The most important thing to do in this situation is not overreact. Unfortunately, that’s the “A” move after a game like last night. The Oilers are not at their best, and injuries to centermen are happening at a rapid clip. The power play can go to hell, and the penalty kill should probably join the power play.
The Oilers did very good things in the final 11 games of the regular season (37 goals minus 25 against) and the lines, pairings and goaltending were rock solid. Game 1 versus Anaheim was troubling at times (second period) but in the postseason wins are the only things that matter. Well, losses matter too.
OILERS FIVE-ON-FIVE GOAL SHARE (CENTERS)
- Leon Draisaitl 29 minutes, 4-2 goals
- Connor McDavid 28 minutes, 1-1 goals
- 97 and 29: 5 minutes, 0-0 goals
- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 14 minutes, 1-1 goals
- Jason DIckinson 10 minutes, 2-1 goals
- Josh Samanski 9 minutes, 1-0 goals
- Adam Henrique 3 minutes, 0-0 goals
- The rest: 6 minutes, 0-0 goals
All numbers five-on-five, through two games. The Draisaitl line (with Vasily Podkolzin and Kasperi Kapanen) is having a major impact. The McDavid line is holding its own, and should be better when things settle. The Nuge line played a bunch last night and sawed off the competition. I can’t say that’s a bad thing. Fourth line, represented here by Josh Samanski, Adam Henrique and the rest, is doing well. That Samanski came out of nowhere, man.
- Nurse-Murphy 32 minutes, 3-1 goals
- Ekholm-Bouchard 29 minutes, 1-1 goals
- Walman-Emberson 18 minutes, 2-0 goals
- Connor Ingram 38 of 42, .905SP
This is some tidy work from the men listed here. Darnell Nurse and Connor Murphy play big minutes and are winning at five-on-five (all of these numbers are five-on-five). Ekholm-Bouchard haven’t found their groove yet but difficult to be critical overall. The third pairing is on the ice for a goal per game so far, never going to complain about that kind of production. Connor Ingram’s numbers are solid.
Now I know you are anxious about last night and all I’m doing is giving you nice five-on-five numbers. I just want to reiterate that in the big game state, five-on-five, the Oilers are delivering in spite of chaotic visuals. You can be as upset as you wish, but five-on-five math is looking at you with a Spockian eyebrow as you rave on.
- Podkolzin-Draisaitl-Kapanen 10:30, 10-5 shots, 2-0 goals 41X, 3-2 HDSC
- Savoie-McDavid-Hyman 5:58, 4-4 shots, 0-1 goals, 16X, 2-1 HDSC
- Dach-Nuge-Roslovic 3:51, 1-1 shots, 44X
- Frederic-Samanski-Lazar 3:48, 0-1 shots, 52X
- Draisaitl-McDavid-Hyman 3:13, 0-1 shots
- Roslovic-Samanski-Savoie 3:04, 3-1 shots, 1-0 goals 82X
- Dach-Lazar-Frederic 2:31, 2-0 shots, 39X, 1-1 HDSC
The Draisaitl line played well again, the gap between the top two lines is clear. I’d be tempted to run Vasily Podkolzin with Connor McDavid, but the 29 line is smashing. Perhaps Nuge could slide up if Jason Dickinson can play in Game 3? If it were me, I’d stay the course with Matt Savoie. It’s easy to point at the rookie for struggles, but for me 97 can be better.
I’m not going to talk much about the PK error, but blind back passes are the devil’s plaything and I have no idea why no one was able to corral the puck but this team is so damned indifferent about minding the store. Anyway, the odds Kris Knoblauch fades Savoie are very high.
I was damn happy to see Samanski score, shame it didn’t lead to victory. The sentences above don’t really tell you the story, and the story is Connor McDavid has zero points in two games. My bet is he breaks out in Game 3.
- Nurse-Murphy 14:46, 7-7 shots, 2-0 goals, 49X, 2-1 HDSC
- Ekholm-Bouchard 12:27, 7-6 shots, 1-1 goals, 54X, 4-3 HDSC
- Walman-Emberson 8:25, 8-2 shots, 1-0 goals, 67X, 2-1 HDSC
- Connor Ingram 22 of 27, .815SP, 5GA, 3 expected
Solid numbers by the defense, and of course the five-on-five goaltending was good, too. Special teams is your answer to all of that upset, and you have to decide if it’s the goalie, the lack of care with the puck, a tough night that won’t happen again, or something in the ether. The goalie usually gets blamed, so I’ll assume you want Ingram out and Jarry in. That’s fine.
The thing to remember is this: the Oilers are in a good spot if the team’s best players are going to be the team’s best players. Connor McDavid has had two poor games, and last night there was an injury concern. Look at those five-on-five numbers again.
The coaching staff needs to fix the power play, the team needs to take better care of the puck and McDavid needs to use his linemates. That’s it, really.
On the Lowdown today, we’ll talk to Bagged Milk from Oilers Nation about last night’s game and any changes we could see. Lots of NFL draft talk, too. Noon to 2pm, Sports 1440 and You Tube. See you on the radio!
Hard forecheck shift by the Pitlick/Poulin line and the Stilman point shot finds its way in for 6-1.
Tomkins with a big save on a 2 on 1 (and another on the rebound), Jarventie and Hamblin cross on the return 2 on 2 and a shot by Jarventie is tipped in by Hamblin for the 5-1 – a weird one.
What a beauty! Marjala with a slick zone exit, gives and goes with Howard and Howard goes cross-crease to Griffith who buried the 4-1.
I think McDavid and Drai are very different in how they drive their respective lines. Draisaitl is so strong, protects the puck extremely well from defenders, has exceptional vision to identify open teammates or shooting targets, and reliable quick release. McDavid usually bursts away from defenders, is faster than any other player, draws the opposition towards him, and is patient but lightning fast when the opportunity opens up. Both players are incredible to watch.
All this to say, I agree McDavid can use his linemates better, but he may not be playing with his usual quickness and precision to create those openings for his linemates. The injury at the start of the 2nd period may make it more difficult to create openings as he typically would, and the team will have to keep playing well, even if McDavid is unable to play at his best.
That was an awesome goal by Samanski. Lots of good signs at 5v5 from depth lines and team commitment to defending. hope to keep seeing more of those contributions across the board. Go Oilers!
A hard Nicholl forecheck leads to pressure and net front chaos and, eventually, Poulin bangs home a rebound of a Dinnen shot to restore a 2-goal lead.
A point shot is blocked, Hutson picks up the rebound in the slot, circles back to the line and, in Ryan Holt’s words a “half hearted clapper” from the half wall finds its way in through a screen!
Condors give up a SH 2 on 1 but the shot hits iron, they do back the other way, Howard to Grifth in the slot and he squeaks home the 1-0 with Cooper Marody in the box…..
They are announcing Hutson with the assist – I could be wrong on it being Howard.
If I recall correctly, last year at this time we were down 2 games against LA, then we won 4 straight to win the series. Now, if this year’s bunch can just play the way we know they can for more than a period at a time… who knows how high they might fly (gag).
I’m glad they’re on the road they need to simplify and clog the middle Anaheim could easily be up 2-0. I would start Jarry as Ingram has been alright but I would give the Ducks a different look. Jarry has to be salivating to show himself, teammates and the Edmonton mob that he has it in him to go on a magic ride.
Per Ryan Holt:
Between the commentating, refs, and play on the ice, that game was hard to watch for me. It was obvious early that the ducks were winning last night. The refs made it obvious by calling penalties on dives one way. Then ignoring the high stick to the face and allowing a goal immediately after. This is a common theme over the playoff years. It’s the only way to stop this Oilers team. Don’t care who doesn’t agree with me, it’s just the way I see it.
My kids and I joke about needing to beat the zebras as well as the opposition. I dont disagree in general and particularly with cali and other gary favs (veg / col)
That said. Last night i didnt feel it was overly bias. We rewatched the highstick on bouchard that should have been called (and therefore they dont score) and found the ref had followed the puck and was looking away. Call it luck or incompetence…but that play didnt seem bias at all.
The game overall we had our share of calls. Lots of games (lak series was obvious) calls killing momentum etc seem to happen. Last night we just sucked on the pp and pk…
That was home ice advantage for us usually a veteran team gets the calls against an up and coming team. All an Oiler fan can realistically hope for is even calls.
I agree and have thought the same since Makar rewrote the rules on offsides.
Off to a better start than last year. Arrows up! 😉
That’ll do, Pig. That’ll do.
🐷 🐽 🐖
I always hear, for years now, “you can’t rely on the PP in the playoffs, you need to be able to outscore at 5 on 5 or you can’t win”.
That should ring true for the Ducks and, perhaps, we can take some solace in the 8-4 drubbing at 5 on 5 and the presumption that the PP will start to be a positive force soon, like it always becomes.
The PP was goal-less in 2 games against LA last year.
I think that’s true later in the playoffs when they stop calling penalties. Thinking of the later games in the Florida series, if you can’t score at 5v5 you don’t have much of a chance. But special teams are huge always, our PK was a huge reason we got to the finals in ‘24
The PK has largely been a liability since the 2024 Finals.
I have little confidence the coaches can suddenly fix it, especially with Rico and Dick injured.
Special teams was a huge issue in the 2025 Finals and throughout the playoffs last year. Still no answers.
Well the answer was Dickinson and Murphy. Our PKwas great after the deadline. but with Dickinson and Rico injured we are in tough. One guy could be replaced but both those guys are excellent PKers. Sounds like Dickinson will be back in the next couple of games though
Murphy and Dickinson were both non-trivial additions intended to mitigate the PK pain. Special teams help can take some time to adjust. I think they can get it to not a liability with the good enough goaltending Ingram can provide.
Average PK and elite PP is a reasonable goal for this team in this playoffs. Both are falling well short but they have time to adjust.
Anaheim will be pressing hard especially with the home date for these young whispersnappers. Oilers need to start playing low event so called boring hockey. The road might be the best thing for this club. No way we beat Dostal vs Ingram in a track meet.
I hate to bring it up, but McDavid might be the only player right now who went to 2 SCFs, the 4Nations, the Olympics and is still playing. Perhaps it’s catching up with him?
Melmam: in my eyes, very legitimate. I mentioned it before and went on and on about it. Mental and physical fatigue happen even in super elite athletes. Remember, 97 put the pedal to the metal for the last 10 or so games, when 29 was out and the Oilers were pushing for a playoff spot
If only there were 82 games that a coach could manage key player minutes before heading into the playoffs.
If only they had 8 exhibition games to prepare for the season and get the roster settled to avoid a slow start to the season
How about 3 finals instead of 2 games in this seasons playoffs?
https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=197649
I feel McDavid needs help on his line more than Draisaitl.
I’d run:
McDavo-Podz-Savoie
Drai-Kap-Dickinson or Lazar
Nuge-Roslovic-Hyman
Samanski-Dach-Fredric
I’d also have Drai rotate onto the other lines to give him more minutes. All three non-Leon lines have shown some chemistry in the last weeks of the season.
Interesting. Could just swap Podz and Savoie too and leave Hyman with McDavid. Savoie and Drai have great results together too.
No skate today (as its a travel day) but Knob spoke to the media before they left – full avail no available yet but Rishaug has advised:
I think that’s right. I was only able to watch the third period, and overall I think it wasn’t that bad a performance. An unlucky bounce that likely never happens again made the difference. If our power play could get its act together, we win that game. There are times I wish the Oilers would do things differently but basically last night was a very winnable game.
Exactly. When McDavid is the only puck-receiver on his line it makes defending him not easy, but it does follow a predictable formula. They need to break up that predictability or McDavid will be plugged, exhausted and injured.
Good point. It’s the first time where I think I saw a confused and out of sorts 97. Yes, he needs to do a lot of things (like shoot more, use his line mates more, stop trying so hard etc), but isn’t coaching a real thing, meaning the coaches need to hatch a plan that isn’t so predictable, as 97, while unpredictable is so many ways, is very predictable in other ways. There’s a narrative out there that he’s been left alone for so long with no accountability and this means he won’t take to coaching. I don’t buy that
The Oilers have been stuck in this rut of winning 2 games, then losing one, then winning two and losing one. I fully expect McDavid to iron things out and find a way to tilt the ice again. It’s encouraging to me that the team is getting contributions up and down the ice.
The GWG required several lucky bounces to go Anaheim’s way. That’s not sustainable. The Oilers defence for the most part was able to handle their forecheck and move the puck out of the zone effectively.
Ingram looks a bit scramble in net though.
It might be Jarry time I do think he gets game 4 if we lose game 3. We are going to need a steal of 1 game in Anaheim.
No to Jarry time, there is a reason he lost the starting goalie job, he is not very good.
Rico out was going to hurt the PK and adding Dickinson out on top of that made staying out of the box a primary concern last night – it did not happen.
Henrique’s importance to this team is profound. Currently, the only answer to him out of the lineup is zero penalties.
These two seem to be PK experts for sure, but there’s a chance they can’t roll the next game as well. So, borrowing an overused term, it’s next man up…or stay out of the box (that’s not going to happen, maybe minimize the trips to the sin bin)
Rico is out (he’s not travelling) but Dickinson could play – we don’t know yet.
Oilers 2-4 in their last 6 playoff games.
McDavid
0 G 0A / -2
0 G 0A / 0
0 G 0A /-4
1 G 0A/-1
0 G 1A/-1
0 G 0A/-1
He’s trying to do too much, I suspect Ducks went over tape after tape of the Panthers’ 2 victories against them in the Finals.
Is Knoblauch getting outcoached (again)?
What’s Knoblauch supposed to do about it? … Connor’s the one who is holding on to the puck too long … this creates an opportunity to swarm him and strip him of the puck.
It’s McDavid that needs to adjust. Quick give and go’s, quick passes, quick shots. McDavid’s game may look very busy right now, but he’s playing at the slowest pace I’ve ever seen him play. He takes too long to decide what he wants to do, holding on to the puck too long, thinking that he can create a better angle for a shot or a more open look for a pass. Time and space is severely limited in the playoffs, and puck luck plays a huge role (e.g. look at the game winner for reference). Every goal doesn’t need to be a Picasso.
Don’t you realize that any failing of this team can be directly traced to Knoblauch being out of his depth, out coached, outclassed and having his lunch eaten???
So you think he’s doing a great job then?
That’s not what he said.
Agreed. McD has habits, developed over years of offensive success, that have become bad habits as some teams are figuring him out.
He’s also very smart.
How long before he either develops better habits, or a way to work around the obstacles other teams put in the way of his bad habits? Either way, the other team, in this case Ducks, will be left standing in a row.
This is wrong. Good day.
What are the opposing coaches suppose to do about McDavid? Oh that’s right, coach.
Knoblauch needs to figure things out.
Players have chemistry with each other yet he’s stubborn and refuses to allow the chemistry to dictate the line combos, its maddening.
You’ve said it. So, we’re back to talking about coaching, something that seems to have fallen by the wayside of late because of a good late season run (myself included). Yes, Knoblauch needs to figure things out. Stop meddling and stay with what works. Now no need to panic, he can just take it from here and let the players tell him who is jiving with who….but can he resist….?
Agree, but these are things a coach should be coaching him to adjust. Maybe he is and McDavid refuses to listen or execute?
Of course he’s getting out coached because the guy on the other bench is one of the best to ever do it.
I wouldn’t say that, as I didn’t;t see any brilliance from the waterfowls last night. He’s good, but one of the best. Can’t agree
Don’t know how Knoblauch should be expected to coach McDavid not to do too much.
You let your generational talent figure it out. What, you’ll bench him if he carries the puck into traffic and loses it again?
I don’t think KK is the right coach.
But I don’t think he’s being outcoached either.
Here’s why:
The Terry line FEASTED on the Oilers at 5v5 in G1. Edmonton sawed them off last night. Even had more HDCF than them. They got 2 goals, but one was an empty netter I believe and the other was the game winner. Took a gnarly bounce off a skate as the RW started to turn up ice for the Oil. Landed on a 40-goal scorer’s stick, otherwise it could’ve been a stretch pass the other way.
When you see the problem there, and it’s the biggest game state, and you fix it within 48 hours, that suggests a coach who knows how to assess and address issues.
Don’t know how he could’ve been expected to adjust in real time to his top 2 PK Cs being shelved. There’s no getting around that. Stay out of the box. How do you coach that? The Oilers did have more PPs than the Ducks had 🤷
And the PP was historic all season with this specific cast of characters. And they haven’t been together for over a month. Would be folly to throw out the baby with the bathwater. So we look at the data.
G1- 1 HDCF in 4 minutes 5v4
G1- 5 HDCF in nearly 8 minutes.
The coach, again, saw his units turn in the right direction.
He’s resisted the urge to pair the “glimmer twins” more than a couple shifts per game, so he’s clearly adjusted to the data there, too.
The only thing I think you can really criticize KK for right now is his ability to motivate. To keep out of the box. To keep up the heavy forecheck, to take care of the G-d damn puck in the d-zone. I don’t personally think that is an NHL coach’s job. Would it help? Probably a bit.
How long is it going to take McDavid to figure it out?
That’s the thing really … his line about doing the “same things over and over again” last year … doesn’t seem like he’s figured it out yet. Last year’s finals, the Olympic gold medal game, the first two games of this series.
I felt that when he played with Podz, and Savoie, that trio play a more buttoned down, and simpler game that did not involve trying to score hero goals. Maybe they should go back to that for game 3?
Brilliant.
Now that’s a solid take on coaching D5. Is Quenville the better coach, probably. Is he out coaching Knoblauch, probably not.
Edmonton is getting outplayed on special teams…that usually means execution, single moments of brilliance or failure (great save, missed open net etc.) or discipline. On a team that was historically good on the PP, coaching is suddenly bad? And on the PK, some pretty important players are missing.
As has been pointed out, 5 on 5 the play is pretty much even. Neither team is driving play decisively. So who’s out coaching whom on 5v5? The answer is no one.
The oilers are outshooting the Ducks, out hitting the Ducks, they have the same number of blocked shots, but the kicker is Oilers have given the puck away 20 times. The Ducks have 15 give-a-ways. Coaching or execution?
The “mood swings” in the games also don’t indicate a coaching imbalance. These momentum swings are not driven by coaching, but by individual plays, mistakes (hello McDavid), special teams and lucky (unlucky if you’re an Oiler) bounces. The series so far is not a chess match being decisively won by any team.
What we’re seeing is two inconsistent teams trading mistakes and momentum. Maybe coaching will factor in later, but in my view it hasn’t yet.
I would suggest the kicker at 5 on 5 is that the Oilers have put the puck in the net 8 times and the Ducks 4 times. Even if it hasn’t looked great at 5 on 5 and McDavid and some others are struggling hard, they are crushing it and, if that continues, they likely win the series easily. Of course, that outscoring isn’t likely to sustain if some of those things keep happening……
Goals are what counts, and no doubt at 5 on 5 Oilers have put the puck in more frequently than the Ducks. However, 5 on 5 expected goals are close, with only a slight Oiler advantage; certainly not at 8 to 4 advantage. Special teams are killing them, as the 5v5 Oiler advantage is a bit of an illusion. Oilers are not controlling the game nor suppressing Anaheim meaningfully.
However, if you believe in regression, 5 on 5 should normalize to the Ducks advantage, while special teams should normalize to the Oilers advantage, small sample size acknowledged. Let’s hope that’s enough, but a short series can throw all kinds of anomalies into the final series outcome. Let’s hope experience counts.
If you want to look at it that way, the Oilers have more expected goals on their PP than the Ducks to on their…….
Right, and that’s why regression, if it happens, slightly favours the Oil.
It’s really simple. If 97 can’t get the ice tilted, it’s going to be a long offseason. That’s how this roster is built.
The silver lining is that I’m sure he will.
That sound right but:
1) The Oilers are 8-4 goals at 5 on 5; and
2) The Oilers are 7-3 goals at 5 on 5 with McDavid off the ice.
The Oilers are dominating at 5 on 5 with McDavid not tilting the ice, dominating.
The Oilers are not up 2-0 because of special teams – end stop.
The Oilers need McDavid and his line to be better at 5 on 5 – I agree – but 5 on 5 play has been a massive strength in this series through two games.
Thanks.
With this information in hand, a guy might think of dialing back McDavid a little bit, use the entire line up. Not because McDavid is bad of course, but because you need the energy and effort of the whole team. Its a strong line up.
And thus McDavid can be used more strategically rather than the always present heavy minute man.
Huh sounds like something the coach could do.
Will he? I wouldn’t put good money down on it
Good observation. I was waiting on that last night, but they seemed to play 97 as usual. He can be dialed back (look, it seems he was off and his ankle area was a bit tender) and viola, things likely change, even slightly, for the better for both player and team. That energy and effort thing from the whole team is real. Harness it. It’s simple, 97 doesn’t always have to carry ALL the mail ALL the time. No further tweaks necessary, apply KISS standard
Is it possible 97 getting plugged up is giving opportunity and clean air to other players?
Very possible and something that is not reflected in numbers. Just is….makes total sense
Totally agree. The whole PP, including 97, has been a mess. That’s where they all need to improve, and he’s the straw that stirs the drink.
Quennville is a wily coach, and I think he’s put together a solid strategy to neutralize McDavid in all disciplines. He’s gotta find a way.
8-4 5v5 Goals EDM
3-0 PP Goals ANA
6-5 PP Opportunities EDM
1-0 SH Goals ANA
1-0 EN Goals ANA
Fix the special teams and this series is Edmonton’s.
This is like looking at the reverse figures we saw in the 2022, 2023, and 2024 playoffs.
PP, PK and Line 1. Coaches have their work cut out for them.
For me the issue is that no one has reigned in the elite players mentally. Convinced them of the what’s and why’s. It’s not an easy thing to do, but that’s what needs to happen
I don’t like it when Connor and Leon talk about their confidence in what they can do, what the room thinks, they’re going to do this and that, because it points to that they are going to try to do more and make things happen themselves. And that is exactly the problem that this group has
There is no substitute for playing a smart game and playing smart as a team. Bearing down and winning the little things in the moment. That’s how the teams that give them trouble that they should dominate in the greater sense give them that trouble. It’s clear that no one player has enough talent to do it alone
The 80’s team had to learn the same lessons – but they did it in a couple of seasons and got where they wanted to get quickly. The cores of then and now are similar to me in make up. The main difference is who is leading and I don’t mean the players, and this group hasn’t had the guy that brings all of the pieces together and forges the mentality that they need
And yes it’s just one game, and they like to start everything slow and sloppy
Oilers have dominated the scoreboard at 5 on 5, even with most top players struggling.
Obviously they are getting killed on special teams but I am fully confident this power play, that was also bagels though two games against LA last year, will get going.
The top players have a long history of being amazing playoff producers and they will get going.
I remain highly confident.
If the Oilers just had to have Stan Bowman, why didn’t they get Coach Q as well?
This organization just can’t get out of its own way.
Knoblauch has zero ideas, zero clue.
McDavid’s injury is worse than he is letting on. Frustrating how this seems to happen to at least one glimmer twin every Spring.
Health is a skill. If you look at the all-time list only Mario and Bobby didn’t have long careers
Lindros.
M A Pouliot
Running him 24-25 min/night for 82 games and somehow still logging 24min last night despite a perceived injury may be catching up.
Podz at 16min and Savoie at 13min
I had the amazing opportunity to go to my very first Playoff game last night, and so, as I sit at my desk with hoarse voice and heavy eyelids, I just wanted to share my thoughts of the game from last night (Especially since I read the blog after the game and was surprised at how different it seemed from my perspective):
Thanks.
Great insights! I also found this very confusing, it’s been a typical Knobber move to break up a line that’s playing well after a win. Thankfully they were reunited later in the game for a few shifts, but it seemed like a mistake to me to try to fix what wasn’t broken!
Why didnt you beat up the guy who threw the chicken that dude ruined the momentum.
It’s crazy to me that a team that has learnt all the lessons that can be learned through experience, continues to bang their head against the wall doing the same thing.
It’s clear Ducks are focused on denying entries and 97 is getting frustrated and trying to beat the whole team and getting more frustrated.
If it’s not there, dump it in an pound the crap out of their dmen for turnovers and cycle the puck, that’s their game. If you have to give 97 another body to bang and make space, do it, but Savoie was actualy turning pucks over on the forecheck, so I think it’s more on 97 (and 18 hasn’t been great either) to get going.
KK is frustrating in how he runs the lines. Samanski, Dach and Frederic had chem the last 10 games; why split them up? Basically muted Dach and Frederict in a game where they Oil need them to wear down the D, getting to the cycle.
Fully confident 97 will turn it around, but these past 2 games are about as bad as he can play. We cut him slack obviously because he’s McJesus, but holy smokes he stunk last night. The shorty was his fault, as much as I think he was expecting someone (bouch?) to be there to catch that errant pass. Hopefully his injury does not further hurt him.
As for goaltending, not loving that goal from Trouba, seeing-eye muffin, but overall, average performance from Ingram through 2 games
LT’s last paragraph is a perfect summary.
I think the Oil won the 5v5 battle by a large margin.
I am not worried about the play last night. I am worried that Drai, McD, Henrique, and Dickinson are injured to varying degrees and it’s only game three of the playoffs.
Unfortunately, the other games states also exist and count during game play.
But hey, let’s only look at the stat that portrays the Oilers in a good light.
Pretty sure it’s the only one that does.
and everything in the last 7 years of this team tells you that PP is going to turn around and positively impact including last year’s playoffs where, get this, the PP went scoreless in 2 games (both losses) and then helped them win four straight in the series.
IMO, the goals against on the PK have been savable. Ingram has played very well 5v5 but has looked small 5v4. Goals over the shoulder and inside the near post. I appreciate there has been traffic but he has been cheating slightly – leaning away from the shooter as if anticipating a different play. Just focus on the shooter and react as needed (simple, I know!)
In reality this is how the Oilers played virtually all season. Rarely able to put two or three good games in a row. Last night exposed skaters that have lost a step (or more)… hello Nurse and Nuge in particular. This a young, fast, hungry team they’re playing. Many fans are saying not worry but in reality the Oil could return to YEG down 3-1. It’s been that kind of year.
Notable that the Ducks are much better at home than on the road.
Their 24 regulations wins at home were better than all but Colorado (26) and Dallas (26) among the WC teams.
Now that they’ve seized home ice advantage in the series, they could be very dangerous.
How did this type of pearl clutching work out for you and the Kings last post season?
They came within a Byfield bobble from winning the series.
Wow, all this time I thought NHL playoffs were best of 7; now I find out last year the kings had a special exemption and only needed to win 3 to claim the series.
The Kings should have been up 3-0 in the series.
The chances of winning a series after falling behind like that is 1.9%.
“Including the 1942 Maple Leafs, only four teams have ever erased a 3-0 deficit to come out on top.
The others were the 1975 New York Islanders, the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers, and most recently, the 2014 Los Angeles Kings.
The Kings did it in Round 1 of the 2014 post-season, when they managed to pull off four straight wins to beat the San Jose Sharks. Los Angeles would ride that high all the way to a Stanley Cup victory.”
Think you best go back and enjoy a re-watch of that series.
April 21 Edmonton Oilers 5–6 Los Angeles Kings
April 23 Edmonton Oilers 2–6 Los Angeles Kings
April 25 Los Angeles Kings 4–7 Edmonton Oilers
April 27 Los Angeles Kings 3–4 OT Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers, in fact, won game three; in no small part thanks to some Jim Hiller heroics.
The failed clearing attempt by Byfield (which required only an ounce of hockey sense) was Game 4, and in turn, would have given the kings a 3-1 series lead.
Unlike the 3-0 deficit, a 3-1 deficit has been overcome 32 times in NHL history.
Regardless, Byfield failed the test, and the Kings went on to a four-peat of first round exits.
IMO: there is so much more to like than dislike here. McDavid, Hyman, Nuge, Bouch, Ekholm all playing far below their usual abilities. A PP that runs an average of 30% is 0/6 (call it -1 with the shorty GA). A PK that averages 77% is 3/5.
Credit to the Ducks for their part in this, but the Oil are so far winning the 5v5 battle and I’m not really sure that the Ducks have an all world PK that is going to continue to deny the league’s best PP six seasons in a row.
There is still plenty to be positive about; absolutely.
I think its ridiculous for folks to be angry at McDavid for not beating the entire Ducks focus to stop him.
He has had three years of exhaustive hockey and a tough last 20 games this year to secure a playoff spot. The man looks down 15 pounds.
Every opposition game plan starts with how to stop McDavid. And fast skating, tight pressure, stick swinging and poke checks by 5 players on the ice…….these are easier to accomplish than one man carrying the puck through the rest.
Its time to recognize and adapt. Usually this is just “Connor will play better” and he does. But at what point in time will he be unable to overcome and need some help? Has it arrived?
Why does Knoblauch allow Q to get his match ups? How can he get McDavid some space? Presently McDavids game is predictable. His wingers are passive, his dmen simply give him the puck and get out of the way.
Maybe he needs Roslovich to be a puck carrier as he distracts. Maybe a crasher like Dach and he dumps the puck in. Certainly needs to back the Ducks defence off the blue line by switching to dump and chase every second rush. He needs disrupters to create space.
Ducks forth line can shut down McDavid, but they should not be able to shut down Oilers top line and top d pair. This is rediculous and needs adaptation.
I don’t think people are angry at McD. I feel they are suggesting adaptation as noted.
I formed that conclusion after listening to multiple radio shows and text about how McDavid has to be better. Top player has to be top player. Blah, blah, blah.
No recognition of the difficulty he faces as an entire team is specifically focused on stopping him.
He should simply “be better” “solve the problems” the fans want him to solve, regardless of circumstance
Connor IS getting help.
The Oilers have scored 8 goals at 5 on 5 without his help on the scoring plays including 2 goals from Kap, 2 goals from Dickinson, a goal from Samanski, a goal from Connor Murphy.
They lost game 2 on special teams, where McDavid plays a large roll – end stop, no?
As far as match-ups, McDavid has played a ton against the Ducks fourth line which includes a d-man playing forward and a couple others many have never heard of – in no way should Knob need to work to get McDavid away from that match-up.
In effect, Anaheim is deploying 3D when McDavid is on the ice.
Ian Moore, however, has played a significant number of games at forward on their 4th line this season so is very familiar with the role.
Viel is filling in for Jansen Harkins who is day to day with a hand injury/.
But all of them are large and were acquired for the express purpose of being a shutdown line.
It seems to be working.
Q’s match up was working. Logic would say it was to Oilers advantage. 2 games in and advantage ducks. You can keep insisting its gotta work, or you can change. Depends how stubborn one is.
Im not sure if you are in the “Connor just needs to be better” camp. We are talking about Conner here specifically, not the rest of the team. Im also supporting to play the rest of the team, even more.
Yes, Q’s match-up is working and I do “insist it’s gotta work” and that isn’t much of an idea. I get that but I still believe it. I mean (1) it’s McDavid and (2) these guys that are shutting him down did not do well against elites this season (Ian Moore 9-14 goals).
I think this is more on McDavid and his line mates than on Qs schemes and the opposition – I’m not basing this on anything more that “trust me dude!”, I acknowledge that.
In football there is out kicking your coverage, for the Oil, McD is out skating his support. The one on three or four all the time is not going to work. He should learn the Gretzky buttonhook.
Yes, this is a very good point. His game is speed, I get it, but its hard to help him when he full throttle own the center.
Enter at angles instead of N S – pull defenders away from middle or the ice to open it up for line mates. Instead he’s going direct 1 on 1 to 1 on 4 with very poor puck protection. He’s been easily pokececked at least 10 times just inside the blue
I mentioned last night that Quenneville is finding the Oilers’ soft spots and gettting his players to attack them. I wish that KK would do the same. The Ducks are very aggressive in the NZ, on the PK and this should be opening up spaces to exploit. To not have done so yet is discouraging.
Having said that, if not for some lucky bounces, a seeing eye point shot or two, the Oilers are actually up 2-0 in the series. This is less close than it seems.
The point is, however, that it should not be close. This is Anaheim, against a team that went to the finals two times in a row. Row. A team with CMD and Leon.
Against the squad who’s only familiarity with playoffs is watching it on the television.
The fact that the Oilers are looking this bad is a bad omen for any kind of success in this postseason, and the tailing off of cmd’s career.
Agreed. But the difference is a coach who is on a top level with a young team who are very willing to do what they are told, against a team with mid-tier coach who are only sometimes willing to play the way they’ve been told.
This should not be acceptable for any team but has been painfully obvious to be accepted by this management group. Freestyle for some is not a sustainable team game
Well, it is also hard to say to 97, 29 & 2 “play this way” because they are so good, but the tendency of the rest of the group has been to try to do that too. I’m sure it is a tough dynamic to coach.
Based on Q tactics observed to date, and specialty teams slump, KK is going to be accused of getting out coached very quickly here. He won’t survive the summer if there is a first round exit.
They won the 5v5 battle and scored 4 evens goals. Its not like Q has created this fortress.
Agreed figuring out the PP and even marginal luck on PK will end this pretty quick. Maybe stop screening the goalie too.
LT – you mentioned a few days ago “this organization isn’t serious about winning a Stanley Cup.”
It’s not the exact context you were referencing, but last night is an excellent example. Until players learn to manage the puck, and stop making hope passes for the pretty play, they are not serious about winning Stanley.
Just when we thought the Oilers were rounding into form before the playoffs they go and put up two questionable performances. Never mind McDavids ankle, his passes have been terrible. Time to let Leon handle the puck more on the PP because Connor can’t complete a pass right now if his life depends on it. Ingram looks nervous and is overplaying every shot leaving himself exposed. He also seems to be having trouble tracking the floaters from the point which is concerning. Never easy being an Oilers fan.
Oilers net front has been a come and go tea for a long time now.
D are coached to either block the shot or be in position to clear rebounds. Its acceptable for opposition to sit top of crease all day
Tough environment to play in as we have seen with4 Goalers this season!
At least tie up sticks!