Post-Game Talk: Oilers with a clutch 4-3 loss.

[Replacement*]

Is Arcobello even THAT bad this year? He's on a team where no one is producing the kind of offence people want, but when you compare him to the rest of the team he's behind the people you'd expect him to be behind and ahead of the players you expect him to be ahead of. He's got one of the better +/- on the team. If he wasn't short I don't think people would have a whole lot of problems with the guy.

To my eyes the biggest thing holding him back is he lacks a real NHL finish, just not much of a goal scorer, but he does everything else well enough that you can play the guy in the NHL and he won't hurt you. I think there are bigger problems to worry about on this team than Arcobello. He may not be ideal but considering that the Oilers are supposed to have a bunch of depth on the wings he should be serviceable at one of the centre positions. Hell I'd still try him out with Hall and Eberle, it worked in the AHL perhaps it can work in the NHL if Hall and Eberle carry him along for the ride then let RNH carry a different line and see if that gets anyone else going.

Team production is down because we don't have 2 NHL topsix Centers capable of supporting offense. Its as if Belanger was our 2nd line Center. A far less experienced version of Belangerr.

Going into the season with 1 NHL topsix Center and a 3rd line Center was not going to work. Most of us all knew this. The org felt differently..

 

[Replacement*]

No. No difference at all. I can't believe you're still going on about Arcobello. You were wrong about him when just about everybody else was right.

Yeah, I did actually think we were done seeing such posts.

Arco has been a complete production bust in his NHL stints and only getting worse. When I watch the games Arco in my view is screwing up opportunities on a regular basis, he's actually getting amazing puck luck with rebounds bouncing right to him and he's not finishing. Seems not very confident with the puck out there and not very creative. To compound what always seems to happen with Arco at this level is his diminutive stature is a challenge for him playing at this level. He expends more energy at NHL level and cuts corners by cheating on D, cutting back on nearly every play, and really having very limited commitment to offensive zone. Its stated that on this team its good to have some players do that. But it completely stymies offense if you're doing it as often as Arco is. Therein lies the Belanger problem, You can't just play one end of the ice and be making a helpful contribution.