Post-Game Talk: I Love You, Colonel Sanders! A Finger Lickin’ Good Dating Simulator

[Soundwave]

The difficulty is it takes PMD with skill reads to work a Center Ice breakout game. Its why I've always maintained Larsson is just a Jason Smith personified. He might be Steve Staios. He really isn't all that much and he's looking worse every season.

Larsson as a 1D is WHY no coach has been able to execute a Center ice breakout here. Don't look for it soon either.

Yotes win the game largely because we don't have anything close to an OEL.

Bouchard sent down to AHL. wow..

Bouchard should be in the AHL. This the NHL, not a development league daycare, about time the Oilers realized that.

 

[Missing smitty]

I didn't watch yesterday's game but this is what I thought watching him in the one session at training camp. It looked a bit like a combination of him being tentative and the knee just not feeling quite right and not as dominantly explosive whenever he wanted to be. I'm not sure why the media watching him didn't see the same. Hopefully it's just rust from probably a summer of rehab with less off and on ice sessions. My fear is the knee is subtly not quite right but he'll still want to gun it when the reg season rolls around and with his explosive leg power he injures himself because maybe the knee isn't quite as sturdy and stable.

You should probably watch the games before deciding on an opinion. McDavid looked as explosive as ever, no idea what the previous poster is talking about. The only part of his game that looked rusty was his hands. He had plenty of speed and literally skated over OEL at one point. I think he's going to be fine.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

I mean it "Shouldn't be", you're right. But it's not hard to think it won't be.

They should be better, but I look forward to the day when we can say they "will be" better.

One thing I don't think has gotten enough attention is the future of our goaltending. Smith likely won't be with us for more than this year and Koskinen is a massive ? going forward. Who's going to replace him?

I think they are banking on one of Skinner Wells Starrett Rodrigue or the new Russian kid to replace Kostco. If Smith gives them serviceable minutes and doesn’t get banged up he could feasibly do another year and there are always goalies avail. Seems to be a buyers market for them lately.

I am with you on Kostco though. He better have that GD frying pan removed with a cutting torch.

As far as the “will be” I figure 2 years.

Sigh....

 

[Drivesaitl]

Bouchard should be in the AHL. This the NHL, not a development league daycare, about time the Oilers realized that.

maybe we could send Larsson down...

I'm being sarcastic with that but point standing that Bouchard has looked as good as any and Bobby Orr didn't require long stints in development. Not saying Bouchard is that but he's head and shoulders our best D talent and the only one even close is Nurse.

Bouchard would transform this D, already, and he's the only one that could consistently make the kind of breakouts that we are needing.

 

[Raab]

maybe we could send Larsson down...

I'm being sarcastic with that but point standing that Bouchard has looked as good as any and Bobby Orr didn't require long stints in development. Not saying Bouchard is that but he's head and shoulders our best D talent and the only one even close is Nurse.

Bouchard would transform this D, already, and he's the only one that could consistently make the kind of breakouts that we are needing.

It’s clear you have no idea how to actually evaluate dmen.

 

[Drivesaitl]

It’s clear you have no idea how to actually evaluate dmen.

Given your predisposition I take this as a compliment.

I evaluate D fine, thanks.

 

[replacement]

It's what pre season is for.
Still need to work out the kinks,but I'm glad they're trying it

Frankly, they have been trying it for many seasons. This isn't a new thing at all. Every team had numerous breakout schemes.

Remember last season when Caleb Jones threw the puck up the middle, it went right past Puljujarvi and was immediately turned over in to a goal against? Everybody on this board went crazy, ripped up Jones for a "bad giveaway" said that was a "rookie mistake". He was just doing what he was supposed to do.

The issue with this team has never been some strategic thing. The players have expressed it, it's all pretty similar all across the league. The difference is execution and buy in.

 

[guymez]

Frankly, they have been trying it for many seasons. This isn't a new thing at all. Every team had numerous breakout schemes.

Remember last season when Caleb Jones threw the puck up the middle, it went right past Puljujarvi and was immediately turned over in to a goal against? Everybody on this board went crazy, ripped up Jones for a "bad giveaway" said that was a "rookie mistake". He was just doing what he was supposed to do.

The issue with this team has never been some strategic thing. The players have expressed it, it's all pretty similar all across the league. The difference is execution and buy in.

The Oilers never had a system last season where they utilized the middle of the ice for zone exits.
It didnt exist so the forwards were never in the right spot.

The strategy last season (by and large) was to throw it up the boards.

 

[bone]

Larsson has been crapping the bed for over a year now on his own.

Or about the time that Kelfbom was injured last year.

 

[guymez]

I think they are banking on one of Skinner Wells Starrett Rodrigue or the new Russian kid to replace Kostco. If Smith gives them serviceable minutes and doesn’t get banged up he could feasibly do another year and there are always goalies avail. Seems to be a buyers market for them lately.

I am with you on Kostco though. He better have that GD frying pan removed with a cutting torch.

As far as the “will be” I figure 2 years.

Sigh....

The Koskinen contract was a hell of a parting gift by Chia. That contract was heartily endorsed by Nicholson and given his stamp of approval as well.
Quite a thing (one of many debacles) for Holland to have to deal with.

That said it wouldnt surprise me to see Starrett in Edmonton next season.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

The Koskinen contract was a hell of a parting gift by Chia. That contract was heartily endorsed by Nicholson and given his stamp of approval as well.
Quite a thing (one of many debacles) for Holland to have to deal with.

That said it wouldnt surprise me to see Starrett in Edmonton next season.

Probably see him get some time if either of them, Smith or Koskinen, go down, plus I think if Starrett gets the net, he won't likely give it up easily.

 

[guymez]

Probably see him get some time if either of them, Smith or Koskinen, go down, plus I think if Starrett gets the net, he won't likely give it up easily.

I agree.
I like what i saw from him so far in TC...just not quite ready.

Bakersfield is going to have a strong team this year. Should be fun to watch.

 

[replacement]

The Oilers never had a system last season where they utilized the middle of the ice for zone exits.
It didnt exist so the forwards were never in the right spot.

The strategy last season (by and large) was to throw it up the boards.

Every NHL team has numerous breakout schemes, and they overlap considerably. There's really no secret to this, players have stated it. It's weird that adult fans really think the Oilers only had one strategy, or "never had a system". That's just really an absurd thing to think. Of course they had the strategies, they just didn't execute them for a multitude of reasons.

The difference between winning and losing has not been strategic for a long time. It's been about player execution and player buy in, and that's from the top guys too. It's the same this season.

 

[guymez]

Every NHL team has numerous breakout schemes, and they overlap considerably. There's really no secret to this, players have stated it. It's weird that adult fans really think the Oilers only had one strategy, or "never had a system". That's just really an absurd thing to think. Of course they had the strategies, they just didn't execute them for a multitude of reasons.

The difference between winning and losing has not been strategic for a long time. It's been about player execution and player buy in, and that's from the top guys too. It's the same this season.

The thing is...there was no breakout scheme utilizing the middle of the ice last season. If there was it was used less than 10% of the time which leads me to think that it didnt exist.
Even some of players this season have commented in camp on having to rethink things because the zone exits are different.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

I agree.
I like what i saw from him so far in TC...just not quite ready.

Bakersfield is going to have a strong team this year. Should be fun to watch.

Agreed, but very close, he had some moments against Van where it looked to me like he has an NHL level to his game. Fingers crossed for further development.

 

[Drivesaitl]

The problem with center ice breakout schemes is always the same. If you do not have D personnel capable to execute them with any proficiency, and or are not comfortable doing it, the natural tendency on ice is to ring it around the boards.

This is not a system flaw, its a player execution flaw. With the D we have, and the frequency of wrong reads they have, the center break out is high risk.

That kind of thing only becomes lower risk when you have a confident D like OEL executing. The only D we have with that much consistent poise, and that is comfortable reading in real time is Bouchard. The others make a lot of random decisions seemingly superfluous to where opponents are positioned on the ice.

Middle break out schemes require competence. It also requires consistency in forwards being in the right positions, prepared for a pass, and that don't fumble it.

We're presently contraprepared to play that game.

 

[World Wanderer]

Or about the time that Kelfbom was injured last year.

I'm not sure why people keep forgetting this.

I mean heck, Klef and Russell went down at the same time, Nurse and Larsson were forced to play 30+ minutes a game.

what defenseman is going to do well with that that isn't in the list of Norris winners?

Everything went out the window after that basically, I don't think the D ever really fully recovered from that.

Point is, if the Oilers can execute a system with all 5 men on the ice, then what D is out on the ice really doesn't matter.

but having 3 out of 4 of your planned top D out of the lineup like the Oilers had last year - there's few teams in the league that will look good after that.

 

[Todd from Leduc]

Not gonna lie I’m worried that McDavid was kept off the scoresheet against that dud AHL caliber lineup.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Not gonna lie I’m worried that McDavid was kept off the scoresheet against that dud AHL caliber lineup.

You shouldn’t be.

 

[bone]

Not gonna lie I’m worried that McDavid was kept off the scoresheet against that dud AHL caliber lineup.

Unless I'm missing something, the Coyotes are down to 13 Forwards and 10 Defense, so that's pretty damn close to their NHL roster by my eye.

 

[replacement]

Even some of players this season have commented in camp on having to rethink things because the zone exits are different.

Do you recall who?

 

[KlefDown]

You should probably watch the games before deciding on an opinion. McDavid looked as explosive as ever, no idea what the previous poster is talking about. The only part of his game that looked rusty was his hands. He had plenty of speed and literally skated over OEL at one point. I think he's going to be fine.

No one said he’s not going to be fine

everyone agrees that he looked rusty which is expected after not playing 6 months.

every single year, people talk about how McDavid has gotten even faster and how they didn’t think that was possible. he looked fast, but he didn’t look his fastest is all I was trying to say

 

[Weitz]

Neal is scaring me.

 

[McSuper]

I get the distinct feeling reading your posts that you don’t like Nurse very much.

I don't see him say he dislikes Nurse . I think he is saying Nurse isn't as good as most fans think and I am in agreement . Nurse at 6 plus million brings back memories of Chia . To me this is a make or break year for Nurse . We should of traded him to Montreal this off season for a good winger and a 3C and kept Sekera

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

I don't see him say he dislikes Nurse . I think he is saying Nurse isn't as good as most fans think and I am in agreement . Nurse at 6 plus million brings back memories of Chia . To me this is a make or break year for Nurse . We should of traded him to Montreal this off season for a good winger and a 3C and kept Sekera

Ummm no thanks. We would still be stuck with Lucic then and Sekera is done. And if you think Nurse is that bad why would anyone trade a good winger and 3C for him?