Post-Game Talk: Oilers mudded in Philly

[Senor Catface]

Baseball all star game has meaning atleast, winning team gets home field in the world series

I don't really follow baseball, but I think they got rid of that a few years ago.

 

[Tradedri]

McDavid and Draisaitl looking like shit for the second straight game.

They need to wake up.

We should not vote Drai to the all stars. No more all star for Drai and let him stay home.

 

[FlameChampion]

Rishaug made a valid point that discredits the injury excuse. If he was legit injured, he would not have attended All star game/festivities. Drai is just mentally checked out for some reason.

Its hard to know with him honestly.

You can tell about after his first 2 shifts what kind of game you will get from him. Hes such a force when hes moving his feet. But seems to be less and less as time goes on.

But Draisaitl usually when hes not even on, will still somehow find a way to get some points. He turns nothing into somethings. Just lately hes not really doing much offensively.

I wouldnt be surprised if he does have some lingerings of injury. But I do think that he is just mentally checked out as well. Playing a lazy and entitled game. He doesnt get much done on 5 on 5. Some of it is his linemates though as well obviously.

 

[PULSATING]

Drais in a slump but some all ya'll are off the deep end with your hot takes.

He's earned the benefit of the doubt.

 

[frag2]

Its hard to know with him honestly.

You can tell about after his first 2 shifts what kind of game you will get from him. Hes such a force when hes moving his feet. But seems to be less and less as time goes on.

But Draisaitl usually when hes not even on, will still somehow find a way to get some points. He turns nothing into somethings. Just lately hes not really doing much offensively.

I wouldnt be surprised if he does have some lingerings of injury. But I do think that he is just mentally checked out as well. Playing a lazy and entitled game. He doesnt get much done on 5 on 5. Some of it is his linemates though as well obviously.

Rishaug and Struds said it best about Drai this year. There's no real middle ground. He's either super elite or super horrible.

 

[Duke74]

Leon seems apathetic...I feel like I can identify apathy...I know apathy well. It's almost like he plays the game in a style of "what's the meaning of anything at all.."

Wonder if he got into some nice window pane acid over summer....that could do it...

No. Just some Celeste. I hear that can really sap your energy

 

[FlameChampion]

Rishaug and Struds said it best about Drai this year. There's no real middle ground. He's either super elite or super horrible.

Somewhat agree. I think theres three scenerios though.

Super Elite - moving his feet, beast all over the ice, creating offense and playing some defense

Good but Frustrating - still puts up points, impacts the game (usually on the PP) but doesnt try defensively or prone to turn overs.

Horrible - nothing going on offensively combined with poor defensive and turnover metrics

 

[Drivesaitl]

Its hard to know with him honestly.

You can tell about after his first 2 shifts what kind of game you will get from him. Hes such a force when hes moving his feet. But seems to be less and less as time goes on.

But Draisaitl usually when hes not even on, will still somehow find a way to get some points. He turns nothing into somethings. Just lately hes not really doing much offensively.

I wouldnt be surprised if he does have some lingerings of injury. But I do think that he is just mentally checked out as well. Playing a lazy and entitled game. He doesnt get much done on 5 on 5. Some of it is his linemates though as well obviously.

Drai is the hardest working Oiler you've ever seen. People have no idea how hard he's trained in his life or during his hockey career, or in offseasons to be where he is as a player. Thse kind of comments, they're always strange to me. People here would croak if they even tried to follow Drais offseason training regimen or even what he has to do during a season to stay on the ice.

This is the day after. Maybe we could walk back some of the comments. Drai is extremely dedicated to his craft and has excelled from expectation more than any player here in decades. nobody comes close. Drai is a rink hog and often first person on ice and last off it. You'd never know from the comments. Even team mates like Kostin comment on how he's a rink hog too but Drai is there before him. Practicing whatever aspect of game. Anything Drai does on the ice he's had to work incredibly hard to attain it.

For all that he's public enemy number ! AGAIN here and "the worst player on the ice" that should be scratched from the lineup.

The things I read here..

 

[Oilers in NS]

Baseball all star game has meaning atleast, winning team gets home field in the world series

best thing they ever did to it actually.

The only thing I dont like is they do is the 2-3-2 format. Don't really give ya a home field advantage

 

[Drivesaitl]

Drais in a slump but some all ya'll are off the deep end with your hot takes.

He's earned the benefit of the doubt.

One would think so. Apparently not. We carve the best players here for some reason. Its always what have you done for me lately.

 

[Louis Cypher]

Leon seems apathetic...I feel like I can identify apathy...I know apathy well. It's almost like he plays the game in a style of "what's the meaning of anything at all.."

Wonder if he got into some nice window pane acid over summer....that could do it...

Wow that's a blast from the past.

 

[K1984]

Drai is the hardest working Oiler you've ever seen. People have no idea how hard he's trained in his life or during his hockey career, or in offseasons to be where he is as a player. Thse kind of comments, they're always strange to me. People here would croak if they even tried to follow Drais offseason training regimen or even what he has to do during a season to stay on the ice.

This is the day after. Maybe we could walk back some of the comments. Drai is extremely dedicated to his craft and has excelled from expectation more than any player here in decades. nobody comes close. Drai is a rink hog and often first person on ice and last off it. You'd never know from the comments. Even team mates like Kostin comment on how he's a rink hog too but Drai is there before him. Practicing whatever aspect of game. Anything Drai does on the ice he's had to work incredibly hard to attain it.

For all that he's public enemy number ! AGAIN here and "the worst player on the ice" that should be scratched from the lineup.

The things I read here..

I agree with everything you're saying, but he might have to learn to work smarter not harder to save himself from stretches of play we have been seeing lately. I'm not expecting him to be supernova every night, but at a bare minimum he needs to not be a negative when he's off, and last night and the last few nights he has been a negative. When he's playing poorly he doubles down on the problems rather than simplifying and starts throwing shit against the wall to see what sticks.

He needs to learn what to do when he's not feeling it, and throwing pucks around all over the ice (usually on the opposition's stick) ain't it.

 

[Drivesaitl]

"Injured" is different than "hurt" though. If you're named to the All-Star game you have to miss a game before or after to be able to skip it. I'd wager that Leon is playing hurt, but not hurt enough to necessitate coming out of the lineup so he went to the All-Star game so he wouldn't miss one.

Still no excuse for the brain dead turnovers and straight up lazy play. Leon has a very bad habit (like a lot of Oilers) of complicating and adding risk to his game when he isn't feeling it rather than just simplifying and playing in straight lines. His choice to do a blind backhand spin o rama to nowhere rather than shoot with a clear look still has me pissed off this morning.

Benching him isn't the answer, but it would be nice if Woodcroft scales back his minutes if he's in the mode where he turns it over nearly every single time he gets the puck. A message has to get through somehow that playing this way isn't acceptable no matter how much of a "funk" he might be in. Not feeling it? Then start shooting the damn puck and moving your feet instead of zipping blind passes all over the ice.

At least theres content in posts like this to respond to.

The same critiques were made on no less than Mark Messier who was a king of blind dead bad passes that would often go the other way. There were scribes always ready to throw Mark under the bus. The nothing ventured nothing gained applies. People wonder at the marvel of Drai passes when they work and will have eyegasms when they see it. But in games where a club is just collapsing these are harder to make. Theyr'e far harder to make when your linemates include McLeod and Foegele who are not anything close to topsix players and should rarely be seeing such action.
Drai didn't have a good game but he didn't have a lot of help either. Meanwhile we got help like Holloway getting limited minutes on a bottomline who is obviously feeling it and would be useful, and with some skill.

In anycase players, star players, they force plays when things aren't going. Its a common thing thats been occurring since hockey was invented. Apparently we just want the plays when they work, never when they don't.

 

[FlameChampion]

Drai is the hardest working Oiler you've ever seen. People have no idea how hard he's trained in his life or during his hockey career, or in offseasons to be where he is as a player. Thse kind of comments, they're always strange to me. People here would croak if they even tried to follow Drais offseason training regimen or even what he has to do during a season to stay on the ice.

This is the day after. Maybe we could walk back some of the comments. Drai is extremely dedicated to his craft and has excelled from expectation more than any player here in decades. nobody comes close. Drai is a rink hog and often first person on ice and last off it. You'd never know from the comments. Even team mates like Kostin comment on how he's a rink hog too but Drai is there before him. Practicing whatever aspect of game. Anything Drai does on the ice he's had to work incredibly hard to attain it.

For all that he's public enemy number ! AGAIN here and "the worst player on the ice" that should be scratched from the lineup.

The things I read here..

I think just taking some of my post out of context.

I've said before that I love Draisaitl. Hes not close to being public enemy number but I think he was terrible last night - but it was only one game. My post is just more of a frustration than anything. I know how much of a beast he can be when hes engaged and on. But I've read some of your other posts, where you indicate that maybe we have seen the best Draisaitl and things arent going getting better. Maybe my expectations are too high and not realistic.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I agree with everything you're saying, but he might have to learn to work smarter not harder to save himself from stretches of play we have been seeing lately. I'm not expecting him to be supernova every night, but at a bare minimum he needs to not be a negative when he's off, and last night and the last few nights he has been a negative. When he's playing poorly he doubles down on the problems rather than simplifying and starts throwing shit against the wall to see what sticks.

He needs to learn what to do when he's not feeling it, and throwing pucks around all over the ice (usually on the opposition's stick) ain't it.

An absolutely reasonable post.

But Drai was EV last night except the Hyman goal got called back. He was on ice for one GA and I'd have to look back and see what fault has been accredited to him for the goal. I didn't get the same take that he was throwing pucks away all night. I got the take he had nobody to throw the puck to most of the night and Mcleod was just awful. Hyman had a hit and miss game. Drai wasn't good. But there wasn't much around. Flyers collapse. This negates passing lanes and opportunities. The Oilers otuside of McD weren't getting many. The whole team weren't.

I think just taking some of my post out of context.

I've said before that I love Draisaitl. Hes not close to being public enemy number but I think he was terrible last night - but it was only one game. My post is just more of a frustration than anything. I know how much of a beast he can be when hes engaged and on. But I've read some of your other posts, where you indicate that maybe we have seen the best Draisaitl and things arent going getting better. Maybe my expectations are too high and not realistic.

No, you're a completely reasonable poster and I enjoy your posts immensely. I was replying to the post, not your comments selectively. It just gave springboard to some of the weirder takes that have been expressed in the thread. (not by you) I can see reactions on game night. But the game ended 16hrs ago. Been enough time to digest it.

On this whole thread look back at the comments on Drai. Maybe you have some of the posters on ignore. Some should be.

 

[Duke74]

Rishaug made a valid point that discredits the injury excuse. If he was legit injured, he would not have attended All star game/festivities. Drai is just mentally checked out for some reason.

I wonder if he accepted because there's a penalty for turning it down? That's the only reason that I can think of. Otherwise, maybe he just wanted the party.

 

[Louis Cypher]

One would think so. Apparently not. We carve the best players here for some reason. Its always what have you done for me lately.

This board and a large portion of the fan base carve every player. It's pretty sad.

 

[K1984]

An absolutely reasonable post.

But Drai was EV last night except the Hyman goal got called back. He was on ice for one GA and I'd have to look back and see what fault has been accredited to him for the goal. I didn't get the same take that he was throwing pucks away all night. I got the take he had nobody to throw the puck to most of the night and Mcleod was just awful. Hyman had a hit and miss game. Drai wasn't good. But there wasn't much around. Flyers collapse. This negates passing lanes and opportunities. The Oilers otuside of McD weren't getting many. The whole team weren't.


No, you're a completely reasonable poster and I enjoy your posts immensely. I was replying to the post, not your comments selectively. It just gave springboard to some of the weirder takes that have been expressed in the thread. I can see reactions on game night. But the game ended 16hrs ago. Been enough time to digest it.

On this whole thread look back at the comments on Drai. Maybe you have some of the posters on ignore. Some should be.

On the first GA he had the puck on the wall off a rush and stopped up and threw a 0% puck to the middle of the ice only for it to go the other way for a goal.

His teammates weren't good and the lanes were definitely clogged, but that still doesn't mean he should just throw up his hands and turn pucks over. Nothing there? Start skating with it, start chipping pucks to soft areas and stay on the right side of the puck. There are options other than just turning it over constantly.

0 shots in two straight games just isn't good enough. He needs to be shooting more when he's off, but instead he does the spin o rama passes to nobody after looking off a shot.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I wonder if he accepted because there's a penalty for turning it down? That's the only reason that I can think of. Otherwise, maybe he just wanted the party.

What if he did? He's fully earned it and then miles more. People have no idea how hard it would be to have weight of expectation every season, every year, for every year he's played here.

As one poster said maybe he's earned some benefit of doubt. I guess not. There never is any.

People act as if other players in the league that are top players don't have bad nights, bad months, even bad seasons. They do, and its a regular thing. Drai is so lazy and checked out that he's the 2nd best producer in all of hockey these last 5 seasons. Only one person in the galaxy ahead of him. You'd never know it.

On the first GA he had the puck on the wall off a rush and stopped up and threw a 0% puck to the middle of the ice only for it to go the other way for a goal.

His teammates weren't good and the lanes were definitely clogged, but that still doesn't mean he should just throw up his hands and turn pucks over. Nothing there? Start skating with it, start chipping pucks to soft areas and stay on the right side of the puck. There are options other than just turning it over constantly.

Thanks. The feed yesterday was shitty. Seemed more like SD than HD. What an awful telecast. Its 2023 and we have to watch crap quality definition like that? Makes it harder to spot some things.

Staying on right side of the puck this season has been pretty hard for Drai. But it has been for the last 80 or so games he's had to be playing through injury. The demand never stops. He is playing injured, its a matter of record, and I posted up the links saying taht just last night.

Drai is exhausted, spent. running on fumes. People ahve no idea how hard it is to be playing through pain at the top level of a sport for a calendar year. Then hitting the showers and having to do it again and again with no end in sight. If Drai tries to take breaks or take it easy in games is because he has to. Few players care as much about results as he does.

 

[Duke74]

"Injured" is different than "hurt" though. If you're named to the All-Star game you have to miss a game before or after to be able to skip it. I'd wager that Leon is playing hurt, but not hurt enough to necessitate coming out of the lineup so he went to the All-Star game so he wouldn't miss one.

Still no excuse for the brain dead turnovers and straight up lazy play. Leon has a very bad habit (like a lot of Oilers) of complicating and adding risk to his game when he isn't feeling it rather than just simplifying and playing in straight lines. His choice to do a blind backhand spin o rama to nowhere rather than shoot with a clear look still has me pissed off this morning.

Benching him isn't the answer, but it would be nice if Woodcroft scales back his minutes if he's in the mode where he turns it over nearly every single time he gets the puck. A message has to get through somehow that playing this way isn't acceptable no matter how much of a "funk" he might be in. Not feeling it? Then start shooting the damn puck and moving your feet instead of zipping blind passes all over the ice.

Good post. I wonder if he's tweaked something that is disrupting his shooting mechanics? His shot has been off all year (not to mention the horrible target shooting at the ASG) and now he just refuses to even shoot with clear looks. It could be a lack of confidence in his shot, which, again, may go back to something bothering him. Of course, with the way the team remains mum on injuries, we'll never know.

 

[frag2]

On the first GA he had the puck on the wall off a rush and stopped up and threw a 0% puck to the middle of the ice only for it to go the other way for a goal.

His teammates weren't good and the lanes were definitely clogged, but that still doesn't mean he should just throw up his hands and turn pucks over. Nothing there? Start skating with it, start chipping pucks to soft areas and stay on the right side of the puck. There are options other than just turning it over constantly.

0 shots in two straight games just isn't good enough. He needs to be shooting more when he's off, but instead he does the spin o rama passes to nobody after looking off a shot.

Seems like he just doesn't want to. It's been a bad habit since Tmac days. Amusingly, I always notice him suddenly having legs once he's with McD. When he's centering his own line, it looks he's just going through the motions. I mean, he seemingly can't even be bothered to skate to a puck and would rather reach other with his stick. It's the little things really.

 

[Oilhawks]

You're right. The ugly losses this season have been against bad teams but overall it's not as bad as what i remembered.

I went through the schedule and the losses that stood out to me was the 2-0 loss vs STL (oct 22), 4-3 loss vs ANA (Dec 17), 5-2 loss vs VAN (Dec 23), 3-2 OTL vs CLB (Jan 25) and again last night vs the Flyers.

There was also a few games where we didn't play well but won anyways. 6-5 win vs CHI (Oct 27) & 5-3 win vs MTL (Dec 3).

However, the body of work especially in the last 6 weeks has been impressive and i should just shut my yapper

It tends to even out and while I was annoyed they couldn't find the second point against the Flyers and Columbus before the break, I was more annoyed with losses like the one against the Ducks, Kraken (coincidentally both home games I attended) and some other games they "should have won". But wins they didn't deserve to like those Chicago and Montreal ones even it out.

There needs to be a more consistent effort top to bottom though to continue to "burn down villages" in the second half. They can take the division, but will have to keep it up and not take any nights off.

 

[Drivesaitl]

It tends to even out and while I was annoyed they couldn't find the second point against the Flyers and Columbus before the break, I was more annoyed with losses like the one against the Ducks, Kraken (coincidentally both home games I attended) and some other games they "should have won". But wins they didn't deserve to like those Chicago and Montreal ones even it out.

There needs to be a more consistent effort top to bottom though to continue to "burn down villages" in the second half. They can take the division, but will have to keep it up and not take any nights off.

Not too upset about it. Teams all do this. Colorado again getting pasted 5-0 last night and they need the pts more than we do. Too many games in a season and if you're McDrai on this team you know that there is a ton of hockey to play and you can't be bringing it every night. No player does.

i don't grudge either of these two taking extended times off their peak games. Rather see that now than later.

 

[Duke74]

We should not vote Drai to the all stars. No more all star for Drai and let him stay home.

With your username, you should mosey on over and vote in my poll

 

[Duke74]

Somewhat agree. I think theres three scenerios though.

Super Elite - moving his feet, beast all over the ice, creating offense and playing some defense

Good but Frustrating - still puts up points, impacts the game (usually on the PP) but doesnt try defensively or prone to turn overs.

Horrible - nothing going on offensively combined with poor defensive and turnover metrics

That's a really accurate classification system. Right now, he's definitely in the bottom tier. I only hope that it's not a sign of things to come and we don't see that more and more frequently as time goes on.