Pre-Game Talk: Oilers vs Bolts

[Porkleaker]

Oilers with lots of days rest.

6-2 Tampa

14-0 Tampa

 

[Yablo21]

One more sleeps

 

[Mez]

Im excited to see this second line. I feel like it could be a good combo.

 

[Drivesaitl]

To me Draisaitl looks like a guy playing too many minutes. McDavid is a freak but no one else can play as much as him. RNH burned out too early in the year trying to play McDavid minutes.

Like I said elsewhere players can't take 20 games with McD. Nuge had 16, and Drai has had 18 (McD missed one game) Both players have been toast by the time they were removed from the topline. Drai looks burnt to a crisp right now but I also wonder about a wrist or shoulder injury. Something not right with Drai last couple weeks. Since he came off ice wincing after a vicious hack that was not called. I think he's been playing hurt ever since.

Anyway Drai with Rieder and Chiasson, I'll take it, but Mcd getting much more help in Nuge and Pulju who finally seems on.

We need something out of our bottomsix or identity line.

The usual producers on this team look pretty spent.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Wouldn't this be a more balanced look?

Reider-McDavid-Chiasson
RNH-Draisaitl-Puljujarvi

I'm perplexed as to why 2 veteran coaches insist on giving the best player on the planet the best wingers and leaving the scraps for the #2 centers then wind up shuffling around the lines constantly because of lack of secondary scoring.

Wouldn't the best chance at achieving secondary scoring be to load up the 2nd line and let McDavid carry his own line? Not only does this spread out scoring but it gets either McDavid or the stacked 2nd line away from tough matchups. With the current setup, all the attention of the defense can focus on the McDavid line with not much fear of the 2nd line feasting on weaker matchups. It just boggles my mind that Mclellan and now Hitchcock haven't tried this in 2+ seasons (not including the Hall-Drai 2nd line season). Switch McDavid and Draisaitl or switch Reider and RNH, am I the only who sees this as an obvious move?

Nuge and Drai don't work at that much even on the PP, completely out of sync. They play different games. Drai will be looking for a one timer and it'll never come. Nuge will be shooting himself.

Would be interesting to see historically how many Drai goals have even come from Nuge setups or even vice versa. Really I would wonder how many scoring plays feature both, even on PP and that don't involve McD.

Theres just very little in Drai-Nuge that seems to work together. I've noted that always and every coach does too. But why they are ever on the same PP I have no idea.

That said I agree with your general premise. If we had Hall still it would definitely work very well. But not with Drai and Nuge.

 

[Aerrol]

Wouldn't this be a more balanced look?

Reider-McDavid-Chiasson
RNH-Draisaitl-Puljujarvi

I'm perplexed as to why 2 veteran coaches insist on giving the best player on the planet the best wingers and leaving the scraps for the #2 centers then wind up shuffling around the lines constantly because of lack of secondary scoring.

Wouldn't the best chance at achieving secondary scoring be to load up the 2nd line and let McDavid carry his own line? Not only does this spread out scoring but it gets either McDavid or the stacked 2nd line away from tough matchups. With the current setup, all the attention of the defense can focus on the McDavid line with not much fear of the 2nd line feasting on weaker matchups. It just boggles my mind that Mclellan and now Hitchcock haven't tried this in 2+ seasons (not including the Hall-Drai 2nd line season). Switch McDavid and Draisaitl or switch Reider and RNH, am I the only who sees this as an obvious move?

Rieder-Draisaitl-Chiasson had some great chemistry earlier in the year, and Rieder hasn't worked almost at all with McDavid. Pulju, as much as I love the guy is clearly the biggest risk of the wing options up there, so McDavid and RNH are covering for mistakes he may make. Pulju also I suspect is being told to do the physical work for the two smaller players, and Draisaitl gets some players with some muscle and shooting ability to work with at a slower pace. I actually like these lines quite a bit.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Rieder-Draisaitl-Chiasson had some great chemistry earlier in the year, and Rieder hasn't worked almost at all with McDavid. Pulju, as much as I love the guy is clearly the biggest risk of the wing options up there, so McDavid and RNH are covering for mistakes he may make. Pulju also I suspect is being told to do the physical work for the two smaller players, and Draisaitl gets some players with some muscle and shooting ability to work with at a slower pace. I actually like these lines quite a bit.

I don't agree entirely with this. Pulju and Rieder, from GA perspective are the safest wingers on the club to be playing with. With Pulju and Nuge own zone play is over represented on that line, and McD is no slouch either. Age 23 Drai still needs more help in 200ft game and should be getting it. I would rather have Pulju than Chiasson with Drai, despite Alex scoring to this point.

Despite having some success before with these same wingers Drai is really struggling having had way too many minutes. Against Tampa this line could get lit up.

 

[Soli]

Larsson returns to practice, Grindentity line restored.

 

[Aerrol]

I don't agree entirely with this. Pulju and Rieder, from GA perspective are the safest wingers on the club to be playing with. With Pulju and Nuge own zone play is over represented on that line, and McD is no slouch either. Age 23 Drai still needs more help in 200ft game and should be getting it. I would rather have Pulju than Chiasson with Drai, despite Alex scoring to this point.

Despite having some success before with these same wingers Drai is really struggling having had way too many minutes. Against Tampa this line could get lit up.

Hmmmm. I agree about Drai maybe needing more help (but what would you change then? You already said Nuge-Drai don't really work. Nuge between Rieder and Chiasson?), but I don't agree about Pulju. I think that while he's shown great defensive effort and definitely is better defensively than offensively, he's still prone to making those 'uh, WHAT?' moves or passes in the offensive zone that lead to really painful chances against. I think the speed and defensive conscience McDavid and Nuge bring should help cover that. And, again, I think his big body could help them out. We will see how it goes in any case. It'll likely be a game with a lot of open ice which wouldn't do a tired Drai any favours.

 

[Shaquille Oatmeal]

 

[Bryanbryoil]

If someone wants to try and break the McMullet "jinx" then call dibs on the next GDT.

 

[ConnorMcMullet]

If someone wants to try and break the McMullet "jinx" then call dibs on the next GDT.

Too late! I've already got one ready