Post-Game Talk: TSN Tipping Point

[iCanada]

Turris is getting absolutely torched out there. Not just on 5 on 5, he's bleeding goals on the pk too.

I was not super high on his acquisition, I think my exact words were "James Neal without size or physicality" but like... He's been worse than i expected of him. He's been a complete black hole of suck; seems like opposition players can just stand right beside him and know that's where the scoring chance is.

We have to stop the bleeding at some point. If we want to win games with how this teams built you almost just have to write off 5 on 5 and hope your special teams are good enough to recover the difference. That being said, our PK looks atrocious right now.

We're 15% of the way into the season, and it hasn't exactly been inspiring. Only thing that gives hope I guess is that we have a ton of divisional games to make up the difference I guess. But we look bad.

 

[nabob]

Allen is better than Smith, and is certainly better than absolutely nobody. Holland screwed the pooch on the goaltending situation. What's worse is that we don't know how Smith was injured, or what he even hurt. We don't know when he's coming back either, or if he'll re-injure himself.

Montreal made a very smart get in Jake Allen. Meanwhile the Oilers have Koskinen and thin air.

Doesn’t matter right now if he’s better than Smith. If he’s no better than Kostco has been then there’s still zero benefit.

 

[Drivesaitl]

This article concerns me.

I get that he’s a players coach but it’s a business and you dress your best lineup.

Prussell whenever he's in the lineup is one of our hardest working north players. Simple honest play, getting pucks down ice. Doesn't produce a lick of offense usually but nice play on a goal last night.

The bottomsix needs help to limit some carnage I guess, and this player doesn't hurt you.

 

[bucks_oil]

Fixing the bottom 6 is definitely more likely though. Fixing the defense isn't going to happen in season.

.... unless Bouchard. Wouldn't that be a riot!

Granted there is no way he can support on a top pairing, but if he were true middle-pairing, possession-ready, it would distribute minutes better and allow others to play a simpler game, more in keeping with their strengths

 

[Oilhawks]

Lowetide had an interesting lineup change proposal. Moving Nuge to the 3rd line to stop the bleeding because, lets be honest, the 3rd line is BY FAR the weakest link on this team that is littered with weak links so what I'd try is...

Ennis-McDavid-Puljujarvi
Kahun-Draisaitl-Yamamoto
Neal-RNH-Kassian
Nygard-Turris-Archibald

You can flip Neal and Ennis if need be.
It's not ideal but they have to take Turris off that 3rd line. It's getting torched every game.
A merely average 3rd line and they're probably 5-3 even with all the deficiencies elsewhere.

Hell, I'd even try putting Turris on a wing and put anyone in on the 4C spot, or double shift McDavid / Drai / Nuge to fill those minutes with the Nygard & Archi 4th line wings

 

[McTonyBrar]

Every Kass setup being by Drai, amazingly in the minute or two of Toi they had together. how is it not indelibly obvious that Drai could get Zach going and that Zach would probably like playing with Drai. He was making a point of auditioning. I haven't liked Kass up and mostly down play since the contract. But when he's involved he has wheels, and nothing like Drai to get a player on a roll.

2 minutes of play with another player doesn't magically make them a great fit. I hope you are not talking about replacing Yamamoto with Kassian or something lol

 

[McTonyBrar]

I'm not sure 7D is the answer either.

The PK has been getting shelled lately. Russell got absolutely walked twice. Barrie looks lost. Larsson brings down everyone he plays with. Need some significant changes.

Nurse Koekkoek Jones down the left side

Bear Bouchard Barrie down the right side

Russell and Larsson sit

I would go with that too but imagine how much time Nurse and Bear would have to play if the defence is that. 7 D cuts down minutes. With the state of our defence, I think it's the best strategy to use right now

 

[McTonyBrar]

Do yourself a favor man. Close up your Facebook account and never look back. Nothing good ever happens on Facebook.

Already done lol

 

[bucks_oil]

Prussell whenever he's in the lineup is one of our hardest working north players. Simple honest play, getting pucks down ice. Doesn't produce a lick of offense usually but nice play on a goal last night.

The bottomsix needs help to limit some carnage I guess, and this player doesn't hurt you.

Not that I disagree with you, but it's sad that our standards have sunk so low. I'm sure Tippett is feeling the same way though. It'll be interesting to see what Chaisson does after sitting a few. The tactic certainly didn't work with Khaira, who did next to nothing last night... but yeah... playing a hungry PRussell isn't the worst thing as an attitude adjuster for other guys who don't realize their NHL job is on the line.

I also wouldn't be against seeing Quine get a game, he came billed as a buzzsaw type.

 

[Drivesaitl]

2 minutes of play with another player doesn't magically make them a great fit. I hope you are not talking about replacing Yamamoto with Kassian or something lol

Why not give Yams a chance with topline? There are zero direct scoring plays involving Yama or Drai yet this season. There were zero in the play ins, its uncanny. They just don't connect with each other. I can't find the last time an EV scoring play involved either Yama or Drai getting the first assist on the others goal. I'm checking back to last season.

I mean Drai and Ennis even connected twice in the play ins on goals, and Drai only had Ennis for 2 of the games.

This is no knock on Drai, or Yama, they just cannot connect on a scoring play without an intermediary. I mean, they can potentially, but its bizarre how its gone.

Game before last Drai setup Yama 5 times around the net. Nothing cashed. Late in game McD slides one pass across to Yama and its a goal. Its kind of hilarious. Must be something wrong with the Drai sauce passes..

 

[bucks_oil]

Turris is getting absolutely torched out there. Not just on 5 on 5, he's bleeding goals on the pk too.

I was not super high on his acquisition, I think my exact words were "James Neal without size or physicality" but like... He's been worse than i expected of him. He's been a complete black hole of suck; seems like opposition players can just stand right beside him and know that's where the scoring chance is.

We have to stop the bleeding at some point. If we want to win games with how this teams built you almost just have to write off 5 on 5 and hope your special teams are good enough to recover the difference. That being said, our PK looks atrocious right now.

We're 15% of the way into the season, and it hasn't exactly been inspiring. Only thing that gives hope I guess is that we have a ton of divisional games to make up the difference I guess. But we look bad.

Agree on Turris so far... super soft, and not so diligent.

 

[Stoneman89]

Why not give Yams a chance with topline? There are zero direct scoring plays involving Yama or Drai yet this season. There were zero in the play ins, its uncanny. They just don't connect with each other. I can't find the last time an EV scoring play involved either Yama or Drai getting the first assist on the others goal. I'm checking back to last season.

I mean Drai and Ennis even connected twice in the play ins on goals, and Drai only had Ennis for 2 of the games.

This is no knock on Drai, or Yama, they just cannot connect on a scoring play without an intermediary. I mean, they can potentially, but its bizarre how its gone.

Game before last Drai setup Yama 5 times around the net. Nothing cashed. Late in game McD slides one pass across and its a goal. Its kind of hilarious. Must be something wrong with the Drai sauce passes..

Didn't Yamo get an assist on a Drai shorty a couple games ago?

 

[ToeMcDrag83]

Can't believe I thought we added depth this offseason.
How much worse could some kids look at this point man. Benson, McLeod. Migh tas well throw them in.

We got absolutely worked last night it reflected most against the bottom 6 and anytime Russell, LArsson, Barrie were out there

 

[Drivesaitl]

Didn't Yamo get an assist on a Drai shorty a couple games ago?

I guess. I thought they took back the assist but you are correct. Technically its iffy, could have been unassisted. Yama stripped the puck, but didn't get it directly to Drai, it went to the D, and Drai stripped the puck from the D for the goal. Kind of a messy play, but not a typical EV play is it? empty net situations in hockey are pretty much atypical outliers.

But I accept the finding. heh

 

[bucks_oil]

Why not give Yams a chance with topline? There are zero direct scoring plays involving Yama or Drai yet this season. There were zero in the play ins, its uncanny. They just don't connect with each other. I can't find the last time an EV scoring play involved either Yama or Drai getting the first assist on the others goal. I'm checking back to last season.

I mean Drai and Ennis even connected twice in the play ins on goals, and Drai only had Ennis for 2 of the games.

This is no knock on Drai, or Yama, they just cannot connect on a scoring play without an intermediary. I mean, they can potentially, but its bizarre how its gone.

Game before last Drai setup Yama 5 times around the net. Nothing cashed. Late in game McD slides one pass across and its a goal. Its kind of hilarious. Must be something wrong with the Drai sauce passes..

Well...
1) Don't forget the first goal of the season:

2) but maybe you are right... Nuge was the straw that stirred the drink (despite Drai the major playmaker on the line)...

3) what I do like about Drai-Yama is how strong they both are on the boards... when the line was together that's how they worked... Yama causing shit, Drai orchestrating beauty out of said chaos and Nuge finishing it.

but yeah... I'm not against Nuge-McD-Yama... then you could get Neal into his natural, shooting, off-wing with Drai and Kahun.

 

[Stoneman89]

Well...
1) Don't forget the first goal of the season:

2) but maybe you are right... Nuge was the straw that stirred the drink (despite Drai the major playmaker on the line)...

3) what I do like about Drai-Yama is how strong they both are on the boards... when the line was together that's how they worked... Yama causing shit, Drai orchestrating beauty out of said chaos and Nuge finishing it.

but yeah... I'm not against Nuge-McD-Yama... then you could get Neal into his natural, shooting, off-wing with Drai and Kahun.

Hmmm.....that kind of looks like a Yamo goal from a Drai pass.

 

[nturn06]

Had I known the alternative was re-signing a broken down Smith? Yes I would've. Smith should never have been an option and now we're up shit's creek with one healthy NHL goaltender, who isn't performing all that well. There's no insurance policy. Either Koskinen plays well or the season is lost.

Montreal also re-signed him to a very reasonable deal.

NO....That's the point of all this discussion. Holland didn't know and could have not known before the FA started that the only alternative for us was re-signing Smith. It is rumoured that we offered more money both to Markstrom and (at least) another goalie than what they signed for, but they didn't want to come to Edmonton.

It is easy to criticize after, but for me

• he should have known that none of the multiple options will pan out, and that Smith will be the only option and he will get injured

does not seem a reasonable expectancy.

And I am sure that, had Holland trade for Allen before the FA, and if Holtby then signed for less money, there would have been a lot of whining on these forums. And nobody would have said: "But wait what if the only other alternative was Smith, and what if Smith got injured?". No, people would have asked for Holland's head.

Anyhow, if you want to go on this route, the answer is NOT trading for Allen. In hindsight, the answer is obviously drafting one or more of Blackwood/Shersterkin/Sorokin/Hart/Demko in the past drafts.

Finally, note that what he re-signed for is not that relevant to our discussion, because we are talking about this year. And this year, Allen's salary would have been an easy issue.

 

[ZenOil]

I say dress 7 D and just rotate one of the more offensive minded fringe defenceman as a 4th line winger and see if we can pull a Blackhawks Byfuglien or Minnesota Burns out of our ass. It's not unrealistic to think Bouchard could put up points as a forward and now he's just rotting in the PB.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Doesn’t matter right now if he’s better than Smith. If he’s no better than Kostco has been then there’s still zero benefit.

Having two decent goalies > one, no matter how you slice it.

 

[WaitingForUser]

There are Martians out there who know goaltending was a weakness of the team. Trying isn't good enough. We're teetering on the brink of yet another disastrous season.

And what do you expect for him to hold a gun to a goalies head and say sign this contract or else? The fact of the matter is not one big name goalie wanted to play behind our defense. Or they wanted an absurd amount of money we don’t have to do so. So what is your solution?

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

And what do you expect for him to hold a gun to a goalies head and say sign this contract or else? The fact of the matter is not one big name goalie wanted to play behind our defense. Or they wanted an absurd amount of money we don’t have to do so. So what is your solution?

Trade for Allen. Don’t tell me it couldn’t have been done.

 

[WaitingForUser]

Trade for Allen. Don’t tell me it couldn’t have been done.

So 9 million on 2 back up goalies? And what about the rest of the line up?

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

So 9 million on 2 back up goalies? And what about the rest of the line up?

That’s only just above two million more on what we are spending now. Find a way to make Russell or Larson’s contracts disappear. Or better yet, don’t sign Kassian to that terrible extension.

 

[Took a pill in Sbisa]

Pre-season:

After first 8 games:
25th in goals against/game

 

[WaitingForUser]

That’s only just above two million more on what we are spending now. Find a way to make Russell or Larson’s contracts disappear. Or better yet, don’t sign Kassian to that terrible extension.

We have been through this many times nobody wants our garbage castaways not even for free! JJ waived clears Ennis waived clears. The only player anyone wanted was Forsberg and that seems to a personal vendetta that Waddell has for KH.