Post-Game Talk: We will never win 2 in a row again.

[GOilers88]

I've been saying all year that this is a lottery team again. It seems other people are finally coming around to this reality.

Detroit. Ottawa. New Jersey. LA. San Jose.

Those are lottery teams. Being two points out of first in your division and a handful of games over .500 before Christmas does not constitute a wasted season or a lottery team. Give it up with the extreme overdramatics and hyperbole.

If you expected this team to become a playoff contender over the course of one summer that's on you and nobody else.

 

[McDeepika]

Still cant believe they counted that goal. That was not a natural stopping motion. He made sure to get his skate on the puck.

 

[ConnorMcMullet]

I think Draisaitl has to try to simplify his game and play more as McDavid's winger than as a line driver. He's at his best when he lets McDavid handle the puck and focuses on getting open to get shots off, especially one-timers. He was great at doing that towards the end of last season.

 

[frag2]

You certainly don't want to waste your time on that garbage. Take my word for it.

Your presence is like a breath of fresh air in the midst of a toxic wasteland. Unfortunately, you're one of the few with some measure of common sense and without the wolf-pack mentality of dog-piling on a struggling player.

Some of the posts on here have reached a whole new level of stupid. Mechanical repetition of the same garbage, the same worn narratives that have actually been proven wrong. Lazy. Nothing without McDavid. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. It's like watching a really stupid movie on endless loop.

What is this, his sixth season now? He goes through the same period of struggles every year. It's nothing new. It's nothing alarming. It isn't ideal given the fragile state of the team, but given the fourth-line fodder surrounding him and McDavid, he's the second-last person to blame for the team's recent slide. But we all need a whipping boy. So let's pick on the guy that's clearly been driven into the ground with absurd minutes and responsibilities early in the season.

Lazy? He plays 24 minutes a night. PP. PK. Empty Net. He busts his ass all season to continually improve his game and reach new levels but he's lazy? Yeah, he truly doesn't care, especially after clearly stating that he'd give all of his goals back to make the playoffs. But keep on keeping on with that narrative...

Anyone with a fraction of a brain can understand what's happening. He's been overplayed. But the biggest issue is mental. He hasn't suddenly lost the ability to play hockey. He doesn't lack the fundamental knowledge of how to back check. He's frustrated. He's overthinking things, which causes errors, more frustration, and more errors. Basic sports psychology, people. It's not rocket science.

But don't let me interrupt your dog piling on a player with 61 points in 40 games.

Huge minutes doesn't mean they were quality minutes for the entire duration. Drai's biggest problem is he's not skating [a lot of same gliding/coasting as TMac complained in the past] and his defence just consists of swinging flybys without even a stick check. His offence is also a bunch of fancy pants pass attempts that most of the time get blocked.

This is just lack of effort and not focusing on the small details. No coach 'teaches' a player to do a swinging flyby. Even McD is guilty of it but its more glaring with Drai because of the piled minutes.

 

[McDrai]

Still cant believe they counted that goal. That was not a natural stopping motion. He made sure to get his skate on the puck.

Horvat clearly turns his skate once he sees that the puck is coming over to him. I’ve seen similar plays that were called goals but that was because the player’s skate was turned before the puck was passed to them. There was no intent. How this was called a goal is beyond me

 

[Drivesaitl]

I think you can say the same about any great player. How many SC's would Crosby have won without the great play at different times in the playoffs by the likes of Malkin, Letang, Fleury, Gonchar, Guerin, Talbot, Kunitz, Staal, Dupuis, etc. Likely zero. Replace Crosby with Dionne on the bad LA teams and the result would likely have been similar. Crosby is one of my favorites, but put him on this Oiler team and take out McDavid, and they might be a bit better, not still a playoff bubble team. Hockey truly is the definitive team sport. Anyhow, I think our memories of Yzerman are a bit different, as we each remember a different type of player. That's fine.

Yzerman sits at 7th on the all time points list, he is not "good" to "great", he is unequivocally great, any other opinion on this matter is simply unacceptable.

Steve Yzerman Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com

You can click on the team name next to the year for a full roster list, he had some great players on his team at multiple points in his career, but he wasn't always blessed with the allstar cast that you seem to think he had. Multiple seasons in his career it was basically him and Gerard Gallant as the two go to guys and not all that much run support, a pretty similar comparable to McDrai and while yes you can see recognizable names like Adam Oates, Oates didn't fully break out till he got traded to the Blues.

Just to clarify that the dead puck era, and then the precap spending for cups era turned me off of NHL hockey for awhile. From around 95-2004 interest was severely waning. I particularly despised (I don't know why) The Detroit Red Wings. To the degree that I hated watching them. So my bias has featured in. I do feel some of the cups of Colorado, Dallas, Detroit, were bought. But I don't have an objective view on that team and just figured I'd come clean on that.

I'm clearly wrong on the topic of Yzerman.

cheers.

 

[Drivesaitl]

BEL, that is the point I was trying to make. It's a good thing when you hear that a player has had his 'Yzerman Moment.' I think you really, really have to be sick of losing to reach that point, and you have to honestly stop caring about points and Art Ross titles. I'm sure McDrai are sick of losing, but their play in our zone at too frequent times tells me they haven't quite had the moment yet, the complete buy in.

The very real possibility, unfortunately, is that their moment was the Taylor Hall trade. The moment they stop trusting the org that employs them. i really think the Chia firesale is s sore sticking point with the players and was at the time. To the degree that when you're trying to feed guys like Chiasson, Khaira, Nygard, etc you wonder what life would be like having guys like Hall, Eberle, Perron, Pouliot Maroon etc at your side.

Its interesting as well that within the NHL brethren how many of the players we've screwed around like Petry chronically take such an interest in playing hard against us.

This org is a destroyer of players like no other, and hence why we even have McD, Drai, Nuge, and had Eberle and Hall. Further Yak and Pulju hardly got out of the starting gate.

How can you see all the incompetence of this org, for years, and not be impacted by it?

I'm not positive that a focus on earnest greatness takes place in this org environment.

McD and Drai would be some of the most resolute and resilient players found in the world of pro sports, and yet impact seems to creep in.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Still cant believe they counted that goal. That was not a natural stopping motion. He made sure to get his skate on the puck.

Seems we need to move back to a ruling whereby the skate cannot be the last part of equipment to cause a goal. It should be that way anyway. For instance if a Defender is deftly controlling the players stick a goal should be possible through kicking, punching, or checking the puck in. A hockey goal should be scored with the stick. The stick should be required to touch the puck before crossing the line.

The NHL has shown time and again that if you leave it up to judgement call where interpretation of any sort is involved they can't make the right call. So that the rule has to be absolute. Any skate causing a puck to go in there is no goal. Allowing case by case interpretation allows subjective calls that are inconsistent.

Its clear as day that the Canuck intended to put the puck in with their skate, guided the skate so that would happen, and that hockey is not soccer and this should not be a goal.

 

[Drivesaitl]

You certainly don't want to waste your time on that garbage. Take my word for it.

Your presence is like a breath of fresh air in the midst of a toxic wasteland. Unfortunately, you're one of the few with some measure of common sense and without the wolf-pack mentality of dog-piling on a struggling player.

Some of the posts on here have reached a whole new level of stupid. Mechanical repetition of the same garbage, the same worn narratives that have actually been proven wrong. Lazy. Nothing without McDavid. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. It's like watching a really stupid movie on endless loop.

What is this, his sixth season now? He goes through the same period of struggles every year. It's nothing new. It's nothing alarming. It isn't ideal given the fragile state of the team, but given the fourth-line fodder surrounding him and McDavid, he's the second-last person to blame for the team's recent slide. But we all need a whipping boy. So let's pick on the guy that's clearly been driven into the ground with absurd minutes and responsibilities early in the season.

Lazy? He plays 24 minutes a night. PP. PK. Empty Net. He busts his ass all season to continually improve his game and reach new levels but he's lazy? Yeah, he truly doesn't care, especially after clearly stating that he'd give all of his goals back to make the playoffs. But keep on keeping on with that narrative...

Anyone with a fraction of a brain can understand what's happening. He's been overplayed. But the biggest issue is mental. He hasn't suddenly lost the ability to play hockey. He doesn't lack the fundamental knowledge of how to back check. He's frustrated. He's overthinking things, which causes errors, more frustration, and more errors. Basic sports psychology, people. It's not rocket science.

But don't let me interrupt your dog piling on a player with 61 points in 40 games.

Yep. Nucks are a fast team playing a reasonably dedicated cover game that close time and space. There was no open ice, there was a lot of pressure, and McDrai were having to operate in phone booths and this is where mistakes can happen. But to their credit there was also many times in the game where the top line recognized it and just tried to get the puck deep and recover. But with the Nucks puck support and outmanning that didn't happen either. The Nucks were better on the day of anticipating the puck than the Oilers cast were.

Just one play late in the game is symptomatic. The Oilers battle hard for the puck with the goalie out. The puck is worked back to the point, and Klef doesn't anticipate one bit, he stays planted and the Nucks get it out and score the empty net. Because Klef has been burned so many times pinching he refuses to go for that puck there. In the situation he had to get to that puck. He was the closest to it.

But these are some warts that inflict when losing occurs and battered confidence occurs. EVERY team suffers them. Losing teams of course experience doubt a lot more.

 

[TFHockey]

I don't agree with playing the top PP unit for the full two minutes. 29 looked gassed. really they all did.

 

[MaxR11]

I think the Steve Yzerman example and message is being missed. This was about a Hall of Fame Coach (Scotty Bowman) having a candid conversation with an elite player at the time who put up massive counting numbers but which weren't helping to move the needle on team results.

Reflections of a coaching legend
There was a conversation that did take place between Yzerman and Bowman that changed the direction of the Wings and Yzerman's career.
"When I went to Detroit, I mentioned it to Steve that the only way - we're talking about a player that scored 65 goals and had a 160 points and the team still couldn't get through the playoff rounds - I said, 'Steve the only problem is we're going to have to play better defensively and you can lead the charge and at the same time it's really going to affect your individual statistics and he said, 'I don't care about individual statistics.'
"Steve Yzerman in his heyday, which I considered from that point on with all the three or four Cups, he's the one that put defense and offense together."

Like Yzerman, both McDavid and Draisaitl are on record as saying it is all about winning in this team sport and that they would sacrifice individual awards for championships. Yzerman is well regarded as one of the league's best leaders and he did this by sacrificing his own production to ensure his commitment to own zone play was a priority and a leadership example to his teammates.

Tippett has been preaching defensive zone play as priority #1 for this team to take steps to become a playoff contender. We've seen it in spurts but the last two months this commitment has slipped within the team and because they play so many minutes no where has it been more obvious than in the freefall of Draisaitl and McDavid's numbers. Hard to fault two elite players who want to win and drive themselves to be difference makers every game, but, hard reality in these young players is that their defensive play is a very clear area of development and most definitely a work in progress in terms of consistency.

The Wings ascended when Stevey Y led by example. Today's NHL requires an even greater commitment by all players to play a 200 foot game. Draisaitl and McDavid will get there but this is a very real area of development for both. There's just little margin of error on a badly constructed team that is trying to lurch itself out of the Chiarelli Dead Puck Reign of Error.

Nice post. Most definitely the top two guys on our team MUST be better all over the ice for this team to take that next step. They need to commit to defence first. There's no question that those two are less engaged and play with less effort and urgency when they don't have the puck or are defending. There's just that mindset of less importance in defending the net. It's like they don't realize that preventing a goal is equally as important as scoring one.

I know Smith hasn't played well but you can tell he is royally pi**ed off that there is not greater team buy in to defence and i bet especially from the top guys. Tippett was reported to have a conversation with McDrai and you can guess that it had to do with "lead by example, take care of our own end etc". I think Connor has slightly upped his level of care all over the ice but Drai has continued to play nonchalant and without urgency. He's forcing plays, overhandling the puck and making horrendous giveaways. He needs to set his ego aside and make simpler plays. It's almost like he has this mind set that if he makes the simple play every now and then that he'll look like a lesser player. No Drai, it's just called being smart and managing the puck and the game better.

They really need to get that mindset/culture that the Red wings developed under Bowman going. 200ft game. defence first. play as a five man unit. team points, not individual stats.

Bowman said one of the reasons they got so much better was because they traded Sheppard (a 50 goal scorer two season before the trade and a 30 goals in 40 game guy the previous season) for Larionov (a 18 and 4 goals scorer the previous two). larionov was known for defence and puck possession. no question he helped mentor the likes of fedorov, yzerman and datsyuk.

 

[McDrai]

I don't agree with playing the top PP unit for the full two minutes. 29 looked gassed. really they all did.

The boys always look gassed around major holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas,New Years). Not sure what it is but it’s always been like this

 

[Stoneman89]

Oilers going back to having multiple owners as Bo Horvat becomes the latest one to join the group.

 

[Stoneman89]

I don't think McDavid and Drai are being overplayed. I think Drai is. McDavid is still flying out there, with his perfect, seemingly effortless skating technique. Drai is a churner, who has to carry a much larger frame and has a different style. He looks like a plow horse now.

Drai did create a lot of chances out there last night. Trouble is, many of them were for the Canucks with costly turnovers and ill advised passes. Hopefully this break does him some good and he can recharge his batteries and refresh his mind.

 

[McDrai]

Oilers going back to having multiple owners as Bo Horvat becomes the latest one to join the group.

Yeah he really owned us with that skate blade of his. He didn’t even have to use his stick! Now that’s pure talent right there!

 

[Stoneman89]

Yeah he really owned us with that skate blade of his. He didn’t even have to use his stick! Now that’s pure talent right there!

Skate blade aside, he always seems to have his best games against us.

 

[Stoneman89]

I think the real problem in all this, is the poster that did the GDT. He's definitely the reason we lost and he should never be allowed to do another one.

 

[bellagiobob]

 

[KlefDown]

this is why we need top 6 help and NEEEEEED to trade futures for the help

guys are being run down, playing PK, EV, and full 2 mins on the PP.
hopefully gets some rest and is good to go for calgary and 2020

should sit for all star game too tbh

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

like I said earlier in this thread, Draisaitl is costing the Oilers goals when he's out there at the moment

injured? exhausted? who knows

 

[Mav3rick07]

Elias Pettersson , king of the divers , running Koskinen and not getting a penalty is the most ironic thing ever.

 

[TB12]

All of the following can be true:

-Drai is an amazing player
-Drai is a little worn out due to all the minutes he’s playing
-he’s not playing great

The hot takes on here are so frustrating. No, Drai is not “drunk” and he isn’t “trash”.

On the flip side, some of the mental gymnastics being done to defend him are also hilarious. He doesn’t need to be prime Crosby, but he can tie his man up and have a little more defensive awareness. That will not detract from his offensive game. And I don’t think it’s unfair to ask him to do that, I don’t care how many minutes he playing.

 

[GMofOilers]

Essh, the eye says says it’s bad, the stats say it’s even worse.

that’s not from being tired, maybe injured? Or just lazy?

 

[McJadeddog]

Detroit. Ottawa. New Jersey. LA. San Jose.

Those are lottery teams. Being two points out of first in your division and a handful of games over .500 before Christmas does not constitute a wasted season or a lottery team. Give it up with the extreme overdramatics and hyperbole.

If you expected this team to become a playoff contender over the course of one summer that's on you and nobody else.

Umm, maybe you didn't understand what I wrote. I expected the EXACT OPPOSITE of the team "to become a playoff contender over the course of one summer". I expected the team to perform pretty much exactly how it did last year, because there was no significant changes made in the off-season, and that is exactly what has happened. We are trending for another bottom-10 finish. The people who were talking about the Oilers making the playoffs back in November are the ones with expectations that are out of whack.

 

[9GWG9]

With Calgary and Arizona both losing the boys really pissed on away here. Merry Christmas hgmmm.... I ment Happy Holidays!