Post-Game Talk: Pens 6 - Oil 5

[Oilhawks]

Nurse is pure garbage
Trading him and Publjsrvi tomorrow is justified
But Chiarelli is an abject incompetent

If only we could change the roster every time someone had a bad game. Not even sure if McDavid could survive that!

 

[MettleMcOiler]

I do have to say that Nurse has a bad habit of icing the puck far too much. We had a goal against in our defensive zone caused by 2 consecutive icings which was on Nurse. They won the faceoff, held it in and scored. Does anyone else remember this?

 

[nabob]

The only people ignoring my posts are those who know nothing about hockey. Glad the people in media are starting to speak out as well. Struds today as a defenceman like myself spoke out against Nurse on the 3rd goal. Nurse was directly responsible for 3 of the goals against last night. He made a few nice plays, but we lost the game solely because of his poor reads. He looked Schultz level bad on the highlights I saw.

Directly responsible that’s a laughable joke. Kassian passed the puck to Simon on the 3rd goal and it was in the net a second later.

 

[Panda Bear]

Nurse and Talbot stunk it up. Can Mcdavid swap to D ? Pair him with Klefblom.

That's one of the stupidest things I've ever read--you don't put two left-handed players on the same pairing. You pair him with Larsson!

 

[Raab]

Directly responsible that’s a laughable joke. Kassian passed the puck to Simon on the 3rd goal and it was in the net a second later.

3rd goal he was responsible for. So The 6th actual goal which was the OT winner.

 

[McDNicks17]

3rd goal he was responsible for. So The 6th actual goal which was the OT winner.

Laughable opinion.

 

[BudBundy]

I don't mind Russell. He doesn't usually lose position like Nurse. It's my #1 beef with the guy, we've lost two games this season already because of his defensive lapses. Also Nurse is far from the toughest dman we have. Larsson is far, far, more physical, and rarely if ever is out of position. If Nurse could play defence like Larsson, while providing the offensive glimpses he's shown this season. He'd be one hell of a defenceman.

Replay the sequence leading to the first Hornqvist goal and tell me again about Russells positioning. Larsson provides a hard edge but Nurse IS tougher. Particularly when gloves drop. Nurse was a better defender than Larsson all last year. So far I’d give a slight edge to Larsson, but please note who plays with a resurgent healthy Klefbom, while Nurse has been dealt Russell and Benning.

 

[guymez]

I dont know if its been mentioned but Larsson made a great outlet pass to Chiasson on his 2nd goal.
He deserves some kudos for that...its the 2nd great stretch pass he has made this week.

 

[Raab]

I dont know if its been mentioned but Larsson made a great outlet pass to Chiasson on his 2nd goal.
He deserves some kudos for that...its the 2nd great stretch pass he has made this week.

I really think Yawney has helped this group play to their strengths. Klefbom, Larsson, and Nurse in particular look much better on the offensive side of the puck.

 

[I am the Liquor]

Directly responsible that’s a laughable joke. Kassian passed the puck to Simon on the 3rd goal and it was in the net a second later.

He doesn’t like the brothers.

 

[Raab]

Replay the sequence leading to the first Hornqvist goal and tell me again about Russells positioning. Larsson provides a hard edge but Nurse IS tougher. Particularly when gloves drop. Nurse was a better defender than Larsson all last year. So far I’d give a slight edge to Larsson, but please note who plays with a resurgent healthy Klefbom, while Nurse has been dealt Russell and Benning.

It's always curious to me that Nurse's partners always get blamed for his poor reads. It couldnt possibly be that he put himself out of position leading to his partner scrambling to make up for it?

In saying that Benning hasnt been great, but you might want to watch that Hornqvist goal again. Nurse makes a terrible read on the play and leaves a lane wide open to the front of the net. If he had just stayed where he was that goal doesnt happen. Nurse actively left a high danger scoring area chasing the puck to an area where no one literally ever scores from. He did this knowing that 3 of his teammates where in a scrum along the far side boards, and one winger was protecting the high slot. Needs to be better on that play.

Also worth mentioning Larsson's big hit in the 1st. I'd like to see Nurse bring more of that type of nasty game. As much as people like the fighting, it's dying out in hockey.

 

[Raab]

Laughable opinion.

You can listen to what Struds had to say about it on Gregors show from yesterday. I completely agree with him from a defencemen's view point.

 

[Frank the Tank]

I do have to say that Nurse has a bad habit of icing the puck far too much. We had a goal against in our defensive zone caused by 2 consecutive icings which was on Nurse. They won the faceoff, held it in and scored. Does anyone else remember this?

Yes, I remember the linseman somehow forgiving Ricola for both responding slowly and turning the wrong way when the puck bounced off the boards right in front of him. I was ranting about that weak icing call the minute it happened.

 

[McDNicks17]

You can listen to what Struds had to say about it on Gregors show from yesterday. I completely agree with him from a defencemen's view point.

If you're blaming Nurse for the OT goal(and going as far as saying he was directly responsible for it), that's solely your bias talking.

 

[Raab]

If you're blaming Nurse for the OT goal(and going as far as saying he was directly responsible or it), that's solely your bias talking.

Again it was another poor read by Nurse on the play. Nurse should have taken Crosby instead he's floating up towards the point leaving Strome to try and stop arguably the best player in the world. As I said you can listen to what Struds had to say about it on Gregors show.

 

[Raab]

He doesn’t like the brothers.

Lies, Thomas Sowell is my brother from another mother. My whole problem with Nurse if you really want to call it a problem. Is that he still has very bad reads and positioning. The good part is he still has a lot of upside. Which means he could be valuable to someone in trade.

Also for the record, I was ready to throw away Klefbom earlier this season when he was playing like trash. Id also move Benning but feel you'd be lucky to get anything for him.

 

[Drivesaitl]

If you're blaming Nurse for the OT goal(and going as far as saying he was directly responsible or it), that's solely your bias talking.

I'm a Nurse fan and I still think its odd, even in 3 on 3, for Nurse to be up high on the play and Strome covering goal. Crosby was going to take that puck to the house. Nurse could have read that was an outmatched situation down low with Crosby one on one with a forward and all kinds of space. I would have at least collapsed to the goal on the play.

 

[Peter Zezel]

I'm a Nurse fan and I still think its odd, even in 3 on 3, for Nurse to be up high on the play and Strome covering goal. Crosby was going to take that puck to the house. Nurse could have read that was an outmatched situation down low with Crosby one on one with a forward and all kinds of space. I would have at least collapsed to the goal on the play.

You double team Crosby and he makes a beauty cross ice pass probably. It’s a tough read for Nurse I think. I’m sure he’ll learn from it and make a better read in future situations .

 

[BudBundy]

I'm a Nurse fan and I still think its odd, even in 3 on 3, for Nurse to be up high on the play and Strome covering goal. Crosby was going to take that puck to the house. Nurse could have read that was an outmatched situation down low with Crosby one on one with a forward and all kinds of space. I would have at least collapsed to the goal on the play.

I highly respect your opinion, but in 3on3 situations man to man coverage is fundamental. Collapsing leaves your man so wide open that it’s typically instant death. A fresh Crosby (probably the undisputed best player in the NHL in a scrum) took advantage of a tired Strome caught flat-footed. I dont blame anybody on the ice for Crosby doing Crosby things.

 

[Cypress]

Think seeing Malkin leading the Penguins in scoring was a a wake up call for drai, that maybe he's not doomed on the second line afterall.

 

[Cypress]

I highly respect your opinion, but in 3on3 situations man to man coverage is fundamental. Collapsing leaves your man so wide open that it’s typically instant death. A fresh Crosby (probably the undisputed best player in the NHL in a scrum) took advantage of a tired Strome caught flat-footed. I dont blame anybody on the ice for Crosby doing Crosby things.

We see the same thing all the time with McDavid except other teams do tend to focus on him instead of the guy they're supposed to be covering. Often ends with the defender looking foolish when an uncovered man has an easy tap in due to focusing down one player. It was likely a lose-lose scenario.

 

[Raab]

You double team Crosby and he makes a beauty cross ice pass probably. It’s a tough read for Nurse I think. I’m sure he’ll learn from it and make a better read in future situations .

You dont have to double team Crosby, Nurse just has to take Crosby as he's coming up the boards and Strome has to move higher up. Very easy situation.

 

[belair]

Nurse is pure garbage
Trading him and Publjsrvi tomorrow is justified
But Chiarelli is an abject incompetent

Hey look. It's this guy again.

 

[Drivesaitl]

You dont have to double team Crosby, Nurse just has to take Crosby as he's coming up the boards and Strome has to move higher up. Very easy situation.

Basically my read, but I of course want the D to end up being the one down low on a 3 on 3, or any play, unless they were part of a well thought out pinch, which, with Crosby on the ice should not be the case. Nurse should be downlow, its why he's a D, on a 3 on 3.

Now this is not single criticism of Nurse. The Oilers got burned several times in the game and Draisaitl too (which I previously mentioned and surprised nobody commented on). The oilers were showing a penchant in the game for trading chances and playing river hockey with a lethal team they should not be doing that with. The Oilers focus was less on D zone and more on what they could establish offensively.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I highly respect your opinion, but in 3on3 situations man to man coverage is fundamental. Collapsing leaves your man so wide open that it’s typically instant death. A fresh Crosby (probably the undisputed best player in the NHL in a scrum) took advantage of a tired Strome caught flat-footed. I dont blame anybody on the ice for Crosby doing Crosby things.

Its fair comment. Like I just said in another post I prefer the D down low and if one looks prior in the shift there was ample time for Nurse to get low and cover Crosby. Especially in 3 on 3 these instances are huge as goal potential is so severe on any possession. Nurse has to recognize that and instead Crosby got the easy matchup with Strome down low and burned him alive.

But its one play, and its Crosby, and shit happens fast out there. its not a biggy, and my comments are not in isolation of the one play. The Oilers as a whole did not grant the Pens the defensive awareness and respect they should.

Generally McLellans mantra is to state not to worry about the other team, focus about what you can do to the other tam. So its hard to blame players when ill fated direction is coming from the coach. But we just played River hockey with the Pittsburgh Penguins. That's kind of delusional.