It doesn’t take long to develop a reputation, good or bad. Connor McDavid arrived to impossible hype and lived up to it. Now, in year six, with a little more help, he is exceeding it, personally and possibly as part of a successful playoff team.
We didn’t see that impressive Oilers team last night. I think the reason Edmonton’s poor effort was so striking is that it was unusual. Mikko Koskinen had a dreadful game, and his glove is a concern, but he wasn’t alone, at least early. For now, let’s talk of the good things the season brought to the organization.
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 Jonathan Willis: Oilers’ Mike Smith is putting himself in the all-time old-guy goalie conversation with a stunning season at 38
- Lowetide: Oilers’ Adam Larsson playing his best hockey with playoffs on horizon
- Lowetide: What should the Oilers do to get Kailer Yamamoto back on track?
- DNB: How Jesse Puljujarvi 2.0 is making an impact
- DNB: What are the Oilers’ pressing questions ahead of the Seattle Kraken expansion draft?
- Lowetide: Oilers complete April report card
- DNB: A 2nd Hart Trophy is firmly in Connor McDavid’s grasp
- Jonathan Willis: Which Oilers need to step up down the stretch?
- DNB: Get ready for Ryan McLeod
- Lowetide: A look at the best value contracts on the 2021 Oilers
- Lowetide: An early look at ideal Oilers’ free-agent targets for the offseason
- DNB: Re-sign Ryan Nugent-Hopkins? Free-agency targets? Oilers mailbag
- Jonathan Willis: Should the Oilers re-sign pending unrestricted free agent Tyson Barrie?
- Lowetide: Are the 2020-21 Oilers better than the 2016-17 team?
- Lowetide: Oilers’ top 20 prospects, trade deadline edition
OILERS AFTER 52 GAMES
- Oilers in 2015-16: 21-26-5, 47 points; goal differential -19
- Oilers in 2016-17: 28-16-8, 64 points; goal differential +13
- Oilers in 2017-18: 23-25-4, 50 points; goal differential -24
- Oilers in 2018-19: 23-24-5, 51 points; goal differential -15
- Oilers in 2019-20: 28-18-6, 62 points; goal differential +6
- Oilers in 2020-21: 32-18-2, 66 points; goal differential +20
The Oilers went 29-12-2 after starting 3-6-0 and last night was the first hiccup in some time. I sent out a tweet after it was 2-0 talking about the team not playing well (everyone was blaming the goalie) and then the goalie let in two terrible goals. The coach agreed. It was such a night. It sounds like the coach would like the group to tighten up like Archie Bell and the Drells.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN MAY
- At home to: Calgary (Expected: 1-0-0) (Actual 1-0-0)
- On the road to: Vancouver, Vancouver (Expected: 1-1-0) (Actual 2-0-0)
- At home to: Vancouver, Vancouver (Expected 1-0-1) (Actual 0-1-0)
- On the road to: Montreal, Montreal (Expected 0-1-1) (Actual 0-0-0)
- At home to: Vancouver (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- Expected May record: 4-2-2, 10 points in 8 games
- Actual May record: 3-1-0, 6 points in 4 games
Edmonton has four games to go, sounds like we’ll see the starting 19 most of the time over these last regular season contests. I don’t remember a season I’ve blogged that involved so few truly poor games by the club.
LOWETIDE TOP 50 (U18 SCORING)
- RW Dylan Guenther, Edmonton Oil Kings. (7, 4-3-7 U18)
- LW William Eklund, Djurgardens.
- LC Mason McTavish Peterborough Petes. (7, 5-6-11 U18)
- RD Brandt Clarke Barrie Colts. (7, 2-5-7 U18)
- LW Matthew Beniers, Michigan Wolverines.
- LW Kent Johnson, Michigan Wolverines
- LD Owen Power, Michigan Wolverines.
- LD Simon Edvinsson, Vasteras IK (7, 1-3-4 U18)
- LC Zachary Bolduc, Rimouski Oceanic.
- LD Luke Hughes, U.S. National Development Team
- LW Zachary L’Heureux, Halifax Mooseheads
- RC Xavier Bourgault, Shawinigan Cataractes
- LC Francesco Pinelli, Kitchener Rangers (7, 4-7-11 U18)
- RW Chaz Lucius, U.S. National Development Team
- RC Logan Stankoven, Kamloops Blazers (7, 4-4-8 U18)
- G Sebastian Cossa, Edmonton Oil Kings.
- G Jesper Wallstedt, Lulea.
- RW Nikita Chibrikov, St. Petersburg (7, 4-9-13 U18)
- LW Eric Alarie, Moose Jaw Warriors
- LW Matt Coronato, Chicago Steel
- RW Fabian Lysell, Lulea. (7, 3-6-9 U18)
- RW Oliver Nadeau, Shawinigan Cataractes
- LD Daniil Chayka, CSKA Moscow
- LW Brennan Othmann, Flint Firebirds (7, 3-3-6 U18)
- LW Fedor Svechkov, Ladia Togliatti. (7, 4-6-10 U18)
- LC Aatu Raty, Karpat
- RC Ryder Korczak, Moose Jaw Warriors
- LC Brett Harrison, Oshawa Generals (7, 0-2-2 U18)
- LW Oskar Olausson, HV 71.
- LW Ayrton Martino, Omaha Lancers
- LW Conner Roulette, Seattle Thunderbirds (7, 2-3-5 U18)
- LD Carson Lambos, Winnipeg Ice
- RW Chase Stillman, Sudbury Wolves (7, 2-2-4 U18)
- RW Isak Rosen, Leksands. (U18)
- LD Olen Zellweger, Everett Silvertips (7, 1-7-8 U18)
- RW Simon Robertsson, Skelleftea. (7, 3-1-4 U18)
- LC Cole Sillinger, Sioux Falls Stampede
- LD Evan Nause, Quebec Remparts
- RC Connor Lockhart, Erie Otters.
- RD Corson Ceulmans, Brooks Bandits. (6, 1-7-8 U18)
- LW Alexander Kisakov, Moscow Dynamo
- LW Sasha Pastujov, USNDTP (5, 5-3-8 U18)
- LW William Stromgren, MoDo
- LC Oliver Kapanen JYP (U18)
- LC Wyatt Johnson, Windsor Spitfires (7, 2-2-4 U18)
- RC Justin Robidas, Val d’Or Foreurs.
- G Alekesi Kolosov, Minsk.
- RW Samu Tuomaala, Karpat (7, 5-6-11 U18)
- RW Prokhor Poltapov, Moscow. (7, 2-5-7 U18)
- LD Ethan Dal Mastro, Mississauga Steelheads (7, 0-2-2 U18)
I’ll be updating my list and stretching it to 75 (on the way to 120) in the coming days, there were some impressive performances in Texas. The Russians specifically showed better than expectations and the underage group from all nations (draft 2022 or 2023) rocked the casbah.
THE MAGIC OF MCDAVID
We are watching peak McDavid in real time, this is something special. If we run his year by year pts-game totals, the trajectory is breathtaking:
- 2015-16: 1.07
- 2016-17: 1.22
- 2017-18: 1.32
- 2018-19: 1.49
- 2019-20: 1.52
- 2020-21: 1.85
This year, he is on a 152-point pace but of course will not play in 82 regular season games. Is this McDavid’s outer marker? If it is, what a magnificent peak he has delivered to hockey fans. He is 19 points beyond Draisaitl, 30 past No. 3 man Mitchell Marner. In the words of the great philosopher Tina Turner, he is simply the best.
HAPPY?
I sometimes wonder if many Oilers fans are enjoying these good times. It seems even a winning season gets knocked for style points. I remember talking to a group of people after the 2015 lottery victory and I said something like “hopefully this will bring Stanley back to Edmonton in the next decade.”
The response was “has to be three” and it seems that is the prevailing wisdom. Most of the conversations I have with fans now involves underlying (or over the top) panic about what happens if Connor McDavid asks for a trade out of town.
Please enjoy these times. Tomorrow is promised to no one, Stanley lands once a year for 23 men and you only get so many chances. Enjoy the ride, the moments, the thrills provided by these fantastic athletes.
LOWDOWN WITH LOWETIDE
At 10 this morning, we get ready for the weekend on TSN1260. Steve Lansky from Inside the Truck Podcast will talk Oilers and how he’d handle McDavid’s 100th point call if he was inside the truck. Matt Iwanyk from TSN1260 talks Oilers playoff matchup and football. 10-1260 text, @Lowetide on twitter.
Hunter1909’s Playoff Death March is here:
Simply follow the link:
https://oilersdeathmarch.com/marches/playoffs-2021/
1 – log in/register
2- predict number of Oilers playoff wins(called points on the home page)
3 – predict the tie breaker(explained on the homepage)
Its easy!
Naysayers and negative whiners posing as realistic are already starting to rag on a 7 game rookie LMAO
Ryan McLeod already shows excellent positional awareness for a rookie. He skates well enough to fool me into thinking he was McfreakingDavid on one shift.
Combine that with rookie minutes and you give the rookie every benefit of every doubt. Thank you Ken Holland.
I agree completely.
Okay what did you do with the real Hunter??
Go Oilers go.
I think KH should try and get Jost out of COL this summer
Not sure that is an upgrade.
On who exactly…McLeod?
Of course he is.
Would be a great get.
The Avalanche have turned him into an elite penalty killing third line centre.
He’s an RFA with arbitration rights but they need to re-sign Landeskog so will have to make some moves.
Of note, Alex Newhook is playing his second game of the season (1 assist tonight) so perhaps they will slot him in at 2C and move on from Kadri who turns 31 before next season.
Burnaby Joe is a wily dude.
Kaprizov 27 G … who knew
Mikko Rantenen hits 30 goals despite playing in only 48 games due to injury.
Pro-rates to 51 goals over 82 games.
Of note….Mackinnon out with a lower body injury.
But why would anyone on an Oilers blog care
Another star from 2015 draft ..
Turning out to be an epic draft…even Nick Merkley is showing a pulse.
That Top 40 is insane …
Rantanen is the Drai to Mackinnons MCD. Awesome player
jonah (@yyzsportsmedia) Tweeted:
So @WayneGretzky wants $5m a year to join TNT for @NHL games. Curious does anyone think he’d be good in studio? He seems a tad …..ummmm… Vanilla? No?
https://twitter.com/yyzsportsmedia/status/1390796457079234562?s=20
Waaaay(ne) to Vanilla.
Mr Cliche
If he stays off the sauce I think he’d be fine. Lol
Remmeber the crowd who defended Chiarelli’s Reinhart trade debacle with “well they WOuldn’t have picked Barzal anyway. Or Conner (as in Kyle), or Chabot. Edm was gonna pick Ek, so who cares.”.
Ek got his 19th tonight. PC set the org back 3 yrs … only now are they climbing out of the sludge ..
LT: to your points.
I would LOVE 1 CUP. Let’s start with 1.
I think the reason some fans can’t or don’t fully enjoy this team was on display last night, and much of the last 3 yrs. Outside of 97 & 29 .. there’s not much happening.
I squint and can see (Imagine) the light. Holloway Mcleod Lavoie – a trade. Broberg Bouchard. True skill thru amd thru.
Tampa won the Cup. They are the bar. They continue to win without Kucherov amd Stamkos. Without 97 & 29 Edm is a lottery team.
As for enjoying the moments. Couldn’t agree more. But most of what I am enjoying id All 97 & 29.
97 scoring finish last 5 seasons: 1,1,2,2,1
WOW !!
29 scoring finish last 3 seasons: 4,1,2. Double WOW!
SOMEHOW PItt and Edm have been blessed more so than most Organizations. We are witness to a Giant. And Leon is unreal.too
Both a blessing and a curse.
One key injury and the house of cards collapses.
Teams like Tampa (as you’ve noted) Vegas, Colorado, Carolina and Toronto can come at you in waves and beat you with the tremendous depth they’ve accumulated even when missing key players at times.
The Oilers might get there but the bottom 6 remains a Sea Of Granlunds and even the second line needs an enema.
100% Tampa Bay is one of the creams of the crop but I would like to make one point – yes, they are winning without Kucherov and Stamkos but, they are $17MM over the cap via LTIR overage.
No the Oilers probably couldn’t “replace McDavid” for $12.5M but, if McDavid was out they would be able to make improvements with the LTIR reserves – imagine if they had an extra $12.5M of talent and then had McDavid activated for the playoffs….. if the team minus McDavid but with $12.5M of additional assets would make the playoffs.
Only if the injury happened at the appropriate time.
For example, if the injury happened now, the Oilers would be truly hooped.
And, of course, the TBL are in 3rd place in league standings WITHOUT their best player all season.
The Oilers are in 12th WITH their best players playing a full season and one of them having a season for the ages.
Tampa remains a force due to their tremendous depth at forward and on defense.
Tampa is in 3rd place without their best player and an extra $17M worth of assets.
If they had their best player, they would have been forced to move assets out and potentially pay a price – they were nowhere near cap compliant without Kucherov’s LTIR reserves.
And?
There they are.
Hedman is their best player, Vasilevsky second.
Jist seems Edm isnt quite in the TB BOS VGS COL zip code yet …
Progress has been made. Give edm 4 more legit players (not Granlunds) and they will be that Heavyweight contended year after year
This humorous article from Sean McIndoe was well done. I guess it was easy to write because it is so true.
https://theathletic.com/2568454/2021/05/07/dgb-grab-bag-the-12-fans-you-have-to-meet-in-every-suspension-debate/
Spector (and hockey scouts) on re-signing Nuge or not.
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/oilers-nugent-hopkins-control-future-end-contract-nears/sn-amp/
Names of interest to me for Draft:
COSSA.
LAMBOS
SILLINGER
Condors’ game “called off” out of an abundance of cautions.
Holt thinks its an issue with Colorado.
Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) Tweeted:
The Colorado Eagles game tonight against Bakersfield is postponed due to COVID-19 protocols impacting the Eagles.
https://twitter.com/Peter_Baugh/status/1390839263068147714?s=20
Joe Pavelski up to 24 goals and 48 points on the season as Dallas fights for their playoff lives…4-1 Dallas over TBL at the end of the second.
*This is NOT intended to insight OP and his delicate sensibilities…merely to recognize a stellar performance by one of the games best players for more than a decade*
Incite*
You are welcome.
Hahaha…I used the spelling OP used to use until he was corrected.
In other news, old man Pavelski now up to 50 points…Dallas leads 5-1.
You are both welcome.
Pavelski is ageless. I wonder if he’ll be in the league still when he’s 41 like Marleau and Thornton.
He actually seems to be getting better…at the age of 37.
Like Mike Smith!
But not Alex Edler unfortunately.
Dallas wins 5-2 to pull within 2 points of Nashville.
2 games remaining for both.
Nashville gets 2 against Carolina while Dallas has 2 against Chicago.
The last playoff race should go down to the final games.
Edited
Ugh oh – Condors were pulled off the ice during warm-ups…..
MacEwan gets a one game suspension.
Apparently, attempted kneeing is now a suspendable offense but punching player who is face down on the ice in the back of the head is not.
We’re in La La Land now.
Agreed. Parros and his advisor’s Bong and Magic Eight Ball have no idea what they are doing.
I bet Bettman is trying to figure out how to fine you $250k as we speak.
We’re Baaaack….
Hunter1909’s Infamous Playoff 2021 Death March!
Go to the site its all explained(kind of).
thank you for your cooperation
Wait…are we in the playoffs?
Jason Gregor
@JasonGregor
“I never thought I’d be standing at centre ice signing happy birthday to a guy in the NHL. It was awesome.” Bear on team signing happy B-day to Puljujarvi. #Oilers
Sorry, love this…
Love Gregor’s typo.
He’s probably typed the word “signing” so much that his phone autocorrects it every time.
I imagined Bear using sign language which really added to the visual for me.
Kulikov got banged up last night. Today is a maintenance day and they will see where he is in the morning.
No surprise (as Tip expressly mentioned last night they are sticking to the plan) but Tippett confirms that, as planned, Smith will start tomorrow night and Mikko will start as scheduled in Montreal.
Tip mentions that, notwithstanding his tough night last night, Mikko has played well for the team recently and nothing is changing.
Tip isn’t wrong.
He is not wrong. I was very late to the article today, but I’m glad to see that some common-sense over Koskinen’s performance prevails in the comment section today (for the most part). How we have grown as a fanbase!
Beautiful thing about 97 and 29 being Oilers, sought after smart guys like Gorton will have offers from cities not in the Oilers division.
Career wise better chance of surviving long term in Columbus. 3 years and 20 defeats to McDavid, I don’t think Gorton wants that on his resume.
Maybe Brent Sutter is a better option, Sutter hockey for everyone.
Kind of amusing to see the bashing of Koskinen.
He had a bad game, but as OP pointed out he has been very good since Smith came back. Career .907 save percentage, .917 last season. Would these fans be happier with a .904 Markstrom at 6 million per year? I guess Markstrom does a better job of spreading this GA 🙂
Bad days at the office happen, for everybody and even (especially?) for goalies.
This. Goalies experience tremendously intense emotional highs and lows. For me there is a slight, but definite, risk of career implosion a’la Tommy Salo, but barring that, Mikko’s ability is as good as it ever was. His reputation, on the other hand, just took another nutshot. Not ideal.
Holland should go get Jeff Gorton to join the Oilers. He was the real brains behind the Bruins Cup and he has done a great job at the Rangers rebuild. I think he’s one of the elite GMs out there. I’ve been following his career since the Oilers hired Chiarelli. If you can hire top talent, do it. Bring him in as Assistant GM and groom him to take over. The again, if Gorton can get hired as a GM elsewhere, why would he take an AGM job.
i think the Group has K Gretzky as the anointed heir apparent
Hard to argue with his results. He’s done a spectacular job with drafting and prospect development; basically the Oilers’ Achilles Heel since the 90s.
Hard to argue with whose results?
I hope Sebatian Cossa is still there for the Oilers and they pick him. It would be a great story to have the local product become their future #1 netminder. It might also help if they have a bonafide #1 on the way when it is time to re-sign McDavid, Draisaitl, and Nurse. Give them a little optimism about the future like Vasilevsky, Price, Fleury, Luongo, Rask.
I hope he’s not because, if he is, that means the Oilers lost in the first round of the playoffs.
He probably goes in the 15 range, no?
I don’t know. I know MacKenzie had him pretty high, but most mock drafts I’ve seen so far have him in the 26-34 range. I’d be pretty happy if Edmonton is drafting in that range. Of course, Edmonton picking him at 32 is the ideal scenario.
I am not sure what we are seeing in Ryan McLeod?
7 games 0-0-0; -2; 49.1% FOW; 3 SOG; 3 Hits
early days
Early days, I think you mostly don’t want him to drown. FO% is good for a rookie. If he hasn’t been benched/rested by Tipp, he must be doing what the coaching staff wants.
Part of it I think is to keep some speed in the bottom 6 regardless of offence.
There are some factors to consider:
1. Small sample size so nothing concrete can be taken from his numbers yet.
2. He’s mostly played with Archibald on his RW who doesn’t score at even strength. His other wingers have been Shore, Neal, and Ennis. So basically not a lot of help.
3. He is being too deferential right now. I’m not sure if that’s a rookie thing or he doesn’t want to look like a puck hog, but he has given up shooting opportunities to pass to his wingers who are in worse position.
4. He has great physical tools and has the potential to become a lot better.
Not a big fan of 5v5 P/60 but it illustrates a point.
A 1.0P/60 guy scores 1 point per 60min. McLeod plays 10~15 min a night so it takes 4~6 games on average to get a point if he were a 1P/60 guy (like Lowetide would tell you for a 3rd/4th line F). He played 7 games and had no points. He’s a little behind, but will be on track if he ever score as little as 2 secondary assists in the next 5 games or so.
Early days and small sample size.
McLeod is playing a responsible 2-way game with, generally, middling linemates. He is already a plus player on zone entries and starting to develop his PK game at the NHL level.
McLeod has some skill but he’s not “highly skilled” and, as we’ve known since draft day, he’s unlikely to produce much offence at the NHL level. I think some have been blinded by a PPG pace in the AHL in 28 games. I won’t say he was “zoomed”, he was full value for much of that production, but he was playing with two elite offensive players at the AHL level.
What that PPG tells us is that he probably has “enough offence” to play a bottom six center spot at the NHL level. He will produce a bit at the NHL level but its going to take some time and he’s going to need some help.
So he’s a middling player?
I said he’s playnig with middling linemates but, if you want to go there, yes, he’s a middling player 7-8 games in to his NHL career, in particular as it relates to offensive production. Of course, he’s 21, is playing a position with responsibilities and there are things he does very well already as I mentioned.
Keep playing with Chaser and Neal and we will never know….
It was only one shift but one time last game he skated around the other team’s zone like he was McDavid.
He shows promise.
Thought that was 97 for a split second.
So did I. He entered or received the puck just as he entered the zone and then skated around the back of the Vancouver net unmolested like they couldn’t stop him lol
He is a very good skater to fool me like that.
That’s easy.
Elite speed. The ability to separate in neutral ice and gain the zone with possession. If you haven’t seen that, you haven’t really been watching.
Hasn’t done much with the puck once he gains the zone, and maybe he never will, but the only two guys we have that can back the d off the blue line like that are McDavid and Draisaitl. So there’s that.
I don’t agree that this is “peak McDavid”.
McDavid is still growing as a hockey player and his peak years as far as an overall hockey player will likely be in his late 20s.
This may be “peak offensive production” but the game, and his game, is more than offensive production.
He will be a better leader and better in various secondary and tertiary aspects of the game over the next 5 or so years.
His offence may be at its peak but I reckon that peak offence can continue in to his late 20s.
He has yet to play with a decent offensive balance in the top 2 lines. Once one or two of Holloway, Lavoie, UFA/trade acquisition, etc. is ready for the top 6, and there can be a balance in the top 6, his offense may be even better. Sure, right now he gets “loaded up games” with Drai and Jesse but when he has two legit top line wingers and the 2nd line if complete with legit top 6 forwards (one being elite in Drai), his game may spike further.
I mentioned it a few seasons ago and maintain convinced that he’ll have at least one full 80-82 game season with 2 p/g or more. So I don’t think we’ve seen his peak offensive season yet.
Very likely he’s over 90% of the way to 2.0 p/g after game 56.
I’m not too worried about Koskinnen’s game last night. And I have no expectations for the playoffs. The rubber hits the road next year. Holland has the cap space and assets to make this team a legit contender next year. We wait.
IMO worst case scenario:
GM/Coach agree they aren’t happy running with Koski next year and a buyout is utilized, after leaving him unprotected through expansion draft (maybe looking at sweetner to have him selected).
1 year left on the contract – frees up 3 mil next season and adds 1.5 mil against cap following year. Also saves 1.5 mil real dollars to bank of katz.
it’s not the worst option by a long shot if they decided there is a new preferred tandem attainable.
Would you buy out Koskinen if you had the GM hat on?
I would not buy him out, but I would be willing to trade him for not much with 50% retained. He is a legit backup goaltender.
Yup, as I’ve been stating, he’s not tradeable clean but with retaining in the $1.5M-$2M range, they may be able to dispose of the contract – for middling to no return.
Why must we always wait.
There will be another excuse next year. Time to launch.
Just starting reading through the comments and, so far, all about playing Stalock and how and when he should get games.
Agree or disagree with the coaches, but the reality is this is simply NOT going to happen. The coach has been asked this and answered it. They have a plan for their two goalies down the stretch and they are going to stick with that plan, even after last night. That plan does NOT include Alex Stalock playing – he is the 3rd goalie and will only dress in an emergency if there is an injury.
Mikko Koskinen had a very bad night last night. At the same time, in a back-up role, Mikko Koskinen has been more than adequate – this is since Smith came back. A bad game does not derogate from what he has done in a back-up role since February 8 when Smith was activated.
Smith is going to play every playoff game – goalie rotations don’t exist in the playoffs.
If Smith gets hurt, well, they are likely effed in any event.
I didn’t see the Habs or the Leafs throw in the towel because their starter is out.
If Mikko is adequate why are the Oilers effed if Smith gets hurt?
Mikko has been adequate (to very good) in a back-up role this season.
That does not equate to being able to lead the team on a long playoff run.
Of course, the majority of teams would be equally effed if their starter went down.
I also said “likely effed” – Mikko has shown the ability to get hot for stretches of time – long enough to help win a round at least.
Agree that Kos is a low-average starter and would be an outstanding backup. His contract is what it is but that has nothing to do with deployment. You just can’t screw with goalie confidence and expect things to end well. Kos earned more starts than he’s been given over the past two months. It’s Tip’s job to get both of his goalies’s confident, comfortable and playing well.
Look he wears the shyte show last night, but making him stew on the bench until next week is simply bad coaching. Dust the man off, throw him back on the ice, and tell the team to play their asses off for him. Smith might not make it through a single 7 game series let alone multiple rounds.
I don’t disagree except I don’t think Mikko’s confidence due to coach’s deployment was a factor last night – they’ve been in a one on/one off rotation the last few games and Mikko was fine last time out.
Just a bad game.
Tip had stated prior to the last few games that he and the goalies (and Schwartz) had a plan for their deployment through the end of the season and, after the game (and today) he stated they aren’t changing that. Last night was a scheduled start for Mikko, Saturday is a scheduled start for Smith and Mikko is scheduled to play against the Habs and they are going to stick with that.
I think the confidence from the coach is in Mikko knowing that, notwithstanding last night, he still gets his next scheduled start.
Koskinen’s glove has been shit in the past, is shit today and will be shit tomorrow, his blocker is exceptional, why he can’t catch..who knows…but we need a bonafide #1 for next year
The second line is pretty much a train wreck for offense at this point and that will have to change if there is to be any playoff success, how long do we get away with 1 line that can score
The defence racking up points is a god send that has covered for the 2nd line drought…maybe offensive D really are Vampires and you can’t have all the nice things you want
Who knows just how far McDrai can take this train, but we won’t have to wait much longer to find out
PS
I think Brad Treliving is shitting bricks right now, how do you not replace him with Jeff Gorton…it is not even a decision
Pretty good chance Vancouver will be in the Gorton bidding.
Ya, I expect Gorton to land with the Canucks.
With Benning staying or as a replacement?
Ideally you would want him as head amateur scout since he’s actually very good at that part of the job while being awful at the rest.
However, he likely wouldn’t accept the demotion.
There’s talk in Vancouver that there is an out clause for ownership in his contract at the end of this season although no one has been able to confirm it.
But that might explain why Travis Green and Ian Clark haven’t been given new contracts.
If he stays on, Benning stands to lose Green and Clark after already losing Judd Bracket last offseason.
It’s a mess.
I think they have to turf Benning, no choice
Curious which targets you like for #1G and LW UFA this off-season.
Practice today per Wilkins:
Kahun-97-Puljujarvi
RNH-Draisaitl-Yamamoto
Neal-McLeod-Chiasson
Shore-Khaira-Archibald
Ennis
Kulikov not on the ice and, as per Rishaug, Lagesson is with Larsson.
I’d switch Neal for Ennis, otherwise that looks decent enough from here.
Ennis Khaira Arch
Shore McL Chia
Yep, need Ennis to give the kid (McLeod a fighting chance)…
I’m enjoying the season and of course McDavid is worth the price of admission alone.
Still I want to see the team keep taking steps. Koskinen is a wobbly tender, this we know.
For me it’s not the loss, it’s the loss of team play. Total breakdowns. Consistent lost coverage and lack of support with and without the puck which is making the goaler’s job harder.
It’s been as such forever. It’s the next step. The best two players are pushing hard to be better, others are following, but the team needs more.
It seems the fix will be up to Holland in upgrading the weak links, and homegrown upgrades.
I hope they can tighten up and roll into the playoffs ready to battle without self foot shooting.
Maybe Kenny can grab both Coleman and Hyman and get this thing humming.
Hyman is having a career year big surprise, who ever gets him will regret it
Based on what? He has been a 200 ft player that averages 20 goals a season. I have not been a Toronto fan since the Oilers became part of the NHL. Based on the suggested cap hit to acquire Hyman of 4.5 per for five – six years please explain why you think the team would regret it. Granted if the cap hit skyrockets you bow out gracefully.
Do you think its easy for the team to get up for the 3rd game in a row against the same team, an absolute meaningless game in the standings (can’t move up/can’t move down), where the playoffs are “close enough” but also “far enough away” and put 100% effort in to every battle, every loose puck chase, etc.?
These must be painful, painful games for the team to play.
Meaningless comparison, I know, but still fun…
February 15, 2021, vs Winnipeg, Mike Smith gives up 4 goals on 11 shots in 22:31 and is relieved by Koskinen with the Oilers trailing 4-1. 20:24 later the Oilers tied the score at 5.
Lost 6-5.
All goalies have some bad nights.
Yes, this is important to recognize.
Smith also shat the bed in the first play-in game never to be seen again….UNTIL he comes back this year and knocks it out of the park almost every game!
G spot = VooDoo
Yes of course but that perspective requires consistency and a memory. Something many Oiler fans lack while engaging in their daily minute of hate for various players. This season (and the playoffs last year) have been super challenging for many solid goalies who have not been up to their usual standards. Tip has gone with his favorite this season even while Kos has been playing well over the past two months aside from last night. Risky to mess with Koskinen’s head and confidence in favor of a 40 year old alternative.
Playing net is largely a mental game and is hard enough without a coach playing short-sighted games. That is a very short road to failure which we know all too well in EDM. Devan Dubnyk says hi after a long and successful career elsewhere. Going into the playoffs with a broken Kos, a 40 year old injury plagued starter, and guy who has not played in a year is pretty much insane.They need to put Kos back in net immediately and the team needs to play their ass off for him in the first period so he settles back in. We have a mini-crisis which was totally avoidable and need Kos for the playoffs unless you think that Smith can play every game (hint, he can’t).
LT,
Please don’t give medical advice on your show, you really need to do some research on your own.
What medical advice did LT provide on his show? and what research have you done to demonstrate the advice is bad?
I look forward to this.
Dr. Rondo got his degree from university of youtube
Got the T-shirt
That is fantastic
Rondo is a veteran researcher. Back when the US only had 32 covid deaths he was already sharing his extensive research here:
“The numbers with the coronavirus are not even close. They are barely a fraction of a percentage compared to the swine flu… What was different was we had a Democrat in the White House” (March 13, 2020)
I remember this. I think Rush Limbaugh was the source of Rondo’s information.
The same Rush Limbaugh who, during the swine flu, was claiming it wasn’t that bad either and it was all a hoax and was refusing to get vaccinated for it and telling others not to get vaccinated.
Good times.
He also sourced Mike Lindell (My Pillow Guy) when his “research” quoted Oleandrin as a creditable treatment for Covid-19.
Well when you can’t trust medical experts, the government, or big pharma, all that is left are the pillow salesmen.
Or perhaps was he referencing this pre-print:
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.15.203489v1
Or maybe he was reading the press releases of Phoenix Technologies the company that has been studying extracts from the plant for 25 years and has tested it safely on humans.
Surely, if we are arguing fairly we do not apply the worst case scenario to someone’s sources. In fact normally we would argue the facts and not disparage the sources. Typically when we see ad hominem like this it means the person either has no facts or no counter-argument,
I will let you decide which applies to you.
And keep in mind, what we want from a government who truly cares about its citizens is to look under every stone for solutions. What we don’t want is them fixated on one narrow channel and one solution.
For example, Canada has no out-patient protocol for Covid even to this day fifteen months later. This is ridiculous considering that obviously hospitals have a treatment protocol and considering that in the past year over 40,000 studies have been done on Covid, thousands of which are on treatments. (Of course due to the Google News Initiative, you probably won’t hear about any treatment option other than vaccines, which are of course useless to someone who already has this corona).
But here we are with a government using lockdowns–which by now are known to be ineffective–and refure to treat people with Covid… which would not only reduce their suffering and absenteeism and strain on the taxpayer, but also reduce the spread of Covid (out-patient treatments reduce the period and amount of viral shedding).
So, unlike the government and apparently you guys, at least Rondo looked and tried to inform himself. Has he been too categorical in insisting on this treatment or that? Probably in most cases.but so what? Science depends on alternate views and dialog. Whereas the scientific dialog is harmed by what is happening in this thread… the demand for conformity.
Some days it amazes me that we even came up with advanced stats.
Not to pick on Material Elvis either. It would have been fairly simple to rebut any of the responses in this indent.
Sorry Munny, there are so many holes in your argument I really don’t know where to start. Do you believe in medical science? The scientific and medical community (yes there are always outliers) supports the use of the mRNA vaccine; it is the cutting edge treatment of the future for cancer and other diseases. There is no zero risk model, so if that is what you are waiting for then you will never be satisfied.
6% died with covid only. Numbers aren’t that big. And if you knew anything about the PCR cycles you wouldn’t be talking like this.
If your only measure to determine if COVID is bad or not is death rates, then it is you who needs to do significant research because you are so incredibly ignorant it is baffling at this point.
Limbaugh washed your brain realll good.
Imagine if auto insurance companies could pull the same stunt and not count vehicle deaths where there is a prior co-morbidity.
% of US population co-morbidity estimates
18-29 20%
30-39 27%
40-49 38%
50-59 55%
No. Those simply aren’t people who only have a few years left to live.
Covid denialism is the bastard offspring of arson and drunk driving. The words and actions of people like you have needlessly killed tens of thousands of Canadians and gutted the economy. Count yourself lucky that the people running society care more about the rights of a privileged minority of epistemically delinquent hateclowns than about the lives of ordinary Canadians, or there would be serious repercussions for you and those like you.
For the grown-ups in the room, next time someone asks, “why should I be taxed to pay for the education of somebody else’s child?” you can show them the posts of this genius and ask if they want their kid to grow up being outvoted by cretins like this.
Spare me
Quick question for you oh wise one, what is happening in India? I have followed LT for an extended period of time and know that he is a solid empathetic individual with a reasoned and educated perspective on all things. To attack him with a general term medical advice without explanation is unwarranted. Not saying you’re wrong but the community and LT deserve an explanation or an apology from you!
My fucking God, what do you know about PCR cycles?
Surely you’ve never done a PCR.
Oh. That’s one of their favs. Positive tests might identify someone who isn’t contagious. QED the whole pandemic is a hoax created by excess testing. LOL.
Yeah, I know.
It’s just unfortunate how much misinformation, and outright lies, there are to navigate currently. (and not suggesting it’s all from one ‘side’ either)
Very definitely not from one side only. Especially when moving from facts to policy.
But LT was attacked for giving out medical advice that did not meet Rondo’s concept of research. If anyone wants to do some personal research listen to the start of yesterday’s 11 am segment to hear the personal expessions of happiness that somehow triggered this. accusation
.
I’d encourage everyone to not rush to judgment on news of studies and especially not to lock in on their personal “research”. On average strongman types touting a drug will do more harm than good. But that says nothing about the drug itself
j
You’ve liked to say look at the CDC data, without actually pointing to anything specific.
From the CDC: US death rates increased by 15.9% in 2020 over 2019.
11.3% of all US deaths listed COVID as a cause or factor. Nothing to see here though.
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7014e1.htm
I have a feeling that the research might be held up in moderation as it is yet to appear.
Rondo’s research is under Ricki’s front porch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ec7rCsNFn30&ab_channel=lambojam
If by “give medical advice” you mean LT sharing insight and prevailing wisdom from the world’s top scientists and medical experts, then yes, I am all for it. Enough of people humoring terrible takes like “do your own research.” We’re too polite in this country to call out the guy making dumb comments at dinner (less people around you agree with you than you think, they are just too polite to tell you you’re an idiot) and sometimes that results in Rondo’s thinking they have something to add to fields they actually have no business commenting on.
I pray that no medium to long term effects result from the gene therapy shots. I think Lowetide would feel absolutely horrible if it turned out five years down the road that those who have taken the inoculation are getting cancer at three times the national rate.
Not saying that is what will happen. Just saying that no one nowhere knows one way or the other what the impacts down the road will be. This treatment is still experimental and for emergency use only.
Also great choice for the title of the blog today. “…and disappointing you’s getting me(ko) down.”
The judges would have also accepted, “And that’s when the Horvat stung me…”
Tomorrow night, we smoke them out.
First Mikko let in 3
And fans called for Stalock
That title makes me want to open a bank account.
Meaningless game for sure…but are we still liking Kulikov’s game?
Bob Stauffer mentioned it..almost like he has read Kulikov’s exit interviews for the last 4 years…
Maybe he needs more time with us.
But the tape to tape passes from Kulikov to the opposition is a feature of his game, not a bug.
Lots of tools on the player for sure.
Like the size and physical presence he brings. An area of weakness on this version of Oilers. Don’t like how often he turns the puck over. Pretty sure (?) he is not back next year but who knows.
Barrie needed 10 games. Let’s give Kulikov time to figure out the system.
Great point,
Lots of posters (including me) were calling for Barrie to be a HS.
EB also had a slow start to the season
Lots of posters are still calling for Barrie to be a healthy scratch and think that Bear, Larsson, Bouchard makes the team better in the hear and now…… that’s a next season lineup.
Kulikov and Tippett have both spoken about massive structural differences in the systems as between Edmonton and Jersey – both defensive zone coverage and breakout.
I’d give Kulikov the last 5 games to prove that he is not going to try to assist on a minimum 1 goal against per game. At this point I’m more comfortable with Krusty.
It’s so strange because I like 95% of his game, but his errors are so over the top and could be so costly in a playoff series.
Yeah, it is a big wart for sure. Almost comical how consistent he has been at doing this every game. Only it won’t be funny in 10 days. Hopefully this stops, cause as you say the other 95% is pretty good value.
Agreed.
Just trying to point out – why Winnipeg fans ( I live in Winnipeg ) know exactly what we are seeing with him.
Admitting you are from Winnipeg gives you a plus in my books. I don’t think I’ve met anyone from your fair city that I disliked.
You say this but as I remember you are a supporter of Jones! My apologies if I have you confused with another poster.?
If you squint I believe this team may be on to something:
Gretzky -> McDavid
Messier -> Draisiatl
Tikkanen -> Puljujarvi
Coffee -> Barrie
McTavish -> McLeod
Fuhr -> Smith!
We are missing a Kurri, applicants RHN, Holloway, Lavoi, and future LW UFA. I think Savoie has Anderson written all over him, hurry up boy we need you! We’re also missing a McSorley/Semenko, Kassian is good but he keeps getting injured and I’m not sure if he’s really menacing.
Lastly, we have Nurse the old teams didn’t have a Nurse, can you imagine if they had a Nurse!
hmmmm I don’t know about that… McDavid has 40 pounds on Gretzky 😉
Now that Pujujarvi finally learned to speak english, he should get someone to teach him Tikkanese next.
That was priceless! They are both one of a kind individuals that make the team better!
Whoa, can’t say I agree with a Savoie-Anderson comparison.
Savoie is mainly a shooter – I watched a good portion of Dever’s games this past season and don’t recall him driving hard to the net once.
Was Devers last name teculitis? So sorry humour for the group!
Lol okay maybe I got carried away with Savoie, have only seen a few highlights but he seems to have a goal scorer’s touch.
Oh, he definitely has a goal-scorer’s touch – that’s his game.
He’s more of shooter though, from my viewings – just not style match.
Lowetide giving mad props to Matthews on his show.
A reasonable gentleman.
Was this after Matthews dropped his pants?
The world would be a better place if more people conducted themselves as LT does..
Yes.
Not meaning to judge but are you a credible source and if so what did you do with the real HH.?
What’s your account name on Maple Leafs blogs demanding they acknowledge McDavid?
Side Eye
If this were true, I think it would make my day.
Come on “ blind eye” would have been so much better!
Convinced you have a bottle of lube you call Austy and a giant rubber road dildo you call Matthews that you proceed to spend 18hrs a day sitting on to help relieve the constant pain of all your quality playoff hockey clubs being complete shit.
Okay spit my chick lets on that one! I bow to a true master!???
Even if your girl friend is better looking than someone else’s doesn’t mean you can’t give credit where credit is do!
Hope Koskinen has a good sports psychologist. As soon as the 4th one went in I was vividly reminded of Tommy Salo getting beaten by that slapshot to the head and never being the same. You’d really think Tippet would have told the lads to make sure the first shot of the night wasn’t a HDSC. *shrug* Nobody screws up on purpose.
On the bright side, I really liked Smith in relief. Creates a goal with a fantastic outlet pass, damn near does it again, clearly trying to fire up the team. I noticed a big difference in the body language of the lads after Smith came in and made that first sequence of saves. We made it a game again!
Noticed the lads playing angry last night. Glad we got through it without incidence, injury or suspension. Bemused to find a bunch of… extremely reasonable individuals… showing up at Oilersnation to demand a suspension for Nurse. My reaction? *blink* …Tom Wilson happened 3 days ago and you think THIS will be a suspension? *shrug* Fill yer boots I guess.
zach laing (@zjlaing) Tweeted:
this is the clip i believe nhl dops is referencing when they mention zack macewen getting a hearing for kneeing darnell nurse. he appears to try and hit nurse, who was down on the ice, with a knee. https://t.co/LcEameAvOl
https://twitter.com/zjlaing/status/1390707150129811456?s=20
I watched that game with my brother the Nucks fan. You know how you get talking and miss sections of action? I didn’t see what set Nurse off but I dunno the last time I saw Nurse that mad. Not surprised to see there was a reason for it.
As an aside, when the 4-0 goal happened he said, “book it, that’s the game winner. 3 isn’t enough to keep this team down.” For my money the 5th was the back breaker. Would have been darkly hilarious if the Oilers had gotten another goal and the loss had been on Smith’s record.
x-Madisonhttps://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.0.1/svg/1f1e8-1f1e6.svg (@SportsGirlLife1) Tweeted:
@NHLPlayerSafety @BatchHockey BARELY TOUCHED HIM. And what about this????? https://t.co/6kTePibJun
https://twitter.com/SportsGirlLife1/status/1390705221873979397?s=20
BurrowsGirl (@CYochmans) Tweeted:
@NHLPlayerSafety but this is safe right … https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.0.1/svg/1f620.svg https://t.co/3g4ZC5QPlL
https://twitter.com/CYochmans/status/1390709465016455170?s=20
If you’re going to compare X play with Y play in the NHL and wonder why there’s no consistency, that’s cool. I would warn you though, that way lies madness. The league does what it does for reasons that it does not deign to share with us peasants. Ours is not to wonder why, ours is to keep ponying money up, like Star Wars fans who complain about how bad the franchise has become while seeing every movie 3 times in the theaters.
Ours is but to do and die?
That was hilarious! I laughed my ass off in real time watching him be like, “Hey ref, you gonna call this? How about that one? Not yet? How about now? Oh, you think one of those was a penalty? Gosh, which one? You clearly deserve a raise.”
If you want to be mad at Nurse, that’s fine. For me the difference between that and something like Wilson is the fact that he was trying to inflict physical pain on MacEwan, not injure him. I think the refs looked pretty dumb watching him wail on MacEwan.
Reminded me of the playoff game where Marchand used Daniel Sedin’s head as a punching bag right in front of the refs and got no call.
My brother also made that comparison. I’ve been trying hard to move away from comparing what they call my team for to what they let other players do to my team because I’ve realized I can justify damn near anything that way. Now I just compare it to the rule book and also to my best guess at the real book and rate it against both. Easily 10 times a game I think “interference by the rule book, but they let that go 99 times out of 100 so I don’t expect a call.”
On two occasions last night, McDavid set very obvious picks on Canucks players…one resulting in a Draisaitl goal and, as you say, nada.
The rule book is apparently just a suggestion.
I’ve noticed some dirt creeping into McDavid’s game this season. Would rather he played within the rules, but I’ve seen where that gets you in this league. People have been picking, hooking and slashing him for years while the refs gaze blankly into the distance chewing their cud. This is the NHL I guess – there are hammers and nails, and you need to get respect before you’re allowed to be a hammer.
Blatant interference on the Canuck second goal which they also didn’t call!
And the rest of the Canucks stood placidly by. That was the defining moment of the series and a crying shame in my opinion!
The Wilson ruling drew the line and I am not surprised to see liberties being taken by players now.
It’s almost as if the Department of Player Safety should have set some kind of example to demonstrate what level of violence is unacceptable in the sport.
Oh well, maybe when someone is paralyzed the department will step in.
They really are setting up the playoffs as a war of attrition.
Which is why Jets nailing down third is good for the Oil.
Lets the Corey Splainers facilitate the maiming of the Leafs.
The Leafs already have 6 wins over the Habs this season with a chance to make it 7 tomorrow.
Some teams just have the other’s number.
That’s a win for the Oilers, too. If we play the Leafs I think there is a much higher chance that the games are decided by the players.
It will be interesting to see what the officials allow the Canadians to do to the leafs. I guarantee that the leafs will be a beat up group going into the second round.
Absent injury, there is zero chance Stalock gets a game. Zero.
Agreed, I don’t understand this desire to “test drive” our ice cold #3 goalie with 5 games left before the playoffs.
Clearly the plan is to have Smith play every minute of every playoff game, but putting aside one of the worst goaltending performances in the history of the league last night, Mikko has been a perfectly competent backup lately.
Agreed. I think you score Miko a double-par for the hole and walk onto the next tee box.
We’ve all had the odd snowman on the scorecard!
Hope so, Mikko’s still on the books for another season. Already gonna be a tall order to salvage that situation, would be much worse if his lunch was eaten by TWO guys.
With nothing much left in the regular season to strive for, that loss last night was a pleasure to behold.
Dallas with 14 overtime losses, holy smokes, if they won even 1/3 of those they would be in a playoff spot, yikes!
Unfortunately they have been wracked by injury with Ben Bishop, Alexander Radulov, Roope Hintz and Tyler Seguin missing in action for most of the season…otherwise a solid playoff team.
Sort of like the Canucks and Flames, solid playoff teams in your opinion.Too bad the rubber hit the road for them.
Where would the Oilers be without their top scorer, their best two way player, another top line forward and starting goaltender?
Hot garbage.
File this under *weak bait*
You were doing so much better and to think I believed it would last. If you punch someone in the nose you can expect retaliation even on social media. Why do you think it is okay when you unload on someone yet find it unacceptable when you are treated in kind? Is there some kind of special entitlement you are due that we are not aware of.
That’s why they play the games.
I’d rather Tip give Mikko another start and get his confidence back (he is a proven good goalie after all) than playing Stalock, that will just make things worse. Coach knows what he has in Stalock from his practices on the taxi squad.
I’d go back to him Saturday night. Hopefully he’d have a chip on his shoulder.
I’d settle for some padding
I think last night was his redemption shot. Koskinen is not an NHL goalie. Stalock is better imo, give him a start. Maybe that fires Koskinen up?
What evidence is there that Stalock is better?
Well , Stalock has played more NHL games , he also has more wins and a better save % , not to mention he is a better puck handler . Just saying .
FWIW I’ve noticed a large improvement in Mikko’s puck handling. Admittedly, today is a poor time to be defending him.
Smith taught him.
Your comment is suspect, at best.
In 2018/19 Mikko was .906 in 55 games while Stalock was .899 in 21 games.
In 2019/20 Mikko was .917 in 38 games while Stalock was .910 in 38 games.
In 2020/21 Stalock hasn’t played a game.
I’m squinting hard and can’t see more games played, more wins or a better SV% for Stalock. Are we to care what Stalock did 4+ years ago (where he’s never played more than 28 NHL games in a season)?
That may be just a tad harsh. Take a look at his record.
Meanwhile we’re watching Auston Matthews establish himself as the greatest @MapleLeafs goal scorer of all time, surpassing over a century of superstars with names like **checks notes** Rick Vaive and Gary Leeman.
Matthews is in the top 10 goal scorers of all time when era adjusted.
Both McDavid and Matthews are having historic seasons so denigrating what Matthews is accomplishing is just sad.
Denigrating Matthews on this blog is equivalent to the fly meeting the train when it comes to combating the eastern media.
Also worth noting, if you remove Matthews 10 PP goals, his 30 even strength goals leads the league by a wide margin.
For whatever reason, the Leafs PP is underperforming given the talent available so, if it ever gets humming, watch out.
And if you remove the 20 pts McDavid scored against Ottawa, Mathews is clearly the league MVP. I’m pretty sure that’s what I read in the Toronto Star. When will we wake up to reality here in Edmonton?
You put your pants on the wrong end and you’re making little sense talking out your ass!
Denigration was pointed at the Leafs clearly.
GIGO
Go away. Oilers blog. Do not care what Matthews is up to until we kick his ass in the playoffs.
Matthews injured his wrist in late February in a game against the Flames and promptly went 5 games in a row without scoring.
After missing 4 games to rehab he picked up right where he left off.
Since the beginning of April, he has scored 16 goals in 16 games.
Since a wrist injury is about the worst thing that can happen to a pure goal scorer, it’s very likely he would have surpassed 50 goals in 56 games this season which pro-rates to a 72 goal season.
Not too shabby.
Okay you really have to stop drinking or people will believe that you really are stupid!
a bit too late for that lol ;)…
Frank Mahovlich was no slouch.
I also left Dave Andreychuk off because it helped wit the denigrating.
Austin Matthews will be the first Maple Leaf to lead the league in gold since (checks notes) Gaye Stewart in 1945-46. Stewart scored 37 times in what was then a 50-game season.
Last time a Leaf led the league in points was (digs deeper into notes, accesses backup filing cabinet) Gordie Drillon in 1937-38. None in the 82 seasons since. The Oilers have been around for exactly half of those seasons, & have had the league leader in points 12 times (11 Art Ross winners, 1 lost tie-breaker).
Auston Matthews is a helluva player. I see no reason to denigrate him (other than that moustache). I choose instead to celebrate the great stars we’ve had here in Edmonton.
They are not mutually exclusive.
Argh, my first post on my brand new iPad & I make a typo with my very first word! *Auston Matthews, dammit.
(I also refuse to blame him for the fact his parents can’t spell)
The porn stache is part of the charm.
And here i thought you were a different kind of “producer”
Turns out I was correct,
Still waiting for your lawyer to contact me.
you Putz
accesses backup filing cabinet
Bruce, your iPad is clearly taking your ‘sick burn’ game to new heights.
Matthews is indeed having a historic season. That doesn’t change the fact that the Leafs have any abysmal history of great players. Their best-ever player was Charlie Conacher, almost a century ago, and Matthews has probably eclipsed him by age 23.
Also, in two months, the Leafs’ Stanley Cup drought eclipses the Rangers’ record drought of 54 years.
Imagine yourself celebrating the Leaf Cup win in 1967, knowing that every incoming expansion team (save LT’s Oakland Seals) would win the Cup before you. That’s like 5 different Krakens winning the Cup before Tampa wins it again.
What historical NHL records is he going to break?
He is a known abuser of women.
Auston Matthews is the best goal scorer in the game today. He’s having an absolutely humungous season and, if it was for McDavid also going off historically, Matthews would be a shoe-in for the Hart.
I have zero issues giving Matthews deserved accolades for an amazing season.
At the same time, in this community, there is zero reason for in-game goal updates on Matthews to be posted.
They are posted to incite others and that is the only reason they are posted. It’s childish and immature – posting solely to decrease the joy of others.
The problem I have with last night isn’t Koskinen, I mean I’ve had a problem with him for years, but I don’t understand why Tippett doesn’t pull him at 2-0 on 2 shots, or pull him at 3-0 for that matter.
You pull him at 2-0, then you can easily say it was to wake up the team because everyone needed some caffeine.
By the time you let it get to 4-0, not even McDavid, 90% of the time, is going to get the team to come back.
That’s consistent with Tipp over the last 2 years as well, not just last night.
I think the broken stick forced Tip’s hand lol.
Smith was reaching for his mask before the broken stick.
The coach wanted to give Smith the night off. Why is that so hard to fathom?
They aren’t playing for wins at the moment
They are a) pushing for McD and b) trying to establish the playoff roster
No need to pull him as Smith needed a rest
Try Stalock for a game
Get Bouchard another one (or two)
Keep running the Nuge line
Saul Goodman
If it were any other point in the season that probably happens. But having 2nd place locked up and little chance of catching Toronto why not let Koskinen try to work it out for himself. I’m sure Tippett was much more interested in seeing if Koskinen could shake off the bad start and settle himself. Tippett got his answer.
We are in playoff preseason now. I’m sure the coaching staff is more worried about the process than the results at this moment.
Resting Smith meant more than the 2 points last night. It’s not weird to be playing meaningless games at the end of the season, but it’s weird for them to be meaningless because we’re good!
I wouldn’t have mentioned it other than having seen it from Tipp regularly, where he waits past the point of no return. I’m just a simple man trying to make my way in the galaxy, and a coach has to balance many factors, including trying not to piss off his goalies, but I just find he waits longer than I would on a consistent basis 😀
Rob Brown on the air seconds before puck drop: “Easy win. It’s clear the Oilers are too much for this Canucks team.”
What are ya doin man…?!?
Last night was a trip down memory lane for him. Last time a goaler gave up first 4 shots, he was the first shooter.
The crazy thing is McDavid probably won’t hit his peak until age 28, as hard to fathom as it is, the best is yet to come.
I’m think you’re bound to be disappointed if that’s what you’re expecting. Players these days peak earlier and earlier … this might be it (of course, I’m hoping it’s not too!). Not that he won’t still be an “ordinary” superstar from ages 27-32.
This is partially true for mere mortals but isn’t the case for players like Gretzky, Lemieux or Orr. These are playing a different game than mere mortals and sustain paces that are incredible.
Mario put up 70-69-92-161 at age 30
Orr put up 80-46 – 89 – 135 at age 28
Gretzky hit and sustained a 200 point pace for nearly 8 years which slipped to a 2ppg pace when he was traded to an inferior offensive team.
Ovechkin has sustained a 40 goal pace for his career.
The team aspect doesn’t get enough credit when we mention scoring rates for superstars. Marchand turned into a ppg player at age 28, scored 100 at 30 and is above a ppg pace since. It helps when Pastrnak and Bergeron are your line mates.
The Pacific Division is about to get a lot younger and McDavid’s winger configuration will be in an age bracket that won’t hit peak offense statistically for a few more years. McDavid is only 24, he’s still rounding out his game. There is no reason to think McDavid has hit a ceiling.
This is not peak McDavid
Marchand’s late-20s rise has been very impressive. Has he actually gotten good enough that his general prickishness will be the thing that costs him a HOF spot?
There’s a plethora of guys in the Hall that were more than just pricks.
Good post,
I think peak McDavid is going to be age 25-29
Does this mean he’s still not good enough yet?
So, not very good at the math, but was that a 0.00 save percentage last night?
Funny about the “Happy” portion. My current girlfriend had never really watched hockey before she met me. I’ve learned her up pretty good in the last couple years, she even has a cheat sheet of the players numbers, but she mostly knows the players by their skating style now, which is interesting. In the game on Tuesday when the Oilers scored to tie it she texted me “Finally”. I told her to have more patience, the goals will come. Last night, the texts were a little more negative. I tried to remind her (with her having no memory) that in 2014 (the year I used), that game was common place and mid way through the 2nd period was usually when I was picking out the movie of the evening. So just telling her to be thankful she didn’t have to witness this on a nightly basis. One funny text I will share was when Koskinen was pulled, she says “How come the shot clock says 3 and the score is 4-0”, followed by “I know sometimes it takes a minute to update but Smith has already stopped one too”. Women, you can’t live with ’em, pass the beer nuts.
Frustration is going to happen. This is a really good team. Enjoy it.
That woman is clearly marriage material ?
I recently got rid of a girlfriend. She had an annoying habit of cheering for the other team just to get on my nerves. Cheering for KC in the SB was bad enough, cheering for the Lames against the Oilers was the death knell.
Sounds like she knew how to get rid of you.
Maybe I should send after you and do all of us a favor.
06 game 7 as the final horn sounded, my (long since ex) gf said, “told you they’re a bunch of bums.” Funny what gets your goat and what doesn’t, never been as mad at any gf for anything as I was at her for that.
So you were dating HH’s sister!
This is NOT peak McDavid.
This is McDavid showing everyone what is to come.
This is NOT peak McDavid.
Peak McDavid will challenge for 200 in a season.
Only if the league lets him, which it won’t.
If 97 can hit 106 points somehow, in the next few games, which is actually not impossible, he will have a PPG that would equate to 156, which would have been as prolific a season as anyone other than 99 or 66. 200 points to me seems just outside of a reasonable expectation, but a few years with a bona fide sniper, at this pace I could see a few years of 180 or so, and firmly supplanting him as greatest ever if you adjust for eras.
I’ll take a hit of that if you’re sharing.
Allan you’re protecting Koskinen this morning for some reason. But it’s your show. Some great quotes around last night… “Mike Smith had more assists in the first period than Koskinen had saves.” Spec said that Koskinen could have played buck naked and not suffered a mark on his body! And on and on….
Nope. Just pointing out that the first two goals, along with not being stopped, involved a lot of flying by and very little attention being paid to coverage. Koskinen was awful, disappointing since he was .929SP in the previous 10 games. There’s still time to look at Stalock.
There is still time to look at Stalock. Given Tippett’s verbal about using the projected playoff roster for the balance of the regular season, do you think it happens?
No
Have to see Stalock before the playoffs just to see. It is either tomorrow or the last game of the season.
Who would you rather he face… Jets or Habs? I’d prefer he go against the almighty rookie, Demko.
Good for you, I also thought the first goals were scored on the Oilers but I’ve pumped Koskinen’s tires so much this season I figured nobody would take me seriously. I wonder if Koskinen took the net with a guilty conscience, or after receiving some bad off-ice news. I also wonder if we just saw a goalie go Tommy Salo. Hope not.
What’s the point of laying in. He had a stinker. Anyone can see that. Before last night he was doing fine in the backup role. As for LT, he even projected him off next year’s roster (with salary retained) in yesterday’s blog so he clearly doesn’t see him lasting beyond the end of season…
Even with retention, I think it would be very hard to trade him given the large number of UFA goaltenders available.
It might be better to buy him out as it leaves a $1.5 million cap hit albeit over 2 years.
i just don’t see any other team being interested even with salary retained.
I don’t either…just too many other options available.
Spector would kick a dying puppy in the head, and not to put it out of its misery.