Post-Game Talk: Oilers 3 Bruins 2 in shootout

[harpoon]

Tough to see all the hate RNH is getting. He's nowhere up to form but he deserves more credit than some of the posters here seem to want to give him.

I was seeing a more pronounced upright skating posture from RNH tonight. A couple of times I had to double check it was actually him because the skating style looked so off.
He is not a rough and tumble player, but he's not the wimp some people are making him out to be. He'll lay a hit if he has the chance. Recently you see him engaging in physical contact with his forearms guarding himself. I don't think he's healthy. He can't be. RNH is not this player.

 

[Canovin]

We all want to keep everyone. Let's be honest. It's unfortunate that it's a cap world. We can't keep all the golden boys if we want better defense. It's important that we establish our core players early and so far it's Drai, Hall, McDavid, Klef and Nurse.

 

[RattsSSV]

By the way, the past few games, the refs have been on our side. Almost all calls against Boston were weak.

Where are the ref conspiracy theorists now?

They must feel bad for taking out Yak.

 

[AddyTheWrath]

Guys if we win our next game we'll be ahead of Toronto, Carolina, Columbus, Calgary and Colorado!!

 

[harpoon]

They must feel bad for taking out Yak.

The way he was playing that was almost like doing us a favor.

 

[Spawn]

You has a point there but when the game was on stake ,Nilsson at least won the extrapoint!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to discredit Nilsson at all. He was great tonight and made a lot of great saves. But this wasn't a case of the Oilers getting dominated all night and having a goalie bail them out.

Both teams had lots of chances, both teams carried the play for stretches. Neither team dominated the ice for vast amounts of time. It was a great goaltending performance from both ends of the ice.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Btw: Fun Nuge stats:

Played 24:52, 56% on the dot, three shots.

McLellan's got RNH's back, so sheathe your screwdrivers, kids. RNH is not going anywhere until the offseason at earliest.

 

[Throttlehead]

It appears that we should establish the equivalent of the DH in baseball. Make Eberle the designated shoutout specialist. Only sees the ice if we get to a shootout.

You mean the same Eberle who led the team in points over the last 4 years?

 

[CupofOil]

Shots were 40-36. Both goalies made a bunch of big saves. This wasn't a case of a goalie stealing a game out there. It was an evenly played game from both teams.

I thought the Bruins had the more dangerous scoring chances. The Oilers D was a circus throughout a good portion of the 3rd and not getting much support from the forwards. Nuge and Eberle look completely listless as if their head is somewhere else and Drai looks gassed so that line is starting to struggle.
f Scrivens was in net, this was a 6-2 game IMO.
Team needs to be much better.

 

[McAsuno]

Guys if we win our next game we'll be ahead of Toronto, Carolina, Columbus, Calgary and Colorado!!

Next game is up against Dallas.

 

[McDeathbyCheerios*]

Btw: Fun Nuge stats:

Played 24:52, 56% on the dot, three shots.

McLellan's got RNH's back, so sheathe your screwdrivers, kids. RNH is not going anywhere until the offseason at earliest.

He has his back that doesn't prevent him from being moved.

He was better in ways tonight but he is still playing extremely off offensively.

 

[Throttlehead]

Btw: Fun Nuge stats:

Played 24:52, 56% on the dot, three shots.

McLellan's got RNH's back, so sheathe your screwdrivers, kids. RNH is not going anywhere until the offseason at earliest.

Well ONE year ago the whining was endless about being real weak and no depth at center, now people want to trade RNH and hire Roy (which no one in the league will give contract). Its hard to understand.

 

[Canovin]

Btw: Fun Nuge stats:

Played 24:52, 56% on the dot, three shots.

McLellan's got RNH's back, so sheathe your screwdrivers, kids. RNH is not going anywhere until the offseason at earliest.

I don't think it's a case of RNH fighting the flu. I think it's him playing too much minutes and it's affecting his game to play more defensively and conservatively instead of offensively and in short burst. Changing him minutes will definitely change his game I bet you.

 

[The Nuge]

Nilsson makes so many smart little plays with his stick. He's no Smith, but it's nice to have a goalie who's confident with the puck

 

[ToeMcDrag83]

We've lost too much to forgo the center depth we somehow have.
You hang on to RNH, he's in a clear funk, coach knows that and Nuge knows that. Doesn't help he's playing half the bloody game because we can't roll McD/Drai/Nuge. Lander and Letestu will never play those heavy minutes.

Trade Ebs before Nuge for help on D every day of the week.

Nice shootout winner.

 

[harpoon]

Btw: Fun Nuge stats:

Played 24:52, 56% on the dot, three shots.

McLellan's got RNH's back, so sheathe your screwdrivers, kids. RNH is not going anywhere until the offseason at earliest.

He also had credit for 4 TKA (double anyone else in the game) and 0 GVA, although I'll confess I didn't notice him have a good game in that regard tonight.

 

[Forgot About Drai]

By the way, the past few games, the refs have been on our side. Almost all calls against Boston were weak.

Where are the ref conspiracy theorists now?

The NHL has stepped in to stop this embarrassment ahhaa

 

[Mc5RingsAndABeer]

RNH didn't look great but he made some key takeaways and had solid positioning on defense for the most part. Line a defender, it's selective memory with his gaffes

 

[TheRebuild]

Good game for once. Watched it right to the end, and that's rare for me.

 

[Canovin]

If we trade Eberle, who does RNH play with? RNH can't carry his own line and he doesn't exactly mesh with anyone

 

[TheRebuild]

The NHL has stepped in to stop this embarrassment ahhaa

Mulder and Scully blew the lid off it.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

I don't think it's a case of RNH fighting the flu. I think it's him playing too much minutes and it's affecting his game to play more defensively and conservatively instead of offensively and in short burst. Changing him minutes will definitely change his game I bet you.

That's exactly what happened last year. One of the first things Nelson did was slash Nuge's minutes to the tune of almost three a night and it had an immediate positive effect on his offense.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

If we trade Eberle, who does RNH play with? RNH can't carry his own line and he doesn't exactly mesh with anyone

Pair Hall and Drai, McDavid and Yak, and RNH and Pouliot until a better option presents itself.

Based on his first three NHL games I wouldn't be opposed to seeing Khaira on the wing of one of those lines for a few shifts. No nonsense north-south game and isn't afraid to head to the net.

 

[booyakasha]

By the way, the past few games, the refs have been on our side. Almost all calls against Boston were weak.

Where are the ref conspiracy theorists now?

I haven't seen it...lotta weak calls against the Oilers as well.
Bottom feeding teams are not going to get the benefit of the doubt..it'e not a conspiracy theory,it's the way it goes.

 

[harpoon]

The Oilers D was a circus throughout a good portion of the 3rd and not getting much support from the forwards.

I certainly agree with the first part of this post, but I disagree withe the second.
Forwards should not have to do the dmans job. I think there is a fundamental disagreement among posters on this site regarding how much of the d-zone the forwards should be responsible for.

I watch the games and I see forwards who seem to be paranoid and are actually over compensating on the backcheck. Yet somehow the defense just blunders the puck away under the slightest pressure. Or makes incredibly dumb plays like ... Sekera on the Chara goal. Just brutal. Chases a man up the wall all the way to the blueline. Puts himself out of play, leaving RNH to cover his man. Pirouettes back into the picture just in time to watch Chara score. Nowhere near the ****ing net and where he should be. Thinks he's Bobby Orr or something.

For that matter look at his play on the first goal. Crashes into his own goal for no reason. Almost falls over. Nobody's even touching him, mind you. Recovers his balance and skates toward the front (as if remembering he's supposed to be covering someone) just in time to screen Nilsson perfectly on the Krug shot. Is that acceptable work from the guy who is getting paid to be a serious piece of the puzzle going forward? What amount of backchecking by the forwards is going to stop plays like that from happening?

This team has stinking stinking defense. Every year its the same story.
But hey, at least Gryba decided to hit a few people tonight. He was more useful than Sekera by a country mile.