Post-Game Talk: Oilers Drop a Close One, 2-1 to St. Louis

[Bryanbryoil]

Good game by the top line, Schultz and Yak.

Click to read more...

 

[davidsitar]

Thought Scrivens had a decent game as well.

 

[guymez]

Good game for the boys.

The better team deserved to win and did win.

No shame in that.

 

[McTedi]

Thought Scrivens had a decent game as well.

Yah when he wasn't playing rover he looked great.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Thought Scrivens had a decent game as well.

Minus that 2nd goal and his normal brutal puckhandling.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

A pretty meh game overall. Team keeps finding ways to lose at critical times.

...Which right now isn't a bad thing.

 

[davidsitar]

Minus that 2nd goal and his normal brutal puckhandling.

Agreed, man he just gets in the way of his dmen when he tries to handle the puck behind the net. Just doesn't get that part of the game.

 

[dustrock]

This is one of those games where you think it could have been Eakins or Nelson or Babcock behind the bench and it wouldn't change anything.

Top line played okay but Blues were crushing us pretty good.

 

[WayneGreatzky]

Respectable loss against a top team. Were the shots close?

Nvm- 27 to 22, could have been worse I guess

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Agreed, man he just gets in the way of his dmen when he tries to handle the puck behind the net. Just doesn't get that part of the game.

Yeah we've had some brutal puck handling goalies in recent years but he takes the cake. Bad handle and piss poor decisions to boot.

 

[nexttothemoon]

This is one of those games where you think it could have been Eakins or Nelson or Babcock behind the bench and it wouldn't change anything.

Top line played okay but Blues were crushing us pretty good.

Eakins would have swarmed the Oilers to a 5-0 loss.

I have no doubt that Nelson is getting a lot more out of this team than Eakins ever did. The team is basically half an AHL squad now and they are still far outplaying the relatively injury free roster that Eakins had.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Eakins would have swarmed the Oilers to a 5-0 loss.

I have no doubt that Nelson is getting a lot more out of this team than Eakins ever did. The team is basically half an AHL squad now and they are still far outplaying the relatively injury free roster that Eakins had.

The problem with this is that we're just back to about the level where Krueger had us. On the grand scale of things, we're no longer horrible, we're just terrible.

 

[Throttlehead]

Pakarinen is out long term, bummer. I think we will see the other Hamilton come up.

 

[WayneGreatzky]

Eakins would have swarmed the Oilers to a 5-0 loss.

I have no doubt that Nelson is getting a lot more out of this team than Eakins ever did. The team is basically half an AHL squad now and they are still far outplaying the relatively injury free roster that Eakins had.

Good points and agreed.

I definitely don't miss the patented Eakins system trait of continuous WIDE OPEN shots from the slot either

 

[nexttothemoon]

The problem with this is that we're just back to about the level where Krueger had us. On the grand scale of things, we're no longer horrible, we're just terrible.

I agree completely... they are basically just working at erasing the regression they had under Eakins and getting back to Pre-Eakins level of crappiness.

They are becoming an 80 pt team again... rather than the 50 pt team they were under Eakins.

80 pt teams are still crap... but they also have some hope of becoming an 85-90 pt team as well... which would be a team capable of at least thinking about a wild card spot some day.

Under Eakins all we could reasonably talk about was the #1/#2 prospects every year. It would have been nothing but lottery talk by Oct/Nov every season for the next 10 years in the Eakins era.

Now we at least can discuss how this team can possibly improve from being a crap 75-80 pt team to somehow becoming a 85-90 pt team capable of at least thinking about contending for a wildcard spot someday.

They still aren't good... but games like tonight show they aren't completely outclassed and can actually play with good clubs when their coach isn't stuffing swarms and "can't fail" elite systems down their throats.

 

[McDNicks17]

Pakarinen is out long term, bummer. I think we will see the other Hamilton come up.

It's (Andrew) Miller time!

 

[oilers_guy_eddie]

This is one of those games where you think it could have been Eakins or Nelson or Babcock behind the bench and it wouldn't change anything.

If it were Eakins behind the bench, they would have quit trying after the Blues scored the first goal.

Pakarinen is out long term, bummer. I think we will see the other Hamilton come up.

Al Hamilton?

 

[Klimando Kostani]

That was a great game of hockey for the team.

Individual errors by Klefbom and the Roy led to the first goal.

Then the defense on the second goal was just horrid, three guys there and not one gets a stick or body on the puck carrier, everyone just gave him an open lane into the slot to make a play.

Other than that though, with this lineup, we aren't going to be blowing out one of the best teams in the league, so standing our ground and having a shot to win is a very respectable outcome.

 

[Tyrolean]

Oilers hung in there to their credit. The talent level is vast between the two teams and I thought the Blues took the Oilers a bit lightly like most teams these days.

Oilers have only a few players capable of scoring and it sure shows. Good thing is they maintain their draft position in an expected loss.

 

[Speed220DChalavan]

It’s obvious the Oilers have a way to go, but there is some modicum of progression under Nelson. I think he has the ability to extract more production out of his players than Eakins did. Further, we shouldn’t discount special teams, which were consistently a mess under Eakins.

The more I think of it, the more I want one of Strome or Marner. Oilers in a bit of a dilema – finishing 29th should be viewed more favourable than 28th, given you get a 33% chance at Eichel – but what happens if you fall to 3rd OV in the draft? Presents alot of debate on whether to take Hanifin or one of Strome/Marner.

I think you could reasonably argue Strome/Marner/Hanifin all better prospects than Reinhart/Draisaitl/Bennett. So in that sense, the Oilers are ”fortunate” because these pieces will the difference makers in the upcoming years. There are teams in the pacific division that are in the downtrend phase, and the Oilers absolutely should push the gas pedal this off-season and take advantage of such.

 

[TopCookie]

Ryan hamilton is pretty useless out there TBH. Call someone else up please

 

[McTedi]

Ryan hamilton is pretty useless out there TBH. Call someone else up please

Hamilton is showing to be somewhat capable as bottom six forward. He doesn't have alot of puck skill which isn't great but he skates and uses his size well. I wouldn't mind seeing Yakimov up with the big club or Pitlick when he is ready.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

It’s obvious the Oilers have a way to go, but there is some modicum of progression under Nelson. I think he has the ability to extract more production out of his players than Eakins did. Further, we shouldn’t discount special teams, which were consistently a mess under Eakins.

The more I think of it, the more I want one of Strome or Marner. Oilers in a bit of a dilema – finishing 29th should be viewed more favourable than 28th, given you get a 33% chance at Eichel – but what happens if you fall to 3rd OV in the draft? Presents alot of debate on whether to take Hanifin or one of Strome/Marner.

I think you could reasonably argue Strome/Marner/Hanifin all better prospects than Reinhart/Draisaitl/Bennett. So in that sense, the Oilers are â€fortunate†because these pieces will the difference makers in the upcoming years. There are teams in the pacific division that are in the downtrend phase, and the Oilers absolutely should push the gas pedal this off-season and take advantage of such.

Are you 100% convinced that Strome > Draisaitl? I'm not. Marner is a game changer for sure but we already have 3 of them on the wing if Yak keeps his level of play up in Hall, Eberle and Yak. I am less inclined to take Marner now than I was when Yak was struggling mightily. That leaves us with Hanifin who IMO is potentially better than any of our D but likely not as good of a fit as Ekblad would've been.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Hamilton is showing to be somewhat capable as bottom six forward. He doesn't have alot of puck skill which isn't great but he skates and uses his size well. I wouldn't mind seeing Yakimov up with the big club or Pitlick when he is ready.

Not enough physical play or offense to warrant a regular NHL shift in the bottom 6 IMO. While we're at it Oesterle seems far too slight right now to make an impact.

 

[syz]

The sad truth is that if Pitlick could ever stay healthy he would make 90% of the Oilers forward prospects redundant.

And he'd be a fourth line winger.