Post-Game Talk: So... What is actually wrong with McDrai? *or Cloned's reverse jinx thread*

Cloned

Begging for Bega
Aug 25, 2003
79,443
65,483
Ethan Bear is my favorite Oiler to watch after Batman and Robin. He's so incredibly poised and calm under pressure. This was a beautiful play where he wins a battle against Ovechkin and calmly skates away with the puck with Backstrom barreling down on him:

XDUU7nj.gif

Can you gif every good McDavid shift in the 3rd period? Or is that asking too much haha
 

guymez

The Seldom Seen Kid
Mar 3, 2004
33,153
12,997
Ethan Bear is my favorite Oiler to watch after Batman and Robin. He's so incredibly poised and calm under pressure. This was a beautiful play where he wins a battle against Ovechkin and calmly skates away with the puck with Backstrom barreling down on him:

XDUU7nj.gif

Bear is an absolute joy to watch move the puck.
Keep in mind though that Tippetts systems involves better puck support and much shorter outlet passes which plays perfectly with Bears game.
Watch how many times Bear will dish a short 3-5 foot pass to a forward. That forwards positioning is critical for Bear because even though his processor works fast he still needs an option...otherwise he shoots the puck off of the boards or eats it.
 

dssource

5-14-6-1=97
Jun 29, 2012
4,972
7,099
Entertaining game to watch. Did not expect that result at all.

2/3 slumps were broken in this. Goal-less, McDrai, bottom 9 goal-less. Glad our top line had a monstrous game. They and the team really needed that. Kosk and Nurse/Bear were fantastic too.

People keep piling on the fact that McDrai has to get pts to win. They do. Caps aren't sniffing at OTL without Ovi and Carlsson chipping in. Most teams top lines contribute. Our guys are PPG+ which means they should have at least 1 pt per game. They are our leaders and they should be on the board especially against top competition. The caps are and played like a very good team. McDrai breaking out of their slump is HUGE for this team. The secondary scoring will come.
 

RegDunlop

Registered User
Nov 5, 2016
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Edmonton
Does anyone else deep down wish that Kassian landed that hit on Orlov? I mean part of me is glad he didn't because Orlov likely gets injured, but man that would have been one of the biggest hits I can think of in recent memory.

That Archie hit the other game was pretty rad!
 

RegDunlop

Registered User
Nov 5, 2016
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Edmonton
Its not worth talking about it with you because you don't comprehend the risk reward in Drais game. In first period there where he gets picked by OV he's Double teamed up high. He's waiting for guys to get open and give him some puck support and nobody does. he buys 6 seconds on that play in no mans land and nobody being a relief valve. But I'm sure everybody blamed him for getting stripped.

10 times a night Drai makes plays like that where he draws defenders up high and then kills them.

This board hardly even takes notice.

If you think Drai was ordinary in the first two periods you just don't know or comprehend his cerebral game.

This board does take notice. No one here would sanely disagree with the fact that he is incredible.
He would be the number one star on 27-29 other teams but he plays in McDs shadow.
The issue here is that no matter how many times he doesn't play to his potential, you defend him unnecessarily. No player is perfect. He does make mistakes as does McD. But as soon as anyone says anything about it you go off the deep end!

With all due respect, its like why many hate the Leafs. They like the team, but get sick of hearing about their greatness ALL the time!
 

RegDunlop

Registered User
Nov 5, 2016
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Edmonton
Amazing win. McDrai doing McDrai things and really took over in the 3rd period against an elite NHL team.
I am really worried with the minutes that they are playing though. McDavid at 27 minutes and Draisaitl at 26 minutes. We’re going to run these two into the ground if we don’t bring in some help. Honestly, at this stage I would be game to bring in Taylor Hall as he could spot in on that 2nd line and take a lot of those minutes from McDrai. Also recall Yamamoto

Draisaitl-McDavid-Kassian
Hall-RNH-Neal
Gagner-Sheahan-Yamamoto
Chiasson-Granlund-Archibald

I just don't buy into this overuse as much as others. I mean yes there is a line, and more importantly the right times. I worry abit about Drai as he has tougher minutes on PK etc.

But with TV time outs, challenges delays, snow clearing, etc, why not play them more?
 

RegDunlop

Registered User
Nov 5, 2016
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Edmonton
The NHL is not artificially inflating the cap. The cap is based on the previous year's actual revenues plus the escalator which is their as an means of estimating natural growth.

The players have already reduced the escalator down to 1%. That and the fall of the $CDN have been what has slowed cap growth. This year the $CDN is flat so it would be reasonable to expect the cap to grow by 4-5% which would be $3-4M.

The escrow issue is in part because the reduction of the escalator has resulted in teams spending very close to the ceiling together with a large number of front loaded deals which impact the actual money spent. At some point the latter issue will correct itself.

The reality is that the NHL does not manipulate the cap. It is set by a formula, and the NHLPA's ability to limit cap growth has almost entirely been used up.

In the end escrow is actually a player vs player issue. With these young RFA's signing huge front loaded deals more and more of the money is going to fewer players. But this also means players with existing contracts have a little more taken from them.

There is a relatively simple solution to the escrow problem. A one time roll back of everyone's nominal salary of 10% and a corresponding reduction of the ceiling and floor so that the ceiling becomes closer to the actual revenue number going forward rather than having the revenue number reflect the midpoint. In the end the players still make the same amount as they are now in real dollars next year but going forward they will reduce the need for escrow.

Jesus our fans are smart!
 

RegDunlop

Registered User
Nov 5, 2016
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Edmonton
This isn't Russell playing poorly, this is a structural thing that our pk is designed to do.

It's kind of dumb we didn't adapt the to the caps because well... Yeah. But I don't think that's Russell's fault. The team sold out to win a puck battle like they have all year and got burned by Vrana and Wilson. It happens.

Seeing how our pk is 5th in the league I'm not worried about it.

Agree
And to me, OV is not even his responsibility in that pic
 

RegDunlop

Registered User
Nov 5, 2016
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Edmonton
You're totally correct, that is not Russell's man in the top right corner. Ovechkin should be covered by the forward that's about 6 ft in front of Russell the forward is cheating way too far over to the left side. Russell is supposed to stay where he is, he's got the lower right quarter of the ice. When you're playing the Box you never as a defenseman go chase the player up near the blue line that's not his man nor is it his responsibility

Yes
Commented on this before I saw your post
Thought I was losing it!
 

Oil Dood

Registered User
Sep 17, 2019
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Its because Russell is playing his off side. Klefbom and Russell have never worked well together but its not an indictment on the players. Its just not a good pairing and never has been. Russell and Benning are fine as a bottom 6 and when Larsson comes back you pair him back with Klefbom, and Nygard becomes your 6/7th with Manning as your 7/8th. Either way our D is playing above expectations this year any way you slice it.
So you want to move Nygard from forward to defense?
 

Blue Line Turnover

Registered User
Oct 26, 2006
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The fact that neither Kassian, Khaira, nor Nurse didn't dish out a huge hit on a star player after Wilson was running around recklessly was somewhat disheartening
 

Oil Dood

Registered User
Sep 17, 2019
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The fact that neither Kassian, Khaira, nor Nurse didn't dish out a huge hit on a star player after Wilson was running around recklessly was somewhat disheartening

Wilson was a non factor here. no coach in their right mind puts someone like him out when the game matters.
 

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