GDT: Game 3: Oilers @ Coyotes // 15 Oct 14 // 7:30pm // FSA

[ClassLessCoyote]

DT is the coach, Doan is the captain

No way! Really? Here I thought Hitchcock is the coach and Wheeler is the captain!

 

[cobra427]

Personally I think it's pretty easy to tell the difference between a team who is made to look bad by a suffocating style and a team who doesn't care. You can see it in board battles and backchecking. Effort level imo is very noticeable and last years team have very little effort.

I wonder if that was because of Ribs/Dmo/Klesla/Halpern that just did not play hard (Ribs), or had no gas left in an old tank. We only have one old guys left now in Doan, and he has certainly played hard so far this year. We shouldn't have anyone out worked because they are old and slow this year and nobody should be loafing. I think just a passenger or two, leads to other guys pulling back a little, so if we have none, the extra hustle plays should help us. How about the PK so far this year?

 

[IPreferPi]

How about the PK so far this year?

Mindboggling Playfair's passive system is batting 100% so far. I certainly expect that to change. Vitale has impressed on it, though, blocking shots a la Boyd Gordon while providing a speedier, more aggressive presence.

 

[Matias Maccete]

I wonder if that was because of Ribs/Dmo/Klesla/Halpern that just did not play hard (Ribs), or had no gas left in an old tank. We only have one old guys left now in Doan, and he has certainly played hard so far this year. We shouldn't have anyone out worked because they are old and slow this year and nobody should be loafing. I think just a passenger or two, leads to other guys pulling back a little, so if we have none, the extra hustle plays should help us. How about the PK so far this year?

I agree ribs being a turd was definitely a factor, and also about how just a few lazy players make others lazier.

It's also a big reason I think we need an even bigger rework of our bottom 6, mostly chip and klink(I'd say moss too but he's a first liner of course). Both have been good this year so far, especially klink, but I think energy guys should provide energy regardless of what's going on.

To be clear by energy guys I don't mean korpi and guys like him, guys who are 2nd and 3rd line tweeners have special teams value. I mean the guys who's job is specifically to be hard to play against. I love what vitale and crombeen have brought, but I'm still worried about tippett's choices because already crombeen is out, and in is an energy player who doesn't provide energy consistently.

 

[rt]

Personally I think it's pretty easy to tell the difference between a team who is made to look bad by a suffocating style and a team who doesn't care. You can see it in board battles and backchecking. Effort level imo is very noticeable and last years team have very little effort.

Yep.

 

[Lyotes]

OEL was a train wreck in game one, godly in game two, and double facepalm worthy in game three. It's been an up and down season so far to say the least. Haha.

Let's not allow Mike Smith off the hook so easily, now. He's pretty much been garbage so far. But hot and cold is just the way he is. I expect OEL to level out and play well consistently. I expect Smith to look like a Vezina winner some nights, and Patrick DesRochers on other nights.

I agree Smith hasn't been good. I noticed it in training camp. I was hoping he just wasn't giving it his all because he was letting in labarbra style goals.

 

[cobra427]

I agree ribs being a turd was definitely a factor, and also about how just a few lazy players make others lazier.

It's also a big reason I think we need an even bigger rework of our bottom 6, mostly chip and klink(I'd say moss too but he's a first liner of course). Both have been good this year so far, especially klink, but I think energy guys should provide energy regardless of what's going on.

To be clear by energy guys I don't mean korpi and guys like him, guys who are 2nd and 3rd line tweeners have special teams value. I mean the guys who's job is specifically to be hard to play against. I love what vitale and crombeen have brought, but I'm still worried about tippett's choices because already crombeen is out, and in is an energy player who doesn't provide energy consistently.

Tip played Chip and sat Crombeen, Chip had a goal and played well, so Tip looked good there. I think the problem last year was all the vets that did not play well or play hard enough (Ribs/Klesla/Dmo/Halpern). The only guy demoted permanently was Klesla. We did not really have replacements for any of them. We basically had 4 key players play way under what was expected. This year, that would be like Z/Stone/Hanzal/Vitale way under performing. We can't have key guys under perform or not hustle, it killed us and lead to the inconsistency last year.

This year, on D we have 8 capable D men if you include Gormley. I don't see OEL/Z/Yandle being healthy scratched but anyone else could be if they make too many mistakes or don't play hard enough. The skill forwards I don't see being scratched are Bods/Vermette/Doan/Hanzel/Gagmer/Vitale/Korpi/Erat. They all need to play hard but they each have a skill we can't replace. Everyone else needs to play flat out on every second of every shift, because if they don't, we have replacements in the AHL and press box.

 

[Matias Maccete]

Tip played Chip and sat Crombeen, Chip had a goal and played well, so Tip looked good there. I think the problem last year was all the vets that did not play well or play hard enough (Ribs/Klesla/Dmo/Halpern). The only guy demoted permanently was Klesla. We did not really have replacements for any of them. We basically had 4 key players play way under what was expected. This year, that would be like Z/Stone/Hanzal/Vitale way under performing. We can't have key guys under perform or not hustle, it killed us and lead to the inconsistency last year.

This year, on D we have 8 capable D men if you include Gormley. I don't see OEL/Z/Yandle being healthy scratched but anyone else could be if they make too many mistakes or don't play hard enough. The skill forwards I don't see being scratched are Bods/Vermette/Doan/Hanzel/Gagmer/Vitale/Korpi/Erat. They all need to play hard but they each have a skill we can't replace. Everyone else needs to play flat out on every second of every shift, because if they don't, we have replacements in the AHL and press box.

Chip did play well, he played like he usually does when things are going well. I want energy guys who play well all the time. I know vitale's effort level isn't realistic to expect from everyone, but does anyone think he would've played like chip or klink last year?

 

[Summer Rose]

Chip did play well, he played like he usually does when things are going well. I want energy guys who play well all the time. I know vitale's effort level isn't realistic to expect from everyone, but does anyone think he would've played like chip or klink last year?

*waffle posting*

Vitale is on a different planet in regards to effort level. Absolutely love him here. I can only hope other players on the bench are watching him and realizing wow, I need to pick my game up.