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

[Not Canada Drai]

I have a feeling that Tip will want to put Smith back in. I'm scared.

 

[FlameChampion]

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.

The team honestly hasnt been good on 5 on 5 all year. Their special teams have won them a lot of games and their goaltenders for the most part havent lost them a ton of games. The team has also been pretty resilient. Other than December, not really a ton of loses in a row. I dont think its because they arent close or anything, I just simply dont think they have a lot of chemistry on their forward lines. And honestly I think the lines where they found chemistry, Tippett should of left it alone. He should of left RNH - Drai - Yama alone. I think Nygard - Sheahan - Archibald should be a line now.

Despite us not being a great 5 on 5 team all year. Today was literally the worst game we played all year. I dont think its bad leadership or that the players dont care or whatever. They simply didnt play well today and honestly they couldnt of picked a worse time. They were simply off all game.

I will agree that the top guys need to be better defensively. I think the RNH - Drai - Yama line was pretty solid defensively and was obviously great offensively. As I stated in my other post, I do think McDavid needs to adapt his game a bit and become more of a positive impact all over the ice rather than the offensive zone. I do think his defensive struggles this year were partly because of his knee injury, but if he is healthy now, he really needs to dial himself in rather than just looking for offense only.

 

[fresh meat]

I have a feeling that Tip will want to put Smith back in. I'm scared.

There’s no chance

 

[CycloneSweep]

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.

I was just wondering how much better we were this year outside of special teams

Last Year vs This Year

CF%: 47.98 / 47.87
Shots For%: 47.59 / 48.31
Goals for60: 2.17 / 2.44
Goals Against 60: 2.65 / 2.72

So possession wise we didn't improve. We improved a bit offensively. But somehow got worse defensively.

Holland improved the team but the only real improvement was special teams.

 

[McJadeddog]

There’s no chance

Yeah, tippett has blind love for Smith, no doubt about that (case in point was everything about today's game), but even his love of Smith won't make him start Smith again next game. Not happening.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Yeah, tippett has blind love for Smith, no doubt about that (case in point was everything about today's game), but even his love of Smith won't make him start Smith again next game. Not happening.

He ALWAYS gives Smith a chance to bounce back

 

[GretzkytoKurri9917]

Bob Stauffer was speaking about expecting Koskinen for game two on 630 ched during the game.


Koskinen will start game two.

 

[CycloneSweep]

The team honestly hasnt been good on 5 on 5 all year. Their special teams have won them a lot of games and their goaltenders for the most part havent lost them a ton of games. The team has also been pretty resilient. Other than December, not really a ton of loses in a row. I dont think its because they arent close or anything, I just simply dont think they have a lot of chemistry on their forward lines. And honestly I think the lines where they found chemistry, Tippett should of left it alone. He should of left RNH - Drai - Yama alone. I think Nygard - Sheahan - Archibald should be a line now.

Despite us not being a great 5 on 5 team all year. Today was literally the worst game we played all year. I dont think its bad leadership or that the players dont care or whatever. They simply didnt play well today and honestly they couldnt of picked a worse time. They were simply off all game.

I will agree that the top guys need to be better defensively. I think the RNH - Drai - Yama line was pretty solid defensively and was obviously great offensively. As I stated in my other post, I do think McDavid needs to adapt his game a bit and become more of a positive impact all over the ice rather than the offensive zone. I do think his defensive struggles this year were partly because of his knee injury, but if he is healthy now, he really needs to dial himself in rather than just looking for offense only.

If what you said above is true then they should come out swinging from puck drop Monday. If they don't, then the team give a shit and leadership should be seriously questioned.

 

[Cloned]

He ALWAYS gives Smith a chance to bounce back

He's not going to put Smith above his own job.

 

[Not Canada Drai]

Bob Stauffer was speaking about expecting Koskinen for game two on 630 ched during the game.


Koskinen will start game two.

 

[FlameChampion]

If what you said above is true then they should come out swinging from puck drop Monday. If they don't, then the team give a shit and leadership should be seriously questioned.

I am sure that the effort will be better and they will come out swinging. But they will have a ton of pressure on them now, to win the next game. Even if the effort is there, and the execution is off because of rust/nerves/whatever doesnt mean everything is going to change by 180 degrees. Losing the first game isnt the end of the world, but the way they lost, they have a lot of things to correct in a 5 game series. I hope we find a way to win but we will see. The team has put themselves in a hole after that performance.

 

[CycloneSweep]

He's not going to put Smith above his own job.

Depends. If he thinks the team was the issue and not Smith, he will go back to him. Most of the time if Smith has a bad game and it wasn't a back to back he gave him another chance.

 

[oilexport]

D looked very weak.

 

[Cloned]

Depends. If he thinks the team was the issue and not Smith, he will go back to him. Most of the time if Smith has a bad game and it wasn't a back to back he gave him another chance.

Nah, he knows the optics and the stakes. This isn't the regular season.

 

[CycloneSweep]

I am sure that the effort will be better and they will come out swinging. But they will have a ton of pressure on them now, to win the next game. Even if the effort is there, and the execution is off because of rust/nerves/whatever doesnt mean everything is going to change by 180 degrees. Losing the first game isnt the end of the world, but the way they lost, they have a lot of things to correct in a 5 game series. I hope we find a way to win but we will see. The team has put themselves in a hole after that performance.

If the effort is there, you can at least say they tried but they just aren't very good. Being bad and no effort is.... A very very bad sign.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

I was just wondering how much better we were this year outside of special teams

Last Year vs This Year

CF%: 47.98 / 47.87
Shots For%: 47.59 / 48.31
Goals for60: 2.17 / 2.44
Goals Against 60: 2.65 / 2.72

So possession wise we didn't improve. We improved a bit offensively. But somehow got worse defensively.

Holland improved the team but the only real improvement was special teams.

Oilers don't let the Hawks score on the PP today and the Oilers win 4-3

Special Teams is HUGE

 

[EchoesoftheEighties]

I have super sunburnt shoulders because it was 35 degrees in the mountains while I was out enjoying nature instead of watching hockey.

Apparently this game was more painful.

RIP

 

[MaxR11]

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.

I agree, they were really starting to play poorly again before the covid break... ironically the best the looked as a team all year was for most of that stretch that Connor was injured for in Feb i think. The played hard and for each other fairly consistently. They ground out wins with tighter defence and defence first play and mentality. It wasn't pretty but they looked sound and tightas a five man unit. Then when Connor came back you started to see the disintegration of the tightness and they became more loosey goosey and started to overlook the attention to details again.

You are right... this team very much so lacks strong leadership, urgency and proper and consistent on ice culture and habits.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Oilers don't let the Hawks score on the PP today and the Oilers win 4-3

Special Teams is HUGE

If you need both your special teams to be perfect to win a game, that's a huge red flag

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

If you need both your special teams to be perfect to win a game, that's a huge red flag

red flag in terms of what? Cup contender?
don't think anyone is thinking they're a Cup contender

my point is, Special teams played a huge role in today's game whether you admit that or not

 

[KMNRB]

Edmonton won't really have the opportunity to improve its roster until Neal's contract is off the table.

You can buy out Neal's contract, and suffer a cap hit of $1,916,667 for 6 years instead of 5,750,000 for 3 years (according to capfriendly). That's something you can't do with Lucic's contract.

 

[GretzkytoKurri9917]

You can buy out Neal's contract, and suffer a cap hit of $1,916,667 for 6 years instead of 5,750,000 for 3 years (according to capfriendly). That's something you can't do with Lucic's contract.

Then you have to deal with the cap hit of two million for the next 6 years.

Better off not buying him out.

 

[CycloneSweep]

red flag in terms of what? Cup contender?
don't think anyone is thinking they're a Cup contender

my point is, Special teams played a huge role in today's game whether you admit that or not

Take out the special teams and we lose 3-1

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Take out the special teams and we lose 3-1

yeah, cause we're not a very good 5-on-5 team

what's your point?

 

[CycloneSweep]

yeah, cause we're not a very good 5-on-5 team

what's your point?

Special teams are unreliable. If you rely on special teams you aren't a good team. Full stop