Post-Game Talk: Ducks 2 Oilers 1 - 30 second swing

[space321]

... and there you go coming back at me with a very reasonable post.

In my world Larsson is an excellent #2 and Klefbom can pass as a #2 with a good partner. On good nights they get a pass as 1st pair, but on bad nights (normally Klefbom's side) they don't. Last games have been a bit off but the +- for a guy like Larsson who plays a lot of EV, vs the best opponents and on below average teams is pretty impressive. Not from me but someone showed that he normally goes - every 4th game or so over the last 2-3 seasons. That is very impressive and matches up vs the best of D's in the league.

Anyhow, not to dig deeper into that now. It's for another day/thread.

An excellent #2 is someone like Jared Spurgeon or Jeff Petry or prime Seabrook. Larsson's like an excellent #4 and a passable #3 and a poor mans #2.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Well in all honestly when you look at the bottom 6 currently.
You wouldn't get any difference in a bottom 6 of 1 million dollar players.
They're awful atm with salary.. may as well be awful and cheap.

I mean if you are going to have am awful bottom 6, might as well have a good top 6 lol

 

[McShogun99]

Well in all honestly when you look at the bottom 6 currently.
You wouldn't get any difference in a bottom 6 of 1 million dollar players.
They're awful atm with salary.. may as well be awful and cheap.

You can easily do a 2 mil winger for Mcdavid, a third line of 2mil players then have a 4th line and extra forward slot of player under 1 mil. It would have to be players on ELC's and hungry UFA's/PTO's on 1 year deals.

 

[DaGap]

 

[MettleMcOiler]

I like this.

 

[RegDunlop]

Disagree with this Rakell had position, is a very strong player and over 200lbs. its no walk in the park for a forward trying to defend on that play. Rakell had the edge, for sure was going to get one chance. But that's where Drai screwed up, I think his thought process was Koski would deflect puck and he would hit McD quick on a breakaway counter. Very much the wrong thing to do, but I assume Drai going behind the net to collect where he thought the rebound was going.

I mean Drai screwed up. We can carve him until Sunday I guess.

I agree with the flyby perhaps.
But he us a forward defending another high skilled forward. I thought he handled it ok. Not great but we can't win every game when we get to OT.
Which of course should never have happened.

For those defending Lucic being on the ice - sorry disagree vehemently. What is the fascination with this org playing him so much? I have no boas against him and yes he's on that line. But perhaps Kharhia whose does PK would be a better option? Or preferably Nuge out. Bad coaching decision if you ask me followed by bad plays.

And I don't think Drai had a horrible game like others do. Blah game maybe.

 

[RegDunlop]

If you’re fine with not creating any offense or chances whatsoever then sure they’ve been fine.

We’ve got a fourth line as our third line and an adequate AHL line as our fourth line.

Not creating chances?
Kassian to Brodz on a 2 on 1?

 

[Missing smitty]

I agree with the flyby perhaps.
But he us a forward defending another high skilled forward. I thought he handled it ok. Not great but we can't win every game when we get to OT.
Which of course should never have happened.

For those defending Lucic being on the ice - sorry disagree vehemently. What is the fascination with this org playing him so much? I have no boas against him and yes he's on that line. But perhaps Kharhia whose does PK would be a better option? Or preferably Nuge out. Bad coaching decision if you ask me followed by bad plays.

And I don't think Drai had a horrible game like others do. Blah game maybe.

They got caught out because there were no whistles. I highly doubt it was Hitchcocks plan to let them stay out there as long as they were. If they got a whistle, you can bet money Nuge would have been out there.

 

[RegDunlop]

They got caught out because there were no whistles. I highly doubt it was Hitchcocks plan to let them stay out there as long as they were. If they got a whistle, you can bet money Nuge would have been out there.

I just can't agree that as a trio they should see the ice with 1:35 left.
Hitch had scrambled duos with McD and Nuge for many prior shifts. Why not then?
Brodz, Kass and either Kharia but better yet Nuge should have been automatic. Christ I'd even have Marody in before Lucic. Chaisson could have been used, whatever. Like another poster said - anyone!

I'm certainly not a Lucic hater but defending a lead is so far away from his forte that he shouldn't even expect to see the ice.

 

[RegDunlop]

Yeah. Drai setup 6 great scoring chances tonight and should have had a goal himself. He was certainly having a decent game until 3rd period. the hyperbole really gets rolling though and its "Drai took the game off" because myopic views focus only on how the game ended.

Just finished watching on PVR.
Can't agree with you #6 setups, but I remember a couple of them.

One in particular ti McD walking in and shooting short side high. Awesome set up.
My take is that it wasn't his strongest game, but still ok

 

[Missing smitty]

I just can't agree that as a trio they should see the ice with 1:35 left.
Hitch had scrambled duos with McD and Nuge for many prior shifts. Why not then?
Brodz, Kass and either Kharia but better yet Nuge should have been automatic. Christ I'd even have Marody in before Lucic. Chaisson could have been used, whatever. Like another poster said - anyone!

I'm certainly not a Lucic hater but defending a lead is so far away from his forte that he shouldn't even expect to see the ice.

I agree, it must just be something about Anaheim and having their goalie pulled, it's like a death sentence for an Oilers lead

 

[RegDunlop]

Nuge already is playing 20 minutes a night. You wanna double shift him and add 5-10 minutes to that?

Don't go to as many games live anymore. But I've found this argument very lame in last 5+ years. The amount of 90 second commercials for TV, the long 3min TV timeouts, and the constant 'ice personnel' being paraded out there ensures that most players get enough rest.

Maybe I'm too oldschool but I would run my horses as much as they could take. My 4th line would do EXACTLY what I'd want them to or they simply wouldn't play much.

IDK - I just think your stars should be able to play 22-24mins easily.

 

[RegDunlop]

If we were trying to score a goal with our goalie pulled yes. Defending a lead and putting out a line that had been very good defensively? No.

Lots of teams put out lines likr that in the final minutes. It's called defensive hockey

Agree that that line SHOULD be on ice in that situation. And NOT the McD line. We're trying to defend. My beef is that it is not a true shutdown line when Lucics on it. He should've been subbed by Nuge or someone else.

 

[RegDunlop]

Lucic didn't cost the game. Which LW should have been of there instead Khaira or Spooner? Neither based on the first 59 minutes.

Kharia kills penalties. Better choice than Lucic.

 

[RegDunlop]

I wondered how much discussion we'd get if Brodziak scored on that empty net setup by Kassian? Or how Nurse couldn't handle the pass from Caggiula for an open shot? Someone previously mentioned before me, this team has no killer instinct to finish.

I actually was pissed at Caggs. Why fire a bullet of a pass? Nurse could've been in all alone if pass was a bit quicker and less velocity.

 

[RegDunlop]

Have a hard time hating on the 3rd line and Lucic included. They had good chances all night. Nothing bad happened against when they were out there until that last minute. 17 shot attempts for, just 4 against with Lucic at 5v5 tonight, no quality chances against. But, in Oilers fashion, the aggression was completely gone from them in that last shift. I'm sure Hitch was expecting something different, but hopefully he gets how scared this team acts late in games, it's part of who this team has been these last few years. It needs to be broken.

Good post
Thanks

 

[RegDunlop]

That trade is looking odder by the day and it really doesn’t have much to do with Spooner. Marody getting no ice time under two coaches now since the deal was made. The team really needed a center.

What exactly is the problem with Marody? I know wheels aren't great but he has looked better than average to me with some high skilled plays.
Why is he here if he's just going to play a few minutes?

 

[RegDunlop]

Unless the players are reading HFboards, no post on here is going have any effect on a player being "run out of town".

This is the truest post IMO I've ever read here!

 

[RegDunlop]

I don't just mean HF Boards, I mean all of the spaces in which fans can articulate their opinion, especially Twitter, which is the worst. Eberle even admitted what a tough city it was to play in and how his confidence was shot due to continual fan criticism.

I loved Ebs.
Then he became a candyass. I have no time for him.

 

[Oilers in NS]

I can’t see any situation where Hitch has Rattie in over Khaira.

I think we’ll see this before too much longer

Caggiula-McDavid-Draisaitl
Benson-RNH-Puljujarvi
Spooner-New 3C/Khaira-Chiasson
Lucic-Brodziak-Kassian
Malone

Klefbom-Larsson
Nurse-New D
Russell-Wideman
Gravel/Garrison

I honestly don’t think Benson spends the year in the AHL. He’s too smart of a player and would really mesh with RNH - he seems to have chemistry with anyone he plays with in the AHL. Leaves Hebig-Marody-Yamamoto as the top line in the AHL, with Gambardella-Malone-Russell on the 2nd.

Rattie I think is traded or waived. Patrick Russell goes down. Probably stuck with Garrison even though he should be waived. Khaira and Benning are trade bait, as are our 2nd rounder and spare third rounder.

There r a few guys doing well on the farm. Hebig is scoring as well. As for Rattie , he was under performing in St Louis under Hitchcock.