Post-Game Talk: Don't Drink and Drai

[Soundwave]

I am curious to see Draisaitl + RNH. I hope Tippet at least tries it for a couple of periods.

 

[Oilers 322]

Changing their games to be more responsible defensively, keeping urgency and effort level up etc is a must if we want to keep developing and growing this team and it's culture to be a championship team. They're leaders and examples for the team. You want to see your leaders play hard at both ends and be responsible, not cheat, float. You want to see them be able to work hard and grind for offence when the checking gets tighter and they can't pass the puck into the net instead of seeing them continually trying to play the easier way by doing that. It's a huge downer when you see your best players slack on defence and get hemmed into their own zone through lack of urgency and effort trying to defend and retrieve the puck back. And you know that energy and effort is there because you see them all of a sudden have 3 times more energy and jump when the puck occasionally gets turned over and they go on a break.

When they're game isn't there (as in the case of drai last night and several other times recently), they need to be able to fall back to the basics and defend well and NOT be a liability. Too often in the past year they don't and their overall goes to c*** and they definitely become a liability. I mean not often are both "off" (and connor was still decent last night but drai was pretty bad) but when they are they almost get lazier and start to cheat and float to save energy for offence instead of bearing down and just try to not be a liability defensively. A lot of times when you do this (defend well), it opens up offensive chances for you. They get impatient and don't realize this. To be fair they've been better this year with this because last year they were horriawful when their offensive games were off and the other team was checking tight. They became huge liabilities in a bunch of games down the stretch last year.

Drai talks about how he wants to be a selke and looks at Kopitar as a role model.... well he better start walking the walk instead of talking the talk.

I honestly think Drai has been walking the walk with respect to playing like Kopitar. Obviously he’s not as good as Kopitar was in his prime defensively. However, he does play a decent game in the defensive zone and has been cheating for offence less than previous years. His bad game yesterday stemmed more from his offensive game. He was missing passes, over skating pucks, mishandling pucks in the neutral zone/o-zone that resulted in turnover and goalS against. On the OT goal, Drai came back to cover his man after making the terrible pass. It was McDavid that ultimately left Miller open on the GWG. Drai needs to shorten his shift considerably. I noticed several times in the o-zone where he waited for the puck to come to him instead of skating to get to the puck a second faster.

 

[NotAVacuumSalesman]

Your joking right

It's more of an overreaction and not to be taken literally.

Did you chuckle?

 

[McTonyBrar]

It's more of an overreaction and not to be taken literally.

Did you chuckle?

Maybe a little

 

[I am the Liquor]

No offence to Klef but he doesn't exactly have much of a leg to stand on when defensively he's been terrible the last few weeks and basically cost the Oilers at least one if not two losses with awful pinches on his part. He basically gave Colorado two free goals in a game the Oilers were winning 1-0 in the third period and then had a stinker of a game with Larsson (-4) versus Ottawa where the Oilers were also winning 1-0.

Talk is cheap, actions speak louder than words.

Norris Klefbom sounds a lot like Andrew Ference these days. Glass houses and all that.

 

[Oilers in NS]

Be pleasantly shocked?

Keep the faith. I know its hard and we have been thru hell and back with this team but I like what we have assembled in a short time. Calgary is starting to climb so we need a winning streak bad

 

[dssource]

This game felt like the team were getting re-adjusted to the winning lineup and type of play of a couple weeks ago. 1st period was off, 2nd and 3rd were better. Hopefully that can carry into the Canes game.

Smith not making some of those stops that he was making at the beginning of the year. Plus we need to be playing more in the opposition end and less shots against.

Drai def needs to take shorter shifts. Remenda even pointed it out. Not only is he gassing himself, he's keeping the other lines sitting for too long and taking them out of the game. Bottom 6 play better when the top 6 take regular length shifts.

Watching Sheahan in the first, he looked like the only Oiler playing at that point and I thought to myself, this guy is going to get one soon. Glad he did in this game. He's been working hard and deserved it. Now with the goose eggs broken for most of the bottom 6, hopefully they can contribute more regularly.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

I am curious to see Draisaitl + RNH. I hope Tippet at least tries it for a couple of periods.

Unless they play terribly, give it a few games and see how it goes.

 

[McFlash97]

unacceptable to be a minus player with 53 points in 30 odd games. Are these 2 playing any defense at all ?

97 and 29 looking at you.

 

[harpoon]

No offence to Klef but he doesn't exactly have much of a leg to stand on when defensively he's been terrible the last few weeks and basically cost the Oilers at least one if not two losses with awful pinches on his part. He basically gave Colorado two free goals in a game the Oilers were winning 1-0 in the third period and then had a stinker of a game with Larsson (-4) versus Ottawa where the Oilers were also winning 1-0.

Exactly. If Klefbom played as good as he talks, this team would be a lot better off.

 

[MaxR11]

I honestly think Drai has been walking the walk with respect to playing like Kopitar. Obviously he’s not as good as Kopitar was in his prime defensively. However, he does play a decent game in the defensive zone and has been cheating for offence less than previous years. His bad game yesterday stemmed more from his offensive game. He was missing passes, over skating pucks, mishandling pucks in the neutral zone/o-zone that resulted in turnover and goalS against. On the OT goal, Drai came back to cover his man after making the terrible pass. It was McDavid that ultimately left Miller open on the GWG. Drai needs to shorten his shift considerably. I noticed several times in the o-zone where he waited for the puck to come to him instead of skating to get to the puck a second faster.

I think defence or maybe "responsible hockey" is not just in your own d zone. it's all over the ice. It's puck management and effort in retrieving the puck back, back checking, fore checking. There are many ways to play "defence". Maintaining possession of the puck, checking hard in the o zone and retrieving and turning over the pucks in the o zone and neutral zone is defence too. Drai had been a bit better earlier in the season for sure as far as responsible play but once he started to struggle a bit with his offensive game (just overall play not including points) you can start to see him sag and cheat for offence and not backcheck and float around. You can't have that. You need to ALWAYS have the basic solid defensive and responsible hockey game and work out from that if you want to grow into a championship team. If you struggle a bit offensively you can always fall back to the basics and NOT be a liability.

He absolutely needs to shorten his shifts. both he and Connor. Connor has way better legs and can handle those longer shifts but its still bad for him and the team overall. I'm surprised Tips hasn't gotten a handle on that situation yet. Struds even mentioned it yesterday. Said something about how it not only gasses you out for later in the game or the season but it throws the other lines and players out of whack. He said something perfect about how when you get into a habit of taking longer shifts there's less urgency and effort in each shift and then you get into bad habits of floating and cheating. When you take shorter shifts, there's more urgency to get things done and the pace quickens. he also said it really takes the pace out of the other lines when you have guys like connor and drai hog the ice and can disrupt lines/players when ie drai stays out too long and the LW taking his spot is 20 secs behind the other 2 fwds as far as getting into the shift and is off again when his linemates change 20 secs later. So you're constantly getting a winger or other fwd having shorten shifts because guys are hogging the ice. it really throws the rest of the team off.

 

[TheRebuild]

They are far from the worst team in the NHL.

without McDavid AND Draisaitl... sure keep telling yourself that.

 

[GOilers88]

without McDavid AND Draisaitl... sure keep telling yourself that.

Take away any teams two best players and see how they do. No Crosby Malkin? No ovie Backstrom? No kucherov and Hedman? Mack and Rantanen?

 

[Oilers 322]

I think defence or maybe "responsible hockey" is not just in your own d zone. it's all over the ice. It's puck management and effort in retrieving the puck back, back checking, fore checking. There are many ways to play "defence". Maintaining possession of the puck, checking hard in the o zone and retrieving and turning over the pucks in the o zone and neutral zone is defence too. Drai had been a bit better earlier in the season for sure as far as responsible play but once he started to struggle a bit with his offensive game (just overall play not including points) you can start to see him sag and cheat for offence and not backcheck and float around. You can't have that. You need to ALWAYS have the basic solid defensive and responsible hockey game and work out from that if you want to grow into a championship team. If you struggle a bit offensively you can always fall back to the basics and NOT be a liability.

He absolutely needs to shorten his shifts. both he and Connor. Connor has way better legs and can handle those longer shifts but its still bad for him and the team overall. I'm surprised Tips hasn't gotten a handle on that situation yet. Struds even mentioned it yesterday. Said something about how it not only gasses you out for later in the game or the season but it throws the other lines and players out of whack. He said something perfect about how when you get into a habit of taking longer shifts there's less urgency and effort in each shift and then you get into bad habits of floating and cheating. When you take shorter shifts, there's more urgency to get things done and the pace quickens. he also said it really takes the pace out of the other lines when you have guys like connor and drai hog the ice and can disrupt lines/players when ie drai stays out too long and the LW taking his spot is 20 secs behind the other 2 fwds as far as getting into the shift and is off again when his linemates change 20 secs later. So you're constantly getting a winger or other fwd having shorten shifts because guys are hogging the ice. it really throws the rest of the team off.

Very well said. I agree 100%.