Post-Game Talk: I guess I'll make it... Oilers Lose 4-1

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

No

I was referring to the coach matching up a poor defensive player against one of the best players in the entire NHL. There are different lines, and levels of competition he could play against that wouldn't utterly expose him(and eberle/RNH) every single shift.

Then what's his excuse when he goes on the road and gets that matchup anyway? If you're going to be the best you have to beat the best. Yak has shown very little in either zone this year and it's immensely disappointing. People kept saying if you put him with skilled players he'd produce.

Well he's with the two most skilled guys on the team and it just isn't working for him. The coach can only do so much, eventually Yak has to figure something out for himself.

 

[Raab]

I think Eakins was making a statement tonight to all of the Oilers org. He played our 'best' players (aside from Hall who's out with an injury) against the best of Washington. Everyone in the org. thinks these kids are the best thing since sliced bread. I think Eakins is trying to show them a bit of reality. Maybe I'm off; I don't know. Just spitballing here. I don't see any other reason for what he did when it clearly wasn't working.

If the people in our org can't tell these kids(everyone not named Hall or Eberle) aren't ready for the tough match ups I don't know what to say. I would have like to seen Gordon out there to shutdown Ovechkin but hey what do I know.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Nobody's blaming the entire game on Yak. But he needs to play better.

And if you think we didn't play pretty good in the first two periods you obviously weren't watching.

I don't think Yak is ready, and the NHL isn't a development league. He should be in the 'A' until he finds his offensive game again, and works on his D. But I'm certainly not blaming this loss on Yak (at least not just him alone).

 

[Captain Catatomic]

Blow it apart for Reinhart!
or
Suck Bad for Ekblad!

Hmm I take the latter

 

[Billybaroo*]

No

I was referring to the coach matching up a poor defensive player against one of the best players in the entire NHL. There are different lines, and levels of competition he could play against that wouldn't utterly expose him(and eberle/RNH) every single shift.

Give me a break. A good pee wee player doesnt make the ridiculous plays in bad spots Yak does.
That kid has gotta grow up.
And it might be a nice touch when he doesnt have the puck in the O zone he actually makes an effort offensivly or defensivly.

 

[Neatman]

My god man. Hes an elite talent who plays frickin pond hockey ,with zero regard for his team & is unbelievably selfish as a player.
QUIT MAKING EXCUSES.

Ya Yakupov is totally out of sync with the rest of the team. Playing terribly. However, he finished last year as maybe the best Oiler, and had a great season. What the hell happened in the offseason? Or what has Eakins done?

As far as the game tonight, they actually played really well for 2 periods. The third was so putrid that it ruined the entire game. How an NHL team can play that badly at any point is beyond me. No worries, after the team is completely made of first overalls they will start winning. Right?

 

[Tarus]

My god man. Hes an elite talent who plays frickin pond hockey ,with zero regard for his team & is unbelievably selfish as a player.
QUIT MAKING EXCUSES.

I wasn't making excuses for him.

I was pointing out he's being put in roles by the coach that hurt the team.

"Yakupov isn't playing well, isn't playing a team game, can't play a lick of defense, lets put him out there against Ovechkin all night" - Actual Eakins logic.

 

[Replacement*]

ah how amusing. A 20 year old is being made the scapegoat yet on his line were two players that are supposed to be leading this club offensively. That whole line was ****, as far as I'm concerned. RNH, Yak and Eberle were directly, or at least partially responsible for a goal against tonight.

You know its funny that if Yak was playing with Gagner tonight and the line was -4 there be people lineing up on this board to buy Gagner a plane ticket out of town and a ton of posters saying NO EXCUSE. He has to be able to carry players like this.

Fact of the matter is its been Gagner through the years carrying most of the young prospects on this club. Other than the star line that have usually had benefit of playing with each other and enjoying that benefit.

So tonight, on one of the few nights that our star line is expected to shelter (one rookie, not two) they're -4 on the night in a 4-1 loss. Shockingly bad and it rings a whole lot futher than Yakupov in this.

The entire line **** the bed. I actually think of the 3 that Yakupov at least showed some creative offensive play on the night.

 

[KarmaPolice]

If the people in our org can't tell these kids(everyone not named Hall or Eberle) aren't ready for the tough match ps I don't know what to say. I would have like to seen Gordon out there to shutdown Ovechkin but hey what do I know.

That's what I would've done, as well. Like I said, I was just spitballing and trying to get into Eakins' head, and not saying I agree with it. Gordon's line definitely should've matched up with Ovie's.

 

[Took a pill in Sbisa]

Nobody's blaming the entire game on Yak. But he needs to play better.

And if you think we didn't play pretty good in the first two periods you obviously weren't watching.

Oh, I watched. Living in Australia has limited the number of games i see; It's the 4th game I've watched this year, still waiting to see my team win a game.

This whole "Yeah we lost but we didn't play that bad" mentality just isn't good enough. I want a team that makes the playoffs for once. This isn't a 13 year old soccer game where the idea is to try our best and have fun. This is a results-driven league played by millionaire professionals.

 

[Stoneman89]

You can tell Oiler fans are getting de-sensitized to losing when we're now very comfortable with playing well and gifting 2 points. Pretty funny, actually.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Oh, I watched. Living in Australia has limited the number of games i see; It's the 4th game I've watched this year, still waiting to see my team win a game.

This whole "Yeah we lost but we didn't play that bad" mentality just isn't good enough. I want a team that makes the playoffs for once. This isn't a 13 year old soccer game where the idea is to try our best and have fun. This is a results-driven league played by millionaire professionals.

Of course we all want to see wins and it's frustrating to see this team go unrewarded when they play well (and get rewarded when they DON'T play well).

They played similarly to how they played against Montreal in the latter part of the last game. If they keep that level of effort up, the results will come. They deserved a better fate tonight, bad third period aside.

 

[Billybaroo*]

I wasn't making excuses for him.

I was pointing out he's being put in roles by the coach that hurt the team.

"Yakupov isn't playing well, isn't playing a team game, can't play a lick of defense, lets put him out there against Ovechkin all night" - Actual Eakins logic.

Thats a reason for selfish/lazy play?

 

[Paperbagofglory]

Wait what decade is this? Seriously you are matching your top line who are weak defensively against one of the better lines and better players in the NHL?

The kids will learn eventually and RNH seems like he will get better defensively, but holy crap, match Ovi's line with a third line who can win faceoffs and hit everything that moves and Ovi will slow down. Even a bit of a difference might possibly result in a different game in the third period.

Really disappointed that even a rookie coach does not know this. You might get away with it against a lot of players, not against a top 5 player in the NHL.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Give me a break. A good pee wee player doesnt make the ridiculous plays in bad spots Yak does.
That kid has gotta grow up.
And it might be a nice touch when he doesnt have the puck in the O zone he actually makes an effort offensivly or defensivly.

I think I understand what Lars Eller was saying now: He was talking about Yakupov, not the entire team!

I think we owe Eller an apology.

 

[OILFAN #81]

Totally agree! How can Katz idly sit and watch this crap continue? Good grief. I know there are many underlying problems here but it's gotta start with scorched earth type clean out of management.

The problem is though, they will eventually fire Eakins and hire someone else and they will say there is a fresh start blah blah with a fresh new toy in terms of the 1st rounder. It's the same cycle over and over.

 

[Took a pill in Sbisa]

Of course we all want to see wins and it's frustrating to see this team go unrewarded when they play well (and get rewarded when they DON'T play well).

They played similarly to how they played against Montreal in the latter part of the last game. If they keep that level of effort up, the results will come. They deserved a better fate tonight, bad third period aside.

This should be the Oilers slogan. Replace all the signs that say 'You're in Oil Country' with 'The Results Will Come'

Meanwhile the playoff teams have another year that they control their own 'fate'

 

[Captain Catatomic]

How about a "Kevin Lowe's Gotta Go!" chant at the games

The guy has got a freakin ego problem and has no business developing any rebuilding any hockey team.

 

[CupofOil]

On what planet does somebody with 0-0-0 -4 in a 4-1 loss end up getting 3rd star?

What a complete friggen joke.

Our topline should've been benched tonight.

I had more faith in Ben Eager. Outplayed any one of the prima ballerinas out there.

What a completely soft line. jebus. How does an NHL level coach even put a line like that together. Then line match against the OV line all night.

OMFG.

I thought that Nuge and Eberle looked very good in the first 40 minutes despite being a -2 after 2.
Yakupov really dragged that line down and skewed their +/-. Nuge and Eberle were tenacious in all zones in the first 40 minutes and created tons of offense. In the 3rd, they resorts to trying to do too much but they were good before that. The +/- doesn't tell the full story.

 

[McDNicks17]

Looks like "selfish" is the new buzz word of the month.

Move over, "nepotism".

 

[KarmaPolice]

This should be the Oilers slogan. Replace all the signs that say 'You're in Oil Country' with 'The Results Will Come'

Meanwhile the playoff teams have another year that control their own 'fate'

Don't lose faith; we're halfway there, man! Three more #1 picks and we got this thing in the bag!

How about a "Kevin Lowe's Gotta Go!" chant at the games

And take your lapdog (Buchy) with you!

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

This should be the Oilers slogan. Replace all the signs that say 'You're in Oil Country' with 'The Results Will Come'

Meanwhile the playoff teams have another year that control their own 'fate'

Compared to the lazy games we've seen in the past this is refreshing.

Contrary to popular belief, some teams do play well and lose games.

The Sharks outshot and outplayed the Bruins by a wide margin today and still lost in regulation.

 

[Paperbagofglory]

They should change the slogan, from "You're in oil country" to, "The tar pit, sinking slowly for over 20 years"

 

[OILFAN #81]

Compared to the lazy games we've seen in the past this is refreshing.

Contrary to popular belief, some teams do play well and lose games.

The Sharks outshot and outplayed the Bruins by a wide margin today and still lost in regulation.

Yes but SJ is 8-1-1, that is completely different. If the Oilers played well and lost games sometimes that is fine. Being 3-7-1 vs 8-1-1 like the Sharks is a huge difference and makes that point irrelevant.

 

[Raab]

Can definitely tell lots of posters are tuning out. Only 4 pages in a PGT after a loss. Wonder how many casual fans are finding better things to do with their time then watch this team?