If the plan was to give guys a chance who dont normally get a chance then Yak would have been the choice to shoot.
It's over! Oilers Lose 4-3 in the SO
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If the plan was to give guys a chance who dont normally get a chance then Yak would have been the choice to shoot.
alphahelix
Registered User
- Feb 15, 2007
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I can't believe our coaching staff(s) and development team sewered Yakupov. I mean, it shouldn't be hard to believe because they do this kind of thing all the time, and Yakupov was a tough project...
But this is a guy who has a couple bad habits / some rookie-level uncertainty in his game that nobody has been able to communicate effectively with him to modify... he has a ton of skill and works pretty hard. He does a lot of things really well. Nice crisp passes last night, heavy shot, fast pumping legs, decent hitter when he goes for it...
If you pay attention to the signals, he has always felt like an outsider on this team. Seems that he was systematically treated like one. This guy is going to be a quality piece if another team embraces him the way we never have.
But this is a guy who has a couple bad habits / some rookie-level uncertainty in his game that nobody has been able to communicate effectively with him to modify... he has a ton of skill and works pretty hard. He does a lot of things really well. Nice crisp passes last night, heavy shot, fast pumping legs, decent hitter when he goes for it...
If you pay attention to the signals, he has always felt like an outsider on this team. Seems that he was systematically treated like one. This guy is going to be a quality piece if another team embraces him the way we never have.
If your assumption is correct, ever wonder why every other player who comes in seems to be welcomed etc and yak "wasn't"?
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Every other player? c'mon. This org has more scapegoats than any other team.
Plus Yak was welcomed well under Krueger.
Its the idiot that screwed things up.
Anyway all year its been stated McLellan rewards good play. Except if its Yak playing well for a couple months. Then he'll disregard it.
The great irony is without Yaks 2 assists (both great plays) and especially the last one which tied the game late, there is not shootout.
yet Yak, a #1 Pick and supremely confident player in shootout has to watch as Korpse shoots the puck 5 feet wide, Hendricks forgets what his one move is, and Maroon doesn't even get set.
The team had a chance to end the season on a somewhat positive note. Its important to get rid of losing culture but hey, lets lose another on coaching. That's 3 games in last couple weeks for anybody counting. McLellan even called out his own decisions in the last loss, but here we go again.
If McLellan is putting petty grudges over the hockey team than that's worse than anything Yak is being accused of.
Excellent post.
It seemed pretty obvious to me that during his successful 1st season, there seemed to have been some jealousy, if you can call it that, particularly from Hall and Ebs towards Yak. They wanted to be the face of the franchise, not watch this new Russian kid take over the reigns. And the coaching staff, apart from Kruger and Nelson, also messed him up. They had him so much under the microscope, he was the chosen scapegoat.
Replacement*
Checked out
I can believe it. Plus one doesn't have to just pay attention to the body signals. One could defer to the player himself who has been on record stating that no player took him to a game, practice, had much to do with him etc and that other than Khabi theres been distance here since Eakins came in and immediately scapegoated Yak.
Some team will be quite happy to take Yak off our hands.
Not really a bold prediction either but Yak, if healthy, will score minimum 20 goals next year with any other team and more than all but 2-3 Oilers.
The maddening thing is knowing what a player this is ready to perform if given a proper chance and some faith.
Hendricks and Korp over Hall and Yak
I don't get it, this Hendricks shootout bonanza needs to stop
Well, better year than last year at least, but still a depressing end, finishing in the infamous western basement, our home
My Predictions for the action prior to October:
-Yakupov traded for Drouin: Both Oilers and Lightning want defence in return for their 2 disgruntled high draft picks. But both are unlikely to strike a deal they want in terms of value due to the image of bad character that they brought upon themselves in requesting a trade. With Stamkos likely going, Yakupov is definitely no replacement, but the potential is there, and Jon Cooper might be the man tap it. If Eberle is the one '6 million dollar contracts' that's going, there is a hole there, a bigger one than people realize. Drouin would be a very ideal replacement, and could spark magic if lined with McDavid.
-Eberle traded for legitimate top 2 d-man: This deal is on the back of every oilers fan's mind. It's no secret and it's not rocket science. Oilers need defence, period. And they have to give up in order to get. Eberle has passed his prime, he's the type of player that peaks in the early 20's. His speed and tenacity is trending downwards, but he's still got that fire, and his value is still quite nice right now, considering he leads the team in goals. The only concern I have with this is how it will effect Hall/Nuge. Considering he basically grew up with Hall here in Edmonton, they lived with each other and are probably like brothers. Hope it doesn't effect his competitive spirit.
-#1 Draft Pick traded for OEL: If the Oilers embarrassingly win the lottery again, Auston Matthews is considered to be another generational talent by most scouts. A great 2-way centreman with size and enormous potential. But he's 18 years old, he's 3-5 yrs from becoming a true force in the NHL. There is no more room for rebuilding, the Oilers have their cornerstone (the best one in the league and in 10 years), and the young offensive supporting cast it needs. The time is now. Arizona GM said he loves Matthews, but they won't trade OEL. Last year's draft, he said he wants to build down the middle. Also Matthews was at Arizona 2 days ago watching the Coyotes and said in a live interview that he loves the franchise. I believe the will definitely catch Maloney's ear and he would love the idea of Matthews/Strome as their #1/2 moving forward. OEL as Oilers #1 D, means playoffs, period. IMO, OEL is the best d-man in the league. If this actually happened, I'll buy season tickets for the first time since 2007.
-Oilers sign Milan Lucic: This won't be easy considering ESPN's report on how Edmonton tops the list of free agent's No Go places. But playing beside McDavid could be very attractive. If the Kings don't make the final this year, he will sign elsewhere IMO. His first choice might be Vancouver, his home province, but the McDavid factor is strong. With eberle probably gone, McDavid Maroon Lucic seems like a legit #1 line. McDavid would be flying around with all that protection and intimidation.
-Oilers sign Keith Yandle: He is currently the Rangers best productive d-man. Another tough task considering he just put out a line saying he loves the rangers and it's special to play there. But again, the McDavid factor should be put into play. If Oilers get OEL, Yandle knows him quite well and might be attracted to playing with him again on the top d-line
-Laurent Brossoit doesn't make opening roster: I think this goalie is about 2-3 years from being a legitimate NHL back-up. With that new goalie being signed and Laurikainen showing his competitiveness, it will be a tough go September training camp for Brossoit
-Taylor Hall named Oilers captain: Long time coming, he has shown his maturity this year, and has been the heart and soul of the team since he got drafted. He's not stupid, he knows this is McDavid's team, but he's a couple years away from holding the responsibility of that 'C', and Hall has earned it. This will improve his game, confidence, and ultimately the team
As for next season: Oilers blow out of the gate to a 8-2-2 start and play consistently throughout the season and sneak into the playoffs ending the 10 year drought, but losing in the first round whilst gaining that invaluable playoff experience. McDavid wins the Art Ross and Hall finished 3rd in scoring.
'till next year
I don't get it, this Hendricks shootout bonanza needs to stop
Well, better year than last year at least, but still a depressing end, finishing in the infamous western basement, our home
My Predictions for the action prior to October:
-Yakupov traded for Drouin: Both Oilers and Lightning want defence in return for their 2 disgruntled high draft picks. But both are unlikely to strike a deal they want in terms of value due to the image of bad character that they brought upon themselves in requesting a trade. With Stamkos likely going, Yakupov is definitely no replacement, but the potential is there, and Jon Cooper might be the man tap it. If Eberle is the one '6 million dollar contracts' that's going, there is a hole there, a bigger one than people realize. Drouin would be a very ideal replacement, and could spark magic if lined with McDavid.
-Eberle traded for legitimate top 2 d-man: This deal is on the back of every oilers fan's mind. It's no secret and it's not rocket science. Oilers need defence, period. And they have to give up in order to get. Eberle has passed his prime, he's the type of player that peaks in the early 20's. His speed and tenacity is trending downwards, but he's still got that fire, and his value is still quite nice right now, considering he leads the team in goals. The only concern I have with this is how it will effect Hall/Nuge. Considering he basically grew up with Hall here in Edmonton, they lived with each other and are probably like brothers. Hope it doesn't effect his competitive spirit.
-#1 Draft Pick traded for OEL: If the Oilers embarrassingly win the lottery again, Auston Matthews is considered to be another generational talent by most scouts. A great 2-way centreman with size and enormous potential. But he's 18 years old, he's 3-5 yrs from becoming a true force in the NHL. There is no more room for rebuilding, the Oilers have their cornerstone (the best one in the league and in 10 years), and the young offensive supporting cast it needs. The time is now. Arizona GM said he loves Matthews, but they won't trade OEL. Last year's draft, he said he wants to build down the middle. Also Matthews was at Arizona 2 days ago watching the Coyotes and said in a live interview that he loves the franchise. I believe the will definitely catch Maloney's ear and he would love the idea of Matthews/Strome as their #1/2 moving forward. OEL as Oilers #1 D, means playoffs, period. IMO, OEL is the best d-man in the league. If this actually happened, I'll buy season tickets for the first time since 2007.
-Oilers sign Milan Lucic: This won't be easy considering ESPN's report on how Edmonton tops the list of free agent's No Go places. But playing beside McDavid could be very attractive. If the Kings don't make the final this year, he will sign elsewhere IMO. His first choice might be Vancouver, his home province, but the McDavid factor is strong. With eberle probably gone, McDavid Maroon Lucic seems like a legit #1 line. McDavid would be flying around with all that protection and intimidation.
-Oilers sign Keith Yandle: He is currently the Rangers best productive d-man. Another tough task considering he just put out a line saying he loves the rangers and it's special to play there. But again, the McDavid factor should be put into play. If Oilers get OEL, Yandle knows him quite well and might be attracted to playing with him again on the top d-line
-Laurent Brossoit doesn't make opening roster: I think this goalie is about 2-3 years from being a legitimate NHL back-up. With that new goalie being signed and Laurikainen showing his competitiveness, it will be a tough go September training camp for Brossoit
-Taylor Hall named Oilers captain: Long time coming, he has shown his maturity this year, and has been the heart and soul of the team since he got drafted. He's not stupid, he knows this is McDavid's team, but he's a couple years away from holding the responsibility of that 'C', and Hall has earned it. This will improve his game, confidence, and ultimately the team
As for next season: Oilers blow out of the gate to a 8-2-2 start and play consistently throughout the season and sneak into the playoffs ending the 10 year drought, but losing in the first round whilst gaining that invaluable playoff experience. McDavid wins the Art Ross and Hall finished 3rd in scoring.
'till next year
some interesting predictions, , not sure yakapov will get you drouin, and not sure if drouin is really what the oilers need, he seems a lot like what you already have, "quote soft skill" no size.
Eberle for Hamonic seems to be the flavor of the year trade suggestion, but i wonder if that deal was plausible why it wasnt already done.
If arizona is willing to do OEL for mathews then you may make that deal, for the coyotes its more a marketing deal than a hockey deal, as there team will be weakened greatly for the next 2 years waiting for mathews to develop.
I think the conner mcdavid factor is overrated, veteran players like Lucic and Yandle are usually more concerned about getting a stanley cup ring ASAP, and if the ESPN article is accurate, then the Mcdavid factor is not evident. Lucic doesnt need Conner to elevate his stats, as he will have signed a massive long term deal anyways.
Charelli should try to hit a homerun, and make a massive deal for a guy like PK Subban or Shea Weber. supposedly subban is available, and if Nashville bows out quickly again, they may want to move out Weber for more offence.
I'm just saying that I think we should apply some critical thinking here, Why were Hall, Eberle, RNH, Drai Mcdavid all "welcome" but Nail wasn't? Was it a language barrier? Nail and Leon are both not native English speakers, both played junior in Canada, Why is Leon "welcome" and not Yakupov? Im using "welcome" in quotations because I don't know another way to describe what honestly feels like the team disliking him. In my opinion, through observation throughout the last 4 years, I don’t place the blame on a language barrier at all, I think it has to do with nails attitude towards the game and the way he approaches it, and let me explain what I think, which isn't fact.
When a player plays in Canada for two years prior to being drafted, I think for professional reasons he should have put more effort into learning English. When he first started for the Oilers his English was awful, and it has slowly improved over time. This video is 6 months after he was drafted;
I know most young players will have trouble adjusting, but we also still had the boulin wall that year to help transition him in that regard, and then belov(cringe) grebs(cringe) and eventually Bryz the next year to help him communicate and develop those skills. I'm bringing it up because I think this is a huge factor in Yakupovs relationship with the team, communication in any aspect of life and when you can't communicate properly with your team and work in that kind of environment it’s going to lead to negativity and issues, in practice and especially in games when you can’t rely on a player not knowing where to go, what to do, or how to do it because he didn't understand then you're going to get frustrated with him eventually right? I think this likely hindered his development and what exactly can the Oilers do to help in that situation aside from surround him with people who speak his language? The year after he was drafted in order to help him, I feel like that was why they added Belov and Grebs the next year(Bryz just happened due to goaltending). Did Nail do his best to learn the language or no? Or was he treated badly from the start due to that barrier?
I think the barrier in reality is his attitude. We are all Oilers fans here and we look upon our team with some blue and orange tinted goggles, we can justify just about anything as long as that player plays for us. Look at Nails most memorable goal. He scored a big goal in that game to tie it, but watch the game highlights, Did RNH do that kind of celebration when he tied it a minute earlier in the game(the called back goal) or did Gagner do that big of a celebration when he scored the overtime winner later that game?
No one else raced down the center of the ice and did a on the knees slide, then laid down with their head on the ice. That's strange, and that's different in what we typically see in a hockey player, that emotion etc is what I love in the game, but you know who doesn't like that? Players themselves, coaches, media, they make this game boring but w.e that's another issue for another time. From my personal point of view, he has always seemed like a selfish player, from the way he skates and handles the puck, the moves he makes, the lack of defensive effort that he made for his first 3 years(props this year though) I love the exuberance he shows, but his team and other players obviously do not. Do you think the kings remembered the next game that Yak did that whole charade, and played a bit better? I don't know, but I think players do think like that. Even after the game Ryan Whitney?(maybe someone else) made a joke about not having to skate all the way down the ice to get to him, and then afterwards there were reports of our players having to talk to Nail and tell him to tone it down, and that worked as his next goal which was an OT winner vs the coyotes, he didn't do much if any celebration.
I personally loved Nail since he got into the NHL, even throughout the Eakins black hole I loved him, But when he got his agent involved regarding ice time. How many other players in the NHL have done something like that, and how many of those players do you think you'd want after something like that? Like this is from ONE MONTH into the Eakins era
http://edmontonjournal.com/sports/h...n-oilers-were-willing-to-make-a-move-any-team
Yeah Eakins this Eakins that ruined yak, I get that constant roundabout of an excuse, but dam this article is from 3 years ago, one month into his sophomore campaign. I'm sorry to whoever thinks otherwise but this was both a stupid and a horrendous situation to do to yourself, your coach and your team. Why didn't Drai ask for a trade last year? he was buried on the third line getting bad minutes with not very good line mates. Why did Yak?
Regarding his play
It feels like I am doing a character assassination in here but I don't mean too and I apologize if it seems like it but Nail Yakupov, much praised for his rookie season, simply is not and has never been a talented NHL scorer.
Nail was an amazing scorer for a 1 month span in his rookie season, shooting at a 21% overall shooting percentage which is 5-6% higher than the best NHL snipers, and in April itself I think was shooting around 33%. Aside from those 10 goals in that month, Nail has been dreadful scoring wise since he entered the league. How much of that is based on situation, PP time, bias, whatever that's so subjective, we can all sit here and argue for days about what Nail should or should not have gotten in PP time/zone starts/line-mates whatever else fancy stats you want to invent today, The fact is he has not produced, and along with that lack of production he has been a black hole defensively, and I think that also frustrates his teammates, it’s not difficult to see that when nail is on the ice the opponent has scored a lot more then him, -33 and -35 in two years under Eakins/Nelson. I think that his caliber of play has made his teammates dislike him, even in Halls worst year he was -15 which is bad too. But he scored 80 points, Nail was -33 and had 24 points in 16 less games.
Do you think the rest of the team appreciates something like that? When they are the ones playing, producing, playing hard, and Nail is just bleeding defensively, it really drags the guys down wouldn't it? Hall must think to himself, I've scored 80 points, this Yakupov guy whose supposed to be a star has scored 24 points, and not only has been awful at scoring, he’s given up way more goals in much easier minutes played against lesser competition. If I had a co-worker who was a waste of space I would be upset, but if I had one who was actually detrimental to my team? I would be quite angry and frustrated and I really wouldn't like that guy. It’s easy to sit here on a forum and go well you know Hall/the team should be more professional and blah blah blah, but man in that situation would you be okay with it? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand why EVERY SINGLE COACH he singled out Yakupov for his play, or to try and help him. Not just coaches have helped him either, players have too, HE WAS TREATED good, this a quote by him in a Russian interview (when asked about rookie pranks)
We really praise Derek Roy here, but the only difference between the rest of the team and him was he hadn't had to deal with the same mistakes, the same bad decisions and the same attitude that they had for the past 4 years. Idk, I know the Oilers media like all sport media is going to bash the kid because he’s going to be gone, but Stauffer and them saying stuff about his practicing habits and how he practices what he wants, then Eakins comments about "outside influences" and his play, it’s really telling, there's a problem here and blaming the Oilers 100% is wrong. This kid was picked number 1 overall in the NHL draft, the talent was there, Even RNH and Hall who aren’t considered as talented as prior first overalls blow him out of the water in production and attitude. Something is wrong
Also Korpse has outscored Nail with worse line-mates, why does Nail deserve a shootout attempt over him give the guy a break god I hate him too but cmon. You realize in like 2 more games, Maroon would have caught up Nails season point total and I'm pretty sure he is already at his season goal total since the TDL alone
I'm not going to argue against the fact he seems to be disliked by the team, the coaches and the management at all he is. I’m going to argue that even though unprofessional, I get the hate and think its warranted. I've grown so jaded with this guy, I love him as a person but as a player he has been a huge disappointment to the point where I just don't want him on my team anymore at all, It sucks to feel this way about a guy whose personality I love, but the reality of that personality is that it’s not a hockey one. I'm sorry for the long rant and stuff, and sorry for all the mistakes but I drove some family to the airport this morning and I've been up since 4am.
Edit: this is a bit long for a PGT should I just move it to the Yakupov thread?
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Replacement*
Checked out
Way too long to respond to.
Eakins HS'ed Yak for 2 games only 2 games into his sophomore season and no reason ever given why this occurred. Yak lead the team in scoring the previous season and was flying in TC and training camp and suddenly he's being scratched and buried in the lineup. Language aside all that got lost in the translation. Because there was no explaining it.
yeah, I think that was a "horrendous and stupid thing to do" and the incompetent that did it has subsequently been fired for being the worst coach this club has ever seen.
But somehow within that you blame Yak for that.
There was nothing that could make it more obvious Yak was being scapegoated. Eakins has still never come clean on the benching. This is also a coach who would bench Yak whenever he got going because by his own reports he didn't want the player getting ahead of himself. I mean it makes no sense, but then again it makes no sense..
In all my time of being an Oiler fan I've never seen a top pick be more misused. But then again I've never seen a worse coach than Eakins. The guy was a bloody idiot, and Yak suffered through that as him being the sophomore he was less established here.
You mention Drai. Actually Drai was the best player in prospects camp, TC, exhibition and they still sent him back to the AHL which was a complete joke at the time. Wasn't till injuries that Drai came back up. So don't tell me about how well the org has treated Draisaitl who was obviously ready to play from the get go.
Next a guy like Pakarinen. Leads all forwards in hits, comes to play every night and yet the first guy to be HS, benched, reduced minutes, etc. This guy had to work it for 50 games to even start to be recognized by this coaching staff.
Yet a punter like Purcell can float around several seasons and still be locked into topsix every night.
This team says it rewards effort. Does it really do that uniformly?
Nothing to argue about the Eakins hate but every coach has had issues with Yakupov not just him. The horrendous and stupid thing to do was involve your agent in asking for ice-time that you don't deserve, it makes everyone look bad for different reasons.
I was also speaking about Drai last year, Drai started in the NHL, he played 37 games with bad quality line-mates and minutes before being sent down to the AHL for the remainder of the yea. Drai played until December and didn't ask for a trade or involve his agent, my point of mentioning this is to point out a difference between the two players. Drai did come and work and played great, Why didn't nail? It feels like you're contradicting yourself when you mention in your post a comment about players earning something/ice-time and relate that to Nail? He hasn't earned anything in his career, and that was one of my points in my rather long winded post.
Edit: sorry
MinimaMoralia
Registered User
- May 1, 2015
- 1,782
- 826
Well, to say that was a lackluster second half of the season for T Hall would be putting it mildly. Seriously, what was up with him? Up until he February, he was on fire, with Drai and without. He was playing polished, competitively, with intelligence, leadership and an edge, he was Iginla-lite, then he just kind of flat-lined, relatively speaking. Was it simply exhaustion, the losing culture? Either way, in his first healthy season, he only puts up 65 points, well below of his PPG expectations. Does his 'elite' status begin to tarnish, maybe just a little?
Frank the Tank
The Godfather
Random comments:
- Pretty disinterested game by both parties. It showed both teams had little to play for in Game 82
- RNH was embarrassed and looked weak on the first goal, and I like how he responded and actually played much better the rest of the game. He actually dug in and moved some Canucks in the 3rd and OT. He needs more of that in his game moving forward
- Interesting how switching Draisaitl and RNH allowed for there to be a driver on all three lines (McDavid, Hall, and Draisaitl). If RNH is retained this may be a way forward for the top-9
- PP looked better since RNH has returned which gives two units that are respectable
- Pardy had a poor game on the right-side. Still better than Clendening
- Hughson and Simpson spent more time talking about Horvat and the Canucks future than they did calling the game
Interesting post.
-Yakupov traded for Drouin: Headache for different kind of headache? I don't see a deal to be had. Chia probably not willing to add much more than Yak for Drouin. Yzerman probably wants a big plus in a Drouin for Yak + deal.
Eberle traded for legitimate top 2 d-man: All depends on who the top 2 D is. Don't think the impact on Hall and Nuge will be much at all. It's a business. They get it.
-#1 Draft Pick traded for OEL: Depends on who they get for Eberle. 1OV for OEL? Gotta be something more coming back from the Coyotes.
-Oilers sign Milan Lucic: Great idea. Doubtful he signs here. What is the aav and term?
-Oilers sign Keith Yandle: Gots to move Sekera out to make this deal work. Again, aav and term are big questions.
-Laurent Brossoit doesn't make opening roster: No brainer. Chia needs to look at bringing at least one more G into camp. Laurikainen might be a pleasant surprise but LB ain't ready for the NHL right now. That college kid likely needs some development time.
-Taylor Hall named Oilers captain Great, great idea. One of the bigger mistakes in the glory days IMO was naming Gretzky captain instead of Messier. Obviously there weren't many mistakes with four cups in a five year span.
I think Hall is ready for the leadership role, and it seems a little too soon for McDavid to get a C.
McPuritania
LucicDestroyedHaley
I like McLellan, and believe in him as a coach, but when that happened I almost lost my ****.
Replacement*
Checked out
Not every coach has had something against Nail. In fact Kreuger, Nelson, got the best out of Nail and Nail enjoyed very much playing for those coaches. Its not too much of a secret what Nail feels about Eakins.
But if you need to falsely generalize to suit your argument you should recognize holes in your argument.
As for Drai he's the outlier player in this lineup. A guy that offseason substantially improved his game. Which no other player in this lineup does. Sure, I could wish Yak does the same but no other team does and they still have their cushy lines insured all season.
Nuge just had a horrendous production year for a guy that has been slotted in topsix all season. Yet nothing ever happens there. No demotion, lol they actually move Drai, who has been better than Nuge and more deserving all year, to wing, sot that Special NUge can play Center.
if you think there isn't some differential treatment here and a few sacred cows I don't know what to tell you. Nuge is obviously inferior to McDavid or Drai and yet the team still wants to insure a top C position for him. just because. with that player, who finished with 34pts, theres no play your way into the topsix rotation expectation. Its guaranteed. When do you ever see Nuge anywhere else. His pts/60mins production is as bad as Yaks and his GA are worse.
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Checked out
Yep. Because it was pure petty and vindictive. On an org where that kind of thing is typical and commonplace.
Yak finishes with two assists, creates the goal that ties the game late. Hardly gets on the ice after that. Actually I'm not sure Yak had more than one shift after that.
Of course not in the shootout..
McLellan rewarding performance...
McPuritania
LucicDestroyedHaley
Eh, that was a pretty nothing slash. The refs did their usual routine against us. Let an obvious trip go, and call us for a nothing retaliation. I don't blame Hall one bit for that play.
Jet Walters
Registered User
- May 15, 2013
- 7,433
- 3,179
The whole team knew it. They were trying to set him up on the late PP in the 3rd and he came so close. Hopefully that will motivate him to have a great off season and hit that bonus next year, hopefully in games the Oilers are fighting for a playoff position in.
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Checked out
Would be a class move for the team to just give Drai the bonus. Spending a lot of games in the AHL is the only thing that prevented Drai from reaching the bonus. That and honestly saying he didn't touch the puck last night on the goal.
Drai has earned the bonus as far as I'm concerned. Other than McDavid best effort by any player on the team this season.
McPuritania
LucicDestroyedHaley
Gotta say Eberle was terrible again tonight. He kept killing the play for that line over, and over. McDavid, and Maroon do good work on a shift, and it's pissed away by Eberle.
I don't know if he has something against Yak or not, but I was less than impressed that Yak didn't get a shot. If it was me, he would have shot next after McDavid.
Yep. Because it was pure petty and vindictive. On an org where that kind of thing is typical and commonplace.
Yak finishes with two assists, creates the goal that ties the game late. Hardly gets on the ice after that. Actually I'm not sure Yak had more than one shift after that.
McLellan rewarding performance...
I don't know if he has something against Yak or not, but I was less than impressed that Yak didn't get a shot. If it was me, he would have shot next after McDavid.
oobga
Tier 2 Fan
- Aug 1, 2003
- 23,218
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I was expecting it. There's no mystery, McLellan has a soft spot for grinders. As good as any coach is, they still all have their blind spots and biases.
McPuritania
LucicDestroyedHaley
Not to be a turd, but if his play hadn't have fallen off so hard he'd have hit the bonus too. Disappointing how little he, and Hall contributed after McDavid got back into the lineup.
McPuritania
LucicDestroyedHaley
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