roost. The Pacific is a pathetic division and will only have three representatives again this year. There are FOUR teams above the division leading Kings.

 

[Stoneman89]

The Central rules the roost. The Pacific is a pathetic division and will only have three representatives again this year. There are FOUR teams above the division leading Kings.

I know it is. Thanks for confirming my point, not sure why there was any argument from you before about there not being any difference in the standings in that division from last year to this one. And it doesn't matter about the other division. We're not going to beat out anyone there. We need to concentrate on nabbing a spot in our own sadsack division.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I know it is. Thanks for confirming my point, not sure why there was any argument from you before about there not being any difference in the standings in that division.

I was just saying the division wasn't good last year. The Flames and Canucks were easily the two worst playoff teams and both were cannon fodder for the Ducks, who in turn were fodder for the Hawks. It actually reminded me of the years when the Canucks ruled the Northwest because all the other teams were so horribly incompetent that they racked up easy points.

The Ducks will get better though. That team is too good not to be better and the Kings have already reclaimed their spot in the playoffs. That just leaves the three spot, and I swear to God if the Coyotes somehow obtain that spot...

 

[Soundwave]

While I get our D is not good, a sub .900 save percentage is unacceptable.

Bryzgalov had a .908 save percentage as an Oiler with an equally bad or worse D. All I'm asking for is .905 or better from Nilsson or Talbot. I don't find that unreasonable, I'm not asking for like .915 or .920, I know that's unrealistic given our crappy D.

Like I've said before I think the problem with going with guys who are just looking for their first starter job is they get rattled mentally here too much and then start doing uncharacteristic things.

A guy who's been a starter before in his career is less likely to get into that toxic pattern because starting is no big deal to them. If you've been a starter before you're not going to freak out over a bad game or two.

 

[Up the Irons]

While I get our D is not good, a sub .900 save percentage is unacceptable.

Bryzgalov had a .908 save percentage as an Oiler with an equally bad or worse D. All I'm asking for is .905 or better from Nilsson or Talbot. I don't find that unreasonable, I'm not asking for like .915 or .920, I know that's unrealistic given our crappy D.

Like I've said before I think the problem with going with guys who are just looking for their first starter job is they get rattled mentally here too much and then start doing uncharacteristic things.

A guy who's been a starter before in his career is less likely to get into that toxic pattern because starting is no big deal to them. If you've been a starter before you're not going to freak out over a bad game or two.

I think you've nailed it, S-wave. Ever since Talbot soiled the sheets in the dying seconds against Calgary, he's been rattled. he's been beaten by the first shot of the game in every start since.

Hopefully, he'll get out of it, because he has the ability. Dubnyk did.

And I'm not so sure our D is that bad. they are not giving up the 5 bell chances they were giving up last year. they still have difficulty moving the puck forward, but you don't see opposing players alone in the slot for 3 seconds, which was happening 3 times a night last year.

 

[JustinCider]

This year or last, our D, our G, and our secondary scoring all must improve before this team will ever compete. While our goaltending hasn't been what it needs to be, until the D is drastically improved, it will be nearly impossible to accurately judge the goaltending. Changes need to be made, just doing the same basic thing, year after year clearly isn't working. This coming offseason is huge. I only see one untouchable on the team, and he's obvious. Other than McD, if the deal is makes sense, do it. Obviously all deals/trades are a risk/gamble, but if the team just stays as is, we will always get the same or similar results. That being said, teams aren't looking to move top pairing D, so it isn't going to be easy.

 

[Senor Catface]

We are playing much better and in pretty much every game. Look at Vancouver. Without OT losses, they are 7-11. We are 6-12. We have not got any loser points.

Rightly or wrongly, loser points are huge in this league, and our constant inability to get past the 60 minute mark is killing us. We've blown 3 games late it seems.

 

[PinSeeker]

This year or last, our D, our G, and our secondary scoring all must improve before this team will ever compete. While our goaltending hasn't been what it needs to be, until the D is drastically improved, it will be nearly impossible to accurately judge the goaltending.

I look at it the other way around actually. Our D has not been good, no denying that, but our goaltending has been worse. As a team, the Oil haven't given up boatloads of shots (15th) yet they find themselves at the bottom of goals against (third worst). Tough to pin that on the D no?

I realize there is a discussion around quality of shots vs quantity, but there have been a lot of bad goals so far this year for our tenders, specifically Talbot (2 vs Calgary, 2 vs LA on Sat, 1 vs LA in Edm, 1 vs Chicago, 1 vs Minn, I could go on).

Our GF/A is 47-58. By my count at least 8 GA are saves a goaltender has to make, regardless of the defensive coverage. Frankly this team should be .500 with suspect defense.

 

[shoop]

Rightly or wrongly, loser points are huge in this league, and our constant inability to get past the 60 minute mark is killing us. We've blown 3 games late it seems.

In 2005-06 the Oilers had the most loser points of any playoff team.

 

[Stoneman89]

I was just saying the division wasn't good last year. The Flames and Canucks were easily the two worst playoff teams and both were cannon fodder for the Ducks, who in turn were fodder for the Hawks. It actually reminded me of the years when the Canucks ruled the Northwest because all the other teams were so horribly incompetent that they racked up easy points.

The Ducks will get better though. That team is too good not to be better and the Kings have already reclaimed their spot in the playoffs. That just leaves the three spot, and I swear to God if the Coyotes somehow obtain that spot...

I am not talking about how teams do in the playoffs. You said the division wasn't any different from last year. I provided clear numbers proof that it is, and we have a great chance to move up because of it. It's clear math, and I have no idea how you can dispute that.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I am not talking about how teams do in the playoffs. You said the division wasn't any different from last year. I provided clear numbers proof that it is, and we have a great chance to move up because of it. It's clear math, and I have no idea how you can dispute that.

Only if other teams stop winning. You think that's going to happen? A lot has to go right for us to move up the standings. Winning more than a game in a row would be a good start, or even just making it to OT, which seems to be the latest bugaboo. The only team we have games in hand on is Calgary, and only Vancouver has played the same amount of games. We are 7 points behind Vancouver for third in the division, to pass them we have to earn 8 more points than them over a short period of time. Say the Oilers go 4-0 in their next four games and the Canucks don't win any, then we pass them. But it's not just the Canucks we have to worry about here. It's also the Flames, Ducks, and Sharks who all sit ahead of us. To reach third in the division we have to do better than four teams, each by a greater margin to keep them in the rearview mirror.

It's possible we could reach 6th (assuming Calgary keeps sucking or one of the other teams falls off a cliff) and maybe 5th at best, but that's likely it. The numbers don't seem like much from a faraway perspective, but think of it this way...

The Oilers have to win 39 of their next 64 games just to get to 90 points, which still won't be enough to catch 3rd place. Realistically we need 84 points in that span to at least reach 96, which even then still is by no means a guarantee, that's 84 out of a possible 128 points, or .677 points percentage, which most teams don't even manage in a season, let alone a smaller portion of it to catch up.

 

[Stoneman89]

Only if other teams stop winning. You think that's going to happen? A lot has to go right for us to move up the standings. Winning more than a game in a row would be a good start, or even just making it to OT, which seems to be the latest bugaboo. The only team we have games in hand on is Calgary, and only Vancouver has played the same amount of games. We are 7 points behind Vancouver for third in the division, to pass them we have to earn 8 more points than them over a short period of time. Say the Oilers go 4-0 in their next four games and the Canucks don't win any, then we pass them. But it's not just the Canucks we have to worry about here. It's also the Flames, Ducks, and Sharks who all sit ahead of us. To reach third in the division we have to do better than four teams, each by a greater margin to keep them in the rearview mirror.

It's possible we could reach 6th (assuming Calgary keeps sucking or one of the other teams falls off a cliff) and maybe 5th at best, but that's likely it. The numbers don't seem like much from a faraway perspective, but think of it this way...

The Oilers have to win 39 of their next 64 games just to get to 90 points, which still won't be enough to catch 3rd place. Realistically we need 84 points in that span to at least reach 96, which even then still is by no means a guarantee, that's 84 out of a possible 128 points, or .677 points percentage, which most teams don't even manage in a season, let alone a smaller portion of it to catch up.

It's a daunting task, I'm not arguing that. My point was the points accumulated in our division this year are a lot less than last year. I'm running out of steam on this, I can't continue make it more simpler, sorry.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

It's a daunting task, I'm not arguing that. My point was the points accumulated in our division this year are a lot less than last year. I'm running out of steam on this, I can't continue make it more simpler, sorry.

I can see that for sure but the Oilers are also part of that "less points accumulated" equation. It's frustrating to see a team like the Coyotes pulling ahead while we're stuck in last.

 

[CornKicker]

buffalo and toronto have more points than us

 

[Jumptheshark]

We need a proven #1 goalie.


I wouldn't sign Talbot. He's just a guy at this point. Not a #1.

problem starts with our D

 

[JustinCider]

I look at it the other way around actually. Our D has not been good, no denying that, but our goaltending has been worse. As a team, the Oil haven't given up boatloads of shots (15th) yet they find themselves at the bottom of goals against (third worst). Tough to pin that on the D no?

I realize there is a discussion around quality of shots vs quantity, but there have been a lot of bad goals so far this year for our tenders, specifically Talbot (2 vs Calgary, 2 vs LA on Sat, 1 vs LA in Edm, 1 vs Chicago, 1 vs Minn, I could go on).

Our GF/A is 47-58. By my count at least 8 GA are saves a goaltender has to make, regardless of the defensive coverage. Frankly this team should be .500 with suspect defense.

I won't argue for our goaltending at all. While at times, they have have looked really good, they have also gave up too many weak goals at the worst times. No doubt we should have at least a couple of loser points at the minimum with average to above average goaltending. And that's at the very least, it could be up to 10 more points if things went right. Problem is, our D and our G are below average, and no one is offering up top pairing D or above average starting goalies, so where do we go from here?

 

[thadd]

Stats aside, the fact last year that they didn't best a WC opponent until December says it all

It does say a lot. I can remember that being mentioned a gazillion times by the guys on CHED radio last year.

Another fact that can't be ignored is that our losses against Western teams haven't looked nearly as bad. If my memory serves me right our loss VS Dallas was pretty brutal, but the team didn't give up.

In most of our losses this year we find ourselves pointing our fingers at 2-3 players in anguish and disgust, while last year we'd be talking crap about over half of the team.

Last year too many players from the very start seemed to have the mentality that they'd lost the game after we'd been scored on 1 or 2 times. Sometimes you could see it at the very start of the game when it was still 0-0, but this year our new coaching staff has the team fighting through the games regardless of the score. It's very enduring and I think that's why we have so many fans in this thread who aren't talking like they're giving up on this team.

 

[space321]

We threw away a point (at least) against Calgary, we lost a point because the refs robbed us. We haven't gotten many breaks our way at all. It's kinda frustrating to watch.

 

[Narnia]

We threw away a point (at least) against Calgary, we lost a point because the refs robbed us. We haven't gotten many breaks our way at all. It's kinda frustrating to watch.

The refs also blew the Calgary one when stupid Hartley challenged a legit goal and the goal was waived off despite the Flames player pushing the Oilers player into the Flames goalie. That should have gone to OT.

 

[nexttothemoon]

The refs also blew the Calgary one when stupid Hartley challenged a legit goal and the goal was waived off despite the Flames player pushing the Oilers player into the Flames goalie. That should have gone to OT.

While that play sucked for the Oilers and their fans... calling him stupid is a little silly when it was a pretty solid move on his part to get it reviewed and get the goal overturned.

If the tables were turned and McLellan pulled that move and it worked out for the Oilers we'd all be saying what a shrewd move he made.