Pre-Game Talk: Goose egg revenge - Edm v StL - Wed @ 6 PM

[SnipeShowJB11]

Need to score first so the Blues can't just suffocate the life out of us like last game. Hope the boys ate their wheaties this morning !

All these guys need to do is actually play hard and aggressive like they did against PITT. No perimeter play soft BS like we did mostly against STL.

 

[tardigrade81]

We outplayed Buffalo by a wide margin too. Could have had a better fate, slow starts and the PK is hurting us right now. Solve those 2 things and the record should really improve.

Agreed. I’m not worried at all. Get revenge tonight on Blues and then Calgary. Set this shit right and we are looking fine.

 

[McAsuno]

 

[Mez]

Like these lines, hope they can work out long term.

 

[North Cole]

I think we have a better offensive showing against them tonight, just hope it doesn't come at the expense of how little we gave up last time. Holding teams like the blues to 1g +1en is pretty big if we can find that in our system more consistently.

Regardless of a W/L I think being 4-3/3-4 after this stretch of games is pretty good. I know we get angsty when the team effort is a pancake and they take swathes of periods off, but lost in all of this is that our opening schedule is pretty difficult.

Really the games you'd expect to win more often than not are VAN/BUF, and BUF has torched some good teams this year, granted they always start off hot so more time will tell if its the usual or they are actually taking steps foward. Otherwise, CAR/CGY/PIT/STL - 3 of these 4 teams made a 2nd round appearance last year and the other lost game 7 to a team that went to the ECF. That's not exactly an easy-pickens start to the year, being 50/50 against those teams is not that bad IMO.

 

[Oilers]

Our defense is so sketchy lol.

 

[FlameChampion]

Still no Holloway? Wonder if hes not ready or Woodcroft just doesnt want to change a winning line up. I'd like to see Holloway get more opportunity. Hopefully Woodcroft plays him when he actually gets back in (even if he makes mistakes). I think the team needs him. Guys like Yamamoto, JP and Foegele arent really producing and quite frankly Yama/JP look lost out there.

 

[Louis Cypher]

Our defense is so sketchy lol.

Not really. We just need someone to push Kulak down to the 3rd pair. Then ideally add a shutdown right shot but not as necessary. Many teams would love to have Barrie and Bouch's offensive power.

 

[tardigrade81]

Our defense is so sketchy lol.

Our goaltending has been solid for the most part. Was excellent against the Blues the first meeting. Defense wasn’t out trouble. We just couldn’t score. Take an early lead tonight and it will be a different outcome.

 

[FlameChampion]

Our defense is so sketchy lol.

I wish we had another LD.

But at least we are seeing some positive signs from our defense in the last couple games. I think Bouchard and Kulak have been better in particular. Barrie is a slow starter, and I think hes actually been good this year - but he might ramp it up a bit too. I think Nurse is playing better too compared to the start.

Will be interesting to see if Murray improves as he settles in. Hes had some rough games. I was expecting a bit more from him.

Even though I like Nemo physicality, I dont really love his positioning. I hope its more of just a nerves thing and just needs some more games. He probably feels like hes expected to make big hits now - so I think that leads to him running out of position a bit more.

 

[Soundwave]

Still no Holloway? Wonder if hes not ready or Woodcroft just doesnt want to change a winning line up. I'd like to see Holloway get more opportunity. Hopefully Woodcroft plays him when he actually gets back in (even if he makes mistakes). I think the team needs him. Guys like Yamamoto, JP and Foegele arent really producing and quite frankly Yama/JP look lost out there.

You probably want to be careful rushing someone that young back from a hit that hard.

I thought it was ill advised that Jhujar Khaira kept rushing himself back into the lineup and then would get hit and it was clear the dude was not OK with the spaghetti legs.

When it comes to concussions or even potential concussions, you are better off erring on the side of caution.

 

[Delicious Pancakes]

they've played 2 teams on their 2nd night of a back-to-back playing their back-up goalies

...and now get to sit and wait while we play 3 games in 4 nights

Yep, Colorado with Francouz on the 2nd of a BTB (3-2 CGY), Pittsburgh with DeSmith the night after playing the Oilers (4-1 CGY), and with Carolina they also got Raanta instead of Andersen (3-2 CGY in OT).

The Flames have also had 6:05 in PP time per game (3.83 PPs/GP) as compared to 4:11 for the Oilers (3.33 PPs/GP), which is third last in the league. Coincidentally, the two teams below the Oilers in that regard are their next two opponents, St. Louis (3.50) and Chicago (3.47)

Considering all of the Oilers' games have been one goal games, if they had faced any backups or gotten more powerplay time then perhaps their record might be 5-1 like the Flames. Of course, putting in a full 60 minutes, not spotting the opposition a lead, and not allowing a PP goal every game would help too, as @5 Mins 4 Ftg mentioned.

Hopefully last game helped them find their rhythm and they can carry that into this road trip. I think going on the road and not having last change might actually help the team as they'll need to get to work and play more of a road style game, and players will have to up their game when they've got a tough line matchup.

Some RWs on the team, not naming any names, may need to put their big boy pants on and do something productive in the slot too, especially on the road considering last year's numbers. All other contributions aside, 17 road goals combined on the season between your top 3 RWs doesn't cut it.

 

[gordonhught]

4-1 Oilers.

 

[The Safe Play]

They really need to go Kulak Bouchard I don't get what the issue is here.

Nurse and Ceci have put together really impressive numbers so far 60%+ high danger, scoring chances and expected goals.

Kulak and Bouchard in 21 minutes of 5v5 time so far are 70%+ in expected goals and scoring chances and 85% in high danger.

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. Kulak Barrie and Murray Bouchard have gotten killed.

 

[Duke74]

I feel like Connor will have a big night tonight. He usually follows up two pointless games in a row with an explosion. Also, we should be motivated for revenge. Hopefully the defence and goaltending can hold up in this one.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

Not really. We just need someone to push Kulak down to the 3rd pair. Then ideally add a shutdown right shot but not as necessary. Many teams would love to have Barrie and Bouch's offensive power.

I mean as of yet....a little sketchy for me lol.

I think they have the potential to be a good group. Kulak was better last game. Barrie seems pretty ok so far. Nurse I think has raised his game a bit but still hit or miss. Bouchard making strides helps a great deal.

Generally the d group needs the whole team defense and high possession....probably like most teams. (?)

 

[brentashton]

4-1 Oilers.

Giddy up.

 

[jeffff]

DYK.....the dick or dike line....either one will do!!

Its crucial will score first against the blues.

 

[Oilhawks]

Yep, and typically with a back up goalie to boot. it does seem amiss.

Oh well, this team can make its own success. They can be very good if they want to. I hope they face Binnington and chase him early. Dude is Sideshow Bob.

At least the lack of adversity all last season did wonders for the Flames in the playoffs, right?

 

[La Bamba]

Our defense is so sketchy lol.

Eh maybe my expectations have softened but that D looks decent to me. A good amount of skill there that other teams wished they had. I think adding a 2nd pair LD to push Kulak to the 3rd pair and Murray to the minors would make this D above league average easily

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

DYK.....the dick or dike line....either one will do!!

Its crucial will score first against the blues.

Its the dick line for sure.

"Dick needs to shoot more"

"Dick is dominating"

"Did you see the Corsi for Dick last game?"

 

[brentashton]

Its the dick line for sure.

"Dick needs to shoot more"

"Dick is dominating"

"Did you see the Corsi for Dick last game?"

Dick is hard on the puck….maybe that doesn’t work…?

 

[DaGap]

STL is a good team. Win or Lose I just want the Oilers to show up

 

[North Cole]

Our goaltending has been solid for the most part. Was excellent against the Blues the first meeting. Defense wasn’t out trouble. We just couldn’t score. Take an early lead tonight and it will be a different outcome.

Blues are an annoying team like CGY. Seems they are designed to score first and then choke you out slowly. CGY always seems to have this knack of getting a greasy lead and then castling up and scoring more off of mistakes, to the tune of the game being 3/4-1 and basically over even with 40 minutes left.

If you can score first against these guys you force them to play wild hockey and we saw that last year with both teams. We beat STL twice last year - in the last one the 1st period was 4-1 for EDM (we scored first). Game ended 6-5. The first one, they scored first but we answered right before the period ended and then scored immediately to start the second. Game ended 5-4. Big part of the playoffs last year CGY couldn't hold leads long enough against us to get comfortable and start the shutdown game, or just outright were chasing and then it was wide open.

I know it's captain obvious that you lose more often then not when giving up the first goal, but some teams just seem much better at locking down than others. CGY and STL are two teams I've noticed that seem like Jekyll and Hyde when leading vs when trailing. I can't think of two other teams that can go from looking like DPE NJ puck possession with a lead, to 8-7 barn burners when they need to score. A team like CAR seems like they can try to score a goal without losing their entire structure. CGY/STL don't seem like they can, if they need a goal its a total breakdown of oddman rushes going the other way. They just totally sell out the structure for whatever shots they can muster.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

You probably want to be careful rushing someone that young back from a hit that hard.

I thought it was ill advised that Jhujar Khaira kept rushing himself back into the lineup and then would get hit and it was clear the dude was not OK with the spaghetti legs.

When it comes to concussions or even potential concussions, you are better off erring on the side of caution.

On the Oilstream podcast this morning it was said he has a broken nose which is giving him trouble. I completely shattered my nose flat on my eighteenth birthday and let me tell you that was not fun lol. (needed a complete emergency surgical repair - thanks frozen orange hockey ball....)

Given he's been skating he probably cleared from concussion protocol already but you are right, want to tread carefully with any head injury.