GDT: PS #8 // Oilers @ Haie // Oct 3 @ 8 AM MST // TV: SNET

[bone]

Drivesaitl just curious (and you don't have to answer or you can PM me if you prefer that) but were you previously known as a different poster named Replacement?

If you aren't I apologize but your writing style has some similarities. And I'm not taking a shot at you. I actually really enjoyed Replacement and his posts. I didn't always agree with him and his views but admired his loyalty to the players he liked

Really. You're asking? Everyone else has already just assumed as much.

 

[guymez]

Personally, and this is just speculation on my part, I think Jesse probably thought he was going to step into the league and be immediately successful like Laine and Aho.

I think he learned some hard lessons during his first two seasons and really put his nose to the grindstone during this offseason.

I think the way Jesse is going to work his way up is to do what he did during preseason. Just play hard and show everyone that he is learning and can be trusted with greater responsibility through his play.

You might well be right about that. I think a lot of young players probably have that misconception and then reality slaps them around a bit.

Hard lessons are good...they tend to have a lasting impact.

I agree with you about Jesse working his way up the lineup. There is no rush though.

 

[rboomercat90]

I wonder if he is slow to learn systems.

No matter how bad the system is, it's hard for players when your linemates are doing their own thing.

No idea if it's true but I could see it making a lot of sense. Pulju struggles with systems so Todd doesn't put him on special teams because he is struggling with the 5v5 systems and the org thinks throwing more at him could hurt him. Every good play o have seen Pulju do has essentially been him beasting on his own. It's rarely been good play involving his linemates etc.

I think he can definitely learn but he may just be struggling with it so 3rd line time allows Pulju to learn with less responsibility, play with a guy he wants to in Strome and gain confidence.

Does he struggle to learn the system because he struggles with English? That seemed to be a problem with Yakupov too, granted he had other issues as well. Are the Oilers doing enough to help these guys learn English? They invest so much money in these players you’d think it would be a high priority for them to do whatever they could to help. If they feel they are and there are still issues then maybe they need to do more diligence before using lottery picks on Europeans.

 

[doulos]

Didn’t the oilers just go 7-1 in preseason ?

Preseason results are basically meaningless for predicting regular season results. Generally all that matters are the last couple games when teams all start ramping up to full speed (or in the case of the Oilers, decide to play funsies games in Europe because that's a real neato thing to do!)

 

[bone]

Preseason results are basically meaningless for predicting regular season results. Generally all that matters are the last couple games when teams all start ramping up to full speed (or in the case of the Oilers, decide to play funsies games in Europe because that's a real neato thing to do!)

Well at least they won their last 3 ramp up games before Europe, but still meaningless. Remember their last two games were against pretty much NHL lineups before coming over. Well maybe not NHL lineups but lineups that are playing in the NHL this year (Calgary, Vancouver).

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Preseason results are basically meaningless for predicting regular season results. Generally all that matters are the last couple games when teams all start ramping up to full speed (or in the case of the Oilers, decide to play funsies games in Europe because that's a real neato thing to do!)

So they ramp up their play in the 3 real preseason games before this exhibition one and you still complain?

 

[LaGu]

Don't be surprised when the team goes 2-8 t start the year then with this kind of lacksidasical attitude towards preparing for the season.

It's a business, with employees. You can't withdraw their holidays and you can't stop PR games like this one. I get that it would be nice to do so, especially considering last season, but that is just not realistic. Pre-season ended before this game, that is the bottom line. This was a glorified skills-competition, and a fun one at that.

These ploys are always good for the sport and the team (commercial point of view), great for most players (best for Euro players of course) and awesome for fans in Europe.

I was at the game and trust me both teams were taking it easy. It was better than expected though. I think everyone gained from this experience. Even the players getting to bond in Europe.

 

[guymez]

Preseason results are basically meaningless for predicting regular season results. Generally all that matters are the last couple games when teams all start ramping up to full speed (or in the case of the Oilers, decide to play funsies games in Europe because that's a real neato thing to do!)

Actually...the Oilers didnt 'decide' to do a funsies game in Europe because it was a neato thing to do.

The NHL has an initiative to grow the game and to my understanding they tapped the Oilers on the shoulder and told them that it was their turn to participate.
The Oilers didnt really have an option not to go but they wil have to deal with the challenges of overseas travel none the less.

 

[rboomercat90]

Actually...the Oilers didnt 'decide' to do a funsies game in Europe because it was a neato thing to do.

The NHL has an initiative to grow the game and to my understanding they tapped the Oilers on the shoulder and told them that it was their turn to participate.
The Oilers didnt really have an option not to go but they wil have to deal with the challenges of overseas travel none the less.

Do we know for sure the Oilers had no choice because it was league mandated? I’ve never heard that before.

 

[guymez]

Do we know for sure the Oilers had no choice because it was league mandated? I’ve never heard that before.

I think it was Bob McKenzie I heard talk about it.
At the League meetings the teams agreed to grow the game (to increase revenue) with the Challenge Series and other initiatives a few years back. Every team will participate by traveling overseas.

 

[doulos]

Actually...the Oilers didnt 'decide' to do a funsies game in Europe because it was a neato thing to do.

The NHL has an initiative to grow the game and to my understanding they tapped the Oilers on the shoulder and told them that it was their turn to participate.
The Oilers didnt really have an option not to go but they wil have to deal with the challenges of overseas travel none the less.

Brutal. I hope the Oilers fought against the idea at least, before volunteering to hit the ground stumbling heading into the regular season. If this was sort of forced on them then I guess it is what it is.

Having only really watched the past few games I still maintain that this team looks to be in trouble yet again, with a problem with offensive depth and a weak defense.

 

[guymez]

Brutal. I hope the Oilers fought against the idea at least, before volunteering to hit the ground stumbling heading into the regular season. If this was sort of forced on them then I guess it is what it is.

Having only really watched the past few games I still maintain that this team looks to be in trouble yet again, with a problem with offensive depth and a weak defense.

When Katz agreed to do this the team was committed.
I am not sure who you think the team is going to fight against.
Each team will have to deal with the issues around this at some point in time.

Its not ideal but it sort of is what it is.

 

[Marty McSurly]

It could be worse. Florida and Winnipeg are travelling to Finland in November for 2 games. At least the Oilers were able to do this at the beginning of the season and are able to make their way back home slowly by playing some games out East.

 

[nabob]

When Katz agreed to do this the team was committed.
I am not sure who you think the team is going to fight against.
Each team will have to deal with the issues around this at some point in time.

Its not ideal but it sort of is what it is.

It’ll be like the penalty for signing fired GM’s and coaches. They’ll punish the Oilers harshly and then get rid of the stupid rule.

 

[guymez]

It could be worse. Florida and Winnipeg are travelling to Finland in November for 2 games. At least the Oilers were able to do this at the beginning of the season and are able to make their way back home slowly by playing some games out East.

I agree.

Also...by all reports the Flames players said it took about 4 sleeps to actually get a 7 hour sleep after arriving back home from China which is about 14 hours difference.

The Oilers will be flying back from Sweden on Saturday and dont play in Boston until Thursday. The time difference with Boston and Sweden is 6 hours.
I think the team will have more than enough time to adjust to the 6 hour time difference. I am really not all that concerned about it.

 

[McCombo]

I have no doubt that part of the problem with JP is the language and him probably not understanding the systems. At the same time, they are making it harder on him. I didn’t watch him in the FEL but where did he play on the PP? I bet he wasn’t playing the slot on the PP or wherever our coaching staff has him. Maybe I am wrong, a finnish poster can shed some light.

He should be used in a position where hes had success rather than trying to change his game to make the transition easier.

Pulju was playing the spot where Nuge is in first PP (Ovechkin and Laine spot). Which would be pretty obvios place for Pulju but coaching staff sees things differently once again.


2nd and 3rd goals (ranked 4th & 3rd) are good examples what we could see...

 

[LaGu]

I agree.

Also...by all reports the Flames players said it took about 4 sleeps to actually get a 7 hour sleep after arriving back home from China which is about 14 hours difference.

The Oilers will be flying back from Sweden on Saturday and dont play in Boston until Thursday. The time difference with Boston and Sweden is 6 hours.
I think the team will have more than enough time to adjust to the 6 hour time difference. I am really not all that concerned about it.

I agree with this, it is also quite a bit easier going West rather than East. I definitely understand why the China trip was done early in the pre-season.
For the jetlag I mean.

More worrying for me is that they'll meet teams who are already 3-4 games into their seasons. Teams who have had the time and chance to get into the season and rid of season-opener nerves.

 

[SaltNPeca]

Brutal. I hope the Oilers fought against the idea at least, before volunteering to hit the ground stumbling heading into the regular season. If this was sort of forced on them then I guess it is what it is.

Shortsighted.
The next Drai or Kopitar might have been inspired by these games. The sport and the league are trying to grow beyond Canada and the Northern US. I see the connection between the Coyotes and
Matthews. I personally saw the buzz this Global Series created in Europe. Take a look at basketball in China right now and how it got to this point.

I agree.

Also...by all reports the Flames players said it took about 4 sleeps to actually get a 7 hour sleep after arriving back home from China which is about 14 hours difference.

The Oilers will be flying back from Sweden on Saturday and dont play in Boston until Thursday. The time difference with Boston and Sweden is 6 hours.
I think the team will have more than enough time to adjust to the 6 hour time difference. I am really not all that concerned about it.

I have to travel for work, sometimes to China, Texas, all over Europe. Often work a 1/2 day on the travel day and full day the next day. If you are fit, professional, focused, and strong willed "jet lag" isn't much. Pacific teams do Eastern conference road trips and vice versa. Think about the KHL. Imagine these guys aren't flying economy and dealing with normal air travel annoyances of us Plebs.

Placebo affect, immaturity, and generally just being a big baby is likely behind a lot of this "jet lag" talk. NHL players are notorious for sticking to pre-game rituals, so I'm sure many are disturbed. Hey, welcome a tiny bit to the real world fellas.

 

[Drivesaitl]

If this trip was league mandated is one thing, I can see the league wanting to do that and have teams visit. Also makes the most sense for the Oilers to do the Cologne game for obvious reasons.

What I can't subscribe to is the exhibition game taking place on the actual date that the NHL opens the REGULAR season. That should not have been allowed, or required. I understand that the Cologne Sharks play weekend league games. But seriously this is a big deal, its a game with an NHL team. So what happened here is Cologne was already scheduled for league games on the prior Friday and Sunday and the NHL goes OK, just have the game on Wednesday.... That is inane. Cologne and the DEL ought to have bent to the NHL schedule, not the other way around.

By the time the Oilers play their first reg season game many teams will have already played 2 games. By the time the Oilers play their 2nd game teams will have played 4-5.

What a joke the scheduling is.

 

[LaGu]

Shortsighted.
The next Drai or Kopitar might have been inspired by these games. The sport and the league are trying to grow beyond Canada and the Northern US. I see the connection between the Coyotes and
Matthews. I personally saw the buzz this Global Series created in Europe. Take a look at basketball in China right now and how it got to this point.



I have to travel for work, sometimes to China, Texas, all over Europe. Often work a 1/2 day on the travel day and full day the next day. If you are fit, professional, focused, and strong willed "jet lag" isn't much. Pacific teams do Eastern conference road trips and vice versa. Think about the KHL. Imagine these guys aren't flying economy and dealing with normal air travel annoyances of us Plebs.

Placebo affect, immaturity, and generally just being a big baby is likely behind a lot of this "jet lag" talk. NHL players are notorious for sticking to pre-game rituals, so I'm sure many are disturbed. Hey, welcome a tiny bit to the real world fellas.

With the risk of going even more off-topic here but I think you are talking about how jet-lag was viewed in the past. It was always considered to be a state of mind and that you could/shake it off. Later several studies have shown the cause and effect of jet-lag which even though varies from person to person is a biological effect.
You can prepare for it of course, which I guess and hope professionals are doing.

 

[LaGu]

If this trip was league mandated is one thing, I can see the league wanting to do that and have teams visit. Also makes the most sense for the Oilers to do the Cologne game for obvious reasons.

What I can't subscribe to is the exhibition game taking place on the actual date that the NHL opens the REGULAR season. That should not have been allowed, or required. I understand that the Cologne Sharks play weekend league games. But seriously this is a big deal, its a game with an NHL team. So what happened here is Cologne was already scheduled for league games on the prior Friday and Sunday and the NHL goes OK, just have the game on Wednesday.... That is inane. Cologne and the DEL ought to have bent to the NHL schedule, not the other way around.

By the time the Oilers play their first reg season game many teams will have already played 2 games. By the time the Oilers play their 2nd game teams will have played 4-5.

What a joke the scheduling is.

I wonder if the plan was not different from the beginning. I seem to remember there always being a two regular season games in Europe for the teams going over. Sometimes with a exhibition game or two before, but still once the season started they normally played the same team twice.This was definitely the case the last two seasons.

For me it would have made much more sense to play the exhibition games Sunday or Monday, and then see two regular season games between EDM and NJD, first one on the opening day (when they played Koln) and second one as scheduled now.

 

[doulos]

Shortsighted.
The next Drai or Kopitar might have been inspired by these games. The sport and the league are trying to grow beyond Canada and the Northern US. I see the connection between the Coyotes and
Matthews. I personally saw the buzz this Global Series created in Europe. Take a look at basketball in China right now and how it got to this point.

I don't know, I guess I feel like a team that has been the very representation of embarrassing for over a decade should focus a bit more on finally becoming a good team, instead of worrying about expanding the global game.

 

[LaGu]

I don't know, I guess I feel like a team that has been the very representation of embarrassing for over a decade should focus a bit more on finally becoming a good team, instead of worrying about expanding the global game.

That's the downside with having the best player in the world and the best German NHL player ever. Draisaitl obviously works in Germany, which is a huge potential market, and McDavid works everywhere.

 

[FlameChampion]

Pulju was playing the spot where Nuge is in first PP (Ovechkin and Laine spot). Which would be pretty obvios place for Pulju but coaching staff sees things differently once again.


2nd and 3rd goals (ranked 4th & 3rd) are good examples what we could see...

Thats what I figured.

 

[Drivesaitl]

That's the downside with having the best player in the world and the best German NHL player ever. Draisaitl obviously works in Germany, which is a huge potential market, and McDavid works everywhere.

Yeah, I don't know that being great ambassadors of Edmonton, and the NHL, and resulting in tourism that is coming here through the Oilers, and these efforts, is a bad thing at all.

This is after all an entertainment business and apparently in Cologne there were thousands of Edmonton Oilers jerseys walking the streets. A lot of people from Germany have specifically visited Edmonton, and Rogers place since Drai has been an Oiler.

I think its wonderful also that we have McDavid, possibly the best pro sports ambassador in any league, that exists. If you're not showing this splendid man off to the world your wasting part of what he is.

In pro sports terms they don't get better than this guy, on or off the ice. Fly McDavid anywhere and He'll do the NHL and Edmonton proud. He's a Canadian cherished treasure, and we have him.