Scapegoat Yakupov and double standards (Eberle)

[I am the Liquor]

Ebs has 13 points in 17 games and is -3. Yak has 3 points and is -14. Eberle is playing poorly, but Yak is seriously struggling.

Sam Gagner has zero pts in four games and is minus six. 20min TOI/G.

 

[fuswald]

Yak played much better last night what I saw. He seemed less nervous.

Getting robbed by Stamkos on a dangerous pass is Stamkos being awesome not Yak handing him the puck.

 

[McDrai]

Yak played much better last night what I saw. He seemed less nervous.

Getting robbed by Stamkos on a dangerous pass is Stamkos being awesome not Yak handing him the puck.

I agree. I think Yak is on the verge of breaking out. It seems like he is getting better defensively IMO and that play last night where he made a great move and passed it to Gordon is something that only a confident player would do. Hopefully i'm right and he pots a couple next game

 

[Insta]

Yak being completely awful doesn't absolve Eberle of his lapses. I don't get how people can think that because Eberle is struggling with turning the puck over, that somehow excuses Yak's doing it. Eberle is tied for the team lead in points whereas Yak does next to nothing other than look lost and get scored on.

 

[Supermassive]

I think the OP needs to look up the definition of the word scapegoat. Seems to be a lot of hurt feelings and not a lot of clarity there. Yak's still basically a rookie who needs to be managed. Eberle is a near PPG vet who doesn't.

 

[Trafalgar Sadge Law]

Nail Yakupov has a 3.4% shooting percentage. Much like with RNH last season, that's an unsustainably LOW shooting percentage. He's been even more snakebitten than RNH this year and he's got a much better shot arsenal than Nuge as well. Law of averages say he's going to score at least 20 goals even if he has a bad season. He'll come around.

 

[AJGass4]

Gagner looks like he shouldn't even be playing.

He was horrid last night.

 

[Rancourt Fist Pump]

I seen that Eberle play. That was gross. I didn't really like the pass from Ference to begin with, but it was a minor mistake that got compounded by some true ridiculousness out of Eberle... save the juggling tricks for the bar, young fella.

Most guys I know, if they flubbed a pass that bad with a checker bearing down on them would have held, hooked, tripped, mugged...anything but let the guy take the puck and burn away with it. Eberle didn't seem too bothered by his miscue. That's gotta be concerning.

That 1st 1 with Yak was a pretty standard breakout. Hall definitely took the risky option sending it over to Yak burning up the middle, but if Yak has 2 hands on his stick, he reigns that pass in and has enough time to get his head up and see Nuge, who leaked behind the forecheck, or maybe even find the weak side defenseman; but I don't think he would have known he was there. At the very least he had time to do what Hall probably should have done in the 1st place and just chip it up the wall, but we can play the coulda, woulda, shoulda game all day. **** happens. I'm sure they all watched it on tape after. If it keeps happening, then it's time to get upset about it.

Anyway, they were minor mistakes that led to the worst possible outcomes, but you gotta give credit where it's due. Stamkos and co. were all over those 2 plays defensively. 90% of the guys out there likely wouldn't have finished those chances either. Just the wrong guy at the wrong time to get a little sloppy with. They don't call em the Macedonian Assassin for nothing.

Good game though apart from those 2 stinkers in the 1st. I really felt bad for the Oilers tonight. Thought they deserved at least a point tonight, but that hairless wookie in net for the Lightning had himself a night. Wadya gonna do...

Cheers guys. The team's still learning a lot of stuff. Hang in there.

 

[Dorian2]

I think the OP needs to look up the definition of the word scapegoat. Seems to be a lot of hurt feelings and not a lot of clarity there. Yak's still basically a rookie who needs to be managed. Eberle is a near PPG vet who doesn't.

Well said Psycho.

 

[Faelko]

Hey look, the Omark thread has been renamed...

This thread is full of people bashing Eberle yet the question is why doesn't Eberle take any flack for his poor play?

There's absolutely no denying Eberle is playing like ****, ...

 

[CornKicker]

Ebs has 13 points in 17 games and is -3. Yak has 3 points and is -14. Eberle is playing poorly, but Yak is seriously struggling.

we are seeing more and more flashes of yakupov coming around though. The dangle and sweet pass to Smyth in the FLA game was amazing and the battle through a check to spring a 2-1 and a perfect feed to gordon last night was another. He is trying to make plays. The skill is there and the effort is there. he will still be a better player than eberle imo.

 

[CornKicker]

i also truley feel that as soon as yak snipes a couple the flood gates will open and he will score at least 20 this season

 

[Crobby]

we are seeing more and more flashes of yakupov coming around though. The dangle and sweet pass to Smyth in the FLA game was amazing and the battle through a check to spring a 2-1 and a perfect feed to gordon last night was another. He is trying to make plays. The skill is there and the effort is there. he will still be a better player than eberle imo.

This is why i have no problem with taking our time with him...even if it means he has to sit a game or two. In Yak's 4th year I don't want him making the mistakes Ebs is still making.

 

[randomrob7]

DIRECTLY YAKUPOV'S FAULT??? Did you watch the game? Hall gave him a suicide pass, and Yak had to get out of the way of a hit that would have put him out for months. I don't blame him. Sure he botched the reception of the pass a little but it wasn't all his fault.

Yakupov did a whole bunch of stick handling after he got the pass. Just watched the replay, Yak had tons of time to make a pass or chip it out of the zone. But instead, he tried stick handling through one of the best 5 players in the league. So yes, it was directly Yakupovs fault, not counting Dubnyk.

 

[Oilslick941611]

Eberle is a proven player.He's proven he can play and is ready for the NHL level. Yak really hasn't outside of a few games.

 

[Beerfish]

You can add Hall to the list as well. He seems to be the favoured son who people forgive for bad mistakes in an instant as opposed to other players.

 

[Hockey Buddha]

Yakupov is a skilled young player with an amazing career ahead of him, particularly if he learns the things on the defensive side of the puck that Eakins is trying to teach him. Eberle is going to become a better player as well working with Eakins, but Yakupov has more to earn at this point than Eberle.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

Eberle can read the play better than Yakupov right now, but that's pretty much it. Yak will probably be better than Ebs by the end of the year and will never be comparable again, just a guess..

His game is pretty much "watch the puck and make other team watch the puck"

Hall, Ebs, and Schultz all do a large amount of that

 

[Hockey Buddha]

Eberle can read the play better than Yakupov right now, but that's pretty much it. Yak will probably be better than Ebs by the end of the year and will never be comparable again, just a guess..

His game is pretty much "watch the puck and make other team watch the puck"

Hall, Ebs, and Schultz all do a large amount of that

That, in a nutshell, is the crux of the problem throughout much of the line up. It's much improved, and really, it's the task Eakins is assigned and is going to have to fix. And, if Eakins can't get it sorted out this season, MacTavish will have to address it in the off-season.

 

[elmeroil]

So much wrong with this post.

On the Yak goal its an ill advised pass to middle ice in own zone by Taylor Hall, the player many people here wanted to be captain this year. It was a lousy own zone pass thats often going to lead to trouble.

On the pass to Eberle its a routine play along the boards. Eberle just has to corral, play, chip out, or protect the puck there. Its a play thats made 100 times a game. Eberle completely flubs receiving the pass, gets confused, leaves the puck entirely exposed and Stamkos picks his pocket clean without even slowing down. Thats a critical error, brutal, by Eberle allowing an uncontested pick in own zone which gave Stamkos all kinds of time and space. Then, instead of reacting to get back in the play Eberle coasts towards the action tentatively. With any more urgency he would've been able to swarm Stamkos as he curls out front from around the net. But Eberles just watching..

FF to the 3rd Lightning goal and thats Eberle, Hopkins out on a shift forever, should've jumped to the bench twice, but get caught out tired (a habit) and Eberle, with no energy, is easily muscled off the puck at the blueline. That was his puck and he didn't get it out. Tampa moves puck downlow and scores. Game over.

Eberle perfecting by now the nervous tick where he puts his glove in his mouth after every GA. Safer than putting his foot in mouth I guess.. Its almost funny how often you see this and eberle does it every time. That its become routine enough to notice being due to the frequency of GA Eberle chronically gives up.

Eberle then turns the puck over twice as we pulled the goalie directly resulting in the empty net goal in what was an embarrassing lack of compete on the play. Eberle lost puck, and gave up. No less than 3 times tonight directly leading to goals.

Not sure either how you think 2 assists makes up for 3 brutal plays by Eberle that end up in our net. Not coincidentally he was -2 on the night.

Wow for a guy who is so critical how did you not know that after every goal he scores and whenever the whistle goes he is taking his mouth guard out. Nervous tick.....really?

 

[Replacement*]

Wow for a guy who is so critical how did you not know that after every goal he scores and whenever the whistle goes he is taking his mouth guard out. Nervous tick.....really?

Is there a reason he takes his mouth piece off after every goal against. Couldn't really tell what he was doing there or why. But yeah, it is a tick unless theres some reason for it.
I see him doing this after goals scored, not after every whistle. Anyway, it was a silly comment meant to be funny. Apparently it wasn't.

 

[Ninety7]

I agree 100% and its frustrating to see hhim get a free pass for his terrible play.

 

[McOilers97]

You can add Hall to the list as well. He seems to be the favoured son who people forgive for bad mistakes in an instant as opposed to other players.

There is a difference between the mistakes Hall makes and the ones Eberle makes.

Eberle's are either a complete lack of effort or trying to stickhandle through a maze of players.

Hall mistakes are largely effort based: momentary lapses in judgement, like an ill-advised pass.

I know that mistakes are mistakes regardless BUT: Hall is consistently busting his ass out there and on any given night, he'll offset any mistakes he makes by creating offense. Eberle is an absolute floater out there that plays a soft perimeter game, relying on having space to create offense which he isn't given anymore, and even more alarmingly: seems to more and more frequently be putting up a **** effort. I would forgive him for some of these mistakes if he either 1) off-set them by generating offense or 2) worked hard to recover from them in the moment.

And I also agree with the idea that Eberle shouldn't be able to keep living off this reputation based on the WJC's. I'm so sick of this "Canada's golden boy" treatment he gets.

 

[Replacement*]

Ebs has 13 points in 17 games and is -3. Yak has 3 points and is -14. Eberle is playing poorly, but Yak is seriously struggling.

This is stated as if its two different variables, but in a sense its one. In this comparison the differential in +/- is explained entirely by the points for.

Eberle actually has more GA so far this year than Yak. The only difference is he has a lot of assists.

But Eberle has a paltry 3 goals. A really terrible amount for a guy thats potted 34. Eberle as well this season and last only has 19goals in last 65GP. This is rounding out to be a steep depreciation in his goal scoring. Eberle also hasn't scored a goal in nearly a month of play. All reasons for concern considering he's getting paid high salary for some unique goal scoring acumen. We have plenty of guys that can pad some assists.

You may well say, well, Yak has only 1 goal. Yes, but it hasn't been that many games ago since Yak was scoring at a prolific rate. For instance in April of last year Yak scored 11 goals in one month in 14 games. Indeed Yak is a streaky scorer as he had a 16game span last year with no goals. The goals will come for Yak, we all know that, and the cold string doesn't change that.

I've said this before, and I'll say it again. Yak will score more goals than Eberle in respective NHL careers from this day forward. I say that with zero hesitation. Barring significant injury or Yak pursuing KHL instead.

Goals scored for Yak will trend up. Potential for 40. Eberle while once at 34 is not going to regain that lofty perch anytime soon if ever. I see more of a 25 goal scorer, if that, with Eberle. Although he's looking far worse than that now.

 

[Replacement*]

Yakupov did a whole bunch of stick handling after he got the pass. Just watched the replay, Yak had tons of time to make a pass or chip it out of the zone. But instead, he tried stick handling through one of the best 5 players in the league. So yes, it was directly Yakupovs fault, not counting Dubnyk.

You're seeing what you want to here. It was a pass that was immediately pressured and with a bigtime hit distracting player. He was lined up and spotted it at the last second. As I stated self preservation kicked in. Kind of understandable for a guy thats played 60games and can still be shocked at the rugged nature of NHL play. Plus that the play Yak lost the puck shouldn't have been a goal and we still had that covered and Stamkos scores on an outside shot. Eberle actually had more time, and Eberle had no peril on the play. No impending belting hit, only embarrassment.
The Eberle strip is a fatal breakdown as Stamkos walks in unmolested with all kinds of times and space on the play and with our D entirely compromised by Eberle giving up the puck. While Eberle watches the play passively.

Strange that you're seeing fault with one, and not the other.