Pre-Game Talk: It's a Jakal?

[BoldNewLettuce]

I expected Todd to stay with the hot hand. I'm sure they alluded to it when he season started but we just expected it to be Talbot.

It's cool with me.

I like both goalies. Talbot just needs to win next time he plays.

 

[Hemsky4PM]

It's pretty clear that Talbot's next game, barring a stinker by Nilsson on Sunday, will be against the Rangers at home. The following week, they player in NY. Those two games will determine a lot in terms of how frequently Talbot gets in the net during the next several weeks.

I think Talbot will be able to turn his season around and make this a competitive goalie situation again. He's better than a .889 SVP tender. I suspect he'll pull himself back up to .915 by season's end.

 

[Mcnofool6110]

Ference, Pouliot on IR, Hamilton up on emergency basis, one roster spot free... For a Tikhonov maybe?

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

Ference, Pouliot on IR, Hamilton up on emergency basis, one roster spot free... For a Tikhonov maybe?

and to the Oils go the Viktor?


I'd be interested in adding another RW shot....but it doesn't seem like he has been playing better than Pakarinen this season.

 

[s7ark]

Ference, Pouliot on IR, Hamilton up on emergency basis, one roster spot free... For a Tikhonov maybe?

I'm still in favour of this. More competition for the bottom 6.

 

[McDeathbyCheerios*]

I'm still in favour of this. More competition for the bottom 6.

Yep. And sometimes just a change of scenary gives a player the jolt they need to play well.

 

[McDeathbyCheerios*]

I was trying to get behind McLellan but he and his coaching staff are showing some wrinkles. over use of some players, **** poor PP, and about the worst I've ever seen, and with that I watched the 93 Oilers ftr. That PP had the excuse of having zero talent on it. This one has no excuse other than profoundly out of place schemes that don't work to best advantage with this group.

McLellan has actually been silly enough to double up on Drai and Nuge, 2 centers, when we're currently short at Center position in lieu of McDavid injury and Lander being a complete disaster. Explain how that makes sense, or that we're riding 4 forwards on a PP and only 1 D when our D have been our most effective weapons on the PP this year. In a recent game Drai and Nuge played a combined 47mins. Due to doubling up Centers which added to their minutes. Pure insanity.

McLellan lately is losing some of my faith.

On the Doubling up thing. He didn't want to throw Drai into the center position for his first game or two called back so he could adapt to the speed without worrying hard about the center responsibilities. Which makes sense as calling up any player for top 6 center duty is a daunting task, much easier on the wing. It was the right call.

Also he has been Doubling them up lately to try and get Nuge jump started offensively. Or to get us into the game. Coaches shorten their benches all the time. You are grasping at straws cause you are missing Nelson.

Only part I agree with is the pp and that's on Woodcroft. Although McLellan does need to step in

 

[McTrashBoat]

Yep. And sometimes just a change of scenary gives a player the jolt they need to play well.

We've done okay with players the Blackhawks didn't want

Note: pic is not of my creation, I would have done it better

 

[McDeathbyCheerios*]

We've done okay with players the Blackhawks didn't want

Note: pic is not of my creation, I would have done it better

Nilsson would kick his ass in a fight.

 

[Replacement*]

On the Doubling up thing. He didn't want to throw Drai into the center position for his first game or two called back so he could adapt to the speed without worrying hard about the center responsibilities. Which makes sense as calling up any player for top 6 center duty is a daunting task, much easier on the wing. It was the right call.

Also he has been Doubling them up lately to try and get Nuge jump started offensively. Or to get us into the game. Coaches shorten their benches all the time. You are grasping at straws cause you are missing Nelson.

Only part I agree with is the pp and that's on Woodcroft. Although McLellan does need to step in

You're not understanding the point that I clearly made. Our PP sucks donkey balls. About the only good thing about our PP this year is getting some scoring from D. But inanely, instead of looking at that, and having more of our 5 Well suited offensive D on the PP we forcefeed guys like Lander, Letestu, Korpi, with no hands. While running a 4 forward 1 D PP. When we have injuries to several forwards and a grievously depleted forward lineup.

All of Klef, Sekera, Davidson, Nurse, Schultz have shown themselves to be quite adept at the PP and are offensively skilled players. Certainly moreso than some of the bottomsix dolts were sending out there. We have a wealth of offensive D, no injuries to that group, but stubbornly continue to go with a 4 forward 1 D set which given the healthy complement of players on this team is beyond stupid.

McLellan, and Woodcroft, who is starting to strike me as a complete moron, seem oblivious to the lineup they have to work with and how to use them to best effect.

I'm just some punter on a keyboard and I see this a mile away. We're loaded with offensively talented D and don't use them to best effect. Meanwhile we wonder why we rarely score on the PP and our Centers look so tired from doubling them up on the PP. This team with injuries (and Lander) can't afford to be doubling up Centers on any shift right now. Theres not enough usable bodies to go around at that position.

 

[GretzkytoKurri9917]

The league is doing their finest to make sure they get that 1st overall pick.

Or the league is doing their finest to have Edmonton finish last only to lose the lottery and drop to 2nd to draft Chychrun.


You never know!

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

Or the league is doing their finest to have Edmonton finish last only to lose the lottery and drop to 2nd to draft Chychrun.


You never know!

I actually wonder if the league is trying to force a trade sometimes......I mean the logical thing to do is trade a young forward anyway.....but if they were winning....maybe they'd hold off on a trade.

#tinhatconspiracist

 

[harpoon]

I loved against Boston I think it was where he tried to nail Krug I think it was and just barely missed blowing him up and then McQuaid came over and Jujhar shook his hands asking him to go and McQuaid took the line change instead.

Excellent. I missed that. Would have been an interesting scrap. McQuaid is no pushover.
Hopefully Jujhar realizes what he needs to do in order to keep earning that NHL paycheck.
Any scoring from him would be a bonus. WHat we need is lots of hitting, a hard forecheck and good board work. He could have scored a couple last night tbh, but on his best chance he wasn't aware that the puck was lying right at his feet.

 

[McClelland]

Nilsson debate! McClellan said after the game that he would have a talk with Nilsson the following day about the start against the sabres!

Nilsson feeling okay and are ready to go,will have a long rest after this one!

Thinks its important to get a win (3 game strike) keeping confident on top and go with the best you have at the moment.

4-1 Oilers a very winable game!

 

[Oilfan2]

You're not understanding the point that I clearly made. Our PP sucks donkey balls. About the only good thing about our PP this year is getting some scoring from D. But inanely, instead of looking at that, and having more of our 5 Well suited offensive D on the PP we forcefeed guys like Lander, Letestu, Korpi, with no hands. While running a 4 forward 1 D PP. When we have injuries to several forwards and a grievously depleted forward lineup.

All of Klef, Sekera, Davidson, Nurse, Schultz have shown themselves to be quite adept at the PP and are offensively skilled players. Certainly moreso than some of the bottomsix dolts were sending out there. We have a wealth of offensive D, no injuries to that group, but stubbornly continue to go with a 4 forward 1 D set which given the healthy complement of players on this team is beyond stupid.

McLellan, and Woodcroft, who is starting to strike me as a complete moron, seem oblivious to the lineup they have to work with and how to use them to best effect.

I'm just some punter on a keyboard and I see this a mile away. We're loaded with offensively talented D and don't use them to best effect. Meanwhile we wonder why we rarely score on the PP and our Centers look so tired from doubling them up on the PP. This team with injuries (and Lander) can't afford to be doubling up Centers on any shift right now. Theres not enough usable bodies to go around at that position.

Yeah, I agree with you on the PP. It's lost them several games now and, with all the skill this team possess, there's no good reason for it except coaching/system.

I have no idea what Woodcroft is trying to do. The zone entry is probably the worst I've seen of any Oiler team and I'm not joking. It looks like some kind of play that minor kids would try before the coaches explain how you should really do it. Silly little 'tricks' they try and almost always lose possession. There are some basic plays that almost all teams use for zone entry and the Oil aren't using them. That's on coaching.

I also don't understand why they continue with the 4-1 system. Hasn't worked and isn't working. I know Woodcroft has been with TM for years in different organizations and is a 'yes' man for Todd but, come on, if it doesn't improve drastically soon, decisions have to be made with the coaching staff. This 'style' isn's a manpower issue, it's a coaching issue that they need to fix...now.

 

[Dorian2]

Agreed. Nillson really applying himself right now and establishing game but I would prefer if we didn't keep putting him away wet. He's just played two 65min games and one shootout in which he saw a ton of action. He's done his work. Time for Talbot to do some lifting.



I'm not certain Nillson is a goalie you want to do the "run while he's hot" thing indefinitely to. He's seen a lot of pucks in the last month. He has had health conditions in the past that afaik are gastrointestinal. That are subject to dietary and stress impacts. From what has been reported he's not experiencing symptoms but why risk it. The Oilers have a tendency to overuse players and then get less from them down the road.

Are we talking Crones here? That wouldn't be good

 

[LaGu]

Agreed. Nillson really applying himself right now and establishing game but I would prefer if we didn't keep putting him away wet. He's just played two 65min games and one shootout in which he saw a ton of action. He's done his work. Time for Talbot to do some lifting.



I'm not certain Nillson is a goalie you want to do the "run while he's hot" thing indefinitely to. He's seen a lot of pucks in the last month. He has had health conditions in the past that afaik are gastrointestinal. That are subject to dietary and stress impacts. From what has been reported he's not experiencing symptoms but why risk it. The Oilers have a tendency to overuse players and then get less from them down the road.

His health issues are no secret. B12 vitamin deficiency which can affect your muscles, give you fatigue and a whole lot of other nasty things.

The good news is that you take one pill, or one injection, a month and it is all gone.

 

[McOilbleeder]

So with Ryan Hamilton called up, Pouliot and Ference both went to IR.

That's our entire 2nd line on IR, damn you injury bug. Ference on IR is interesting, it opens up a roster spot.

Wonder if we're going to grab a winger from Chicago.

 

[Crobby]

Nilsson played 38 games in the KHL last season as the number 1 goalie, plus 20 more in the playoffs. He also played for team Sweden.

If he didnt keel over in Russia last year I think he will be alright today.

That's not to say we shouldn't get Talbot a start soon ..but I don't think its an error by McLellan going with the hot hand.

Goalies are weird; see last year: Hammond, Andrew

 

[Dempsey]

Nilsson played 38 games in the KHL last season as the number 1 goalie, plus 20 more in the playoffs. He also played for team Sweden.

If he didnt keel over in Russia last year I think he will be alright today.

That's not to say we shouldn't get Talbot a start soon ..but I don't think its an error by McLellan going with the hot hand.

Goalies are weird; see last year: Hammond, Andrew

Literally every goalie in history who ever buckled under the pressure of going from backup to starter in the NHL, has at some point proven themselves to be a good starting goaltender at a lower level.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

So with Ryan Hamilton called up, Pouliot and Ference both went to IR.

That's our entire 2nd line on IR, damn you injury bug. Ference on IR is interesting, it opens up a roster spot.

Wonder if we're going to grab a winger from Chicago.

How did ference get injured? Did he take "riding the pine" too literally?

 

[GMofOilers]

I was trying to get behind McLellan but he and his coaching staff are showing some wrinkles. over use of some players, **** poor PP, and about the worst I've ever seen, and with that I watched the 93 Oilers ftr. That PP had the excuse of having zero talent on it. This one has no excuse other than profoundly out of place schemes that don't work to best advantage with this group.

McLellan has actually been silly enough to double up on Drai and Nuge, 2 centers, when we're currently short at Center position in lieu of McDavid injury and Lander being a complete disaster. Explain how that makes sense, or that we're riding 4 forwards on a PP and only 1 D when our D have been our most effective weapons on the PP this year. In a recent game Drai and Nuge played a combined 47mins. Due to doubling up Centers which added to their minutes. Pure insanity.

McLellan lately is losing some of my faith.

We are 3-1-1 in the lat 5 yikes. What he is doing is working.

 

[EpSoNiight]

The thing I've noticed about our pp is that the opposing team plays us VERY aggressively. And besides drai, we don't really have anyone who can consistently win the board battles and we end up fumbling passes and can't get set up properly due to this pressure. This is where I feel like with the current system, we need bigger bodies. Just commenting on what I see, not whether or not I think our current pp setup is good or bad, just that other teams know we are physically not capable of winning battles for the most part

 

[ScrillaVilla]

Yeah, I agree with you on the PP. It's lost them several games now and, with all the skill this team possess, there's no good reason for it except coaching/system.

I have no idea what Woodcroft is trying to do. The zone entry is probably the worst I've seen of any Oiler team and I'm not joking. It looks like some kind of play that minor kids would try before the coaches explain how you should really do it. Silly little 'tricks' they try and almost always lose possession. There are some basic plays that almost all teams use for zone entry and the Oil aren't using them. That's on coaching.

I also don't understand why they continue with the 4-1 system. Hasn't worked and isn't working. I know Woodcroft has been with TM for years in different organizations and is a 'yes' man for Todd but, come on, if it doesn't improve drastically soon, decisions have to be made with the coaching staff. This 'style' isn's a manpower issue, it's a coaching issue that they need to fix...now.

But isn't that the misnomer. If we had talent we would be a good team. We don't, people should stop talking about these players as being skilled because of good body nonsense. Just because they look good while stick handling doesn't mean squat. I thought Robbie Schremp if anything taught us that. This team has a hand full of decent players and that's it. You need to ask yourself if it's the coaches plan that blows or a lack of player execution. We've had a boat load of coaches that couldn't get squat out of these players. Ask yourself what the common variable in this mess is.

 

[Connor McSaviour]

This game is tailor made for an Oiler loss. Decent little streak going, playing a very beatable team, usually we come out cocky and get spanked.