Post-Game Talk: Oilers win 4-3 ... Arcobello for MVP

[CanadianSuperPromise]

He's doing exactly what any of us would do.

Finding any excuse to bench him or benching him on the OT power play?

 

[CupofOil]

Yakupov has totally lost his confidence. RW, benched, LW, RW. 1st line 3rd line, 2nd line, Eakins has totally ****ed this players head up. He develops players in the AHL but this ain't the AHL. It is not a developmental league. He is destroying Yakupov.

Oh please. The excuses made for his kid are mindblowing.
Yakupov is destroying Yakupov, nobody else.
You should earn your icetime and quite simply, he has no idea what he's doing out there. At least Eberle, Nuge and Hall produce points even though they have been liabilities in other areas. Yakupov has been a black hole in every conceivable way, really needs to learn how to play a team game.

 

[Soli]

Gagner... I just don't think he should be playing right now. Once we get Hall and Joensuu back, I'm not sure Arcobello shouldn't go back to center and Gagner shouldn't sit and heal.

But I also don't think we should be playing Hall.

Atleast Florida got a point and is keeping pace for the inevitable bottom collapsing again.

 

[Everest]

Says a lot about what the team has been doing up to this point when we call up 2 peach-fuzzed defencemen from OKC and they play a huge hand in breaking the schnay.

Arcobello's zips were both impressive.

Gagner & Petry continue to defecate all over the rink.

They're sleepwalking.

Eakins seemed to finally clue in...a bit...in regards to Petry. He didn't touch the ice in OT, did he?

 

[Baby Nilsson]

You need to be a complete player now to make it in the NHL. I think the best thing we could do for Yak is send him down to the A and let him get away from the circus in Edmonton.

For sure.. The Ahl actually doesn't sound to bad as long as it's communicated to him as to why he's sent down. I was being a bit facetious but boy, whatever's going on in his head, whether that be because of Eakins or himself , it sure doesn't look good. Sometimes he can't even stick handle properly for Christ sakes.

 

[Tarus]

Anyone know why Ben Eager is on this team? What does he do?

Oh ya, he's a tough guy.

Sorry, flush him when the extra bodies come back. A completely useless turd. No heart, no physicality and no passion. He is dead to me.

He's not a tough guy, never was.

He was always a forechecking agitator type, never a tough guy.

He hasn't managed to do anything that made him successful elsewhere while in Edmonton, but that's not exactly exclusive to him.

 

[sepHF]

You guys are making Gagner sad with all your tough criticism

 

[oilman9482]

I guess no one else noticed the Sportsnet telecast skipping/freezing on and off. Very annoying but I guess I'm the only one that noticed it.... lol

 

[guymez]

Mate, are you serious? I can count the number of defensively adequate players on this team on one hand. There's clearly a huge difference in how Yakupov is being treated compared to the rest of the players on the team.

Im all for teaching the kid to be defensively responsible, but he's also not being played where he is effective. It's like Eakins is purposely handcuffing him.

Indeed Mate...I am serious.

Yak is the type of player that makes it difficult to play him. He should be in the AHL IMO. Let him learn the game without the puck and learn how to be an effective nHL player that doesnt hurt his team.

What does it say if Eakins doesnt support accountability and gives Yak PP time? Double standards dont make a team better and this team isnt in a position to develop players in the NHL any longer.

That time has passed.

 

[aseef26]

He's a horrendous defensive player, Oilers had the lead.

He was on the bench for almost thw entire third. How was this blown lead on him? Yakupov was not the problem.

I thought this coach was going to be connecting with his players and finding what motivates them. He can't even play them to their strengths. Yakupov is a PP specialist and yet in OT on a 4 on 3 Sam Gags is winding up on the point. Get real

 

[Raab]

For sure.. The Ahl actually doesn't sound to bad as long as it's communicated to him as to why he's sent down. I was being a bit facetious but boy, whatever's going on in his head, whether that be because of Eakins or himself , it sure doesn't look good. Sometimes he can't even stick handle properly for Christ sakes.

I honestly think we send him down for a little while and tell him exactly what he needs to work and how if he can do those things he'll become a better player because of it he would go. Yak strikes me as the type of player who wants to be the best of the best and those types of guys will do anything that will help them become better players/people.

 

[syz]

Indeed Mate...I am serious.

Yak is the type of player that makes it difficult to play him. He should be in the AHL IMO. Let him learn the game without the puck and learn how to be an effective nHL player that doesnt hurt his team.

What does it say if Eakins doesnt support accountability and gives Yak PP time? Double standards dont make a team better and this team isnt in a position to develop players in the NHL any longer.

That time has passed.

That's literally the only position this team is in.

 

[Baby Nilsson]

I honestly think we send him down for a little while and tell him exactly what he needs to work and how if he can do those things he'll become a better player because of it he would go. Yak strikes me as the type of player who wants to be the best of the best and those types of guys will do anything that will help them become better players/people.

I think so too and if it helps him get back his offensive game as well, I'm all for it.

 

[guymez]

That's literally the only position this team is in.

I know what you're saying here and players like Hall, Eberle and RNH do have work to do but the difference is that they have shown they can play tough minutes already.

J Schultz is the other young player I worry about and he should be in the AHL for a bit as well IMO.

 

[ohheyhemsky]

Indeed Mate...I am serious.

Yak is the type of player that makes it difficult to play him. He should be in the AHL IMO. Let him learn the game without the puck and learn how to be an effective nHL player that doesnt hurt his team.

What does it say if Eakins doesnt support accountability and gives Yak PP time? Double standards dont make a team better and this team isnt in a position to develop players in the NHL any longer.

That time has passed.

He needs to learn how to play WITH the puck as well. He doesn't mesh well with his teammates, he's rarely ever in position, and his stick handling always ends up with the other team coming back our way, in which he goes for a change.

 

[Stoneman89]

He's not a tough guy, never was.

He was always a forechecking agitator type, never a tough guy.

He hasn't managed to do anything that made him successful elsewhere while in Edmonton, but that's not exactly exclusive to him.

Disagree.

Had 255, 216, 204 straight penalty minute seasons as a junior in Oshawa, a 232 and 256 PM season for the Phantoms in the AHL, a 233 and several NHL seasons well over 100 minutes, when he wasn't injured or not dressed. If that isn't a guy playing tough, then it sure is an awful lot of 2 minute minors.

 

[McDrailers]

I ****ing love Devin Dubynk. Serious, not a friggen body in front and that goes in? Come on hahahah

 

[Suxnet]

I know what you're saying here but players like Hall, Eberle and RNH have work to do but the difference is that they have shown they can play tough minutes already.

J Schultz is the other young player I worry about and he should be in the AHL for a bit as well IMO.

No they haven't. They got schooled against Kessel's line versus the Leafs and Ovechkin & Backstrom versus the Caps.

 

[misfit]

I don't think Yakupov can go to the AHL. I'm pretty sure he'd have to go back to junior, and that's obviously not a wise move. He deserves to be in the NHL, but he's definitely not playing well right now. He's a scorer who isn't scoring and it's clearly affecting him. If the AHL was a possibility, I wouldn't be against it as long as it was short term and he had the proper attitude about it.

I think Eakins is handling it just fine, personally. The problem with Yakupov's game at the moment isn't the coach or what role he's in.

 

[guymez]

No they haven't. They got schooled against Kessel's line versus the Leafs and Ovechkin & Backstrom versus the Caps.

This isnt their first season in the NHL and previous to this season there are plenty of examples that validate my statement.

 

[guymez]

Perhaps someone can confirm but I dont believe sending a 20 year old on an entry level contract to the AHL is an issue.

 

[Pablo Aimar]

I think Eakins is handling it just fine, personally. The problem with Yakupov's game at the moment isn't the coach or what role he's in.

Yakupov led the team in goals last year. There was a very linear progression under Krueger. He started the year looking awful (as expected) and by the end was one of the best players on the team.

Whatever Krueger did worked. Whatever Eakins is doing isn't. And its not working for J.Schultz either. Both of these players have yet to play 80 games; they are still technically rookies. Expecting them to be as polished as Hall/Eberle is idiotic. And its not like Hall and Eberle (or Sam ****ing Gagner) are defensive stalwarts.

 

[Everest]

I don't think Yakupov can go to the AHL. I'm pretty sure he'd have to go back to junior, and that's obviously not a wise move. He deserves to be in the NHL, but he's definitely not playing well right now. He's a scorer who isn't scoring and it's clearly affecting him. If the AHL was a possibility, I wouldn't be against it as long as it was short term and he had the proper attitude about it.

I think Eakins is handling it just fine, personally. The problem with Yakupov's game at the moment isn't the coach or what role he's in.

I think there have been times when Yakupov didn't NEED to be on the ice and it bit us in the ass. The GA versus Ovechkin (faceoff play) sticks out.

But overall...I tend to agree with you in the sense that...Yak is still VERY young.

He really shouldn't have to be asked to do anything other than shoot the puck...but...this team is utterly incapable of providing that level of insulation for him.

He's just turned 20 years old and there are so many other more experienced/higher paid guys on this team who should be taking heat waay before Yakupov.

 

[guymez]

Yakupov led the team in goals last year. There was a very linear progression under Krueger. He started the year looking awful (as expected) and by the end was one of the best players on the team.

Whatever Krueger did worked. Whatever Eakins is doing isn't. And its not working for J.Schultz either. Both of these players have yet to play 80 games; they are still technically rookies. Expecting them to be as polished as Hall/Eberle is idiotic. And its not like Hall and Eberle (or Sam ****ing Gagner) are defensive stalwarts.

Gauging Yaks game on last season is like suggesting that a QB is ready for primetime because he did well in the late stages of the game against a prevent defence.

Most of Yaks offence materialized when the season didnt matter.

 

[McDNicks17]

I don't think Yakupov can go to the AHL. I'm pretty sure he'd have to go back to junior, and that's obviously not a wise move. He deserves to be in the NHL, but he's definitely not playing well right now. He's a scorer who isn't scoring and it's clearly affecting him. If the AHL was a possibility, I wouldn't be against it as long as it was short term and he had the proper attitude about it.

I think Eakins is handling it just fine, personally. The problem with Yakupov's game at the moment isn't the coach or what role he's in.

He can go the AHL now because of his late birthday.