TSN: Oilers Projected to Finish 5th in the Pacific Division

[Raab]

This is his fourth year as a starter. Mike Smith was drafted in 2001, didn't get a starting job until his ninth year post draft. And then he lost it.



Except for last year when the team got pounded on the shot clock every night.



*ponders queuing up Jonathan Quick blooper reel.*



Is it his job to score?



This assumes Dubnyk hasn't been doing the job. That's not the case.

Dubnyks athleticism sucks if he gets it of position at all the puck is going in the net. I can never see him making a save like this

and those are the types of saves that need to be made if you want to win a cup with a half decent defence. Quick can make them, Thomas could make them, Fleury could make them. Crawford and Niemmi were half decent but also played behind a top 5 defence in the league, so unless we can get our defense on the level that Chicagos is I don't see us winning a cup with Dubnyk. Which is why I'd rather see him traded for a better netminder who may give up weak goals occasionally but can also make highlight real saves and keep teams in a game.

 

[frag2]

I hope you are right about that. Bad goals were continuing to happen in preseason so the early returns arent very good.

Dubnyks biggest issue is between his ears and if he doesnt correct it this season I would suggest that its his last season as an Oiler.

Bingo.

Button was saying how after the 4-0 loss to Dallas, Dubnyk was pretty nonchalant about the lost "no biggie" attitude and that kind of tells me his mentality. Sure its preseason and usually tune up time but you would think as a goalie, you should ALWAYS push yourself considering a) you performance dictates where the team is heading b) goalies should NEVER have off days-never

 

[joestevens29]

Are you suggesting that there are no better options?

I'm suggesting upgrading dubnyk is going to cost. Is it going to be worth it or should we look on focusing on other areas and hope dubnyk gets better?

 

[s7ark]

Dubnyks athleticism sucks if he gets it of position at all the puck is going in the net. I can never see him making a save like this

and those are the types of saves that need to be made if you want to win a cup with a half decent defence. Quick can make them, Thomas could make them, Fleury could make them. Crawford and Niemmi were half decent but also played behind a top 5 defence in the league, so unless we can get our defense on the level that Chicagos is I don't see us winning a cup with Dubnyk. Which is why I'd rather see him traded for a better netminder who may give up weak goals occasionally but can also make highlight real saves and keep teams in a game.

 

[Moose Coleman]

Bingo.

Button was saying how after the 4-0 loss to Dallas, Dubnyk was pretty nonchalant about the lost "no biggie" attitude and that kind of tells me his mentality. Sure its preseason and usually tune up time but you would think as a goalie, you should ALWAYS push yourself considering a) you performance dictates where the team is heading b) goalies should NEVER have off days-never

Funny. I remember Luongo getting choked up after a big loss and people using that as evidence of how he's too mentally fragile. So I wonder: what is just the right amount of emotion to show in a post-loss interview?

 

[PaPaDee]

If Edmonton can weather the storm until Nuge and Gagner return, I think they have a shot.

I think there's a decent chance that one of Anaheim, Vancouver or San Jose drops off a bit this year.

 

[MessierII]

I think 5 teams make it from our division. It will be us or Phoenix.

 

[McJadeddog]

Funny. I remember Luongo getting choked up after a big loss and people using that as evidence of how he's too mentally fragile. So I wonder: what is just the right amount of emotion to show in a post-loss interview?

the *right* thing is to never, ever, for any reason, listen to anything button has to say

 

[hawks889]

Sportsnet also picked the oilers to finish 5th , and out of the playoffs, I think most experts outside edmonton, dont think the oilers will make the playoffs, and quite frankly thats probably the right pick considering the oilers early center injury problems.

 

[Narnia]

For what its worth, Smith looked better in the World Championships and was chosen as the starter over Dubnyk.

Lindy Ruff the Edmonton hater was the coach. He also misused Hall in the WHC as well. Other people could make mistakes and never get benched like Hall did. Lindy Ruff had no intention of using Hall and was probably upset that he was named to the team. He had his mind made up that he wouldn`t use Hall no matter how well Hall played. Hall couldn`t get ice time, even if he had 2 goals. Hall always got the least amount of ice time amongst the forewards,

TSN is absolutely realistic with this ranking. The Oilers roster, especially without RNH and Gagner looks like the garbage..

So you`re calling Hall, Eberle, Yakupov, Perron, Hemsky garbage. No wonder players don`t sign in Edmonton when fans like you call the players garbage.

Eh. The hockey media was sure that the Oilers were going to take a significant step last year. They were even McKenzie's dark horse team. The media bandwagon is empty again, and you're right, they're going to have to have a pretty outstanding year to get some semblance of respect.

Taylor Hall scored 50 points in 45 games last year and TSN has him as the 39th best player in the league. It's always going to be an upwards climb for this franchise.

They wouldn`t even get respect if they were winning. Media would still be underrating them. No matter what the Oilers do, the media will never ever give them respect.

Sportsnet also picked the oilers to finish 5th , and out of the playoffs, I think most experts outside edmonton, dont think the oilers will make the playoffs, and quite frankly thats probably the right pick considering the oilers early center injury problems.

The Hockey News has the Oilers finishing 5th in the Pacific but making the playoffs in a cross-over.

 

[guymez]

This is his fourth year as a starter. Mike Smith was drafted in 2001, didn't get a starting job until his ninth year post draft. And then he lost it.



Except for last year when the team got pounded on the shot clock every night.



*ponders queuing up Jonathan Quick blooper reel.*



Is it his job to score?



This assumes Dubnyk hasn't been doing the job. That's not the case.

Whats your excuse for Dubnyk after game #1?

 

[McDeathbyCheerios*]

Whats your excuse for Dubnyk after game #1?

He had a bad game. And it was only one game so far. I have seen Luongo have games just as bad.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

He had a bad game. And it was only one game so far. I have seen Luongo have games just as bad.

No, he didn't have a "bad game", he was the REASON FOR THE LOSS. He was beyond bad last night.

 

[Moose Coleman]

Whats your excuse for Dubnyk after game #1?

No excuse, he blew it.

Season's over I guess.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

No excuse, he blew it.

Season's over I guess.

Nope, but if you aren't concerned with HOW bad he was, I think you may be underracting.

 

[McShogun99]

1. LA
2. Edmonton
3. San Jose
4. Phoenix
5. Anaheim
6. Vancouver
7. Calgary

I think Edmonton will surprise a bunch of people this year and Vancouver will be a mess.

This is now my predictions if Dubnyk gets injured or we trade for a new goalie in the next 10 games. Updated prediction if Dubnyk is the starter all year will have Edmonton at 6th in the division.

 

[Replacement*]

No excuse, he blew it.

Season's over I guess.

He's blown it all up now in the clubs last two home openers. A game in which you expect the homeside to get on track and build its fragile confidence.

Shockwaves go through a club and its audience when a performance in a crucial position is this bad and it influences everything. This Does impact a clubs confidence.

A very shaky Dubnyk lets in 5 goals (4 weak) against a club with little offensive talent. Routinely gives up goals to guys that by no means are considered goal scorers.

When a club keeps shots against low, and keeps most of those shots to the outside, its kind of disconcerting when your goalie finds 4 opportunities to blow a routine stop from the outside.

 

[friction]

A very shaky Dubnyk lets in 5 goals (4 weak) against a club with little offensive talent. Routinely gives up goals to guys that by no means are considered goal scorers.

I thought the final goal by Frolik and the snipe by Little were good goals that would have beaten any goalie. Which one did you think was weak?

 

[frag2]

the *right* thing is to never, ever, for any reason, listen to anything button has to say

To be fair, Button was questioning how Dubnyk can be so non chalant after a loss which I have no qualms about. Dubnyk mentality has been way too "meh" all this time. I think it's gonna get worse now that he knows he's the starter.

At least MacT kind of threw hints out there that he doesn't have much faith in him [as illustrated by his attempt in securing a better goalie...albeit failing]

 

[doulos]

It's amazing how an entire fanbase can watch Dubnyk and come to such totally different assessments of the same player. People who watch the same games and the same plays and yet have 180 degree different opinions on him.

Obviously last night was a bad game by him, of that we can agree.

However, it's clear that this discussion is going nowhere.

Some of us watched his play last year (myself included) where he played very well on a brutal team and saw a goaltender who has the skills to be a starter in this league.

Others watched him and saw something totally different - a goalie who gives up a bad goal a game (which I feel is total myth, but there are tons of people who believe this)

I doubt this conversation will ever end, even if the team is winning.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

He's blown it all up now in the clubs last two home openers. A game in which you expect the homeside to get on track and build its fragile confidence.

Shockwaves go through a club and its audience when a performance in a crucial position is this bad and it influences everything. This Does impact a clubs confidence.

A very shaky Dubnyk lets in 5 goals (4 weak) against a club with little offensive talent. Routinely gives up goals to guys that by no means are considered goal scorers.

When a club keeps shots against low, and keeps most of those shots to the outside, its kind of disconcerting when your goalie finds 4 opportunities to blow a routine stop from the outside.

disagree with "little offensive talent"

Kane, Ladd, Wheeler, Setoguchi, Little are nothing to sneeze at

 

[Moose Coleman]

He's blown it all up now in the clubs last two home openers. A game in which you expect the homeside to get on track and build its fragile confidence.

Shockwaves go through a club and its audience when a performance in a crucial position is this bad and it influences everything. This Does impact a clubs confidence.

This is just mumbo jumbo keyboard psychiatry.

When a club keeps shots against low, and keeps most of those shots to the outside, its kind of disconcerting when your goalie finds 4 opportunities to blow a routine stop from the outside.

I'd say two of the goals were out and out DD's fault. That being said, if these goals were really such confidence destroyers, you'd think the first two would have sunk them completely. And yet they continued to carry the play. How strange.

 

[frag2]

It's amazing how an entire fanbase can watch Dubnyk and come to such totally different assessments of the same player. People who watch the same games and the same plays and yet have 180 degree different opinions on him.

Obviously last night was a bad game by him, of that we can agree.

However, it's clear that this discussion is going nowhere.

Some of us watched his play last year (myself included) where he played very well on a brutal team and saw a goaltender who has the skills to be a starter in this league.

Others watched him and saw something totally different - a goalie who gives up a bad goal a game (which I feel is total myth, but there are tons of people who believe this)

I doubt this conversation will ever end, even if the team is winning.

A myth:
an unproved or false collective belief that is used to justify a social institution.


It's only a myth if it's never happened before. It's happened so its fact that he's weak.

 

[doulos]

A myth:
an unproved or false collective belief that is used to justify a social institution.


It's only a myth if it's never happened before. It's happened so its fact that he's weak.

Actually, since Dubnyk has had a shutout in his career I have just proven, with 100& certainty, that 'a bad goal a game' is pure myth