Post-Game Talk: Flames 1 Oilers 0

[Bryanbryoil]

I was wondering if I'm the only one that sees that Drai and Pulju have chemistry. Of course McLellans answer is to put the two together as little as possible. Soon as Pulju was on that line and Drai had someone to work a give and go to the offense started to be sustained more.

The Oilers whole problem in this game was not sustaining O zone possession and making Flames have to defend. We needed to park in Flames zone for longer periods and just gt them making mistakes. But you can't sustain anything with Lucic killing offense all over.

Most definitely not. IMO Looch even looked useful when Jesse was on that line. They were playing a big mans game and had more zone time than that line had the rest of the night by a country mile. IMO Nuge has fit in well with Connor due to his speed and ability to read plays quickly. This means that we can afford to separate Connor and Drai but ffs both Drai and Jesse are DYING for someone with skill to play with yet they are on separate lines.

Theres no point having this discussion is there? If you watched this game and thought Drai was the biggest problem, and that's what you called out in the first page of this thread, then you are not recognizing exactly how dire it is trying to drag Lucic around the ice or in the offensive zone. If Lucic made 3 coherent give and go passes all night I missed it. Drai is a brilliant cylcle player, passer, and he has literally nobody to work with in this game other than Bear, until he see's Pulju. It was getting funny for a while when Drai was trying to work stuff with Bear because nobody else was really on the ice and Bear can actually play.

I saw that as well, Drai was like "pass to Looch so that he fumbles it and loses it? Nope! Pass to Cams so that he passes to Looch so that he fumbles it and loses it? Nope! Hey Ethan, we're playing 2 on 5 baby!"

 

[Took a pill in Sbisa]

lol at people complaining about Draisaitl not producing with AHL-caliber wingers.

 

[GameChanger]

lol at people complaining about Draisaitl not producing with AHL-caliber wingers.

At the same time Puljujarvi is having a tough time producing in bottom6. Many others have commented that some moves make too much sense for TM to make and giving a longer look to Drai and Jesse together is one of those.

Despite some obvious holes since the start of the season there were enough players to create at least two good lines and well-working special teams, but I feel the coaches have just wanted to see if the worst possible combinations end up working at some point. It's tougher now without Maroon and with especially Lucic being useless, but you could certainly form the lines better.

 

[harpoon]

Some posters just see what they want to see. Pretty sure he just has a hate players who's name sound anything like Paajarvi. Even god as far as to make up things that didn't happen in tonight's game.

That's a crock and you know it. I have been posting positively about JP all along.
Check his thread if you doubt that.
Just because he didn't get any giveaways on the game sheet doesn't mean they didn't happen.
I stand by my evaluation that he played a lazy game. He wasn't alone in that, but if you think he played like he wants to get bumped up the lineup then I'd have to respectfully submit that its you who's making things up that didn't happen. Kid needs to show a bit of urgency. No harm in pointing that out.

 

[frag2]

That's a crock and you know it. I have been posting positively about JP all along.
Check his thread if you doubt that.
Just because he didn't get any giveaways on the game sheet doesn't mean they didn't happen.
I stand by my evaluation that he played a lazy game. He wasn't alone in that, but if you think he played like he wants to get bumped up the lineup then I'd have to respectfully submit that its you who's making things up that didn't happen. Kid needs to show a bit of urgency. No harm in pointing that out.

That's how I always see it with JP as well. I think he has a good shot but hes rarely using it. He also has a penchant to misplay the puck and like you said, display zero sense of urgency when playing the game. Then again, that also seems to be a problem with a majority of our personnel-no desperation, no urgency.

 

[Oilers in NS]

What is he supposed to do? 27 turned it over all freaking game. This coach man and his lines are just horrible

I have to agree with ya. It kinda like they give him anchors to paddle up a river

 

[MoontoScott]

Well, on a more positive note, it's not like we got blown out on the road.

One thing I have made note of is the strength of the wrist shot that both RNH and Puls have. Ryan has had a better year and I think its in large part because he's been utilizing that wrist shot which has always been his best offensive weapon. A year ago everybody was talking about how he couldn't score but now I note that his rehabilitated image says that we must keep him because he's the only guy not named Mac-D or Drai who can possibly score 20 goals.

Puls wrist shot is harder than many guys slap shot and if I were on the coaching staff I would try to find ways to utilize that strength on the PP and 5*5. It's a rare skill.

I sure hope that there isn't a lot of panic in the off season so that more mistakes are made.

A new structure should read as: President and GM- one person (not the one we have now). Assistant GM- one person. That's all you need. Clear the rest of the press box out and give them some Wal-Mart coupons or something. At the coaching level new personnel all around, maybe keep Coffey as a PP specialist. At the player level you still have 4 great to good offensive talents-- Mac-D, Drai, RNH and Puls. Calmly build around that and stop making these amateurish mistakes.

 

[Little Fury]

I'm so shocked this sorry group of losers lost this game.

But don't worry, scoring isn't an issue or anything.

They had maybe seven good chances all game and six were by McDavid.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

They had maybe seven good chances all game and six were by McDavid.

Picturing this team without McDavid is horrifying.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Picturing this team without McDavid is horrifying.

well, we'd probably have Hall and Eberle still here

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

well, we'd probably have Hall and Eberle still here

And no Lucic. Not even two years into that deal and it's probably the worst in the league.

 

[Little Fury]

Picturing this team without McDavid is horrifying.

You don't even have to use your imagination, just watch when he's not on the ice.

 

[Lacaar]

Picturing this team without McDavid is horrifying.

Without McDavid this may be the worst team in NHL history.
Nothing .. and I mean sweet diddly f*** all happens offensively without McDavid being involved.

Draisitl is the only one who generates even a sniff and it's barely a sniff without Connor.

This team is full of players that are content to let the rest of the league get better while they mope and whine and soul search.

 

[ElysiumAB]

Khaira McDavid Puljujarvi

What have we got to lose? Camo Larry needs to be out of the top 6 ASAP and Lucic no higher than the 3rd line too.

Would love to see this, if only to watch how much space those two would give McDavid.

I'd fully expect Puljujarvi to be a little frustrating to watch, and miss some easy opportunities, and want RNH on there pretty quick - but I'd still like to see it.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

You don't even have to use your imagination, just watch when he's not on the ice.

I try to but I just see nothing.

Without McDavid this may be the worst team in NHL history.
Nothing .. and I mean sweet diddly **** all happens offensively without McDavid being involved.

Draisitl is the only one who generates even a sniff and it's barely a sniff without Connor.

This team is full of players that are content to let the rest of the league get better while they mope and whine and soul search.

A great team that Chiarelli has constructed...

 

[Da McBomb]

I wouldn't even be watching this sad pathetic team if it wasn't for McDavid right now. For real... he is the ONLY reason i continue to watch and follow the Oilers this season.

 

[TB12]

Still the weirdest part of the game for me was getting the Flames broadcast. I admittedly don't watch a lot of Flames games (hate the Flames with a burning passion..i hope they move...ABC...all of that).

I just could not believe the lengths that the broadcast team goes to to make the Flames sound good. McDavid walks Gio and they praise Gio for a "great defensive play". Gaudreau makes a routine defensive play and they show it 3 times on replay and talk about it for like a full minute. Someone farts in a Flames general direction and they are moaning how it should have been a call. Hrudey doing everything he could to say that wasn't a penalty at the end on Connor and then you could tell it physically hurt him for him to admit that it probably was a penalty. I could go on.

No wonder Flames fans have a skewed perception of that team and hockey in general, as they've been gaslighted by their broadcast team. Hilarious that Sportsnet Oilers have Drew, who might actually hate the Oilers, and then the Flames have the biggest fart sniffers I've ever heard (also, not saying that I would prefer a nut hugging broadcast like the Flames have, just the disparity was unbelievable).

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

And no Lucic. Not even two years into that deal and it's probably the worst in the league.

see? not so bad! haha

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

see? not so bad! haha

#oilerpositives

At least Talbot seems to be getting back into shape just in time to rocket up the standings...

 

[onetweasy]

Most definitely not. IMO Looch even looked useful when Jesse was on that line. They were playing a big mans game and had more zone time than that line had the rest of the night by a country mile. IMO Nuge has fit in well with Connor due to his speed and ability to read plays quickly. This means that we can afford to separate Connor and Drai but ffs both Drai and Jesse are DYING for someone with skill to play with yet they are on separate lines.
"

It defies logic at this point.

It is hard to fathom that such a highly respected coach can have so many blindspots.

 

[Canovin]

The Oilers are out of the playsoffs. The only person who cares about hockey is McDavid and that's cause he's in the race for the Art Ross.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

The Oilers are out of the playsoffs. The only person who cares about hockey is McDavid and that's cause he's in the race for the Art Ross.

I wish bubble players like Caggulia, Slepyshev, Aberg, Kassian and Strome cared

their NHL careers are on the line here

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I wish bubble players like Caggulia, Slepyshev, Aberg, Kassian and Strome cared

their NHL careers are on the line here

Out of all of those, Kassian is the one that bothers me the most. He's been a huge failure this season.

 

[CycloneSweep]

I wish bubble players like Caggulia, Slepyshev, Aberg, Kassian and Strome cared

their NHL careers are on the line here

It's why I have never liked Slepyshev. Looking into his past career and how he has been in the NHL. Guy can be really good when he wants to. But it seems like most of the time he is content in just existing. It pains me to see a talented guy just not try.

The Oilers are out of the playsoffs. The only person who cares about hockey is McDavid and that's cause he's in the race for the Art Ross.

Nuge seems to care most nights.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

It's why I have never liked Slepyshev. Looking into his past career and how he has been in the NHL. Guy can be really good when he wants to. But it seems like most of the time he is content in just existing. It pains me to see a talented guy just not try.


Nuge seems to care most nights.

Whenever I see Slepyshev I just keep thinking of Rene Bourque.