The internet and social media changed everything. I am a fan of stories, of lore, but it’s impossible to build such stories when every thought uttered is met with 10,000 hammers of derision. What is happening to our ability to think, to discuss, to interact and reach fresh conclusions together?
Years ago, I used some incorrect wording and my family laughed and turned the phrase into a meme. “Don’t be so yell!” I boomed from upstairs to downstairs, and so a family saying was born.
I can’t change the world, I know that much. I can use this little corner of the world to insist that we collectively think, discuss, interact and reach fresh conclusions. I also insist we do it together. Collaboration is key in finding solutions to big problems.
“Don’t be so yell” was a jumble when I said it, but my goodness it’s a wish of mine for social media. I am so happy for this corner of the Al Gore, for Bruce McCurdy’s Cult of Hockey work, for Daniel Nugent-Bowman and his brilliant pieces at The Athletic. I’m thankful for Rachel Doerrie from Staff & Graph Podcasts for her Monday brilliance on the Lowdown, and the weekly segments with Bruce, Daniel, Jason Gregor, Bagged Milk, Steve Lansky and Tyler Yaremchuk. They’re all exceptional.
I’m thankful to Puck IQ, Darcy McLeod and that entire gang of woodmaniacs for all they do.
The series between the Oilers and Canucks is fantastic on the ice, but not so much on social media. It is not the best of us.
I miss the time when learning was in fashion.
I believe Stuart Skinner is a fine NHL goalie. I fear the Oilers organization will throw him overboard ala Devan Dubnyk in a fit of pique. I’m not sure what a nuanced look at goaltending looks like for the larger Oilers fanbase, but for me a small sample remains something not to be trusted. Like a jar at the back of the fridge that hasn’t been opened in several years, a piece of moldy cheese, or a dog who arrives first to fallen food on the kitchen floor.
All of us tend to react to those things that impact us the most. No home owner will ever get as mad at any level of government as they will when the trash collector doesn’t pick up the garbage. It’s true. Local governments change like clockwork when there’s a garbage strike. Police? Important. Fire department? Damn straight. Garbage? Where the fxxx is the truck??? If you ever run for government, promise an extra container and collection you can set your clock to every week. You’ll win.
Jake Oettinger and Connor Helleybuyck struggled early in the playoffs. I’m not sure some Oilers fans know, or care. In order to avoid communication chaos, we have to be able to agree on certain foundation elements. For instance, do we trust Stuart Skinner’s regular season, numbering over 3,300 minutes, or do we trust his time in the Vancouver series?
In the recently completed series against Los Angeles, Skinner was the owner of a .910 save percentage that included a 1-0 shutout. I would suggest those games as a collective (301 minutes, 4 wins and 1 loss) are not enough to use as a hammer.
If we can agree on that much, why can’t we agree that the current numbers against Vancouver (.793 SP, 1 win and 2 losses in 164 minutes) is also too small a sample?
I would run Skinner back again tonight. The Oilers will play better in front of him, and winning Game 4 with a complete team effort may well turn the series.
If the coaching staff turns to Calvin Pickard, it could also turn the series in a positive direction. Running Pickard isn’t an act of desperation, he has played well for Edmonton. I wrote about the idea recently.
Noon to 2 today, Sports 1440 and we’ll have all the news on the Oilers goaltending situation, lines and pairings plus injuries. Daniel Nugent-Bowman at The Athletic will join us with the latest and we’ll talk about Skinner, the McDavid-Draisaitl minutes and more. We’ll also have Dunkin’ with Declan and I suspect at least one more Oilers guest. 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. Question: Would you like to see an updated 2024 Lowetide draft list later this week?
What a win. Amazing finish. I think this one will be remembered for a while especially if the boys win this series.
Don’t look now, but Draisaitl has 21 goals in his past 21 playoff games. That’s far an away the highest goal scoring between this year and last, the next highest marque’s are Tkachuk and Marchessault with 15, although both have played more games, 30 and 29, respectively.
Between this year and last, Draisaitl and McDavid are tied for #1 in playoff points despite the other top players having played ~50% more games. Bouchard is 5th overall (by far #1 among defensemen) with the same GP deficit.
If you look at P/GP they’re 1, 2, 3, with 1.81, 1.81 and 1.53 P/GP.
Also, I looked at career scoring rates in the playoffs, it shakes out this way:
1. Gretzky: 1.84 P/GP
2. Draisaitl: 1.67
3. Lemieux: 1.61
4. McDavid: 1.60
5. Pederson: 1.53
6. MacKinnon: 1.30
7. Rantanen: 1.25
8. Messier: 1.25
9. Orr: 1.24
10. Bossy: 1.24
11. Kurri: 1.17
.
.
19. Bouchard: 1.11
20. Makar: 1.10
I’m not worried about the next contracts for McDavid, Draisaitl and Bouchard – they’ll be worth it for the way they elevate in the postseason.
What a great problem to have!
It will be interesting to see how the end up fitting the 3 in. As you said paying elite players isn’t a problem (can’t pay too many though), but only they should have top cap hits
Yes, that’s why they need guys who want to be part of the journey like Nuge, Kane, Hyman, Ekholm, (DeBrusk, Montour) in the $5-6M range.
Summarizing!
Stefan picked up his first point of the series with an assist on a shortie. However, Portland lost 4-3 in OT and could get the business end of the broom Wednesday night.
Sid
@NHL_Sid
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1h
With Bouchard on-ice, Edmonton has allowed 1.74 5v5 goals against per 60. Without him, it jumps up to 3.32, nearly twice as much.
The offence is obviously spectacular, and playing with Ekholm absolutely helps, but Bouchard deserves a lot of credit for his defensive improvement.
Bouch is all around dominate.
Bouch is a 5 tool player now, great to see. It’s based on his talent, but it is amazing how being able to skate at a high level, and be able to pass and shoot well makes quite a difference in performance. I’d be interested to see D pair D zone times
Does Bouchard’s next contract start with a 10? Also Vancouver’s ability to get deflection goals exactly when they need to is uncanny…
well, he has the 3 GWGs for half our wins in the playoffs, as a defenseman. How many other teams in the league would pay whatever it takes for that?
To this day, I still have bad memories of Zubov walking the puck on the blue line wearing his thick gold chain around his neck terrorizing us with threats of scoring.
Zubov never had more than 13 goals and 71 points in a season.
Still he was a hell of a player.
Bouchard had 82 points and 18 goals this past season. I can’t imagine what his next contract looks like.
Zubiv had 89 points in his first full NHl season in 1993-94, leading the Rangers in scoring in the process. He added 19 more in the playoffs as NYR won their only Stanley in my lifetime. Still don’t understand why they ever traded the guy.
I’m sure they would – if they could. Fortunately Bouchard is an RFA in 2025, so the Oilers own his rights exclusively.
Series tied 2-2 with Van City riding a PDO pony named 10 Fiddy
I feel like Chris Farley & Norm in those old SNL Chicago Bears fans skits. Absolute heart attack central tonight!
Can we get a pad check on Silvos’s pad length? he has no 5 hole, his pads overlap on themselves when he butterflys…
God I miss the automatic McTavish 3rd period illegal curve calls when he was a coach.
If this keeps up we will need to start making Bouch>Stan Weir memes…. who wants to go first?
Can’t wait for the LT write up tomorrow !
Evan Bouchard is currently a supreme value contract. I fear (well, not fear exactly… more like expect) his next one will be huge. 8 years and a sizeable Oilers’ discount please.
what is the Oilers discount?
Multiple no movement clauses
According to Chiarelli
+20%?
Also, my heart can’t take any more 1 goal games. That’s 8 in a row for Nuckleheads
If you think tonight’s was a must win game, press thumbs up.
Oilers pull out a W; unless they run the table still play 2 out of 3 games away.
Draisaitl’s having another Conn Smythe playoff. Leading the NHL. McDavid taking care in the number 2 spot, and after tonight Evan Bouchard climbs up to 3rd in the NHL playoff scoring race.
Welcome to the NHL playoffs, in your official debut as a starter goaltender: Cal Pickard. Cal Pickem to win his next start.
PS: Canucks proving to be a tough and resilient team with strength in so many important positions. Plus, Tocchet really hates the Oilers.
Everyone is worried about overplaying McDavid and Draisaitl. That this would not be sustainable
Interestingly in the meantime they may have found a solution in Bouch and Ekholm 24-25 mins a night. I remember how many minutes Pronger crunched for us in ‘06, so I personally am less worried about giving those kinds of minutes to those warriors.
Also, all of the injury worries about Drai and Ek are seemingly unfounded
Draisaitl is arguably as tough as Mark Messier.
you are comparing a HHOF D man to some forwards. No forwards have ever played 25+ mins / night.
The Edm team tonight, McDrai split up – under 24 mins each ….That’s the Cup chance … when they are apart Edm is harder to defend.
Also pronger really got away with conserving energy. He was just so dominant physically. I swear he could have played the whole game without working up a sweat.
One more point to enjoy.
Soucy out, Julson in.
Julson goes for the big hit, resulting in a big goal for Nuge.
Loved it.
Tocchet: Oilers wanted it more early… It’s the will to get to pucks…
My point exactly all series long. But we can’t win this series unless we win two in a row at some point.
Have to be proactive with our intensity and desire and win one without our backs against the wall. Preferably the next one and put some pressure on their goalie for a change. Giving Silovs the belief he can beat us by giving up game one has been costing us ever since. Take the battle to them.
How about three in a row? Win on the road & a win at home. Then move on to the conference final.
I’ve never seen anyone win three in a row without winning two in a row. Three isn’t critical. Two is.
Nobody puts Nuge in the corner; Nuge puts pucks in corners. Forget analytics and matchups and d-pairs and who the 12th forward is and what the cap efficiency is. Did you hear the sound of Nuge putting that shot off the bar and in? I kid you not, I believe it to be the sweetest sounding post I’ve ever heard. Like the hockey Gods doing harmonies. Magnificent!
Right there with the klefbom shot in 17.
Pickards net, positioning and rebound control was a noticeable difference.
Vancouver had basically no unpressured shots on Pickard. The Oilers played very well in front of him, something they did not for the full sixty minutes for Skinner most of these playoffs.
Pickard didn’t keep kicking the puck out from simple shots creating unending melees.
They gave up more shots tonight then the previous 2 games.
When the puck hits Pickard in the glove he catches it.
Garland scores in the 1st on the powerplay if Skinner was in net, he’d open up swatting at bees.
Pickard was just good enough. I’m glad he was in net.
In your debut start in the biggest NHL playoff pressure imaginable, “just good enough” gets an A+
I don’t think there is a big difference between him and Skinner. I’m fine with either goalie, go with whoever is in a better headspace and ready to compete. If that’s Picks again I’m good with it. The oilers are due for an offensive outbreak and not need to rely on their goalie at all to win (how they won so many times this season). Sieve-los is ready to regress.
In my day goalies weren’t considered to have enough brains to even have a headspace.
Therefore Pickard gets the next start, and the next one after that until he screws up; like Skinner is supposed to have.
Another game where we’ve carried a significant majority of the play. That was a shaky third, but they absolutely dominated for stretches before that Vancouver push.
Vancouver has 81 shots over 4 games. Oilers with 75 over the last two (and 124 over 4).
Bouchard is not only killing it with the goals, he has rounded out his game.
Remember when he played soft? Fixed that. Hits? – he’s fixed that. Defence – he’s solid.
As far as what Connor/Leon needed on the point, he has excelled. That Ekholm guy is so good and deserves credit for Bouchard performance as well.
He mainly sees the ice with McDavid. Which isthe right deployment to limit his weaknesses defensively, and accentuate his strengths.
Somewhere along the line, the kid got strong, and can get pissed.
I can get pissed at the drop of a hat,
It’s my favorite
In the playoffs so far.
Bouchard is +8
Heiskanen is -4
Of course that deployment helps.
Bouchard has developed in to a plus defensive player but pretty much his only deficiency being net front battles.
McDavid with 22.5 minutes of ice time. Drai with 20:46.
Holloway & Kane were great
Legit 2 stong lines tonight
29 was the best player on the ice
Well that’s settled. Now if the bottom six can sort themselves out we’ll be ok.
Wow, what a finish. Great win.
Time for Stetcher to replace CeCi,
He is struggling to defend & make simple plays.
Absolute liability at this point
He really really struggles to advance the puck under pressure in the dzone.
Great Job Oilers, including Ceci
Lucky for him Kulak played a strong game
Stetcher is not the droid you are looking for
Ceci is another weak link. He can’t make a play or get the puck out. If the Oilers can get someone to take his place in the lineup and play better they would be in business for a cup run. I’m not sure they have that guy today but I’m open to trying someone.
Broberg or Stetcher can and should be replacing Ceci next game. Ceci just continues to be a tire fire in his own zone. IMO, he has regressed throughout the playoffs. He just looks scared to make a play in the D zone. Very frustrating to watch him shift after shift.
He looks like his brain thinks his stick is 6 inches longer than it is.
I wonder if Red Buttons still thinks Bouchard is a bust.
If you care what Button says about anything,
That’s kinda on you
Hot off the presses from TSN – Button sees Norris Trophy talk in Bouchard’s future: He’s a Top 10 defenceman
or if HH still wouldn’t trade Rafferty for him ;)… Ahhhhhhhh good times
Insanely happy for Pickard……, calm, solid.
Just what we needed….
Those shots of his parents in the stands. His Dad with the big f-bomb when the Canucks scored the tying goal.
I wish they show his dad when they scored.
Captain Pickard is going to Adin Hill the Canucks.
Even Kelly Hrudey is a fan.
His parents have to come to every game now. The way they are living and dying with their son’s fortunes have earned the favour of the Hockey Gords.
Vancouver pushed hard in the third. Gotta give them some credit. But full credit to Edmonton. It should never have been that close. Slivos was brilliant. Pickard was good enough.
Huge game,a confidence builder going back to Van .
The Canucks were unable to beat Pickard clean; their goals were all super flukey.
Pickard had no chance on those.
Oilers beat Silovs clean each time … they did not need to rely on puck luck.
But yes, the Canucks are a well-coached team.
Really impressed with Tocchet – that team is more than the sum of their parts.
That skateblade save on McDavid on the PP was the stuff of nightmares. Haunting kinda shit.
Thank goodness we have the ManBoy-Bouch to close it all out.
An OT winner and a last minute winner this series. 15 points in nine games
What. A. Player!!!!
Now we just need to trade Ceci for Hughes and round out our bottom pairing.
The start came through but it was a solid team effort that got us here. Much better work ethic but we, again, let up and tried to play defence to much.
Gotta get it in our heads that we gotta, gotta, gotta play to the whistle! We aren’t built to be a defensive juggernaut. We’re best when we Attack!
Great win! Great efforts!!!
Nurse – lowest ES TOI tonight
Thanks Pauline. Just logged in to crap on Nurse? Bugger off.
Watched the whole game. Not dumping on Nurse. His low EV time on ice reflects coaching decision’s on usage.
i think
i understand your point now.
Nurse didn’t get trapped out on the ice for extended period of time like Ceci did a couple of times, and Kulak is not a regular on hte PK, so when the bottom two pairs are being rolled roughly equally, Nurse’s EV time dipped behind Ceci and Kulak.
All this makes sense. 2-14 have been the top pair all playoffs and for much of the season. I agree that Nurse has been saddled with difficult partners. Des was ok in parts tonight, but he often misfired on passes. Not a great fit with Nurse because he’s not a very good passer, though he’s a good transporter of the puck. He would have looked much better alongside Tanev or perhaps Broberg if 86 had been given a fair shake this season. I’d like to see Nurse paired with Stecher next game, slide Des back to Kulak, and sit Ceci.
All that said, Nurse seems to have struggled more this yr than the past 3 seasons.
Ceci got caught out on 2 different shifts at or near 2mins each, kinda screws with the toi.
What shitting?
Shouldn’t your beef be with Knobloch?
Ceci was the one who really struggled today.
Like the poor, the Nurse haters will always be with us.
it was unfortunate Kane picked up that 4 minute penalty, but Oilers answered the bell right in the first period and made a statement, then got down to the hockey.
Nurse is -8 so far this playoff year.
Well thanks for that Mr Ed, can’t just leave that alone for even a moment. Something much bigger just happened.
Nurse has to dig down deep and find the game changing player that he used to be.
He’s been slow to react in his own zone all series long.
We need more from him.
Are the Kane haters going to shut up now?
The thing with Evander Kane is, he’s not your friend. He’s a menace!
“Oilers just won, let’s talk about a stick that wasn’t high”
Ya. All kinds of credit given to Canucks for goals from lucky bounces (that were magically placed there, apparently). No love for the historically excellent PP, Nuge’s brilliance (a bit) coupled with Ekholm taking the hit to make a great play & McDavid recognizing what happened to create that 2-on-1. Only a little love for Bouch on the 3rd goal but none for Drai and Kane. Draisaitl gave Kane the deserved praise in the dressing room scrum.
I thought Des did as well
To KGO
Every dman has moments, I saw a flicker or two of panic from Desi, but Ceci looked out of his league.
He was noticeable for all the wrong reasons this evening.
Wow.
Replay showed not much of a screen there….
That is quite the way to win ….but we will take it.
SN chose to play us off with Phish’s Axilla (Pt 2), because losing that game would have been the pits
Excellent.
The Tarkus Seal of Excellence?
Awesome win!
Oilers the much better team to my eye. But the buggers from Vancouver have the comeback deflections down to an art.
Bouchard/Kane gave them back a taste of the old deflection shot!!
Great win, feels good.
That two rabbit sacrifice to the hockey gods paid off.
Next time throw in an extra rabbit and make it easier on my ticker
Isn’t the old fashioned way to sacrifice a virgin?That will be hard to find here… Although some of the occasional trolls we encounter likely still live in their mom’s basement so have a higher statistical chance to fulfill that requirement… I even have a specific candidate in mind 😜
To my eye Holloway had a helluva game. In the right spots all night.
and may he never leave the top 6 again.
That kid was everywhere, forecheck and backcheck. Good on zone exits, good playing with Drai, hits only second to Kane
I’m tough on Kane, I find his defensive zone play painful at times. But he was a load tonight, really had the Vancouver D looking over their shoulders.
Golly, that was a range of emotions.
YYYAAAAAAAoooooooooYYYYAAAAAY
Evander makes the big hit that started that play, hopefully that gets him going for next game
Big time…..hope it is contagious….
Ceci looked SUPER shakey out there….no Nurse to protect him, lack of confidence from the demotion….bring on Stetcher for game 5 plz.
Ceci was a tire fire….i am starting to lean a bit towards Godot that he is playing a Large role in harming Nurse.
Because Ceci literally boat anchored Kulak tonight.
When we win, you get to cheer for a moment. It’s okay, it’s allowed
I don’t see them putting in a 5’10/184 d-man in these playoffs without injury. Broberg, not Stecher, was being contemplated as the extra D in for tonight.
I was guessing that was because it is a LHD that is somewhat injured.
Clutch. What a shot!
Should have won this one walking away
But still much relief
no easy games come on respect the opponent
Should they have?
Is it reasonable to expect one of the remaining 8 teams not provide real pushback?
Wooooow!
Evan Bouchard is a gorddamn BEAUTY!
Wow, this series really shows why Bouchard was nominated for the Norris over Hughes… oh wait… that’s weird…
Great comment!
Truth be told, Hughes was unreal in the 3rd period – scared the crap out of me.
Draisaitl 10 points in 4 games, absolute all time legend.
whew
I think Leon was trying to bank that shot off the goalie/defender from behind the net and it made it’s way out to Bouchard
No. It was a pass all the way. He saw the play.
Ya that was all pass. I don’t think Bouch even put his head down at any point during that sequence. Just an amazing player that is only getting better.