Post-Game Talk: Pain - CHI 6 EDM 4 - CHI leads series 1-0

[space321]

He's only saying that because he doesn't want to give Chicago the benefit of knowing yet. I'm pretty confident he's already decided. And it's likely Koskinen.

There have been many times this year where Koskinen seemed like the obvious choice but Smith still started the next game.

 

[CycloneSweep]

There have been many times this year where Koskinen seemed like the obvious choice but Smith still started the next game.

It's going to be Smith.

 

[sepHF]

that was the sloppiest hockey game i've ever seen

watching the Pens and Habs game was like watching an entirely different league of players

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

If Smith starts again there need to be questions.

 

[GretzkytoKurri9917]

When Kassian is on he’s great, but those games are so few and far in between. The Hawks left him alone and sure enough he vanished.

My dad is such a big fan of his and would tell me again and again that he should always be on the first line and my response is I disagree and think for what he brings to the team he is best suited as a third line right winger.

 

[Cloned]

Hopefully he can work some more magic and get rid of Neal too.

Neal is easily our worst 5 on 5 forward.

We're probably going to have to live with Neal for the duration of his contract. I consider it a win that at least it's not Lucic.

Nurse and Bear are not a top NHL pairing, not on a good team. Replacing Larsson with a 2nd pairing defender isn't enough to massively improve our defense. Broberg and Bouchard turning into prime Letang would be a godsend but it's a damn long shot.

We are a bottom 5 team defensively. We need to completely rebuild our defense starting with a true top pairing guy.

To be fair, when Pittsburgh won their last Cup they were playing with a pretty shoddy defense. But they had a ton of forward depth and good goaltending.

Even with that Tippett was able to coach through the pretty considerable deficiencies in this lineup. His schemes and attention to detail allowed scrub depth players to approach being cogs, and the season was really characterised by how much the depth contribution seemed to pick up as the season went on. So that he had the team gelling by Christmas which was astounding considering all the new faces. Now with the long break it seems back to a team that just isn't a team and guys forgetting how they learned to play with each other.

A key problem is the length of the gap of no games far exceeded any period of time in which this lineup found their chemistry.

Thus the players looking lost, lacking identity, purpose. The team started to know what it is, now forgot what it is.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[CycloneSweep]

We're probably going to have to live with Neal for the duration of his contract. I consider it a win that at least it's not Lucic.



To be fair, when Pittsburgh won their last Cup they were playing with a pretty shoddy defense. But they had a ton of forward depth and good goaltending.


Couldn't agree more.

Forward depth and good goaltending? That's something else we don't have lol.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

My dad is such a big fan of his and would tell me again and again that he should always be on the first line and my response is I disagree and think for what he brings to the team he is best suited as a third line right winger.

He’s definitely miscast but unfortunately we are just so bereft of wingers...

 

[Cloned]

There have been many times this year where Koskinen seemed like the obvious choice but Smith still started the next game.

I'd be surprised if Smith started the next game.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Incredible how terribly weak this team is mentally. They all have a loser mentality from the decade of shit and they finally look like they have a backbone and have it and a few months off they completely forgot. It's really sad

Sure is. But this team had found their way, and Covid stopped that. Really unfortunate as it was their time where they were figuring out things as a team and several players were growing their niche within the team.

I mean the Hawks have so many new faces as well, but they have several key cog players that are 3 time cup winners. THAT team knows who they can be. The Hawks have an advantage in that their guns are very established players with tons of playoff experience and savvy. This was not an ideal team to face I guess.

Trouble for the Oilers is some of the game the Hawks resembled an explosive club, rather than the club that has played the past number of seasons. For the Hawks their key guys are fresh and know exactly what to do. Our stars are similarly rested but lack the seasoned poise to handle this as well.

Toew, Kane, Keith, Saad, maybe even Crawford defined the Hawks play today. They led the way. They had vet presence, moments, and were game changers. This is one situation in which the Hawks core experience is an advantage.

 

[snipes]

I'd be surprised if Smith started the next game.

Tippett’s hand has been forced, this will be Koskinen’s show now.

 

[Cloned]

Forward depth and good goaltending? That's something else we don't have lol.

It's not the best situation for sure, but we gotta start somewhere.

 

[GretzkytoKurri9917]

He’s definitely miscast but unfortunately we are just so bereft of wingers...

If we did not have the Neal contract we would be able to improve this issue through free agency.

Peter Chiarelli really damaged this organization for years to come.

 

[FlameChampion]

I think it's poor habits that have become ingrained in his game through the years. He did not use to play with this lack of urgency and laziness/cheating so much when he first came in in the first couple of years. He was actually a decently complete player with better and more consistent effort level and battle. But over the years he got checked tighter and to continue to put up huge points he's "learned" some bad habits of cheating and laziness (to preserve energy).... fly bys to get a jump and or not have to stop and start to save energy, save energy with poor effort in battles or just lets others battle for the puck while he shuffles off and cheats to open ice, not the same energy level on defence again to save energy for offence.

Just bad habits ingrained with those super long shifts he and drai used to take. You cannot play that many 1 plus minute shifts in a game and not coast, cheat and lack effort in defensive responsibility. Unfortunately these habits can be hard to shake off and it becomes your default game.

I felt like it kind of became quite noticeable sometime during the 17-18 year (i noticed it a bit in the 16-17 season especially the playoffs but it wasn't extremely obvious) but was very noticeable in the 18-19 year. It's kind of backed up by the huge drop in plus minus even though that's his high mark in points in 18-19.

I remember McDavid being pretty decent defensively when he came into the league and its just eroded from there. I remember him challenging for pucks and using his stick/good hands to win a decent amount of 50/50 pucks.

Two years ago (I think), he really started (ridiculously) cheating for offense. He did a lot of fly-bys. To be fair, we didnt have much depth and if McDavid wasnt scoring, we didnt have much chance. He was in a bit of tough position.

This year, he has been pretty awful defensively. He pretty much hasnt engaged defenders all year. I personally think it was because of his knee injury. I dont think he wanted to get hurt. I think its fairly understandable if thats the case.

We have much more depth this year than in the past, I think McDavid needs to try to adapt his game a bit better to use his linemates and play more of a 200 ft game. If hes healthy now, I think he needs to focus more on the details of the defensive game and have more impact all over the ice rather than just in the offensive zone.

Hes an amazing player but I agree I think he has picked up some bad habits over the last few years. When hes getting caved 5 on 5 ... its not a good recipe for success.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I'd be surprised if Smith started the next game.

Unless the Oilers rally and win this series he won't start another playoff game in his career. Or any NHL game. He's done. Hawks scouted him, knew where they could beat him. Very clearly did their work. Smith the gunslinger goalie expects his reaction time will be better than any opponent. He was shot full of holes today. Several on glove hand. Really a fatal moment for old goalies.

I mean Smith has got his mojo back before but I can't see him making a lot of difficult stops against Kane, etal.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Sure is. But this team had found their way, and Covid stopped that. Really unfortunate as it was their time where they were figuring out things as a team and several players were growing their niche within the team.

I mean the Hawks have so many new faces as well, but they have several key cog players that are 3 time cup winners. THAT team knows who they can be. The Hawks have an advantage in that their guns are very established players with tons of playoff experience and savvy. This was not an ideal team to face I guess.

Trouble for the Oilers is some of the game the Hawks resembled an explosive club, rather than the club that has played the past number of seasons. For the Hawks their key guys are fresh and know exactly what to do. Our stars are similarly rested but lack the seasoned poise to handle this as well.

Toew, Kane, Keith, Saad, maybe even Crawford defined the Hawks play today. They led the way. They had vet presence, moments, and were game changers. This is one situation in which the Hawks core experience is an advantage.

Heading into the break we were actually playing shitty hockey. Only reason we are in this mess is cause we had a shit final 5 games. Not having the poise and whatever is an excuse. Other teams at least have a shit.
This team lacks leadership, it lacks a back bone it lacks actually caring. They say they are a close team, that they will play for Colby but I call bullshit. None of those guys play for the guy beside them. None of them put the effort in. None of the lower guys step up for the top guys. The top guys don't give a shit defensively.

Oh our goalie allows a bad goal? Instead of having his back and trying to help him out they continue to leave him out to dry till he gets pulled.

 

[CupofOil]

Even with that Tippett was able to coach through the pretty considerable deficiencies in this lineup. His schemes and attention to detail allowed scrub depth players to approach being cogs, and the season was really characterised by how much the depth contribution seemed to pick up as the season went on. So that he had the team gelling by Christmas which was astounding considering all the new faces. Now with the long break it seems back to a team that just isn't a team and guys forgetting how they learned to play with each other.

A key problem is the length of the gap of no games far exceeded any period of time in which this lineup found their chemistry.

Thus the players looking lost, lacking identity, purpose. The team started to know what it is, now forgot what it is.

Actually, the team was a hot mess around Christmas. Once Yamamoto was called up around Christmas and allowed the two stars to drive their own lines, the team dynamic completely changed. It saved the season.

I do agree that Tippett was able to assign specific roles to depth players which allowed them to contribute even while not scoring (the PK namely) but I think the vast majority of improvement this season can be chalked up to pure luck with Bear and Yamamoto's emergence. Without those two, this team is just as bad as last year IMO.

Also, the team was lacking purpose and identity headed into the pause ever since the trade deadline. The AA and Ennis additions actually disrupted team chemistry then Tippett inexplicably split up arguably the best line in hockey and you have the mess we saw headed into the pause and again today. The signs of team collapse were there well before the pause hit.

 

[Cloned]

Unless the Oilers rally and win this series he won't start another playoff game in his career. Or any NHL game. He's done. Hawks scouted him, knew where they could beat him. Very clearly did their work. Smith the gunslinger goalie expects his reaction time will be better than any opponent. He was shot full of holes today. Several on glove hand. Really a fatal moment for old goalies.

I mean Smith has got his mojo back before but I can't see him making a lot of difficult stops against Kane, etal.

So he's starting another game then?

 

[CycloneSweep]

It's not the best situation for sure, but we gotta start somewhere.

It's just shocking that after all this time we still have so many glaring roster flaws with no real way out of it except time, which we don't have because new massive holes open up

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

It's just shocking that after all this time we still have so many glaring roster flaws with no real way out of it except time, which we don't have because new massive holes open up

We went from having too many wingers and not enough centers to the opposite problem. Just imagine McDavid, Draisatl and RNH all on their own lines.

 

[Weitz]

Probably, but Holland has worked magic before.

do tell? What magic?

 

[Cloned]

do tell? What magic?

Hiring a good coach
Reversing the JP situation
Trading Lucic
Improving the goaltending situation
Handling Yamamoto properly for his development
Not being Chia
etc.

 

[GretzkytoKurri9917]

do tell? What magic?

Getting rid of Lucic.

 

[McJadeddog]

Hiring a good coach
Reversing the JP situation
Trading Lucic
Improving the goaltending situation
Handling Yamamoto properly for his development
Not being Chia
etc.

Yeah, I'm about as negative a fan as you'll find, but even I can see that Holland has done a lot of good things in his time here. No, we still aren't a good team, but we're a better team than we were when he took over, which is all you can all of somebody really.

 

[ZenOil]

That was a healthy dose of humble pie. It's only one game, but the fact I overlooked Toews and Kubawhatever makes me feel pretty dumb.