I caused quite the maelstrom yesterday with comments about the Oilers needing to button-down and make more safe plays, to take what is given and protect the house. All manner of people commenting about the Oilers and their ridiculous skill. I know about the ridiculous skill, it’s fantastic to watch. The problem is, well, you need to take better care of the puck if you want to win Stanley. The Oilers have enough offense. Honest. It’s the suppression at the other end that needs working. And they’re better, but safe plays are the key. Connor McDavid makes more safe plays now than he ever did, and if McDavid is checking down and waiting for an better opportunity, then every man on the team needs to take heed in this area. (Photo verbal from this blog October 2022).
THE ATHLETIC!
- New Lowetide: Why Edmonton Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl is delivering on a new line
- Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers’ potential playoff recalls an impressive group
- Lowetide: Why Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner is a key to the postseason
- DNB: Oilers’ Connor Brown finally scores first of the season: ‘I never was just OK with not scoring’
- Lowetide: What to expect from Oilers’ 2024 NHL Draft without a first-round pick
- DNB: Edmonton Oilers notebook: Adam Henrique’s family adjustment, Connor McDavid’s motivation
- Lowetide: What will Adam Henrique bring to the Oilers down the stretch?
- DNB: Why the Oilers’ old-turned-new second line should be here to stay
- Lowetide: What’s next for Edmonton Oilers prospect Dylan Holloway?
- DNB: Why the Edmonton Oilers look done adding before NHL trade deadline
- DNB: How Oilers’ trade for Adam Henrique, Sam Carrick improves forward depth
- DNB: Oilers defense secures third-period comeback and OT win vs. Bruins
- DNB: How Calvin Pickard has affirmed his spot on the Oilers
- Lowetide: Is Edmonton Oilers prospect Raphael Lavoie a tweener?
- Lowetide: What’s the ideal deployment for Edmonton Oilers’ Evander Kane?
- Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers enter spring signing season under pressure
- DNB: Goals aren’t coming for Connor McDavid. He’s helping the Oilers more than ever
- Lowetide: Where can the Edmonton Oilers improve their draft strategy in 2024?
- Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers top 20 prospects ranking, winter 2023
WHAT TO EXPECT IN MARCH
- On the road to: SEA (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 1-0-0)
- At home to: PIT (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 1-0-0)
- On the road to: BOS, CBJ, BUF, PIT (Expected 2-1-1) (Actual 2-1-1)
- At home to: WAS, COL, MON, BUF (Expected 2-1-1) (Actual 1-0-1)
- On the road to: TOR, OTT, WPG (Expected 1-2-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- At home to: LAK, ANA (Expected 1-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- Overall expected result: 8-5-2, 18 points in 15 games
- Actual March results: 5-1-2, 12 points in eight games
- Oilers in 2023-24: 40-21-4, 84 points in 65 games
OILERS FORWARDS OVER .5 PTS-GAME
It’s impossible to compare these teams directly, because they played in different scoring eras. The Messier team played in an era that averaged 3.69 goals-per-game, the 2005-06 squad 3.02 and this year’s model plays in a 3.09 league (all via hockey-reference).
The 2005-06 team was peak MacT as coach, and his five-on-five deployment was key to the long run in the spring of 2006. They didn’t have anyone like Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl, but they did have more scoring depth and several responsible forwards.
I think that’s why the emergence of Ryan McLeod as a two-way stalwart is so important and impressive. If he can deliver on the second line as an outscoring suppression winger, while contributing some offense, music! Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick (and Corey Perry) could move up to (say) the same level as Fernando Pisani then we’re looking at some impressive depth and quality.
What did that 1990 team have? A brilliant defensive winger and a superstar that was also a complete player. Quoting The Hockey News from early April 1990, MacT (referring to Messier) said “there’s never been a more complete player ever to lace up skates than that guy.”
Now, if Mark Messier played now as he did in 1990 you’d never see him because he’d be suspended all the time. But he was a great, great player and 1990 was his shining career moment, I believe. He wasn’t alone. Jari Kurri was and is criminally underrated as a two-way impact winger, Esa Tikkanen marked his man and then talked him to death and Craig MacTavish was one of the finest third-line centers of the era.
Connor McDavid is a majestic player. He is scoring 3.35 pts-60 at five-on-five and his goal share in the game state is 60 percent. He is transcendent, the impossible dream come to life. He plays a physical game and skates miles in all directions to make plays. Connor McDavid shoots the puck into the opponent’s zone once past center multiple times a game when there’s nothing there.
If Connor McDavid can do it, then everyone can do it. That is the challenge for these Edmonton Oilers. MacT once said it’s about who you accomplish, but also about what you leave. Amen.
A busy show today on the Lowdown, Sports 1440 at noon. Jason Gregor will drop in to talk about the Oilers weekend, catching Vancouver and what to do about Vincent Desharnais. Rachel Doerrie from Staph and Graff podcast will give us her input on the Pacific Division race and that wild chase for the final spots in the eastern conference. Declan Krueger will have Mamma MMA and we’ll chat March Madness. You can reach me at Lowetide on twitter, in the comments section or on the Sports 1440 text line at 1.833.401.1440 directly.
I’ve been on this train since the early part of the winning streak. Ad nauseum. When these Oilers play with a possession mentality they look incredible, and so do their stats. They abandoned it a little too frequently since the all-star break, I guess its not an easy or fun way to play sometimes, but now they need to get dedicated to it as the season dwindles.
To the people calling for firewagon hockey, you are forgetting how badly certain Oilers play in that kind of environment. KK system elevated Nurse to the best he’s looked in years, Bouchard from a bust to a Norris potential future, Skinner from AHL fodder to Team Canada potential. The 3rd and 4th lines seem to get engaged more, instead of struggling with cold legs watching the gifted kids desperately trying to outscore their mistakes.
When players can skate to where the puck is going to be, the game is a lot easier. When you’re constantly retreating and scrambling to defend rushes from low percentage turnovers, Nurse, Bouchard, Skinner, Desharnais, they tend to usually look like failures,
Great teams all know how to play great defence. Firewagon hockey is only going to get you so far.
Oilers dynasty played the simple game to the point that it looked ridiculous. Montreal Canadiens dynasty of the 70’s had the greatest NHL defence in history, and were committed to playing solid at all times.
It’s fun and all to see your team coast to easy victories but in the playoffs the hockey changes to prison rules.
I think there’s literally only 1 poster calling for firewagon hockey.
I know you feel they’re good defensively and rank 6th or 7th or something. You’re not wrong, but the nuance being overlooked with this reasoning is how exceptionally good they were before slacking off from the system a little. And you’re ignoring the streak contributed to their 6th or 7th spot.
from December 22, 2023, to January 24, 2024, when they mostly played button down system possession structure:
Edmonton Oilers: 1.54 ga/g
Winnipeg Jets: 1.60
Seattle Kraken: 2.23
Florida Panthers: 2.53
Buffalo Sabres: 2.57
Vancouver Canucks: 2.7
Toronto Maple Leafs: 2.75
Boston Bruins: 2.76
Carolina Hurricanes: 2.77
Pittsburgh Penguins: 2.77
Vegas Golden Knights: 2.79
When games between December 22, 2023, and January 24, 2024, are excluded, the Edmonton Oilers’ average goals against per game is 3.2.
That’s double.
The contrast between adhering to the system vs not/partial is significant.
I think your ‘people calling for firewagon hockey’ comment misses the mark.
I guess I can only speak for myself, but when I respond to a post saying that the Oilers are poor defensively and need to learn to commit in order to win a Cup (not trying to sum your post up as that) by pointing out they haven’t actually been poor defensively – that doesn’t mean I think they’re perfect.
I agree they’ll need to play more like they did during their streak in order to have success in the playoffs. But I also think that having some lulls during the season like they did after the All-Star break is fairly normal and is not a death knell.
I think virtually no one is calling for firewagon hockey. I’m certainly not, even if I don’t think their recent play is a major concern.
FWIW, over the last 10 games the Oilers lead the league in GA/60 at 1.75. Who knew? I sure didn’t.
Good discussion today on making the safe play. I’m a fan of the safeplay, but I also know that every team has to go for broke every once in a while if they want to be successful. How do you balance the two? It is tough to do. What happens when you try to make the safe play as #5 did (eating the puck on the sideboards) and it ends up in your net? Should Ceci have tried the unorthodox, play of firing it over to the far boards and hope it doesn’t get intercepted? He did the safe play, but the problem being the puck didn’t leave the zone and no forward picked up Walker going to the net. So many ways of looking at it.
I remember Glen Sather remarking that Paul Coffey could make the best play he’s ever seen and the worst play all on the same shift, so once again there’s the balance. The wish to make a creative play vs the orthodox play that we’ve all been taught since mini-pups (I know, U-5 or whatever it is called today). If the creative play works, you’re the best skater who ever lived, but if it doesn’t then it’s the worst play in hockey. All about perspective.
Sather would’ve been screaming “Why didn’t you pin the @#*#&?”
Since 2024 Oiler’s lead the NHL in points percentage.
You cannot get any better than that.
You missed the memo. They’re terrible and can’t play defence. 😉
And sometimes they lose hockey games.
Who needs that aggravation?
Dobson, who has been riding the PDO pony hard all season, has suffered from some regression to the meat recently with just one assist and a minus-8 rating in his past 5 games.
Many people had him well above Bouchard for Norris votes, but it seems like the season isn’t over yet. 🙂
When we were all scouring the league looking for an upgrade on RD before the deadline I was having fantasies about adding him but couldn’t figure out how to drug Lou sufficiently to get him to agree to move him. Very happy with Bouchard but Dobson and Bouchard patrolling the right side would be something.
Lou almost assuredly has compromising pictures of betman and probably at least half of the teams presidents of hockey operations. You pay Lou. You do Lou favours. This is the way.
For all the talk about defensemen not driving thier fancy stats, Dobson’s are demonstrably worse than Bouchard’s.
I wonder how many heads would explode with Poti and Gilbert on the same team.
Speaking of coattail riders this season…
https://x.com/jfreshhockey/status/1769781562529202363?s=46&t=eJhhNPA4I32vVTDvo2_ETA
Some fugly numbers for Makar when he’s not playing with MacKinnon. Tempted to say this is a quality of teammate issue but I’ve seen him pretty loose defensively during a few games this year.
Something to keep an eye on going forward.
All this talk today about the Oilers needing to defend and commit to defend and defence wins championships, etc., etc., etc.
I get that, no issue there.
At the same time, on the season, the Oilers are 6th in the league in goals against – maybe they drop 2 spots max when their games in hand are played.
The verbal/written word makes is sound like the Oilers are terrible defending and are giving up goals left, right and center.
The facts are they are a top 10 defensive team (and likely top 5 since the coaching change).
Yup, the make many mistakes every game. I would suggest that all teams make many mistakes every game.
The Oilers are also extremely good at the minimizing mistakes game.
2nd in CA
2nd in FA
3rd in SA
6th in xGA
4th in SCA
4th HDCA
Was there some true unfortunate events to start the season? Yes. Was the goalering wobbly earlier in the year? Yes. Are those two related? Yes but also no, the goalering was really bad to start the year even considering the wobbly defensive play. It happens and its been fun watching our man Stu grow into his role.
Both have evened out to a spectacular degree. This season has been such a whirlwind that I think we sometimes forget we were sorta left for dead back in November. Regression its a thing.
That’s absolutely prezoomable.
Defence wins championships!
Good thing the Oilers have been among the league’s best at preventing goals for a very very long time now.
Oilers have given up the 6th least goals in the league on the season – maybe they drop a spot or two after their games in hand are played.
It is absurd that they can have a rotation of D for Stecher but they could not have a rotation of D for Broberg.
Agree, give the man some reps. What’s the harm of resting Kulak a game or two?
The coach expressly spoke about working Broberg in to the lineup and his goal to do so.
I also think the difference between the incumbents on the left side and the incumbents on the right side are very clear and obvious.
The OIlers have had over 5 months to rotate Broberg into the lineup.
They prefer Broberg to play 20+ minutes a night in Bakersfield on his natural side over 10+
minutes in Edmonton whenever they can fit him in.
They sent him back to Rockville…er..Bakersfield….to waste another year; for both the player and the team.
I once met Michael Stipe and we had a laugh singing “Don’t Go Back to Red Deer.”
Both Broberg and Lavoie agents have questioned the development and money that Holland has slow cooked, marinated, blocked whatever you want to call it nowadays. Holland doesn’t like to be questioned. This is Holland team it’s full of old Veterans and a farm System that is alike.
What? THat is absolutely made up with respect to Lavoie.
In fact, reputable sources have confirmed that Lavoie’s agent encouraged the player to take below his QO (i.e. league min) with a higher AHL component – player went against his agent’s advise.
Just like Maroon agent told him to take less money so his commission would be smaller because it was the right thing to do.
If Lavoie would have taken his agent’s advise, he would have made more money this season.
Not if he makes the show. Holland is thankfully gone he wouldn’t even give his own picks a opportunity. Broberg and Lavoie will probably be gone as well and Holland will have drafted and developed 1 player Holloway. All Holland did was ride Leon and Connors coattails no way Hyman and Kane sign without these two attactions.
Coach was outward with his thoughts on the lineup going forward and the depth pieces.
First and foremost, not for sure but it does sound like Vinny may be an available player tomorrow.
Even if that is the case, Knob wants to work Stecher in to the lineup generally. He doesn’t want any “extra” to sit for long and they will work some rotation in with both the D and the forwards – of course, not too much, they want to win as many games as possible but they will find a balance.
With Stecher, Knob wants him on the right side. He says they have a legit left side call up in Broberg and, not only to they feel comfortable with him, they do want to work to get him some games down the stretch.
Draisaitl’s strength can also be his weakness.
Every single time he touches the puck he has one thing in mind. “Make a play” Do not throw it away, do not lose possession.
So yeah, dumping the puck in goes against his hockey belief.
When playing with Connor, he wants to make that play more than ever.
When playing with Foegele and MacLeod he is more willing to dump and let them go work the corners.
I have confidence Leon will dial it for playoffs. Having said this, I want Draisaitl to be offensive, play to his strengths. That’s why you have a team. We could trade him for a defensive specialist but that won’t win a cup either. You need balance.
I have no doubt that 29 will show up in the playoffs.
2023 (2 rounds)
Goals – 1st with 13
Pts – 8th with 18
Note: even after being tomahawk chopped
2022 (3 rounds)
Goals – 16th with 7
Pts – 2nd with 30
Note: even with a high-ankle sprain
Drai is also the one I most notice line change tactical risks. Like I get it he wants to take every opportunity to cause damage but like over a minute into shift trying another entry then either taking line change on way back out behind play or sometimes getting caught in defensive zone as play transitions too fast other way.
I truly think game management of just reducing minutes added by prolonging shifts likely removes a lot of unforced errors/low risk plays. Like get out there go hard then go shift just clears up a lot of the more obvious “issues”.
You win as a team. They have the guys it’s not all on the two of them anymore. He came about the mentality honestly that it was on them, but need to start thinking more the other way.
Since November 24th, the Oilers are:
4th in CA/60 at 5v5
5th in SA/60 at 5v5
3rd in GA/60 at 5v5
5th in SCA/60 at 5v5
4th in HDCA/60 at 5v5
3rd in CA/60 all strengths
5th in SA/60 all strengths
3rd in GA/60 all strengths
9th in SCA/60 all strengths
3rd in HDCA/60 all strengths
There’s always room for improvement, but Oilers fans and media have an annoying penchant for demanding nothing less than perfection. It’s not a realistic ask.
Mistakes happen. They’re human. But let’s please recognize what this team, under Knoblauch, has actually accomplished defensively.
And they have the results to match, with the most standings points and points percentage in the league over that span:
1. EDM .770
2. FLA .704
3. WPG .684
4. CAR .680
5. COL .677
Agreed, but what do those #s look like from the All-Star break til now?
If my quick add-up is correct, since the start of the streak:
1.5 GA/game -> 16-0-0
4.2 GA/game -> 4-5-1
1.8 GA/game -> 7-1-2
THANK YOU.
I have made 5 posts about this in responses prior to seeing this one.
Most teams that make it to the final do so with defensive hockey. If someone asked me to pick a Stanley cup winner at the beginning of the playoffs, the first stat I would look at is team goals against. Not the team with the highest scoring forward or “best” goalie which is where some might first start their screen.
WPG vs FLA is a good bet for a Stanley cup final. VAN, EDM, LA, NYR, CAR, BOS are second tier and will need to tighten up to have playoff success.
Fedorov remains one of my favourite players. He stifled offensive hockey teams almost single handedly while outscoring at the other end. He was like this out of the box. He could have scored more, but he was trained to make sure the puck stays out of the his own net first before taking chances at the other end. Yzerman came into the league in some ways like McDavid. A highly-skilled, fleet-footed forward putting up 170 points a year. He changed his game part way through his career and as a result scored less, but with a one-two punch of defensive forwards like Yzerman and Fedorov, it was hard for teams to score on them. There was lots of other talent on those DET teams, of course, but a team allowing 4-5 GA on a regular basis can often be traced to forwards playing poor defensive hockey, though the goalie and last defenseman in the photo usually take all the blame.
My favourite recent example is peak Tampa. That team could score at will. And that’s what they did during the regular season. There was so much talent that no team seemed to be able to stop. Games would end in 6-4, 8-5, 5-3 scores regularly. Then round one, game one of the playoffs – suddenly it was a whole different game. Scores were 2-1, 3-2, 2-0. They bided their time with stifling defensive hockey and then unleashed their offensive prowess only when it was a CLEAR green light play. A situation where there wasn’t a chance of giving up an odd man rush the other way. They hammered on the power play when the opportunity came. Then back to stifling defensive hockey.
Our defense and goalie are fine. Our forwards are talented but several of them need to change their thinking a little bit. Defense first. Take your chances when they come, but only when the odds are in your favour and you are not going to give up a 10 bell the other way. Always be ready to skate back. Don’t pinch deep when the puck is going to be possessed by the opposition before you get there. Don’t double down when you have an 9 and the dealer is showing ace.
Winnipeg is going to be in tough to get 12 points out of their remaining 15 games. They are in a world of trouble come playoff time.
Folks should really poke around the fancies of the Jets before they get too excited.
https://www.naturalstattrick.com/games.php?team=WPG
the Jets haven’t won a 5v5 FF, SF or SCF battle against a playoff team since Feb 8 against the Flyers and that was all score effects as it was 4-0 Philly three minutes into the 2nd. They had spirited tilts against the Leafs and Boston at the 2nd of Jan (which coincided with a five game losing streak), but they’ couldn’t score in those games against good teams. Those four games, all at least five weeks ago have been the best they’ve thrown together in the calendar year against playoff teams.
And in most of the games against playoff teams its a team wide ass-whooping, figures in the low 40% range.
The schedule makers have helped mask the biggest poser team in the whole playoff race right now. Yup, that’s right, worse than the Nucks.
Ah that’s interesting. Possible scheduling effects. It will be fun to see how it plays out over the next month.
Can you explain more? Curious why that’s shifted, if indeed accurate.
Sounds like Stecher will be paired with Nurse. Sounds good to me, give it a try against some soft opposition’s top players.
Vinny is participating in practice but Stecher reps with Nurse.
Looking forward to seeing him on his natural side – looked a bit disjointed his last game.
I really hope Stecher shines. I like Vinny but don’t feel he processes the game quickly enough that high up the line up.
Rishaug tweeted today the Vinny is a full participant and is “handling the puck well. Shooting too.”
Big sigh of relief, even if it wouldn’t hurt to give him some games off down the stretch and see how Stecher looks with some more regular mins on the R side.
Totally agree with Al that the only thing holding the Oilers back is their defensive commitment and game management which means no risky backhand passes at critical times of the game. Prime example of this the Leon Draisaitl pass to Ekholm with 10 seconds left in the 1st period which caused a 2 on 1 for McKinnon of all people. Oilers had an offensive face off with 28 seconds left in the period and every Oiler fan is thinking ok maybe we can score here but don’t get scored on at the end of the period. Oilers were pressing and then Draisaitl sends a risky pass back to the point through traffic which ends up on McKinnon’s stick for a 2 on 1. Like get a clue Draisaitl and have some sort of sense of game management. I feel like I pick on the guy a lot and he isn’t the only one but the Oilers playoff season will depend on how Draisaitl plays. When he is on top of his game he might be the most complete player in the game.
Oilers have signed G Connor Unger to a 2 year ELC as per their official team site.
Stoked on this signing and per our discussion yesterday, the wording isn’t clear, just says he will report to the Condors but no clarity on if ELC starts this year or next. Hopefully an ATO and then kicks in next season.
Starts next year. There’s no way he has the kind of clout to get a year burned. However, I love this signing and what it represents.
Nice, thanks for the clarification, very glad that is the case.
11:32 a.m.: Ungar’s deal begins next season and carries a cap hit of $860K, per PuckPedia. He’ll earn $775K in base salary, an $85K signing bonus, and $82.5K in minors salary each season.
“Is your name not Connor?”
“No, it’s Michael.”
“That’s going to cause a little confusion. Mind if we call you ‘Connor’ to keep it clear?”
New Connor will be responsible for shutouts, goals against, shutouts and is in charge of the sheepdip!
The Colorado game was the perfect example of this team neutering itself trying to win 2-1, which creates way too low of a margin for error, and does not align with the skill top-to-bottom of this squad. This is why they lose to Vegas and Colorado – they refuse to maximize their strengths and dictate the game.
The high attack version of this team simply creates more room to play with. Against good teams, they have to play the style that can result in 3 or 4 GF in a matter of minutes. Stretch passes. Attacking with speed. Making the other team’s defenders lives hell. Super fast transition out of the zone.
There’s no Chris Pronger on this team to play 35 playoffs minutes and bar the door. There’s no Dominik Hasek in the crease. Go play 100+ feet from your own net and do it with speed.
Hockey is not and has never been a game that’s about perfection. It’s not even about limiting mistakes. It’s about how many mistakes you can cause the other team to make. Even the dreadful grab and trap days weren’t about defensive perfection – they were about luring you into a trap. That’s literally where the name comes from!
We saw that high attack, full speed ahead, damn the torpedoes style for the first two weeks of the season.
Went real well.
If you watched, you know this isn’t true.
If you look at the stats, you know this isn’t true.
The contending teams can defend. Some of them, Vegas, the Jets, know how to defend the Oilers. There are going to be fewer events. Teams that can defend constrict the right tail, and fatten the left tail. Low variance teams gain edge over high variance teams when that happens if the delta in quality between the two teams is small.
If one wants a bigger delta or margin of error, don’t build a team of old men.
Defensively responsible teams win. Stretch passes are great, but when a player flies the zone when his team does not have possession and leaves his teammates playing shorthanded, it is a recipe for disaster. Cross ice passes on the rush at the offensive blue line are dangerous and outright stupid, Every coach knows this and preaches it, yet we see it over and over. The greatest offensive team this league has ever seen was swept in their first final. The next year they won the opening game 1-0.
Why isn’t McDavid shooting the puck more? is there an injury? Why is Evander Kane not playing like he did last year? Is he injured? definitely not as physical. Maybe he doesn’t want o be on the 3rd line.
McDavid has been shooting the puck more lately (36 times in his past 10). Not sure why he fell back from last season’s career high rate, but if it was injury related it seems to be past him now.
Evander Kane has easily the highest hit rate if his career this season. A full hit/60 more than his previous 2 Oiler seasons and way more than his career before that. So… probably not pouting..
To my eye he is not as aggressive. He doesn’t seem as strong as last year
Kane or McDavid?
97’s still not only not shooting, but dodging shooting lanes when they open up. In the OT, he had at least 4 “game over” moments that he refused to attempt. Either something is wrong or he’s in his own head about perfect passes.
Evander Kane, like pretty much every forward on the team, has been fine offensively when not playing with Connor Brown.
I had a silly thought about McD shooting a bit less this year….get the other teams to think even more “he is going to pass”, but then in the playoff he shots more than passing totally messing the minds of mortals in the NHL 🙂
McDavid playing high-level mind games – I love it!
Not a silly thought at all – the thought has crossed my mind as well.
Do people really have an issue with the Oilers playing button down hockey? The 16 game win streak saw them do exactly that. I’d love to see them renew that commitment to defence in the last few weeks going into playoffs. They would be unstoppable in the playoffs.
Not me – teams that win Cups learn to defend first and foremost. The offence comes in transition from successfully shutting things down in your own zone first.
Some people think that it’s still the 1980’s and you can outscore your mistakes in the playoffs or against really good teams like the Avs during the regular season.
McDavid plays a far more mature 200 ft game now. He’s ready.
Leon on the other hand still makes too many risky plays when paired up with McDavid. He needs to be stapled to 2C between McLeod and Foegele from now until they raise the Cup in the June. He’s a fantastic talent, but he’s more Malkin than he is Kopitar/Barkov.
Crosby and Malkin won Cups when they were kept on separate lines. McDavid and Draisaitl are in their primes … if they can’t carry their own lines at this point, then they will never be Cup champions.
Oilers are 6th in the league in goals against on the season – sixth.
The title made me recall (and laugh at) memories of coaching minor hockey. Had a mom come up to me one year when I was coaching community 7-year-old kids and tell me that her son was a center like Gretzky and that he should only play center! The kid was very nice, unlike the mom, but was big and could not skate very well so he was played as a dman!
Thankfully the family moved so I did not have to be involved with the mom the next year!
When does hockey start really getting kids into a position? In basketball more and more we are losing the idea of positions at young ages (including up to and often beyond high school) And in soccer, as a coach of my kids under 6, and my other kids under 8 teams, I definitely have kids play everywhere, including goal. I would never identify a kid as a certain position in soccer at this age. Lets be honest. In my daughters U6 team, the idea of a position is laughable.
I haven’t coached the youngest of youth soccer ages for a few years, but absolutely agree with having kids play every position. I think it makes them better players overall. I’m always surprised when I do see players at the beginner levels pigeon-holed into a specific position.
Connor McDavid shoots the puck into the opponent’s zone once past center multiple times a game when there’s nothing there.
That’s progress. But, does McDavid shoulder check for Walker sneaking into the slot on the 2nd Avs goal? Nope. Does Draisaidl warn 97 cuz for sure he sees Walker sneaking into the slot? Nope. So yeah I know 97 and 29 outscore their opponents in general, but they are on the ice so freaking much they can still do better defensively and it will most definitely help win games. And yes, everyone else needs to tighten up and make more safe plays. The Oilers are good, but not so good that they don’t need to play damn near perfectly in order to win the cup.
Y’know I never hear from skaters the classic football alarm “Man on man on!” or some equivalent.
Communication is key
With Vinny out, I hope we get to see Broberg play …. lots. We can witness if this “fully baked development process” can help in the play-offs.
I am assuming we will see.
Ekholm-Bouchard
Nurse-Ceci
Broberg-Kulak/Stecher
There is not enough cap space accrued to call Broberg up yet.
Both Puckpedia and Capfriendly show over $1.35MM of cap space.
They’re trying to minimize future damage from the Connor Brown contract.
Not really – even if they don’t use that space, we are talking about being $50K of unused cap space at the end of the season (actually less)
So McLeod is the new Pisani?
Brown 🙂
I feel Drais is considerably more responsible with the puck when playing without McD. When hitched to McD, Drais is cheating for offense.
When solo, Drais is playing centre with two lesser players and thinks the game very differently.
For penultimate success (i.e. the Cup), these two need to be apart for 80% of the game.
Penultimate…. is there something after the Cup? Cup would be ultimate, not penultimate, no?
The next cup!
Drunken parties, arrests and scandal
I presume we’ll hear about a Broberg recall today. I presume he’s already in town and will be on the ice for practice (although unlikely to play tomorrow with Stecher acquired for this exact scenario).
Prezoom not.
Presumption was made under the presumption that Vinny D. was not an available player for a bit – presumed wrong (X2).