Wild 4 Oilers 3

[dustrock]

Preds Fans were saying that it would take a Number 1 Centerman for Jones.


Hall wouldn't get it done.

Preds fans can assess trades as well as Oilers fans, apparently.

 

[LTIR]

It seems like we have a lot of players who dont work well with one another.
Eberle seems to be the only one who fits everywhere. Pouliot as well.

Get McDavid, RNH and Hall a line of their own when everyone is back.

Slepy-McDavid-Yak \\ Pouliot-RNH-Pakarainen \\ Hall-Lander-Eberle

 

[Da McBomb]

McDavid and Nurse really made the game enjoyable to watch. I can't say the same thing about Sekera and Fayne. I'm really wondering if this long term contract for Sekera is gonna come back to haunt us. Nurse is already a top 4 dman on this club. It was an unfortunate loss but this team is really playing much better this year. Once we get healthy again, I can see the Oilers going on a nice winning streak.

 

[KlimasLoveChild]

Sorry but that's nonsense.

Yes, the team still isn't good but if you don't see improvements in structure and compete level then I don't know what to tell you.

It's a team that dresses a 2nd pairing Dman (Sekera), three 3rd pairing Dmen (Fayne, Gryba, Schultz), two rookies (Klefbom, Nurse - I don't count a season under Eakins as NHL experience) and AHL filler to go along with dead weight like Purcell and as much as I hate to say it, Lander along with AHLers and grinders playing on the top line nightly yet they are going to toe to toe with top west teams.

I get the frustration and I too refused to acknowledge any improvement early in the season but there is clear progress being made after looking at a larger sample size now. It's not as fast as a lot of us would like it to be but there is definitely some progress being made. It would be nice to see some wins on this homestand though.

I agree with you. Not only by my eye test but if you listen to every post game interview from opposing coaches. Every one I've seen has commented on how much of an improved team we are this year. We are in almost all of these games with some of the best clubs in the league that have had players and systems in place for years. We have a team with a handful of boat anchors,new systems and been in almost every game. We have actually had a damn good start when you consider we are bringing a knife to a gun fight.

 

[ulfstrk]

Would you guys try? Spread the scoring. Hendricks on McD wing to win board battles and be a net presence.

Pou-RNH-Ebs
Hall-Lander-Pak
Hendy-McD-Yak
Slep-Let-Klink

Sekera-Jultz
Nurse-Klefbom
Griffin-Gryba

 

[guymez]

He'll has frozen over. Guymez telling ppl to chill. Usually the other way around.





PS the oil are better. It's not gonna happen over night.

Well...its pretty simple really.
The team finally has a Management team in place that has the where with all to improve the team. Thats cause for optimism.

Prior to this season there were a bunch of clowns running the show...so that meant there was no cause for optimism.

Turns out my position was completely justifiable.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Well...its pretty simple really.
The team finally has a Management team in place that has the where with all to improve the team. Thats cause for optimism.

Prior to this season there were a bunch of clowns running the show...so that meant there was no cause for optimism.

Turns out my position was completely justifiable.

While I agree until the results show on the ice we're just "visually" better.

 

[Kepler 186f]

Does Fayne not want to play in the NHL anymore?

How can a veteran, recently decent, NHL d-man get made to look like a pylon on a rush. And not by Erik Karlsson but by Marco frigging Scandella. He just totally lost the plot. Did he have a mini-stroke just at the moment of attack? What an awful play.

Nuge's brain cramp on the tying goal was cringe worthy too, as was Gryba's play to nobody in particular on the winner. But at least they have both been somewhat effective over the season.

Fayne has just fallen apart.

While I agree until the results show on the ice we're just "visually" better.

Not to worry, Craig is still on it.

 

[guymez]

Culture? That's a bunch of nonsense that guys on sportsnet preach about **** teams when they don't have any answers, which as it happens is almost all the time. What, good teams have good cultures until they start to loose and then the culture goes to ****?

Either get players who already do the things that win hockey games or get someone who can teach the ones we have. I dont care if the teams "culture" revolves around Satan worship as long we win hockey games.

So in your opinion teaching players how to win is completely doable in 10 games? Teaching players the little things that help a team win should happen almost immediately?
Acquiring players to help this process shouldnt be hindered by cap issues due to bad contracts like Nikitin, Purcell, Ference and Scrivens?

With all due respect I dont think your position is very well thought out.

 

[guymez]

While I agree until the results show on the ice we're just "visually" better.

Its a process. Its not like turning on a light bulb.

Like it or not its going to take time.

 

[McShogun99]

Would you guys try? Spread the scoring. Hendricks on McD wing to win board battles and be a net presence.

Pou-RNH-Ebs
Hall-Lander-Pak
Hendy-McD-Yak
Slep-Let-Klink

Sekera-Jultz
Nurse-Klefbom
Griffin-Gryba

By the 20ish game mark call up Draisaitl and try these lines;

Pouliot-Mcdavid-Yakupov
Hendricks-RNH-Eberle
Hall-Draisaitl-Lander

or a slight mix to the Hall and RNH lines;

Hall-Lander-Eberle
Hendricks-RNH-Draisaitl

Mcdavid line plus Hall have been carrying the team the past 8 games.

 

[oXo Cube]

RNH and Hall do not work well together. RNH needs to carry the puck-he's solid with the dump and chase (most times) whereas Hall just tries to barrel through a couple defenders along the boards.

Didn't Hall and Lander develop chemistry together last season when Hall came back from injury and the BP/RNH/JE line was clicking?

Maybe TM should try Hall and Lander together when Eberle gets back.

It's amazing that people can spin things so much that they find a way to blame Taylor Hall for RNH's poor production.

In regards to Fayne, I'm beginning to think that Andy Greene is even better than Devils fans think he is.

 

[oobga]

It's amazing that people can spin things so much that they find a way to blame Taylor Hall for RNH's poor production.

In regards to Fayne, I'm beginning to think that Andy Greene is even better than Devils fans think he is.

How do we keep ending up with these "defensive" D with big bodies but they're just stick wavers? I really expected Fayne to be much more physical, but he seems to come from the Nick Schultz school of playing D.

 

[Frank the Tank]

Sorry but that's nonsense.

Yes, the team still isn't good but if you don't see improvements in structure and compete level then I don't know what to tell you.

It's a team that dresses a 2nd pairing Dman (Sekera), three 3rd pairing Dmen (Fayne, Gryba, Schultz), two rookies (Klefbom, Nurse - I don't count a season under Eakins as NHL experience) and AHL filler to go along with dead weight like Purcell and as much as I hate to say it, Lander along with AHLers and grinders playing on the top line nightly yet they are going to toe to toe with top west teams.

I get the frustration and I too refused to acknowledge any improvement early in the season but there is clear progress being made after looking at a larger sample size now. It's not as fast as a lot of us would like it to be but there is definitely some progress being made. It would be nice to see some wins on this homestand though.

I agree. The Oilers offense gives the other teams problems now.Their opponent needs to worry about line-matching and the Oilers can now forecheck teams into turnovers and scoring chances. I would rate the forwards winning board battles at a 4-5 out of ten, and yet that is an improvement over the 1/10 we witnessed for many seasons. Goaltending is no longer a liability with Talbot making the saves he needs to (and often one or two more).

As you mentioned, the defense is where this team's problem lies. There is no quick fix on that front. I liked what I saw from Nurse last evening, and yet he remains a long-term solution. No doubt Chiarelli will have certain major decisions to make this year about how he wants to solve the teams woes on the back-end. Having Reinhart and Schultz back would help, and yet an NHL team counting on an injury-free defensive group for extended periods of time is betting against the odds.

Overall, we are 0-5 against St. Louis, Dallas, Minnesota, and Nashville, a record many teams will achieve over the upcoming months. Losing sucks; however, the way the team is playing 9/10 games (Dallas being the exception) offers hope for growth this season. The individual gaffes need to be minimized, and that will be a challenge with this defensive group.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Its a process. Its not like turning on a light bulb.

Like it or not its going to take time.

Well at some point they have to start beating these teams. A good start would be the Habs on Thursday.

 

[guymez]

Well at some point they have to start beating these teams. A good start would be the Habs on Thursday.

I agree. Keep in mind though they have played almost all of the best teams in the NHL since the season started.

To be fair they have been very close in games like the LA game, and the game last night.

Win those and they team is .500.

They are not that far off.


I fully expect them to beat Montreal tomorrow.

 

[KlimasLoveChild]

It's amazing that people can spin things so much that they find a way to blame Taylor Hall for RNH's poor production.

In regards to Fayne, I'm beginning to think that Andy Greene is even better than Devils fans think he is.

You also have to consider he had a hall of famer in net behind him too. Petry is supposedly a world beater all of a sudden when you put god in net behind him. They tend to erase a crap load for mistakes which then get forgotten because they didn't result in a goal.

 

[StoveTopStauffer]

It's amazing that people can spin things so much that they find a way to blame Taylor Hall for RNH's poor production.

In regards to Fayne, I'm beginning to think that Andy Greene is even better than Devils fans think he is.

I don't think people are blaming Hall for RNH, they just don't fit well together. Evidence last year was non-stop.

Same reason for Hall and McD not being great together.

Hall needs his own C who is a passenger, RNH isn't meant to be a passenger. Lander is, however, offensively and defensively gifted enough to work well with Hall.

 

[gwiz999]

It's amazing that people can spin things so much that they find a way to blame Taylor Hall for RNH's poor production.

In regards to Fayne, I'm beginning to think that Andy Greene is even better than Devils fans think he is.

I'm not blaming Hall. Each player brings something different to the team and sometimes those differences do not mix well. In RNH's rookie season, Hall, Eberle and RNH were great together but the past few years that hasn't been the case at all. Eberle and RNH played very well in Hall's absence last season. Hall and Lander played well when Hall returned from injury.

 

[McDeathbyCheerios*]

While I agree until the results show on the ice we're just "visually" better.

Being the better team or very close in 8/10 games is showing it on ice. Most of our losses hinged on mistakes by 5 players ******** the bed. Fayne, Davidson, ****ters, Ference and Gryba. The latter has been good for r most part.

The team is much better. The ****ters are still ****ters.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

I'm not blaming Hall. Each player brings something different to the team and sometimes those differences do not mix well. In RNH's rookie season, Hall, Eberle and RNH were great together but the past few years that hasn't been the case at all. Eberle and RNH played very well in Hall's absence last season. Hall and Lander played well when Hall returned from injury.

I like th idea of puttin hall on the 3rd line and spot shifting him to manage his minutes depending on game situation and if he's playing well.

 

[KlimasLoveChild]

How do we keep ending up with these "defensive" D with big bodies but they're just stick wavers? I really expected Fayne to be much more physical, but he seems to come from the Nick Schultz school of playing D.

That's funny because I said the same thing in the summer when everyone was penciling him in as our #1 rd. I said he was a slower skating, less gritty Nultz...... god damn awful...

Two plays really bothered me the other night. One he got beat wide and spun around completely losing his bearing and then kind of drifted into the slot like a lost puppy. He didn't cover anyone, didn't attempt to block a passing lane, just stood dazed and confused while Minny cycled the puck and passed it around.

On another occasion he got beat wide by the lw but through some miracle was able to recover and force him behind the net. Fayne then followed him ,within arms distance,along the boards all the way back to the blue line where the forward put on the breaks and started moving back towards the corner before passing off the puck. Fayne didn't engage him physically the entire time.:

 

[McPuritania]

How do we keep ending up with these "defensive" D with big bodies but they're just stick wavers? I really expected Fayne to be much more physical, but he seems to come from the Nick Schultz school of playing D.

Bang, there it is. It was itching my brain, and you scratched it. Fayne is a larger Nick Schultz.

 

[seguino]

We do suck and haven't improved one iota. Wrong

Nuge is just as guilty as the rest of the soft, junior mined, shinny players that make up the majority of this team..both forward and defence. Outside Hendi, Klink and, now, Slepy(who still needs time..perhaps in the AHL), none know how to play hockey. They play shinny and/or junior hockey but that doesn't work in the NHL.
Did you not see the skilled players of the Wild or the other teams we've played? Everyone on those teams either finished their checks, drove to the net, checked players, pinned players, stepped in front of them...and so on..It part of a winning team and the Oil don't have it. Did Hall even touch a Wild player last night..besides buzzing around the ice like MPS, accomplishing nothing? They have a team of soft, skilled, junior type players that skate but nothing else. That 'heaviness' that Chia spoke of..they don't have it and never will. Time to change 'em up or should we wait another 5 years until McD needs to be traded? Basically youre saying Hendricks,Klink and Slepy are better than Hall,Nuge and Eberle???? What the...

The defense sucks because it doesn't have a top pairing but would be adequate if they had the correct mix. So....Defence isn't the problem, its the forwards?

This team will continue to go no where with the makeup as is. Some of us have been saying it for years but the majority just don't seem to get it. Maybe. I don't have a problem with trading one of the core but NOT because they aren't good hockey players.

Adding another skilled player in McD won't help this team be winners. As great as he is and is going to be, the team is completely made up with the wrong components and the majority need to be changed out. Keep a couple of the highly skilled forwards and a couple of the D and change the rest. McDavid is arguably the best player in the NHL...Already.

Having a great goalie is nice but, at the end of the day, nothing will change until the 'crew' has been changed out. Having a good goalie is 1 piece of the puzzle.Thats it.

Trade Hall, RNH, Eberle, Schultz, Klefbom(did he even check one player last night?), Purcel, Lander and a few more. NO

It good to have skill in the lineup but when it comes with little else in the way of hockey play, it becomes useless..may as well be Anson Carter, Schremp, whatever...No comment

Im frustrated too but geez. Try to erase the last few years of ineptitude and pretend the rebuild starts this year because, im afraid, that's the reality.

 

[Lacaar]

I think this idea of punting is causing us grief.

The defencemen punt way to freaking much.
Hell they punt with no one around them.

They need to learn to make a play. Not take the easy way out.
The easy way out makes for an easy way back in.

This around the boards or off the glass crap can't be your go to play. We do it at least half the time.

It never feels like other teams do this. Just us and our d core playing too scared to make a play.