Post-Game Talk: Oilers lay another egg

[Drivesaitl]

A well played trap is kryptonite for the Oilers. They have difficulty adjusting and it seems that when the lanes are closed the top dogs (McDavid, RNH, Leon) usually end up complicating their play with prayer cross seam passes and dumb plays at the blue lines.

But its the required lesson plan for this club if they are ever going anywhere. I love seeing it, because we have to have it. its telling a student to just go back to grade 10 because he'll get higher marks instead of having the pupil work harder and get matriculation grade 12 coursework.

The only way you get better is through immense challenge. I embrace it as a philosophy. sorry, a bit deep there. heh

 

[McFlyingV]

The proven trainwreck of Jones/Larsson was our best pairing the past couple of games.

Bouchard's game last night definitely doesn't warrant getting scratched, but I'm fine with Bear's promotion. He had a tough first but picked up his play afterwards, and I still think his pairing with Nurse is our best pairing.

While I agree with parts of this, I don't really agree that Bear's game was better after the first. He was the main culprit on one of Toronto's grade A chances in the 3rd completely losing his man behind him, his foot speed got exposed a few times, and his puck moving looked way off for almost the entire game.

He's had good and bad moments this year, but last night was a lot more bad than good. Last year was much of the same. A really good first half, but his play tapered off big time in the 2nd half and play in round.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

they won games with him in the line-up

And...? There are lots of players they've won games with in the lineup.

What does Russell do well? They need to score. Russell is not offensive in the slightest, at least not in the good way.

 

[Snipes45]

McDavid without Russell

CF%	FF%	xG%	SC%	HDCF%
56.23	56.43	62.11	60.06	64.90

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

McDavid with Russell

CF%	FF%	xG%	SC%	HDCF%
44.23	42.03	43.13	41.86	50.00

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Draisaitl without Russell

CF%	FF%	xG%	SC%	HDCF%
50.09	51.72	52.80	48.67	49.50

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Draisaitl with Russell

CF%	FF%	xG%	SC%	HDCF%
41.33	41.51	37.94	41.18	41.38

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Well there is your Kris Russell. "Not too bad" to me that is just absolutely horrendous. He should not be near NHL line-up. Maybe as a 7th D who just plays PK.

Apparently some people love this guy. Russell is a guy you want playing as a 7th dman when you have a 2/3 goal lead.

All he knows is to touch the puck and whale it up at the scoreboard or off of the glass to give it to the other team lol

 

[Drivesaitl]

Flames have list big in 3 of their last 6 games though. Not sure a team should need that effect that often.

Yeah, its so hard to see...

 

[Llamamoto]

While I agree with parts of this, I don't really agree that Bear's game was better after the first. He was the main culprit on one of Toronto's grade A chances in the 3rd completely losing his man behind him, his foot speed got exposed a few times, and his puck moving looked way off for almost the entire game.

He's had good and bad moments this year, but last night was a lot more bad than good. Last year was much of the same. A really good first half, but his play tapered off big time in the 2nd half and play in round.

I don't disagree with any of that, but I don't think his "bad" deserves being scratched either. When he's on his game he's a top-4 defensemen, when he's struggling he's still a passable NHL defensemen.

 

[McTonyBrar]

Bouchard was better than Bear, Bear again our worst defender last night. Bouchard gets sat for Russell, Bear gets promoted to the top line and the proven trainwreck of Jones/Larsson gets ANOTHER crack.
Dear Christ

Except Bear and Nurse were our best pairing last season which has some merit. Stop being biased and be realistic. Only way Bouchard can play with confidence at the moment is with a veteran leftie on his pairing like Russell or Nurse. BUT Bouchard is still learning so no one on this board should be blaming him in the slightest. It wasn't fair to him that he got to play the left side instead of his natural side. Give Bear a few games and he may find his form, especiall if he's with Nurse

 

[Llamamoto]

And as much as I hate to see Russell playing, I think Barrie will complement him nicely. Hopefully Russell defers to him on breakouts instead of his patented icing.

 

[AddyTheWrath]

And as much as I hate to see Russell playing, I think Barrie will complement him nicely. Hopefully Russell defers to him on breakouts instead of his patented icing.

Imagine going from playing with Nurse to playing with Russell.

 

[Llamamoto]

Imagine going from playing with Nurse to playing with Russell.

Yeah I feel for the guy lol. At least he gets pp time with the two best players in the world.

Hopefully having Nurse as a partner will get Bear going though.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Jesus Christ you awe blaming him for Dai knocking his stick out of his hand, Kosko letting in one of the worst goals I have seen, and playing his off side? lol

Yeah
he literally stood there after losing his stick...do something like hit a player or something

 

[GOilers88]

That's exactly it. This team has never been more than a fringe playoff team, this 11-2 stretch which quite frankly involved some luck and unsustainably good goaltending might have given some the false sense of security that they are a contender of any kind.

The reality is that the Oilers are in that meaty curve of 3rd tier teams in this league (I consider teams like the Leafs and Jets to be 2nd tier), teams that are sitting on the playoff bubble like the Habs, Flames and probably Canucks who are better than their record indicates (roughly 10-18 leaguewide). I've said all along that this upcoming offseason is the one to piece together a real contender.
This is a bridge season towards bigger and better things in future seasons. If they win a playoff round this season even in the mediocre North, consider it gravy. Team just doesn't have the horses to do much in the playoffs.

As far as Bear and Bouchard are concerned, there's another problem with the lineup.
You have Nurse, a very flawed Barrie and Larsson then a bunch of kids. There's some quality in there but the defense is just too young and dependent on guys like Barrie who are ill equipped to play tough matchups game in and game out. Then you have up front with a bunch of top 6 wingers who aren't carrying their weight, lots of youth there too or players who aren't true top 6 guys or a guy who disappears for 10 games at a time and wants upwards of $7M long term.

I don't know about other people, but I fully expected this team to be a bubble team for the first year or two of Holland based on cap constraints. Once that opens up this summer, I think then the expectation should be contender or bust.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Those D lines worked last game?..

???? They weren't together last game

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

And...? There are lots of players they've won games with in the lineup.

What does Russell do well? They need to score. Russell is not offensive in the slightest, at least not in the good way.

PK? plays hard and physical every shift?
Russell isn't in there for offense

 

[CycloneSweep]

Except Bear and Nurse were our best pairing last season which has some merit. Stop being biased and be realistic. Only way Bouchard can play with confidence at the moment is with a veteran leftie on his pairing like Russell or Nurse. BUT Bouchard is still learning so no one on this board should be blaming him in the slightest. It wasn't fair to him that he got to play the left side instead of his natural side. Give Bear a few games and he may find his form, especiall if he's with Nurse

How am I being biased.

Bear was good. LAST YEAR. Realistically he has been meh at best this year and still doesn't look right. I like Bear a lot as a player.

You are the one being biased and not realistic. Bear, in current time has not been close to good. That's based on reality, not on last year

You don't play a heavily struggling guy on the top f***ing pairing with a guy who has to play like 28minutes a game and just hope he gets better. That's a terrible idea

 

[North]

Or entice.

We made a competitive offer to Markstrom. Not sure you want to spend more than that on a guy on the wrong side of 30.

Kicked tires on others but weren’t willing to overpay especially when we didn’t have the cap space.

This off season is when we’ll be able to address some issues as we do have cap space. Not sure why this has to be pointed out yet again.

 

[North]

how do you know...you work for them?

Hard to do that from Mom’s basement.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Holy shit the DRY line is reunited for the 1st time post-Covid shutdown? Wow, what took you so damn long Tipp?

Not like they have obvious chemistry and were the best line in hockey or anything.

Holloway will eventually fill that top line LW in the coming years. Holloway-McDavid-Pulju is spicy. Give McDavid two hard attacking forecheckers who are strong defensively and fast, big boys who compete every shift all over the ice? Yes, please.

So with Drai injured and Nuge and Yama EV stone cold does it really matter much? I mean is there magic in that well that just erases struggle

The line worked the first time because Leon had essentially rested for a month, Nuge was on schedule with his annual heated up stretch. Yama was fresh and with no NHL punishment.

Yama is beat up too. I think he might even have been concussed.

I mean try it, its the only trick we have left with this roster. But I'm not assuming its just going to superheat.

Why would you put Holloway with the fast break Center instead of the Cycle Center? That doesn't make sense to me. Drai requires a give and go cycle guy to produce. People that can possess the puck. (thats why Nuge works) so Holloway or Pulju would be good with him. McD is better with a transtion player like Nuge, Kahun, or Drai that hit him for breakouts.

Interested in your thoughts.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

PK? plays hard and physical every shift?
Russell isn't in there for offense

His PK prowess doesn't mean shit when he takes dumb penalties.

Also being 19th on the PK, well...

 

[McCombo]

Apparently some people love this guy. Russell is a guy you want playing as a 7th dman when you have a 2/3 goal lead.

All he knows is to touch the puck and whale it up at the scoreboard or off of the glass to give it to the other team lol

And one of the guys who loves him is getting paid millions to coach a professional team... Should not be possible.

 

[Proko88]

I can't find the post now but the Leafs are 7-0-1 in Rogers?

Just rename it "Maple Leaf Gardens" now.

Pretty sure the leafs have won more in 4 years at Rogers place then they ever won at maple leaf gardens

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

His PK prowess doesn't mean shit when he takes dumb penalties.

Also being 19th on the PK, well...

what's Bouchard doing right now other then getting scored on?

 

[Lacaar]

Man it's like watching Dr Evil steal the Oilers Mojo.

Hopefully the secret formula to completely and utterly neuter McDavid/Draisitl stays Toronto's secret.

I've always called the Oilers an Immature team (They've been immature for almost 15 years now) and they just taken to school by a really mature team two games in a row.
I like our makeup but this has definitely been a bit of a reality check. I think we have the players. It's not the players not trying.. it's the players not knowing how to be effective in certain game situations.

Ethan Bear - Sophmore slump is all I hope it is. He's out of his league this year.
RNH - Just can't figure out how to play with McDavid effectively. He's going to f*** us over if he signs long term unfortunately is my feeling. You have to sign him.. but those last 4 years will hurt bad.
Yamamoto - See Ethan Bear.. he's been ineffective for a good chunk of the year.
Bouchard - Not going to knock a rookie d-man. Definitely has the brains and skill. But I tell this guy to work on nothing but his footspeed all summer. It's killing him. he's got enough for most teams. But Toronto just eats players like him for breakfast.


I think we need William Lagesson back.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

what's Bouchard doing right now other then getting scored on?

He can be an asset on the power play.

Yes, he got caught on the first goal against. Rookie mistake. You're going to scratch him for that?

 

[McCombo]

McDavid without Russell

CF%	FF%	xG%	SC%	HDCF%
56.23	56.43	62.11	60.06	64.90

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

McDavid with Russell

CF%	FF%	xG%	SC%	HDCF%
44.23	42.03	43.13	41.86	50.00

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Draisaitl without Russell

CF%	FF%	xG%	SC%	HDCF%
50.09	51.72	52.80	48.67	49.50

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Draisaitl with Russell

CF%	FF%	xG%	SC%	HDCF%
41.33	41.51	37.94	41.18	41.38

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Well there is your Kris Russell. "Not too bad" to me that is just absolutely horrendous. He should not be near NHL line-up. Maybe as a 7th D who just plays PK.

PK? plays hard and physical every shift?
Russell isn't in there for offense

You should check that chart. He is killing the team.