Adding young defenseman to the NHL lineup more than one at a time is a coach killer. Trying to add in more than one blueliner in a single year caught Toronto Maple Leafs coach Punch Imlach coming out of his 1960’s Stanley teams. Quoting the book Hockey is a Battle (Scott Young):
“I moved in a lot of guys, especially on defence. I knew I was going to give Mike Pelyk a lot of work, Jim Dorey was a real tough egg from Tulsa and he was going to get a shot at it. Another tough guy was Pat Quinn, and a real surprise in camp was Rickey Ley, a junior from Niagra Falls with no pro experience. So we had all those guys, plus Tim Horton, Marcel Pronovost and Pierre Pilote.“
THE ATHLETIC!
I’m proud to be writing for The Athletic, and pleased to be part of a great team with Daniel Nugent-Bowman and Jonathan Willis. Here is our recent work.
- New Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers report card for January
- Lowetide: Oilers’ line chemistry finally coming into view
- Lowetide: Some of the Oilers’ Russian prospects less than a year from the NHL
- Jonathan Willis: Oilers need misfiring elements to come together — and fast
- Lowetide: 3 auditioning Oilers who should be given time to find their groove
- Lowetide: It’s time for the Oilers to play prospect Evan Bouchard in NHL games
- Lowetide: Jesse Puljujarvi is ready for his No. 1 line audition
- Lowetide: Oilers’ scoring wing prospects having an impact.
- Lowetide: Oilers Kailer Yamamoto is the real deal.
- Jonathan Willis: Oilers risers and fallers: Ethan Bear, Caleb Jones among those stumbling early
- Lowetide: Oilers goaltending depth in a state of flux.
- Lowetide: Oilers’ No. 3 line has been a source of anxiety early this season
- Lowetide: Is this peak Connor McDavid?
- Jonathan Willis: Oilers opening night roster: A player-by-player breakdown
- Lowetide: Oilers risers and fallers and how they impact the opening night roster
- Lowetide: Will Ken Holland let it ride in goal for the Oilers this season?
OILERS AFTER 12 GAMES
- Oilers in 2015-16: 4-8-0, eight points; goal differential -7
- Oilers in 2016-17: 8-3-1, 17 points; goal differential +7
- Oilers in 2017-18: 4-7-1, nine points; goal differential -9
- Oilers in 2018-19: 7-4-1, 15 points; goal differential +2
- Oilers in 2019-20: 8-3-1, 17 points, goal differential +5
- Oilers in 2020-21: 5-6-0, 10 points, goal differential -2
This year’s Oilers are chasing 2018 and are now clear of 2015 and 2017. Both 2016 and 2019, the playoff seasons, remain a distant bell for now.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN FEBRUARY
- At home to: Ottawa (Expected: 1-0-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- On the road to: Calgary, Ottawa, Ottawa, Montreal (Expected: 2-1-1) (Actual 0-0-0)
- At home to: Winnipeg, Winnipeg (Expected 1-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- On the road to: Calgary (Expected 0-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- At home to: Calgary (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- On the road to: Vancouver, Vancouver (Expected 1-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- At home to: Toronto (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- Overall expected result: 7-4-1, 15 points in 12 games
- Current results:
I have the next month as a little stronger for the Oilers, as they figure out their goaltending and tighten up special teams and (hopefully) find some five on five chem. If the club runs out this record, they’ll end February 12-10-1, 25 points in 23 games. That puts them on a 61-point pace for the season, it’ll be close to a playoff spot.
PUNCH
So, Punch entered training camp in 1968 with three veterans, a pile of kids and several guys in Rochester who resented the hell out of him because they were the “minor leaguers.” Here’s how it shook down:
- Veterans: Tim Horton (74 games); Pierre Pilotte (69 games); Marcel Pronovost (34 games)
- Basically a rookie: Mike Pelyk (65 games)
- Rookies: Jim Dorey (61 games); Pat Quinn (40 games); Rick Ley (37 games); Jim McKenny (7 games).
There’s a bunch of things I could tell you here, like how Stafford Smythe told Imlach to install John McLellan as coach and Punch told him to go to hell (who does that? and who tolerates it?) or how Punch found out he was fired but that’s not why I’ve posted this quote for the tenth time.
Do you see that guy with 7 games? Jim McKenny?
Jim McKenny. Well, he had talent. If you click on this link and go to 3:55, you’ll see him score on a wonderful individual effort. McKenny, along with Al Hamilton and Brad Park and a bunch of defensemen who could move the puck and were coming up, was dubbed ‘the next Bobby Orr’ and that’s not a good thing to hang on anyone who isn’t the original.
McKenny could move the puck and he skated well, could defend although he wasn’t a masher (good lord, that group coming up behind was more than enough. Quinn was a Mack truck on skates and Dorey was certifiable).
Imlach had to work in several youngsters, and began the process with the more defensive and less chaotic group. Quinn, Dorey, Pelyk and Ley all played ahead of the puck mover, not unusual for the time. McKenny began playing as a regular in 1969-70, the year after Imlach. He posted 44 points (11 goals) and was -1 on the season. Pat Quinn was -16, Rick Ley -17.
EVAN BOUCHARD
Tippett is a smart coach and he’ll use all assets available to win hockey games. If you look at his roster, and how he’s deploying youth, the youngsters working their way up the depth chart (as everyday players) are Caleb Jones (67 NHL games) and William Lagesson (10 NHL games).
Coaches prefer veterans. More reliable, less chaos. It’s less than ideal for Bouchard that the Oilers have so many youngsters on the blue, including Jones and Lagesson, but also Ethan Bear (98 NHL games).
Bouchard will get his shot, maybe tonight, and I would expect he plays in a number of games this season. As young as this blue is today, men like Philip Broberg and Dmitri Samorukov are on the way. The pipeline is pumping and change is coming to Edmonton’s defense.
LOWDOWN WITH LOWETIDE
A busy show this morning, starting at 10 on TSN1260. Graeme Nichols from The Athletic Ottawa will chat about a trying start to the season for the Senators and the difficulty of breaking in so many young players at one time. Paul Sir from The Basketball Show will talk Raptors, 76ers and Lakers. 10-1260 text, @Lowetide on twitter. See you on the radio!
I think the obvious short term solution is let Bear sit another game or two…he got hit in the head…and a second successive head shot in a short period would be exponentially more damaging…the Oilers finally have the luxury to sit him another game or two and punt the decision down the road a bit.
Tippett has GOT to stop putting Larsson out against Steutzle.
If Bear is ready to play on Saturday, i don’t know what they do with the defence.
I know many think that Larsson should be scratched but I don’t see that happening (in general and not against the flames).
Tip gave a very very glowing review of Bouch after the game last night and I can’t imagine Bouch not playing. Tip was asked about one of the rightorium playing the left side and he said none of the have done it before and we’ll see (paraphrasing).
Who would come out from the left side – I think Koekkoek would sit but they’d want 12 forwards – one of the reason they went with only 11 last night is the knowledge of 3 full days off so not a big deal if a couple forwards got extra ice.
Who comes out, Willie or Krusty? I know most would say Krusty but he played 20 minutes last night.
Nurse-Bear
Barrie-Larsson
Jones-Bouchard
?
Somewhere in the world, Georgexs is looking at Ethan Bear’s 2.32 ga/60 with a smile on his face.
If there is a #2 LD on the roster, he probably shoots Right
Pretty soon, I don’t think we’ll be able to take any of Bear, Barrie, or Bouchard (the three B’s!) off the right side. Larsson must be sweating
Jesse’s interviews are gold.
Q: What did Tippett tell you at practice today?
Jesse: Nothing special. Work hard and stay positive.
Q: “How can you be better?”
Jesse: “Be strong and make plays all the time.”
This man is killing it!
Laggeson played almost as much on the PK as Evens. Very strange.
Ya, I mentioned that a bit earlier – at one point, he was 4 min at 5 on 5 and 4 minutes on the PK.
4:48 5v5
4:04 4v5
Per NST.
Old Man Bouch like a wily vet in his media avail, stick handling around some leading questions with aplomb.
I think Cassandra might want to reconsider trading Bouchard.
Don’t look now but Tyson Barrie is tied for 6th in the NHL for d-men points……. tied with Darnell Nurse.
Just where they’ve been in 5v5 points over the last 2/3 years. Nice that it’s actually happening though, looked to be touch an go for a while there.
Totally unrelated, looking at the TOI from the game and surprised to see Lagesson and Koekkoek both under 9 total minutes of ice.
Lagesson was noticeable in the 3rd but he and Koekkoek basically split 6/7 D minutes.
Overall TOI beyond those 2:
Nurse 23:36
Larsson 20:22
Russell 19:12
Barrie 18:47
Bouchard 16:56
Tough to take too much from the game, but I don’t think Russell is coming out of the lineup imminently.
That’s about where he should be. He’s a top-10 scorer at 5v5 – as is Darnell Nurse – and he’s starting to click on the powerplay too.
Kahun looks like Drai’s Mini Me.
Over-under on 1 goal for Haas this season?
over, by a few
We’re going streaking.
Light up Markstom on Sat and then two more against the Sens!
OK, that’s about as much as you can do Zack – go any further and there will be a suspension with the game over.
And he did stop it there.
Good to seem some truculence at least from him.
Disciplined physical play! It’s the grail.
Sirens ablaze, it would seem there’s a Haas on fire!
Same move that he used in a penalty shot against Ridditch last season in the 8-3 game. Very slick.
Agreed, he’s got some nice puck skills.
It’s only two games back into the line up after battling Covid, but he already looks as good as he ever did at any point last season.
Stutzle can score.
One of the few bright lights on that Sens team, Calder material.
That’s the way it goes with a rebuilding team. There’s actually quite a few bright lights (and legit vets). But my Gawd, the holes in the lineup.
I don’t envy them at all. A true death march(tm).
He put that one-timer on their PP in a nice spot, Mikko made a great save, that was labeled for the top corner.
Lots of try in his game. Blocked a shot, a general pest on the forecheck, I like him a lot.
Yup, looks like he’ll be a good one.
Glad the Oilers aren’t picking top 5 anymore though 🙂
So is Holland on the phones trying to move Turris yet?
To Bakersfield?
Ha!
Good one.
Turris would sail thru waivers like the rest of our bottom 6 already has…
Yeah Elvis is right, there’s no trade coming to right this.
We’re just going to have to watch it play out.
Good job Zack – that was an unnecessary bang on Larsson.
Stutzle has had a nice game
That goal happened because of Bouchard’s change. Larsson had no chance to catch Stutzle coming from the bench.
It was definitely not on Larsson but on the line change (as I mentioned) – I wonder, without looking, did a forward fail to get the puck deep enough allowing such a quik up by the Sens?
Russell threw a jump ball from his end and Yamamoto knocked it off the defenders stick into the Ottawa end which triggered the change, but the defender beat Yamamoto to the loose puck and with two quick passes Stutzle is coming in.
That goal was not on Larsson, it was on the line-change – and a great/fast transition by the Sens.
The Oilers have had, not smooth, line changes for years.
So many of the ‘also on photo’ forwards not covering are from them. Every team gets burned, but it’s a lot over years for the good guys.
Is it really that hard? 30 other teams do it.
come on guys.
Get it out and get it deep – Nurse is playing wonderful hockey.
Is he saying Ronaldo? Ronaldino?
They have Nuge playing with Turris and Chiasson.
I’m 5 dark twisted and story’s form. Nautical Nellie’s deeps but if Davey wants some beef let’s go bud. Octopus arms!
Jack Michaels has never heard of Ronaldinho?
Haha, I’ve also not heard of Ronaldinho. My bad.
Voila! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronaldinho
Yeah I did that in the minute between my first post and replying to yours!
In hindsight I recognize the name, but I clearly do not follow the futbal.
Haven’t seen KK in a while…
8:09 TOI all situations, lowest on the team per NST.
Bouchard with another flash of speed. Almost picked the top corner. He looks like a true top prospect.
not sure… he was supposed to arrive much earlier according to some expert ;)…
Pretty sure Bouchard is a better winger then several that are currently wingers. This kid is filthy. 13 years in Utica should really sharpen this samurai.
Haas further distancing himself from Turris tonight.
It’s the social thing to do…
I’m pretty sure Neal is a better C then Turris, and I’ll be super bold to say I know he’s a better winger. Come on coach.
Great cross-ice pass to Drai by Jesse there.
Well tonight should help our PK %
Lagesson has played almost exactly the same amount shorthanded than at 5 on 5 (4 minutes each).
Lagesson with that nice stick lift in the danger area on Tkachuk to negate a high danger scoring chance.
Disciplined physical play! Awareness! We love it!
Turris is a real treat.
Yes. Like 3 year old candy corn you found in the back of your cupboard… (shudders)
https://www.amazon.ca/Brachs-Candy-Corn-4-lbs/dp/B07S2FM94B
Candy corn is so gross… I might even eat black liquorice before I eat that shit. And I can’t stand that stuff either…
Bouchard with a nice stick lift in the slot on Stutzle there, redeeming his poor pass to JP who flubbed it under pressure just prior.
Turris is an absolute liability again all game…
I forgot that Turris was in the lineup.
He’s only played 5 minutes.
And with only 11 forwards dressed!
Crazy. Really. Dress 11 forwards and can’t even get 6 minutes of ice…when he does he takes a weak penalty…pretty sure this experiment will end soon. Bakersfield can probly use a vet center anyway as long as he does not take Mcleods ice time…
Well he on the made the game sheet anyway by taking 2 pims
Oilers hasn’t been able to make any passes at all this period…
Yup, a bit of a lag in their intensity – to be expected given the game.
Just think in 16 years when Bouchard has reached Brogart Rafferty’s age what a well polished defender he will be. To the moon!
Whose age?
Brossom Riggidy.
Never heard of him.
Although I don’t follow the KHL as closely as I should.
There’s some far off land called Utica that breeds thoroughbreds.
Learn how to hit the net Connor….
Bouchard is a joy to watch, and he doesn’t get dangled by old Corey Perry’s.
Lagesson and Bouchard putting the vet D
on notice
As it should be.
The pipeline is finally flowing.
May it never run dry.
Full on dive by Norris, but Yamamoto did try to get in his way.
William Lagesson – stealing jobs.
He’s charging Larsson rent.
More like Kris Russell…..
No, I’d say Larsson. KRussell is being replaced by the Bouchard, Jones. Guys that are smaller, can move, defend, stand at the line, pass, not belly flop in his own net.
What’s Larsson worth on the market?
Holland isnt’ going to deplete the defensive depth.
If we learned anything last year, with the Green acquisition, its how much he values defensive depth.
Trade Larsson and they are back to three right shot NHL d-men – one that’s currently injured (and who has a history of injuries).
Larsson would be an amazing 7th defender, or he could return a really sweet signed Taylor Hall upper deck series II card. Take the card, live a little.
Signed 2017 upper deck series II Taylor Hall card.
Nope, not all of Kailer’s PIMs are in the offensive zone…
yammy trying for PIM leader.
Barrie with a terrible first shift of period
Big early save by Mikko.
Dave Tippett
Alex Chiasson really, really stands out at 5 x5
And on the Power play, at times, almost comical.
(yes, he can screen the goalie on occasion)
Evan Bouchard might be better than a good portion of the D tonight.
For the month of January we saw some God Awful play from our D.
Yes, it is Ottawa, but Bouchard has completed some passes that some of our guys would never even attempt.
It looked like he shocked McDavid on that one at the blue line. Connor’s never seen a pass like that as an Oiler.
Never.
That series of passes was incredible.
Excellent NFP bro.
Nice play late in the second by Bouchard to tie up White in front of the net and prevent a chance. He’s looked good throughout the game.
Oilers need to buckle down and play smart, 20 more min. Don’t think about that 3 day break, boys, win the game!
efff break – 2 legit practices in there.
Take one day and have two legit productive practices – so little real practice time during the season.
jesse has to channel his inner eddie shack…