Post-Game Talk: Oilers Lose to Preds 2-0, Haven't Scored in Years

[Soundwave]

Schultz is playing better this year but his shot and decision making are simply not good enough to QB a good PP at the NHL level.

 

[Johnny McBravo]

Teddy Purcell 18:11 of ice time.

No ****ing way....

 

[belair]

3RD STAR: Ted Purcell

2ND STAR: #theassistantcaptainandrewference

1ST STAR: This guy.

 

[Mr Positive]

if this game helps put Ference in the doghouse then I think it's worth it, honestly. Plus this gave McLellan reason to start Yak up the lineup, which is also great, so things are progressing. The start was always going to be our most awkward phase, and of course we had to face two of the toughest possible opponents and on the road.

We were not blown out, and for the most part put some fear in both Nashville and St.Louis. Both of those teams definitely deserved to win, but this we are not in huge trouble yet.

 

[McspOiler]

I'd give him a longer look with McDavid, but if he still can't produce ... his days here are pretty much numbered. And if they don't seriously get it going, I think big chunks of that previous rebuild are going to move next summer.

If production is the measure they should all be on the 4th line....

 

[oil Leaks]

Sure hope they keep Pouliot-McDavid-Yakupov together.

One of the better lines tonight, hope it sticks.

 

[5 14 6 1]

I'm not mad at how the team is playing (other than the brutal PP), just getting depressing that they can't score.

Agreed

 

[voxel]

Mark Fayne is steady eddy. Gets no credit compared to all the other "high-event" D-men we have.

Sekera needs to make safer plays - we don't need the offense from him.

 

[syz]

One of RNH or McDavid needs to be replaced with Yakupov on the first unit. No point having both of those guys on the same PP with no one to take a shot.

 

[McDeathbyCheerios*]

Don't get how anyone is not looking McLellan it blaming him. We looked good. Carried the play and all. Not his fault the team cant finish right now. I rather the team look great but not score. Then be a tire fire and score.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

At least hall wasn't blow-my-brains-out bad this game.

Ference with the kiss of death.

 

[KlimasLoveChild]

Sekera is a fine Defenseman but is simply playing over his head.

It doesn't help to have a stiff for a d partner. Fayne, Ference, Purcell......the turds in the punch bowl have been identified

 

[Up the Irons]

Teddy Purcell 18:11 of ice time.

I would say its pretty obvious they're trying to showcase Purcell to trade him. there's not other reasonable explanation for it.

 

[nexttothemoon]

No one is actually panicking... we are just collectively pointing out the fact that the team played like crap... other than Talbot who played very well... and a few other Oilers who were ok.

 

[Oilception]

My biggest highlight is Talbot has been awesome. Guys killing it just needs some support

I think our D has actually been playing fairly well to, its just random bonehead decisions that are killing them

 

[Forgot About Drai]

My quick recap:

Pou-Mcdavid-Yak line looked great. Would like too see more.
Cam Talbot is a beast
Nuge is a beast
Hall really needs to figure it out. One dimensional and stuck on the perimeter
Schultz has been our best dman, and Ference needs to go.

All in all, I wouldnt say the sky is falling yet. Blues and Preds are really good,deep defensive teams. I do like the fact that we are at least keeping teams under 4-5 goals a games

 

[Frank the Tank]

They were the better team tonight. If not for two ******** giveaways, this game would be in OT right now. Super frustrating that they've been so anemic offensively though. They have to start scoring soon, right?

The zone pressure was there. The Predators D and Rinne were excellent at limiting the scoring chances to one and done. Rinne, in particular, was a vacuum cleaner, giving up almost no rebounds.

 

[McOilbleeder]

While the overall notion might be 'sky is falling', the past two games have shown a ton of good things for the Oilers.

I thought this game defense and goaltending were pretty solid minus two stupid gaffes. We didn't give away too many stupid scoring chances defensively and did it's job. Talbot was phenomenal. He keeps this up, the first day he can be re-signed, sign him long term. Nashville really didn't create a scoring chance 2nd period onwards. It was all us.

The puck support and puck battles seem eons better than last season. We're actually doing things with a purpose and creating pressure. Our transitions seem structured. Not just 'pass it out and pray' like in past years. We're winning board battles which was unseen in past seasons.

I suspect our lack of scoring is two fold. 1.) Sorting out the chemistry with regards to lines and 2.) Getting the system down in terms of roles. A few times this game we had guys running into each other and doing the same job. It'll take a while before everything clicks (I'd guess 10-15 game mark this year), but I'm encouraged going forward.

Going into next game, Ference goes off for Reinhart, Klef goes with Fayne and Sekera with Schultz. I'd keep Pou-McDavid-Yak, Hall-RNH-Purcell as the top 6.

I gotta give special mention to Schultz though. Holy hell has he been eating his wheetbix. The guy looks like a completely different player. Moving the puck with authority, taking slappers, blocking shots, hitting guys and defensively looking solid. It'll be interesting to see his usage (ZS, Corsi etc.), but thus far he looks like the guy we were hoping to get from Anaheim. Funny what a little structure and coaching can do eh? Hope he keeps it up.

All in all, sucks we lost but I'm encouraged to where this team is going. Absolutely frustrating considering what this franchise as endured, but I think it'll pay off.

 

[McAsuno]

It doesn't help to have a stiff for a d partner. Fayne, Ference, Purcell......the turds in the punch bowl have been identified

All 3 signings from good ol MacT. What a joke.

 

[DisgruntledGoat*]

People say that every year yet this is consistently amongst the lowest scoring teams in the league no matter who the coach is or how many high draft picks they accumulate.

Its just a mess and so frustrating to watch. I don't know what you do with this 'core' anymore. I don't want to overreact to two losses to good teams but there is something fundamentally wrong there.

 

[Spawn]

Sure hope they keep Pouliot-McDavid-Yakupov together.

I actually hope they keep both the top 2 lines together. A lot more chances generated tonight. Honestly didn't mind Purcell that much tonight.

Not sure I noticed the 3rd line at any point. Did Slepyshev even play?

 

[Shizuka]

WTF is with this team and simple, hockey fundamentals... giving a pass, receiving a pass without handling it like a grenade.. are these clowns serious right now? Yakupov, Hall, Ference, etc. Demonstrating beer league level skills showcasing. That might be an insult to the beer league guys, honestly... they are not getting paid seven figure salaries for it.

Ference should not see the next game from the bench, period. Cool his heels in the PB sucking wind with the scribes -- let them trade hot air. Suckera, like mentioned before, is quickly becoming the new Nikitin. Talbot must be ready to put his head through a wall already, after playing damn good and getting zero help.

Yeah, welcome to Edmonton Todd.

 

[Oscar Acosta]

Simple fixes
- teach players how to hit the net
- teach players to not shoot at obvious blocks (Hall)
- teach players to hold the blue line
- teach players how to forecheck
- less players named Andrew or Teddy

Nothing to it.
So frustrating.

 

[Wheathead]

The Preds and Blues are two of the top teams in the west, and outside of awful defensive gaffes we didn't play too badly.

Hall and RNH are too small and weak to compete against the best in the west, though. Always have been, always will.

 

[Juxtaposer]

I'm a huge McLellan fan, but be prepared to see a lot of Ference over Reinhart. Todd loves his old slow veteran defensemen and hates young defensemen. He's great with young forwards, but he doesn't trust young defensemen as far as he can throw them. Young D like Jason Demers and Justin Braun were consistently scratched for guys like Nic Wallin, Kent Huskins, Colin White, Jim Vandermeer, Douglas Murray, Brad Stuart, Scott Hannan, etc., but as soon as they were given a chance they played like top-4 defensemen.