Oilers 9-8-2 under Hitchcock

[Paperbagofglory]

Todd Mclellan does not even deserve a Junior coaching gig at this point. He was a terrible game manager and hated line matching and never used his timeouts.

Seriously, his line changes were just a roulette wheel and had no sense or direction or who matches up against who. Mcdavid would constantly see the top defenseman on him even at home where the matchup's should favor the home side.

He was inept, he did not know how to play to the strength or weakness of a roster. Players were commenting how every line tried to play like Connor's line and had no identity but it all changed with Hitch and how every unit is used differently.

Is this the kind of coach you want on your team? Buyer beware.

 

[MessierII]

And it was a change for this season

I was clearly referencing mid season coaching changes.....

 

[voyageur]

Todd Mclellan does not even deserve a Junior coaching gig at this point. He was a terrible game manager and hated line matching and never used his timeouts.

Seriously, his line changes were just a roulette wheel and had no sense or direction or who matches up against who. Mcdavid would constantly see the top defenseman on him even at home where the matchup's should favor the home side.

He was inept, he did not know how to play to the strength or weakness of a roster. Players were commenting how every line tried to play like Connor's line and had no identity but it all changed with Hitch and how every unit is used differently.

Is this the kind of coach you want on your team? Buyer beware.

It's because this team doesn't have much firepower outside of its star power. So if you can't run and gun, defend well and let your stars win, when they can. I would say it's a means of coping with a substandard roster.

 

[Pizza!Pizza!]

He's got his name on the cup...

So does Mike Keenan.

 

[General Disarray]

Why does JP look like those Terrence n Phillip characters in South Park?

 

[General Disarray]

Have they actually played better with the coaching change or is this just a result of the new coach ignoring Talbot lol.

 

[KingBran]

If they keep him. he will be good for a season, MAYBE two. Then his message will get stale.

 

[Hischier and Hughes]

Hands down the most impactful coaching change this season.

the New York Islanders disagree

 

[Sniper99]

The only things slighty worse than watching a Hitchcock coached team is basketball or getting eye cancer.

This might be the dumbest **** I've ever read. Grow up.

 

[MessierII]

the New York Islanders disagree

They fired their coach mid season? Trotz was an off season hire. I was obviously referencing mid season coaching changes.

 

[missinthejets]

Have they actually played better with the coaching change or is this just a result of the new coach ignoring Talbot lol.

Even Talbot has been good in the games he's been in since the change. The difference is that Hitchcock has the forwards coming back to help in their own zone more. No more relying on big stretch passes to break out, it's quick passes from the D to forwards and break out that way, everyone supports each other. It's night and day watching how the Oilers play. He's also got the D pressuring the opposing team more at the blue line letting them get less simple entries and having to dump the puck in more.

Just simple things that apparently were too much for Mclellan.

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

If anybody has insomnia..watch the Oilers....Quite the difference in style of play than before..They are winning,but that is not much fun to watch...

 

[CanadianPensFan1]

Sweet. Maybe the Oilers wont draft in the top 5 this year.

Profit.

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

Thru this hot streak they do. It’s the only way they win games is unsustainable goaltending. And goals against called back. They won’t be getting these Blum es all year is what I’m saying

Considering the Oilers haven’t been vastly outshot , dominated possession wise, I’m going have to assume you’re talking straight from your back end at this point.

 

[snipes]

Have they actually played better with the coaching change or is this just a result of the new coach ignoring Talbot lol.

Their defensive play is a lot better. Most of the games they are just suffocating the other teams offensive attack and not giving up much.

I’ll take a 2-1 win all day long over a 5-3 loss.

 

[Kairi Zaide]

Considering the Oilers haven’t been vastly outshot , dominated possession wise, I’m going have to assume you’re talking straight from your back end at this point.

Considering the Oilers goalies seem to have recorded a 0.936 sv%, I'm gonna assume you're right with your last statement. Didn't look at 5v5 only, though

 

[sawchuk1971]

looks like chiarelli is gonna keep his job....sad news for oil fans if this happens....

 

[Coffey]

looks like chiarelli is gonna keep his job....sad news for oil fans if this happens....

Hopefully an early exit from the playoffs still guarantees his departure.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

He's much better putting players in positions to win and playing a system that lets them play to their strengths.

Goaltending has been better and I do think goaltending was a big part of mclellans downfall......maybe 80%.

The way teams have been running interference and picks and generally doing anything they can to slow McDavid down it really limits the Oilers being able to be a run and gun offensive team. It is true they don't really have the depth (or they are relying on growth to fill it) but the way they are defended it seems the system change was a good strategy to keep the games in a winnable range.

Another thing with Hitch is that he is a much better communicator.....and that might be key for that market.

 

[McDNicks17]

If anybody has insomnia..watch the Oilers....Quite the difference in style of play than before..They are winning,but that is not much fun to watch...

It really isn't that different.

McDavid is and was the entertainment. The only difference is now the rest of the roster plays boring hockey instead of getting lit up which obviously wasn't all that entertaining for Oilers fans in the first place.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

They don’t trap. There’s no 1-3-1 or 1-4 going on. They forecheck like crazy.

shhhhhhh...

No we. Uh.. we trap ya. Thats it. We trap y'all.


5 men in the neutral zone, zero forecheck.
All clutch and grab.

Lucic is Derrian Hatcher v2.0



TBH it is boring as hell for opposing fans. I saw what we did to Gaudreau last night. We snuffed out his skating lanes into the boards and just forced him to pass up or dump. I don't think Gaudreau was able to get past the red line without dumping it.


It was a bit of that rope a dope strategy Patrick Kane complained about when Nashville swept them. It's horrible to watch as a fan of the opposing team but great as an Oiler fan.

I was completely comfortable sitting on a 1 goal lead in the 3rd knowing the Lames would have to play like Pejorative Slurs to get a tying goal. Their 4 shots in the 3rd were all outside attempts.


Like i said, frustrating as hell to watch for Flames fan, but a stress free win for Oilers.

A 1 goal lead in the third by a Mclellan coached team was like watching a team of erratic Yakupov's being chased by bees and forcing horrible plays up the middle.

A Hitch coached 1 goal lead means you're either winning by that goal or scoring an empty netter.

 

[2023FriendshipTour]

shhhhhhh...

No we. Uh.. we trap ya. Thats it. We trap y'all.


5 men in the neutral zone, zero forecheck.
All clutch and grab.

Lucic is Derrian Hatcher v2.0



TBH it is boring as hell for opposing fans. I saw what we did to Gaudreau last night. We snuffed out his skating lanes into the boards and just forced him to pass up or dump. I don't think Gaudreau was able to get past the red line without dumping it.


It was a bit of that rope a dope strategy Patrick Kane complained about when Nashville swept them. It's horrible to watch as a fan of the opposing team but great as an Oiler fan.

I was completely comfortable sitting on a 1 goal lead in the 3rd knowing the Lames would have to play like ******s to get a tying goal. Their 4 shots in the 3rd were all outside attempts.


Like i said, frustrating as hell to watch for Flames fan, but a stress free win for Oilers.

A 1 goal lead in the third by a Mclellan coached team was like watching a team of erratic Yakupov's being chased by bees and forcing horrible plays up the middle.

Or Calgary playing the third game in 4 nights.. It's a game you guys should've won and did, but nobody looked good last night.

 

[sawchuk1971]

Hopefully an early exit from the playoffs still guarantees his departure.

hope so, but i'll doubt it....

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Or Calgary playing the third game in 4 nights.. It's a game you guys should've won and did, but nobody looked good last night.

Calgary at their best would have been shut out.


Thoroughly outcoached.

 

[Deedog99]

It's called the new coach bump. Does anyone think it will last? Not enough talent on the team. Plus the players know Hitch is gone at the end of the year.