Pre-Game Talk: Oilers vs Leafs Wednesday 5pm

[TKB21]

We will lose, that is all....

 

[CycloneSweep]

Man all of these cryptic answers to the question of putting that line back together are just making me paranoid that it really is McDavid putting pressure on the coaching staff to give him a top player to play with. I don't really believe that is the case, but there is ZERO reason not to go back to that line. If they won't put that line together, they might as well put McDavid and Draisaitl on the same line again and hope for the best, because outside of the DRY line that is lineup that was most successful last season.

If the team was winning a bunch than sure don't go back to the line but man. We are LOSING. Reunite the line, start winning some games and then find a way to get depth thru the lineup. Don't stumble around losing games in the dream of having a balanced lineup.

 

[Cloned]

Bob isn’t sure about DRY line reuniting yet. “Tippett has a reason to try it the way it is” (losing games??)

Certain that Bear is back in for Lagesson, Russell stays in.

Adding more fuel to the McDavid politics fire. Great.

Just f***ing great.

 

[Oilhawks]

Man all of these cryptic answers to the question of putting that line back together are just making me paranoid that it really is McDavid putting pressure on the coaching staff to give him a top player to play with. I don't really believe that is the case, but there is ZERO reason not to go back to that line. If they won't put that line together, they might as well put McDavid and Draisaitl on the same line again and hope for the best, because outside of the DRY line that is lineup that was most successful last season.

Sorry I should probably say I think he said it more like “Tippett has his reasons for keeping the line this way” rather than ‘he has a reason’, but yeah it definitely is strange that it’s so cryptic.

 

[Oilhawks]

Garbage. His reason is not worth losing the entire play in series and going 1-3 to start the year.

Also Bear back in is good, but I hate to sit lagesson when he wasn’t that bad last game. I’m honestly ready to dress 7 dmen, and double shift drai/Mcdavid/rnh/Turris on the fourth line.

Would definitely prefer Lagesson stay in than Russell. Bob did also speculate that since Leafs are going 11-7 maybe the Oilers look at that and get Bouchard some reps. Who knows?

 

[Soundwave]

They will get stomped by the Leafs with the garbage effort they are bringing to the ice.

Or they'll do their usual garbage of actually trying next game and then lose because of 1-2 dumb errors.

Tippett is a stubborn f*** and will wait for more losses before he is forced to go back to the only good coaching decision he's made here which was the DRY line.

 

[Cloned]

Sorry I should probably say I think he said it more like “Tippett has his reasons for keeping the line this way” rather than ‘he has a reason’, but yeah it definitely is strange that it’s so cryptic.

I mean I think that’s basically just indirectly confirming the rumours. Seriously, wtf is going on here?

 

[Arpeggio]

If the team was winning a bunch than sure don't go back to the line but man. We are LOSING. Reunite the line, start winning some games and then find a way to get depth thru the lineup. Don't stumble around losing games in the dream of having a balanced lineup.

The "depth through the lineup" thing doesn't even make sense, because that line was the depth through the lineup. You had an elite number one line, and then you had a line with McDavid on it still producing at a reasonable clip.

If the DRY line is going, you can put McDavid with any mix two other players and be fine. Throw him out with Turris and Kahun if you want, it'll still result in more goals than having two lines that are struggling to get going.

 

[MessierII]

Would definitely prefer Lagesson stay in than Russell. Bob did also speculate that since Leafs are going 11-7 maybe the Oilers look at that and get Bouchard some reps. Who knows?

I definitely would not. I’m not sure what people see in Lagesson. We are sorely missing our vets right now.

 

[bellagiobob]

 

[Mav3rick07]

I’ve watched a couple Leafs games this year and honestly they’re not all that impressive. Simmonds and Thornton are slow as molasses. Same with Spezza.

5-2 Oilers win.

 

[Bring Back Bucky]

I wouldn't consider an LTIR that we have known for months an injury in this case.

It’s an injury. Knowing that your 26 minute a night top D is going to be out is one thing. Being able to replace him in any meaningful way during an unprecedented period of cap Hell league-wide is another thing entirely.

 

[Arpeggio]

I mean I think that’s basically just indirectly confirming the rumours. Seriously, wtf is going on here?

The only reason I have doubts about this being true is because it seems so ridiculous that McDavid would demand to play with Nugent-Hopkins of all players. Like I'm a Nuge fan, but is playing with someone like Ennis really that big of a downgrade that you're going to throw a fit about it (obviously it's a severe downgrade, but Nuge isn't some world beater, the only time he's put up big points is playing with Draisaitl or McDavid)? It would also cause a huge issue between McDavid and Draisaitl I imagine, and they seem to be best friends, so I dunno.

 

[Cloned]

The "depth through the lineup" thing doesn't even make sense, because that line was the depth through the lineup. You had an elite number one line, and then you had a line with McDavid on it still producing at a reasonable clip.

If the DRY line is going, you can put McDavid with any mix two other players and be fine. Throw him out with Turris and Kahun if you want, it'll still result in more goals than having two lines that are struggling to get going.

Either Tippett or McDavid need to swallow their ego for the betterment of the team here.

If it’s Tippett’s decision then that’s a easier problem to fix. If it’s being caused by McDavid then we have an actual five alarm fire.

 

[Duke74]

8-1 Leafs. Matthews scores 5 goals and Toronto sports media claims he's better than Gretzky.

 

[Arpeggio]

I like the defence with Bear and Russell back in. Basically last year's defence but with Koekkoek and Barrie instead of Klefbom and Benning. I really don't have a problem with the way Russell has been playing over the last season or so, and last night he actually made some of our nicer (only) breakout passes. I think the defence will calm down with these six in, and Bouchard coming in as an injury replacement. I'm pretty much done with Jones.

 

[Cloned]

The only reason I have doubts about this being true is because it seems so ridiculous that McDavid would demand to play with Nugent-Hopkins of all players. Like I'm a Nuge fan, but is playing with someone like Ennis really that big of a downgrade that you're going to throw a fit about it (obviously it's a severe downgrade, but Nuge isn't some world beater, the only time he's put up big points is playing with Draisaitl or McDavid)? It would also cause a huge issue between McDavid and Draisaitl I imagine, and they seem to be best friends, so I dunno.

I don’t want to believe it either, but it seems insane to me that Tippett would be that stupid or stubborn to submarine his own job by refusing to put that line back together. I don’t particularly like his decision making lately but I have to think he hasn’t gone completely crazy here.

As for possible motivations on McDavid’s part, there are a few, mostly all ego driven. So I really hope these rumours aren’t true, because it would be a exceptionally bad look.

 

[Spawn]

My goodness Oiler fans are always so eager to try and do character assassinations on the best players on the team.

 

[Soundwave]

I’ve watched a couple Leafs games this year and honestly they’re not all that impressive. Simmonds and Thornton are slow as molasses. Same with Spezza.

5-2 Oilers win.

Oilers have been sleep walking since the COVID break last March. 8 losses in their last 10 games.

Leafs look a lot better than that and are the most talented team in the division. The Oilers are the ones that better wake up.

 

[Arpeggio]

I don’t want to believe it either, but it seems insane to me that Tippett would be that stupid or stubborn to submarine his own job by refusing to put that line back together. I don’t particularly like his decision making lately but I have to think he hasn’t gone completely crazy here.

As for possible motivations on McDavid’s part, there are a few, mostly all ego driven. So I really hope these rumours aren’t true, because it would be a exceptionally bad look.

It will be telling to see which free agents Holland prioritizes in the offseason. If they take a big run at someone like Hall over a defenceman, that might be a sign that we have an issue with our stars getting sick of playing with bottom-sixers.

 

[CycloneSweep]

It will be telling to see which free agents Holland prioritizes in the offseason. If they take a big run at someone like Hall over a defenceman, that might be a sign that we have an issue with our stars getting sick of playing with bottom-sixers.

Only good defender free agent this off season is Hamilton.

 

[Cloned]

My goodness Oiler fans are always so eager to try and do character assassinations on the best players on the team.

Only speaking for myself, but it’s not eagerness. It’s hoping that it’s not true but acknowledging that there is something really strange with Tippett’s refusal to reunite that line.

Put it another way: not doing the obvious and reuniting that line while your team struggles would ordinarily put your job security at risk as the coach. Unless you’ve been given higher priorities where reuniting that line might actually put your job security at higher risk than not reuniting that line.

Again, I hope it isn’t true.

 

[Morpheus]

Nicked this from another board, thought it was funny:

 

[Soundwave]

Only speaking for myself, but it’s not eagerness. It’s hoping that it’s not true but acknowledging that there is something really strange with Tippett’s refusal to reunite that line.

Put it another way: not doing the obvious and reuniting that line while your team struggles would ordinarily put your job security at risk as the coach. Unless you’ve been given higher priorities where reuniting that line might actually put your job security at higher risk than not reuniting that line.

Again, I hope it isn’t true.

If he reunites that line and they play well then Tippett looks like a dummy for breaking it up and probably costing the Oilers the play in round.

 

[Cloned]

If he reunites that line and they play well then Tippett looks like a dummy for breaking it up and probably costing the Oilers the play in round.

As opposed to looking like a dummy for not reuniting the line and getting fired?

I mean I hope it’s all on Tippett. That’s a much easier problem to fix.