Stanley Cup Playoffs 2020: Oilers vs. Chicago Game 3

by Lowetide

A five-game series is like having a job evaluation every day for a week. Even if you do well Tuesday, there’s another big test tomorrow.

Imagine a batter versus a pitcher. The count is 1-1. Strike two gives enormous advantage to the pitcher, 2-1 is a hitter’s count. That’s tonight for the Oilers and the ‘Hawks. This is fun, right? RIGHT?

THE ATHLETIC!

Great perspective from a ridiculous group of writers and analysts. I am proud to be part of The Athletic. Here are the most recent Oilers stories.

OILERS 2019-20 PLAYOFF SCORING

The top two lines have produced points, with McDavid leading the way in brilliant fashion. I’m a fan of Leon Draisaitl and believe he can create offense with any number of the available wingers. In the spring of 2017, he was a hammer with Milan Lucic and Anton Slepyshev (the line scored while getting caved in possession). James Neal has two goals, Chiasson another, the bottom-six forwards are doing good things.

Defensemen haven’t had much of an offensive impact but the second pairing has been good, the top pair was better in Game 2 and the third pair has been exactly as you would expect (dependable).

Goalie Mikko Koskinen has the edge on getting tonight’s start, it’s uncertain he’ll get the next three starts.

OILERS PLAYOFFS CORSI FIVE ON FIVE

Oilers so far this series are 51.5 Corsi (No. 9 in the NHL) and 45.45 goal differential (No. 14). Both numbers five on five.

Possession numbers are not the almighty but do tell us what the puck is doing with specific players on the ice. Edmonton’s bottom-six forwards are routinely in the 40’s in this metric, nice to see some real results from the Khaira and Sheahan lines.

Out clause will of course be part of this and I do believe Puljujarvi could be with the Oilers in 2020-21. That’s a big step from where this landed and spent last winter, seems a spring thaw has resulted in real progress. It’s easy to see how much value he would bring, with cap savings being a massive item. If Ken Holland can offload Alex Chiasson (Puljujarvi), Kris Russell (Caleb Jones) and Matt Benning (Evan Bouchard) it’ll represent $5 million or more shaved off the cap in 2020-21. Massive.

Plenty of room for Holland to wheel, he could add a more substantial goalie or perhaps an upgrade on Riley Sheahan in the middle. I have Bouchard, Lagesson and Gambardella making the team from Bakersfield, and suspect Tyler Benson, Cooper Marody, Ryan McLeod and Theodor Lennstrom may also be in play.

LOWDOWN WITH LOWETIDE

At 10 this morning, we hit the airwaves on TSN1260 with Bruce McCurdy from the Cult of Hockey at the Edmonton Journal. We’ll chat about tonight’s big game and moments in Oilers history when intelligent men had to contemplate the evening game as historic and possibly damaging. Joe Osborne from OddsShark pops by at 11 to talk NHL and NBA odds. 10-1260 text @Lowetide on twitter. We have live sports to talk about and we’re all very excited!

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Ryan

Tough loss…

The officiating was pretty terrible.

Yamamoto hit vs Dach.

Russell holding call.

AA gets holding call against Kane with palm up for one Mississippi…

Kubalik does a bear hug followed by a take down on Nurse and no call.

Nuge was tripped on the opening Oilers PP with no call.

Kassian sat for most of the game then cost the game.

Losing Ennis further disrupted the flow of the game and exposes our lack of top nine winger talent.

Just watching Russell play in the top four on the right side is cringeworthy alone…

jake70

Well, better in regulation than a heartbreaker in OT. And as far as point shots being low percentage approach, someone tell that to Oiler opponents over the last decade.

rickithebear

My champ core roster theory:
Champ teams give up 2.00 or less GAA in their series win games.

Have said Nurse and Bear are cup killing rovers.

razor

Time to sit Sheahan and Kassian and put in Haas and Nygard. Sheahan had a major screw up on the tying goal and hasn’t looked like the regular season all series.

Fiveinatrailer

Sorry I’m late to the party. Larson out? Ennis injured, Kassian benched?

dustrock

And I’ve been a pretty steady Larsson criticizer but holy hell he is apparently the only one capable of clearing the crease on the entire Oilers D corpse.

The book on us is clear now: shoot from the point, either our D will tip it in ourselves or they won’t take out the Hawks player standing in the blue paint.

dustrock

Kassian is the worst Oilers forward. He’s so bad Tippett can’t even play him when Ennis goes down.

And again, I’m not sure Nurse is a top 4 defenceman.

But whatever, we suck 5v5,if hockey has now become a pinball game in the halfcourt, the Oilers are not equipped for that, particularly on D.

They are a PP and counterattack team. If you take away the counter, they’re not scoring 5v5.

godot10

flea: I don’t think that’s what he said.

It’s not like reporters make up shit to get clicks and views though (cough cough – Adrian Dater – cough )

He said “F%@ Off Kass”, as clear as day.

flea

Zelepukin:
man, what do you do for the tenders? You play Smith game 4, but if he sucks it then you blame Tip. If he wins us the game, do you play him game 5 in a back-to-back? I guess it depend how well he stands on his head?

Do you ride Koski the same way Crawford is going to play every game?

I think Tippett plays Smith in Game 4 and goes back to Koskinen for Game 5

flea

godot10: Watch all the way to the end…the last few seconds.

https://www.nhl.com/video/highmores-game-tying-goal/t-317754962/c-5395074

I don’t think that’s what he said.

It’s not like reporters make up shit to get clicks and views though (cough cough – Adrian Dater – cough )

godot10

godot10:
I thought it might have been me imagining it, but someone else saw it too.

Top Cheese
@TENcentHands
·
7m
Kassian with a weak shot block attempt on the blue on tying goal.
McDavid watching replay looks like he mutters under his breath “fuck Kass”

Watch all the way to the end…the last few seconds.

https://www.nhl.com/video/highmores-game-tying-goal/t-317754962/c-5395074

Zelepukin

man, what do you do for the tenders? You play Smith game 4, but if he sucks it then you blame Tip. If he wins us the game, do you play him game 5 in a back-to-back? I guess it depend how well he stands on his head?

Do you ride Koski the same way Crawford is going to play every game?

thelongdark

godot10:
I thought it might have been me imagining it, but someone else saw it too.

Top Cheese
@TENcentHands
·
7m
Kassian with a weak shot block attempt on the blue on tying goal.
McDavid watching replay looks like he mutters under his breath “fuck Kass”

This is pretty soap opera but I’ll have to check the tape

GordieHoweHatTrick

ashley:
We can’t say much about the game winner.Just really bad luck.Bear is doing the right thing there and even then, it had to bounce twice before actually making it into the net.Koskinen not square, didn’t have the right angle.Maybe didn’t see it because of the screen.

The egregious play was the tying goal.Archibald by himself on the defensive half wall with the puck coming to him.LOTS of time.He tries to play it with his skate???Skate to stick?Is that what I saw?The puck goes off both skate and stick into the slot for full Hawk possession.What an awful play with 5 minutes to go.

I can’t say I’ve ever seen that particular clumsy blunder in such a big game with so little time left.

This team really does seem to be cursed sometimes.Tonight is one of those times.

That was Sheahan not Archibald I believe. But yes it was a major fuck up

godot10

I thought it might have been me imagining it, but someone else saw it too.

Top Cheese
@TENcentHands
·
7m
Kassian with a weak shot block attempt on the blue on tying goal.
McDavid watching replay looks like he mutters under his breath “fuck Kass”

ashley

We can’t say much about the game winner. Just really bad luck. Bear is doing the right thing there and even then, it had to bounce twice before actually making it into the net. Koskinen not square, didn’t have the right angle. Maybe didn’t see it because of the screen.

The egregious play was the tying goal. Archibald by himself on the defensive half wall with the puck coming to him. LOTS of time. He tries to play it with his skate??? Skate to stick? Is that what I saw? The puck goes off both skate and stick into the slot for full Hawk possession. What an awful play with 5 minutes to go.

I can’t say I’ve ever seen that particular clumsy blunder in such a big game with so little time left.

This team really does seem to be cursed sometimes. Tonight is one of those times.

OriginalPouzar

Nygard/McDavid/Kass
Nuge/Drai/Yamamoto
AA/Sheahan/Archie
Neal/Khaira/Chiasson

Top line – in 35 minutes are positive possession and 3:1 goals.

godot10

Bench Kassian. Nygard and Haas. Make it so.

godot10

Younger Oil:
Even with the reffing BS, the better team won tonight. Koskinen let nine pucks by him, and the post saved his ass five times.

The Blackhawks hit the posts because Koskinen is a big goaltender. The late Toews shot that hit the post would not have gone in if it had been on net.

flea

Still alive, but it’ll be tough to win both on the back to back. Only thing that gives me a glimmer of hope is the Oilers have not played their best game yet. Just gotta win that one Friday and give yourself a chance in game 5

godot10

Kassian cost the OIlers the game by skating out of the way of the shot on the tying goal. No guts. I remember Horcoff and Smyth diving face first to block shots in the playoffs in 2006.

Not Kassian He purposely avoided the point shot.

SK Oiler Fan

So 12 penalties then none in the 3rd hey? I think there was a visit to the officials room

striatic

This game was excruciating on so many levels.

SK Oiler Fan

I don’t think Tippet can be happy with many periods in this series. Not his style. It never happens, but I would have liked to have seen a timeout halfway through the 3rd to get a breather and settle things down. Especially with mostly 4 D

Fiveinatrailer

Tough loss. Young oilers team can’t play the trap for 20 minutes. I don’t understand why they would even try that tactic.

Anyone else see Dach and think man I wish PJ was him?
Dach and Boq >PJ and Bouch

gogliano

Younger Oil:
Even with the reffing BS, the better team won tonight. Koskinen let nine pucks by him, and the post saved his ass five times.

Also all those pucks that missed the post and hit the backboard — all goals because Koski didn’t get’em. 30 goals or so by my count.

jp

Réal Goudenyéu:
Get em next year boys

Réal Goudenyéu: Oilers play indicates no they won’t

Great. Now where’s HH?

SK Oiler Fan

I didn’t like how Nurse left Bear defending 2 hawks.by himself on the winner. Poor puck management by the forwards other than the 4th line in the 3rd.

Younger Oil

Even with the reffing BS, the better team won tonight. Koskinen let nine pucks by him, and the post saved his ass five times.

Ribs

Koskinen was fine.

Nix

Ok so seriously. You trade Lafreniere, Lavoie, and the last year of Russell to Ottawa for picks 3 and 5. The Sens get an excellent pair of high pedigree francophone wingers, and the Oil get to slightly divert league anger at another 1rst, and McDavid gets Stutzle and Holtz for the next few years cup window.

Im going to go lose my shit. Good evening all.

thelongdark

drglen:
not a problem.. we will win the next two games

Oilers play indicates no they won’t

Tesla's Hair

Brinkmanship

thelongdark

Get em next year boys

Gerta Rauss

Man, that’s a kick in the coin purse

Material Elvis

Hit Bear’s stick, Chicago player’s knee, then post and in.

drglen

not a problem.. we will win the next two games

Lucinius

Quite possible that Montreal will eliminate the Penguins and the Hawks will eliminate the Oilers.

Bleh.

LMHF#1

So if the Oilers would just stop scoring against themselves…

BONE207

Tesla's Hair:

Is this fun? Hahaha

Well…not so much anymore

Munny

fuck a little yellow duck

jp

Ah damn. Bear.

drglen

damn.. off bear and in the net

Ice Sage

Wow this reminds me of Oilers – Wings 2006, Oilers on the wrong end this time.
Ah well

Tesla's Hair

Nnooooooooooooooooooooo

Lucinius

Whelp.

This was fun.

drglen

brutal

Material Elvis

Brutal. Fuck.

jp

Lucinius:
Oilers should give out free blood pressure medication for every game, imo.

Huh? Think I passed out there for a bit

godot10

Kassian bailed on blocking the point shot on the goal. He basically just got out of the way. Couldn’t make it through two games without a lazy blunder.