Post-Game Talk: Legs Wide Open on the Coaching Couch

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I'd bet my house they aren't missing the playoffs.

I don't know why we do this every year. It's the same thing over and over.

Their worth will be judged in April but dropping two games to a non-playoff team is not a great look.

 

[WaitingForUser]

I'd bet my house they aren't missing the playoffs.

I don't know why we do this every year. It's the same thing over and over.

Exactly same thing every year things are in place for a championship and goaltending shits the bed. Tell me this honestly isn’t reminding you 17/8.

 

[GOilers88]

You'd probably have made the same bet in 17-18 too and ended up homeless.

No one is entitled to a playoff berth. You earn it and every team can possibly miss if certain things go sideways.

My guy. For the last 4 years in a row the team is slow out the gate, and before the first month people are running around with their hair on fire talking about missing the playoffs, only for the team to show, once again, that making the playoffs is the easy part. The fact that anyone on this board could honestly believe they're a threat to miss absolutely boggles my mind, and there is nothing that could be said or done to convince them otherwise, because the team doing it year after year clearly isn't enough.

 

[Soundwave]

My guy. For the last 4 years in a row the team is slow out the gate, and before the first month people are running around with their hair on fire talking about missing the playoffs, only for the team to show, once again, that making the playoffs is the easy part. The fact that anyone on this board could honestly believe they're a threat to miss absolutely boggles my mind, and there is nothing that could be said or done to convince them otherwise, because the team doing it year after year clearly isn't enough.

And the last 4 years in a row the defense has been substandard and cost them in the playoffs every year.

And just because they have been able to shake off shitty starts/Decembers doesn't mean you aren't playing with fire.

Around .500 each of the midpoints of the last two years ... there is no guarantee that breaks your way every time, on a statistically probability it's probably the opposite.

Where is any maturity on this team too? Shouldn't they be past starting every year like it's year 3 of the Taylor Hall era? When exactly does that become unacceptable?

Look at Colorado, they got a bit of a scare from San Jose last night, but still took care of business. The Oilers look like such an immature team compared to groups like the Avs and Vegas, it's like watching a 30 year old that still needs their mom to clean up after them and drop off their laundry but also they demand to be taken seriously.

This team does the same stupid shit they were doing 3-4-5 years ago. Score a goal and then come back the very next shift with a stupid play to give it right back for example.

 

[GOilers88]

Exactly same thing every year things are in place for a championship and goaltending shits the bed. Tell me this honestly isn’t reminding you 17/8.

Honestly it doesn't. Every year is a fresh slate for me. It's not that I'm toxically positive, because I fully acknowledge the team has limitations and areas to improve upon, but there is absolutely no logical or reasonable cause to be as concerned as some people are after 2 games.

This isn't a 10 game losing streak. It's the first two games of the year.

 

[Lay Z Boy GM]

Buffalo are not wasting the two most productive hockey players in the world. Thats the difference.

Trust me the Oilers fans will be going through special hell for a decade after all this McDrai segment is over and Drai is turning 28 in a week.

The Oilers org has squandered the McDrai pair. As most feared they would.

It would take almost conscious effort to have surrounded McDrai with such little help for most of a decade.

It’s sad because how could this team ever sell a rebuild if Connor and Leon walk? They just proved they aren’t capable of building a team because they had a generational player and another that’s not far behind him and we sat around like absolute idiots for a decade not fixing the obvious holes the entire time.

 

[Soundwave]

It’s sad because how could this team ever sell a rebuild if Connor and Leon walk? They just proved they aren’t capable of building a team because they had a generational player and another that’s not far behind him and we sat around like absolute idiots for a decade not fixing the obvious holes the entire time.

They won't be able to. Attendance will drop like a rock, it'll be a little like the mid 90s probably for several years.

 

[3IR]

Nobody thinks we've seen the teams best. But most are spotting the teams limitations. This far in thats troubling. I mean this far into the McDrai timeframe here. Therein lies the rub. Views on this team and org have to be put into context of how much this org squanders anything, including the last decade, McDrai.

For most fans here its been longstanding cynicism with this org. Thats the context, and its arguably not "kneejerking"

My thoughts exactly.

In a vacuum, two games of garbage play to start the season really isn't anything to worry about. However, given the context of 20+ years of being the biggest joke in professional sports, Mcdavid and Drai entering their 9th season together where the main issues when they joined the team (D and Goal) are still just as big of an issue, and the fact that they should have been beyond hungry after losing to the cup winner in the playoffs again, and it's understandable that fans are already ready to shake things up.

Next year we have essentially 4m in dead capspace because of Brown, while also needing to replace or re sign him, another 2m of dead cap because of the Neal buyout, two of our bigger name RFA's Broberg and Holloway needing new contracts or replacements, as well as guys like Foegele, Janmark, and Desharnais that are UFAs.

At this point every year that passes our team is going to be getting older, and our depth is likely to deplete. The only Dmen on the team who aren't going to be 30+ for the 24/25 season are Broberg, Bouchard, and Desharnais. The only forwards who are still at a point where we should realistically expect development rather than regression due to their age are Mcleod and Holloway, with Drai and Mcdavid likely being at or near their peak productive years.

We don't have anything coming in terms of internal help, and we're completely capped out and lacking tradable assets when it comes to getting external help. I don't think it's unreasonable to think this team isn't getting any better than what it is currently is in the next 2 seasons, and once it's time to re sign Drai, the cap is only going to become a bigger concern as he is going to get paid what he deserves after being on one of the best contracts in the league for so long.

Expectations are rightfully very high for this team, and starting the year off with two losses against a divisional rival, and a non playoff team from last year is a little concerning.

 

[Lay Z Boy GM]

They won't be able to. Attendance will drop like a rock, it'll be a little like the mid 90s probably for several years.

Katz better wake up and be prepared for heads to roll. They need to make the finals this year.

Drai won’t stay if we drop the ball again, there’s no way. This guy wants to win, he’ll pick a team with the right pieces and get it done if we don’t do better fast.

Maybe you can still do it with McDavid, but he’s likely to jump ship too if Leon does.

Then the actual Oilers org is potentially in peril. I don’t know if I’d stick around for another rebuild if we failed with Connor and Leon. I think a lot of people would feel the same way. Times are tough and probably getting tougher, I think ticket sales could plummet in 3 years.

Definitely at a crossroads right now. This season determines the path this team and organization will go down.

 

[CycloneSweep]

My guy. For the last 4 years in a row the team is slow out the gate, and before the first month people are running around with their hair on fire talking about missing the playoffs, only for the team to show, once again, that making the playoffs is the easy part. The fact that anyone on this board could honestly believe they're a threat to miss absolutely boggles my mind, and there is nothing that could be said or done to convince them otherwise, because the team doing it year after year clearly isn't enough.

Definitely not a threat to miss. Definitely a threat to go no where in the playoffs though. Any good team would dismantle us again. Boys haven’t learned, Holland hasn’t either

 

[Oilers in NS]

Is it just me or do our goaltenders have terrible glove hands? I had pretty fuked up eyes last night ( hockey pool in afternoon, 25 guys , pick 15 players, snake pool) but Skinner sure looks like he is waving his glove at pucks. Albeit, he has had some bad luck with puck deflecting. Our goalies cannot steal us a game. Read a rumour today Holland could be talking to the Bruins about Ullmark. Don’t know how true that is
Be nice to pull that trade of we did before
Moog for Ranford, Geoff Courtnall, and a 2nd Rd pick

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Their worth will be judged in April but dropping two games to a non-playoff team is not a great look.

I got Vancouver as a WC team in the west. They are dramatically improved in all areas with a coz h that means business and a healthy Demko. Plus the Central isn’t very good.

 

[InTheBox]

The way Bouchard is playing, I'm thankful we didn't do a long term contract. He's still super soft, and his hockey intellect is not great. But in reality, everyone is sucking. I still like the 3rd line though. But it'd be nice is all that speed and forechecking would end up with some goals once.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Aside from giving the Canucks 3 free goals (letting a Canuck player stand right in front of the goalie with your thumb up your ass instead of tying up their stick is not a great strategy) and then a free 2-on-0.

How many "free" goals did the Oilers get last night? They had to pepper the shit out of DeSmith to get the first one, which is all they got 5 on 5 all night and then two PP goals, so basically we got nothing for free.

We are ALWAYS generous with the other team letting them have easy bullshit ... do they ever return the favor for us?

It was the same deal in the Vegas series. How can you play a zone defense and then proceed to not protect the front of your net? Isn't that the whole purpose of having your D play a zone defense? Our defensemen except for Bouchard should be told that you are a defenseman, your first, second and 3rd job is to defend, clear the crease and eliminate rebounds. Your 4th job is to break the puck out quickly and cleanly. The 5th job of yours is to keep the puck in on the cycle if you have a better than 70% chance of jumping up and retaining position. Your 6th job is to drop if your partner pinches. Your 7th job is to shoot for sticks or rebounds. Simplify the game for the likes of Ceci, Kulak, Broberg, Desharnais and to a lesser degree Ekholm who likely isn't 100%. Nurse will want to be a free wheeler so whoever his partner is needs to really study this. Instead we have guys not clearing the crease and making breakaway passes that are out of their skill set leading to icings.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

The way Bouchard is playing, I'm thankful we didn't do a long term contract. He's still super soft, and his hockey intellect is not great. But in reality, everyone is sucking. I still like the 3rd line though. But it'd be nice is all that speed and forechecking would end up with some goals once.

He played with Nurse in game 1, likely his worst stylistic fit and then a rusty Ekholm in game 2. He needs to be better on the PP in terms of his drop passes. The whole PP unit could use some improvement on their execution tbh. This includes Connor needing to look for his shot more.

 

[ujju2]

Not really, we don't need players that won't help the team win

Erne and Janmark are marginal fodder who've looked unimpressive, especially when you factor in the pk.

Ceci and Foegele are too expensive for what they don't provide.

The goaltending is bad.

The hope is improvement and flexibility. Stop f***ing around and win.

And waiving all these players helps how? We don't have any viable replacements for really any of them, besides maybe Lavoie.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

And waiving all these players helps how? We don't have any viable replacements for really any of them, besides maybe Lavoie.

They're a level of comfort in the group that they could stand to see disrupted. They need more urgency and drive, less comfort and security.

 

[Sra1974]

My guy. For the last 4 years in a row the team is slow out the gate, and before the first month people are running around with their hair on fire talking about missing the playoffs, only for the team to show, once again, that making the playoffs is the easy part. The fact that anyone on this board could honestly believe they're a threat to miss absolutely boggles my mind, and there is nothing that could be said or done to convince them otherwise, because the team doing it year after year clearly isn't enough.

How could you not think it possible. You’ve just basically lost the season series against one of the teams you are supposed to beat. Losing points early in the season can be a recipe for disaster, especially if you consider that one of Connor or Leon could get injured for 10-15 games and then you’d want these points that you and the team are so cavalier about throwing away in the first month.

if you recall last season, until the arrival of Elkholm there was still a question mark on them locking a spot up.

Do I think they will make it? Yes.

Do I see warning signs that I didnt want to see all over again? 100 percent.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

And waiving all these players helps how? We don't have any viable replacements for really any of them, besides maybe Lavoie.

Logic goes right out the window when you start 0-2 apparently.

 

[Spawn]

That's the line of thinking that Ekains loved. Just because you do a good job limiting the low danger chances doesn't mean that your goalie should be expected to save more of the 5 bell chances. Expecally when you give up a s**t ton of them.

It's far better to give up 35 shots with only 2 to 3 high grade chances vs. 16 shots, where about half of them are high danger.

You're missing my point.

All 16 shots could be high danger chances and your goalie statistically should still be stopping ~80% of them. That is their job. There is no excuse for a .750 save percentage in any game. Ever. It's pathetic.

 

[booyakasha]

Katz better wake up and be prepared for heads to roll. They need to make the finals this year.

Drai won’t stay if we drop the ball again, there’s no way. This guy wants to win, he’ll pick a team with the right pieces and get it done if we don’t do better fast.

Maybe you can still do it with McDavid, but he’s likely to jump ship too if Leon does.

Then the actual Oilers org is potentially in peril. I don’t know if I’d stick around for another rebuild if we failed with Connor and Leon. I think a lot of people would feel the same way. Times are tough and probably getting tougher, I think ticket sales could plummet in 3 years.

Definitely at a crossroads right now. This season determines the path this team and organization will go down.

look at what LA gave up for PLD...the "right " pieces a team will have, will be giving them up for a player like Draisaitl.

 

[iCanada]

Is it just me or do our goaltenders have terrible glove hands? I had pretty fuked up eyes last night ( hockey pool in afternoon, 25 guys , pick 15 players, snake pool) but Skinner sure looks like he is waving his glove at pucks. Albeit, he has had some bad luck with puck deflecting. Our goalies cannot steal us a game. Read a rumour today Holland could be talking to the Bruins about Ullmark. Don’t know how true that is
Be nice to pull that trade of we did before
Moog for Ranford, Geoff Courtnall, and a 2nd Rd pick

The patented Schwartz frying pan.

 

[BlackDogg]

The patented Schwartz frying pan.

He's not putting the skill in skillet.

 

[DavidHasselhoffsFist]

They won't be able to. Attendance will drop like a rock, it'll be a little like the mid 90s probably for several years.

Not a chance

 

[McDNicks17]

look at what LA gave up for PLD...the "right " pieces a team will have, will be giving them up for a player like Draisaitl.

LA gave up a couple of guys with career highs of 40 points. It's not like they dismantled their team to make that trade.