Post-Game Talk: Domination in Vegas

[McTonyBrar]

The Oilers were not poor defensively last night. Vegas got a few breaks and our goalies cannot make a save. Our big problem right now is that every single scoring chance we give up goes into the net.

Have to hope that Skinner just needs some rest to get back to where he was a month ago and that Campbell can beat Anaheim a few times to get him that rest.

I think that is not the case. I thought Skinner got a bit weaker in his game AFTER Campbell got a few games in and it changed the rhythm for Skinner.

Keep riding him.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Pretty sure him and Klim are friends off the ice too


Lol sorry but how are Ryan and Yamamoto negatives? Both have over 10 goals and penalty kill and play up and down the lineup.

Nobody insulted him Mrs Yams.

 

[Drivesaitl]

The Oilers were not poor defensively last night. Vegas got a few breaks and our goalies cannot make a save. Our big problem right now is that every single scoring chance we give up goes into the net.

Have to hope that Skinner just needs some rest to get back to where he was a month ago and that Campbell can beat Anaheim a few times to get him that rest.

I keep saying it but so much of the struggle for Skinner and Campbell is the goalie coach. He's focusing on them being block rather than reaction goalies and having them down on pads way too much, and too early. In todays NHL players are just shooting high, and can. Goaltending has to develop some further wrinkles and some of that is getting back to stand up goaltending, or at least more of it as the situation befits. Our goalies are getting routinely beat high because they are down too much, and too low in crouch. Anything bar under is in. Been some blocker side snipes getting in too. Last night Skinner was looking like a shooter tutor where all the holes were up high. Anything bar in or bar down was dangerous.

 

[PeakMcOil]

Had to laugh at one of the odds I saw last night on the ESPN broadcast. At Caesars, Vegas is +800 to win the cup, the Oilers +1200. Not a chance in hell should Vegas have those odds.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I love the team Ken Holland has built. Top end character, top end effort, top end skill.

If we didn't have Yamo and Ryan hurting the average, Oil must be one of the biggest teams in the league. Having Klim on our 4th line shows the incredible depth on this roster. When is the last time we had a team so hard to play against?

Ken is getting a statue in Edmonton

Holland is doing what good management does. Steadily increasing the skill and talent on the club. Kane, Hyman, Eckholm, Bjugstad. Janmark, Kostin. We're filling out a lineup with guys that can play. The only infill forward now with no potential is Shore. Thats important as past versions of the Oilers had so much winger filler. Its not like that anymore. Soon as Holloway and McLeod are back there won't be any filler. Pure players from one line to the next. Depth.

Good GM's accrue player assets and build teams. I wish we Had Holland at the start of the McDrai era.

 

[FlameChampion]

Holland is doing what good management does. Steadily increasing the skill and talent on the club. Kane, Hyman, Eckholm, Bjugstad. Janmark, Kostin. We're filling out a lineup with guys that can play. The only infill forward now with no potential is Shore. Thats important as past versions of the Oilers had so much winger filler. Its not like that anymore. Soon as Holloway and McLeod are back there won't be any filler. Pure players from one line to the next. Depth.

Good GM's accrue player assets and build teams. I wish we Had Holland at the start of the McDrai era.

Yeah the team would of benefitted so much with patience during the Chiarelli era. By the time we got through the Chiarelli era, so many people were tired of the incompetence that they dont want to hear the word "patience".

 

[Cournoyer12]

I keep saying it but so much of the struggle for Skinner and Campbell is the goalie coach. He's focusing on them being block rather than reaction goalies and having them down on pads way too much, and too early. In todays NHL players are just shooting high, and can. Goaltending has to develop some further wrinkles and some of that is getting back to stand up goaltending, or at least more of it as the situation befits. Our goalies are getting routinely beat high because they are down too much, and too low in crouch. Anything bar under is in. Been some blocker side snipes getting in too. Last night Skinner was looking like a shooter tutor where all the holes were up high. Anything bar in or bar down was dangerous.

Game,Set,Match! I completely agree, straight butterfly has been compromised! Need to go back to a more hybrid style!!!!

 

[Barrsy]

Yeah the team would have benefitted so much with patience during the Chiarelli era. By the time we got through the Chiarelli era, so many people were tired of the incompetence that they dont want to hear the word "patience".

Thanks Chia.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

 

[Drivesaitl]

Game,Set,Match! I completely agree, straight butterfly has been compromised! Need to go back to a more hybrid style!!!!

Yep. The goalies that seem to be surviving the cull are more the hybrid type like Hellbuck/Vasi that have more stand up in them. Its very clear where in the sets the goalies are being told to get down. A bit disturbing to me as its the wrong style for 2023. I'm not saying not to go down in close in situations but the goales are going down with puck along boards. In this way they are showcasing where they are.

My earliest memories of hockey commentating and coaching was that if goalies went down first they gave the shooter that information. That its a form of rock paper scissors or showing your hand prematurely. Why do that. This approach was owned in the past and its being owned again. Gump Worsley form (sorry) is dying one more time. Its limited. you can't be on the ice all the time.

The next goalie evolution needs to be back to a more hybrid style. Butterfly block form only is getting owned.

 

[Arpeggio]

Yeah the team would of benefitted so much with patience during the Chiarelli era. By the time we got through the Chiarelli era, so many people were tired of the incompetence that they dont want to hear the word "patience".

Maximizing your competitive window is the best way to give your team a chance at one cup these days. Too many teams, too much parity. What Holland has done has set up the Oilers to competed for the next 5 seasons minimum, assuming they can re-sign the big two. They're not at risk of losing any key players except for McDavid and Draisaitl. They have a decent prospect pool too. The only piece that's missing is a solid number one goalie, which I was really hoping Campbell could be. I think you have to give Skinner a chance to be the guy, but if these two can't get it done the next two seasons, that's the final missing piece for Holland to acquire.

 

[Nostradumbass]

Pretty sure him and Klim are friends off the ice too


Lol sorry but how are Ryan and Yamamoto negatives? Both have over 10 goals and penalty kill and play up and down the lineup.

Hey Tony, what’s Klim’s favourite movie? Have you guys watched it together yet?

 

[The Panther]

Draisaitl is just insane right now. That guy is back to the same form as the first 20 games of the 2021-22 season (which might have been the best 20 games by anybody except Connor since Mario in 1995-96). That skating plus move plus move plus pass to Kane did make me orgasm.

Drai with 15 points in the past 6 games.
Nuge with 18 points in the past 9 games.
McDavid with 19 points in the past 9 games.
Nurse with 1 point (three goals) in each of the past 6 games.
and let's not forget...
Foegele with 7 points in the past 8 games.
Yamamoto with 6 points in the past 6 games.

Yeah, the Bouchard and Nurse defensive breakdowns are a concern, as is the goaltending in general, but does it really matter when the Oilers seem to be able to score almost at will these days? Since January 11th, the Oilers are scoring 4.58 goals per game, almost a goal per game more than the 2nd highest-scorning team, Colorado. The Oilers have scored more than 2 goals per game than Winnipeg over this 33-game span.


By the way, since January 11th, the Oilers are the #1 team in the NHL. Yes, better than Colorado and Boston.

 

[CornKicker]

It really is astonishing how much our cup chances depend on the refs calling the playoffs like they call the regular season. It shouldn't be that way but it is.

the difference come playoff time is the oilers will get more space 5v5 because other teams know the PP is a death sentence.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Nuge is so f***ing filthy this year.

 

[joestevens29]

the difference come playoff time is the oilers will get more space 5v5 because other teams know the PP is a death sentence.

Pretty sure last year penalties were up in the playoffs vs regular season. Seems to be a myth that there are less penalties called.

Oilers had 50 chances in 16 games or 3.15 per game in playoffs last year. Regular season 235 penalties in 82 games or 2.87 per game.

5.18 minutes per game playoff
4.54 minutes per game regular season

Not really sure how to breakdown the quality of officiating, because every game there are weak calls and missed calls. But the numbers suggest there is an increase come playoff time.

 

[McTonyBrar]

Hey Tony, what’s Klim’s favourite movie? Have you guys watched it together yet?

I'm not Tony lol I'm his friend

Thanks Chia.

That second line

 

[Nostradumbass]

I'm not Tony lol I'm his friend



That second line

I’m Tony’s friend too and he told me he’s you.

 

[FlameChampion]

Pretty sure last year penalties were up in the playoffs vs regular season. Seems to be a myth that there are less penalties called.

Oilers had 50 chances in 16 games or 3.15 per game in playoffs last year. Regular season 235 penalties in 82 games or 2.87 per game.

5.18 minutes per game playoff
4.54 minutes per game regular season

Not really sure how to breakdown the quality of officiating, because every game there are weak calls and missed calls. But the numbers suggest there is an increase come playoff time.

There were a lot of penalties called in round 1 last year. Will be interesting to see if that carries over to this year.

You can already tell that the number of penalties called has went down (least in Oilers games) heading into the end of the season. I was watching the Boston/Nashville game yesterday a bit and was all kinds of calls. So who knows really. Different calls for different markets.

 

[Duke74]

Thanks Chia.

That's insane. Maybe I should stop complaining about Yamamoto being on Draisaitl's wing.

Can't believe Leon scored 50 that year with the crap around him.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

It's funny, thinking about last nights' game. Kessel was far and away the most effective Vegas forward last night. Which shows he can still play a little and the rest of the group is a bit on the meh side.

 

[Duke74]

I'm not Tony lol I'm his friend



That second line

The third line is worse

Draisaitl is just insane right now. That guy is back to the same form as the first 20 games of the 2021-22 season (which might have been the best 20 games by anybody except Connor since Mario in 1995-96). That skating plus move plus move plus pass to Kane did make me orgasm.

I think that we all should be used to Leon's annual trajectory by now as it seems predictable. Great in the first two months, garbage in the dead of winter, and great to finish the season.

 

[joestevens29]

It's funny, thinking about last nights' game. Kessel was far and away the most effective Vegas forward last night. Which shows he can still play a little and the rest of the group is a bit on the meh side.

One of only 4 Knights to play all games this year too.

Nice little piece for 1.5mil

 

[joestevens29]

Thanks Chia.

Three top 6 forwards with 9 4th liners. Although Chiasson was pretty decent that year, must've been hurt. And I guess Kassian was probably a 3rd liner that year.

 

[guymez]

winning the division is still a tough ask...

if Vegas goes 4-4 (hard schedule)...the Oilers have to go 5-1-1 down the stretch to beat them

I think home ice is very much up for grabs though, if the Oilers can sweep the Kings

As a plan 'B'...I was hoping that LA would catch Vegas and bump them down to 2nd place.

Playing Vegas in the first round would be fine by me.