Post-Game Talk: Ugliest win in years

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Agreed. What does Kassian do now? Score? Nope. PK? Nope. PP? Nope. Hit? Nope. Fight? Nope. Energy guy? Nope.

Put this guys ass on the pine until he decides to show up.

Extending him was a massive mistake. The fact he gets to play shotgun with McDavid and turn in game after game of ghost performances actually makes me angry. There has to be some justification for this.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Is that what that was? Because it was sure offensive...

Good talk. Lol.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Is that what that was? Because it was sure offensive...

yeah winning sucks

 

[MaxR11]

The problem is that he did earlier in his career to a degree. Now it's all about the highlight reel play and points it seems.

And don't think for a moment this gets lost on his teammates too. When they see their captain playing this way ( a bit more self serving than sacrificing for the team with studier more reliable team play not cheating for points/the highlight reel plays) and hearing him talk about how they all need to play better, tighter defence etc.... the hypocrisy is not lost on them and one has to wonder how it affects the cohesive team mindset to buy in.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Extending him was a massive mistake. The fact he gets to play shotgun with McDavid and turn in game after game of ghost performances actually makes me angry. There has to be some justification for this.

Yep you could see in McDavids face that he’s sick of his garbage. That’s like the 3rd time this season McDavid has set him up with an open net and he has messed it up. I can only imagine how frustrating that would be. Kassian and Chiasson have costed McDavid like 8 apples.

 

[Drivesaitl]

They couldn't complete a pass in the first two periods. They had zero scoring chances in the 1st outside of the Leafs own goal and barely sniffed anything resembling a scoring chance in the 2nd. The PP was a huge mess too before they connected in the 3rd. Team was completely disjointed.
They defended better but they were also lucky that the Leafs brought zero intensity to this game. I'm sorry but the first two periods was awful hockey, by both teams.

They started to play more organized in the 3rd and created some strong forecheck to keep the Leafs on their heels but make no mistake, any team with a pulse would have jumped on that sloppy Oilers team in the first two periods. It was a small step in the right direction because they did defend better but this team has a long ways to go to be where they need to be.

Both teams had trouble completing passes because it was a contested game. there was little time and space, lanes covered, active sticks. What might look like sloppy coverage to you or bad play was just both teams wanting not to be burned. Both teams were getting back, putting emphasis on not allowing goals. Get used to it. With Canadian division featuring the same 6 clubs always schemes and system play will be at the forefront. "Disjointed" thats what checking and coverage does, making plays isn't easy in a phone booth. Teams gave no quarter last night and the Oilers prevailed. There was plenty of intensity, you didn't spot it. you didn't spot either that the Oilers pummelled Marner and he probably has trouble getting out of bed today. The Oilers were physical and took it to the Leafs. Thornton even sent out of the game. Leafs are black and blue today. The good thing is they may still be hearing footsteps on Friday.

Neither team had much in the way of scoring chances in a tight checking game, but its what the Oilers have to ramp up. They can't just win one way this season. They gotta be able to win some of these games.

Now from an entertainment pov one could have the opinion the game didn't feature a lot of offense, hilites. But the play without the puck by both clubs was better than their critics give them. Bieksa even had to take back his pregame comments. Burke didn't but hes a stubborn fart.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

yeah winning sucks

Winning of course is great but play more games like that and you won't be winning.

 

[MessierII]

McD really not earning his pay now. Really didn't get anything done in the game, gets an assist on an empty net goal, he shouldn't even be out there in that situation. He was also struggling on the dot. At one point faceoffs were 10-2 with Matthews owning him.

A bad look for McD is he's just trying to use his rote scoring rushes time and again and he's getting frustrated under tight checking that he can't do it. I see a difference between Drai trying to persevere through such a game and getting some results vs McD getting angry and packing his game at times. There are periods where McD is doing very little effectively, and that can't happen on his loaded line, or at his pay scale. Conversely Drai bags a goal and was also instrumental bumping/pressuring in front on the Yama goal.

The trouble is McD doesn't really adapt that much. We'll see, but he'll have to in this tight checking season. He got untracked in the one Vancouver game, other than that much of his speed stuff has been shut down, boxed out. He needs to start using other skills, play a simpler game, not always go for the beauty goal. The oilers have to start thinking about traffic on net, get some chaos plays going there and use their skill to control puck in offensive end.

Part of the problem is the teammates defer to him at stupid times. There was a play last night where mcdavid was in the corner in the leafs zone with two leafs checking him and he made a crafty bank pass to the point to nurse who had no leaf near him and tons of time and space to make a play. Instead of walking in and shooting or making a play he doesn’t move his feet and just passes it back to mcdavid in double coverage. Leafs converge get the puck and it’s coming back our way. Nugent Hopkins has been guilty of this a lot as well. Stop trying to force it to Conor and just make smarter decisions and it will benefit everyone.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Winning of course is great but play more games like that and you won't be winning.

I don't give a shit how they play as long as they win games

 

[MessierII]

Winning of course is great but play more games like that and you won't be winning.

If we give up nothing like we did last night we will definitely be winning more than we’ll be losing.

 

[KlefDown]

I’m just blown away. It’s pretty negative after a loss, but instead of insightful discussion it’s just 100 people piling on the complainer saying they aren’t a true fan.

then after a win, the complaint posts die off a bit, and then there’s twice as many posts as there ever were of complaints from people complaining that people aren’t complaining anymore.

it’s insanity

they truly have the stupiest people

someone would say "Lets trade Shore and Kassian for Hedman and Kucherov with 50% retained" and there would be comments saying no because we need Kassian's toughness and Kucherov is a flight risk with attitude problems

 

[Drivesaitl]

Part of the problem is the teammates defer to him at stupid times. There was a play last night where mcdavid was in the corner in the leafs zone with two leafs checking him and he made a crafty bank pass to the point to nurse who had no leaf near him and tons of time and space to make a play. Instead of walking in and shooting or making a play he doesn’t move his feet and just passes it back to mcdavid in double coverage. Leafs converge get the puck and it’s coming back our way. Nugent Hopkins has been guilty of this a lot as well. Stop trying to force it to Conor and just make smarter decisions and it will benefit everyone.

Nuge doesn't want the puck EV. This is a chronic thing with him. Hes a skill guy, he can possess the puck easily, he has all the skill to do it, but he's reluctant to do it because he is always minimizing the hits he takes. He comments on it as always having to look for McD and to always get him the puck, but its taking Nuge out of the game, and as you mention getting the puck to McD a inopportune times, and in coverage. I mean its frustrating sometimes as Nuge, uncovered, can sometimes just skate the puck up ice, but he's always wanting McD to carry the mail, to take the punishment.

Another play on the PP drove me nuts. Drai just went through 3 leafs trying to bump him off the puck, he makes a dogged play to gain line, has the puck deep, the puck ends up being passed to Nuge who then flubs his pass to McD, just not being focused. Lots of times McD or Drai will be doing the work, and Nuge isn't holding up his end on PP. Really among them he's the weakest link on PP a lot of the time. EV Nuge has often been invisible. Nuge has to remember that he is a premium player, crafty, good antitipation, and that he can create opportunities. He's just deferring right now. I mean even Archibald can do that much, Nuge needs to be doing more.

 

[Stoneman89]

Yep you could see in McDavids face that he’s sick of his garbage. That’s like the 3rd time this season McDavid has set him up with an open net and he has messed it up. I can only imagine how frustrating that would be. Kassian and Chiasson have costed McDavid like 8 apples.

Which makes him getting all those points all the more impressive. Possibly the best "one man band" in the history of the league.

 

[Stoneman89]

They won. All is well. Start the parade planning.

 

[Stoneman89]

Shoutout to Devon Shore. Really like his complete level, and a lot better skater than I recall.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

If we give up nothing like we did last night we will definitely be winning more than we’ll be losing.

This team is absolutely not going to give up nothing in most games. They don't have the defense and they especially don't have the goaltending for that.

 

[North]

That play would have got Puljujarvi sent to the shadow realm. Soft, soft play by a guy that hasn't brought much of anything to the table this season.

He started playing better after that but man alive he’s been terrible for awhile.

 

[Drivesaitl]

If we give up nothing like we did last night we will definitely be winning more than we’ll be losing.

Yep. Plus as we full know in really close games where we need that goal for the W we can cheatcode McDrai together to bag some winning goals and tilt ice. few clubs have that kind of option, and no team has a a duo as dangerous as that. When the Oilers get on rolls its when they learn how to W close tight checking games.

lets be clear here too. McD almost scored on that rush in the first, puck barely got away on him or its a goal. The Leafs skill players got nothing done in the tight checking. The Oilers did have their chances too. Just not as many as we are accustomed to seeing.

 

[Lacaar]

Will take the win obviously as it buys them sometime.

It's like Dr. Evil stole their mojo .
If they can just hang in there until they get it back.

I really miss the team from last January/February. That was a team I thought could do some damage. Had their mojo and were one of the best teams in the league in my opinion.

I think we have the players to get it back.. just need someone to step up and help them find the lost grail.

 

[Emotive]

Extending him was a massive mistake. The fact he gets to play shotgun with McDavid and turn in game after game of ghost performances actually makes me angry. There has to be some justification for this.

Exactly. The Oilers resurrected his career. I was rooting for him because it's always a good story to see a guy turn his life around. But, McDavid made him rich and then... He doesn't even look like he cares out there anymore. I don't remember the last time he did anything for this team

 

[MaxR11]

Extending him was a massive mistake. The fact he gets to play shotgun with McDavid and turn in game after game of ghost performances actually makes me angry. There has to be some justification for this.

Likely McD's request. It can be harder to coach a team with superstars who compete for the Art Ross year in year out. Right or wrong, Tippett is likely not forming the lines he really wants to without some strong suggestions from the stars.

 

[Snipes45]

laughing at the Team 1260 show. Spec and some kid who sounds 10 years old with a nose plug. The guy keeps berating Oiler fna.s "Connor doesn't care if we win ugly, stop being scared of him leaving"

NO DUMBA**. Fans say that because he is not supported enough and the way they played yesterday is not conducive for sustainable success. The guy was so off base it was so off putting.

 

[shoop]

if you want good hockey discussion, go to Edmonton Oilers subreddit

The discussion here is way better than on the subreddit. Clueless fans. A few have an idea but not many. Relatively inactive so not much worth the effort.

 

[joestevens29]

The Turris line also had a better night. They played the fewest overall minutes, but Turris played 10:21 and almost eight of those were against Matthews (4:45) and Tavares (3:01), and Turris didn’t allow a shot on goal against those two, while getting two on net. Granted, none of the shots on goal the third line produced were anything close to a scoring chance, but they made progress defensively in not allowing good chances.

A Step In The Right Direction

Interesting tidbit. Quite a few interesting things in this article

 

[LTIR]

Extending him was a massive mistake. The fact he gets to play shotgun with McDavid and turn in game after game of ghost performances actually makes me angry. There has to be some justification for this.

Holland was probably banking on Kassian to continue his production.
Easy to criticize it on the hind sight.