Post-Game Talk: *Even Longer Fart Noise*

[McTonyBrar]

Edmonton chances of playoffs about 59%. Calgary 94% now.

If we go on a winning streak it goes up to 80-90 again

 

[soothsayer]

Anybody with a brain could see a regression coming for this team.

The 16-5 toxic positive crowd didnt want to see it and shouted down anybody who disagreed as a bad fan. Well now its even more dire then we thought. This Summer of Holland was a disaster.

It happens every year, where there are obvious roster concerns in the off-season, but some fans just won't allow any part of a critical discussion about the team and its potential issues. For whatever reason, it was especially bad this off-season, where some posters demanded that no criticsm be allowed, in the name of positivity, and even insinuated that posters who expressed concerns about the roster were suffering from mental health issues (depression). That's where I drew the line personally, when the positivy crowd became cult-like and creepy. Even now, you'll get posters saying "glad you're enjoying the losses" when you bring up the fact that the issues people were pointing out early on are the issues ailing the team right now.

I get that there are chronically negative posters here and it can be annoying; but, man, it's so frustrating to see glaringly obvious roster issues early, and seeing that the GM either is probably bad at what he does or is putting too much weight in his hopes that things will work out; and so as a fan you just gotta kind of wait and hope that you're wrong about what seem to be obvious issues.

Hopefully things turn around here. But I have zero faith that the Oilers will be a contender this year unless there is a serious nudge (full-on shove) from the GM.

 

[McTonyBrar]

I'm sure I'll get shouted at for saying this but missing the playoffs might honestly be for the best lest the Knights or Wild or whoever blow us away.

i think alot of us have read quite a lot of your pessimistic babble.

 

[McTonyBrar]

I am sorry, but Skinner has had chances to take the net and run with it. He hasn't done that. Sure he has shown a few flashes, but really he hasn't shone in his opportunities. Other teams have young guys who step in and make an impression. Skinner has not. Sure there is more to net play than just the goalie - defense, strategy etc - but this isn't rocket science. Skinner has had multiple shots. I know what we have in Skinner, he has shown us. Very average, if that.

Yeah because 8 games tell us what we have in a 23 year old rookie goalie who, before this year, had played 1 NHL game. Know how many games it took for Jack Campbell to find his stride?

 

[nexttothemoon]

Even if Skinner puts up his "very average" 91.8% for the rest of the year... I'd certainly take that as that's as good as Demko/Hellebuyck are putting up right now.

I think Skinner has issues with NHL snipes and the elite scorers in this league and he'll take more games to get used to the better shot quality he'll face in the NHL... BUT he's a fundamentally sound goalie who is better at goaltending than Koskinen (again low bar)... and I think a Smith/Skinner tandem is actually potentially solid.

I would play those 2 in a 50-50 mix so as not to overwork Smith and to find out what they have in Skinner.

 

[MoontoScott]

My advanced stat analysis...

It's not good when I sort the goalies by save pct on NHL.com and I have to click on the 2nd page to get to Koskinen.

Too funny.

Nothing against the guy I hear he's a nice person and obviously a very good athlete (can make some dazzling stops at times) but he's just not a #1 goalie and I don't know why the Oilers don't simply admit this to themselves. You can't ride him for 50 games. To suggest otherwise is simply stubborn and that's never a good thing for any management team.

Skinner still has lots to prove but the potential upside should mean that if there is a question of "who do we start" then the nod should go to the younger guy who needs more experience. I was very surprised that Kosko started last night.

As for Yams, well his grade in the Journal today of "2" was rather fitting. Again, good work ethic but when you can't generate any shots, let alone any goals then something has to happen in response but it doesn't.

I also found it amusing that in todays "Cult of Hockey" it lamented the fact that Tippet might be out until after Christmas. He sure seems to enjoy lots of support with the Edmonton media despite some obvious misfires.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

i think alot of us have read quite a lot of your pessimistic babble.

Yup this team sure looks primed for a deep playoff run don't they?

 

[Mez]

Meanwhile, new coach and new purpose and Vancouver is showing resiliency and on a 5 game win streak

Remember our epic bump when we hired Hitchcock?...then it all came crashing down again.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Remember our epic bump when we hired Hitchcock?...then it all came crashing down again.

Vancouver took over that game.

Meanwhile the Oilers checked out at 2-0. They knew it was over.

 

[Oilers in NS]

Well, at least they didn’t sign Yamamoto in a long term deal

 

[Oilers in NS]

I told you all Keith would be an absolute disaster. I told you.

$5.4M of wasted cap space.
then the 3M on Barrie
then the two year deals to scrubs like Koekkoek and Shore

broken f***ing team

Keith was probably our best D last night

 

[MessierII]

Keith was probably our best D last night

Best player of any position last night

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Best player of any position last night

Not saying much.

 

[MoontoScott]

Well, at least they didn’t sign Yamamoto in a long term deal

Not yet anyway

 

[Beerfish]

Yeah because 8 games tell us what we have in a 23 year old rookie goalie who, before this year, had played 1 NHL game. Know how many games it took for Jack Campbell to find his stride?

YOUR TEAM IS READY TO WIN NOW for gods sakes. This is not time to 'develop' a so so goalie. The fact that Skinner who is not ready is being forced to play is just another of Hollands gaffs. We have one of the very worst 'starters' in the league right now in koskinen and a not ready rookie back up. And the savoir tender has been predictably hurt all year .

 

[nexttothemoon]

Oilers PK down to 11th now as well... that and the PP that's regressing are obviously bad news when that was a huge part of the early season (unsustainable) success.

 

[nexttothemoon]

I don't mind Skinner as part of a good tandem. Lots of teams have unproven/low experience goalies as backups. It's the vet starter that's the issue. Smith can't stay healthy (and yes I know that's basically expected for a 40 year old)... and Koskinen is Jekyll and Hyde in net.

Team D though is the bigger issue... and bottom 6 scoring... so yeah there's a lot of issues.

 

[KlefDown]

I don't mind Skinner as part of a good tandem. Lots of teams have unproven/low experience goalies as backups. It's the vet starter that's the issue. Smith can't stay healthy (and yes I know that's basically expected for a 40 year old)... and Koskinen is Jekyll and Hyde in net.

Team D though is the bigger issue... and bottom 6 scoring... so yeah there's a lot of issues.

Not to mention the most stubborn coach in the NHL and the biggest bonehead GM, yet people want to go for the low hanging fruit that is Koskinen

how the f*** Yamamoto has played all these top 6 minutes is beyond me

 

[KlefDown]

even freaking Matty agrees

 

[Kerberos]

The lack of emotion is concerning.

Going through the motions. An Oilers hallmark.

Starts with the management and the leadership group in the locker room.

 

[Kerberos]

even freaking Matty agrees

In a perfect world, the guy would've still been in the AHL developing. If not for that 20 game fluke appearance, it's where he would still be.

Not an NHL player.

 

[Fixed to Ruin]

In a perfect world, the guy would've still been in the AHL developing. If not for that 20 game fluke appearance, it's where he would still be.

Not an NHL player.

He's an NHL player but he's a Penalty Killing forward not someone you play in the top 6 and expect 15-20 goals.

 

[YakDavid]

I don’t like fans throwing jerseys on the ice but I understand the frustration. We basically have lost the same game multiple times. Give up first goal, don’t score in the first. Score one in the game. Poor goaltending. Coaching can’t get them to start and the gm can get help. Fans just sit there and have to watch this madness.

 

[RegDunlop]

I'd like to congratulate Dallas Eakins on having the Mighty Ducks, who I thought might be one of the worst teams in the history of the NHL, in first place in the Pacific.

You clearly got a rough ride in Edmonton and I'm glad you were able to coach San Diego and then Anaheim into surprisingly good positions.

No snark. Well done sir.

Beyond a doubt the worst coach I've ever seen in any tier of hockey.

I'll give it a bit more time before I'm ready to even think about retracting that but it does seem he's headed into redemption

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

even freaking Matty agrees