Pre-Game Talk: Oilers VS Jets -Oiler fly home for 48 hours

[GameChanger]

Why Rattie? Wouldn't Bouchard be a more useful guy to do this? McLellan scared that the players might like what they see? So he chooses someone that clearly wouldn't make sense to do this so no one questions it.

Meh...this team is annoying.

This is the last time I mention Pulju today, but last year there was similar talk about him. Some fans wrote maybe McLellan's too scared to put him (or someone else with a great shot) on the PP as it working would prove he's been wrong, which would be unacceptable. That may sound far-stretched, which it probably is, but he's been so stubborn it exceeds all limits.

I'd actually like to see a PP with McD, Drai, Nuge(?), Pulju and Bouchard. That'd be two or even three good shots and some serious playmaking ability. E.g. Pulju could support Bouchard defensively with his speed and reach from his natural PP position near the blueline.

 

[Raoul Duke]

Yeah.

We’ve reached peak TMac.

 

[North]

We’ve reached peak TMac.

I have no words.

 

[North]

TMac had us worried.. We thought he was trying to fix our PP..
Did he feel the need to say that just so it wouldnt offend Lucic?

Apparently he's not worried about offending the fans.

 

[nabob]

Yeah.

Hahahaha that makes it even worse. A coach could do a better job if he knew nothing about hockey and just watched YouTube videos.

 

[nabob]

lol, man...Only 6 players have points. That's grim.

Also lol @ putting Rattie there instead of any of our actual one-time options. Jesus christ.

Wouldn’t want Puljujarvi to think that he’s actually earned a shot at anything that resembles an offensive opportunity in the lineup. Even if it’s just pretend.

 

[Staghorn]

We’ve reached peak TMac.

Hahahhaha I laughed out loud at that comment... so true. TMac is terrible.

 

[A91]

We’ve reached peak TMac.

Hahahaha great comment

 

[Delicious Pancakes]

Wouldn’t want Puljujarvi to think that he’s actually earned a shot at anything that resembles an offensive opportunity in the lineup. Even if it’s just pretend.

Well clearly Rattie earned the PP practice. I imagine Todd had Jesse doing 1-on-1 battle drills in the corner during the PP/PK work. He's not going to turn into a grinder without practice.

 

[shoop]

It makes no sense for Benning to be back in the lineup against Winnipeg.

So expect him back in the lineup ... cuz TMac.

 

[ToeMcDrag83]

Todd is mad trolling at this point. Tiny little finger to the fans/media

 

[nexttothemoon]

The team faced 2 of the better NHL teams so far in New Jersey and Boston... and lost both... then played one of the lesser teams so far... and won.

They are squarely in that mediocre camp once again... probably ~20th overall... a little better or a little worse but around that level.

Optimistically... they are getting a little better each game.

Pessimistically... they are once again relying on McDavid once again for pretty much everything offensively which obviously makes the team a LOT easier to contain.

Well below average team shooting percentage and save percentage stats so far... we've obviously seen this trend before and it needs reversing or else they fall into a rut again like last season.

3 road games (Devils game was also a road game) is a tough start and the Jets game continues that trend.

I agree that if they put up a decent performance against the Jets... and get at least a point, this 4 game road trip would have to be considered "salvaged" at least.

Right now I see them as an ~80-85 pt team and obviously that's well short of being a team in the picture to even challenge for a wildcard spot.

Changes have to occur... luckily it's still early enough being 3 games in and everyone surrounding the team obviously knows they are underperforming so far... a continuance of last season so at a minimum I think we can expect expect changes sooner rather than later before the season is lost again.

Saying that, some minimum of games played has to be allowed to pass as they need to be allowed to develop some chemistry and at least have a shot at turning this around before heads roll on the roster/behind the bench.

It's fair to say they are once again a 1 line team which has to change obviously and maybe that happens with at least some stability on lines 2-4 where they don't feel one mistake means benchings or line shakeups which doesn't help with chemistry on the team.

 

[NedPlimpton]

I have a feeling this is going to be a high scoring entertaining mess of a game.

 

[Mez]

I have a feeling this is going to be a high scoring entertaining mess of a game.

about time, if thats the case.

 

[TheGhost]

I have a feeling this is going to be a high scoring entertaining mess of a game.

I'm not sure the current Oilers squad knows what that is.

 

[oobga]

I have a feeling this is going to be a high scoring entertaining mess of a game.

At least we know how to shut down their PP since we were able to stop Rattie on the point in practice. And I assume Kassian was playing the part of Laine. Stoned him too.

 

[Klimando Kostani]

I have a feeling this is going to be a high scoring entertaining mess of a game.

If you mean the game where Winnipeg puts it all together against a team struggling to defend and to create any offense then yeah...

Pulju should be on the second line because his size and style would best suit it
Yammo is outmatched and should face lesser opposition
Our PP is a mess and it is sadly obvious why
Bouchard should be on the PP, or why is he even here. It is a role which would utilize exactly what he is best at.

One good strategy Todd is applying is sneaking Drai onto line 1 and McDavid onto line 2 at times.
If Benning sits another game that will be one small thing this coach has done right

Jets have been so so, we might actually have a chance to win one here

 

[488fitter]

Todd got pretty defensive today when asked about Puljujarvi"s deployment, and then again when questioned about the PP. Almost seems like he refuses to do the obvious because the fans and media surely couldn't deploy a NHL team more effectively than him. My patience has wore out with him.

 

[The Panther]

I don't get the Oilers' management. Okay, so they dumped Eberle and his contract for Strome (I'm one of the few who likes Strome, btw). Okay, fine. So they got a slightly younger player with some offensive upside and saved some money.

My question is: What exactly did they do with that money that they saved? Was it just to balance the books so they could pay Draisaitl? Because they sure didn't use it to sign James Neal or some other winger who can, you know, actually shoot on the power play.

 

[oiler4ever]

I don't get the Oilers' management. Okay, so they dumped Eberle and his contract for Strome (I'm one of the few who likes Strome, btw). Okay, fine. So they got a slightly younger player with some offensive upside and saved some money.

My question is: What exactly did they do with that money that they saved? Was it just to balance the books so they could pay Draisaitl? Because they sure didn't use it to sign James Neal or some other winger who can, you know, actually shoot on the power play.

saved the money for Koskinen

 

[The Panther]

saved the money for Koskinen

yeah, but they got rid of Brossoit. That should have taken care of it, ne?

 

[RegDunlop]

Why Rattie? Wouldn't Bouchard be a more useful guy to do this? McLellan scared that the players might like what they see? So he chooses someone that clearly wouldn't make sense to do this so no one questions it.

Meh...this team is annoying.

Why Rattie???

How the hell could they practise PK if Bouchard was in there? They'd get scored on every time!

 

[RandomGuy79]

LB should be the starter for this team not trashbot. Another firable move by chia.

 

[Digger12]

To be completely fair, I think it'd be best to hold off on calling this team a failure until we see how they do after a few home games, to balance out the 4 game road trip from hell that's started this season. It'll also give the younger guys like Yamamoto and Bouchard a chance at easier matchups without having to worry about the other team having last change. If the team still doesn't look right after the 4 game homestand, I could see McLellan being fired at that point. You can tell from his pressers that he's a guy under a ton of pressure right now, he knows his job hangs in the balance over how the team looks to start the year.

It wasn't any coincidence that both Katz and Gretzky were there in person to watch the Rangers game (according to Matheson, anyway).

 

[Skolman]

LB should be the starter for this team not trashbot. Another firable move by chia.

I'm assuming this is supposed to be a joke.