Post-Game Talk: Nashville 3 Oilers 0

[nabob]

Part of the reason why the offense is failing is because the defense is unable to make a proper break out pass consistently and can't get a shot through to the net for the most part.

Or players like Klefbom are displaying an offensive hockey IQ that is so low that you’d think he had a lobotomy in the offseason.

Get the puck in a great shooting spot, do nothing, dump it into the corner. Every damn time.

 

[KCC]

I thought EDM played decent but with no scoring outside McDavid, these type of games will continue for them.

 

[TheNumber4]

He just said he never posts in PGTs where the team wins because he has nothing positive to say, even after a win.

I don't think he said that. His point was that he sees problems with the team win or lose, but won't mention the problems in a win because he doesn't want to that guy.

 

[Soundwave]

Part of the reason why the offense is failing is because the defense is unable to make a proper break out pass consistently and can't get a shot through to the net for the most part.

Look at the transition ability of this D compared to other teams, it's night and day really. In a league that is emphasizing speed and skill more than ever, the Oilers blueline fails in that regard and it won't get better until the likes of Bouchard and Bear gain experience and the confidence that comes with that experience.

I think honestly they're gonna have to remake this forward group. McDavid, Drai, RNH, and Yamamoto can stay but I think the rest of it basically will need to be retooled entirely.

It just doesn't work. This combination of forwards is just bad.

 

[space321]

He just said he never posts in PGTs where the team wins because he has nothing positive to say, even after a win.

Because McDavid literally carried this team to their wins? The only bright spot in our 3 wins that don't include McDavid was probably Yamo's goal. Aside from that this team is still the same, it just happens that McDavid is so good that he can mask the obvious shortcomings of this team - weak D, weak transition, and lack of secondary scoring.

I personally don't like to point those things out after wins either, because why rain on the "parade"? Just because we don't say it after wins doesn't mean it's not true though.

 

[A91]

You're right. One is about to break out as one of the best goalies in the league and the other is a KHL scrub with 4 NHL games played.

Was a bad move I agree but Koskinen was an all-star in the KHL not some scrub. No need to hyperbolize the situation.

 

[TheNumber4]

Part of the reason why the offense is failing is because the defense is unable to make a proper break out pass consistently and can't get a shot through to the net for the most part.

Look at the transition ability of this D compared to other teams, it's night and day really. In a league that is emphasizing speed and skill more than ever, the Oilers blueline fails in that regard and it won't get better until the likes of Bouchard and Bear gain experience and the confidence that comes with that experience.

I used to think Klef and Lars passing back and forth to eachother waiting for that breakout opportunity was smart, responsible hockey. Now that I've seen it for 3 years straight I'm starting to feel like they just don't have the vision to find passes that are there. Seeing Bear and Bouchard step in and find passes they've never been able to find right away proves this. And I've always complained about the shots from the blueline, Russell can't do it, Sekera can't do it, Larsson can't do it (or doesn't even try to often enough) and Klefbom shoots ALOT but has no sense of WHEN to shoot. Like he'll get pucks on net with zero traffic, but he'll pass when he actually should be shooting with traffic.

 

[Soundwave]

Because McDavid literally carried this team to their wins? The only bright spot in our 3 wins that don't include McDavid was probably Yamo's goal. Aside from that this team is still the same, it just happens that McDavid is so good that he can mask the obvious shortcomings of this team - weak D, weak transition, and lack of secondary scoring.

I personally don't like to point those things out after wins either, because why rain on the "parade"? Just because we don't say it after wins doesn't mean it's not true though.

Yeah pretty much.

I'm not gonna excited over stuff like "oooh! Kassian or Lucic hit someone". I'm not going to lower the bar to throw around phony praise.

 

[CupofOil]

I think honestly they're gonna have to remake this forward group. McDavid, Drai, RNH, and Yamamoto can stay but I think the rest of it basically will need to be retooled entirely.

It just doesn't work. This combination of forwards is just bad.

Just like the defense, they have to develop their own guys like all good teams do. Pulju, Yamamoto, Benson, McLeod, Maxsimov etc. With salary heavily weighted into their forward group, there's no room for significant additions.

 

[A91]

Of course it does. If the coach gives you your one and only chance to start the power-play, you don't carry the puck into the zone and then whip a 40-foot wrister four feet wide of the net.

At least he did carry it into the zone. You're acting as if a missed shot is something rare and unseen in the NHL. All Pulju did was miss a shot ffs.
Khaira is the one who to blame for that goal.

 

[Soundwave]

Just like the defense, they have to develop their own guys like all good teams do. Pulju, Yamamoto, Benson, McLeod, Maxsimov etc. With salary heavily weighted into their forward group, there's no room for significant additions.

Yeah I don't know if that's good enough of a group. Puljujarvi we desperately needed him to really be a very good player and I'm not seeing it at all in him.

The D isn't really "developed" so much as it is we've suffered tremendously to get that combination of 4 D, lol, all are the result of 4 failed seasons.

They need to get Draisiatl more help.

 

[guymez]

I used to think Klef and Lars passing back and forth to eachother waiting for that breakout opportunity was smart, responsible hockey. Now that I've seen it for 3 years straight I'm starting to feel like they just don't have the vision to find passes that are there. Seeing Bear and Bouchard step in and find passes they've never been able to find right away proves this. And I've always complained about the shots from the blueline, Russell can't do it, Sekera can't do it, Larsson can't do it (or doesn't even try to often enough) and Klefbom shoots ALOT but has no sense of WHEN to shoot. Like he'll get pucks on net with zero traffic, but he'll pass when he actually should be shooting with traffic.

Larsson saw and executed an excellent outlet pass to Yamamoto in the Boston game. Saying that he doesnt have the vision is clearly wrong.

The main issue for Larsson is that he has been coached in New jersey as strictly a shutdown dman.
So it might be a question now of him having the green light to think offence.
Perhaps Yawney can help him re-discover that element in his game.

 

[belair]

You're right. One is about to break out as one of the best goalies in the league and the other is a KHL scrub with 4 NHL games played.

...And yet another example of drafted and developed vs UFA signing.

 

[snipes]

I used to think Klef and Lars passing back and forth to eachother waiting for that breakout opportunity was smart, responsible hockey. Now that I've seen it for 3 years straight I'm starting to feel like they just don't have the vision to find passes that are there. Seeing Bear and Bouchard step in and find passes they've never been able to find right away proves this. And I've always complained about the shots from the blueline, Russell can't do it, Sekera can't do it, Larsson can't do it (or doesn't even try to often enough) and Klefbom shoots ALOT but has no sense of WHEN to shoot. Like he'll get pucks on net with zero traffic, but he'll pass when he actually should be shooting with traffic.

Bouchard had several headup the ice stretch passes to players in stride that were just beautiful, it might have been on a PP in the 2nd or early 3rd.

His ability to get and distribute the puck up ice is better already as a teenager than any of our other D men.

 

[TheNumber4]

Larsson saw and executed an excellent outlet pass to Yamamoto in the Boston game. Saying that he doesnt have the vision is clearly wrong.

Yes and the comments from around these boards were like "OMG Larsson made an outlet pass" or like my comment that was like "OMG it proves that NJ fans were right when they said 3 years ago he had an outlet pass"

So far this season, can you find any other example of Larsson with a good outlet besides Yamo?

And btw I don't really think he has no puck moving ability, I just think it's average at best.

 

[CupofOil]

I used to think Klef and Lars passing back and forth to eachother waiting for that breakout opportunity was smart, responsible hockey. Now that I've seen it for 3 years straight I'm starting to feel like they just don't have the vision to find passes that are there. Seeing Bear and Bouchard step in and find passes they've never been able to find right away proves this. And I've always complained about the shots from the blueline, Russell can't do it, Sekera can't do it, Larsson can't do it (or doesn't even try to often enough) and Klefbom shoots ALOT but has no sense of WHEN to shoot. Like he'll get pucks on net with zero traffic, but he'll pass when he actually should be shooting with traffic.

Even Nurse. He's a great puck carrier from D zone into O zone but usually it's a poor decision once he enters the O zone with carrying it into a dead spot or an inaccurate pass or shot. I know some people will get on me for that comment but it's the way I see it. I like a lot about Nurse's game but it continues to be a weakness of his. The 3 on 3 dangle was a once in a blue moon type thing for him just as the Larsson stretch pass to Yamamoto was.

Put it this way, we get so enamored with the simple stretch passes Bouchard makes because we're not used to seeing it from an Oiler Dman. A lot of those passes he makes are commonplace on other bluelines.

 

[Burnoutboi]

I defend JP a lot. I thought he needed more opportunity and more ice time but he really makes some poor decisions out there. TM is giving him ice time but he isn’t taking advantage of it. Hes so soft with the puck.

The Oilers passing was off all night, and as a result they couldn’t break the preds system. Nashville is just a better team. The Oilers couldn’t do much.

I thought Kassian had a pretty good night.

Horrible, horrible passing tonight. Literally every one of the forwards had issues holding on to the puck past center ice.

Nashville shut down McDavid. That’s pretty impressive. They had the answer to 97s patented burst through the neutral zone with top speed from outside of their blue line down pat. Damn you, Peter Laviolette, for getting every one of your players buying into, and more importantly executing your system.

I haven’t looked up the stats, but I’m guessing Klefs 1/2 hour show was due to the lack of faith in Garrison, especially in the third?

I thought Bouchard had a great game, and did well for his baptism into one of the leagues elite teams, but if we’re going to criticize Klef for bobbling the puck at the blue line, we also have to admit Bouchard was guilty of this in the third as well.

With that being said, I thought that the Power Play was much better with 75 than 77 as the quarterback. Klef thinks too much, while Bouchard made great, quick decisions with the puck.

Even though you can’t, if you took away that two goal burst I’d have been very pleased if the team would have made it the third tied at zero. Despite not generating much offensively, I thought they did an average to good job keeping Nashville out of the dangerous areas.

 

[FlameChampion]

I used to think Klef and Lars passing back and forth to eachother waiting for that breakout opportunity was smart, responsible hockey. Now that I've seen it for 3 years straight I'm starting to feel like they just don't have the vision to find passes that are there. Seeing Bear and Bouchard step in and find passes they've never been able to find right away proves this. And I've always complained about the shots from the blueline, Russell can't do it, Sekera can't do it, Larsson can't do it (or doesn't even try to often enough) and Klefbom shoots ALOT but has no sense of WHEN to shoot. Like he'll get pucks on net with zero traffic, but he'll pass when he actually should be shooting with traffic.

I honestly think that the passing back and forth between the defense and behind the net is a coaching thing. Because honestly all the defenseman do it. The only ones who do it less are the young guys who haven’t spent a lot of time with TM.

I actually think this year we are seeing it less, so maybe Yawney is making some impact, but it takes time. I don’t recall Larsson trying that pass to Yamamoto in previous years.

 

[TheNumber4]

Bouchard had several headup the ice stretch passes to players in stride that were just beautiful, it might have been on a PP in the 2nd or early 3rd.

His ability to get distribute the puck up ice is better already as a teenager than any of our other D men.

True and Bear showed the same thing last year in his short stint. Which showed very obviously last year that this D core can't get the job done. So why Chia does NOTHING again in an offseason that followed another offseason where he did NOTHING just blows my mind.

 

[CupofOil]

Yeah I don't know if that's good enough of a group. Puljujarvi we desperately needed him to really be a very good player and I'm not seeing it at all in him.

The D isn't really "developed" so much as it is we've suffered tremendously to get that combination of 4 D, lol, all are the result of 4 failed seasons.

They need to get Draisiatl more help.

I don't see where that help comes from. How can they squeeze in a highly skilled 2nd line winger? We're not talking about an average player, they need a good player for that 2nd line.
I'd love to bring in somebody like Mark Stone but no chance in hell they squeeze him in unless they rid of Lucic or RNH's contract.

 

[guymez]

Yes and the comments from around these boards were like "OMG Larsson made an outlet pass" or like my comment that was like "OMG it proves that NJ fans were right when they said 3 years ago he had an outlet pass"

So far this season, can you find any other example of Larsson with a good outlet besides Yamo?

And btw I don't really think he has no puck moving ability, I just think it's average at best.

I made a late edit that you might have missed. I pasted it below....

The main issue for Larsson is that he has been coached in New jersey as strictly a shutdown dman.
So it might be a question now of him having the green light to think offence.
Perhaps Yawney can help him re-discover that element in his game.

 

[Soundwave]

I don't see where that help comes from. How can they squeeze in a highly skilled 2nd line winger? We're not talking about an average player, they need a good player for that 2nd line.
I'd love to bring in somebody like Mark Stone but no chance in hell they squeeze him in unless they rid of Lucic or RNH's contract.

It might not happen this year (and I guess we'll suffer the consequences of that), but it has to happen at some point.

 

[Oilers in NS]

Nashville is a very fast team I noticed . The only player I have a problem with on that team is Ryan Johansen. He is their version of Drai. He gets big money and does nothing. He took 2 penalties as well

 

[TheNumber4]

Even Nurse. He's a great puck carrier from D zone into O zone but usually it's a poor decision once he enters the O zone with carrying it into a dead spot or an inaccurate pass or shot. I know some people will get on me for that comment but it's the way I see it. I like a lot about Nurse's game but it continues to be a weakness of his. The 3 on 3 dangle was a once in a blue moon type thing for him just as the Larsson stretch pass to Yamamoto was.

Put it this way, we get so enamored with the simple stretch passes Bouchard makes because we're not used to seeing it from an Oiler Dman. A lot of those passes he makes are commonplace on other bluelines.

Agreed somewhat. With Nurse, atleast when he decides to puck carry he does it in a way that doesn't hurt the team. That could be an issue with him but its not. But I agree that most of the time he carries the puck in it leads to nothing. I think if the system that Tmac ran actually worked in Nurses puck moving, maybe the other players could plan for it and actually produce something around that skill he has. But Im pretty sure Tmac just tells him ONLY DO IT IF ITS 100% SAFE.

And yeh the Larss stretch pass was a blue moon type thing. And I'm a big fan of Larss, and really really hoped he'd break out eventually and contribute more offensively. But to do that he actually has to try to produce offence. His offensive flashes are way too few and far and he's way too developed as a D-man. If it hasn't happened yet, its probably not happening with him.

And definitely agree on the other blue lines thing. Good teams and even average teams have double or triple the puckmoving skill of our guys. I said it a lot in the offseason this year and last, this team will continue to stink cause Chia hasn't done ANYTHING to address our most glaring hole.

I can't believe he thought guys like Auvitu, and Jerabek might be the answer.

 

[nabob]

I don't think he said that. His point was that he sees problems with the team win or lose, but won't mention the problems in a win because he doesn't want to that guy.

No he says he won’t even go into a PGT of a win because he can’t be positive at all.