Post-Game Talk: Too Much Turkey

[Drivesaitl]

This season (outside of this game) he has been good to great. Not sure how anyone can say otherwise unless they have some very weird expectations on what a 4th line should be doing. Khaira and Sheahan has been outright dominant on the cycle at times and hemming the opponents in. To have a 4th line being able to exert that kind of pressure is impressive to me. I don't know what you and others expect from these guys? They're not playing soft minutes, getting an OZ push with the expectation to score. That's not their role at all and Tippett would probably be the first one to tell you that.

Khaira has had 2 very bad games this season and he's had the rest where he's done enough to stay in the lineup. Not great by any means but just grinding and cyclign with some good players.

But look at what he's supposed to be vs what he is. This is a guy with size and weight who isn't hitting enough, and isn't hitting hard enough, and isn't making anybody out there take numbers.

He isn't being an antagonizer, he isn't getting in grills, he's not drawing retaliation players. Good to great roleplayers do that, wherever their zone starts are. On the play I mention last night Shaw, a runt of a player finishes a better check than Khaira has made all season and Khaira gets the retaliation penalty for mildly going at Shaw who was laughing at him after. Shaw smoked an Oiler, AND the Hawks got a PP as added benefit. When is Khaira delivering the team that kind of intangible benefit? Khaira is in the show because he's a strong lad capable of some mayhem. He's very clearly not doing that. He got schooled on the sequence by Shaw, and would 9 times out of 10.

 

[gordonhught]

He is not wrong and neither are you ...but thats not the way to fix this ...

You fix it by bringing in new players. If current ones are not scoring, then you bring in new ones. No point in letting forwards 7-14 to keep their spots if they cannot get points.

Maybe you wait another game or two. If there is still no production from the bottom six, then I would start making moves.

Gagner, Benson, and Marody come up.

Russell, Archibald, and Haas go down.

 

[Drivesaitl]

That is goal number 3 Smith has cost us

Not really a fair view as Smith just played two excellent games and was the only reason we were still in the game.

I didn't like Perssons let up on the play either and there was some confusion between goalie and D. In anycase it was a third period score effect kind of play in a game where we had nothing.

Smith who was conservative but great the first two periods started to take chances more in the 3rd. But to the team having no legs and seeing that he had to try to help.

I'll rarely blame a player for trying to do more, to help the team. Smith had a good read on where the game was at. At the moment the play occurred the Oilers had had no pulse for around 30minutes.

 

[Drivesaitl]

You fix it by bringing in new players. If current ones are not scoring, then you bring in new ones. No point in letting forwards 7-14 to keep their spots if they cannot get points.

Maybe you wait another game or two. If there is still no production from the bottom six, then I would start making moves.

Gagner, Benson, and Marody come up.

Russell, Archibald, and Haas go down.

Russell and Haas have been fine. Smart players that do the little things, and battle, to move the puck consistently up ice. They have both been very good at getting pucks transitioning the right way and the team was severely lacking in that last night. tbh I haven't seen either make a bad play yet. They've been very solid. Just that coach in occasion in a new season is going with some players that are said to be better, or bring more talent. But on basis of what I've seen Russell and Haas stay in the lineup.

 

[Messrules11]

Great argument. Guess what zone you're starting in and the role the coach gives you means nothing anymore and plus/minus is the be-all, end-all stat.

Maybe you should look up his giveaways and hits. He sent Toews in all alone last night, left Kane alone to score the games first goal and took two penalties that we killed off without him. So what exactly does he bring? Oh, he cycled the puck on a few shifts a week ago. Yeah, what a stud.

 

[HockeyGuy1964]

Not really a fair view as Smith just played two excellent games and was the only reason we were still in the game.

I didn't like Perssons let up on the play either and there was some confusion between goalie and D. In anycase it was a third period score effect kind of play in a game where we had nothing.

Smith who was conservative but great the first two periods started to take chances more in the 3rd. But to the team having no legs and seeing that he had to try to help.

I'll rarely blame a player for trying to do more, to help the team. Smith had a good read on where the game was at. At the moment the play occurred the Oilers had had no pulse for around 30minutes.

Says the guy who blamed the goalie & called a cross ice one-timer on a 5 on 3 from a noted NHL goal scorer a "straight up bad goal".

JFC, shut it down.

 

[Missing smitty]

This season (outside of this game) he has been good to great. Not sure how anyone can say otherwise unless they have some very weird expectations on what a 4th line should be doing. Khaira and Sheahan has been outright dominant on the cycle at times and hemming the opponents in. To have a 4th line being able to exert that kind of pressure is impressive to me. I don't know what you and others expect from these guys? They're not playing soft minutes, getting an OZ push with the expectation to score. That's not their role at all and Tippett would probably be the first one to tell you that.

I'm going to put aside his lack of offense for now and focus on defense, which you are saying he's doing well. Tippet has put Khaira in a shutdown role and being asked not to get scored on. He's getting scored on, therefore he's not doing his job.

The Kane goal last night was 100% his fault. He didn't take the body, he did the absolute last thing a goalie wants a player to do and just kind of threw his stick in the way. The puck deflected off a stick that shouldn't have been there and ended up in the net.

Khaira then proceeds to take 2 terrible penalties.

Outside of the New Jersey game where he simply did his job, he's been garbage.

Also, if you didn't watch the game, why would you come and make a ridiculous comparison between him and McDavid. Your opinion is sad and you should be sad for having it.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Says the guy who blamed the goalie & called a cross ice one-timer on a 5 on 3 from a noted NHL goal scorer a "straight up bad goal".

JFC, shut it down.

Not going to respond in kind. sorry

 

[Weitz]

Not going to win them all, but hopefully its a bit of a wake up call. Outside a little stretch in the third I thought they were pretty terrible all night.

Fire Khaira into the sun, he is terrible.

 

[gordonhught]

Russell and Haas have been fine. Smart players that do the little things, and battle, to move the puck consistently up ice. They have both been very good at getting pucks transitioning the right way and the team was severely lacking in that last night. tbh I haven't seen either make a bad play yet. They've been very solid. Just that coach in occasion in a new season is going with some players that are said to be better, or bring more talent. But on basis of what I've seen Russell and Haas stay in the lineup.

OK. So you keep Russell and Haas. Who comes out then? Or are we content in continuing to run the same group of players in the bottom six and hope that they get some points eventually?

Khaira should be the first player waived based on recent performance. But you will lose Khaira on waivers.

My point is that we can disagree which players should be moved off the roster, but we shouldn't disagree that the team needs to try to find some scoring in the bottom six. This was a problem last year and it seems to be more of the same this year.

 

[Anarchism]

Not extreme views. A trend. I am guessing that you think it is OK for the bottom six to score (on average) one goal every six games.

Of course it isn't...but it was obvious in preseason that Benson/Marody are not ready ...Marody may never be ready...
The biggest problem with the bottom six is we dont have enough wingers for the top six....we are making do with Jurco and kassian in the top 6 cause they are the best we have....
Its clear Hollands goal is find the best combos and players from the 5 extra bodies he employed....
Right now we cant afford a top 6 winger to help push down kassian and Jurco....
And yes the bottom six is missing a somewhat dynamic winger that can score.

So yes for now its try the combos we can, find the best for when Jurco and Kassian are in the bottom six....
Probably Khaira/Nygard/Haas dont work out long term...
IF If Jurco --Sheahan--Prussel can work its all found money.....and scoring can mostly come from the other bottom six line
So Mgmt is digging to find something ....and i think they have....In this very short term there has been alot of positives///
So yes ....that plan gordon is reactionary

Its hard to be patient with the past decade looming...
Impossible to predict ,,,,maybe the bottom line will be
UFA--Mcleod--Kassian for 2020-21.......

Yes with what we have ...we not likely good enough to be a playoff team. But the fix is this trade deadline ...this draft...and this ufa market....Next year not only are we likely for the playoffs but probably will make some noise.

 

[Drivesaitl]

OK. So you keep Russell and Haas. Who comes out then? Or are we content in continuing to run the same group of players in the bottom six and hope that they get some points eventually?

Khaira should be the first player waived based on recent performance. But you will lose Khaira on waivers.

My point is that we can disagree which players should be moved off the roster, but we shouldn't disagree that the team needs to try to find some scoring in the bottom six. This was a problem last year and it seems to be more of the same this year.

Khaira and Archibald out at this point, pretty clearly. They've been worst on team players more than they should be. Khaira a special concern because he was so bad last season and is following it up with this. Its not enough for him to do a modicum of cycling out there. He was supposed to be mroe of a player than this and has all the physical tools to be mroe and physically dominate out there. He brings it maybe every 2nd game, which is some improvement, but not where a veteran 25 yr old player needs to be. He can't play the still figuring it out card anymore. He knows what he should be, just doesn't care enough to bring it every game.

 

[MaxR11]

Never mind that crap. He has character and is a big contributor to team culture.

I know you're kidding but I would say maybe the opposite. I don't like his character. He's inconsistent and often lacks urgency and seems complacent with his spot in the line up. I think his character, resilency and mental strength are actually weak attributes for him. He might be a good guy but i'm not sure you win with a guy with his seemingly questionable character. If the culture is underachieving, lack of urgency/effort and complacency then JJ has it in spades. And i don't think you understand character.... to you i think you think it just means being a nice guy and a friendly teammate.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I'm going to put aside his lack of offense for now and focus on defense, which you are saying he's doing well. Tippet has put Khaira in a shutdown role and being asked not to get scored on. He's getting scored on, therefore he's not doing his job.

The Kane goal last night was 100% his fault. He didn't take the body, he did the absolute last thing a goalie wants a player to do and just kind of threw his stick in the way. The puck deflected off a stick that shouldn't have been there and ended up in the net.

Khaira then proceeds to take 2 terrible penalties.

Outside of the New Jersey game where he simply did his job, he's been garbage.

Also, if you didn't watch the game, why would you come and make a ridiculous comparison between him and McDavid. Your opinion is sad and you should be sad for having it.

Solid post.

Add that Shaw punked Khaira into a penalty and laughed about it. What Khaira is doing can't be the play of a veteran 25yr old player with several years of game experience. He can't be getting schooled like that at this point and he hardly even recognized it.

I'll give some time though because Tippett is a solid coach and will at least give good consistent feedback. But if Khaira is still indifferent a month from now?

Khaira wasn't even playing in the schemes last night. A bottomsix role player with zero boxcars that hasn't scored since Jan 16th was for some reason continually getting caught on wrong side of puck. I can't even comprehend his game last night.

 

[gordonhught]

Solid post.

Add that Shaw punked Khaira into a penalty and laughed about it. What Khaira is doing can't be the play of a veteran 25yr old player with several years of game experience. He can't be getting schooled like that at this point and he hardly even recognized it.

I'll give some time though because Tippett is a solid coach and will at least give good consistent feedback. But if Khaira is still indifferent a month from now?

Khaira wasn't even playing in the schemes last night. A bottomsix role player with zero boxcars that hasn't scored since Jan 16th was for some reason continually getting caught on wrong side of puck. I can't even comprehend his game last night.

Maybe there is a deal to be had for Khaira. Either picks or package him with someone else for an upgrade.

I would hate to lose him on waivers for nothing considering that he probably has some value across the league.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Maybe there is a deal to be had for Khaira. Either picks or package him with someone else for an upgrade.

I would hate to lose him on waivers for nothing considering that he probably has some value across the league.

I think it might be overstated.

We tend to overestimate our own prospects. Nobody else would. This is a player that hasn't scored a goal in 9mths.

If he used his size even somewhat consistently he could have an NHL role and some value.

Useful players find niches and do a lot of things to try to stay in a lineup. I see that with Russell, Haas every game. Smart players. You have to look closely for it, but its there. With Khaira it mostly isn't.

Archibald I can't describe. Its like he's come in here with Reider disease. He looked like a player elsewhere, really landing bad here. I think he's kind of panicking, making stupid plays, missing net, but that he knows he's on the bubble and this is a likely last stop. I think he can be better than this.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

It hit the post so i never saw much of a replay but that snapper from rnh looked down right filthy.

 

[Oilers in NS]

Goes both ways. I thought the Lions were guilty of PI or holding recievers on a lot of the plays.

The Packers were much better on the day and without self destructing on some drives and really bad dropped balls they get two more TD's on the day. Seemed to me like the Lions were only in the game due to the Packers not being sharp and having some key injuries.

I mean the main reason I was watching at all was Aaron Rodgers and he's great. he was dropping filthy passes into tight coverage all day and being a god out there willing his club to victory. With better receivers and without fumbles and drops by other players its not even close.

I was cheering Packers all day. Why not?

U GOTTA BACK THE BACK

Hard to believe but Detroit has never won a playoff game since 1992. Wowww is all I can say. No wonder Sanders left

 

[Oilhawks]

Bob’s pretty certain P Russell draws in next game. Makes sense. Who sits?

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Bob’s pretty certain P Russell draws in next game. Makes sense. Who sits?

Jurco, Khaira or Archibald would be my guess.

 

[Radicaster]

THE SKY IS FALLING!!!!!!

 

[SwedishFire]

Who actually fits with Nuge? Draisaitl fits with anyone, McDavid fits with players with IQ or big body with hands, Nuge fits with...?

Try
Chiasson McDavid Neal
Draisaitl Nuge Kassian
Nygård Haas Jurco
Granlund Sheahan Archibald

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

THE SKY IS FALLING!!!!!!

It's just snow brah

 

[Anarchism]

THE SKY IS FALLING!!!!!!

Eggactly.....omg where should we run too????

 

[Soundwave]

Everybody knows that he is still fighting off the injury. The reality is that is likely won't be 100% until very late this year, or even next year. That's generally how ligament injuries work. The problem with this team isn't McDavid being 75-80% however.

His speed looks the same, he's bobbling some pucks and forcing some passes and not missing some shots ... that looks to me more like a summer of not being able to scrimmage or practice at game speed.

To be honest Connor seems to go through a bit of this every year ... he'll start the first few games really hot and about game 5-6 will have a bit of a respite and then he dials it up again very quickly.

What does it tell you when he's still no.1 in the league for points.