GDT: YST G1 | Oilers vs. Canucks | 8:30PM | Streamed

[Zac Rinaldo*]

his netdrive was very hesitant for the rest of the game. even his zone entries were not as quick as is typical of him because he was too heads up and less instinctive at the latter half of the neutral zone.

i think virtanen got in his head and he got too token points.

*two

 

[oilz89*]

Drai looked so great tonight. I was very impressed.

"Get out of my way." - LD all night.

It doesn't translate as well in the NHL, but it was nice to see tonight.

Do you mean how he uses his body won't translate well?

 

[iCanada]

You know, if McDavid is going to put up two points a night on Games where he is "out of it" I think we'll be okay.

 

[KCC]

McDavid played decent. Nothing amazing by any means, but not everyone was at their best tonight either. First game and getting thrown into a line with players you haven't played with is going to be tough for anyone. Not going to read much into it.

Overall, it was just nice to see hockey again.

 

[Digger12]

For the Nucks, I'd say at least Virtanen and Subban were notable, each in their own way. McCann also had that very nice backhand pass, but other than that? Their team was putrid.

Cole Cassells wasn't noticeable at all, and Hunter Shinkaruk? He has the stench of 1st round failure all about him.

For the Oilers, Christoffer showed some great wheels with the puck and definitely gave it his all to get noticed in a good way. I'll be interested to see if he plays against Calgary.

McDavid had some spurts here and there where you saw what he could do, but I think tonight was more about him keeping his eye on the prize (main camp). And he wasn't done any favours by Moroz, who I thought other than his abrasiveness and willingness to engage physically was frankly terrible every time he touched the puck, he was a killer of offense.

Chase was a ghost other than a few chippy elbows, which he does more often than you would think.

I thought Draisaitl had an average to slightly above average game, I really liked his willingness to come down low to support his dmen in breaking Vancouver's forecheck and getting the puck up ice. He doesn't get enough credit for that.

Slepyshev IMO got slowly better as the game progressed, he for sure showed some NHL-level finish on his goal. I think he and Drai would make a good pairing once Slepyshev gets more comfortable. I'd be VERY interested to see a Slepy/Drai/Yakupov line in at least one preseason game.

Laurikainen was very solid in goal, I liked his game a lot. Very collected and economical in his movements.

Bouchard will be lucky to even have an AHL career, IMO. I just can't see what the Oilers saw in him to think he was worth burning a draft pick on. He looks like he just lays back and prays the puck hits him, somehow.

Laleggia had some good moments and gave a lovely pass to Slepy for his goal, but I do think he's going to take a fair bit of AHL seasoning before he is ready for an NHL audition. He reminds me a lot of Brad Hunt at this level so far in terms of his size and how he jumps around there like a waterbug on offense. Here's hoping he brings a better defensive game than Hunt.

Nurse was OK, a few good displays of skating and a heady point shot wrister for his goal. He still strikes me as someone who seems to make it up as he goes along when it comes to what he does when he's taking the puck up ice. He does some weird things sometimes that he tends to get away with more than I'd expect.

All in all, an 8-2 curbstomping of the Canucks kiddies is a nice way to begin hockey in September.

 

[ohheyhemsky]

Do you mean how he uses his body won't translate well?

Exactly that. The way he's positioning himself, although compared to Kopitar in his draft year, is very different and won't translate as well as we've seen against peers his own age and development.

I'm still on the side that we should have drafted Bennett, and always have been, but he looked great tonight and I'm very happy to see how well he played.

 

[McAsuno]

his netdrive was very hesitant for the rest of the game. even his zone entries were not as quick as is typical of him because he was too heads up and less instinctive at the latter half of the neutral zone.

i think virtanen got in his head and he got too token points.

Not really. It looked like McDavid was taking it more easy and letting other players on the team bring out their game. McDavid didn't utilize 100% of his speed either.

 

[CupofOil]

Really impressed by LaLeggia, so smooth with the puck and he competes hard defensively. Christopher really impressed too. Everybody else was pretty pedestrian which is to be expected in the first game of a rookie camp.

Moroz and Chase need to pick up their games. Both regressed last season, this is a big season for both if they want to be long for the organization.

 

[ohheyhemsky]

You know, if McDavid is going to put up two points a night on Games where he is "out of it" I think we'll be okay.

Haha, exactly.

"He was invisible. Great player for you guys...."

Scores two points.

 

[Supermassive]

Why are you trying so hard to get your skewed version of McDavid's game out there? You posted the same thing in the Boston vs. Buffalo thread.

He obviously needs a lot of attention.

 

[McBooya42]

that's a wrong opinion.

No, yours is the wrong opinion. He obviously watched the entire game, while you kept re-watching the hit on McDavid.

In case you missed it, McDavid had a goal and an assist after that hit and could have had many more if he hadn't been paired up with Moroz and Chase who couldn't handle the gifts they were getting.

You can post crap on your board all you want, but don't try to feed it to us here.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

his netdrive was very hesitant for the rest of the game. even his zone entries were not as quick as is typical of him because he was too heads up and less instinctive at the latter half of the neutral zone.

i think virtanen got in his head and he got too token points.

McDavid figured out real early on that Moroz couldn't keep up to him if he had rockets attached to his skates. Played a safer game after that.

The only thing Virtanen accomplished was pissing the Oilers off - the goals only stopped coming when their arms got tired.

 

[McAsuno]

 

[Frank the Tank]

"wasn't even that bad tonight."

Drafted #32 overall in 2012.

Yep. That's what we're aiming for.

It's not like the 32nd pick in a very weak draft year is guaranteed to become an impact player.

 

[oilz89*]

Exactly he was never even dlying. He was playing a few gears down.

You could tell he was. He was letting chase or moroz try to make plays while he stayed on the outside. Imagine him with stars like Hall, Eberle, Nuge, Yak (I hope)

 

[Zac Rinaldo*]

Not really. It looked like McDavid was taking it more easy and letting other players on the team bring out their game. McDavid didn't utilize 100% of his speed either.

it's really easy to just say that someone didn't try. i don't see why he would arbitrarily choose not to utilize his skillset; that reflects very poorly on the character of a player, imo. i don't see mcdavid as that type of player at all.

 

[ohheyhemsky]

It's not like the 32nd puck in a very weak draft year is guaranteed to become an impact player.

Not a great argument, but I see the point. Looking back at that draft year, it's dart on a board. But seeing people on this board defend him year after year, especially when the reasoning behind drafting a player of his type holds no ground whatsoever is very irritating.

 

[McAsuno]

it's really easy to just say that someone didn't try. i don't see why he would arbitrarily choose not to utilize his skillset; that reflects very poorly on the character of a player, imo. i don't see mcdavid as that type of player at all.

He'll actually have more points if his linemate Moroz didn't have stone cold hands. Either way, its just one game. I could care less about it, considering I know he'll be dynamic playing on a line with Hall.

 

[ohheyhemsky]

He'll actually have more points if his linemate Moroz didn't have stone cold hands. Either way, its just one game. I could care less about it, considering I know he'll be dynamic playing on a line with Hall.

Do. Not. Get. Sucked. In.

 

[McDeathbyCheerios*]

Man. I think if we ran a Slepyshev - Draisaitl - Yakupov line as a third line it could be very good. Maybe not this year but next year it could be stellar. Slepyshev has the finish Draisaitl has always wanted.

 

[TheBusDriver]

Zac is either a troll or an idiot. Either way, why reply to him?

 

[KCC]

Not really. It looked like McDavid was taking it more easy and letting other players on the team bring out their game. McDavid didn't utilize 100% of his speed either.

Yeah, he definitely looked like he was just taking it easy much of the game. Whether or not that was because his line mates couldn't keep up or because he was having trouble gaining any chemistry, I don't know. But either way, some people will bad mouth him and say he sucked, but getting two points when he looked like he was playing at 60% is fine by me.

 

[Zac Rinaldo*]

No, yours is the wrong opinion. He obviously watched the entire game, while you kept re-watching the hit on McDavid.

In case you missed it, McDavid had a goal and an assist after that hit and could have had many more if he hadn't been paired up with Moroz and Chase who couldn't handle the gifts they were getting.

You can post crap on your board all you want, but don't try to feed it to us here.

you seem mad for some reason. i am just trying to rationally discuss my observations of a star player with the fans of his team.

McDavid figured out real early on that Moroz couldn't keep up to him if he had rockets attached to his skates. Played a safer game after that.

The only thing Virtanen accomplished was pissing the Oilers off - the goals only stopped coming when their arms got tired.

i think mcdavid was phased by virtanen's hit and it affected his play throughout the remainder of the game, as his primary to nurse was a play anyone could have made, and his goal was a tap in on a random bounce. i think he was very much overshadowed throughout most of the game.

 

[McDeathbyCheerios*]

it's really easy to just say that someone didn't try. i don't see why he would arbitrarily choose not to utilize his skillset; that reflects very poorly on the character of a player, imo. i don't see mcdavid as that type of player at all.

McDavid has a high speed finesse type game. His linemates can not play at that pace so McDavid would literally be all alone on every play if he used his speed.

 

[McAsuno]

Yeah, he definitely looked like he was just taking it easy much of the game. Whether or not that was because his line mates couldn't keep up or because he was having trouble gaining any chemistry, I don't know. But either way, some people will bad mouth him and say he sucked, but getting two points when he looked like he was playing at 60% is fine by me.

Just two?? What a bust.