Post-Game Talk: WTF just happened? Oil win 4-3

[Ragss]

JJ had 9 minutes of ice time. Lucic, whose stick was the death knell of Oiler plays all night, had 19:20. Lucic was passing the puck like Nathan Walker out there and seemed to be avoiding finishing his checks all night to boot. And Klef and Benning in the dying seconds...I just don't get it.

 

[McFlash97]

JJ had 9 minutes of ice time. Lucic, whose stick was the death knell of Oiler plays all night, had 19:20. Lucic was passing the puck like Nathan Walker out there and seemed to be avoiding finishing his checks all night to boot. And Klef and Benning in the dying seconds...I just don't get it.

Cut the big ogre some slack will ya....that hit on McDavid was a beaut !!!!!!

 

[Hopelesslucicfan]

I’m ready to say it. I hate Tmac as much as I hated Eakins.
How you can possibly defend anything he does at this point.
Watching him try and develop talent is like watering a plant with piss and wondering why it isn’t growing.

Slepyshev has a great post season, gets injured, Starts slow, then gets demoted to healthy scratch status with occasional fourth line duty. At which point he is made publicly available, all the while continuing to rot on the bench.
He suddenly gets a spot that isn’t on a line with letestu and suddenly he’s productive! Who woulda thought!!

JP gets recalled, Todd talks about how hes going to play in the top 6, and he’s productive. Gets moved from McDavids line to drais line and is still decently productive, but has a rough patch (which can be expected from any rookie), and instead of being allowed to play through it, is suddenly playing on the third line. Not being as productive but still forechecking hard and being responsible defensively. Out of nowhere he’s demoted to the fourth line, where he continues to do well, but isn’t producing, and seeing exclusive icetime with letestu and kassian, which leads to tonight. JP was forechecking hard and breaking up plays in the D zone, but gets to ride the pine because tmac decides to shorten his bench to hold the lead, and in doing so requires lucic and his 100 giveaways tonight instead of a defensively solid rookie in desperate need of some skill to play with.

Don’t even get me started on his lack of line matching or refusal to use a time out when the momentum shifts.

The guy is tied for the worst coach this franchise has ever seen.

He can’t teach a defensive system, he can’t teach an offensive system, he refuses to fire his assistants who are coaching our special teams to laughable levels, and he’s allergic to any type of “coaching” during the game.

The sooner the Tmac and Chia era is over, the better. The only scary thing about it, is our wonderful owner seems to somehow make situations that seem like they can’t get any worse... much worse.

The damage chia is doing by trading all of our valuable assets away for peanuts, and then watching Tmac take what valuable chips we have left and attempt to develop them into fourth line checkers, is going to do this organization so much harm. We have one decent forward prospect, and he only looks decent because he’s still in jr and hasn’t been exposed to our “development” system yet. If this group remains, I bet JP is considered bust status and gone by the end of next season for a second rounder at best, slepyshev is traded for a 5th rounder, and Yam is forced to play spot duty on the fourth line next year instead of tearing up the AHL or playing with top 6 talent.

We’re going on 12 years of darkness now, isn’t it time we got serious about winning?

 

[48g90a138pts]

I barely watched the game since i was at work but i caught the last 10 minutes and correct me if i'm wrong but i didn't see Poolparty on the ice once. I mean i could be wrong, but from what i read about the game on these very boards Poolparty played a pretty good game and of course it's TMac as the coach so he gets benched for no reason cuz he needs to be taught a "lesson" for some baffling reason. This kid needs the rest of the games this year to develop his game and get some confidence back but TMac refuses to reward him with ice time for anything good he does. Instead he gets benched for playing a good physical forecheck game while Cammy (Addmitedly he did get 3 apples this game but that's beside the point cuz that seems to be an anomaly at this point in his career) gets more ice time so we can "showcase" him for the trade deadline.

This is the exact same crap Slepychev has been going through. It's absolutely infuriating to watch all this as a fan. This is why we need Ralph Kruger back in the worst way. He seemed to get the best out of the young players.

 

[PulYou]

I’m ready to say it. I hate Tmac as much as I hated Eakins.
How you can possibly defend anything he does at this point.
Watching him try and develop talent is like watering a plant with piss and wondering why it isn’t growing.

Slepyshev has a great post season, gets injured, Starts slow, then gets demoted to healthy scratch status with occasional fourth line duty. At which point he is made publicly available, all the while continuing to rot on the bench.
He suddenly gets a spot that isn’t on a line with letestu and suddenly he’s productive! Who woulda thought!!

JP gets recalled, Todd talks about how hes going to play in the top 6, and he’s productive. Gets moved from McDavids line to drais line and is still decently productive, but has a rough patch (which can be expected from any rookie), and instead of being allowed to play through it, is suddenly playing on the third line. Not being as productive but still forechecking hard and being responsible defensively. Out of nowhere he’s demoted to the fourth line, where he continues to do well, but isn’t producing, and seeing exclusive icetime with letestu and kassian, which leads to tonight. JP was forechecking hard and breaking up plays in the D zone, but gets to ride the pine because tmac decides to shorten his bench to hold the lead, and in doing so requires lucic and his 100 giveaways tonight instead of a defensively solid rookie in desperate need of some skill to play with.

Don’t even get me started on his lack of line matching or refusal to use a time out when the momentum shifts.

The guy is tied for the worst coach this franchise has ever seen.

He can’t teach a defensive system, he can’t teach an offensive system, he refuses to fire his assistants who are coaching our special teams to laughable levels, and he’s allergic to any type of “coaching” during the game.

The sooner the Tmac and Chia era is over, the better. The only scary thing about it, is our wonderful owner seems to somehow make situations that seem like they can’t get any worse... much worse.

The damage chia is doing by trading all of our valuable assets away for peanuts, and then watching Tmac take what valuable chips we have left and attempt to develop them into fourth line checkers, is going to do this organization so much harm. We have one decent forward prospect, and he only looks decent because he’s still in jr and hasn’t been exposed to our “development” system yet. If this group remains, I bet JP is considered bust status and gone by the end of next season for a second rounder at best, slepyshev is traded for a 5th rounder, and Yam is forced to play spot duty on the fourth line next year instead of tearing up the AHL or playing with top 6 talent.

We’re going on 12 years of darkness now, isn’t it time we got serious about winning?

This is how I read it as well. I have been wondering whether TMac is just this clueless or is this somehow calculated.

He does make fine explanations though, afterwards when his mishandlings accidentally works. Like now, when Pulju was demoted to a fourth line as a LW. According to TMac prospects play better away from top players.

My guess is, that TMac would like to win, but he is just that incompetent?

 

[TheNumber4]

9 pages and all the talk is about cameras and the NHL rule book. On to the game:

- Talbot had a really solid game overall. Kings were shooting a lot of high velocity accurate shots at him through traffic all night long and he stood tall.

- Oilers D still leaking a stupid amount of chances.

- Glad to see Draisaitl continue getting points but he may have been guilty of trying to do too much during parts of the game. Don't like to see Drai turning over the puck when he's in that mode.

- Larsson was a beast tonight. Hitting hard, making Kotiars life hard, and showing some quickness too (which seems to come and go with him)

- Slepyshev is really starting to prove himself as an NHler. Hope it's not just increased effort in an attempt to get traded.

- Khaira with a beauty. He's the rarest of commodities on this Oiler team, a late round draft pick that actually turned into a player.

- Benning can't make an outlet pass. Always passes too far ahead of the receiver.

- Lucic. It's starting to get embarrassing. He almost took out McDavid for f***s sake. Dude needs to get his f***in head in the game, he needs a sports psychologist or something. I didn't mind TMac putting him out with Drai and McDavid, I think it's TMac plan to get him some confidence.... but with Looch even if he scored how long before another slump comes and he's back in the dumps.

 

[LaGu]

JJ had 9 minutes of ice time. Lucic, whose stick was the death knell of Oiler plays all night, had 19:20. Lucic was passing the puck like Nathan Walker out there and seemed to be avoiding finishing his checks all night to boot. And Klef and Benning in the dying seconds...I just don't get it.

Well Sekera was competing with Benning in being the worst D for the night, Russell was out and the Nurse/Larsson pair couldn't play all the time.

Nurse/Larsson played 1:21 of the last 2 mins (and only went off when we were up by two).
Benning 39 secs
Sekera 31 secs
Klefbom 8 secs

I don't know how you can blame him for that really. I honestly had to go to the NHL shift charts since it seemed like Larsson/Nurse were out all the time.

 

[Zguy370]

Well Sekera was competing with Benning in being the worst D for the night, Russell was out and the Nurse/Larsson pair couldn't play all the time.

Nurse/Larsson played 1:21 of the last 2 mins (and only went off when we were up by two).
Benning 39 secs
Sekera 31 secs
Klefbom 8 secs

I don't know how you can blame him for that really. I honestly had to go to the NHL shift charts since it seemed like Larsson/Nurse were out all the time.

Thanks for sharing the stats., I did't think Klefbom was out there at all near end of game. Regardless he played a very good sound game, all around last night.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

farce gonna farce

 

[Digger12]

I barely watched the game since i was at work but i caught the last 10 minutes and correct me if i'm wrong but i didn't see Poolparty on the ice once. I mean i could be wrong, but from what i read about the game on these very boards Poolparty played a pretty good game and of course it's TMac as the coach so he gets benched for no reason cuz he needs to be taught a "lesson" for some baffling reason. This kid needs the rest of the games this year to develop his game and get some confidence back but TMac refuses to reward him with ice time for anything good he does. Instead he gets benched for playing a good physical forecheck game while Cammy (Addmitedly he did get 3 apples this game but that's beside the point cuz that seems to be an anomaly at this point in his career) gets more ice time so we can "showcase" him for the trade deadline.

He wasn't the only forward that got benched in the 3rd period, Caggiula and Pakarinen suffered the same fate.

Pakarinen: On bench for last 15 minutes of the 3rd period.
Caggiula: On bench for last 12 minutes of the 3rd period.
Puljujarvi: On bench for last 7 minutes of the 3rd period.

It looks like MacLellan was gradually shortening the bench as the 3rd period progressed as the Oilers were trying to hold onto their lead. At least it doesn't look like Jesse was being singled out.

 

[McShogun99]

That was easily the worst game i've seen Lucic play as an Oiler. He's completely given up on the year.

 

[Zguy370]

He wasn't the only forward that got benched in the 3rd period, Caggiula and Pakarinen suffered the same fate.

Pakarinen: On bench for last 15 minutes of the 3rd period.
Caggiula: On bench for last 12 minutes of the 3rd period.
Puljujarvi: On bench for last 7 minutes of the 3rd period.

It looks like MacLellan was gradually shortening the bench as the 3rd period progressed as the Oilers were trying to hold onto their lead. At least it doesn't look like Jesse was being singled out.

Likely. Even if that's the case, JP was a beast forechecking last night, if anything he should of been on at the end, once again he chooses to have Lucic and Letestu protect the lead. and of course LA was swarming all over us. Insane

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Yup Looch has lost the plot...Play dies on his stick every time
He needs a goal in the worst way

 

[nabob]

Should have sat Letestu last night. And if he isn't traded he should probably continue to sit.

 

[Drivesaitl]

How do refs in their right mind call that a goal. Ridiculous.

Because from the war room post angle it crossed the line. The subsequent review was for goalie interference which then nullified the goal.

Anyway why talk about that in a superlative game, really an awesome game and performance and the Oilers standing tall against a good (but out of sync) LA effort.

This was a classic spoiler match and we had several players rising up. We had McD and Drai continuing to be hockey gods. (and man was Drasaitl awesome, he's been channeling Team Germany excitement for a couple of weeks now) Can you imagine what it was like for Drai to be playing in this game, and being on fire WHILE homeland Germany were playing for historic gold? Unbelievable. How could you even concentrate 100%

We have Slepy with a super finish. Pure sexy, and continuing to find his confidence. Every goal was big.

But the filthy snipe from Khaira? hot damn. Slams it in the corner from sniping range like a stud. After walking the D on the play. An absolutely monumental goal at the time as LA was really coming. So 3-1 instead of Kings tying it.

Now heres the thing. The Oilers played really well. They did against Boston, twice against Colorado, and now against the Kings. These were really good all team all zone performances.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Next, screw you Friedman. He was talking about this game as if LA was just not tuned in. That LA was just taking the Oilers for granted. That was absolute bs and clueless. The Kings learned a lot of respect towards the Oilers last season and Edmonton scares them. For instance Doughty taking it on himself to try to find ways to neutralize McD in the offseason. Every King came back skating better this season and one part of that is that the Oilers had helped raise the WC bar last season. Kings knew they had to get better.

But Friedman is completely off his rocker because there is no way Kings were taking this lightly. What did occur is to be expected when a star player re-enters your lineup after extended absence. The team is swayed into changing lines and immediately inserting into 70's line. This however threw the Kings familiarity off a bit and the plays they would hit if they were sharp they didn't hit. There was just a little bit of being off, but it was mostly the Oilers splendid tight coverage that gave the Kings fits all night. The 5 on 3 coverage was very good. Kings didn't even work open (it was a brutally executed PP by them but only 1 minute of the game)

But anyway performances like this from the Oilers are great news. We have McD, Drai, Nurse, Talbot (what a game) Larsson (what a game) and we're not complete doormats. We're an out of playoffs team playing well currently. Friedman could have given the Oil one ounce of credit.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Feels good man. See you tomorrow in Anaheim boys

Told you the Oilers would play well and it would be a great game. I'm more worried about the Oilers not being able to repeat intensity in a back to back. The Oil layed it all down last night.

 

[Stoneman89]

As expected, the usual whining from the L.A locker room. Both Brown and Stevens are mystified as to why goalie interference could possibly be called on them. They are Gary's golden children and this is unacceptable. Expect memos to go out from the league to all concerned, and some firings to make things right. Not to mention the next time, the infractions will be about 10-1 for the Kings. Really wish someone would take Brown out for good, and help make the league a little safer.

 

[Stoneman89]

Could've used that call about 9 months ago.

Figures the time we get it, it helps the Flames.

Talbot complains very publicly and angrily last week for the first time, and we suddenly get a call going our way. Coincidence? Hmmmmmm..

 

[Ritchie Valens]

Next, screw you Friedman. He was talking about this game as if LA was just not tuned in. That LA was just taking the Oilers for granted. That was absolute bs and clueless. The Kings learned a lot of respect towards the Oilers last season and Edmonton scares them. For instance Doughty taking it on himself to try to find ways to neutralize McD in the offseason. Every King came back skating better this season and one part of that is that the Oilers had helped raise the WC bar last season. Kings knew they had to get better.

But Friedman is completely off his rocker because there is no way Kings were taking this lightly. What did occur is to be expected when a star player re-enters your lineup after extended absence. The team is swayed into changing lines and immediately inserting into 70's line. This however threw the Kings familiarity off a bit and the plays they would hit if they were sharp they didn't hit. There was just a little bit of being off, but it was mostly the Oilers splendid tight coverage that gave the Kings fits all night. The 5 on 3 coverage was very good. Kings didn't even work open (it was a brutally executed PP by them but only 1 minute of the game)

But anyway performances like this from the Oilers are great news. We have McD, Drai, Nurse, Talbot (what a game) Larsson (what a game) and we're not complete doormats. We're an out of playoffs team playing well currently. Friedman could have given the Oil one ounce of credit.

I may be wrong, but I think Hrudey (surprise surprise) lead that charge by saying the Kings weren't even engaged in the game until sometime in the 2nd period. Just refuses to acknowledge the Oilers in any kind of positive way. The first 3 goals the Oilers scored were all beauties. How Larsson was in Kopitar's kitchen all night and made him ineffective. Not a whisper of any of that.

 

[oobga]

That was easily the worst game i've seen Lucic play as an Oiler. He's completely given up on the year.

I see him passing up on hit opportunities now too. Seems all he cares about now is his own stat line and getting a goal. Although I’m not sure how he expects to get one by throwing the puck away so someone else can do all the work moving the puck up the ice. Guy refuses so bust hs butt out there. He just wants to get a tap in off the work of McDavid and Drai.

It is actually disgusting to watch McLellan let him drag down our 2 best players just to try to get him going when he doesn’t deserve the opportunity. Especially with how he treats Pulju and Slep.

 

[McDrai]

As expected, the usual whining from the L.A locker room. Both Brown and Stevens are mystified as to why goalie interference could possibly be called on them. They are Gary's golden children and this is unacceptable. Expect memos to go out from the league to all concerned, and some firings to make things right. Not to mention the next time, the infractions will be about 10-1 for the Kings. Really wish someone would take Brown out for good, and help make the league a little safer.

And i bet no fines are dished out. Oh you're a California team? Okay, you are exempt from discipline

 

[McShogun99]

I see him passing up on hit opportunities now too. Seems all he cares about now is his own stat line and getting a goal. Although I’m not sure how he expects to get one by throwing the puck away so someone else can do all the work moving the puck up the ice. Guy refuses so bust hs butt out there. He just wants to get a tap in off the work of McDavid and Drai.

It is actually disgusting to watch McLellan let him drag down our 2 best players just to try to get him going when he doesn’t deserve the opportunity. Especially with how he treats Pulju and Slep.

Send a message and put him on the 4th line with no PP time and move up a young guy.

 

[Stoneman89]

I may be wrong, but I think Hrudey (surprise surprise) lead that charge by saying the Kings weren't even engaged in the game until sometime in the 2nd period. Just refuses to acknowledge the Oilers in any kind of positive way. The first 3 goals the Oilers scored were all beauties. How Larsson was in Kopitar's kitchen all night and made him ineffective. Not a whisper of any of that.

I actually thought the Kings were dozing a bit in the first, expecting to score the customary 1st goal against us and then shut us down. Slepy's goal was nice, but the coverage was slack and atrocious. I thought we controlled very well until the third when Benning's time seemed to get amped up. TM loves him like he did Gryba. And of course, Lucic getting all the prime minutes. Now wonder we got in trouble.

 

[Drivesaitl]

As expected, the usual whining from the L.A locker room. Both Brown and Stevens are mystified as to why goalie interference could possibly be called on them. They are Gary's golden children and this is unacceptable. Expect memos to go out from the league to all concerned, and some firings to make things right. Not to mention the next time, the infractions will be about 10-1 for the Kings. Really wish someone would take Brown out for good, and help make the league a little safer.

The Kings are Gary's Children? When did this divine conception occur?

I always thought Dustin Brown looked a little weird..