Pre-Game Talk: The last game of the season*

[McBeastMode]

 

[Morpheus]

I am really curious to see who Vegas starts in net tonight.

 

[Gordy Elbows]

I liked the Nurse -VD pairing while Ceci was away. In fact, I would pair Kulak and Ceci on the 3rd pairing…more limited minutes.
Also, if Kulak’s play becomes problematic, slip Broberg into that slot.
Nice to have Ekholm and the added flexibility he brings.

 

[FlameChampion]

View attachment 687477

Well Vegas isnt losing. Was hoping for Quick lol

Grubauer is Quick bad.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Toronto has enough depth. I think their "star" players are more of a problem. They havent shown up in big games or elimination games. Their PP has also stunk in playoffs. Funny how their fans/media think having a good PP is a negative until its clicking like 15% below their regular season.



I thought Draisaitl didnt have his legs last game but he been amazing before that. Hes been the best Oiler the last month or so. Yes, hes been better than McDavid.

The whole team is pretty much on a roll though. I dont really have any complaints about anyone.

Here's a funny thing. Drai has 101more pts than Yama. He's lapped him. Sure Drai gets PP duty but still. Has it ever occurred where somebody with more than a 100pts more than a steady linemate has occurred?

Lapped! lol

We haven't been hurt by this kind of thing lately but in the playoffs the game to game competition of course will be tougher. No SJ Sharks and their ilk to play around with anymore every other game. We could use production on both lines and harder to get it if the first line is so top heavy and less left for2nd line.

 

[FlameChampion]

Here's a funny thing. Drai has 101more pts than Yama. He's lapped him. Sure Drai gets PP duty but still. Has it ever occurred where somebody with more than a 100pts more than a steady linemate has occurred?

Lapped! lol

We haven't been hurt by this kind of thing lately but in the playoffs the game to game competition of course will be tougher. No SJ Sharks and their ilk to play around with anymore every other game. We could use production on both lines and harder to get it if the first line is so top heavy and less left for2nd line.

I admire Yamamotos heart and drive.

I just wish he wasnt in the top 6 on the team. While he does some good things out there, he doesnt finish at a good enough level for this top 6.

But this is more or less our roster. I hope Yamamoto proves us wrong and scores a bunch.

 

[bone]

Here's a funny thing. Drai has 101more pts than Yama. He's lapped him. Sure Drai gets PP duty but still. Has it ever occurred where somebody with more than a 100pts more than a steady linemate has occurred?

Lapped! lol

We haven't been hurt by this kind of thing lately but in the playoffs the game to game competition of course will be tougher. No SJ Sharks and their ilk to play around with anymore every other game. We could use production on both lines and harder to get it if the first line is so top heavy and less left for2nd line.

Woody's going to have to reintroduce the line format he did last year. Where he had set 3rd and 4th lines, but 5 player top 6 where he'd rotate which three are out on the ice at any given time with an occasional bump up from one of the bottom six. What was the nickname they gave for that?

 

[Drivesaitl]

I admire Yamamotos heart and drive.

I just wish he wasnt in the top 6 on the team. While he does some good things out there, he doesnt finish at a good enough level for this top 6.

But this is more or less our roster. I hope Yamamoto proves us wrong and scores a bunch.

The point is it isn't about our roster. Our winger depth has improved immensely, in leaps and bounds in recent seasons and ALL our forwards except Shore are producing better/minute than Yama and they are not being glued to Draisaitl.

Again every forward on this team except Shore is producing better than Yama. Yet its 2023 headed into playoffs and Yams is still glued in there. If our opponents got to handpick a player to insert in there to stymie our 2nd line production it would involve putting either Yama or Shore in there. ANYBODY else would be better. Thats the striking thing.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Woody's going to have to reintroduce the line format he did last year. Where he had set 3rd and 4th lines, but 5 player top 6 where he'd rotate which three are out on the ice at any given time with an occasional bump up from one of the bottom six. What was the nickname they gave for that?

I don't think we even have to resort to that. We have enough wingers to fill out a proper topsix. This is not a scorched Earth roster any longer. We have depth, and we have talent in that depth. We also for some reason have Holloway languishing in Bakersfield. At what point will the team wean Yama from almost continual topsix looks. yams has been with Drai and McD at times this season. Nothing has really sparked. The only time it does is when we load up Drai/Nuge together who are driving those results.

 

[Fourier]

The point is it isn't about our roster. Our winger depth has improved immensely, in leaps and bounds in recent seasons and ALL our forwards except Shore are producing better/minute than Yama and they are not being glued to Draisaitl.

Again every forward on this team except Shore is producing better than Yama. Yet its 2023 headed into playoffs and Yams is still glued in there. If our opponents got to handpick a player to insert in there to stymie our 2nd line production it would involve putting either Yama or Shore in there. ANYBODY else would be better. Thats the striking thing.

This literally seems to be an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" situation. Yamamoto had been playing fairly well for much of the last month. The bottom six seems to have found a rhythm and it may be that they don't want to tinker with something that has gone well especially since they tend to mix and match with the top 5 guys anyway.

I think there is a very good chance they move on from Yamamoto in the off season just to give them the space to re-sign most of their FA's.

 

[Stoneman89]

Only one bit of advice for the boys (not that they need it). No worrying about out of town scores or different scenarios. Just play your game and take care of business and the rest will sort itself out. What will be, will be.

 

[Stoneman89]

Break some records, 66 goals and 155 points for Connor. Get a shutout for Skinner, break the all-time PP record.

I agree. Go balls out and decimate them. Plenty of time to rest up for next weeks game 1 after tonight. And so many times, when players try to hold back, they get injured. I'm not talking crashing the net at all costs, but go hard.

 

[Oilers in NS]

I just read Landeskgog is done for playoffs. FU AVS

 

[bone]

I just read Landeskgog is done for playoffs. FU AVS

Cue the excuse if they get knocked out saying it's only because of injuries.

I'd feel for the guy, but I'm still a little bitter about him calling out Kane for his bad hit on Kadri where there's multiple instances of him doing the same in recent years.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

I just read Landeskgog is done for playoffs. FU AVS

If only he was durable like Nuge.

 

[McBeastMode]

 

[Took a pill in Sbisa]

So they don't have to play the defending cup champs who only lost 4 games enroute to the Stanley Cup last year.

Yeah, I think they'd still want to do their best and possibly face Vegas instead if Edmonton and Anaheim do their jobs.

My bad, I didn't understand the combinations evidently

 

[Lay Z Boy GM]

50 wins and hopefully Connor with 155-156 points. Let’s go boys, make EK demand a trade and let’s finish this season and get a Cup

 

[Duke74]

The point is it isn't about our roster. Our winger depth has improved immensely, in leaps and bounds in recent seasons and ALL our forwards except Shore are producing better/minute than Yama and they are not being glued to Draisaitl.

Again every forward on this team except Shore is producing better than Yama. Yet its 2023 headed into playoffs and Yams is still glued in there. If our opponents got to handpick a player to insert in there to stymie our 2nd line production it would involve putting either Yama or Shore in there. ANYBODY else would be better. Thats the striking thing.

Agree 100%. Anyone from the bottom 6, Foegele, Kostin, McLeod, Bjugstad, hell, Derek Ryan, would be better than Yamamoto on the second line. Or at least not kill offense in the way that Yams does by constantly losing the puck or flubbing prime scoring opportunities. Draisaitl's last ES point came when playing on the fourth line with Ryan and Foegele while freed from the constraints of Yamamoto. That tells you all you need to know.

This literally seems to be an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" situation. Yamamoto had been playing fairly well for much of the last month. The bottom six seems to have found a rhythm and it may be that they don't want to tinker with something that has gone well especially since they tend to mix and match with the top 5 guys anyway.

I think there is a very good chance they move on from Yamamoto in the off season just to give them the space to re-sign most of their FA's.

Makes sense, but my worry is that while the first line will flourish and the bottom six will at least tread water, our second line will get murdered. Not only will that line face top competition, but it will do so with a severely undersized player and another recovering from a serious injury. Meanwhile, McDavid gets our top two wingers in Nuge and Hyman. I'd prefer to balance the lines by going Kane-McD-Hyman and Nuge-Draisaitl-Foegele. Woodcroft had that alignment, which showed success, but went away from it as soon as Yamamoto returned from injury.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Oilers need to pick it up, but they're alot better

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Gawd damn