Post-Game Talk: Oilers win 4-1

[Soundwave]

This win kinda showed me we need two more Teemu Hartikanen type players on this team.

Guys who will get in on the forecheck and are hard on the puck down there and then allow our skilled forwards to take over. Ideally one would be able to play center. They don't need to be big point players per se, just bring that energy into the game.

Basically it's the main thing the team is missing.

Good game for Magnus too.

Would really like the see Nugent Hopkins with Yakupov at some point. Eberle/Hall are fine with Gagner for a game or two.

 

[loller12]

Man sucks how Whitney lost so much of his mobility, Whitney was a very mobile and smooth skater before his many injuries with the oil; and as result he cannot get the body position to cover the opposition and eventually takes bad penalties. It's quite evident he still has his passing but hes to slow to get into the areas where he needs to be in order to make that big break out pass, or even quarter backing the power play.

 

[alphahelix]

Man sucks how Whitney lost so much of his mobility, Whitney was a very mobile and smooth skater before his many injuries with the oil; and as result he cannot get the body position to cover the opposition and eventually takes bad penalties. It's quite evident he still has his passing but hes to slow to get into the areas where he needs to be in order to make that big break out pass, or even quarter backing the power play.

We all attribute his mobility issues to his injury, which I'm sure is fair enough and true to some extent - but the guy has been out of action FOREVER, in hockey time. I wonder if it is possible for him to regain a few steps just by playing - or if he really is up against his new physical limitations.

 

[T-Funk]

We all attribute his mobility issues to his injury, which I'm sure is fair enough and true to some extent - but the guy has been out of action FOREVER, in hockey time. I wonder if it is possible for him to regain a few steps just by playing - or if he really is up against his new physical limitations.

He looked fast, mobile, and in fact agile in TC. Pressure is on though and he can't do jack ****.

Methinks rust and not being able to process the game fast enough right now.

 

[UnrefinedCrude]

Really?...Hall should have had 1st Star, Dubnyk 2nd and Gagner with the 3rd.

I agree with this.

 

[Wheathead]

Once Teemu figures out what to do with the puck when he's winning his down low battles, he'll be a pretty successful player.

Paajarvi has seemed to find a place in the line-up as well.

 

[KapG]

Just an outsider who is wondering why fistric was scratched again. Was he not good in the first two games he played? What's the deal?

I ask because I own him in a keeper and he's my number 7 dman. Thing is I could use all the shtoi, bs and hits he throws up on the board.

Nice win btw.

 

[Fourier]

While I still have reservations about Gagner's longterm sutability as the Oilers #2 I have to say that I am impressed by the effort he has put in this year. He is battling all over the ice and his work has paid off.

 

[Pros and Cons]

Shultz² - I like that

I like "Nultz" (Noltz) and "Jultz" (Jolts).


Noltz: The best at whatever you are doing, really "on top of things".
Jolts: To move or dislodge with a sudden, hard blow; strike heavily or jarringly

 

[McDoused]

Just an outsider who is wondering why fistric was scratched again. Was he not good in the first two games he played? What's the deal?

I ask because I own him in a keeper and he's my number 7 dman. Thing is I could use all the shtoi, bs and hits he throws up on the board.

Nice win btw.

They are alternating Fistric and Potter as the 6th dman.

 

[joestevens29]

This win kinda showed me we need two more Teemu Hartikanen type players on this team.

Guys who will get in on the forecheck and are hard on the puck down there and then allow our skilled forwards to take over. Ideally one would be able to play center. They don't need to be big point players per se, just bring that energy into the game.

Basically it's the main thing the team is missing.

Good game for Magnus too.

Would really like the see Nugent Hopkins with Yakupov at some point. Eberle/Hall are fine with Gagner for a game or two.

Really liked Harti and Prv together. Going to be tough to break them up as they seem to be a duo that knows what the other is thinking. I'd almost want to put a skilled center with them, but then again I don't know that Gagner or RNH would even fit with them.

Just an outsider who is wondering why fistric was scratched again. Was he not good in the first two games he played? What's the deal?

I ask because I own him in a keeper and he's my number 7 dman. Thing is I could use all the shtoi, bs and hits he throws up on the board.

Nice win btw.

Sure was odd how Spector said don't worry Oiler fans this is something that isn't going to happen that much more.

While I still have reservations about Gagner's longterm sutability as the Oilers #2 I have to say that I am impressed by the effort he has put in this year. He is battling all over the ice and his work has paid off.

Sure, but take away his recent 5 game point streak and he's Mr.Inconsistent

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Far from a perfect game, but the Oilers got the win, scored first and held the lead all game.

Dubnyk was huge in the 3rd period.

 

[Replacement*]

While I still have reservations about Gagner's longterm sutability as the Oilers #2 I have to say that I am impressed by the effort he has put in this year. He is battling all over the ice and his work has paid off.

Good for you for acknowledging it. Its of course completely consistent with the longterm view that Gagner is a fit here with the right kind of linemates. Ones that have any offensive potential certainly help. Gagners stronger this year and did the right training in the offseason. His focus and consistency is better but I thought it was for much of last season as well and that only his ankle injury slowed him down earlier in the year. The thing you gotta like about Gagner is how he improves facets of his game each year.

Where he's improved: Shooting, puck battles, getting to the net more, and playing with more confidence which is a natural byproduct of playing with good players.

 

[joestevens29]

Just a side question does it really matter if we aren't scoring at even strength is we are drawing penalties?

 

[Replacement*]

Overall this game, while pleasing, was very much a product of the opponent we're facing. From the first period on it was evident that our talented forwards were going to be giving the Av's fits. This is good, but how it was obtained tells the whole story. The Oilers gained open ice virtually at will against the AV's and especially on the PP where the AV's looked defenseless. Look at the time and room people had in the offensive zone compared to the game before against Calgary. That, and being ahead was the whole story. Good that we got the lead, but Colorado with injury trouble is hurting right now.

Bad 3rd period as well. Seemed like we needed the 3 goal margin.

 

[CornKicker]

Dubnyk made some huge saves, on his goal he should have gone into his butterfly but you could tell he was anticipating a pass so he could slide across. he expected the dman to block the guy from coming out front.

gagner and nuge need to swap imo, hall and eberle are the ones carrying the puck and nuge is being wasted imo. let nuge control the play for yak and let hemsky run shotgun.


also please swap gagner and hemskys position on the pp, hemsky is bad on the half wall and gagner is great there imo.


also ryan whitneys value goes up significantly if he starts roughing people up and possibly fighting a few times. just like souray when he played dad and fought anyone standing about the goalie.

 

[CornKicker]

and one more thing, the ice at rexall cost us 2 maybe 3 goals with hopping pucks and bouncing passes.

 

[Replacement*]

Just a side question does it really matter if we aren't scoring at even strength is we are drawing penalties?

A couple obvious things with this.

1) NHL is in changed rules crackdown mode right now so theres plenty of calls. I don't think the amount of PP's everybody is getting is sustainable...

2)Who wants to be solely PP reliant? That makes a club the Vancouver Canucks and when end of season and playoff non calls again become the rule of the day the well dries up. Being king of PP's in NHL is being king of nothing.

Speaking of Kings LA won the cup last season while spotting arguably the worst PP in the league much of the season. Painfully bad PP. Good teams thrive at evens.

 

[Moose Coleman]

This win kinda showed me we need two more Teemu Hartikanen type players on this team.

Guys who will get in on the forecheck and are hard on the puck down there and then allow our skilled forwards to take over. Ideally one would be able to play center. They don't need to be big point players per se, just bring that energy into the game.

Basically it's the main thing the team is missing.

Good game for Magnus too.

Would really like the see Nugent Hopkins with Yakupov at some point. Eberle/Hall are fine with Gagner for a game or two.

I agree. I think Ganger has earned his shot with the top guys and 93 is having some trouble finding a groove. He's looked incrementally better each game, but maybe a change of linemates would jump start him.

I wonder how Harti/PRV would work with Horcoff as a third line combo. Smyth, Belanger and (when healthy) Jones would be a fine fourth line.

 

[joestevens29]

gagner and nuge need to swap imo, hall and eberle are the ones carrying the puck and nuge is being wasted imo. let nuge control the play for yak and let hemsky run shotgun.



.

Then you pretty much take Hemsky out of the play. Almost need to then put Hemsky back with Horc and Smyth.

 

[PaPaDee]

I'm not overly concerned about the lack of scoring 5 on 5, we have had lots of chances, just not converting yet. The goals will come.

Oilers played great the first two periods, and then let off the gas in the third. I thought Dubnyk played a real solid game, with his typical 1 softie goal.

The kid line looked really good tonight. Hall in particular was creating lots of chances, just not able to cash in unfortunately.

Gagner has been quite solid so far this year. Putting up points and playing reliable hockey. Hemsky had a few too many give aways, but he played well I thought. Yakupov had a bad night, but that's to be expected as a young rookie.

Justin Schultz... wow, what an amazing player. He is so good offensively, but he's just as solid defensively. He will be a beauty player for us.

Hartikainen played his best game this year.

I still think we need at least one more player in a similar mould as Hartikainen to help provide some balance to our line-up, a guy like Clowe would be ideal.

 

[joestevens29]

A couple obvious things with this.

1) NHL is in changed rules crackdown mode right now so theres plenty of calls. I don't think the amount of PP's everybody is getting is sustainable...

2)Who wants to be solely PP reliant? That makes a club the Vancouver Canucks and when end of season and playoff non calls again become the rule of the day the well dries up. Being king of PP's in NHL is being king of nothing.

Speaking of Kings LA won the cup last season while spotting arguably the worst PP in the league much of the season. Painfully bad PP. Good teams thrive at evens.

Making the playoffs would be enough for me.

It's not that I disagree that we'll need good 5-on-5 if we want to go far I just don't think it's that big of an issue at the moment because guys are at least generating chances.

 

[McJadeddog]

Good for you for acknowledging it. Its of course completely consistent with the longterm view that Gagner is a fit here with the right kind of linemates. Ones that have any offensive potential certainly help. Gagners stronger this year and did the right training in the offseason. His focus and consistency is better but I thought it was for much of last season as well and that only his ankle injury slowed him down earlier in the year. The thing you gotta like about Gagner is how he improves facets of his game each year.

Where he's improved: Shooting, puck battles, getting to the net more, and playing with more confidence which is a natural byproduct of playing with good players.

gagner doesn't get nearly enough credit for working on all facets of his game each and every year... he has (albeit slowly) molded himself into a somewhat competent 2-way center who's battle-level is fairly high... he'll never be big enough to play a "big mans" game, but you can very rarely complain that he isn't trying out there

gagner will slow down, as there is no way he continues at a PPG pace for the entire season, but he's a good player at 0.70 PPG as well... as i said in another post, he was one of the most productive 2nd liners in the entire league the last couple of seasons (PPG wise).... i have a place for gagner on my team any day

 

[McJadeddog]

A couple obvious things with this.

1) NHL is in changed rules crackdown mode right now so theres plenty of calls. I don't think the amount of PP's everybody is getting is sustainable...

2)Who wants to be solely PP reliant? That makes a club the Vancouver Canucks and when end of season and playoff non calls again become the rule of the day the well dries up. Being king of PP's in NHL is being king of nothing.

Speaking of Kings LA won the cup last season while spotting arguably the worst PP in the league much of the season. Painfully bad PP. Good teams thrive at evens.

if we weren't generating tons of chances, i'd be worried... but we ARE generating lots of EV chances, so i'm NOT worried (and neither should anybody else be worried)

 

[Replacement*]

if we weren't generating tons of chances, i'd be worried... but we ARE generating lots of EV chances, so i'm NOT worried (and neither should anybody else be worried)

WE generated few EV chances in the Calgary game. We weren't gaining space and working through the checking well. Throw a half decent blanket on our offense and theres not much fight back. We saw that with the youth at the AHL level and now here. The tight checking clubs are giving us fits. The Columbus, Colorado type clubs are the free bingo squares on the calendar. There aren't many.