Oilers win 4-2

[flyingpig]

Not that anyone really wants to get into this, but I didn't get why Buffalo picked Reinhart over Bennett and Draisaitl at the draft. Doesn't look like a potential #1 draft player to me. I realize it's early. Just surprised he went #2.

That Hall-Drai-Purcell tic-tac-toe play was something else, would have been one of the goals of the year.

That tic tac toe was awesome!! Good game for the Oil last night. They were flying. Nielson was strong and gave no juicy rebounds.

Reinhart had one of his worst night in a long while last night. Yet he was still in a position to score like four times and went to the dirty areas to get those opportunities.

I can tell you that we love him in Buffalo. He is not flashy so he does not stand out. He is so smart and does all of the little things right. Each game he makes a great nuance play that surprises us as a fan base . He is very, very responsible at both ends of the ice. Last night he was burned by RNH, who made a great play.

 

[flyingpig]

yeah eichel looked very good

buffalo is a bad, bad team though... their defence might be worse than ours, and that is saying something

Last year, we were a bad, bad, bad, bad team. This year, we have actually been very competitive. We played poorly last night and that was due (at least in part) to the Oilers playing well.

 

[McJadeddog]

Last year, we were a bad, bad, bad, bad team. This year, we have actually been very competitive. We played poorly last night and that was due (at least in part) to the Oilers playing well.

yeah fair enough, i've literally only seen the one game of buffalo's, so it was all i had to go on.... i actually thought the oilers played quite badly last night to be honest though

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Don't know if it's a temp thing but Laleggia has played forward the last few games

That's largely because he's the best offensive defenceman down there outside of Hunt and the Oilers have borrowed two of Bako's top 6 forwards with another - winquist - out with injury

 

[OilerFan4Life]

I agree that Purcell deserves some credit but it's a contract year.

There is no way I'd give this guy more than a 1-year deal.

 

[McDeathbyCheerios*]

I agree that Purcell deserves some credit but it's a contract year.

There is no way I'd give this guy more than a 1-year deal.

That would make next year a contract year too

 

[tempest2i]

I agree that Purcell deserves some credit but it's a contract year.

There is no way I'd give this guy more than a 1-year deal.

At this point the best thing for everyone involved is to continue letting him play with Hall and Draisaitl, then trade him at the deadline for a pick. Maybe silly season kicks in hard and someone gives up a 2nd round pick for him.

Considering what's going on with Gagner these days and how Purcell is currently contributing, that deal is already better than I thought it would be. If we can get anything at the deadline for him, that's just the cherry on top.

 

[McAsuno]

So, here is a dilemma question. Who wears the C next year? Hall? McDavid? Nurse? HALL

I have to give it to Hall. Showing he's the emotional and being a leader on the ice for this team while McDavid's been out. Helps Drai out when Drai got called up and hasn't stopped that determination to help the team win on a daily basis. Hall is personal choice for the C.

That's what I'd like to see as well. And just because McDavid would be on the so-called "third line" doesn't mean he wont get a good chunk of ice time.

No doubt. Balanced scoring all over the three lines.

 

[rboomercat90]

yeah no kidding. Management was in a pissing match against the players. Word is Mact was about to make a bold move to help out his protege', Eakins, which got nixed by Nicholson. What I'd give to know exactly just what went down.

it really was lower then a snake's belly in a tire rut. rock f----- bottom.

I don't think management was in a pissing match with the players back then. Seems the only issue with a player they had was with Perron and, like Smid the previous year, it was dealt with very quickly. The players learned pretty quickly just to keep their mouths shut and essentially go through the motions.

Mactavish and Eakins were certainly in pissing matches with the fans though. Both of them constantly being mocked and ridiculed for all the dumb **** they had been saying for over a year combined with the teams horrendous showing. IMO, the pressure from that made Mactavish snap to the point he was ready to do something stupid.

 

[McDeathbyCheerios*]

I have to give it to Hall. Showing he's the emotional and being a leader on the ice for this team while McDavid's been out. Helps Drai out when Drai got called up and hasn't stopped that determination to help the team win on a daily basis. Hall is personal choice for the C.



No doubt. Balanced scoring all over the three lines.

The line that is rolling gets a bump on ice time. Works out

 

[McAsuno]

The line that is rolling gets a bump on ice time. Works out

By all means, there will be nights where possibly one line will get more ice time than the others. 3 balanced scoring lines is better than 2 and especially 1.

 

[blupye*]

That's what I'd like to see as well. And just because McDavid would be on the so-called "third line" doesn't mean he wont get a good chunk of ice time.

Count me in as well. It saves your elite scoring (McDavid, Hall, Ebs, Nuge) from going in corner, getting killed, and/or hurt. Usually the first fella going in the corner takes the biggest hit so it stands to reason that Khaira, Purcell, and Pouliot should do the corner work. Drai does nice corner work as well but he is 215 and a freak of nature. We were too easily muscled off the puck before. Not now. We are winning battles. Great job by TM to figure that out. Mr. CHOP WOOD CARRY WATER would have them swarming.

 

[Musashi]

The Ders has been unleashed. Here's hoping that Nilsson can keep it up and we can do a better job helping him out.

 

[CupofOil]

I remember hearing one of the radio shows discussing lines when Connor gets back, they said they would expect Dr Drai to slide over to RW again thus dropping Yak to a line with grinders again. I hope to god we can run 3 lines like this and just leave our 4th line to 6 or so minutes a night as opposed to wasting a potential goalscorer.

Moving Drai back to wing would be foolish. He just owned one of the best faceoff men in the league last night and I believe he out-faceoffed Kopitar as well a while back. He consistently holds his own against top centers and can control more of the play at center which plays to his strength, being the anchor of a line.

The smart play would be to keep the top 2 lines as is and simply line up Pouliot-McDavid-Yak together on a line once they return, 3rd line or 1c for use of a better term. It's going to be interesting to see the distribution of minutes when those three return.

Khaira can be interchangeable with another grinder if need be but as of now, he's fitting in very well, surprisingly wel with any skilled line he has been on, Hall-Drai and now RNH-Ebs.

 

[oobga]

Moving Drai back to wing would be foolish. He just owned one of the best faceoff men in the league last night and I believe he out-faceoffed Kopitar as well a hile back. He consistently holds his own against top centers and can control more of the play at center which plays to his strength, being the anchor of a line.

The smart play would be to keep the top 2 lines as is and simply line up Pouliot-McDavid-Yak together on a line once they return, 3rd line or 1c for use of a better term. It's going to be interesting to see the distribution of minutes when those three return.

Khaira can be interchangeable with another grinder if need be but as of now, he's fitting in very well, surprisingly wel with any skilled line he has been on, Hall-Drai and now RNH-Ebs.

Being able to throw Pouliot/McDavid/Yak out against 3rd best comp... That would be very scary for the opposition

If Hall/Drai and Nuge/Ebs are both clicking and then we have a McDavid line, who the heck do you focus on shutting down?

 

[McWeber]

Moving Drai back to wing would be foolish. He just owned one of the best faceoff men in the league last night and I believe he out-faceoffed Kopitar as well a hile back. He consistently holds his own against top centers and can control more of the play at center which plays to his strength, being the anchor of a line.

The smart play would be to keep the top 2 lines as is and simply line up Pouliot-McDavid-Yak together on a line once they return, 3rd line or 1c for use of a better term. It's going to be interesting to see the distribution of minutes when those three return.

Khaira can be interchangeable with another grinder if need be but as of now, he's fitting in very well, surprisingly wel with any skilled line he has been on, Hall-Drai and now RNH-Ebs.

I agree, if we don't get rid of any of our young forwards next year I would like to see the young guns paired up like this with a big semi skilled guy filling the last wing position on each line. Pouliot has been solid in the puck retrieval role, Khaira has the potential but I would still love to find 2 cheap options because I don't see purcell being resigned. Lucic would be ideal though likely too expensive to be a reasonable option without trading ebs first. We could fairly easily turn a small soft skilled top 6 into a well balanced top 9.

 

[McAsuno]

Being able to throw Pouliot/McDavid/Yak out against 3rd best comp... That would be very scary for the opposition

If Hall/Drai and Nuge/Ebs are both clicking and then we have a McDavid line, who the heck do you focus on shutting down?

Bingo. Opponents will have trouble shutting down 3 balanced scoring lines.

 

[CupofOil]

Being able to throw Pouliot/McDavid/Yak out against 3rd best comp... That would be very scary for the opposition

If Hall/Drai and Nuge/Ebs are both clicking and then we have a McDavid line, who the heck do you focus on shutting down?

Could be some real fun times in the second half of the season.
I've always maintained that if the Oilers can stay within striking distance until McDavid returns, this team could play meaningful games in March. I'll settle for this being a .500 team all things considered, that would be a nice step forward towards bigger things next season. Of course, the defense still needs to be addressed for that to happen.

One thing we need to be guarded about in regards to McDavid returning is that it might take a week or two for him to get back to regular game speed so we could see some struggles with his line upon his return. Then again, McJesus and all that.

 

[McAsuno]

Could be some real fun times in the second half of the season.
I've always maintained that if the Oilers can stay within striking distance until McDavid returns, this team could play meaningful games in March. I'll settle for this being a .500 team all things considered, that would be a nice step forward towards bigger things next season. Of course, the defense still needs to be addressed for that to happen.

One thing we need to be guarded about in regards to McDavid returning is that it might take a week or two for him to get back to regular game speed so we could see some struggles with his line upon his return. Then again, McJesus and all that.

Remaining games in December will be tough nonetheless. Sharks, Rangers, Bruins, Rangers, Blackhawks, Avalanche, Jets, Nucks, and Flames.

 

[McDeathbyCheerios*]

Remaining games in December will be tough nonetheless. Sharks, Rangers, Bruins, Rangers, Blackhawks, Avalanche, Jets, Nucks, and Flames.

Rangers is the only hard team there.

 

[CupofOil]

Remaining games in December will be tough nonetheless. Sharks, Rangers, Bruins, Rangers, Blackhawks, Avalanche, Jets, Nucks, and Flames.

It's the NHL, almost all games are tough. If the Oilers are legit, they need to start winning these games more consistently and honestly, that stretch doesn't look too tough to me.

I'm actually going to the Rangers game next Tuesday so I'm expecting to get chirped by a bunch of drunk Rangers fans when the Oilers likely get run out of the rink.
Of course I'll miss McDavid but I'll settle for the Doctor and a Nurse in a Hall

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Hopefully they keep it up against the Sharks... They're listing a bit.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Remaining games in December will be tough nonetheless. Sharks, Rangers, Bruins, Rangers, Blackhawks, Avalanche, Jets, Nucks, and Flames.

Rangers, Blackhawks legitimately much better than us. I'd be happy with .500 against them: 1-1-1. More likely 1-2-0.

Sharks, Bruins, Jets: I think we can take 2 of 3 here. 2-1-0.

Avalanche, Nucks, Flames - 2 out of 3 here as well, anything less would be disappointing in the extreme. 2-1-0

5-4-0 or 5-3-1.

 

[McAsuno]

Rangers is the only hard team there.

I will disagree with that.

 

[Replacement*]

Could be some real fun times in the second half of the season.
I've always maintained that if the Oilers can stay within striking distance until McDavid returns, this team could play meaningful games in March. I'll settle for this being a .500 team all things considered, that would be a nice step forward towards bigger things next season. Of course, the defense still needs to be addressed for that to happen.

One thing we need to be guarded about in regards to McDavid returning is that it might take a week or two for him to get back to regular game speed so we could see some struggles with his line upon his return. Then again, McJesus and all that.

I'm trying to not be carried away, but the 3 wins, and against good clubs, has sure elevated spirits. Last night I thought the team played well and is back to generating a lot of chances with their talent. We had a lot of guys rowing. But I'm reminded that that's not always happening on good ship Oiler and that the same club lost, I mean got clubbed, by the Toronto Maple Leafs last night.

The worst foil of this core is at times indifferent effort or player "not on" or "not confident" or "not feeling it". We seem to have more of this going on within this group than most clubs experience. Its not the skill or ability that holds this team back its that theres such a backlog of potential excuses that are known they can draw back on. Not intentionally, I think it just creeps in subconsciously, that I don't always have to be on. You see it with these players from shift to shift, from game to game, or even sometimes from roadtrip to roadtrip.

There needs to be a modicum of inconsistency which is human, but reeled into a degree where it doesn't result in such stark ranges in individual and team play.