GDT: Peoria Rivermen @ OKC Barons, Tuesday 12/11 6PM MDT

[Replacement*]

That's part of the flack though. He's like the anti-Russian, flying the offensive zone as opposed to the defensive zone too early.

There's worse habits to have. Like getting caught deep consistently. We have several players auditioning for that trophy.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Yeah, I've seen him do it. He's certainly got the wheels to jump back and his tendency is to peel back early. Its a rare breed on this club.

Man what an awful night from Eberle. How on Earth can a player this gifted look so bad. Just not feeling it tonight somehow.

Anyway its time for target practice. Way too many shots going wide tonight. Have to say as entertaining as it was there were too many cute plays. You see the other clubs just executing some simple high probability stuff. Peoria scored on a simple wrap. The type of play this talented Barons club doesn't even try because its well, not pretty enough.

We need more than Schultz and Hall going. Few others are keeping up.

Eberle had an off game, it happens. Hall was in beast mode as was Schultz (he answered my question in my OP on how he'd play after a poor performance in his last game). But it is simply amazing how many passengers there are on this team night in and night out. I do believe that this club really missed Nuge especially on the PP though. Hall seems to be more comfortable now on the 1/2 wall than he was to start, but no one can move that puck like RNH can from that spot.

 

[CupofOil]

Hamilton is so far away from being an NHL player at this point that IMO he is out of sight and out of mind. Pitlick needs to pick it up as well. Lander has been better of late as has Paajarvi. That said on D we have Schultz, a high even D in Marincin who can both help and hurt you in the same game shift to shift, and then we have Teubert who needs to get better in his puck decisions and add some speed to his game. Deck a kid who started the year in the ECHL is arguably one of our top 4 D right now. Our D is dreadful.

Hamilton is far from being an AHL player even, whatever confidence he had in junior is completely gone.
I have been a fan of Pitlick but he has done nothing but skate around fast most of the season. I'm not even sure about him anymore although i guess patience is required with him.
I'm fine with Lander, he'll play in the NHL as a regular at some point, i'm pretty sure about that.
Marincin has been regressing badly the last 5 games or so and it has affected Schultz as well. Both guys need a stable partner to allow them to play their game, moreso in Marincin's case. It's fine because they are rookies and some struggles were expected.
The other 4 D aren't even worth mentioning, i suppose that Fedun has been ok at times but the other guys including Teubert and Plante aren't even AHL quality the way they're playing now.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

That's part of the flack though. He's like the anti-Russian, flying the offensive zone as opposed to the defensive zone too early.

IMO he has been getting better at it, but it is something that he needs to find a better balance on.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Hamilton is far from being an AHL player even, whatever confidence he had in junior is completely gone.
I have been a fan of Pitlick but he has done nothing but skate around fast most of the season. I'm not even sure about him anymore although i guess patience is required with him.
I'm fine with Lander, he'll play in the NHL as a regular at some point, i'm pretty sure about that.
Marincin has been regressing badly the last 5 games or so and it has affected Schultz as well. Both guys need a stable partner to allow them to play their game, moreso in Marincin's case. It's fine because they are rookies and some struggles were expected.
The other 4 D aren't even worth mentioning, i suppose that Fedun has been ok at times but the other guys including Teubert and Plante aren't even AHL quality the way they're playing now.

Hamilton needs help in a big way IMO. A 20-30 game stint in Stockton is just what the Dr. ordered IMO. Send him down there and play him with Rajala.

Pitlick's confidence is also in the gutter, he needs a goal in the worst kind of way. He hasn't been as physical since his concussion either which while understandable makes his game that much less appealing.

Fedun has been o.k. but I'm worried that his injury robbed him of whatever chance he did have to be an NHLer. Plante is terrible, Teubert IMO hasn't improved as much as I'd like and would be best suited to be paired with Deck or Marincin IMO.

 

[voxel]

The first period was a great example of what's wrong with the Barons. Dominating shift by the grinders keeping the puck in the O-zone and almost scoring then soft/cute play by the Ebs line afterwords leading to a couple of scoring chances against.

Lander needs to get on the roids. He's like the Taylor Chorney of centermen. Too small, too weak. Even the announcers noticed MPS avoiding physical contact. He needs to develop a mean streak like Harski since he lacks the high end offensive skills to be a top-6 NHLer.

Not sure about the hate-on for Hamilton and Pitlick this game. They were meh as usual but not horrible. Pitlick tried to be physical (missed a check badly) and was pretty offensively inept (flubbed passes + shots).

I wish Davidson was healthy so we could scratch Plante or Tuebert.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

The first period was a great example of what's wrong with the Barons. Dominating shift by the grinders keeping the puck in the O-zone and almost scoring then soft/cute play by the Ebs line afterwords leading to a couple of scoring chances against.

Lander needs to get on the roids. He's like the Taylor Chorney of centermen. Too small, too weak. Even the announcers noticed MPS avoiding physical contact. He needs to develop a mean streak like Harski since he lacks the high end offensive skills to be a top-6 NHLer.

Not sure about the hate-on for Hamilton and Pitlick this game. They were meh as usual but not horrible. Pitlick tried to be physical (missed a check badly) and was pretty offensively inept (flubbed passes + shots).

I wish Davidson was healthy so we could scratch Plante or Tuebert.

Paajarvi avoided that one hit, but worse than that I noticed on that same shift that when he got into a puck battle and the puck was free he doesn't engage to try and go "through" the guy on the wall. He needs to learn to give that 2nd and 3rd effort in those battles for loose pucks. He needs to do that consistently, if he would he'd draw more penalties and win more battles.

 

[Psychoil]

okay guys, so i found a silver living for us for this ahl debacle and the NHL lockout. I personally think the team isn't that bad, we will pick it up when we need to.


AS for the nhl, the good news is, we only need to suck for a half a season to pick up a high draft pick. and if Drouin ends up being no.1 overall, that could potentially leave us with mackinnon or Seth Jones, who we both still desperately need.


And if we do succeed when the lockout comes back, then playoffs!

 

[ohheyhemsky]

Schultz-Schultz
Schultz-Schutlz
Smid-Schultz

That's too many Nick Schultzs on one team.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

okay guys, so i found a silver living for us for this ahl debacle and the NHL lockout. I personally think the team isn't that bad, we will pick it up when we need to.


AS for the nhl, the good news is, we only need to suck for a half a season to pick up a high draft pick. and if Drouin ends up being no.1 overall, that could potentially leave us with mackinnon or Seth Jones, who we both still desperately need.


And if we do succeed when the lockout comes back, then playoffs!

The main reason I want the lockout to end is so that we get another top 5-10 pick. If we are locked out all year and draft 30th that would suck something fierce.

 

[rootbie]

ebs

I wonder with Eberle, if Yonkman didn't so some damage: there were definitely a few head shots the last game against the Rampage. While the oilers certainly don't have anyone to protect our stars, the Barons (byers--what a joke) are in even worse shape.

As for the big-league version of this team, for a variety of reasons, if the league does start, we'll finish with a 5-10 pick. If it were a full season, I think this team would seriously have a good chance of breaking their (and the nords') record of 3 #1 overalls in a row. (A full 2012-2013: we'd probably, as usual, get off to a good start only to be immediately cancelled by the CFR road trip, then as injuries take over, and our horrible D and goaltending came to the forefront, this team would be scraping the bottom barrel as always).

What we're seeing with our #1s (which I think everyone already realized) is that we didn't end up with a guy who's changed the culture of this team or who is a truly dominant force: obviously, guys like ovechkin and crosby are generational players, but even someone like Toews seemed to really instill a winning attitude on the Blackhawks (and Toews wasn't even a #1). I'm not arguing that Toews single handedly turned the Hawks around, but he was the centrepiece to doing so.

When you look at the oilers/barons with Hall, it's just obvious he is not made of the same stuff as a true leader like Toews. This team should be dominating: they have the best defensemen in the league and the top-scoring forward. Obviously 2ndary scoring is the problem, but I just have a hard time believing if someone like Toews was on the Barons, even without Eberle, Schultz etc,. this team would be winning instead of having just dropped 5 in a row.

 

[Arpeggio]

This team desperately needs some energy out of their bottom three lines. Lander line wasn't bad, but they can't finish. They need guys who can get in on the forecheck and punish the opposition.

Funny that the Barons have the same problem the Oilers had last season. Too many guys in the bottom nine that you just don't notice. If you're not scoring, you have to be hitting, and the Barons don't have enough guys like that.

The Oilers should be better whenever they do suit up, because they have Gagner/Yakupov/Hemsky to back up the kids as a pure offensive line, but they also need more guys who bring something more to the game than 20-30 points a year.

 

[Shanahanigans]

It sucks that Schultz and Marincin have literally nobody on the team that can teach them how to play a pro defensive game. Can't management sign/trade for a career AHL top 4 defensive Dman or something? It can't be that hard.

 

[doulos]

When you look at the oilers/barons with Hall, it's just obvious he is not made of the same stuff as a true leader like Toews.

I don't agree. Hall seems to be the next captain of the Oilers and gives 1000% when he is on the ice.

 

[Senor Catface]

It sucks that Schultz and Marincin have literally nobody on the team that can teach them how to play a pro defensive game. Can't management sign/trade for a career AHL top 4 defensive Dman or something? It can't be that hard.

Which is odd, because they did a good job of doing this last year. I think, once again, management has decided that the roles and holes (it rhymed!) should be filled with prospects and rookies. Well, this is what happens.

 

[Hockey Nightmare]

So maybe the Oilers can't build a team in the minor leagues as well.

 

[Moonlapse Vertigo]

Wow... losing to that team in that fashion. Just... wow.

 

[Mr Forever]

Are the barons below .500 now

 

[The Nuge]

Are the barons below .500 now

Bot quite

 

[Suxnet]

Someone needs to make the annual "Fire head coach/GM!!" thread.

 

[40oz]

So maybe the Oilers can't build a team in the minor leagues as well.

Well they were second in the league last year and made it to the conference finals...


edit: accuracy

 

[pSlayer*]

How can this team win? Srs question. It seems like they have enough skill now but we still can't seem to win games. What are we lacking?

 

[Nacho]

I find it interesting that the Barons were dominating the 2 previous seasons...

 

[Tarus]

How can this team win? Srs question. It seems like they have enough skill now but we still can't seem to win games. What are we lacking?

Grit, vets, effective well trained defensive forwards, and a defense with experience.

Same deficencies the Oilers used to successfully tank to 3 consecutive first overalls with. Skill is only a portion of what makes a good hockey team at the pro level.

 

[McDavidMcCup]

What stage is Nelson going to be held accountable here? I have not been a fan of his throughout the majority of this year. It seems as though we are being out-coached and out-systemed repeatedly.

How in the name of God does a team with this much talent lose 5 in a row?

I say Nelson needs a "please explain" phone call from Tambo and crew.