I believe the Edmonton Oilers will win the Stanley Cup later this month. Despite not (yet) establishing their game in this series, despite injuries piling up and some truly baffling calls by the officials, I remain convinced this is their time.
What does that mean? Not much. It’s just one man’s opinion. I do believe that this Oilers team entered the series as a 50-50 bet with the difference makers (Glimmer Twins) a substantial advantage. I still believe this to be true.
This is a most frustrating series for Oilers fans. The team you’ve seen all year remains on the tarmac, waiting for takeoff. I do not believe this will be the case for much longer, as it’s my opinion the reasons for the 0-2 game state has more to do with what the Oilers aren’t doing than anything the Florida Panthers are executing in this series.
The Oilers have one goal in this series, and it shouldn’t have gone in the net. I refuse to believe this is the entirety of the offense. Posts and crossbars don’t count, and this team has so much more to give. No matter how this series turns out, the SCF final defines a team and the individuals involved.
I’m never going to bet against Connor McDavid. He has an expected goals share of 55 percent at five-on-five in this series, and is 0-1 goals in the discipline. I know small sample sizes can skew in wayward directions, but feel confident that levee will break back in Edmonton and he’ll find a way. McDavid scored the defining goal of this playoff run in the clinching game against the Dallas Stars, and I believe he will have a similar impact in this series.
There are concerns. Injuries are taking their toll, one suspects Darnell Nurse, Evander Kane and possibly others will not make the lineup for Game 3. We’ll see. Much attention on Nurse’s plus-minus this playoff run (it is 9-23 for the entire spring) but the Oilers will miss him if he can’t make it back. Evander Kane played last night, but wasn’t enough of a factor and could sit for the next game.
I’m also wondering about the power play. It badly needs a fix and pronto. Edmonton’s power plays have been a net negative in this series. That is perhaps the most shocking thing of all.
Finally, I do think Edmonton needs to cut down on penalties. We can argue on the Foegele call (it shouldn’t have been a major) and the Panthers haven’t been called on some (Bennett, puck over glass) that were obvious, but the Evan Bouchard penalty didn’t need to happen. Bouchard is playing too much, but playing smart shouldn’t take a holiday no matter how many minutes a player is on the ice.
If you’re angry at the goalie or the defense or the forwards, I don’t have anything for you today. I feel no rage. I feel anticipation. At the beginning of the series, I thought the break between games 2 and 3 would be a waste of time. Now, I think it might be exactly what is needed for these Edmonton Oilers.
You gotta believe. These Oilers are far better than they’ve shown on the big stage. I expect a different team for Game 3.
We’ll be live at noon today, Sports 1440, with your comments and insight into last night’s game and the series overall. Daniel Nugent-Bowman at The Athletic will join me to discuss the Florida games and what may come. We might have some news about hearings by then, I believe injuries may also be part of the conversation. . 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?
The Zapruder tape on the Foegele hit.
https://x.com/L_Fairy77/status/1800660544070042111
Is there one of the Draisaitl hit too? From the one angle, the hit looked worse than it was (giving impression Leon only connected with Barkov’s jaw). I’m pretty sure Leon hit Barkov’s right shoulder *first* (from that same camera angle, the number 16 moves on Barkov’s right shoulder before Barkov’s head moves).
(I haven’t kept up with the comments today, so good chance this point has already been raised)
!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow, from what I’m seeing, this is damning on the Panthers. Luostarinen’s leg moves a bit awkwardly but basically makes no contact with Foegele.
When coach did his media avail today he said he hadn’t met with the medical staff yet on Nurse (he was doing so in 15 minutes) so we won’t know anything until tomorrow (if even).
I think we can all agree this team has a much better chance of winning Stanley with Nurse in the lineup at the top of game.
Of course, he hasn’t been near that level this playoffs but losing him from the lineup completely would be a devastating blow.
Given the hit didn’t seem to be much, I think it enraged a hip issue he had been playing through which provides some reason for why he was at the level he was – so far below his established levels and, to me, the worst hockey of his established career.
Nurse thinking with his hips again?
Nurse’s biggest issue has always been between his ears. Other than the standard banging on the body that every player has by this point in the playoffs there has been no indication that he’s been injured before last game.
His hips don’t lie?
(I’ll see myself out)
I think we can all agree that dealing with a physical ailment can lead to mistakes not normally made that aren’t specifically related to the ailment itself. A d-man with his mobility limited can often alter his game to try and cover for the physicial limitations.
I had speculated before that Nurse was injured and his skating didn’t seem to be where it normally is.
There was such a gap between his recent play and his established levels that is definitely possible/probably there was something going on beyond the norm.
There’s no evidence that Nurse has been playing injured. Just unsupported speculation on your part
I provided my circumstantial evidence and, yes, its speculation -we speculate alot on this platform.
Nurse played in the 2022 playoffs with a torn hip flexor. It’s also possible he was hurt as the result of an old injury instead of aggravating a current one.
Nurse’s issue was Ceci, and a lousy PDO without Ceci.
And some questionable decisions at times. The items you mentioned are factors, but Nurse is not just a bystander. He has a hand in some GA too. Multiple things can br true.
No doubt. It can’t always be someone else’s fault, no matter how many times Godot posts it. As you said, “Nurse is not just a bystander.”
Barkov slashes are a big topic on Twitter.
One thing I will say from a cursory review of his vs. the one called on Bouchard is that Barkov is far more deceptive.
He has impeccable slashing technique with the quick on/off.
Bouchard slashed the gloves and kept is stick blade in proximity for too long.
Just like back in the day… if you couldn’t sell a goal that nobody quite knew was yours, you weren’t a goal scorer. Pretty sure that’s a clumsily paraphrased Luc Robatille quote.
These days you have to be elite at getting away with hooks/slashes/picks in order to negate opportunities by the opposition’s skill players.
Where you’ve got guys like Barkov who are stealthy with how they go about their obstructions, I just cannot comprehend how you have notorious rats like Marchand/Tkachuck or even Kucherov being overtly greasy and getting away with so many shenanigans in plain view.
If you want objective confirmation that the refs got it wrong by calling a 5 minute major without actually reviewing it (am I mis-rembering, but didn’t the same ‘lol we totally reviewed it’ happen on the Talbot pad pull, or was it a different call in that same series?), Foegele not getting anything for a 5 for which he was ejected while Carrick getting a fine speaks volumes.
I do think the refs tend to get pissy when teams pull one over on them, so I won’t be shocked if any bias is in our favour on Thursday. That said, Maurice has pulled this off for way too many games to expect that outcome.
The review of the Talbot pad pull — on a tying goal with 15 seconds left in Game 5 — lasted about 15 seconds. The refs looked for one thing “did Nurse push Kesler in?” without spending a millisecond pondering “why was Kesler in there for 4 seconds & what did he do while there?” It made an absolute mockery of all those 7 minute reviews in 6-1 games vs CBJ in November to determine if a guy was a millimetre offside 40 seconds before the goal was scored, proving that when shit gets real in a big situation the league can’t seem to handle ithe heat.
That call remains a travesty, & puts the lie to the ”we need to get it right” rationale that was supposedly the impetus for the video review movement in the first place.
the review on the Foegele collision was even shorter. But hey, how much can a 5 minute powerplay and an ejection have on a game in the Stanley Cup Finals? If it had been Arizona in February, no doubt it would have gotten 4 or 5 minutes of repeated scrutiny.
Got em right where we want them. The dreaded 2-0 lead. Lets go boys!
The general theme of this forum over the years has been academic-ish hockey coverage. The Youtube channel “Hockey Psychology” does a pretty good job of that. Super detail-oriented, but a little less focused on advanced stats.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3-XTTlGQ7o
I have found some of the tactics breakdown videos pretty great! Well done content overall.
A little attitude is in order for today.
Screw Barvok. And who gives a rats ass over the collection of Pathers knees and nuts. Screw those guys.
Oilers will need a game plan and a battle plan. Game plan to break the forecheck, and patience. Patience to play fast and smart, but don’t throw yourself in the rocks trying to make a play. Patience, smarts.
Battle plan not to be the toughest but to work the hardest. That’s is where Pathers are winning. The little battles. Then their good but not great players are getting those shots.
The Oilers are capable of busting the Panthers, and wins will come.
I’ll repeat for the daytime crowd – watch the replay – Foegele kicked the puck.
And frankly, I was a fan of the Carrick pitchfork. Well worth it. BS play by Kulikov.
Is it just me or are the camera angles, in general, just bad? Like the Bennet hit on Broberg, there’s one angle and it’s quite poor.
They are rather selective.
How long did it take to get the angle of Bennett’s sucker on Marchand?
I paused the live feed and watched it probably a dozen times from the game angle.
It looked to me like Bouchard got his stick on puck at the moment just before impact, leaving nobody with time to react or redirect.
I’m excited for game 3. Oilers have had an 8-game winning streak this season, and a 16-game winning streak. It’s about time for their 32-game winning streak to show up. If that’s too much to ask, I’d settle for a 4-game winning streak, beginning Thursday.
2^n, you been doin’ FFTs or something?
It’s math man. Just math. This forum is about believers in the math.
FFT = fast Fourier transform. The “fast” comes from patterns that only occur in datasets of length 2^n.
As a purist, you probably only do FT with a pencil as an integral.
Some things to ponder regarding the reffing decisions last night and possible suspension. I don’t have the answers and can’t predict the future.
Regarding the missed delay of game – is it where it is contacted first or last? You’d need video review to have a definitive answer on this for next year. But seeing as there was no viedo review last night and there is very little chance the linesman can see where the puck was when it left Stenlunds stick in real time it is a blown call.
Trouba didn’t get a suspension on Rodrigues in the ECF because his elbow grazed the shoulder before connecting with the head. Maybe 29’s forearm grazed the chest of Barkov before making contact with the head? Maybe his foot hadn’t quite left the ice before making contact? I don’t really know. But these could be part of the decision and the status of Barkov regarding suspension.
Foegele stayed his course and his knee never veered outwards to get a piece of Etu. Etu got out of the trolly tracks with his upper body. Foegele’s knee definitely made contact with a part of Etu’s lower body (quad) first. I don’t know if that would have been the case had Etu not bailed out of the way. Probably why it shouldn’t have been a 5 and just simply been a 2min kneeing or trip.
No suspension are coming.
Carrick got a, deserved, fine and that’s it.
Definitely deserved that for the nut cracker manouver
I guess Carrick isn’t Tkachuk. He’s allowed to do it, especially when the other player is on a breakaway.
I think Draisaitl hit Barkov’s right shoulder slightly *before* connecting with Barkov’s jaw. In any case, there’s no doubt Draisaitl hit Barkov on both right and left, which should mean head was not principal point of contact. To my eyes anyway.
https://x.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1800605577518686441
NHL Player Safety
@NHLPlayerSafety
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52m
This ‘supplementary discipline’ commotion caught me by surprise a bit today, was that not just a hit? Borderline 2 mins.
Panthers are rolling around like Euro 24 has already started.
It seemed to me that when Luostainen hit the ice he went all limp-legged as if he was unconscious. Foegele gets 5 and a game, sure, seems reasonable given the corpse lying right there.
I noticed a couple of other Panthers posing on the ice like that too, after a hit. Maybe it’s something they work on in practice.
To then miraculously get back into the game a couple of minutes later is a great example of unsportsmanlike conduct.
I really hated Bennett’s head shot on Broberg in the third period too.
But with that said, the Oilers need to engage the recombobulator, pronto. The Panthers play the pressure game better than the Canucks did, and the Oil barely survived that series.
Down 2-0 with Florida earning (sort of) 2 Power Wins.
Total Goals – 7-1 FLA.
5v5 Goals – 4-0 FLA.
4v4 Goals – 1-0 EDM.
PP Goals – 1-0 FLA
PP Opportunities 8-7 FLA (with a long one in there).
I’m enjoying the ride, even this bumpy spot with sharp turns and some wicked downhills.
Don’t know how anyone can look at those numbers and think we can win this series. Unfortunate that the offence dried up at this point in the season…
Given enough time, Oilers break every goalie. We have seen the yo-yo of the playoffs. Lets go win our home games. Chin up!
Clearly we need to spend more time playing 4×4!
IMO, last night’s outcome was determined by tired players. We played out top pair too much (not that we had much choice) and the brain-fart/60 went up to unmanageable levels. No blame on the players or the coach from me today and dress the healthiest 12/6 for Thursday.
I have to question if the glimmer twins are 100%. McDavid isn’t shooting the puck and Draisaitl’s attempts have been more spray and pray rather than precise shots. If they can’t find clean air (my goodness do these Panthers have their sticks in the right place 100% of the damn time), we could be in trouble.
Can’t be worried in a seven-game series until you lose at home. Keep the faith up everyone.
I think we know Drai is far less than 100% and has been for a while.
I remain convinced McDavid has been dealing with a hand/wrist issue most of the season
Drai has 4 points, 2 5v5, since the beginning of the Dallas series.
Kane 1-6 in goals for/against since the beginning of the Dallas series. He needs to sit.
How many different wingers has Draisaitl had since the start of the Dallas series? How many times has his line been broken up to McDrai since the start of the Dallas series?
His role has been to break even with the a rotating set of wingers that are playing the worst at any point in time, so that the fab 5 can stay together, and the bottom six is functional.
Who’s the blame for the PP? Drai’s wingers aren’t on the PP so who gets the blame for 2 PP points since the beginning of the Dallas series?
I was just about to make a post that “if anyone should be suspended” after last night it’s Sam Carrick – as it turns out he has been fined and Friedman is reporting there will be no other supplementary discipline from last night.
Somewhat of a no-brainer all around, for me.
Luostarinen should be suspended for a game
Retroactive predictions. Is this my wife?
I’m telling her you said that.
She already knows….
Haha. This made me laugh. Good stuff.
You sure don’t like Carrick it should of been a penalty on the Panther for the high hit. Carrick gave him a love tap. We need more of our players defending themselves are else Malone, Erne, Gagner and Lavoie will be inserted because of all the injuries incurred from the dirty Panthers. Go back and watch the nasty headshot Broberg received from Bennett and get back to me about suspensions.
Carrick has far exceeded my expectation in the playoffs and I understand him playing over Ryan in certain games.
Your back to attaching opinions to others and its a very very lame attribute.
People think i love Foegele and I’m one that thinks he deserved 5.
That was a dirty play by Carrick in my opinon.
Carrick was taking cheap shots all game he gives a little back and you want him suspended. Why?
Where did I type that I want him suspended? My goodness, what is with you with constantly changing the intent of the words of a post?
per Elliott and 32 thoughts this morning, the sale of Capfriendly to the WSH Capitals is on track to complete on July 5 and the site will go dark after that date
– more thoughts on the sale on the podcast, a recommended listen
Okay enough bitching about the officials. Just need to win 2 in a row. A reminder, the Canucks won the regular season series 4-0. Now Florida has a 4-0 season + playoff record against the Oil. We have them right where we want them.
Oilers need to fight fire with fire. It’s the Stanley Cup. If this is the precendent set by the league and its officials, anything questionable should require a stretcher to come out and it’s fine to be back for the next shift a la Luostarinen. If the NHL was serious about removing the diving and acting from the game, Luostarinen would be suspended for a game and the team heavily fined. But Florida knows the league doesn’t care, they got what they wanted and were ballsy enough to trot Luostarinen back onto the ice in less time than he laid dead like a fish on the ice.
In CFL, if a trainer has to come out, the player has to miss at least three plays. In terms of player safety, I would argue if a trainer has to come out on the ice, or a player needs assistance leaving the ice surface other than for an equipment reason like a broken skate, he should miss the rest of the period or a minimum of five minutes game time before returning.
Doesn’t really make a difference. Nobodys quaking in their boots if Lusto is out for a period. Itd be like the backup kicker doing that.
The puck left his stick while in the neutral zone, but the motion began on the other side of the blue line. NHL Rulebook 63.2.iii says, “On any player who shoots or bats (using his hand or his stick) the puck directly (non-deflected) out of the playing surface from his defending zone, except where there is no glass. The determining factor shall be the position of the puck when it was shot or batted by the offending player. If contact with the puck occurs while the puck is inside the defending zone, and subsequently goes out of play, the minor penalty shall be assessed. ”
This was an egregious missed call which should have been a 5 on 3 for almost a full two minutes. That type of missed call, along with the major to Foegele / minor to Bennett on the exact same trip leading with the leg should be viewed by the league as nothing other than a catastrophe. Sure, the Oil still could have lost that game, but these are two huge moments where the officials made themselves main character and it drastically altered the game, and it doesn’t even begin to address the non-call to 29 which turned into a minor after Barkov went down.
You and Ron Maclean are interpreting it wrong. It is not the point of first contact, but the point of last contact.
The puck was still on the Panthers stick (in contact with the Panthers’s stick) after it exited the zone.
Maclean and you are misinterpreting the rule The former NHL referee on ESPN had it right. Maclean had it wrong. He should quit pretending to be a referee, and Sportsnet should hire a real former official.
Why is it that seemingly new interpretations of the rules always occur against the Oilers? Up until last night, I would have sworn that this type of play was a delay of game call.
“…If contact with the puck occurs…” The term “contact” is the first touch of the puck. The former NHL referee on ESPN is an NHL shill. Whatever call was made, he was going to defend it.
According to your interpretation, if a player skates out of the zone all the way to the opposite goal and then shoots it over the glass it’s a penalty as long as his stick doesn’t break contact with the puck. Obviously that can’t be the case, so it MUST be that it doesn’t matter where *first* contact is made, only *last* contact.
The clause Ron and Pinky are referencing applies to the situation where the player is in the centre ice zone and the puck is still in the D zone
The sentence before that applies to the situation last night. The puck was out of the zone at final contact. It was close. Arguably inconclusive. The video suggests the referees made the right call.
Sounds like Cale Makar again. Who would have thought that Oilers fans would get to witness a changing of rule interpretation twice in the space of 3 years.
— suspect that 80% + of Stanley Cup finals where home team wins the first two win the Cup.
— Of course they didn’t have McDrai
— Oil “are in trouble”. But not real trouble untill/if they lose a game at home.
*Edit : 48-5 so 90% of time. *. Pre-McDrai era though !!’
The Panthers learned how to play the Refs after reaching the final last year. Its Soccer Bouchard stays down Bennett gets a major Broberg stays down Bennett gets a major. If Leon flops and gets helped off the ice and is day to day Pietrangelo recieves at least 2 games maybe more. The Refs can decide a game Oilers aren’t very good actors unlike Maurice teams. Remember Stanley flopping like a fish after a man half his size in Archibald supposedly laid him out.
Scoring by period in the playoffs:
1st — EDM 24 OPP 14 = +10
2nd — EDM 26 OPP 16 = +10
3rd — EDM 12 OPP 23 = -11
OT — EDM 2 OPP 1 = +1
One of these things is not like the others.
In recent times the third periods have gone from meh to disastrous: 1 for, 13 against in the last 9 games. The 1 GF was Ekholm’s 176-foot empty netter. 4 of the GA were also ENG, making it 0-9 in real goals over 9 third periods, that’s the equivalent of back to back to back shutouts.
i get that some of it was score effects.
G7 at VAN: 3-0 lead —-> 3-2 win
G1 at DAL: 2-1 lead —-> 3-2 win in 2OT
G5 at DAL: 3-0 lead —-> 3-1 win
G6 vs DAL: 2-0 lead —> 2-1 win
but there is also this:
G5 at VAN: 2-2 tie —-> 3-2 loss
G2 at DAL: 1-1 tie —-> 3-1 loss
G3 vs DAL: 3-3 tie —-> 5-3 loss
G2 at FLA: 1-1 tie —> 4-1 loss
Hard to explain the consistent thord period colapse at both ends of the sheet, other than maybe stars being tired towards the end of another 23+ minute night. Theories welcome.
Yes, I suspect all of the McDavid Unit are playing hurt and playing 30 minutes per game.
Bouchard’s mistake looked exactly like what I’d expect a tired brain to do by reflex under pressure.
I’d pull back Ek-Bouch by 5-6 minutes if possible. Run Broberg-Ceci? Kulak-Desh?
Get injured guys like Kane and Nurse off, bring in Carrick and Ryan, roll 4 lines and 3 D pair.
I think the lack of a reliable second pair is a partial culprit. The 2nd and 3rd pair get worn down especially when the other teams are pressing.
As a way to broaden the sample size, it’d be interesting to see how this stacks up against the regular season. Perhaps controlled against playoff teams.
Third period was their best all season.
not controlled for playoff teams.
So, one would expect the numbers to be less flattering when controlling for their peers before the coaching change, but not everything. Still. How does that jive?
Adjustments by the opposition, fatigue, or lack of adaptation by the coaching staff?
Or, worse, faltering response to the pressure of the occasion?
Refs go by result. All the player has to do is roll around until they call the play despite the attacking team having zone time, or leave for the locker room for 1 shift then come back to get an extra 3 minutes of PP time.
Rife for abuse. End result shouldn’t matter in-game. Call the penalty normally.
Sometimes I hate how thin the margins are in this silly sport. Hyman had a similar chance as Rodrigues in the first minute of game 1 that hit Bob’s helmet. Rodrigues buries his chance off of Bouchard’s turnover in a similar spot. Can’t help but think maybe this series goes differently if Hyman pots one off Bob’s misplay…
That shot tipped off Ekholm’s stick, past McLeod’s block attempt aka screen & wound up an inch inside the post.
Seems like there are 3 goals scored per game & 2 of them are puck luck. Makes the entire sport frustratingly random.
Nailed it. It’s been said, the most random of major sports, and thus the most difficult to predict.
https://www.vox.com/videos/2017/6/5/15740632/luck-skill-sports
Not worried at all. Boys are just setting the stage for winning it all in a game 6 OT win on home ice.
My 5yr old daughter gets to stay up late and colour her colouring book next to me during games. She’s getting less interested because it’s just too much sadness. For a kid that does everything she can to stay up late, she went to bed early last night on her own volition.
If anyone thinks Gagner can handle the level of play in this series, they’re dreaming. This final is far too fast and heavy for Gags. I love him, but he would get eaten alive. I might think Erne could keep up but he hasn’t played in the NHL in quite some time. Foegle and Ryan in. That’s all you can do. Nurse our, Ceci in. These are the NHL players.
Kane is a net negative right now, imo. He’s too hobbled to be able to get into position to lay body. At best, he can facepunch. That’s not a formula for success. Get Foegle back in and I think Leon needs better wingers. I’d move Nuge and McLeod to him and pop Holloway on McD’s line. I know that top line is fire but the second line isn’t playing well because there just isn’t enough to pass to. OR Don’t change a thing allow the lines to get comfortable together. Who knows? I’m no NHL coach.
Also, goodness do the Panthers lie on the ice for a long time. And then they don’t miss a shift. It’s truly hilarious that it keeps working on the referees. They got the calls. All this, while simultaneously that dirty run on Bouchard by Bennet happens, McD getting hacked all the way up his breakaway, missing the delay of game call: none of this is surprising. It’s not even surprising that it’s all in one direction. I’m used to it.
If this is a game of inches and the margins are truly as razor thin as they say, shouldn’t referee errors be considered significant? There’s constant apology of “well they aren’t scoring on the PP anyway” but that’s not worth a breath. The Oilers PP is still dangerous and the referees making the correct calls provides both teams consistency and a clear view of where the line is. I still faily to understand the Leon penalty last night: there was no delayed call. It wasn’t an elbow, it wasn’t even a dangerous looking hit. You couldn’t even call it a reputation call. It’s Barkov lying on the ice.
Oilers are very disoriented right now. That’s the Maurice effect, perhaps. He somehow has his team look organized in a completely chaotic game. The Oilers looked like garbage last night though hey looked great in game 1 in the first 2 periods. They’re chasing games like they did early in the season. Seems like a shame to come undone like this now but I have to remind myself these are young men in their 20s. They’re far more stoic and resilient than I or anyone I know are.
I don’t have your confidence LT. But I will not miss a single second of my team playing in a SCF. I’ve got very very low expectations though. GOilers.
Maurice did this with the Jets. He’s a shithousing master and he has an extremely skilled team, which makes it even worse.
Agree with you until this bit. I watched the ABC broadcast, and they showed an angle where the puck left his stick while in the neutral zone. Not sure what they showed on the SN feed but that wasn’t a missed delay of game call.
The puck left his stick while in the neutral zone, but the motion began on the other side of the blue line. NHL Rulebook 63.2.iii says, “On any player who shoots or bats (using his hand or his stick) the puck directly (non-deflected) out of the playing surface from his defending zone, except where there is no glass. The determining factor shall be the position of the puck when it was shot or batted by the offending player. If contact with the puck occurs while the puck is inside the defending zone, and subsequently goes out of play, the minor penalty shall be assessed. ”
It was an egregious missed call.
Stop blaming the refs. Gamesmanship has always been an important formula in winning a Cup. The Panthers are good at it. The Oilers should learn and adapt.
Learning to cheat (aka “gamesmanship”) cheapens the sport. If you disagree, please tell me how much you wish Matt Tkachuk and Sam Bennet were on your team.
Tikkanen was one of my favourite players growing up.
I’d absolutely love to have a bonafide rat like Marchand on our team. Wished we’d traded for Bennett when he left the fLames; and wanted Turtle over JP in the 2016 draft.
David Perron will always be a favourite.
You can’t scarcely replace players of this ilk. They’re as crucial as they are rare.
Actually LT, playing smart hockey does take a holiday when you are tired. The brain is the first thing to go when you are sucking wind.
But I don’t think that was the issue on the Bouchard turnover. He just tried to make something out of nothing, instead of just making the hard clear. That is the bad side of Bouchard. Fortunately the good side is spectacular.
I don’t know…the only times I’ve seen a penalty missed and then later called, is twice these playoffs against the oilers. But when they miss an over the glass call, they have a scrum and don’t give the penalty. If it was the oilers firing it over the glass , it’s a penalty for sure.
Kneeing is a 5 for Edmonton and 2 for Florida.
The only time the last two minute instigator wasn’t rescinded was last playoff against Nurse and Pietrangelo gets off easy with a murder swing.
Many more examples.
The Oilers likely already win a cup had they moved to Houston years ago. Bullshit league.
Yes, this calling 2minute penalties after the play has come and gone is a strange add… there are so many missed calls in game and then they do that why? because the player was down? I dont know.
Incompetence, pure and simple.
The Kesler pull on Dadbot’s legs. That’s the most egregious.
Perry interfereing with Talbot’s glove in game 3.. I think it was? Oilers were up 2-0 in the series at that point. We should never discount the effect refereeing has on a series.
Yeah, after I heard “what do I tell Corey?”, I knew there was no hope of competent reffing.
I meant to include that. Thanks!
Ron Maclean should stop playing a referee analyst on TV since the concensus today is that he was spouting fake analysis on the air last night, unlike the retired NHL official on ESPN last night.
Sure, you’re probably right there but that doesn’t change my view on the whole.
Leon has always needed someone on his line that thinks the game like him. And right now the best may be Gagner. Beyond the emotional part of him playing, i really feel he would add something at 5v5 for Draisatl. He wouldn’t bring less the Kane physically (you know he would be shot out of a cannon), and he would add some offensive punch to that line.
Nuge-McDavid-Hyman
Holloway-Draisatl-Gagner
McLeod-Henrique-Perry
Janmark-Ryan-Brown
Change it up. dd Perry to give you that grind. Add Ryan to play more responsibly. Add Ganer to give Leon an offensive mind.
Definitely slower, but Floriada is not fast compared to the Oil. you can have Foegele instead of Perry, but I would love to see Gagner go if Kane can’t.
I would love to see gagner in but I doubt that Kane doesn’t play. He has got to be hurting though, it has been a long haul with that style of injury.
He isn’t practicing and we know it’s a sports hernia. We unfortunately need Crazy Playoff Kane and his body won’t let him do it.
Kane has zero shot ATTEMPTS so far in the finals.
I fail to see how Gagner is less effective than Kane is right now. He can’t get to the play, can’t handle a pass, can’t move the puck. Why even play him if he looks like this?? Fresh bodies please.
Perry and Kane both look finished(yes I know Kane is hurt) . Unfortunetly, there is no one with speed coming to the rescue. Oilers are in deep trouble now. If 97, 29, and 2 are anything less than all-world, the series is over.
Other than that….he has bee pretty good. ( sarcasm)
Last game – was not even aware he was playing at points.
Dear Oilers
It has been a while since I wrote you a letter. You must be busy – planning your weddings, Dad Bouch teaching Baby Nuge to shave, pictures with the Premier, etc.
I’m unsure if you know, but you are in the Stanley Cup Finals – I am certain I have seen you on TV. Congratulations! The Oiler family is proud of your accomplishments.
Now, don’t be like Uncle Ned – always complaining about how he did not make it to the NHL because of a bad coach. I told you before, that those Florida teams are nasty and the referees do not like you. But this is not the time to be like Aunt Martha who got her hair tinted blue.
You make the family proud, okay.
Love,
the Family
Ps. Remember to call Gran. You have not spoken to her in a while and her planter wart is acting up again.
I’m leaning pretty hard on the “it’s not a series until someone loses at home” adage right now lol. But honestly, I’m excited for Thursday. Lot of fan bases would love to be watching 97, 29, 2, 14, 18, 93, etc. play for their team in the Stanley Cup final.
It’s been 18 years, and tomorrow is promised to no one. Sure it would be disappointing if they get swept, and then the band splits up. But it’s a game played for enjoyment, if you can’t enjoy your team in the Stanley Cup final then you might be setting the bar a bit high. Just my opinion, everyone can fan however they like.
(Yes, I was screaming at the TV and will be again Thursday if they refuse to shoot on the PP, but I’m also trying to keep it in perspective!)
All they have to do now is win a couple home games starting with the first one.
This place is going whack-a-doodle with calls for Gagner, Erne and Brad Malone to be inserted.
lol right? I think the Oilers will lose in 5. But that doesn’t mean they should give up.
Gagner fully healthy is a better bet than Kane or Perry at this point. They’re bringing nothing and can’t even get into the fray.
Incredibly disappointing game by the Oilers last night. They played like the spent to much time in the sun on Sunday. Consistently the 2nd to the puck, lost most of the puck battles and had so much trouble getting the puck out of their Dzone, let alone under control. xGF% at 5v5 a woeful 37%, only 10.5% in the 2nd period.
Bouchard’s play on the GWG was horrible. He just passed it right back to the Panther. Of course he didn’t do it on purpose, but that just can’t happen.
As bad as the Oilers were, the reffing was even worse. That is one of the worst reffed games that I recall, comically bad. Contrary to OPs rants last night, the call on Foegele was terrible. He didn’t stick his knee out to the side, nor was it knee-on-knee contact. It was to the thigh and the refs bought into the embellishment of the Panther, much like Tkachuk’s whiplash from the barely-there tap from Bouchard. How the refs can’t see this is beyond me. Maybe they don’t actually watch, or rematch, any of the games. And how do they not call what is supposed to be an automatic over the glass penalty.
I will believe Barkov is actually hurt when he ends up in concussion protocol. Otherwise, it’s simply gamesmanship acting.
Couldn’t have said it any better… This all about gaining advantages no matter how
We all know Barkov is fine. He plays game 3 without a face shield and again limits our top line to 0 5v5 goals.
I understand the logic as to why we don’t embellish some hits, but why cant the oilers just sell some calls. For instance, if Broberg stayed down from Bennett’s head hunting, I bet he would of gotten 5 and a game.
Bring in Gagner, at least give us that.
Ryan has more to offer than Samwise.
I was thinking more of inspiring the team, I agree Ryan would be more impactful from a hockey POV.
Ah yes, we have reached the bargaining side of the process. A player whose last point in the NHL came against Calgary on Jan. 20 is going to be a difference maker.
The fear after Game 1, like in Vancouver, was that the Oilers wasted a golden opportunity.
Not only did they play extremely well, the Panthers played poorly and Bobrovsky had to be insane. So the fear for Game 2 was that the Panthers would play better.
Panthers have the far better goalie, the PP is insanely bad right now, and there are too many injuries.
Coupled with Knoblauch overplaying the McDavid Unit. Yes I know Nurse couldn’t play and Foegele was ejected but that 5 man unit can’t play 30 minutes every game.
I’m not actually convinced that the Oilers will even win a game. Maurice knows that the NHL won’t call everything, he did it with the Jets and he’s doing it again. And the Panthers are a much better team than the Jets were.
You can hear Maurice calling out on the bench when KK will load up McDrai….
The Oilers have been making it easy for Bobro, they need someone on the other side of the net as a passing option to keep him guessing.
Standing by the wall could mean backs against the wall or getting ready to be executed by a firing squad. I like the first take better.
Game 2 was The Hunger Games Catching Fire, when the gamesmakers spun the “clock”.
Barkov’s health, Nurse’s health, Kane’s health, Draisaitl’s health (he went to the dressing room at least once) and/or potential fine/suspension, Bouchard under pressure.
Volality/variance just spiked.
It is 2-0, but the series has been reset with new parameters.
Bouch was being saddled with too much ice time because Nurse was unavailable. Next game Ceci will be back rested and ready for action. They won’t be any worse for wear with Nurse out of the line up.
In general, I don’t buy into conspiracy theories. That includes the speculation that Bettman’s refs specifically target Canadian teams, and i think we’ll see a decision today that helps to debunk that.
Imo Leon targeting Barkov’s head is a minimum 1 game suspension in the regular season. I think Leon will get a pass from the league policeman today.
The real question is do they wait to hear if Barkov is ok for game 3 before deciding Leon’s fate?
The miss on the two K-o-K hits by Panthers players vs Edmonton (if you take Ekman-Larsson and Bennett out of the game at 1-0, then you have a very different game, vs. us losing Foegele), plus the hesitance to call the Delay of Game, plus so many other misses, already provide enough. I don’t have to wait for the Draisaitl decision. It would remind me of the Nurse matching suspension last year.
The over the glass miss that would have given them a 5 on 3 was the one clear miss that stood out for me.
I think it’s nearly impossible for hockey fans to sufficiently eliminate team bias to fairly appraise the reffing. This is why complaining about the reffing has been a thing forever.
The American broadcast, featuring official Dave Jackson said that it isn’t where the puck is struck, it’s where it leaves the stick. If that’s the case, then it was outside the zone. The replay showed the puck on the stick blade until it went over the line and then it went out.
I’d be more concerned with the Oilers passing up shooting opportunities repeatedly and looking disinterested in adjusting breakouts than the officiating. Draisaitl and Bouchard were terrible last game. If those guys aren’t bringing it, the series is already over.
its a bit grey.. unless i have the wrong part..
-The determining factor shall be the position of the puck when it was shot or batted by the offending player. If contact with the puck occurs while the puck is inside the defending zone, and subsequently goes out of play, the minor penalty shall be assessed. When the puck is shot over the glass ‘behind’ the players’ bench, the penalty will be assessed;
Not saying Luostainen wasn’t in pain after the Foegle knee, but perhaps it’s time for the good guys to start writhing around after the hits. It seems to effect the referee decision making process.
Completely disagree. There is no way Drai gets a one game suspension in the regular season for that hit.
Left his feet. Targeted the head with an elbow. Barkov did not lean or turn into the hit.
Barkov was leaning over come on. It was a head shot but not a Trouba
Oh please, Barkov was most certainly leaning over. And it wasn’t an elbow; it was a forearm. And a forearm far less egregious than Trouba’s forearm.
It doesn’t matter if he’s leaning over. It matters if he presents as a stationary target whose head can be avoided. Barkov didn’t turn or lean into the hit. Leon targets, leaves his feet and contacts Barkov directly on the jaw..
Leon is my favourite player but i’m still capable of recognizing a head shot when i see it.
And again, I think he’ll get away with it because…playoffs.
Not a suspension at all whatsoever… anytime
Ok, I will relent a little…. at most he could of gotten a 5 for elbowing… not sure why he didn’t, probably because they already tossed foeg on a garbage call. maybe.. or because it was a star player.. not sure…
Well done. This has become my favourite thing on the internet. A strong declarative statement as proof of….nothing.
The sky is green! Climate change is a hoax! Lizard people live among us!
Why are these things true? Because I say they are!!
What did you prove?
NHL refereeing is far from consistent and plays don’t get called by the so called proof you just put down…I just asked the Lizard man I saw at work in the hall. He said so.
Conehead alert!
If the league can take an inch, they’ll take a mile. So don’t give them an inch and everything will be ok.
I don’t know how Drai gets suspended when Bennett got away with a blindside punch that ended Marchand’s season.
If Bennett did that exact same hit to McDavid, what would you say?
I’d want him suspended, but that doesn’t mean he should be suspended. And it certainly would mean he would be suspended.
Give your head a shake.
It’s not even a penalty, never mind a suspension.
Quit buying into the shit cats gamesmanship.
Barkov is absolutely fine and will be just fine in the next game.
This isn’t the Oprah Winfrey show.
That’s pretty cool. If i listen close while i’m reading this post, i can actually hear you breathing through your mouth.
I don’t think it was suspension worthy in the playoffs but are you being honest when saying it isn’t even a penalty? He did leave his feet and he did contact the head.
Not quite sure how you know that Barkov is absolutely fine – seems a bit dishonest to state that as even speculation let alone fact, no?
It is time to open things up, get the stretch passes going, attack the middle with speed and shoot high. Track meet hockey. Don’t be afraid of a couple GA. You don’t need to play perfect hockey to win.
This goes against a coach’s instincts in the SC, but it is the way.
FLA cannot keep up in that sort of game. No chance. Play the game they can’t win.
Maurice is 6-0 against the Oilers in the playoffs.
Florida is two years into playing this way. They knocked out one of the best regular season teams in NHL history last year in Boston.
If Barkov cannot come back, it creates an opportunity. But the Oilers may have greater injury attrition.
This.
Every time McDrai are loaded up- a smirk comes across Paul’s face.
Oh yes, they can they’ve played it all season long. They won’t change the way they play. It’s playoff hockey all season long.
I feel no rage but I am quickly losing faith that this series is winnable.
Injuries are piling up. Team looked out of gas last night.
Has there ever been a SC winner that went 3 games without a 5v5 goal? Or got fewer than 8 shots in a period with such frequency?
McJesus is going to need to turn water into wine for the rest of the series. Or at the very least I might start drinking more wine during the games.
It is definitely a slog out there. Tough to get through them. I feel if they can grab a couple on Bob then the confidence will return and things will just start to go in BUT the panthers will still create that slog to get through.. just need the crossbars and posts to be goals… Injuries are definitely a factor on both sides…. as they were for the panthers last year
The team is not out of gas, the fab 5 are out of gas. KK has to play his 18 skaters as a team, not leaving half on the bench to be cheerleaders.
9 Oiler forwards didn’t have a shot on goal. When was the last time the Oilers scored a goal in the third period. It’s all relevant.
My two take aways from the game:
1. Shoot the puck, cause chaos.
2. Seriously, shoot the puck. Particularly Boosh and Ekholm. It might be blocked 7, 8 or 9 times, but it takes a toll. They WILL start flinching and leaving gaps.
yeah, I hate telling pros how to do their job but they consistently seemed hesitant to shoot
It’s hard to see what they see due to the camera angle. Also, they may have been coached to wait until they are certain of getting the puck through with a screen. Or they don’t want a rebound coming back past them. But you have to be a threat to shoot. Or the D will cheat and win.
It’s especially frustrating when you see McDavid or Draisaitl boogie and get people open, and then have Nuge pass on an open net shot and curl back to then have to pass to Bouchard.
Nuge rang iron last night.
Yes, Simpson was pleading for this last night as well.
Evan Bouchard had 16 shot attempts in game one and 9 shot attempts last night.
I think he is shooting and, yup, getting most blocked at this point.
I remember when Lowetide seemed to have given up on the season with that horrible start. Glad to see he is still optimistic. As Han Solo famously said “never tell me the odds!”
We know the odds are against them winning the Cup, but they were also once strongly against them making the playoffs. Winning 4 of 5 during the SCF is more likely and far more exciting than what they already accomplished. Do yourselves a favour – keep cheering and keep enjoying the ride. The season is not over. With McDavid all things are possible.
Agree Lowetide, the Oil have more to give. The panthers are tremendous at playing Defense as a team and sticking to their program. The rats are doing their thing Chucky jr. def plays soccer in the offseason but is very effective. If the oil can break through with a few goals, I see them making some noise. Injuries are a factor on both sides gotta push through… Not having an effective Kane is really hurting us.
Now, the officiating was an embarrassment last night. I am not whining about losing a game because of it, that didn’t happen, it was just a joke on both sides of the puck.
When the officials are determined to become a major factor in the outcome of any game it becomes that. The are not even close to consistent and it begins with one bad call, then they try to make up for it with another bad call the other way and so on and so on…
I have a hard time watching a game that has that style of officiating. It was horrendous last night.
GO OIL!
So it’s just a flesh wound?
We’re in a tight spot!
https://youtu.be/tPImdMknAO4?si=hLNiuZC0fFRNfRCR
But there were some good things. I liked our ‘truculence’. We CAN win this.
Don’t panic.
One of the great things about this PP is its ability to adjust. I do think Gully and the boys will watch and talk about with the Panthers have been doing on the PP (which seems like early aggressive pressure on the puck possessor and then a collapse to the middle) and make tweaks and adjustments and set-plays to expose it – that’s what they do.
All the naysayers regarding Nurse-Ceci got their wish last night with both out of the lineup.
I’m glad Draisaitl broke Barkovs’ face, it’s really the only thing he did right all night, situational awareness was not there at all.
Time to bring up Brad Malone.
That’s the spirt.