Post-Game Talk: Oilers 4 Sharks 3 - Hitch a ride to McDavid

[McCombo]

One thing a noticed from the game that our D rarely even tried to make clear exits with break-out passes. It was just glass and out or flipping it high in the air. Don't know if it was Hitch who asked them to play safe game, little anxiety under new coach not to make bad mistakes in first game or just not capable of making those passes. Either way I hope that this isn't theme, players need to make better decisions when to clear it and when to pass it. It is especially bad when you have McDavid on the ice and Dman can't execute clear exit under pressure. I don't wanna sound too negative after a important win, but they clearly need better passers and I think current players are able to execute little better.

 

[slaman]

One thing a noticed from the game that our D rarely even tried to make clear exits with break-out passes. It was just glass and out or flipping it high in the air. Don't know if it was Hitch who asked them to play safe game, little anxiety under new coach not to make bad mistakes in first game or just not capable of making those passes. Either way I hope that this isn't theme, players need to make better decisions when to clear it and when to pass it. It is especially bad when you have McDavid on the ice and Dman can't execute clear exit under pressure. I don't wanna sound too negative after a important win, but they clearly need better passers and I think current players are able to execute little better.

I noticed this too... Nurse is the most guilty of this. He's been getting progressively risew at doing this.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Who did Lucic hurt? Hitch said he knocked two guys out of the game....

Don't think it was injuries, just nullified the guys games.

 

[Tw0Shoes]

One thing a noticed from the game that our D rarely even tried to make clear exits with break-out passes. It was just glass and out or flipping it high in the air. Don't know if it was Hitch who asked them to play safe game, little anxiety under new coach not to make bad mistakes in first game or just not capable of making those passes. Either way I hope that this isn't theme, players need to make better decisions when to clear it and when to pass it. It is especially bad when you have McDavid on the ice and Dman can't execute clear exit under pressure. I don't wanna sound too negative after a important win, but they clearly need better passers and I think current players are able to execute little better.

Historically Hitch teams have had better controlled exits, not worse. This is just game one. We'll see how it goes. He definitely likes the dump and chase game though instead of controlled entries.

 

[Ritchie Valens]

Today must be a mandated CBA day off for them. He kept saying "We will fix it in practise on Thursday."

 

[McSpecial DraiBlend]

These always seem to pop up at the worst times. Such a joke.
Can they even do video work with the coaches?

Today must be a mandated CBA day off for them. He kept saying "We will fix it in practise on Thursday."

 

[Ritchie Valens]

These always seem to pop up at the worst times. Such a joke.
Can they even do video work with the coaches?

I don't believe so. A day off is a day away from the office in all aspects.

 

[CycloneSweep]

These always seem to pop up at the worst times. Such a joke.
Can they even do video work with the coaches?

They just played 3 games in 4 nights. The day off is probably needed to be fair.

 

[McSpecial DraiBlend]

They just played 3 games in 4 nights. The day off is probably needed to be fair.

For the one ice I could see but to spend a few hours doing some video work would be huge for Hitch i'm sure.

 

[CycloneSweep]

For the one ice I could see but to spend a few hours doing some video work would be huge for Hitch i'm sure.

Hitchcock probably also wants the day to settle himself in with the assistants, learn more about the players, watch video himself and kind of create a plan now that he has seen the players. He probably has a very full day already

 

[Paperbagofglory]

The dude sounds cocky as hell. Saying it took him 8 or 9 days to fix the St.Louis blues and he could do the same thing here no problem. Gotta admire that confident leadership, even if he falls on his face, its a good way to make your bench feel good when you have that kind of attitude.

The Oilers roster is not that horrible when the bottom guys play with no fear and just murder the other team in the corners. A top loaded line with Mcdavid can get most of your offense and the grinders can keep the other team hemmed into the other zone for long stretches.

The big problem with this team is the defense completely sucks. Benning should be playing beer league hockey, i hope Hitch does not fall in love with the guy like Todd did.

 

[CycloneSweep]

The dude sounds cocky as hell. Saying it took him 8 or 9 days to fix the St.Louis blues and he could do the same thing here no problem.

Gotta admire that confident leadership, even if he falls on his face, its a good way to make your bench feel good when you have that kind of confidence.

He does have a history of flipping a teams record on its head after 8 or 9 days. The smallest improvement in his career was 10 points after he took over a team.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Who did Lucic hurt? Hitch said he knocked two guys out of the game....

He said he knocked them out of the box. I don't get what that exactly means but its what was stated.

 

[Paperbagofglory]

He does have a history of flipping a teams record on its head after 8 or 9 days. The smallest improvement in his career was 10 points after he took over a team.

My question would be do you really think the Oilers compare to that Blues team that he fixed?

I see way more problems with this roster. I guess Mcdavid and Draisaitl could override a lot of weaknesses but that Blues team was very good.

 

[StoveTopStauffer]

He said he knocked them out of the box. I don't get what that exactly means but its what was stated.

In front of the net play maybe?

 

[ohheyhemsky]

My question would be do you really think the Oilers compare to that Blues team that he fixed?

I see way more problems with this roster. I guess Mcdavid and Draisaitl could override a lot of weaknesses but that Blues team was very good.

I've made the comparison before that our team is built closer to the Columbus Blue Jackets during Hitchcock's tenure than it does any of his Stars or Blues rosters. Not that it's his fault. It's all dumb dumb upstairs.

Rick Nash at 23 as his "superstar", Zherdev as his complementary scorer at 22, only one defencemen with supposed offence (Klefbom) with Hainsey at around 34ish points, which he played around during his time there.

Even looking at the goaltending situation. Pascal Leclaire at a .919 and Fredrik Norrena at .896. Splitted 54/37 for that tandem. Our goalies? Koskinen at .913 and Talbot at .888.

It was an older, underachieving team that didn't compliment the star players, which is pretty similar to our team, just differing in age. He didn't have a McDavid though. But one player isn't a team as we've seen. So we'll see what he can do with this roster that we've all, at one point, called a pile of horse shit outside of McDavid.

 

[CornKicker]

not the first time we've seen that.

Question, if Spooner gets comfortable, do you role him out with McDavid and Draisaitl to really put the opposing team on their heels? Because he could just change after 30/45, and Klefbom or Nurse could come out and McDavid and Draisaitl could finish up with a defensemen

i think you have to start out with a defenseman on the ice nurse/klef in the event we dont get the puck first. If we were 60+% in the draws id go full attack like you suggest but i think its safer to have a dman. I would however rool out nuge/spooner 2nd until JP98 comes back. then i would roll out

97-29
93-98
97-29
93-98 until we win

 

[Drivesaitl]

My question would be do you really think the Oilers compare to that Blues team that he fixed?

I see way more problems with this roster. I guess Mcdavid and Draisaitl could override a lot of weaknesses but that Blues team was very good.

That Blues team has been deflating, and ready to, at different times. Hitch was able to inflate it. Look where the Blues are now, dead.

The Blues even lost to the KIngs. This being a Kings club that has basically given up on the season.

Blues and Kings fired coach already and Blues actually manage to be in a worse slump.

 

[Paperbagofglory]

I've made the comparison before that our team is built closer to the Columbus Blue Jackets during Hitchcock's tenure than it does any of his Stars or Blues rosters. Not that it's his fault. It's all dumb dumb upstairs.

Rick Nash at 23 as his "superstar", Zherdev as his complementary scorer at 22, only one defencemen with supposed offence (Klefbom) with Hainsey at around 34ish points, which he played around during his time there.

Even looking at the goaltending situation. Pascal Leclaire at a .919 and Fredrik Norrena at .896. Splitted 54/37 for that tandem. Our goalies? Koskinen at .913 and Talbot at .888.

It was an older, underachieving team that didn't compliment the star players, which is pretty similar to our team, just differing in age. He didn't have a McDavid though. But one player isn't a team as we've seen. So we'll see what he can do with this roster that we've all, at one point, called a pile of horse **** outside of McDavid.

Ok this post puts things into perspective. Draisaitl and Mcdavid won the team the game single handed last night. If Rich Nash was your centerpiece you were screwed either way. So there is more hope for Edmonton than that Columbus team, lol.

 

[CycloneSweep]

My question would be do you really think the Oilers compare to that Blues team that he fixed?

I see way more problems with this roster. I guess Mcdavid and Draisaitl could override a lot of weaknesses but that Blues team was very good.

Honest question cause I don't remember. Were people saying the same things about them?

 

[Paperbagofglory]

Honest question cause I don't remember. Were people saying the same things about them?

They were considered major underachievers and people were waiting for them to break out for 2 or 3 years at that point but it was not happening. I don't think anyone expects Edmonton to break out, people are just begging for the playoffs at this point.

 

[Ritchie Valens]

Something I thought was funny.

The Sharks only needed 45 seconds to start the scoring, Edmonton needed 51 seconds to end it.

 

[ohheyhemsky]

Ok this post puts things into perspective. Draisaitl and Mcdavid won the team the game single handed last night. If Rich Nash was your centerpiece you were screwed either way. So there is more hope for Edmonton than that Columbus team, lol.

I see the Oilers roster somewhere in the middle.

Without McDavid though, we're not even on the list in terms of depth. So that's what you should really take from that. You take out Tarasenko in St.Louis? You still have a team with depth scoring.
14-15 - Steen with 24, Schwartz with 28, Backes with 26, Tj Oshie with 19 in 72, Statsney with 16 in 74, Jori Lehtera with 14, Berglund with 12, and Jaskin with 13.
You have two defencemen, one putting up 46 points and Shatternkirk with 44.

We don't have any depth to work with.

 

[Boom not bust]

The dude sounds cocky as hell. Saying it took him 8 or 9 days to fix the St.Louis blues and he could do the same thing here no problem. Gotta admire that confident leadership, even if he falls on his face, its a good way to make your bench feel good when you have that kind of attitude.

The Oilers roster is not that horrible when the bottom guys play with no fear and just murder the other team in the corners. A top loaded line with Mcdavid can get most of your offense and the grinders can keep the other team hemmed into the other zone for long stretches.

The big problem with this team is the defense completely sucks. Benning should be playing beer league hockey, i hope Hitch does not fall in love with the guy like Todd did.

I was struck by his confidence level to, I love it. And unlike Eakins who talked big when he first came here Hitch actually has credibility given his experience and track record, the team should buy in.

 

[Ritchie Valens]

The dude sounds cocky as hell. Saying it took him 8 or 9 days to fix the St.Louis blues and he could do the same thing here no problem. Gotta admire that confident leadership, even if he falls on his face, its a good way to make your bench feel good when you have that kind of attitude.

The Oilers roster is not that horrible when the bottom guys play with no fear and just murder the other team in the corners. A top loaded line with Mcdavid can get most of your offense and the grinders can keep the other team hemmed into the other zone for long stretches.

The big problem with this team is the defense completely sucks. Benning should be playing beer league hockey, i hope Hitch does not fall in love with the guy like Todd did.

That GIF @Del Preston posted last night of Hitch's reaction to the breakaway against Benning caused tells me he won't be in love with Benning any time soon.