Post-Game Talk: The Mike Ricci-est win I’ve ever seen

[K1984]

as bad as the game was we still won, we are suppossed to win those games and we did. id rather save the full out boss effort for teams we need it for.

Although I agree in a sense, I really think it's important in the big picture for this group to tighten up the range in the quality of their game and stop picking and choosing when they compete. It's pretty clear to everyone here that consistency is a problem with this group, and I think that to take the next step and really go deep we need to have an internal comfort level in what a "worst case scenario" in our game is, and it has to be a few levels higher than that.

Championship teams can have bad games, even against bad teams, but only 15 shots total and only 7 shots in the last two periods isn't acceptable against a roster of that quality. No matter what, I can't perceive contending teams like the Panthers, Knights, Avalanche, etc. ever playing that poorly against a roster that bad. It's a mental edge all of those teams currently have on us.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

That or...

What a classic.

 

[Ibanez]

"I don't like how he's skating, don't care if it's an injury."

Huh? So you acknowledge it's due to injury, but that isn't an excuse? I also don't agree that whatever warm body that would come into the lineup to replace Kane would be any more impactful than him even in the current state.

All I know is when he was healthy he was an absolute demon for us and carried us through a time when zero other players on this team including McDavid and Drai were pissing a drop or doing anything. It's a pretty direct correlation between when he started missing practices and when his game fell off.

Despite all this, he has 13 goals this year in 35 games and leads the NHL in hits. But sure, slag him and accuse him of being a cry baby when he's playing injured while saddled with 4th line line mates in limited minutes.

I said it’s probably a mix of injury and lack of care. I watch body language. That’s my tell. You’re only using parts of my statements.

You also talk about “documented” injury. I talk about documented spirals that have happened literally everywhere he goes. Both of these things can be true. If I can acknowledge you’re point that yes he may be injured then I think it’s fair you can acknowledge my point that he has a clear history of playing himself off every single team he is a part of. Often after starting well with said teams.

Why can’t that be acknowledged ?

We clearly disagree and that’s ok. I just hope we see the Kane from last year at some point. Whatever the cause. I hope I’m wrong and that you are right

 

[Draiskull]

I can't rag on Kane when he is getting no PP time and has Ryan and Brown as linemates.

 

[Ibanez]

I can't rag on Kane when he is getting no PP time and has Ryan and Brown as linemates.

His line mates certainly don’t help. I hate that line. But mostly I just hate that Brown is still on this team and not down in Bakersfield

 

[K1984]

I said it’s probably a mix of injury and lack of care. I watch body language. That’s my tell. You’re only using parts of my statements.

You also talk about “documented” injury. I talk about documented spirals that have happened literally everywhere he goes. Both of these things can be true. If I can acknowledge you’re point that yes he may be injured then I think it’s fair you can acknowledge my point that he has a clear history of playing himself off every single team he is a part of. Often after starting well with said teams.

Why can’t that be acknowledged ?

We clearly disagree and that’s ok. I just hope we see the Kane from last year at some point. Whatever the cause. I hope I’m wrong and that you are right

Fair enough, I just get "triggered" so to speak when I see jargon like "cry baby" and "pout" used almost exclusively for him, especially when there are a lot of reasons he clearly isn't up to snuff at the moment that are out of his control.

I have no problem hitting him with those labels if we're sitting here months from now and he's still a non factor despite being healthy, but I just don't think we're near the point to start slagging his character. Especially when he was playing among his best hockey as an Oiler for a good stretch before the most recent injury with essentially zero team mate support.

 

[Ibanez]

Fair enough, I just get "triggered" so to speak when I see jargon like "cry baby" and "pout" used almost exclusively for him, especially when there are a lot of reasons he clearly isn't up to snuff at the moment that are out of his control.

I have no problem hitting him with those labels if we're sitting here months from now and he's still a non factor despite being healthy, but I just don't think we're near the point to start slagging his character. Especially when he was playing among his best hockey as an Oiler for a good stretch before the most recent injury with essentially zero team mate support.

I think your point is fair. I’m probably jumping the gun a little bit here on the guy. I’ll admit that. It’s probably his history that gets me agitated quickly.

He deserves some more runway before we go down this path. He’s been a good soldier to this point in the past seasons.

What really worries me is that for the playoffs we need the beast Kane. He’s just so effective in those games. It really elevates our team

 

[RegDunlop]

Learning experience for Knoblaugh. Are you gonna be soft on the team like Woodcroft would be after a game like this just because it was a win? Or are you going to set a higher standard than that?

Not challenging the 3rd goal I think deflated the team some too, you should challenge that, yes you risk a penalty but you also there's also risk of deflating your team by taking away a goal that should stand up.

The excuse to not challenge being the penalty called if wrong is ridiculous in this case.
You're playing the last place team in the league with not even half their lineup. Are you seriously threatened by their pp?!!

Game looked to me like they felt too superior to exert effort. That happens. Just cut it off at this 1 game and all is good.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

So if Ottawa and Philly are the teams we are looking at for to 6 help Tarasenko would be a guy of interest albeit he has a NTC.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

I can't rag on Kane when he is getting no PP time and has Ryan and Brown as linemates.

Guy has been injured for some time. We need him healthy so that he's crashing and banging even when the puck isn't going in for him. Right now he's just kind of there.

 

[tiger_80]

Yeh, like a 5 year old paining with a finger after sticking it in the ass. lol.

Guy has been injured for some time. We need him healthy so that he's crashing and banging even when the puck isn't going in for him. Right now he's just kind of there.

he still has 14 goals, that's about 30 goals per season if he keeps the pace.

 

[Soundwave]

The excuse to not challenge being the penalty called if wrong is ridiculous in this case.
You're playing the last place team in the league with not even half their lineup. Are you seriously threatened by their pp?!!

Game looked to me like they felt too superior to exert effort. That happens. Just cut it off at this 1 game and all is good.

Yeah think that was a bad call on his part, it gave the Blackhawks a lift and set the Oilers back in a game where they already didn't have a lot of energy.

Challenge that shit dude. That was a good goal, who on their PP are you even afraid of.

 

[K1984]

So if Ottawa and Philly are the teams we are looking at for to 6 help Tarasenko would be a guy of interest albeit he has a NTC.

IMO we need more of a skilled playmaker/puck handler in the top 6 vs. an elite shooter.

Currently our top 6 is balanced in this sense other than a glaring hole on the 2nd line right side:

RNH (playmaker/puck handler) - McDavid (all of the above) - Hyman (grinder/scorer)
Kane (shooter/grinder) - Draisaitl (all of the above) - ???

Drai needs a winger with some speed that can handle the puck and make a play with it, it's why he was instantly more impactful with McLeod and Foegele vs. Kane and Brown/Janmark.

Currently Leon is kind of centering a poor man's version of the ideal line:

McLeod (playmaker/puck handler) - Leon (all of the above) - Foegele (grinder/shooter).

Adding a speed/skill player to the right wing allows us to put Kane in a better position to succeed on that line while moving the other two down to make more of an impact in a depth role.

 

[RegDunlop]

I'm not sure what it is about Kane that causes people to immediately sewer him at the first sign of poor play, but here we are again for the second time this season.

It's been pretty well documented that he's playing through a core injury. Maybe, just maybe it's more that and not being a "pouty baby?" He's hurt and playing with two guys in third line minutes that can't score, it really shouldn't be a mystery why he isn't lighting it up.

Just like the first time we went through this song and dance this year, he will get it together and he will be an impact player for us in key moment, but he isn't right now for pretty glaringly apparent reasons.

Yes

 

[Morpheus]

@Morpheus going to make another winner tomorrow?

Quite likely.
I was worried that if the oilers lost I would be lambasted here haha

 

[bellagiobob]

Quite likely.
I was worried that if the oilers lost I would be lambasted here haha

Win or lose, doesn’t matter, you and the Oilers will both be lambasted.

 

[PositiveCashFlow]

Can someone tell me why Skinner suddenly looks like an above average NHL goaltender? Is it all the rest or has his technique improved?

 

[Frank the Tank]

I can't rag on Kane when he is getting no PP time and has Ryan and Brown as linemates.

The top-6 is scoring consistently and the team is winning games. There are few options that will satisfy Kane's situation when the coaches are limited to mixing up the bottom-6. I think ultimately he'll benefit the most from the addition of a forward at the deadline.

Before that, the team will likely lose a few games and then will be the time to see if Kane can find success in a remixed top-6.

 

[CornKicker]

Although I agree in a sense, I really think it's important in the big picture for this group to tighten up the range in the quality of their game and stop picking and choosing when they compete. It's pretty clear to everyone here that consistency is a problem with this group, and I think that to take the next step and really go deep we need to have an internal comfort level in what a "worst case scenario" in our game is, and it has to be a few levels higher than that.

Championship teams can have bad games, even against bad teams, but only 15 shots total and only 7 shots in the last two periods isn't acceptable against a roster of that quality. No matter what, I can't perceive contending teams like the Panthers, Knights, Avalanche, etc. ever playing that poorly against a roster that bad. It's a mental edge all of those teams currently have on us.

the panthers and avalanche have both lost to the blackhawks this year, it happens.... just not to us lol

 

[Frank the Tank]

the panthers and avalanche have both lost to the blackhawks this year, it happens.... just not to us lol

Don't forget the Flames lost 2 days earlier to a weaker version of the Hawks. Raddysh and Anderson returned to the lineup yesterday against the Oilers.

Overall, the Oilers have played consistently over a long period of time. They are 16-3 (almost a quarter of the season) and based on level of play they should be 17-2, where they were only outplayed by Florida and Chicago across that stretch. They deserved a better fate on the losses against TB and NY Islanders.

 

[ManofSteel55]

I can't rag on Kane when he is getting no PP time and has Ryan and Brown as linemates.

Yeah, I feel for the guy. He just wants a chance to produce, and they put him out there with the black hole (Brown). I know Foegele is playing well, but Kane needs to get some top six ice time somewhere along the way. I wonder if Kane is banged up, and they're trying to give him time to heal.

 

[Slats432]

I've noticed that Deslauriers is starting to get healthy scratched lately.

His ice time is also down. He's usually a 10 min per game guy but now he's getting 2-3 minutes less per game. He played 3:36 vs the Flames a few days ago.

Also the Flyers have 8 NHL defenseman with the addition of Drysdale.

If a team wanted to add some depth and toughness one would think Deslauriers and Seeler would be the obvious answers

I am only joking here.....but that is a post Stauffer would make if he was still here.

 

[ManofSteel55]

Can someone tell me why Skinner suddenly looks like an above average NHL goaltender? Is it all the rest or has his technique improved?

I don't have all of the answers, but earlier in the year he seemed to commit too early, and he was flopping around a lot more. He just seems more composed right now.

 

[Fixed to Ruin]

I am only joking here.....but that is a post Stauffer would make if he was still here.

That's kinda why i posted that tweet. I remember him going on and on about the Deslauriers signing at the time. Then at the intermission of last night's game he mentioned Ottawa and Philly as potential trade partners for the Oilers so i wondered if there was a connection.

 

[CornKicker]

So if Ottawa and Philly are the teams we are looking at for to 6 help Tarasenko would be a guy of interest albeit he has a NTC.

hes also 32 and im sure not looking to not play playoff hockey. I would assume also wanting to boost his UFA value for next year which a good playoff run can do for him so waiving to come to edmonton is a pretty good possibility