Pre-Game Talk: Oilers vs Rangers

[tardigrade81]

worked for the lames

Yup, might as well give it a try. Granted nothing seems to be working lately but worth a shot.

 

[tardigrade81]

And if the team is going to give "efforts" like they did in the last game, odds are that the coach wants them to be taken out of their comfort zones.

Yes, very true. If they give the same performance against a very average rangers team I don’t even know what to think then.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I am fine with that, let Archi play up with McDavid and Kass.

But at the same time with no Drai on McDavids line ...McDavid has just himself to work with. This is just pathetic how we are treating McDavid.

Edmonton desperately need another top 6 winger.

i'm not OK with it because the risk/reward of what Drai is doing is predicated on Score effects and the oilers often being behind, and this often having had a lot more to do with suspect goaltending, and suspect D, than anything his line are specifically doing.

Drai getting "punished" for the teams inability, or teams unwillingness to row hard and play the system is potentially offputting, and also because he's been specifically thrown under the bus prior by McLellan. Tippett is walking a dangerous road here and nothing good comes from this.

Drai would be the first person to hold himself accountable. But he's on a bad situation with an untenable team. McDrai both know this. They know this dog won't hunt. Nor did they jump to that conclusion. They tried, tried, tried, and this is where we are again.

I would suggest McDrai are being punished enough just by having this roster to work with daily.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Throw Archi up with McDavid and Drai.

And what period does Stromer pot one on us?

What would be the specific purpose of that move?

Archibald has stone hands like few others here, and on this putrid roster thats saying something. Further Archibald is a runt, and while he punches above his weight I can't see him having that much effect with McDrai. he's not particularly good at moving or distributing the puck or retaining possession. He's far substandard to Kassian, who is only good on that first line. We gain essentially nothing but change of the sake of it removing Kass from the line.

how about the coach just think that a few days off might recharge the batteries a little and allow McDrai to resurrect?

 

[lakai17]

What would be the specific purpose of that move?

Archibald has stone hands like few others here, and on this putrid roster thats saying something. Further Archibald is a runt, and while he punches above his weight I can't see him having that much effect with McDrai. he's not particularly good at moving or distributing the puck or retaining possession. He's far substandard to Kassian, who is only good on that first line. We gain essentially nothing but change of the sake of it removing Kass from the line.

how about the coach just think that a few days off might recharge the batteries a little and allow McDrai to resurrect?

When you have mcdavid without drai then who do you throw with mcdavid, you don't have much options as you want a half decent 2nd and 3rd line to perform too.

 

[McDrai]

Switched to league standings since we are in tank mode once again. Only 2 points out of the bottom 10 in the league.

 

[ThePhoenixx]

9th place in the conference.

Things could get ugly real fast.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Switched to league standings since we are in tank mode once again. Only 2 points out of the bottom 10 in the league.

View attachment 299399

Every single one of those teams has at least 2 games in hand on the Oilers, some 3 or 4 games in hand. So pencil us in for 25th by the time we are halfway through our upcoming road trip, just in time for the Toronto media to print more of McDavids body language wants out of Edmonton articles.

 

[McDrai]

Every single one of those teams has at least 2 games in hand on the Oilers, some 3 or 4 games in hand. So pencil us in for 25th by the time we are halfway through our upcoming road trip, just in time for the Toronto media to print more of McDavids body language wants out of Edmonton articles.

Yeah it’s a foregone conclusion. We also have games against teams we never beat in Buffalo and Toronto coming up. Tippett can put the L on his calendar for those games as they are auto losses.

 

[TheUltimateOiler]

Why isn't haas getting a look on the top line or even the second line ? f***kkkkk

 

[3IR]

This is the first time this season for me where even off days feel completely hopeless. I used to be able to trick myself into thinking we were gonna come out of our funk and hold a playoff spot, but now that we’re actually outside looking in, I’m even more disappointed than I expected.

I know I ask this all the time, but how can a team be so bad for so long, have the two top scorers in the league, and still feel so hopeless in the present, and in the future.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

i'm not OK with it because the risk/reward of what Drai is doing is predicated on Score effects and the oilers often being behind, and this often having had a lot more to do with suspect goaltending, and suspect D, than anything his line are specifically doing.

Drai getting "punished" for the teams inability, or teams unwillingness to row hard and play the system is potentially offputting, and also because he's been specifically thrown under the bus prior by McLellan. Tippett is walking a dangerous road here and nothing good comes from this.

Drai would be the first person to hold himself accountable. But he's on a bad situation with an untenable team. McDrai both know this. They know this dog won't hunt. Nor did they jump to that conclusion. They tried, tried, tried, and this is where we are again.

I would suggest McDrai are being punished enough just by having this roster to work with daily.

Well to the bolded, clearly Drai is not playing the system and based on his recent performances he is not holding himself accountable. For him to be farther down the lineup than a very poor version of RNH speaks volumes towards what the coach thinks of his recent play. Tippett likely goes nowhere this season so if Drai and other players want to try and sabotage the coach, then we'll have 1/2 a season of absolute crap hockey to look forward to.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

how about the coach just think that a few days off might recharge the batteries a little and allow McDrai to resurrect?

Didn't they just have a few days off for Christmas? The whole team did and proceeded to get ***** slapped by our provincial rivals.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Why isn't haas getting a look on the top line or even the second line ? ****kkkkk

So you would put Haas at centre over McDavid RNH or Draisatl?

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

This is the first time this season for me where even off days feel completely hopeless. I used to be able to trick myself into thinking we were gonna come out of our funk and hold a playoff spot, but now that we’re actually outside looking in, I’m even more disappointed than I expected.

I know I ask this all the time, but how can a team be so bad for so long, have the two top scorers in the league, and still feel so hopeless in the present, and in the future.

The absolute historically league worst drafting and development is the main reason why. Thank Lowe, Tambo, MacT and to an extent Chiarelli for this.

Then add in the complete free agent failures we have signed that have chewed up significant cap space since Tambo thus tying our hands even moreso.

Finally the further gutting of the team via trade thanks to MacT and Chiarelli.

 

[3IR]

The absolute historically league worst drafting and development is the main reason why. Thank Lowe, Tambo, MacT and to an extent Chiarelli for this.

Then add in the complete free agent failures we have signed that have chewed up significant cap space since Tambo thus tying our hands even moreso.

Finally the further gutting of the team via trade thanks to MacT and Chiarelli.

Yeah, I just don’t understand how it all happens. How is that much incompetence possible between so many different people and members of the organization? Is it all a coincidence that we’ve been the same awful oilers team for so long with so many new players, coaches, gms, etc?

What kinda god awful luck is that.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Well to the bolded, clearly Drai is not playing the system and based on his recent performances he is not holding himself accountable. For him to be farther down the lineup than a very poor version of RNH speaks volumes towards what the coach thinks of his recent play. Tippett likely goes nowhere this season so if Drai and other players want to try and sabotage the coach, then we'll have 1/2 a season of absolute crap hockey to look forward to.

Drai has been playing the system about as much as RNH, or anybody on the team. Which is to say very little.

Speaks volumes?

What it speaks to is Tippett is out of answers and is getting the bad coach hammer out. Which doesn't work at all in present day NHL with current players, as has been duly noted just about anywhere with all the coach firings. Maybe Tippett could go full idiot this week and have an Eakins bagskate..

The reality of present day NHL is the Star players rule the roost, they call the shots and so if you want to survive awhile you draw up schemes that play to their advantage.

This isn't the 90's and Ronnie Low and 100hits a game hockey anymore. Alas.

We have this continued false notion on hfboards that its our star players, our McD, our Drai, our Hall that are at fault when the team faulters. Anybody following the team knows full well that the primary fault is a shit roster and the team being a dog that won't hunt.

So what message is sent? A message of accountability would be kicking Nicholson and Lowe in the Nuts so they can pound pavement for another job for some other suckas

 

[Drivesaitl]

Didn't they just have a few days off for Christmas? The whole team did and proceeded to get ***** slapped by our provincial rivals.

Turkeybreak is rarely a helpful break. Really I can't recall many times in Oilers lore where the team has been better just back from Xmas break.

More the case is its probably abjectly demoralizing to come back from it and back into the nightmare that is this roster. Christmas is an escape, and the players probably wished it was months long..

Tippett has lost the team. I was OK with his hire, but disappointed he's been identical to McLellan or Hitch. He has no answers.

Our best hope is that all this is wrong and that the team has just taken a midseason vacay. From the players perspective it is possible they just unconsciously took over a week off because the Calgary game was the only one played. Although one could say they've all taken a month off..

 

[CycloneSweep]

Turkeybreak is rarely a helpful break. Really I can't recall many times in Oilers lore where the team has been better just back from Xmas break.

More the case is its probably abjectly demoralizing to come back from it and back into the nightmare that is this roster. Christmas is an escape, and the players probably wished it was months long..

Tippett has lost the team. I was OK with his hire, but disappointed he's been identical to McLellan or Hitch. He has no answers.

Our best hope is that all this is wrong and that the team has just taken a midseason vacay. From the players perspective it is possible they just unconsciously took over a week off because the Calgary game was the only one played. Although one could say they've all taken a month off..

I don't think any coach will "have the answer" here. Players just don't care.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I don't think any coach will "have the answer" here. Players just don't care.

The players care. They don't care here, because here is NHL hockey wasteland. The worst run team in the league, and everybody knows it.

Players don't expect good things to happen here. This is where either careers die or you have to dig yourself out of a big hole after playing here.

Unfortunately we are that relegation type place. Ownership, management, the country club sets the tone for lack of caring. Every last bit of operation of this org is shit. We all know it even looking from a distance. To all the players it would be indelible what a completely crap org this is.

So that as a player you take the money and run and hope your career survives having been here. You learn to laugh about it later.

 

[TheUltimateOiler]

So you would put Haas at centre over McDavid RNH or Draisatl?

Right shot C.
You put him with McDavid or drasaitl or nuge.
He doesn't need to play the centre position but he can help with draws and he is playing really well.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Right shot C.
You put him with McDavid or drasaitl or nuge.
He doesn't need to play the centre position but he can help with draws and he is playing really well.

NO thanks. He is playing now against 3rd and mostly 4th line competition. He is also not a winger and is getting killed along the wall. I dont know what his face-off percentage is but last time I looked it was the lowest among regular centers. He is not producing any points or offence. He is an AHL level centre who is doing ok in limited minutes but will get his lunch eaten against the top players and d pairings in the league if he is playing with McDavid or Draisatl. Heck even McDavid and Draisatl aren't getting any points now, never mind a Euro league-tweener against top competition.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Yeah, I just don’t understand how it all happens. How is that much incompetence possible between so many different people and members of the organization? Is it all a coincidence that we’ve been the same awful oilers team for so long with so many new players, coaches, gms, etc?

What kinda god awful luck is that.

I don't think it is bad luck at all. The two constants in all of this has been Kevin Lowe and Craig MacTavish in key decision making portfolios. One is neutered (and I would like him gone but neutered is close enough) and the other is no longer employed by the Oilers. The only hope is Ken Hollands new regime changes the drafting, development, free agent signings and trades into net positives than net negatives but this is going to take years to accomplish.

 

[ElysiumAB]

No, and I wouldn't recommend doing that to a dog either, but it just seemed to be like an analogy that fit, lol.

 

[Stoneman89]

The absolute historically league worst drafting and development is the main reason why. Thank Lowe, Tambo, MacT and to an extent Chiarelli for this.

Then add in the complete free agent failures we have signed that have chewed up significant cap space since Tambo thus tying our hands even moreso.

Finally the further gutting of the team via trade thanks to MacT and Chiarelli.

I think the poor drafting and development ultimately brought on the bad trades and signings, when the team was forced to make some drastic moves.