Pre-Game Talk: Oilers vs. Caps

[Drivesaitl]

Useless as Yamamoto has been offensively, I'm more appalled that he's a regular on the PK. Dude couldn't take away a passing or shooting lane if he used his whole body. He's not contributing anywhere. Demotion is earned. Frankly I'd even understand a healthy scratch at this point.

Our special teams have been huge to our success in the last few years. If our PK falters all year, the playoff race will tighter than it needs to be. Our defensive play needs to be fixed here, and fast.

The concern can be spread to Nuge, Hyman, Drai as well. None of these players have been good on pk this season and both Hyman and Drai have very high GA numbers even in EV play. Hyman particularly being the last player I would think of using explicitly in pk.

Meanwhile our lowest GA forward last year, Puljujarvi, has rarely even seen pk duty, and has a huge wingspan, and tends to be good in ownzone play.

 

[K1984]

The concern can be spread to Nuge, Hyman, Drai as well. None of these players have been good on pk this season and both Hyman and Drai have very high GA numbers even in EV play. Hyman particularly being the last player I would think of using explicitly in pk.

Meanwhile our lowest GA forward last year, Puljujarvi, has rarely even seen pk duty, and has a huge wingspan, and tends to be good in ownzone play.

Leon is so, so passive on the PK. He just sits there and tries to pick off cross ice passes. He was the same thing in limited looks last year as well.

His trademark is letting the high puck carrier just walk down the pipe right to the net. Love Leon, but enough is enough with the PK experiment.

 

[Harry Curry]

Ah yeah, long time Caps fan here I was just wondering if perhaps, just maybe that you guys would consider NOT murdering us tonight?

Did you scroll through the thread?

Posters here have stopping the losing streak is the number one priority. Much more concerned about actually winning the game than anything else at this point?

 

[Rengorlex]

I wouldn't mind giving Connor some PK time. He used to play around a minute per game under McLellan and did a fine job but his new coaches haven't used him there. He's such a threat offensively there too with his speed.

 

[K1984]

I wouldn't mind giving Connor some PK time. He used to play around a minute per game under McLellan and did a fine job but his new coaches haven't used him there. He's such a threat offensively there too with his speed.

To me it just isn't necessary.

We had a template that worked last year without McDavid or Leon on the PK. I don't understand why Woodcroft is insistent on reinventing the wheel here. I don't understand the thought process behind giving guys that already play too much more ice time in a purely defensive situation.

 

[CapsFrontOffice]

Did you scroll through the thread?

Posters here have stopping the losing streak is the number one priority. Much more concerned about actually winning the game than anything else at this po

Did you scroll through the thread?

Posters here have stopping the losing streak is the number one priority. Much more concerned about actually winning the game than anything else at this point?

Are we really going to argue about whose team is worse right now lol lol lol

 

[ZJuice]

I wouldn’t mind seeing Ryan with McDavid+Hyman/Nuge. I have a feeling he is a better finisher than Yamamoto and Puljujarvi. Move him up once in a while, we have lots of centres to cover 3rd/4th C duties.

 

[McAsuno]

where the foooook is the gdt

 

[Drivesaitl]

Leon is so, so passive on the PK. He just sits there and tries to pick off cross ice passes. He was the same thing in limited looks last year as well.

His trademark is letting the high puck carrier just walk down the pipe right to the net. Love Leon, but enough is enough with the PK experiment.

I'm increasingly concerned that the Selke motivations expressed so much in recent seasons have all but disappeared. I find that interesting as well as Drai most had those aspirations, for better or worse, during the Tippett era. Its been replaced with something else. Drais play without the puck has become worse. McD as well. Hyman continues to hum along with huge GA numbers. Its a problem.

We've improved our goaltending immeasurably but not our pk, not our GA. Questions should be asked.

 

[K1984]

I'm increasingly concerned that the Selke motivations expressed so much in recent seasons have all but disappeared. I find that interesting as well as Drai most had those aspirations, for better or worse, during the Tippett era. Its been replaced with something else. Drais play without the puck has become worse. McD as well. Hyman continues to hum along with huge GA numbers. Its a problem.

We've improved our goaltending immeasurably but not our pk, not our GA. Questions should be asked.

I don't harp on it because of what they produce on the other end of the ice, but both Leon and McDavid have been pretty poor in their own end this year, McDavid in particular. He's often covering nobody and his bad habit of trying to spring himself on a break rather than just win the puck battle is back in his game. He's often left missing checks and covering nobody.

Commitment to team defense needs to start at the top.

 

[Mez]

Caps missing pretty much half of their team. Such notables as Oshie, Carlson, Backstrom, Wilson, Hagelin and Brown. Oilers better come prepared to compete against the rest and take advantage. Really need to bear down on their chances and make teams pay. Have done a shitty job of that lately.

Don't worry, half our team won't show up to make things more even

where the foooook is the gdt

In the palm of your hands....waiting to be translated through the keyboard.

 

[CapsFrontOffice]

Are we really going to argue about whose team is worse right now lol lol l

You guys know we just lost to /looksaround /whispers Arizona, right?

 

[Drivesaitl]

Are we really going to argue about whose team is worse right now lol lol lol

We're just a pretty up and down fanbase. Heaven or Hell depending on most recent games and day of week....hehe

A week ago the fanbase here were filled with SC dreaming and our goalies are great. Now this monday not so much.

One other factor that it went from beautiful fall weather here to being sacked in the middle of Edmonton winter. There was no phasing in. Nice one day, constant barrage of blizzards for the past week. We're probably effected somewhat by that. So that the winter of our discontent surely landed here with a thud.

Its around day 6 of snow storms for the record.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I don't harp on it because of what they produce on the other end of the ice, but both Leon and McDavid have been pretty poor in their own end this year, McDavid in particular. He's often covering nobody and his bad habit of trying to spring himself on a break rather than just win the puck battle is back in his game. He's often left missing checks and covering nobody.

Commitment to team defense needs to start at the top.

Not sure if you've seen my comments on the McD standing straight up faceoff style of losing faceoffs clean.

Controller disconnected has landed here. I'm not sure whats going on. Watch Pavelski get inside McD and drai after facoeffs in Dallas game. its disgusting. So disconnected. It resulted in at least one immediate goal. Was happening against Jersey as well.

I don't want to say it but are the boys getting as much concerned with high event hockey and just being 1.2 in scoring race? They're both playing last goal wins river hockey.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

The roster deployment on the PK this season has been a joke and Woodcroft deserves a lot of criticism for it, especially if changes aren't made soon.

Leon stinks killing 5 on 4 (despite being good 5 on 3) - get him off of it

Yamamoto is useless on it and gets constantly turnstiled. Get him off of it.

Barrie stinks on the PK - get him off of it.

Meanwhile you have Foegele who has a track record of being good on the PK, but doesn't even get a sniff. Shore, who can be a decent PK player, gets pushed aside to put Leon on it who isn't good and doesn't need the extra minutes.

The concept of "everyone plays on the PK" is cute in theory, but when it doesn't work it's time to get off of it.

Even if Leon was great at the PK, I’d keep him off to give him fewer minutes

 

[CapsFrontOffice]

We'ee just a pretty up and down fanbase. Heaven or Hell depending on most recent games and day of week....hehe

A week ago the fanbase here were filled with SC dreaming and our goalies are great. Now this monday not so much.

One other factor that it went from beautiful fall weather here to being sacked in the middle of Edmonton winter. There was no phasing in. Nice one day, constant barrage of blizzards for the past week. We're probably effected somewhat by that. So that the winter of our discontent surely landed here with a thud.

Its around day 6 of snow storms for the record.

Yeah we are a pretty down fan base, we know where we stand currently lol

I get it, it gets frustrating, we went through it with Ovie. It comes from out of nowhere and they pull off an awesome stretch of games and you are there with the Cup.

I will say this, I see many reasons to be a Oilers fan and be excited now but not so many for the Caps until some drastic changes are made.

However, If you guys don't win tonight by all means blow it up lol

 

[FlameChampion]

Not sure if you've seen my comments on the McD standing straight up faceoff style of losing faceoffs clean.

Controller disconnected has landed here. I'm not sure whats going on. Watch Pavelski get inside McD and drai after facoeffs in Dallas game. its disgusting. So disconnected. It resulted in at least one immediate goal. Was happening against Jersey as well.

I don't want to say it but are the boys getting as much concerned with high event hockey and just being 1.2 in scoring race? They're both playing last goal wins river hockey.

I hate to say it but sometimes with McDavid and Draisaitl, I feel like they're more concerned about putting up points than winning games. I know at the beginning of the season, McDavid said something about not caring about individual trophies. But from what I see on the ice, not sure I believe it. Who knows, maybe hes not even doing it on purpose.

I remember the other night when Kane scored his empty net hattrick goal, McDavid could of just passed it to Kane but instead he passed it to Draisaitl who then had to make an awkward pass to Kane (to ensure Draisaitl would get a point). Then on the power play I almost feel like neither guy will shoot the puck if the other one isnt going to get an assist. Maybe I am dreaming and reading too much into it though.

 

[Duke74]

Not sure if you've seen my comments on the McD standing straight up faceoff style of losing faceoffs clean.

Controller disconnected has landed here. I'm not sure whats going on. Watch Pavelski get inside McD and drai after facoeffs in Dallas game. its disgusting. So disconnected. It resulted in at least one immediate goal. Was happening against Jersey as well.

I don't want to say it but are the boys getting as much concerned with high event hockey and just being 1.2 in scoring race? They're both playing last goal wins river hockey.

My guess is that they're trying to overcompensate for the lack of support scoring this year. If at least some of the junk in the bottom six (and Yamamoto) could piss a drop, Connor and Leon wouldn't have to worry about taking risks every shift to come from behind.

 

[Sanchez]

Anyone hearing Stauffer, on Oilers Now, eating chips while Al May is talking? HAHAHA

 

[McDNicks17]

Backup goalie. We’re doomed.

 

[Soundwave]

McDavid went hard into the net in the Pittsburgh game it may still be bothering him on face offs.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Backup goalie. We’re doomed.

I picked him up in fantasy.

We’ll be fine

 

[FlameChampion]

I picked him up in fantasy.

We’ll be fine

Thanks for taking one for the team.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I hate to say it but sometimes with McDavid and Draisaitl, I feel like they're more concerned about putting up points than winning games. I know at the beginning of the season, McDavid said something about not caring about individual trophies. But from what I see on the ice, not sure I believe it. Who knows, maybe hes not even doing it on purpose.

I remember the other night when Kane scored his empty net hattrick goal, McDavid could of just passed it to Kane but instead he passed it to Draisaitl who then had to make an awkward pass to Kane (to ensure Draisaitl would get a point). Then on the power play I almost feel like neither guy will shoot the puck if the other one isnt going to get an assist. Maybe I am dreaming and reading too much into it though.

Randy Gregg used to tell stories about playing Japanese or Asian clubs and the Canadians started to institute a rule where everybody had to touch the puck before scoring a goal. So as to keep the scoreline down out of basic decency. I wouldn't put it to that extent but our PP is very much geared on everybody getting the puck further to working it to our end schemes. We have very specific schemes on our PP and even us punters know what they are. Opponents do too. Sometimes the passing is necessary to fake other looks and then go for the cheat codes.

 

[Aerchon]

I'm increasingly concerned that the Selke motivations expressed so much in recent seasons have all but disappeared. I find that interesting as well as Drai most had those aspirations, for better or worse, during the Tippett era. Its been replaced with something else. Drais play without the puck has become worse. McD as well. Hyman continues to hum along with huge GA numbers. Its a problem.

We've improved our goaltending immeasurably but not our pk, not our GA. Questions should be asked.

I don't harp on it because of what they produce on the other end of the ice, but both Leon and McDavid have been pretty poor in their own end this year, McDavid in particular. He's often covering nobody and his bad habit of trying to spring himself on a break rather than just win the puck battle is back in his game. He's often left missing checks and covering nobody.

Commitment to team defense needs to start at the top.

McDavid and Draisaitl were both playing well two way under Woodcroft last year while putting up big points.

Both have been brutal defensively this year but right at this point I believe its the players themselves not pulling their weight.

McDavid covering no one as mentioned and Draisaitl no look passes for brutal GA giveaways are big issues. The rest of the team following suit. Bouchard jekel and hyde is a bit understandable due to age/skill set but even Nurse is obviously pushing for offensive harder than defense.

If this was something new Id be more concerned about the coaching but its likely just the players reverting to their stubborn ways. Hopefully Woody gets everyone back playing the way we know they can.